Game Day Thread GDT: Buffalo at Ottawa, 7:00 PM ET, 11/05/2017

[hockeyhound]

Unless there is a trade, he's here for the next month.

 

They have to get Kulikov w/ Ristolainen though before Bogosian comes back. Giving Gorges 1st pairing duty w/ Franson or Nelson getting effectively 2nd pairing duty will be too much to do playing every other day for the next 2 weeks (at minimum).

 

Kuli/Risto 25 minutes each. Franson/forward each getting 2 minutes pp time gives 33 minutes per game for pairings 2&3 to cover. That's doable.

 

Sounds ok as long as we don't take another hit to the D-core.

 

I like the kid so far, I hope it works out.

[SwampD]

They are & he is.

And yet I don't believe our defensive stats are all that bad. No?

[clintwestwood]

Games like this are why I"m still a fan of Lehner. I still feel like when he's on he's a goalie that can win his team games, and this was definitely one of them.

[3putt]

Yeah, I saw a report to that effect.  It's basically when he can take contact on the ribs.  Thing about ribs is that you can live with cracked ribs, it just hurts like hell.

I know broke two last Labor Day. I couldn't imagine playing hockey. Had to sleep in a recliner for 4 weeks. But it also depends on where and whether they are displaced. Mine were and close to the spine.

[Tondas]

Games like this are why I"m still a fan of Lehner. I still feel like when he's on he's a goalie that can win his team games, and this was definitely one of them.

 

Me too.  Just needs to work on consistency  I think that will come with more experience.

[hockeyhound]

Any word on how long D-Lo is out for?

 

How well did Carrier play tonight?

[Taro T]

And yet I don't believe our defensive stats are all that bad. No?

They have 6 & possibly 7 (if Nelson shows he's ready - jury's out on that) NHL D. There does not appear to be a #8, does it?

 

This team gave up a LOT of high quality chances tonight. They have begun playing every other night for the forseeable future. Nelson is about to be getting forced into the fire. You comfortable w/ what they're running & more importantly, how comfortable are you w/ Strachan or Falk in there?

[SwampD]

They have 6 & possibly 7 (if Nelson shows he's ready - jury's out on that) NHL D. There does not appear to be a #8, does it?

 

This team gave up a LOT of high quality chances tonight. They have begun playing every other night for the forseeable future. Nelson is about to be getting forced into the fire. You comfortable w/ what they're running & more importantly, how comfortable are you w/ Strachan or Falk in there?

I don't even know who they are so I'm guessing not very. I guess my question would be is our D depth that much different from other teams. I honestly am pretty happy with how they all are playing and still think the shortcomings of our team are still on offense.

Edited November 6, 2016 by SwampD

[hockeyhound]

And yet I don't believe our defensive stats are all that bad. No?

I would agree that D stats are OK for now.

 

I think the concern was the lack of depth should we lose another D-man due to a long term injury. If there isn't anyone after Nelson then yes we're in sad shape.

 

I'm sure Nelson can handle the work load, and if he can't will find out soon enough considering all the games he will be playing this month.

 

I think Taro and i are saying the same thing, sorry for the redundancy.

 

I wasn't all that impressed with Franson play last season and with the loss of Bogo well...

Edited November 6, 2016 by hockeyhound

[Doohicksie]

I don't even know who they are so I'm guessing not very. I guess my question would be is our D depth that much different from other teams. I honestly am pretty happy with how they all are playing and still think the shortcomings of our team are still on offense.

 

Tyson Strachan played 46 games with the Sabres two seasons ago.  He was not awful*.  He's not a future piece or anything like that, but he's certainly a 3rd pairing/7th D kind of guy.

 

*Considering how awful the rest of the team was.

Edited November 6, 2016 by High Ankle Sprain

[3putt]

Any word on how long D-Lo is out for?

 

How well did Carrier play tonight?

Carrier played 6 minutes and was noticeable. He also gained the zone with a bull rush that led to the game winning goal. I think Dlo is going to have a tough time getting his spot back. Baptiste and Carrier can do what he does minus the fighting and actually make hockey plays.

[Doohicksie]

I didn't realize it but.... Ottawa's in a playoff position (#3 in the division).  And we beat 'em.

And the Sabres would be too if they'd have beaten TO.

[Norcal]

Good win tonight. Ugly first couple periods but pretty good third.

 

Carrier made a really nice play on the second goal by Samson. Good effort for the kid.

 

Lenny.... yeah Lenny!

[SwampD]

Tyson Strachan played 46 games with the Sabres two seasons ago.  He was not awful*.  He's not a future piece or anything like that, but he's certainly a 3rd pairing/7th D kind of guy.

 

*Considering how awful the rest of the team was.

Ah, I do remember him.

 

On another note, Grant was used in every situation tonight and played a pretty darn good game.

[Doohicksie]

Grant was especially good on the 4-minute PK I thought.

[Norcal]

Carrier had a nice debut. He was noticeable in limited minutes.

i thought so

[Randall Flagg]

Ah, I do remember him.

 

On another note, Grant was used in every situation tonight and played a pretty darn good game.

Faster Legwand.

 

Shot attempts with Foligno on the ice: 27-8 in favor of Buffalo

[hockeyhound]

I didn't realize it but.... Ottawa's in a playoff position (#3 in the division).  And we beat 'em.

Yes, above .500

 

Lehner looked like he carried the team tonight.

[Doohicksie]

Good win tonight. Ugly first couple periods but pretty good third.

 

Carrier made a really nice play on the second goal by Samson. Good effort for the kid.

 

Lenny....###### yeah Lenny!

 

The replay.

Faster Legwand.

 

Shot attempts with Foligno on the ice: 27-8 in favor of Buffalo

Yeah, but we expect more out of him.

[Darryl Shannon's +/-]

So given some of the depth we've seen coming up from Rochester, how on earth did 44 start the year on the ice?

[Ogre]

So given some of the depth we've seen coming up from Rochester, how on earth did 44 start the year on the ice?

You need a guy like Des.

[Doohicksie]

The replay.

 

Carrier did a great job on the zone entry.  Good pass to Risto.  Risto made a wild pass to Girgs which missed but came back off the boards and he cranked it on the net.

 

But here's were Samson took control:  He attempted to deflect the Girgensons shot (and maybe he did).  The rebound popped back into his feet and he kicked it up to his stick which was behind the goal line at that point.  He shot it on the backhand into Anderson's back, trying to bank it off him from behind the goal line.  It dropped in behind Anderson and settled in against the post.  Anderson tried to scoop it out with his stick, but Samson beat him to it and whacked it into the net.  Sam did all that in less than two seconds.  The kid has amazing touch around the net.

[JJFIVEOH]

This will teach Ottawa to replace Lyndon Slewidge. That is a travesty!

 

 

[hockeyhound]

Carrier did a great job on the zone entry.  Good pass to Risto.  Risto made a wild pass to Girgs which missed but came back off the boards and he cranked it on the net.

 

But here's were Samson took control:  He attempted to deflect the Girgensons shot (and maybe he did).  The rebound popped back into his feet and he kicked it up to his stick which was behind the goal line at that point.  He shot it on the backhand into Anderson's back, trying to bank it off him from behind the goal line.  It dropped in behind Anderson and settled in against the post.  Anderson tried to scoop it out with his stick, but Samson beat him to it and whacked it into the net.  Sam did all that in less than two seconds.  The kid has amazing touch around the net.

 

All that while Chris Neil watched. :w00t:     :worthy: Samson

[nfreeman]

Biron is such an improvement over Ray

 

Definitely.  I think Rayzor is a good guy, and he's gotten better at TV work, but Marty is much, much better.

 

 

Starting to get a little disappointed in Reino.  Expected something special this year.  Doesn't look like 2nd overall special this year, yet.

 

I thought this the whole game until the GWG.  And he only got 13 min of ice time so I suspect DDB wasn't that happy with his work either.

 

 

Nelson is getting more comfortable out there

From what I saw, I thought he actually played well tonight.

 

 

This was my impression too.  Fewer bad coughups in this game and some very nice puck play.  He's still #6, but he's not a disaster.

 

 

Carrier had a nice debut. He was noticeable in limited minutes.

 

This too.  He took it strong up the ice a number of times, showed some offensive instincts and forechecked vigorously.

 

 

Actually, it was kind of a clunker.  It's just that the Sabres won, mostly because Lehner was awesome until the Sabres woke up.  He had about 4-5 saves that looked like sure Ottawa goals.

 

I thought the 3rd was pretty exciting.  There were certainly some dead spots in the 1st 2, but also plenty of hitting, intensity and good goaltending (and shots after 2 periods were 24-21 in favor of Ottawa, so there was a decent amount of offense too).

 

 

Games like this are why I"m still a fan of Lehner. I still feel like when he's on he's a goalie that can win his team games, and this was definitely one of them.

 

That was the best game I've seen him play as a Sabre.  He was the best player on the ice IMHO.

 

Faster Legwand.

 

Shot attempts with Foligno on the ice: 27-8 in favor of Buffalo

 

 

I think Foligno has been the Sabres' best forward this year after ROR and KO.

 

Separately:  In the 3rd period, probably to shake things up but also I think b/c Moulson and Ennis were playing poorly, DDB dropped Moulson from ROR's line to Larsson's line and dropped Ennis from Reino's line to Grant's line.  So, for a while in the 3rd, it was:

 

ROR-KO-Foligno

Reino-Zemgus-Carrier

Larsson-Gionta-Moulson

Grant-Baptiste-Ennis

 

 

I'm not giving up on Ennis yet, but he's not where the Sabres need him to be.

 

Also:

 

-  Franson has been playing pretty well lately.

 

-  ROR with another very strong game.

 

-  Another mentally tough performance from the Sabres, when they might've in previous years gotten disheartened by the Toronto loss and laid an egg tonight. 

 

-  We get another shot at DeLuca .500 on Monday in Boston.  That would be a pretty good place to do it -- and then keep winning so we could look back on it and say that was last time the Sabres' record was as low as DeLuca .500.

 

Go Sabres.