GDT: Buffalo at Toronto 7:00p ET 02/11/2017

[Eleven]

 

For you, NS

[MODO Hockey]

I love Jake McCabe.

I hate the Leafs.

I love this game.

 

Lets just pretend the game on 25th of march will be the difference between playoff or not. 

[3putt]

Lehner put them on his back tonight. Nice to see.

[dudacek]

What is tomorrow, our seventh game in 11 nights?

Be nice to get Girgs back. Any word on him?

[3putt]

Lets just pretend the game on 25th of march will be the difference between playoff or not.

 

5 back with 2 more in our barn.

What is tomorrow, our seventh game in 11 nights?

Be nice to get Girgs back. Any word on him?

Not til Monday at the earliest

[RuffMuff]

Great game!  Risto took on both those guys at the end!!  Priceless!!!

[3putt]

Jack head to head against Matthews looked pretty good. Solid defensive awareness sans that play at the end where he didn't get it out.

[French Collection]

Big win boys!

 

First period was the difference, Sam and Jack weren't doing much after that one.

McCabe and Risto were solid and Lehner came through.

 

On to the next win. We're not sellers yet.

Leafs are trending down, which helps us.

[dudacek]

Jack head to head against Matthews looked pretty good. Solid defensive awareness sans that play at the end where he didn't get it out.

He was more worried about finding Evander than getting it out.

On the positive side, the team clearly doesn't hate Evander that much if they are trying to get him a hattie.

[Randall Flagg]

This game is why we keep watching hockey. 

-Grant is cursed. After the good goal he scored in Nashville that was called off, and his glorious chances (not a lot relative to other players, but more than enough to get a goal or two, including that breakaway tonight where he put the shot in a good spot) and that empty net chance. He's not ever supposed to score in this league, I guess. I hope he can beat the curse while he's here.

 

-I only saw a little bit of the game. But ERod looked so much better than he did his last time up. He was pretty quick, and his positioning was smart. Bailey was hectic, but was missing that spatial awareness and positioning off the puck, particularly offensively. I do think he'll get there, he had a learning curve for the AHL too based on his stats as the season went on last year.

 

-Eichel three points? Kane two goals, Reinhart two points? Regulation win in Toronto? Lehner shutting things down? Reesto fight? Big hits, Marcus hating the Leafs as much as we do? The scrums, Reesto tackling Matthews and Marner at the end? I'll take that all day baby. I don't care how ugly we looked at the end, that was ######in fun. 

 

-###### the Leafs.

 

-Seriously, how many games have we played now? Six in ten days, seven in eleven after tomorrow. That sucks. I saw people chastising the 1-2-2, but I didn't see it. We had our legs until the Leafs stretch of power plays and then pressure, and they were gone after that. I don't care who's coach and what the system is, you'll see that third against more rested fast Leafs team at this point in a stretch like that every time. We entered the zone with the puck often in the second and beginning of the third, and weakly gave it away to get back to the bench. And let's all remember that first Leafs game, where the exact reverse happened. Toronto dominated the first, took a lead, and killed two periods while we rammed it down their throat, Andersen the only thing keeping us from a blowout. 

 

-Our schedule is particularly brutal. I saw a thing like a week ago showing that we play eight games while tired against rested teams, and only one against tired teams while rested, to close out the year. We had the hardest schedule in that respect at the start of the season, too. Subtle tanking punishment?

 

BLOW LEAFS BLOW

Edited February 12, 2017 by Randall Flagg

[thewookie1]

Risto can take on both the Leafs top player alone lol

 

Great win, Lehner played great and Eichel got 3 apples

 

Kane with 2 goals too

[3putt]

He was more worried about finding Evander than getting it out.

On the positive side, the team clearly doesn't hate Evander that much if they are trying to get him a hattie.

Agreed but he got "Eicheled" with that takeaway by Matthews. I was impressed a few times where he peeled back to be the safety valve against the outlet and was in the right spot when in fact TO transitioned it out for a break. 3 assists and shutdown their top center. I'll take it.

[SwampD]

This game is why we keep watching hockey. 

-Grant is cursed. After the good goal he scored in Nashville that was called off, and his glorious chances (not a lot relative to other players, but more than enough to get a goal or two, including that breakaway tonight where he put the shot in a good spot) and that empty net chance. He's not ever supposed to score in this league, I guess. I hope he can beat the curse while he's here.

 

-I only saw a little bit of the game. But ERod looked so much better than he did his last time up. He was pretty quick, and his positioning was smart. Bailey was hectic, but was missing that spatial awareness and positioning off the puck, particularly offensively. I do think he'll get there, he had a learning curve for the AHL too based on his stats as the season went on last year.

 

-Eichel three points? Kane two goals, Reinhart two points? Regulation win in Toronto? Lehner shutting things down? Reesto fight? Big hits, Marcus hating the Leafs as much as we do? The scrums, Reesto tackling Matthews and Marner at the end? I'll take that all day baby. I don't care how ugly we looked at the end, that was ######in fun. 

 

-###### the Leafs.

 

-Seriously, how many games have we played now? Six in ten days, seven in eleven after tomorrow. That sucks. I saw people chastising the 1-2-2, but I didn't see it. We had our legs until the Leafs stretch of power plays and then pressure, and they were gone after that. I don't care who's coach and what the system is, you'll see that third against more rested fast Leafs team at this point in a stretch like that every time. We entered the zone with the puck often in the second and beginning of the third, and weakly gave it away to get back to the bench. And let's all remember that first Leafs game, where the exact reverse happened. Toronto dominated the first, took a lead, and killed two periods while we rammed it down their throat, Andersen the only thing keeping us from a blowout. 

 

-Our schedule is particularly brutal. I saw a thing like a week ago showing that we play eight games while tired against rested teams, and only one against tired teams while rested, to close out the year. We had the hardest schedule in that respect at the start of the season, too. Subtle tanking punishment?

 

BLOW LEAFS BLOW

And this post is why we keep coming here.

[JJFIVEOH]

This game is why we keep watching hockey. 

 

-Grant is cursed. After the good goal he scored in Nashville that was called off, and his glorious chances (not a lot relative to other players, but more than enough to get a goal or two, including that breakaway tonight where he put the shot in a good spot) and that empty net chance. He's not ever supposed to score in this league, I guess. I hope he can beat the curse while he's here.

 

-I only saw a little bit of the game. But ERod looked so much better than he did his last time up. He was pretty quick, and his positioning was smart. Bailey was hectic, but was missing that spatial awareness and positioning off the puck, particularly offensively. I do think he'll get there, he had a learning curve for the AHL too based on his stats as the season went on last year.

 

-Eichel three points? Kane two goals, Reinhart two points? Regulation win in Toronto? Lehner shutting things down? Reesto fight? Big hits, Marcus hating the Leafs as much as we do? The scrums, Reesto tackling Matthews and Marner at the end? I'll take that all day baby. I don't care how ugly we looked at the end, that was ######in fun. 

 

-###### the Leafs.

 

-Seriously, how many games have we played now? Six in ten days, seven in eleven after tomorrow. That sucks. I saw people chastising the 1-2-2, but I didn't see it. We had our legs until the Leafs stretch of power plays and then pressure, and they were gone after that. I don't care who's coach and what the system is, you'll see that third against more rested fast Leafs team at this point in a stretch like that every time. We entered the zone with the puck often in the second and beginning of the third, and weakly gave it away to get back to the bench. And let's all remember that first Leafs game, where the exact reverse happened. Toronto dominated the first, took a lead, and killed two periods while we rammed it down their throat, Andersen the only thing keeping us from a blowout. 

 

-Our schedule is particularly brutal. I saw a thing like a week ago showing that we play eight games while tired against rested teams, and only one against tired teams while rested, to close out the year. We had the hardest schedule in that respect at the start of the season, too. Subtle tanking punishment?

 

BLOW LEAFS BLOW

 

Nice.

[Randall Flagg]

And this post is why we keep coming here.

<3 

[Nitro60]

 

For you, NS

my favorite tune by them.

[bunomatic]

They won a game they needed to win. Great first period. Weathered the storm the rest of the way. Lehner was solid. Priceless.

 

That's entertainment.

[Randall Flagg]

There's a chance Jack ends up leading this team in scoring. Okposo had like a 16 point head start, that's down to 7. If he can get a point tomorrow he hits 30 in game 35. Right now he's at a 70 point pace, which is just a teensy bit under where I wanted him before the ankle injury. Taking the injury into account, this is a very nice sophomore season production-wise IMO. Samson is on pace for a ten point improvement on last year too, and that's WITH his brutal start points-wise. The way he's been trending he may push for 60. 

 

I know we're tired, but the next three games are Vancouver, Ottawa, and Colorado. A four game win streak is possible. One game at a time, of course. God I hope they can go on a little run though.

[dudacek]

Samson has 20 in his last 25.

[nfreeman]

He was more worried about finding Evander than getting it out.

On the positive side, the team clearly doesn't hate Evander that much if they are trying to get him a hattie.

 

I thought Evander evinced the most happiness tonight I've seen all season.

 

I really hope they sign him to an extension early this summer.

 

Kadri is kind of a poor man's Marchand.  Very hate-able.  (Although to be fair I thought his hit on Gio was clean -- but not his crash into Lehner).

 

Lehner was terrific.

 

Pretty sound game by the D as a group.

 

Now they need to keep it going tomorrow night vs Miller.

[Randall Flagg]

I thought Evander evinced the most happiness tonight I've seen all season.

 

I really hope they sign him to an extension early this summer.

 

Kadri is kind of a poor man's Marchand.  Very hate-able.  (Although to be fair I thought his hit on Gio was clean -- but not his crash into Lehner).

 

Lehner was terrific.

 

Pretty sound game by the D as a group.

 

Now they need to keep it going tomorrow night vs Miller.

I just saw that Miller played today vs. Boston. I wonder if the coach wants to play Markstrom, and if Miller is going to insist on getting the start. 

Edited February 12, 2017 by Randall Flagg

[dudacek]

I just saw that Miller played today vs. Boston. I wonder if the coach wants to play Markstrom, and if Miller is going to insist on getting the start.

 

I'd start Miller. We all know what his weak spot is and these Sabres simply can't shoot from the point.

[Two or less]

As nice as tonight's win was, to me, it was more of the same. It felt like a nice win because it felt like we were these massive underdogs who went to Toronto and beat the giant Leafs 3-1. But other then that, i just don't think theres much to be excited about.

 

Lehner was fantastic as was the defense, in particular Jake McCabe as many have mentioned above. Must give credit to Kane and Samson for finishing their scoring chances of course as well. Besides the hustle plays and the finishes, tonight was nothing more then any game they have played this past week vs NJ, SJ or the Ducks. Toronto was all over us, they were quicker, they were stronger, we had issues getting into their zone, and when we did we were one n done and going back the other way. I think Sabres fans feel very thrilled to have won, but i think Leafs fans think the better team didn't win.

 

Leafs out corsi'd the Sabres by almost 40. I don't think i've seen it that lopsided ever.

 

This game just had that feeling, if the Leafs had gotten a second goal at any time with time remaining on the clock, they were going to come right down and tie it up.

 

Nice road victory for the Sabres, but as far as increasing our hopes of making the playoffs, this game did nothing for me. We are who we are, and thats not much more then a 82-84pt team.

[JJFIVEOH]

Gotta agree with you on that one. For whatever reason (coaching) this team rarely dominates anybody. They might dominate for a period, but then go back to the same conservative approach and get walked all over. Until this team can (is allowed to) focus on their strengths and play wider open offense (by making a coaching change) and be the team to dictate instead of being dictated, we're just going to have to get used to a win here and a loss there. Mediocrity.

 

Maybe one of these days Goober will trust his players enough to do that. Considering he didn't trust Malkin and Crosby to do it...... I wouldn't hold my breath.

Edited February 12, 2017 by JJFIVEOH

[Huckleberry]

still don't think Toronto is the team we have to catch.    I'm looking more at the likes of Boston/Ottowa/Philadelpia/Islanders.