GDT New Jersey Devils @ Buffalo Sabres, 7PM ET, 1/30/2018

[Kruppstahl]

Wow, what a tiny gdt, I saw about 3 minutes of the game, and they looked competent, must have only been in spurts

I suspect many have checked out at this point.

 

The most interesting development of the evening, for me, was the revelation that a talking RJ bobble head exists.

 

I found that news more entertaining than the actual game.

[nfreeman]

They looked pretty good in the 1st and I thought we might get a really good game, but they didn’t produce any offense in the 2nd.

 

I thought the GWG was another Lehner choke. (I didn’t think so initially but one of the replays from behind Lehner showed it kinda going through him.)

 

Reino, KO and ROR are all much livelier than earlier in the season, and the D is much more sound. Eichel looks dangerous all the time. OTOH, Pommer and Kane are invisible.

[Huckleberry]

Samson been underrated most of the season, even when he was at C, he had good offensive possession numbers.

 

Stallin' for dhalin is going well.

 

[dudacek]

Had the structure from the road trip, but not extra step to get around the corner.

That’s what Housley has been harping on all year.

 

Samson Reinhart must have been involved in half our chances, looking so confident with the puck.

[pi2000]

Ristolainen is a very good second pairing defenseman. So is Scandella.

 

NJD is really good at things that expose Buffalo's weaknesses. Speed and limiting high danger scoring chances.

[That Aud Smell]

Was at the game. My main takeaway is that NJ frickin’ SKATES. Holy Moses.

 

Sabres were good in the first, and ... okay for the balance of the game. They got beat by a better team.

[Taro T]

They looked pretty good in the 1st and I thought we might get a really good game, but they didn’t produce any offense in the 2nd.

I thought the GWG was another Lehner choke. (I didn’t think so initially but one of the replays from behind Lehner showed it kinda going through him.)

Reino, KO and ROR are all much livelier than earlier in the season, and the D is much more sound. Eichel looks dangerous all the time. OTOH, Pommer and Kane are invisible.

That's funny, 'cause my take was just the opposite.

 

Initially thought it was a very bad goal, then after seeing the reverse angle replay believe that Ristolainen tipped it. So now just consider it a bad goal. The shot was far enough out that he should've been able to adjust for the deflection right at the point of shot origination, IMHO.

[North Buffalo]

Had the structure from the road trip, but not extra step to get around the corner.

That’s what Housley has been harping on all year.

Samson Reinhart must have been involved in half our chances, looking so confident with the puck.

I noticed Sam seems to be rushing the puck up more and if not for that hook was almost in alone. Needs to work on his shot. Think he finally has the lite switch on and is working hard. Even in the corners hes doing a lot better and as I stated in game time thread... he seems to have found speed I havent seen before. Like the fact he isnt just hanging out on the wing so much. Edited January 31, 2018 by Kottbullar

[Jacque Richard]

I did not hear Girgensons name called once tonight. Did he even play?

he doesn’t do much.

[jsb]

Having tired of the lousy streaming video I receive from MSG, I have been watching more of the opponents feeds lately. One of the things mentioned on the Sabres was if you pressure their Dmen they'll cough up the puck repeatedly. To me a truer comment hasn't been said. When we play a fast hard forchecking team we look like dog doo doo (Dallas-NJ) and when we don't we look ok (Calgary-Edmonton-Vancouver). Yesterday's game was a perfect example of most of our Dmen being unable to move the puck thru the zone and coughing it up or just throwing it up in the air to center ice which just allows a line change and the opposition just regains the puck and continues its attack. Forwards were open and the outlet pass just was never there. There were times we had open forwards on one side of the ice and Falk, McCabe and Nelson were forcing it on the opposite side and were losing possession, over and over and over again. Personally I think the forwards are playing much better defense which gives the illusion that the Dmen are. 

 

Nfreeman I thought the same thing on the GWG against Lehner but it appeared that Risto deflected the puck on the end of his stick which Robin couldn't react to

 

Reinhart is starting to come around, he's been noticeably better lately.

Jack is turning into the $10M man. He made one play in the first period where 3 Devils tried to trap him by the boards and he just made an incredible move to free himself from all 3. His confidence level is thru the roof right now. 

[Drunkard]

That break was a momentum killer.

 

Yep. 4 days off and they look like a completely different team. Yet some people tried to argue that momentum was going to carry over 6 months.

[Eleven]

I was at the library for this one.  Third row in front of the net where the Sabres shoot twice.  (I have no idea how I got those seats!)

 

I focused part of my attention on Reinhart.  Seriously, he is a better in-front-of-net presence than he gets credit for on this board.  

 

I also focused part of my attention on Wilson, because I had no idea who he was last week.  I still don't.

[PromoTheRobot]

Lol, a stable genius

"Sports talk for smart people."

Edited January 31, 2018 by PromoTheRobot

[LGR4GM]

Games like this are going to happen. The key is making this the outlier and not the norm. They gotta keep learning what it takes to win. Consistency is key. They have 4 more home games coming up and let's see if they can at least split them. 

[Doohicksie]

My sense in watching the game is that the Sabres and Devils were playing a similar game:  High pressure on the puck, force the play.  The Devils have been doing it longer though, so they're better at it.  The Sabres were doing good things; they just didn't react quickly enough to the NJ pressure.  Keep playing that game and they'll get better at it.

I also focused part of my attention on Wilson, because I had no idea who he was last week.  I still don't.

 

He's the Matt Ellis of the 2017-18 Sabres.

 

 

 

Seriously, he's JAG.  He plays well, he plays smart.  He's not flashy.  He makes few mistakes.  He's just not that good.  He's good enough to get a one year deal somewhere, not good enough for a long term contract.

[That Aud Smell]

My sense in watching the game is that the Sabres and Devils were playing a similar game:  High pressure on the puck, force the play.  The Devils have been doing it longer though, so they're better at it.  The Sabres were doing good things; they just didn't react quickly enough to the NJ pressure.  Keep playing that game and they'll get better at it.

 

I think this is about right. I liked a lot of the play that I saw from the Sabres last night. On an in-arena basis, it was a pleasant game to watch. Lots of pace, lots of movement.

He's the Matt Ellis of the 2017-18 Sabres.

 

Seriously, he's JAG.  He plays well, he plays smart.  He's not flashy.  He makes few mistakes.  He's just not that good.  He's good enough to get a one year deal somewhere, not good enough for a long term contract.

 

I'm not sure that's apt, though. I think that Botterill very much wants Wilson to be part of a process of changing the team's culture, mindset, etc.

[Sabel79]

  

Seriously, he's JAG.  He plays well, he plays smart.  He's not flashy.  He makes few mistakes.  He's just not that good.  He's good enough to get a one year deal somewhere, not good enough for a long term contract.

Every team needs one or two of these guys. When you have them in the top 6... that's an issue.

[Doohicksie]

I'm not sure that's apt, though. I think that Botterill very much wants Wilson to be part of a process of changing the team's culture, mindset, etc.

Every team needs one or two of these guys. When you have them in the top 6... that's an issue.

 

This.  You need a couple of guys who just are cogs in the wheel, who do what you tell them, who are competent enough that you don't have to hold their hand.  Matt Ellis actually was a guy like that.  The problem with ol' Matt wasn't Matt; it was the team, system, and coaching was awful in the time he was here, so any contribution he might have brought was overshadowed by the suckitude of the team.

 

Scott Wilson may stick around a few years.  His ceiling is probably Geoff Sanderson/Curtis Brown.  A foot soldier.

[That Aud Smell]

Scott Wilson may stick around a few years.  His ceiling is probably Geoff Sanderson/Curtis Brown.  A foot soldier.

 

Oh, Lord, yes. Sign me up for either of those.

 

However, I don't think Wilson would project that high.

[Gramps]

The way Kane is playing makes me think a trade is a done deal - just not announced for some reason.

[Brawndo]

No suspension for Hall

 

New Jersey’s Taylor Hall fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for boarding Buffalo’s Kyle Okposo.

[darksabre]

No suspension for Hall

 

New Jersey’s Taylor Hall fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for boarding Buffalo’s Kyle Okposo.

I'm quite bothered by this. I think a 1 game suspension would have been warranted. 

[That Aud Smell]

Joke.

[Doohicksie]

Oh, Lord, yes. Sign me up for either of those.

 

However, I don't think Wilson would project that high.

 

Probably not, that's why I said "ceiling."

I'm quite bothered by this. I think a 1 game suspension would have been warranted. 

 

It was a bad hit, but KO protected himself pretty well- got an arm up.  I think we're a little over-protective considering last year's problems?

[Taro T]

Every team needs one or two of these guys. When you have them in the top 6... that's an issue.

Actually, when you can slide guys like this into the top 6 AND THE CHEMISTRY WORKS, it prbably means you're able to slide somebody else down to a 3rd line & you might actually have 3 lines.

 

Having Hecht on Briere's line allowed Danny to not even pretend to play defense a lot of the time & allowed the RAV line chemistry to work against easier opponents. Flip Vanek & Hecht & both those lines probably step back significantly.