GDT Florida Panthers at Buffalo Sabres 7:00pm ET 12/18/2018

[Ross Rhea]

1 hour ago, Doohickie said:

I have no doubt that Dahlin is going to be a great player, but we basically lost a game because of him tonight.

IMO they lost because they didn't do a damn thing after Yandle threw Skinner to the ice. It was like the whole team turtled after Yandle did that.

 

This team is too soft and it showed in the 3rd. Need some guys with grit that won't get pushed around. 

[SwampD]

I honestly don't know what to make of that game,… so I won't even try.

It had all the makings of a Shakespearean tragedy, so, in the end, all I can do is laugh.

Oh, well. On to the next.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

I have not watched the game, nor the highlights and just thread the last few posts on this page.

So, their guy did something to Skinny and then nothing?  That doesn't sound good.  Was that just before the 4 goal outburst in the 3rd?

Our guys are not good enough, no one is, to take one second off.  This is the NHL.  I hope they learn something from this.

Who's next?

Let's get 'em!!

GO SABRES!!

Edited December 19, 2018 by New Scotland (NS)

[Neo]

9 hours ago, Samson's Flow said:

Yep. We have to remember that most of our key players are still under 23 years old. Of course they are going to have some inconsistent streaks while they're figuring out how to be an elite team

I believe there’s a lot of truth, even a single great truth, in your statement.  For every NHL hockey player, there are hundreds of kids who can skate, shoot and pass at that level.  Finding the next level in your head and heart, bringing it 100 times in 270 nights, makes a season.   I’ve often thought finding that level is the final step and the most difficult to take.  I believe it requires a discipline that can be learned.  We’re watching a journey and not yet at a destination.

Edited December 19, 2018 by Neo

[GoPre]

10 hours ago, Eleven said:

Everything I saw in the first was great.  The Sabs were all over them.  It's up to Housley to figure out what happened.  

Or maybe what didn't happen.  I can understand keeping the game plan the same going into the 2nd.  If its not broke, don't fix it.  But the 3rd was horrendous.  Florida made necessary changes.  Seemed as if Buffalo did not.   

[MakeSabresGrr8Again]

6 hours ago, Kruppstahl said:

Dahlin had a rough game tonight.

Disappointing turn of events, particularly in the 3rd period. 

Pommer looked totally concussed.  Hope he's OK.  I bet he's out for a little while though.

 

I hope he's ok too.

Wasn't he under concussion protocol earlier this year? Last night looked bad enough that it wouldn't surprise me if he retires after that....it looked that bad. At least a long ride on IR.

[LGR4GM]

7 hours ago, Wyldnwoody44 said:

I just watched the game on record.... I haven't been this into and angry at a hockey game In a long time.. 

 

You cannot let their guy go after your top guy like that, considering it started because of a play on their top guy, inexcusable and it cost this team the game. 

He also should have gotten a 10 min misconduct as well 

2nd, I saw a ton of uncalled interference in the game yet the stripes are calling tiny "slashes" I'm not a fan, it seems to me that when the officiating is called geared towards a more playoff setting, we don't do well. We simply aren't physical enough to hold up. 

And yes I'm still Fn pissed about the Yandle thing

lol. I think getting outplayed in the 3rd cost this team the game but I could bet money this will be many fans narrative today. 

Edited December 19, 2018 by LGR4GM

[LGR4GM]

37 minutes ago, GoPre said:

Or maybe what didn't happen.  I can understand keeping the game plan the same going into the 2nd.  If its not broke, don't fix it.  But the 3rd was horrendous.  Florida made necessary changes.  Seemed as if Buffalo did not.   

Well let's see... we had the wonky board bounce that become a goal. Dahlin being an 18yr kid became a goal. And I honestly don't remember the 4th goal but I think the puck was up on edge and that helped. I think they got off their game after the 2 quick goals and never recovered. It happens and I have no doubt they will be back to their usual selves by Friday. Also we get defensive reinforcements so that will help. 

Edited December 19, 2018 by LGR4GM

[LGR4GM]

2 hours ago, New Scotland (NS) said:

I have not watched the game, nor the highlights and just thread the last few posts on this page.

So, their guy did something to Skinny and then nothing?  That doesn't sound good.  Was that just before the 4 goal outburst in the 3rd?

 

No it was in the 2nd and the Sabres played fine after and almost scored a PP goal. 

[SwampD]

22 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

lol. I think getting outplayed in the 3rd cost this team the game but I could bet money this will be many fans narrative today. 

Why can’t they both be true?  Can’t adrenaline and confidence from that hit maybe be the reason they outplayed us in the third? They had it and we didn’t.

 

With that said, there was just an insane amount of puck luck in that game. Like, insane amount, for them and against us. We would attempt a four foot pass and the puck would jump over the stick, and that goal where it rolled down the length of Hutton’s pad, wtf. By the end, I really could only laugh.

[shrader]

7 hours ago, SwampD said:

I honestly don't know what to make of that game,… so I won't even try.

It had all the makings of a Shakespearean tragedy, so, in the end, all I can do is laugh.

Oh, well. On to the next.

We saw pretty much the same exact thing a week or two ago against Philly.  We may have one of those teams that doesn't get up for matchups against last place teams.  They wound up winning it, but they didn't exactly look too great for a while against the Kings either.

[Brennan Huff]

40 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

lol. I think getting outplayed in the 3rd cost this team the game but I could bet money this will be many fans narrative today. 

1. Your smugness is just brutal

2. That was the turning point of the game

[Doohicksie]

8 hours ago, Ross Rhea said:

MO they lost because they didn't do a damn thing after Yandle threw Skinner to the ice. It was like the whole team turtled after Yandle did that.

That didn't put a goal on the board.  Dahlin's gaff did.  The winning goal, in fact.

[LGR4GM]

7 minutes ago, Brennan Huff said:

1. Your smugness is just brutal

2. That was the turning point of the game

I think the turning point was the next period when Florida scored 3 goals. Yandle did his thing at 16:35 of the second. They then played out the second, almost scored on the PP and had an entire intermission off. Then they got beat by a bad bounce, Dahlin being a kid and that's that. If anything Florida came out in the 3rd ready and Buffalo seemed to be sleep walking to start the period. For the record, the first goal of the 3rd was a PP goal. And then we had Dahlin's gaf. Then the Sabres were in panic mode and then we lost. It had nothing to do with turtling or being a turning point. The turning point was the ppg followed within minutes by Dahlin's gaf. 

4 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

That didn't put a goal on the board.  Dahlin's gaff did.  The winning goal, in fact.

Very true. Dahlin had a major gaf and that needs to be corrected. 

Edited December 19, 2018 by LGR4GM

[...]

Not that it shattered my world, but the ending of that game was upsetting.  Through 2 periods, they had that game in the bag.  Unfortunately, I was doing some work during the third so while I listened, I didn't watch it intently.  Therefore I can't say what I think happened, but, regardless, whatever did happen to lead to the loss is really inexcusable.

Edited December 19, 2018 by ...

[Doohicksie]

As I recall, Yandle going after Skinner was retaliation for a hit Skinner had put on one of the Panthers (who I think had to leave the game at that point).  Yandle went after Skinner; no other Sabres (aside from Hutton) were nearby.  Skinner purposely *didn't* fight, in classical instigator fashion, resulting in a Sabres power play.  He just leered at him.  That was by design and resulted in a Sabres power play.  If the Sabres score on that PP, it's all good.  Skinner's a big boy, he knows what he's doing when he gets under the skin of the other team.  That's part of his game.  And the fight was nothing more than some clutching and grabbing with no punches thrown, resulting in a roughing penalty.  I didn't see this as a Lucic/Miller moment at all. 

[LGR4GM]

1 minute ago, Doohickie said:

As I recall, Yandle going after Skinner was retaliation for a hit Skinner had put on one of the Panthers (who I think had to leave the game at that point).  Yandle went after Skinner; no other Sabres (aside from Hutton) were nearby.  Skinner purposely *didn't* fight, in classical instigator fashion, resulting in a Sabres power play.  He just leered at him.  That was by design and resulted in a Sabres power play.  If the Sabres score on that PP, it's all good.  Skinner's a big boy, he knows what he's doing when he gets under the skin of the other team.  That's part of his game.  And the fight was nothing more than some clutching and grabbing with no punches thrown, resulting in a roughing penalty.  I didn't see this as a Lucic/Miller moment at all. 

EXACTLY! 

[Stoner]

51 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

No it was in the 2nd and the Sabres played fine after and almost scored a PP goal. 

It was the obvious turning point. The place was ready to explode and the Sabres wouldn't shoot the puck.

8 hours ago, Wyldnwoody44 said:

And yes I'm still Fn pissed about the Yandle thing

I'm still pissed that the fans decided to boo like that. Sabres fans love to boo; cheer, not so much. The moment it started, I knew there was only one way for it to end (See Swamp's theatrical note).

8 hours ago, SwampD said:

I honestly don't know what to make of that game,… so I won't even try.

It had all the makings of a Shakespearean tragedy, so, in the end, all I can do is laugh.

Oh, well. On to the next.

In the bright light of day — really, really bright as there's this strange object in the sky — it was pretty much about a third game in four days, with the first two on the road, after emotional games, at home against the Panthers on a Tuesday before Christmas falalalalalalalalala. They just didn't have it. It happens.

[Wyldnwoody44]

Now that I've slept and its not an emotional response (I don't do those often) I get it, it still sucks to see the team dominate for a lot of the game and lose 5-2. They absolutley were clutching their sticks too tight in the third. 

 

Our D needs to get healthy 

[Doohicksie]

12 minutes ago, ... said:

Not that it shattered my world, but the ending of that game was upsetting.  Through 2 periods, they had that game in the bag.  Unfortunately, I was doing some work during the third so while I listened, I didn't watch it intently.  Therefore I can't say what I think happened, but, regardless, whatever did happen to lead to the loss is really inexcusable.

The momentum shift came when the Sabres took a penalty at the end of the second (Larry I think).  The penalty was split with about half rolling over to the third.  They nearly killed the penalty off but the Panthers scored at the very end of it.  The play was still back and forth at that point.  Then Dahlin had a routine play at the point.  Instead of just shooting or moving it back down low, he tried to dangle a bit and Dadonov stole it and got a breakaway.  Dahlin caught him and hooked him resulting in a penalty shot that Hutton nearly stopped but it rolled down his leg pad and trickled into the net.  So they nearly killed a penalty, nearly stopped a penalty shot, but didn't and from that point on the momentum was clearly Florida's.  They added an insurance goal and an empty netter.

They need to *not* let games get away like that, and at this point Florida is in their head a bit.  But it's not the end of the world.

[shrader]

3 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

As I recall, Yandle going after Skinner was retaliation for a hit Skinner had put on one of the Panthers (who I think had to leave the game at that point).  Yandle went after Skinner; no other Sabres (aside from Hutton) were nearby.  Skinner purposely *didn't* fight, in classical instigator fashion, resulting in a Sabres power play.  He just leered at him.  That was by design and resulted in a Sabres power play.  If the Sabres score on that PP, it's all good.  Skinner's a big boy, he knows what he's doing when he gets under the skin of the other team.  That's part of his game.  And the fight was nothing more than some clutching and grabbing with no punches thrown, resulting in a roughing penalty.  I didn't see this as a Lucic/Miller moment at all. 

Skinner is a diver, so everything he did there with Yandle fits his game perfectly.  There really was nothing to see there.  It was a guy who draws penalties drawing a penalty, just as you're suggesting.

[darksabre]

Just now, PASabreFan said:

It was the obvious turning point. The place was ready to explode and the Sabres wouldn't shoot the puck.

I'm still pissed that the fans decided to boo like that. Sabres fans love to boo; cheer, not so much. The moment it started, I knew there was only one way for it to end (See Swamp's theatrical note).

In the bright light of day — really, really bright as there's this strange object in the sky — it was pretty much about a third game in four days, with the first two on the road, after emotional games, at home against the Panthers on a Tuesday before Christmas falalalalalalalalala. They just didn't have it. It happens.

I was feeling this too, but I would never tell people not to boo Yandle. Booing is good. 

But that first goal where Barkov deflected the Yandle shot amid a chorus of boos was such a "beat em on their ice" moment. 

Could the Sabres have come back from that? Sure. But then Dahlin got schooled by Dadonov and the subsequent bad luck on the penalty shot took the wheels right off. 

They regained their composure after the Vatrano goal but it was too late at that point. 

Just one of those games. I'm over it and I'm sure they are too, but it does suck losing like that. 

[Stoner]

1 minute ago, shrader said:

Skinner is a diver, so everything he did there with Yandle fits his game perfectly.  There really was nothing to see there.  It was a guy who draws penalties drawing a penalty, just as you're suggesting.

If it was a dive, that was one of the great all-time dives.

[Doohicksie]

37 minutes ago, SwampD said:

With that said, there was just an insane amount of puck luck in that game. Like, insane amount, for them and against us. We would attempt a four foot pass and the puck would jump over the stick, and that goal where it rolled down the length of Hutton’s pad, wtf. By the end, I really could only laugh.

Yeah, I would say that's true. Sometimes the bounces don't go your way.  The ice seemed terrible at times.... bouncy bouncy.

[Doohicksie]

6 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

If it was a dive, that was one of the great all-time dives.

He knew Yandle was coming after him and did nothing.  Not quite a dive, but a purposeful and successful attempt to draw a penalty.  That's his game.  He was no victim on that play; he won the encounter by drawing the penalty.  Someone upthread compared it to Lucic-Miller but it wasn't anything like that.  Like I said, if the Sabres score on the ensuing PP, it's all good.  But they didn't.