GDT Ottawa Senators vs Buffalo Sabres 7:30pm ET 11/1/18

[Indabuff]

I didn't watch the game but I found a common denominator in this thread that has been a recurring theme.  Lack of effort and I find it completely unacceptable at the highest level of sports.  

[Randall Flagg]

2 hours ago, PASabreFan said:

More. Point a game doesn't mean anything in this league right now.

He'll get there. Jack's a December-January boy. 

[Randall Flagg]

The only parts of this game I saw were in the 4 minute youtube highlight video. 

During the test I proctored, I checked the score when it was 3-0 in the third. I sighed. Refreshed it 5 minutes later, 3-2. Knowing how we've been going the last 2, I expected, and saw, both goals to be scored by Jack's group. 

I'm not here to say that Jack didn't screw up at the end, or that he had a good game, because I didn't see it. I will say that I've read the same thing I read here after his two point night (yet another where the depth scoring is nonexistent) on every other forum in the league after THEIR guy scores 2 points in a 4-2 loss and doesn't tie it at the end, whether that guy be Giroux, Getzlaf, McD, Kopitar, whoever. 

The only point I'm making here, is that the current plot of the Buffalo Sabres is that we can win games when Jack, Jeff, and Pominville are all pacing for 164 points during the wins. But to have a consistently good NHL team, you can't rely on that to get all your goals. It's a shame we wasted a game where that continued and DIDN'T get the win, because at some point Jack will have a game with no assists, Jeff and Jason with no goals. 

Where is everyone else?

I mean, they're there, doing about what you'd have expected them to do when looking at the roster in August. 

Our team isn't there yet, especially behind Jack, and so we're going to have fun stretches where they actually do something, but we're also going to have bad stretches where they don't, because all parts of the roster aren't where they someday will be (Jack included.) 

It just sucks to lose 3 in a row right after winning 3. Back below De Luca .500 we go. Hope we can get it back Saturday. 

And whatever that it's the sens - we are going to lose to them again this year, and we're also going to beat Tampa. It's the NHL. 

Let's see a better effort on Saturday boys. 

11 minutes ago, Indabuff said:

I didn't watch the game but I found a common denominator in this thread that has been a recurring theme.  Lack of effort and I find it completely unacceptable at the highest level of sports.  

You'd think our magical new locker room would have taken care of that

[Randall Flagg]

Also, since I didn't and will not watch the game: 
The Sabres took like all of the shot attempts in this game. The fourth line from the win streak was at 90 CF%.  The first line still intact from the win streak was at was at 65-70%.

The two that were jumbled up in an ill-advised manner, as described before, hovered around 50, some players above, some players below, except for that particularly troublesome Sobotka line (Sobotka was at 37%.) 

Housley thinks Sobotka is a driver even though every single game without Sam the stats and eye test said he was our worst forward. Housley thinks ERod is a spare piece despite all visual and statistical evidence suggesting he stirs the drink. 

Phil doesn't understand why things work when they do and why they don't when they don't.

[Andrew Amerk]

1 hour ago, MODO Hockey said:

I guess we sucked, i fell asleep which obviously was a good thing.

I did too, when it was 2-0. Very rare from me. Woke up and it was 3-2.  

[Randall Flagg]

And I don't mean to sound like I'm saying people shouldn't get on Jack and expect more from Jack. That's what the forum is for eh. 

I just believe our biggest problem is what's behind Jack in the center lineup, some of what's on their wings, and about 5 of the D positions. Maybe 4 when McCabe is clicking. 

Like, I think we could take current Jack as 1C, and have a good, not even great, just good, GM take exactly that and make a team that wins playoff series, and that there's really no excuse not to do it fairly soon with the pieces and currency we have.

[Randall Flagg]

And compare the Larsson/Zemgus we're seeing this year (possession monsters, if not finishing) to the guys last year. This is what nuanced and focused roles can do to a player. We had a spark that we dismantled for no reason, and the two lines still going are the ones that maintained those roles and we didn't touch. Phil has to show he can find these things and not just stumble in and out of them. 

It really can give and take away wins from the team.

Edited November 2, 2018 by Randall Flagg

[Randall Flagg]

And the other thing that bugs me about ERod is that, when you compare a player to their expectations, who on this team has done more to exceed them than Evan? The guy was never supposed to stick for more than a game or two in terrible injury situations and is our most efficient ES scorer in sh*t roles with dreg linemates. 

And the organization rewards busting his a$$ to exceed all expectations, skating harder every shift on average than his teammates combined, with sitting for about 5 guys doing objectively worse for no discernible reason (besides needing to screw with Tage's head for some reason)

[Randall Flagg]

Here's a stat: After Housley has messed with lines that stayed intact for more than one win in a row this season, the Sabres are 0-3-2. 

[7+6=13]

28 minutes ago, Indabuff said:

I didn't watch the game but I found a common denominator in this thread that has been a recurring theme.  Lack of effort and I find it completely unacceptable at the highest level of sports.  

I think saying there's a lack of effort is lazy.  It's important to understand where we are as a team and then perspective can answer some questions.  

We're going to have many games where we struggle to play a sound 3 and sometimes 3+ periods of hockey.  

What I see in the slow starts is an inability to understand initially what to do on defense.  Teams get off a substantial amount of excellent scoring chances in the 1st period.  IMO, the most difficult thing for a team with new lines, young players and players that haven't played together much - is to come together defensively.  When we settle in, you see a completely different team with the defense pushing the puck and not getting stuck being so far back defensively.  By the way Hutton is even better than I thought he was.  He's a legit goalie that can keep a struggling team defensively (at times) in games.  

 

[Indabuff]

22 minutes ago, 7+6=13 said:

I think saying there's a lack of effort is lazy.  

 

Maybe it is more complicated but to the untrained eye of a casual observer and reinforcement by multiple mentions of lack of compete/effort this is my perspective.  I can't ask my three year old son "why the fu@k isn't this team skating harder?" and expect an in-depth response.  That's why I crash this party!  

[Thorner]

Still in a playoff spot, it's November. Could be worse. 

[Sabre1974]

39 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

And the other thing that bugs me about ERod is that, when you compare a player to their expectations, who on this team has done more to exceed them than Evan? The guy was never supposed to stick for more than a game or two in terrible injury situations and is our most efficient ES scorer in sh*t roles with dreg linemates. 

And the organization rewards busting his a$$ to exceed all expectations, skating harder every shift on average than his teammates combined, with sitting for about 5 guys doing objectively worse for no discernible reason (besides needing to screw with Tage's head for some reason)

Don't understand housley on this one and he baffles me with other decisions too.  The minute erod was ready to go he should have been straight back in. 

[thewookie1]

I want Erod back in the line up most definitely

 

Skinner - Eichel - Pommers

Erod - Mitts - Okposo  (Worked well on the West coast trip so I'm confused why we separated them)

Sheary - Sobotka - Reinhart (Again played alright on the western trip)  (I have never seen Mitts and Reinhart work all that well together)

Girgs - Berglund - Larsson

 

McCabe - Risto

Scandella - Bogo

Dahlin - Nelson

 

I'd love to see Pilut soon to edge out Nelson

[Sabre1974]

14 minutes ago, thewookie1 said:

I want Erod back in the line up most definitely

 

Skinner - Eichel - Pommers

Erod - Mitts - Okposo  (Worked well on the West coast trip so I'm confused why we separated them)

Sheary - Sobotka - Reinhart (Again played alright on the western trip)  (I have never seen Mitts and Reinhart work all that well together)

Girgs - Berglund - Larsson

 

McCabe - Risto

Scandella - Bogo

Dahlin - Nelson

 

I'd love to see Pilut soon to edge out Nelson

Exactly. Why change it when it works. 

[That Aud Smell]

I watched about half of the game.

Sabres were under siege in the 1st, yet SOG were even. Weird.

I can’t get too angry over a game where they got almost 50 SOG. Skinner was just unlucky not to tie it in the 3rd.

And, as @Randall Flagg notes: The team needs more consistent secondary scoring.

[Huckleberry]

5 hours ago, Randall Flagg said:

Also, since I didn't and will not watch the game: 
The Sabres took like all of the shot attempts in this game. The fourth line from the win streak was at 90 CF%.  The first line still intact from the win streak was at was at 65-70%.

The two that were jumbled up in an ill-advised manner, as described before, hovered around 50, some players above, some players below, except for that particularly troublesome Sobotka line (Sobotka was at 37%.) 

Housley thinks Sobotka is a driver even though every single game without Sam the stats and eye test said he was our worst forward. Housley thinks ERod is a spare piece despite all visual and statistical evidence suggesting he stirs the drink. 

Phil doesn't understand why things work when they do and why they don't when they don't.

I'm pretty much done with Sobotka.    I want to try Samson at 2C again.

[That Aud Smell]

38 minutes ago, Huckleberry said:

I'm pretty much done with Sobotka.    I want to try Samson at 2C again.

Seems like every time I see him in the ice, he’s on the wrong side of the play.

[Weave]

1 hour ago, Huckleberry said:

I'm pretty much done with Sobotka.    I want to try Samson at 2C again.

What have you seen out of Sam this season that makes you think it would work any better?

Jbott screwed the pooch with the plan for 2C.  It’s not Bills quarterback planning bad, but it was a poor plan.  They really need a vet 2C to fill in a season or two gap until Casey is ready.  

[Sabres Fan in NS]

I don't have time to read this thread, nor watch the high(low?)lights.

The Sabres peppered Anderson with almost 50 SOG.  Where they all from the outside, or was he really tested and was on fire? 

How did the Sabres look?

They lost, so in the end, that is all that matters.

Edited November 2, 2018 by N S
not enough pp ...

[Scottysabres]

They looked terrible in periods 1 and 2. Even if the shot stats indicate otherwise.

Missing finishing chances hurts, Skinner, bit lines 2 and 3 are down right invisible.

[That Aud Smell]

^

I haven’t seen a shot chart, but they were simply unlucky, imo, not to get 3 or 4 goals in the 3rd.

1st period they took killer consecutive penalties and generally looked like crap.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Thanks, guys.

So, a bit unlucky along with a fair share of stinkyness.

Onward ...

[LGR4GM]

7 hours ago, Randall Flagg said:

Also, since I didn't and will not watch the game: 
The Sabres took like all of the shot attempts in this game. The fourth line from the win streak was at 90 CF%.  The first line still intact from the win streak was at was at 65-70%.

The two that were jumbled up in an ill-advised manner, as described before, hovered around 50, some players above, some players below, except for that particularly troublesome Sobotka line (Sobotka was at 37%.) 

Housley thinks Sobotka is a driver even though every single game without Sam the stats and eye test said he was our worst forward. Housley thinks ERod is a spare piece despite all visual and statistical evidence suggesting he stirs the drink. 

Phil doesn't understand why things work when they do and why they don't when they don't.

Exactly. I find it interesting that Erod sits and suddenly the team sucks. I fully agree Housley isn't smart enough to use stats correctly. At least to this point he hasn't shown he is. Risto isn't good defensively so putting him out their for a 3v3 is bad. Erod drives play but he had a baby so he has to sit because of the shiny toy that Tage is. Sobotka isn't good but Housley likes him for some unknown reason. Probably because he is a veteran. It's just so much bias with him that I found it annoying. Maybe he will figure it out. I doubt it. Maybe Botterill will finally tell him what's up. 

[jsb]

23 minutes ago, N S said:

Thanks, guys.

So, a bit unlucky along with a fair share of stinkyness.

Onward ...

First period we had 2 penalties called on us early, they scored on 2nd one, we owned the middle of the period, got clobbered the last 2.5 minutes

Second period, an unlucky goal bounced off Hutton's back and Scandella was awful. He's the new Josh Gorges where he is incapable of completing a pass but overall we didn't play that bad but the scoreboard said otherwise

Third period we owned it from beginning to end. 2 early goals and Skinner was robbed on an unbelievable effort by both he and Anderson. We just couldn't score that 3rd goal before the empty netter. 

Bogosian was our best defender, Dahlin still having moments of genius and rookie-itis, Risto being a physical specimen with a 2 cent brain, Casey shows signs of great skill but then tries to do too much. Reinhart is very good around 3 feet of the goal, not so good with the rest of the rink.

Larsson was terrible, most of Dmen could only complete a pass to the skates or to the boards. Girgensons gives herculean effort but he is incapable of putting the puck in the net.

I thought Jack had a good game but was gassed at the end, he's not the problem