GDT 11/29 Sabres vs Leafs. 4pm et.

[Randall Flagg]

Any time a game sends me to the opponent's message boards it was a good game.

[SABRES 0311]

What’s the link to their board?

[Randall Flagg]

Just now, SABRES 0311 said:

What’s the link to their board?

https://hfboards.mandatory.com/forums/toronto-maple-leafs.17/

[Torpedo Forecheck]

5 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

https://hfboards.mandatory.com/forums/toronto-maple-leafs.17/

"Maybe also some of the people on this board will realize that Babcock wasn't the biggest problem. Little tip, Matthews is one of the problems too. Look at Eichel and how he carries the Sabres. Matthews should be doing the same."

Love this!

[nfreeman]

Well, the battered fan syndrome reactions are pretty understandable IMHO. 

Me, I’m just exulting in a very exciting win with quite a few high-skill plays, and the first time that I can remember Jack decisively outplaying Matthews (who nevertheless scared the poop out of me every time he had the puck in our zone).

In addition to Eichel, who was awesome, I thought Olofsson, Skinner, Vesey, Larsson and Bogo all played well.  Not Reino, who was a step behind the play all night. 

If the Sabres can win tomorrow night it could be a turning point.

in the meantime it’s a Thanksgiving miracle of a Buffalo sports weekend.  

[Randall Flagg]

Just now, nfreeman said:

Well, the battered fan syndrome reactions are pretty understandable IMHO. 

Me, I’m just exulting in a very exciting win with quite a few high-skill plays, and the first time that I can remember Jack decisively outplaying Matthews (who nevertheless scared the poop out of me every time he had the puck in our zone).

In addition to Eichel, who was awesome, I thought Olofsson, Skinner, Vesey, Larsson and Bogo all played well.  Not Reino, who was a step behind the play all night. 

If the Sabres can win tomorrow night it could be a turning point.

in the meantime it’s a Thanksgiving miracle of a Buffalo sports weekend.  

Matthews has more defensive controller disconnected moments than Eichel both in general and in Sabres-Leafs games. he's really awful there.

Edited November 30, 2019 by Randall Flagg

[nfreeman]

1 hour ago, Thorny said:

Ya, they didn't look good in the first, if you'd like to reference my post long after it happened as a "gotcha!" go watch the actual goal and fact check. 

Shall I quote all of my other posts in the thread now?

I thought the first period was pretty even.  Certainly there was ample cause to be discouraged after the Mojo-Ullmark combo clown show gave Toronto the 2-0 lead very early in the 2nd though.

 

1 hour ago, dudacek said:

I enjoyed the game, but if they play like that tomorrow in a Hutton versus Andersen matchup, I don’t expect it to be pretty.

I did not think the Leafs got bad goaltending.  Each of the Sabres’ goals was a high-skill play IMHO.

I agree with the concern about Hutton though.  

[nfreeman]

6 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

Matthews has more defensive controller disconnected moments than Eichel both in general and in Sabres-Leafs games. he's really awful there.

I’ve noticed this about Matthews this season — and the Leafs generally seemed sloppier on D and in the neutral zone today — but not so much vs the Sabres in the past.  YMMV though.

[Randall Flagg]

9 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

I’ve noticed this about Matthews this season — and the Leafs generally seemed sloppier on D and in the neutral zone today — but not so much vs the Sabres in the past.  YMMV though.

Definitely hard to quantify. I might be biased overall by his 13 game goal less streak last year - I watched a lot of those games because when Leaves struggle it's enjoyable, and he was shockingly bad in most of them. I could see that clouding my view of the rest of his career because it's when I confirmed that I'd never prefer Auston to Jack straight up

[North Buffalo]

Good win against the leaves... missed the third...  not sure it means anything, but I liked the Mitts, Mojo, Skinner line adding a secondary scoring threat and having Asplund on the checking line with Larrson and Girgenson really seemed to work.  Not sure what was the third line Vesey ???  But a win is a win and Sabres seemed to do well going up and down with Ullmark in net... Hope he keeps it up.

[PerreaultForever]

Well that was an unexpected treat. Always great to beat the Laughs (even though they'll probably trounce us in the rematch). For a bit there it looked like we'd pull a typical late fold but nice play by Vesey and we pulled it out. 

We've been talking on here about how soft the Sabres are, but the Laughs are even softer. They are rubbish in their own end and if you can break down that 5 man attack and counter quickly they fold. We actually outmuscled them a few times. I think that says more about them then us. We might not have enough talent (yet) but I would take what Krueger is trying to do with this team over their wide open plan any day. They will score goals and win some regular season games with big scores but that team will not win in the playoffs if they get there. I'd much rather the D first balanced attack that it seems Krueger is attempting. It will prevail in the long run.

Very satisfying regardless.

[Doohicksie]

3 hours ago, nfreeman said:

If the Sabres can win tomorrow night it could be a turning point.

I was thinking about this.... last year, the Sabres had their ten game win streak end a few games before the Toronto game on Dec 4, 2018, a game they lost to the Leafs in OT.  It felt to me at the time that even though the streak had already ended, this is the point where I felt the Sabres were going down.  Tonight I had the exact opposite sense.  I think this is where the streak of sloppy play stops and the Sabres start putting Ws on the board again.

2 hours ago, North Buffalo said:

Not sure what was the third line Vesey ???

Sabres dressed 11 forwards and 7 D so the lines were a little jumbled.

[Doohicksie]

2 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

nice play by Vesey

All three of his goals were breakaways (tonight was kind of a mini-breakaway).... I wonder if he gets a chance at the shootout?

[steveoath]

Olofsson is really taking big strides in his development. Btw first rookie this year to hit 10 goals! His 2 way game is much better.

Asplund is going to be a solid player too. Harries to opposition well. 

Vesey has turned it around over the last few games. His forecheck is tremendous. Maybe could be a little more decisive when on front of goal. 

Eichel is ELITE. 

Roll on tonight's game!

 

[nucci]

8 hours ago, New Scotland (NS) said:

The Sabres won, which is great.

And, as of right now they are back in the playoffs, as the 3rd place team in the Adams division.  1 point behind Florida and a lot of points behind the dastardly Bruins.

with only 56 games left to play

[miles]

I'm still really concerned about 4gaa 

[That Aud Smell]

48 minutes ago, miles said:

I'm still really concerned about 4gaa 

It’s the Leafs. Their games tend to be like that. I found it eminently enjoyable.

[miles]

36 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

It’s the Leafs. Their games tend to be like that. I found it eminently enjoyable.

for sure. it was a very fun game to watch. good play all around. if they played this well all month, they would be in much better shape

[Sabre1974]

Just delighted to get the win. Still work needing done though and trades need to happen but I'm not holding my breath with botts 

[Stoner]

12 hours ago, Thorny said:

Eichel with a 65.78 xGF% today

 

Nerd sees a haf girl and hurries home, fires up the computer and taps taps taps at the keyboard. "Oh my gerd! It's confirmed! She's a .648 on the HuffleDorfer Scale! Heavens!"

[thewookie1]

Maybe this can be a reverse of last year in that we did great in November and then fell apart around the time we lost to Toronto. This time we can have a terrible November and then build up and get  better as the year continues. 

[GoPre]

How sweet it’d be if the Bills success/increased attention from national media motivates the Sabres to up their level of play.  Buffalo sports have been fun to watch this thanksgiving. 

[woods-racer]

1 hour ago, thewookie1 said:

Maybe this can be a reverse of last year in that we did great in November and then fell apart around the time we lost to Toronto. This time we can have a terrible November and then build up and get  better as the year continues. 

Maturity?

The addition of a hand full of players?

A new coach?

The ebb and flow of a season?

These are  a couple of thoughts that popped into my mind after reading this.

Edited November 30, 2019 by woods-racer
I can't type worth a darn

[Doohicksie]

10 hours ago, North Buffalo said:

I liked the Mitts, Mojo, Skinner line

Who knows?  Maybe at the NHL level, Mitts is a winger like Reino.

 

Edited November 30, 2019 by Doohickie

[GASabresIUFAN]

30 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

Who knows?  Maybe at the NHL, Mitts is a winger like Reino.

 

He looked good there when he first arrived and then we forced him at center because of need and his style of play.  However with Cozens coming, Asplund here we may be better off with Mitts moved to wing.

The spine in 2020-21

Eichel, Mojo, Cozens, Asplund/Larsson

The spine in 2021-22

Eichel, Cozens, Asplund, Larsson.

During the broadcast the other night, someone, probably Biron, mentioned that RK likes to have 6-7 centers on his roster at all times.

 

 

Edited November 30, 2019 by GASabresIUFAN