GDT GDT: Buffalo at Chicago 8:30 pm ET, 1/5/2016

[Brawndo]

Kane lost his coverage on Kane there.

Bogo and Kane on the last two goals. We lost the trade

[Doohicksie]

USA!  USA!

 

US wins WJCs!

[Randall Flagg]

Team USA took a lot of the sting out of this one.

Blackhawks are clearly still far above our league. It will be a few more seasons before that isn't the case. 

 

I'm happy we got the point, a Jack goal, and 3 total goals. Sad at how we keep turning 3rd period leads against Chicago into losses, I believe the last four games against them have had this exact thing happen. 

 

I'm going to qualify this statement as a criticism I will have of every Sabre coach for the rest of my life, and not just a Bylsma bitch: Every single NHL coach believes that locking down the game with 10 minutes left and a lead is a good idea. Every single NHL coach. They are all so, so, wrong. 

Yes, Chicago also dialed it up and we can't handle when they do that. But we cut our shift lengths, prioritized clearing and dumping only, did not go after the puck with any intentions of actually winning it back, curling around back into the NZ to wait. Every team in the league does this and gets burned by it. It's so frustrating. It got us nothing. We were generating chances. A 4th goal was way more likely than ever getting a win out of this game giving Chicago 13 minutes to try and tie it. 

 

And no NHL coach, Sabres or otherwise, will learn this with any consistency. And while we're still a bad team, it's going to lead to a lot of losses. 

 

Get the win on Saturday (I'll be there!) and they'll have had 5 of 6 against the Jets and two of the top teams in the league. 

Also, gained a point on the Bruins and Lightning tonight.

Edited January 6, 2017 by Randall Flagg

[3putt]

From inside the UC: Bogo sux. He is the dumbest player I have seen in a while. DD not starting Jack in Ot shows he is a gutless arse.  Jack was great tonight. Everyone in the arena held their breath when he touched the puck.  Hawks fans around me were asking if he was hurt or the coach was retarded when he didn't start  ot.  Arrrrghhh. 

[Randall Flagg]

It's amazing what Jack can do, and what his teammates can squander. 

KO and ROR cannot handle his cross-ice passes. Panarin on Jack's wing and power play unit would give him 60 assists every year. Luckily for us, Nylander looks excellent at them...He and Jack are going to have some fun times.

Has anyone noticed that it seems like our best offensive chemistry pairs are combinations of centers that are ideally on different lines? It's pretty frustrating.

This was probably Fedun's, and McCabe's, worst game of the year. Not surprising that this comes at the hands of the hawks. Such an amazing passing team. 

[Jsixspd]

Pretty successful little road trip, all in all.  Sabres earned 3 out of 4 points, visiting a couple tough hockey teams. 

I was surprised the Sabres were in this one at all - they were outshot 42 to 20.   You can't let a team with as many talented scorers as Chicago keep banging away at the goal with 40+ shots  and realistically hope for a win - they exceeded expectations by earning a point. 

I got so sick of seeing the Sabres dump the puck into the Chicago zone.  Good luck getting it back from Chicago.  

 

OT loss really started with an inopportune line change - O'Reilly went to the bench - not sure who was coming out (never saw a number)  .  With players as fast and skilled as Kane and Toews out there, in a 3 on 3 sudden death situation, that's not the time for line changes. But perhaps O'Reilly was worn out-   he'd just had surgery;  maybe Bylsma shouldn't have started him in the OT?- the Sabres seemed totally outclassed in that brief 3 on 3.  

[Randall Flagg]

I wasn't really focused enough to say for sure, but it seemed like the best I've ever seen Jack play. He's truly in that franchise center class that we've pined for for so long. And he's still hobbled by an injury to his ankle that won't be healed until next year. And most of his peers are either dicking around in World Juniors or not even good enough to make it, while he's up here doing this at 20 years old. 

 

[Claude Balls]

Pretty successful little road trip, all in all.  Sabres earned 3 out of 4 points, visiting a couple tough hockey teams. 

I was surprised the Sabres were in this one at all - they were outshot 42 to 20.   You can't let a team with as many talented scorers as Chicago keep banging away at the goal with 40+ shots  and realistically hope for a win - they exceeded expectations by earning a point. 

I got so sick of seeing the Sabres dump the puck into the Chicago zone.  Good luck getting it back from Chicago.  

 

OT loss really started with an inopportune line change - O'Reilly went to the bench - not sure who was coming out (never saw a number)  .  With players as fast and skilled as Kane and Toews out there, in a 3 on 3 sudden death situation, that's not the time for line changes. But perhaps O'Reilly was worn out-   he'd just had surgery;  maybe Bylsma shouldn't have started him in the OT?- the Sabres seemed totally outclassed in that brief 3 on 3.

 

Bylsma still has no clue how to utilize his players in OT.

[Taro T]

Bylsma still has no clue how to utilize his players in OT.

At least he finally figured out that putting Gorges out to start OT isn't a no-brainer, it's a dead-brainer. Baby friggin' steps.

[sodbuster]

Bylsma still has no clue how to utilize his players in OT.

Or regulation. Or the in a shootout.

[3putt]

It's amazing what Jack can do, and what his teammates can squander. 

KO and ROR cannot handle his cross-ice passes. Panarin on Jack's wing and power play unit would give him 60 assists every year. Luckily for us, Nylander looks excellent at them...He and Jack are going to have some fun times.

Has anyone noticed that it seems like our best offensive chemistry pairs are combinations of centers that are ideally on different lines? It's pretty frustrating.

This was probably Fedun's, and McCabe's, worst game of the year. Not surprising that this comes at the hands of the hawks. Such an amazing passing team.

 

Disagree on McCabe. He actually played really well. He took the pressure off a lot by turning against the flow. Broke the Hawks press because they couldn't anticipate where he was going with it . A couple bad bounces but the puck was jumping all night.

[Randall Flagg]

 

Jack has been winning faceoffs vs a top 5 world class player...

I know you were just poking at me about Toews, but I checked after his big game tonight, getting a point or two, he's now pulled into a tie for 154th in scoring this season. Good for him.

[dudacek]

Another typical Lehner game.

 

Enjoy January.

[Trettioåtta]

People would be crucifying Lehner if he had been the one to give up that rebound on the GWG

[inkman]

Another typical Lehner game.

 

Enjoy January.

On the bench?

[Huckleberry]

Another typical Lehner game.

 

Enjoy January.

 

Just wanted to point out the bad rebound control nillson has :p

[LTS]

Mostly watched USA v Canada last night.. Gold Medal games... you know.

 

Nice to have 3 players from Buffalo on the ice in a game.  Says a lot about the city itself.

 

Jack looked really good.  Zemgus looks like he has some fire, perhaps the renewed hope of proving himself with Larsson out is doing it.

 

When you get out shot that badly in a game you are lucky to do as well as they did.

[Stoner]

Sorta like this post? :P

Yes, Sabres fans sit around during intermission dreaming up witty comments for when the Sabres score on a carryover power play.

 

Stellar defense by Bogo there.

Every time I see a "highlight" of his, it screams beer league.

 

Eh, had you told me after the first that they'd get a loser point tonight I'd have snatched it out of your hand.

Fine for a fan to think that way. If the team thinks that way, and they probably do... not so much.

 

Re: team attitude, I HATE this comment by Marcus Foligno. If this isn't a loser's mentality, I don't know what is. (Taro, white courtesy phone for a Dick Jauron recollection, Taro...)

 

‘”It’s tough to put wins together in this league. You start getting to even about six in a row and it’s a lot,” Foligno said prior to Thursday’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks.

[inkman]

Yes, Sabres fans sit around during intermission dreaming up witty comments for when the Sabres score on a carryover power play.

 

Every time I see a "highlight" of his, it screams beer league.

 

Fine for a fan to think that way. If the team thinks that way, and they probably do... not so much.

 

Re: team attitude, I HATE this comment by Marcus Foligno. If this isn't a loser's mentality, I don't know what is. (Taro, white courtesy phone for a Dick Jauron recollection, Taro...)

 

‘”It’s tough to put wins together in this league. You start getting to even about six in a row and it’s a lot,” Foligno said prior to Thursday’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Why I he talking about winning sux in a row? Did someone ask him about his brother?

[bob_sauve28]

Pretty sure Bogo has 3 more years on his contract after this one. So let's get used to nightmares like that. #ThanksTim

He is the Drew Stafford of Defense 

People would be crucifying Lehner if he had been the one to give up that rebound on the GWG

Nilsson kept us in the game 

[Jacque Richard]

Really notice the differenced in blackhawks speed versus Sabres.

Edited January 6, 2017 by Jacque Richard

[Claude Balls]

Why I he talking about winning sux in a row? Did someone ask him about his brother?

I don't claim to be the grammar police or anything, but you been hittin the sauce a little early this morning Ink?

[bunomatic]

Yes, Sabres fans sit around during intermission dreaming up witty comments for when the Sabres score on a carryover power play.

 

Every time I see a "highlight" of his, it screams beer league.

 

Fine for a fan to think that way. If the team thinks that way, and they probably do... not so much.

 

Re: team attitude, I HATE this comment by Marcus Foligno. If this isn't a loser's mentality, I don't know what is. (Taro, white courtesy phone for a Dick Jauron recollection, Taro...)

 

‘”It’s tough to put wins together in this league. You start getting to even about six in a row and it’s a lot,” Foligno said prior to Thursday’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Didn't watch the game but the way Foligno phrased that is spot on how DB talks about opponents in his pregame media scrums. Always seems like he is preparing everyone for the inevitable loss. Loser mentality and it trickles down throughout the lineup. Hard not to with all the kids in the lineup.

[inkman]

I don't claim to be the grammar police or anything, but you been hittin the sauce a little early this morning Ink?

Has been known to happen but I think I just woke up at that point.

[PromoTheRobot]

He is the Drew Stafford of Defense

 

Nilsson kept us in the game

The first rule of fandom: You are whatever your last play people remember was.