GDT: Montréal @ Buffalo, 7:00pm edt, 10/23/2015

[Iron Crotch]

I just rewatched the game and Johnson was terrible.  If your goalie can't make the occasional difficult save, you won't win many games in this league.  With the exception of the end of last game (especially OT and the shootout), the guy has looked consistently shaky IMHO.  It's just been masked by not facing many shots against in prior games.

 

I'm looking forward to seeing Linus Ullmark in net next game.

[North Buffalo]

I'm beginning to think Murray shite the bed on our Goaltending siteeeeation.

 

Just beginning?? Agreed he needs some help evaling GTs Edited October 24, 2015 by North Buffalo

[SabresBillsFan]

Just beginning?? Agreed he needs some help evaling GTs

Or trading too much for what he wants. Not trying to start anything but I can see why Bogo was traded along with Kane. I like both players a lot but Bogo has been hurt a lot(so far in his career)and Kane was a problem for Winnipeg. So them moving both was easy to do.

Edited October 24, 2015 by SabresBillsFan

[Formerly Allan in MD]

I just rewatched the game and Johnson was terrible.  If your goalie can't make the occasional difficult save, you won't win many games in this league.  With the exception of the end of last game (especially OT and the shootout), the guy has looked consistently shaky IMHO.  It's just been masked by not facing many shots against in prior games.

 

I'm looking forward to seeing Linus Ullmark in net next game.

He doesn't look shaky; he looks paralyzed.

[Hoss]

A rough game and the questioning of Murray floods in... Give it some time guys. There's a TON of talent on this team (more than they've had in a looooong time) and it's almost entirely Murray's doing.

The goaltender situation can't even be evaluated fairly yet. You can argue that he should've had a more reliable backup than Johnson due to Lehner's health issues but writing off Lehner is severely premature. And if we're talking about health it seems like Ullmark has bounced back quickly and will get a shot which could show that Murray had confidence he would come back quickly.

 

The sky isn't falling... It's just under construction.

[dudacek]

I understand why everyone is on edge in this thread.

 

A flaccid Johnson will do that to you.

[sicknfla]

A rough game and the questioning of Murray floods in... Give it some time guys. There's a TON of talent on this team (more than they've had in a looooong time) and it's almost entirely Murray's doing.

The goaltender situation can't even be evaluated fairly yet. You can argue that he should've had a more reliable backup than Johnson due to Lehner's health issues but writing off Lehner is severely premature. And if we're talking about health it seems like Ullmark has bounced back quickly and will get a shot which could show that Murray had confidence he would come back quickly.

 

The sky isn't falling... It's just under construction.

Eichel and Reinhart can not be considered Murrays doing. So looking at this tons of talent that is mostly Murrays doing who exactly are you talking about?

 

Murray - Bogo (hurt), Kane, McGinn, Deslauriers, O'Reilly, Fransen, Johnson, Legwand, Lehner, Gionta

 

Darcy - Ennis, Moulson, Risto, McCabe, Pysyk, Girgs, Foligno, Larsson, Weber

 

Is this "tons of talent" that he has accumulated in Rochester? I don't think so. Juniors? Maybe one or two recent draft picks but what team doesn't have that?

 

Nothing I see or have seen will change my opinion that from the minute Darcy was fired Pegula should have opened his limitless wallet and brought in a qualified and proven GM to take on a rebuild of this magnitude.

[Hoss]

Why, again, can't they be considered his doing? It's bogus to not give him credit for finishing off the first tank, selecting Reinhart over others and orchestrating last year's tank. He deserves a ton of credit for both. And if they fail he deserves the blame.

AND he gets credit for Moulson. He moved him away and re-signed him which likely means HE had conversations with him about such a move. He made that happen. Moulson was getting dealt one way or the other, but I'm not so sure Darcy makes the move to bring him back.

 

Kane and O'Reilly alone are two forwards with a ton of talent that are nobody but Murray's doing. Bogo is hurt and that's frustrating but he's still a very talented defender. We'll see what defines him in time.

 

Full credit: Eichel, O'Reilly, Kane, Bogo, Franson, McGinn, Lehner (as far as worthwhile NHLers go).

 

Partial credit: Reinhart, Moulson

 

Then the rest of the roster you can give a tip of the cap to GMTM for. He could've easily sold off a guy like Ennis in a deal (such as the Kane trade) or for futures. He kept them around because he wanted them to be a part of his future Sabres team. A GM doesn't just squat on a job and collect a paycheck. They have to make conscious decisions on who to acquire, bring back, let go and hold on to. Murray gets credit for the talent, and if the losing continues he'll deserve some blame.

[sicknfla]

Why, again, can't they be considered his doing? It's bogus to not give him credit for finishing off the first tank, selecting Reinhart over others and orchestrating last year's tank. He deserves a ton of credit for both. And if they fail he deserves the blame.

AND he gets credit for Moulson. He moved him away and re-signed him which likely means HE had conversations with him about such a move. He made that happen. Moulson was getting dealt one way or the other, but I'm not so sure Darcy makes the move to bring him back.

 

Kane and O'Reilly alone are two forwards with a ton of talent that are nobody but Murray's doing. Bogo is hurt and that's frustrating but he's still a very talented defender. We'll see what defines him in time.

 

Full credit: Eichel, O'Reilly, Kane, Bogo, Franson, McGinn, Lehner (as far as worthwhile NHLers go).

 

Partial credit: Reinhart, Moulson

 

Then the rest of the roster you can give a tip of the cap to GMTM for. He could've easily sold off a guy like Ennis in a deal (such as the Kane trade) or for futures. He kept them around because he wanted them to be a part of his future Sabres team. A GM doesn't just squat on a job and collect a paycheck. They have to make conscious decisions on who to acquire, bring back, let go and hold on to. Murray gets credit for the talent, and if the losing continues he'll deserve some blame.

If the loosing continues he will deserve ALL blame.

[Thorner]

Why, again, can't they be considered his doing? It's bogus to not give him credit for finishing off the first tank, selecting Reinhart over others and orchestrating last year's tank. He deserves a ton of credit for both. And if they fail he deserves the blame.

AND he gets credit for Moulson. He moved him away and re-signed him which likely means HE had conversations with him about such a move. He made that happen. Moulson was getting dealt one way or the other, but I'm not so sure Darcy makes the move to bring him back.

 

Kane and O'Reilly alone are two forwards with a ton of talent that are nobody but Murray's doing. Bogo is hurt and that's frustrating but he's still a very talented defender. We'll see what defines him in time.

 

Full credit: Eichel, O'Reilly, Kane, Bogo, Franson, McGinn, Lehner (as far as worthwhile NHLers go).

 

Partial credit: Reinhart, Moulson

 

Then the rest of the roster you can give a tip of the cap to GMTM for. He could've easily sold off a guy like Ennis in a deal (such as the Kane trade) or for futures. He kept them around because he wanted them to be a part of his future Sabres team. A GM doesn't just squat on a job and collect a paycheck. They have to make conscious decisions on who to acquire, bring back, let go and hold on to. Murray gets credit for the talent, and if the losing continues he'll deserve some blame.

 

Very well said, and I agree.

[qwksndmonster]

EYEBROWS

what

[Huckleberry]

Just beginning?? Agreed he needs some help evaling GTs

 

He was unlucky Lehner got injured, we'll have to wait untill january to see what lehner brings us.  Just hope he can stop himself from trading for another goalie.

[North Buffalo]

A rough game and the questioning of Murray floods in... Give it some time guys. There's a TON of talent on this team (more than they've had in a looooong time) and it's almost entirely Murray's doing.

The goaltender situation can't even be evaluated fairly yet. You can argue that he should've had a more reliable backup than Johnson due to Lehner's health issues but writing off Lehner is severely premature. And if we're talking about health it seems like Ullmark has bounced back quickly and will get a shot which could show that Murray had confidence he would come back quickly.

The sky isn't falling... It's just under construction.

Yeh sorry wrote him off the minute I heard of the trade. Nice as a backup, not a starter imo.

Yeh sorry wrote him off the minute I heard of the trade. Nice as a backup, not a starter imo.

Injury issue just makes my opin more entrenched.

[Rasmus_]

It seemed like everything they worked hard on went to bed at the 25-33 mark of the game.  The PK definitely didn't help things and Johnson just fell to ashes.  He's really not great.   Ullmark come in and steal the job until Lehner comes back.  

[bob_sauve28]

If the loosing continues he will deserve ALL blame.

Ok, but I dont think we will continue losing. That was the best 7-2 loss I've ever seen. We constantly had pressure on the best defensive team in the league and that was fun. Johnson did let in a couple bad goals but most of the shots were tip in. I think if we played this team again tonight or this was a seven game series we would be right in it. Johnson has to play better. And he has. No where to go but up with this team.

[pastajoe]

What I'm confident with GMTM about is that he is constantly evaluating the talent and trade possibilities for the long term. If Darcy was still here the top centers would be Connelly and Hodgson.

[Rasmus_]

Twitter links can't be embedded here but follow the link:

https://twitter.com/myregularface/status/657711675341193216

 

Gorgeous feed to Moulson! 

[X. Benedict]

Notes: Sabres got eaten alive on the dot - which gave a ton of point shots to the Habs.

Face offs matter - especially if you have guys like Subban and Markov that can pump biscuits on net.

 

The first two periods I was marveling at Samsons vision.

 

I'm not as discouraged as you may normally be after a 7-2 loss.

 

That could have easily been a 5-5 game. 3 times they had the Condon beaten and hit pipe.

Kane, Ennis, and somebody.

 

Sabres need some ugly goals.

 

Ocho, well, he'll need to forget this one.

 

Amazing how good Mitchell and Flynn look on fourth line duty.

 

Larsson was frustrating to watch last night, he wasn't skating.

 

I really thought....at least the first two periods that Sabres were stride for stride with the Habs forwards.

It's really on the backend and sets that generated the Habs offense.

 

Actually for 65 min. It was fun to watch.

[That Aud Smell]

It was 2-2 when I signed off.

 

Yeesh.

 

But I believe what others are saying - based on what I saw: This team is mid-pack, on the rise, but they cannot buy goals right now. Awful, awful luck.

 

The talent is good, and will be improved. The process looks good. The structure of play looks good. The goaltending is uneven, obviously. They've often deserved better than they've got. Their luck will change.

[Eleven]

He was unlucky Lehner got injured, we'll have to wait untill january to see what lehner brings us.  Just hope he can stop himself from trading for another goalie.

 

He should have grabbed Ramo.

[That Aud Smell]

He should have grabbed Ramo.

Whodat? I'm asking.

[Stoner]

Ramo is Tuttle, the best damn backup goaltender I ever saw.

 

WTF is Ramo?

They had just about as many high quality chances as you could ever want tonight. Just no luck. Where Montreal got perfect deflections and bounces on half their goals Buffalo had the exact opposite.

Rob Lowe couldn't have scored in Buffalo tonight.

I find it a little odd that two of the guys who attended the analytics hoe-down are citing "puck luck." What, they weren't carrying their lucky rabbits feet in their pants? Kane forgot to throw salt over his shoulder before the opening faceoff? Come on. Maybe, just maybe, for one more era of Sabres hockey, we have guys who just aren't good at finishing (Yeichel was asked to leave the room before this rant began Jack will be fine.) Maybe now that the fancystats seem to indicate the goals should be coming, the lack of goals can be explained by something other than they forgot to sacrifice the squirrel at the morning skate again: gnarled, link sausages for fingers, the wanting to sit down, the wanting to rest.

 

 I was thinking about luck last night. Why is it bad luck for a player to hit the post, or good luck for the goalie? When a placekicker hits the upright, we don't say, "Oh, nice kick, just a bit unlucky." We say, "You suck! Die! Go back to soccer!"

 

"The goalie got lucky there." I don't know. Lucky maybe that some dude with no hands couldn't bury one, but leave the iron out of it. You can even give the goalie credit sometimes for taking everything else away, forcing a shot to the outside.

[Eleven]

Whodat? I'm asking.

 

Goalie that Calgary waived earlier this week.

[Rasmus_]

Notes: Sabres got eaten alive on the dot - which gave a ton of point shots to the Habs.

Face offs matter - especially if you have guys like Subban and Markov that can pump biscuits on net.

 

The first two periods I was marveling at Samsons vision.

 

I'm not as discouraged as you may normally be after a 7-2 loss.

 

That could have easily been a 5-5 game. 3 times they had the Condon beaten and hit pipe.

Kane, Ennis, and somebody.

 

Sabres need some ugly goals.

 

Ocho, well, he'll need to forget this one.

 

Amazing how good Mitchell and Flynn look on fourth line duty.

 

Larsson was frustrating to watch last night, he wasn't skating.

 

I really thought....at least the first two periods that Sabres were stride for stride with the Habs forwards.

It's really on the backend and sets that generated the Habs offense.

 

Actually for 65 min. It was fun to watch.

 

Very well said X.  We're competing, but still a step behind the elite teams.  The defense is still a bit behind the mark of course.  You cannot fault Murray and Bylsma too much for that.  You can only fix so much within one off-season.  Just keep going!  

[Stoner]

Goalie that Calgary waived earlier this week.

Ohhhh, that Ramo. I thought you were talking about the dude from Univision.