GDT: Anaheim @ Buffalo, 7:00 pm est, 12/17/2015

[Doohicksie]

Craft breweries are popping up all over here locally.  For a while, Fort Worth only had one (Rahr), but now we have Panther Island, Martin House, Collective, Chimera (which is a really just a brew pub), Bearded Eel, and opening this spring, HopFusion (a couple of friends of mine are opening that one up).  I doubt you'll see any of those up north.  Go a little further into neighboring cities and there are even more.

[JJFIVEOH]

Craft breweries are popping up all over here locally.  For a while, Fort Worth only had one (Rahr), but now we have Panther Island, Martin House, Collective, Chimera (which is a really just a brew pub), Bearded Eel, and opening this spring, HopFusion (a couple of friends of mine are opening that one up).  I doubt you'll see any of those up north.  Go a little further into neighboring cities and there are even more.

 

Seems to be a growing trend. They're few and far between down here (relatively speaking) but I make routine trips to western NC, fantastic craft brews up there.

[biodork]

Just watched the condensed game, and that looked fun. Good showing by the Sabres and good on Johnson for getting the shutout.

[GrassValleyGreg]

Reinhart is going to have some beaut assists over his career. The difference between his blind passes out of the corner and Kane's is massive. Talk about two different ends of the awareness spectrum

[Doohicksie]

Reinhart is going to have some beaut assists over his career. The difference between his blind passes out of the corner and Kane's is massive. Talk about two different ends of the awareness spectrum

 

Preach it, brother.

[Stads]

I just finished watching the game and I had a few points. Who is this Kezler fella playing for Anaheim? Also, Brian Gionta is bad at the hockey.

[Norcal]

Reinhart is going to have some beaut assists over his career. The difference between his blind passes out of the corner and Kane's is massive. Talk about two different ends of the awareness spectrum

I was just thinking that it would/will be nice when the Sabres have a couple finishers on Eichel and Reinhart wings that can snipe those sneaky passes into corners and through 5 holes more often than not. Our forwards give the boards and glass around the net a workout I tell ya

Also, Mike Weber is playing ok lately. He's still apt for a guy or two getting loose but he is physical and tough minded and doesn't take any .

The COR to McCabe play was a nice piece of hockeying

The entire play was nice, from the original COR dump to Legwand and Deslauriers creating havoc and scoring chances then relentlessly chasing the rebounds and fighting on the boards till COR hooked up with McCabe. That's what a 4th line looks like to me

[Huckleberry]

Haven't seen Cal O'Reilly play yet, how does he look like.    Doesn't really seem out of place as a 4th liner in the NHL.

[That Aud Smell]

Most saves in a shut out by a Sabres goalie ever. Ever?! 44. I read it on Twitter, so it must be true. Miller held the record with 43.

 

I really would've thought Hasek held that mark.

[Neo]

Most saves in a shut out by a Sabres goalie ever. Ever?! 44. I read it on Twitter, so it must be true. Miller held the record with 43.

I really would've thought Hasek held that mark.

Hasek, playoffs, New Jersey, 4OT, 1-0, 70 saves, 4/27/94. Most ever, playoff shutout, Normie Smith, 92 saves, Mo'real Maroons,1936. Edited December 18, 2015 by N'eo

[DirtDart]

First game of my minipack! I thought this would be a really fun game to go to because of how the Ducks play, but man, they might be the most disappointing team in the league this year. All I really want to see is a win, Eichel on O'Reilly's wing, Reinhart centering Kane, Gionta on the 3rd line, Girgensons in the top-6, and a minion save. Not asking for too much, am I?

I would love to see Eichel playing wing for R'OR

[nucci]

They're dead last in the West and last in the league in goals scored by an enormous margin.  They have to make a change.  No way a team with Perry, Getzlaf, Kessler and company should only have 56 goals scored 30 games into the season.

Getzlaf has 1 goal this year......empty netter....unpossible

[TrueBlueGED]

Most saves in a shut out by a Sabres goalie ever. Ever?! 44. I read it on Twitter, so it must be true. Miller held the record with 43.

 

I really would've thought Hasek held that mark.

What's more surprising: that Hasek didn't have the record, or that Miller...had a shutout? I'll hang up and listen.

[Marvelo]

Getzlaf has 1 goal this year......empty netter....unpossible

 

I wonder if the team is in revolt over Boudreau. Their lineup is just so much better than what they've been showing.

[That Aud Smell]

Just hearing the names on the PBP call last night - I kept waiting for the Ducks to start rolling. Bizarre rut they're in.

[cpabob]

I wonder if the team is in revolt over Boudreau. Their lineup is just so much better than what they've been showing.

 

Boudreau's kids and granddaughter were behind us in the 200's. Felt bad for the family. No big surprise, everyone realizes he is on thin ice.

[nfreeman]

My game notes:

 

- CJ was not only sharp, IMHO he looked very confident.

 

- Speaking of CJ, a question occurred to me:  if Lehner hadn't gotten hurt, and had delivered the same production that CJ has delivered (9-9-1 on a team that is 14-16-3, .918 SV%, 7 games giving up 1 goal or less), how would we feel about Lehner?  Would we think Lehner, with that production, was the guy going forward?  Or maybe at least that they don't need to bring in another goalie next year?

 

- OTOH, I don't think Eichel looked very confident, especially on the PP.  He would get the puck on the half-wall, take a look and then kick it back to the point instead of trying to get into the middle and break down the D.  I think he's lost some of his mojo.  However, DDB knows more than I do and gave Eichel almost 21 minutes of ice time (2nd most among forwards behind ROR), so there's that.

 

- The 4th line had a nice game.  COR doesn't get many shifts but he made a very nice saucer pass on McCabe's goal.  I'd guess he'll be in the press box or back in Rochester when Foligno returns.

 

- I've also liked the Zemgus-Larsson pairing on the 3rd line in the last couple of games.  That line still needs some finish though.  Moulson is just nowhere to be found.

 

- I thought Weber-Franson had a pretty nice game.

 

- Kane seems to have all of his speed and power back.  He is playing a very hard, north-south game.  And I really liked when he waded into the fray after Moulson got knocked down in front of Anaheim's net.

 

- I loved Risto laying a solid shot on Perry when Perry was buzzing around CJ.

 

- Anaheim put up a lot of SOG but still didn't seem to be playing with much fire in the belly.

[dudacek]

I continue to be pleasantly surprised by Chad Johnson.

If Lehner had those numbers I'd be pointing to them as evidence Murray made a good trade and would be fully confident with him going forward. Johnsons history suggests he will regress to the mean, but his play certainly supports those who argue goalies are easy to find.

 

The season has a lot of time to play out, but re-signing him to a modest contract to support or supplant Lehner looks like a viable option at the moment. Lehner is still our most talented keeper and will,still get every chance to prove he is our guy.

 

With Ullmark showing signs, giving him a couple years in Rochester while Lehner gets his shot here, the only movement in goal I see coming in the next few years is finding another Johnson if Johnson walks as a UFA this summer.

 

I also wonder if Johnson's play this year will make him trade bait at the deadline for a team seeking some insurance in net.

[Doohicksie]

Most saves in a shut out by a Sabres goalie ever. Ever?! 44. I read it on Twitter, so it must be true. Miller held the record with 43.

 

I really would've thought Hasek held that mark.

 

Most for a regulation shutout win.

Edited December 18, 2015 by The Big Johnson

[That Aud Smell]

10-4

[Doohicksie]

- I loved Risto laying a solid shot on Perry when Perry was buzzing around CJ.

You know that was the Carubba Collision? I was surprised.

 

I also wonder if Johnson's play this year will make him trade bait at the deadline for a team seeking some insurance in net.

Funny how that worked out for Enroth.  Trade to Dallas and he sucked.  Signed with L.A. and he's been pretty good.  That may have been something Dallas was doing though, because a normally steady Lehtonen looked bad last year too but has returned to form this year.

[Stoner]

Most for a regulation shutout win.

To be a stickler, most for a regulation shutout. There used to be ties, in a galaxy long ago.

 

OK let's see if I can get this right. Most for a regular season shutout. Regulation time isn't an issue.

Edited December 18, 2015 by pASabreFan

[Doohicksie]

To be a stickler, most for a regulation shutout. There used to be ties, in a galaxy long ago.

I wasn't going to look it up, so I went the more conservative rout.

 

 

 

Look where being a conservative got me.

[biodork]

Most saves in a shut out by a Sabres goalie ever. Ever?! 44. I read it on Twitter, so it must be true. Miller held the record with 43.

 

I really would've thought Hasek held that mark.

This surprised me as well.

[LTS]

Confessions of a Sabrespacer...

 

I sing the goal song to myself when reading the GDT the next morning.