GDT: Buffalo @ Toronto, 7:30 pm ET, 3/7/2016

[Thorner]

I just wanted to say Samson that I have been there since day one.

 

And I love watching the Leafs blow.

 

That is all.

 

Me too!!

 

I think a lot were, though.

[Doohicksie]

Anyone who believes this doesn't listen to GMTM. Everyone has a price. Even his own mother. If you offer the right package, any player in this team is tradable.

 

Ah, but you must also have noticed that when GMTM makes a trade he almost always ends up with the single best player in the trade.  Who's he going to get back if he packages Reinhart in a trade?  I mean, I'll take McJesus but I don't see the Eulers giving him up.

[hockeyhound]

Well, I do listen to GMTM, so I'll rephrase, I don't think a team is going to put together a package that Murray deems equal to Samson in value, that will make this team better than Samson does. 

 

Sure, technically anyone's trade-able, but I expect to see Risto, Samson, and Jack here for the rest of GMTM's tenure.

 

 

This is good; however, what would it take to land a player like Stamkos?

 

What would GMTM have offer up to land a legitimate 1st line talent?

[LGR4GM]

This is good; however, what would it take to land a player like Stamkos?

 

What would GMTM have offer up to land a legitimate 1st line talent?

Another question, in 2 years who will be the better player? Steve Stamkos or Sam Reinhart/Jack Eichel?

[SDS]

Ah, but you must also have noticed that when GMTM makes a trade he almost always ends up with the single best player in the trade. Who's he going to get back if he packages Reinhart in a trade? I mean, I'll take McJesus but I don't see the Eulers giving him up.

No way I get into the game of what that trade would consist of.

 

Tim has said it is his job to listen to all offers. All offers. If someone senses we have a glut of talent at one position and offers a package where both teams win - Tim executes the trade. No questions asked.

[LGR4GM]

No way I get into the game of what that trade would consist of.

 

Tim has said it is his job to listen to all offers. All offers. If someone senses we have a glut of talent at one position and offers a package where both teams win - Tim executes the trade. No questions asked.

I won't disagree but I think that for Murray to feel he is also winning in a Reinhart trade, you'd have to burn the building down with your offer.

[Randall Flagg]

Did anyone catch Sam's play at the blue line, where he used a deft stick maneuver/body position to get the puck away from the point man and spring a rush the other way? That play, the one on Kane's goal, and that shootout goal, plays like those make me think he's going to be special. 

 

Bogosian was playing hot potato but I like having him out there when Kadri goes for Jack's knee. Wish they could have fought. Nazem would never do that again. It's going to be fun to have a player on the Leafs to really hate going forward.

[TrueBlueGED]

 

I hate, HATE saying this.  It is really hard to write.  

 

But Rick is done.  I'm sorry; he is done and DONE.  He does not describe play anymore, he doesn't anticipate anymore, he just is his voice.  He doesn't even get over on Sabs goals anymore.

 

I hope he Mannings it out after this season.

 

Since I mostly watch on TV I want his voice around when the team is good...but you're right. It's bad. But hey, at least the Yeichel is dead. DID YOU HEAR ME PA? THE YEICHEL IS DEAD!

[inkman]

This is good; however, what would it take to land a player like Stamkos?

$11 mill should do it

[dudacek]

Leafs will meet or beat any offer.

I'm not sure anyone else would go higher than 10.

[TrueBlueGED]

No way I get into the game of what that trade would consist of.

 

Tim has said it is his job to listen to all offers. All offers. If someone senses we have a glut of talent at one position and offers a package where both teams win - Tim executes the trade. No questions asked.

 

I get what you're saying, but I think it's kind of like how every year (except McDavid) the team with the #1 pick says they'll listen to offers and will move it for the right one, but it never actually happens because no team is willing to put together the ludicrous package to get it done.

[Randall Flagg]

8-6-1 gets us to 80 points. I'd be happy with that.

[ubkev]

I hate, HATE saying this. It is really hard to write.

 

But Rick is done. I'm sorry; he is done and DONE. He does not describe play anymore, he doesn't anticipate anymore, he just is his voice. He doesn't even get over on Sabs goals anymore.

 

I hope he Mannings it out after this season.

I agree with this. I started agreeing with this 2 years ago.

 

Agreeing with this sucks.

[...]

I almost can't believe they won that game. They looked like hot garbage for the first 50 minutes.

 

There are two things to take away from this game, IMHO, Samson's homage to Vanek notwithstanding:

 

The chemistry developing amongst the new core, plus Kane, is palpable, maybe especially between Jack, Samson, and Kane.

 

This is going to seem stupid, but this game, for some reason, really drove home the point to me that this team is young and still learning. You can see the reason for the slow starts and other frustrating things is simply due to the inexperience and immaturity of the core group.

 

Runner up take away: I did not like Bogo at all tonight. Another game like this and you're going to have to make room for another permanent Bogo Bunker dweller.

[Huckleberry]

I hate that ROR is out but I love that the team is being taken over by a bunch of kids.  :w00t:

 

Its their team for the moment, and they aren't disappointing us.

Anyone got a link to that Pysyk goal ?  not seeing it anywhere.

[That Aud Smell]

he just is his voice.

And given my own muscle memory of listening to him, that's probably enough for me. Likely more than enough.

 

I haven't really noticed this deficiency when watching on TV. I'll keep a closer eye (ear) on it in the remaining games.

[beerme1]

Henrik in tonight?

[sodbuster]

8-6-1 gets us to 80 points. I'd be happy with that.

Fifteen games to go, and we're 13.5 points shy of the Vegas o/u for the season, which I thought they'd miss. If they hit 80, I'd be ecstatic.

[jsb]

I almost can't believe they won that game. They looked like hot garbage for the first 50 minutes.

 

The chemistry developing amongst the new core, plus Kane, is palpable, maybe especially between Jack, Samson, and Kane.

 

This is going to seem stupid, but this game, for some reason, really drove home the point to me that this team is young and still learning. You can see the reason for the slow starts and other frustrating things is simply due to the inexperience and immaturity of the core group.

 

Runner up take away: I did not like Bogo at all tonight. Another game like this and you're going to have to make room for another permanent Bogo Bunker dweller.

Agree wholeheartedly with this and playing basically 6 rookies to boot. A typical very young team making mindless errors one minute and looking awesome the next.

As for the bolded.... Don't do it brother, Don't do it. I don't understand the constant scrutiny of Bogosian and Kane. Everything they do that's not perfect gets hammered over and over. Just the added toughness these 2 bring to the table for this team makes that trade necessary as time moves along.

 

Other observations:

Sabres are now 12-9-5 in the 2nd half of this season.

I'm starting to worry about Girgensons, of all the talk about Moulson's struggles, he deserves to be on the what's wrong with him list.

Unless we get lucky or start up another mini tank, a top 5 pick may not be in the cards this upcoming draft. Up to 8th in the bottom seed and with the lowest goal differential of that group, it may not be a sure thing to getting someone that can help immediately in the draft this year.

I kept going back and forth between the Toronto feed and the MSG feed. A much better broadcast on the TSN side and I hate Toronto. They were both critical and complementary of the Sabres at the appropriate times. Described the action in much better detail also. One comment that stood out during the game was how much better would we be if we had Ekblad and McDavid instead of our 2 guys. No disparaging remarks on it but brought out the luck involved in the draft process. Spoke of the could have been top pairing of Risto and Ekblad together. An interesting take that you'll never get on MSG/Sabre broadcast.

[SwampD]

Here are the only things I took away from that game-

 

1. That was a tough one to watch.

 

2. If Kane had any accuracy,… even a little,… like any, he would have 50 goals, maybe a hundred.

 

3. The crowd at the Air Canada Centre makes Chet and Muffy seem like a bunch of coke infused Mardi Gras revelers.

[nucci]

I hate, HATE saying this.  It is really hard to write.  

 

But Rick is done.  I'm sorry; he is done and DONE.  He does not describe play anymore, he doesn't anticipate anymore, he just is his voice.  He doesn't even get over on Sabs goals anymore.

 

I hope he Mannings it out after this season.

I think you're right but Ray is no help at all....Can't finish his thought during a stoppage and continues talking when play is started. I think that bothers RJ....I watch a lot of Center Ice and games are all talking and no play by play. Ray is awful and needs to be replaced...I sometimes watch other teams feed because he is so painful to listen to.

[Doohicksie]

Anyone got a link to that Pysyk goal ?  not seeing it anywhere.

 

Watch it at 1:15 of the full highlight reel of the game at https://www.nhl.com/video/t-279100672/c-42284703

...and I still hate the new NHL.com with all of my essence.

Edited March 8, 2016 by Robin Egg

[Stoner]

He still has the voice, but he doesn't describe the game the way he did.

 

I hate to be that old guy, but damn, you should have heard him ten years ago, much less when he was radio only.  (When he was radio only, he was ###### amazing.)

Hard to argue that he's not what he once was, but think of this. How much better is he right now than when he came back from cancer? His voice has recovered for sure. The mistakes are still there, but they are fewer in number, no? The point I think you're making about his goal calls being less energetic: on the road anyway, I think Rick's always had a couple of gears. Sometimes the big goal is a little understated. In a nutshell, the call for him to step down is over the top. No reason he should. (And, AS I PREDICTED, he already said he wouldn't.)

 

Since I mostly watch on TV I want his voice around when the team is good...but you're right. It's bad. But hey, at least the Yeichel is dead. DID YOU HEAR ME PA? THE YEICHEL IS DEAD!

 

[Beer]

Eichel certainly is an exceptional talent; however, Sam is right there, and I think he is every bit as talented as Jack in his own way.

 

As painful as it is to be cellar dwellers again this season, Sam and Jack definitely raise hopes that we are on are way to making the playoffs sooner rather than later.

 

Btw, as much as I like Lehner, I think I'd rather see Johnson in net during shootouts.

 

Looking forward to next season.

 

Let's Go Buffalo.

 

Totally agree with you on Johnson for shootouts.  Is that possible?  Could DD swap out goalies or is there a rule against that?  It would be a tall order to come out cold and have to step into a shootout.

 

I was high on Sam when they drafted him.  I am high on him now.  He is a complete player and he is driven to get better.  As we enjoy the glory years, he will be as important if not more important than Jack. 

Its their team for the moment, and they aren't disappointing us.

Anyone got a link to that Pysyk goal ?  not seeing it anywhere.

go to Sabres.com and it's in the game highlights

[nucci]

You can play either goalie in the shootout but not sure it's a good idea to play Lehner a whole game and then bench him for the shootout