GDT: Tampa Bay Lightning at Buffalo Sabres, 7:30p EST NBCSN

[Taro T]

48 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

Also — pretty nice to see Dominik and Andreychuk in attendance!

(Although I think I saw that attendance was only in the 15K range — seems like it’s going to take a while for the city to really jump back in.)

'05-'06 crowds were smaller than that at this point of the season.  By the time the playoffs rolled around they had a waiting list.  If the play & results keep up, the crowds will be back next year at the latest.

[Taro T]

1 hour ago, North Buffalo said:

TT is an interesting case... not sure that he isnt figuring it out and effort he needs to put forth... careful with criticism watch we find out its marfan syndrome or something else undiagnosed... but his stamina seems to be an issue.  Could be he is still figuring out how to push his body.  Not sure yet and to me jury is still out.

Thought Thompson looked the best he had to date last night but still place him as the 13th/14th forward on this roster.  The best thing though was early in the 3rd (don't believe it was late 1st, might have been), he had the puck near the boards & faked the toe drag then took a shot.  So, maybe there's still hope for him yet.

[bob_sauve28]

15 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Thought Thompson looked the best he had to date last night but still place him as the 13th/14th forward on this roster.  The best thing though was early in the 3rd (don't believe it was late 1st, might have been), he had the puck near the boards & faked the toe drag then took a shot.  So, maybe there's still hope for him yet.

It's easy to see that once he puts on more muscle he will be a force. He should be a big strong man in a few years, I would imagine. 

[MakeSabresGrr8Again]

19 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Thought Thompson looked the best he had to date last night but still place him as the 13th/14th forward on this roster.  The best thing though was early in the 3rd (don't believe it was late 1st, might have been), he had the puck near the boards & faked the toe drag then took a shot.  So, maybe there's still hope for him yet.

But did you see when he was driving the net and I believe it was Kucherov who pushed him down to the ice and took the puck from him?

Needs to get stronger for sure.

[That Aud Smell]

1 hour ago, nfreeman said:

(Although I think I saw that attendance was only in the 15K range — seems like it’s going to take a while for the city to really jump back in.)

And, frankly, thank goodness for that.

And by that I mean both that (1) it's encouraging that this market would still support such a bedraggled club to that extent and (2) it's encouraging at this market would not continue to sell out that arena given the team's recent performance.

[Taro T]

1 hour ago, MakeSabresGrr8Again said:

But did you see when he was driving the net and I believe it was Kucherov who pushed him down to the ice and took the puck from him?

Needs to get stronger for sure.

Absolutely.  There were reasons for still listing him behind every single one of the 12 forwards taking a regular shift & possibly ranking him behind Elie.  That play was a contributing factor.

And his driving a TB player trying to break out of his own zone towards Girgensons who broke the play up nearly creating a high percentage scoring chance in the 1st was part of what gives reason for hope.  That was a good forechecking play, which we haven't seen a lot of from him.

[Stoner]

2 hours ago, Taro T said:

'05-'06 crowds were smaller than that at this point of the season.  By the time the playoffs rolled around they had a waiting list.  If the play & results keep up, the crowds will be back next year at the latest.

That team was 9-9 and had lost at home to Ottawa, 10-4. Imagine — this team is four points ahead of that team, and that team finished with 110 points.

[Doohicksie]

Yeah but we're not that good.....

?

 

[Taro T]

15 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

That team was 9-9 and had lost at home to Ottawa, 10-4. Imagine — this team is four points ahead of that team, and that team finished with 110 points.

The holdovers from that '04 team had also been on one of the hottest teams in the league during the 2nd 1/2 of that season, & the youth of the '05 team had a long Calder run in '05.  The tea leaves said the '06 squad might be special.  Turns out, they were.  Also, wasn't Miller's thumb broken before that Otter debacle?

This team's holdovers had one of the worst stretch runs of recent memory.  Though I'd love to see a 110 point season, I can't see enough things going right this year to get there.  This team isn't there yet.

[nfreeman]

26 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

That team was 9-9 and had lost at home to Ottawa, 10-4. Imagine — this team is four points ahead of that team, and that team finished with 110 points.

If we're all very, very lucky and well-behaved, the hockey gods might smile on us enough at some point to give us another season like that one.

Unforgettable.

 

[spndnchz]

2 hours ago, Taro T said:

'05-'06 crowds were smaller than that at this point of the season.  By the time the playoffs rolled around they had a waiting list.  If the play & results keep up, the crowds will be back next year at the latest.

Yeah. I couldn't make this game, put them up on stub hub for the price I paid and they were gone in 10 minutes.

[That Aud Smell]

9 minutes ago, spndnchz said:

Yeah. I couldn't make this game, put them up on stub hub for the price I paid and they were gone in 10 minutes.

STH price?

[darksabre]

I suspect things will pick up price wise after the holidays if they are still looking like playoff candidates. I remember getting cheap tickets in 2006 before it became very clear that they were scary good. 

After that...hoo boy. $$$$$$

Get to games on the cheap while you still can. 

[Mustache of God]

What a great win for the Sabres. Going into this stretch of games the general consensus was to get 4 of 8 points....which at the time seemed liked a tall order. Now we're looking to capture 2 out of the next 6 to hit the mark and my impression of that now is, "that seems low, let's get at least 4 of those 6". 

The game was pretty awful for the Sabres though. 2 shots in the second and 6 in the third will not often get it done but you can rely on your goalie to steal a game now and then, so hat's off to Hutton for tonight. The boys owe him one and hopefully they repay him immediately this weekend.

Has there been any update on Scott Wilson? I often forget he's on this team nowadays. I imagine when he's healthy Tage will be sent back down to Rochester, taking the knowledge of how everything is done in the big leagues and will produce in the AHL. It'll be curious to see where Wilson slots in when he's healthy. Thankfully he won't be anywhere near the top line.

[Doohicksie]

I heard Wilson is close to playing- week to week or perhaps day to day.

Yes, they had hardly any shots, but I also look at the fact that a TB team that was throwing everything they had at us only managed 31 shots.  In years past they would have been in full-on Alamo mode and would have given up 48 shots or something absurd like that.

[hockeyhound]

1 hour ago, nfreeman said:

If we're all very, very lucky and well-behaved, the hockey gods might smile on us enough at some point to give us another season like that one.

Unforgettable.

 

 

It would be great to hear RJ calling a Sabres playoff game this year.

Wow, what a blast from the past; I believe RJ, I believe.

Let's Go Buffalo!

[WildCard]

That 1st goal from Connolly deserves to be up there with the all timers

[Doohicksie]

33 minutes ago, hockeyhound said:

It would be great to hear RJ calling a Sabres playoff game this year.

Yes, if only to get the image of those goathead jerseys out of my brain.

[nfreeman]

14 minutes ago, WildCard said:

That 1st goal from Connolly deserves to be up there with the all timers

And it was a shortie!

Connolly was sooooooo good that year. 

[Derrico]

1 minute ago, nfreeman said:

And it was a shortie!

Connolly was sooooooo good that year. 

He sure was.  I was in Ottawa for game 2 where he got crushed and his career was never the same again.

[dudacek]

He had his flaws, but it is not hyperbole to suggest Tim Connolly may have had the slickest hands in Sabres history.

And Bryan Smolinski will forever remain the definition of smug prick.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

14 hours ago, Derrico said:

He sure was.  I was in Ottawa for game 2 where he got crushed and his career was never the same again.

Good to see you, my friend.  Hang in there.

 

[That Aud Smell]

14 hours ago, dudacek said:

He had his flaws, but it is not hyperbole to suggest Tim Connolly may have had the slickest hands in Sabres history.

Peak Connolly is among my top-10 favourite Sabres of all-time. So much fun.