GDT: Sabres at Vancouver 12/07/19 4 pm EST

[Randall Flagg]

5 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Forgot about this. Jack’s line had ground Horvats down to exhaustion, got off for a rest and jumped back on against the same exhausted group. I was salivating until I saw the ref with the headset on, effectively giving the Canucks a timeout.

What happened? They never explained it in the arena and it cost us a crucial chance.

Horvat got knocked in the head, and they took their sweet time sending him off to concussion protocol. 

Right thing to do, as he was wobbly, but I don't know why it took 2 minutes

Edited December 8, 2019 by Randall Flagg

[SwampD]

1 minute ago, Randall Flagg said:

Horvat got knocked in the head, and they took their sweet time sending him off to concussion protocol. 

Right thing to do, as he was wobbly, but I don't know why it took 2 minutes

Meh. I thought taking one of their better players out of the rest of the game far outweighed whatever we would have gained from the icing. I didn’t think the delay was a big deal.

Bogo’s done. 
McCabe,... wuh?
Casey was awful.
I noticed Montour today, in a good way. I’m going to reserve judgement on him.
Sheary’s useless. This is a recording.
Joker with some gaffes today, but he still makes some nice plays, and he’s young.
As far as The Who is our 2nd best forward thread goes, it’s a death match between Sam and Jeff. Today, Skinner took a bit of a lead.
Did I mention that Casey was awful? Cuz Casey was awful.

I’ll take a point for that game. It was fun.

[Randall Flagg]

1 minute ago, SwampD said:

Meh. I thought taking one of their better players out of the rest of the game far outweighed whatever we would have gained from the icing. I didn’t think the delay was a big deal.

Bogo’s done. 
McCabe,... wuh?
Casey was awful.
I noticed Montour today, in a good way. I’m going to reserve judgement on him.
Sheary’s useless. This is a recording.
Joker with some gaffes today, but he still makes some nice plays, and he’s young.
As far as The Who is our 2nd best forward thread goes, it’s a death match between Sam and Jeff. Today, Skinner took a bit of a lead.
Did I mention that Casey was awful? Cuz Casey was awful.

I’ll take a point for that game. It was fun.

We did score anyway, too. But i don't like losing advantages like a double icing 2 minute shift when there's a minute left and we're down a goal, on principle

[dudacek]

4 minutes ago, SwampD said:

Meh. I thought taking one of their better players out of the rest of the game far outweighed whatever we would have gained from the icing. I didn’t think the delay was a big deal.

Bogo’s done. 
McCabe,... wuh?
Casey was awful.
I noticed Montour today, in a good way. I’m going to reserve judgement on him.
Sheary’s useless. This is a recording.
Joker with some gaffes today, but he still makes some nice plays, and he’s young.
As far as The Who is our 2nd best forward thread goes, it’s a death match between Sam and Jeff. Today, Skinner took a bit of a lead.
Did I mention that Casey was awful? Cuz Casey was awful.

I’ll take a point for that game. It was fun.

Casey did not look like an NHL player, or even close

[SwampD]

Just now, dudacek said:

Casey did not look like an NHL player, or even close

He made plays I would have yelled at a total stranger playing a shinny game for making tonight.

[dudacek]

2 minutes ago, SwampD said:

He made plays I would have yelled at a total stranger playing a shinny game for making tonight.

I cringed every time he approached the puck and looked to the benches praying he was getting easiest matchups 

[triumph_communes]

I agree Hutton has been bad. 
 

I think the team needs to fix their damn special teams though. That is what lost this game. Hutton just didn’t steal it. 

[dudacek]

Carter Hutton has just strung  together the worst stretch of Sabre goaltending since...Trefilov? Thibault? Lalime?

Seriously, when has a “starter” put together a month of consecutive sub-900 save % starts like this?

Edited December 8, 2019 by dudacek

[Randall Flagg]

Frustrating that we're now scoring goals, and yet not stacking wins 

[Thorner]

8 minutes ago, dudacek said:

I cringed every time he approached the puck and looked to the benches praying he was getting easiest matchups 

How on god’s green earth did they actually think walking into LAST season with Casey and Berglund as the pencilled in 2/3Cs was ok?!

Edited December 8, 2019 by Thorny

[Randall Flagg]

Game: 1
Sabres PP: 1/2
Opponent PP: 1/5
SHGs: 0
Best special teams: BUF
Net game special teams advantage: none

Game: 2
Sabres PP: 3/4
Opponent PP: 0/2
SHGs: 0
Best special teams: BUF
Net game special teams advantage: BUF, +3, won game by 5

Game: 3
Sabres PP: 2/4
Opponent PP: 2/3
SHGs: 0
Best special teams: CBJ
Net game special teams advantage: none

Game: 4
Sabres PP: 2/5
Opponent PP: 1/3
SHGs: 1, Montreal
Best special teams: wash
Net game special teams advantage: none

Game: 5
Sabres PP: 0/2
Opponent PP: 0/4
SHGs: 0
Best special teams: FLA (more kills)
Net game special teams advantage: none

Game: 6
Sabres PP: 1/2
Opponent PP: 0/2
SHGs: 0
Best special teams: BUF
Net game special teams advantage: BUF +1, won game by 4

Game: 7
Sabres PP: 1/7
Opponent PP: 1/4
SHGs: 0
Best special teams: ANA
Net game special teams advantage: none

Game: 8
Sabres PP: 1/3
Opponent PP: 0/3
SHGs: 0
Best special teams: BUF
Net game special teams advantage: BUF +1, won game by 3

Game: 9
Sabres PP: 0/4
Opponent PP: 2/4
SHGs: 0
Best special teams: SJS
Net game special teams advantage: SJS +2, BUF won game by 1

Game: 10
Sabres PP: 1/4
Opponent PP: 0/2
SHGs: 0
Best special teams: BUF
Net game special teams advantage: BUF +1, won game by 1

Game: 11
Sabres PP: 0/3
Opponent PP: 0/4
SHGs: 0
Best special teams: BUF
Net game special teams advantage: none

Game: 12
Sabres PP: 1/3
Opponent PP: 0/3
SHGs: 0
Best special teams: BUF
Net game special teams advantage: BUf +1, won by 2

Game: 13
Sabres PP: 1/2
Opponent PP: 1/2
SHGs: 0
Best special teams: wash
Net game special teams advantage: none

Game: 14
Sabres PP: 0/2
Opponent PP: 0/1
SHGs: 0
Best special teams: WSH
Net game special teams advantage: none

Game: 15
Sabres PP: 0/3
Opponent PP: 0/1
SHGs: 0
Best special teams: NYI
Net game special teams advantage: none, though getting a PP goal could have gotten a point

Game: 16
Sabres PP: 0/2
Opponent PP: 1/4
SHGs: 0
Best special teams: TBL
Net game special teams advantage: +1 TBL, TBL won by 1

Game: 17
Sabres PP: 0/2
Opponent PP: 2/3
SHGs: 0
Best special teams: TBL
Net game special teams advantage: +2 TBL, TBL won by 2

Game: 18
Sabres PP: 0/3
Opponent PP: 2/3
SHGs: 0
Best special teams: CAR
Net game special teams advantage: +2 CAR, CAR won by 1 in OT

Game: 19
Sabres PP: 0/2
Opponent PP: 1/3
SHGs: 0
Best special teams: OTT
Net game special teams advantage: +1 OTT, OTT lost by 2

Game: 20
Sabres PP: 0/4
Opponent PP: 1/5
SHGs: 0
Best special teams: CHI
Net game special teams advantage: +1 CHI, CHI won by 3

Game: 21
Sabres PP: 0/3
Opponent PP: 1/7
SHGs: 0
Best special teams: MIN
Net game special teams advantage: +1 MIN, MIN won by 3

Game: 22
Sabres PP: 1/4
Opponent PP: 2/2
SHGs:  0
Best special teams: BOS
Net game special teams advantage: +1 BOS, BOS won by 1

Game: 23
Sabres PP: 0/2
Opponent PP: 1/4
SHGs: 0
Best special teams: FLA
Net game special teams advantage: +1 FLA, FLA lost by 3

Game: 24
Sabres PP: 0/4
Opponent PP: 1/4
SHGs: 2 for TBL
Best special teams: TBL
Net game special teams advantage: +3 TBL, TBL won by 3

Game: 25
Sabres PP: 0/2
Opponent PP: 0/2
SHGs: BUF with 1
Best special teams: BUF
Net game special teams advantage: +1 BUF, BUF lost by 1

Game: 26
Sabres PP: 0/2
Opponent PP: 0/4
SHGs: 0
Best special teams: BUF
Net game special teams advantage: none

Game: 27
Sabres PP: 0/2
Opponent PP: 1/1
SHGs: 0
Best special teams: TOR
Net game special teams advantage: +1 TOR, TOR won by 1

Game: 28
Sabres PP: 1/2
Opponent PP: 1/4
SHGs: 0
Best special teams: BUF
Net game special teams advantage: none

Game: 29
Sabres PP: 1/8
Opponent PP: 1/2
SHGs: 1 for CGY
Best special teams: CGY
Net game special teams advantage: CGY +1, CGY won by 1

Game: 30
Sabres PP: 1/4
Opponent PP: 1/2
SHGs: 1 for VAN
Best special teams: VAN
Net game special teams advantage: VAN +1, VAN won by 1

RESULTS

Total games BUF had better special teams performances: 10/30
Total games OPPONENT had better special teams performances: 18/30
Special teams wash: 2/30

Number of games won by BUF due to special teams advantage, ie, wins where their net special teams goal differential was equal to or greater than the total they won the game by: 1

Number of games lost by BUF due to special teams advantage (same requirement): 8

In games decided by special teams, the Sabres are 1 - 4 - 4, for 6 out of 18 points. 

In my rough estimation then, they've already sacrificed 3 standings points by being incapable of having league average net special teams. This is simplistic, as you can't simply swap out the extra goals in specific games to get results you want, ie a league average ST unit could still lose more games than they win due to special teams, but for the purposes of this exercise, I'm satisfied with looking at it this way. this would lead to roughly 8 points missing at the end of the year because we couldn't ice an average special teams group. If we were capable of above average ST play, that point total increases. Further, it's almost stunning how the first third of this season so far was uniformly positive in our favor, and the last two thirds have been disastrous. It correlates incredibly well with the standings and so people who place a lot of blame on special teams are justified. 

It is going to kill the season if we don't fix it.

Edited December 8, 2019 by Randall Flagg

[DR HOLLIDAY]

22 minutes ago, triumph_communes said:

I agree Hutton has been bad. 
 

I think the team needs to fix their damn special teams though. That is what lost this game. Hutton just didn’t steal it. 

Buffalo used to be known for always having type shelf goalkeepers, not so much anymore

[Pimlach]

2 hours ago, Randall Flagg said:

Hutton has won zero of his last nine games

Six goals is a problem. Sure you can find a mistake made on every one but Hutton does very little to bail out a bad play. He is as uninspired as you can be.  Maybe he feels regret about not being a St Louis Blue and winning a Cup?  

[Thorner]

1 minute ago, Pimlach said:

Six goals is a problem. Sure you can find a mistake made on every one but Hutton does very little to bail out a bad play. He is as uninspired as you can be.  Maybe he feels regret about not being a St Louis Blue and winning a Cup?  

He’s lost his love for the saves 

[GASabresIUFAN]

The Sabres actually scored on three extra man situations.  We scored 1 ppg, 1 goal on the delayed penalty and one with the extra attacker.  

[PerreaultForever]

1 hour ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

The Sabres actually scored on three extra man situations.  We scored 1 ppg, 1 goal on the delayed penalty and one with the extra attacker.  

PP is still dreadful. We should have won. If we had a decent PP we would have. 

Losing to back up goalies playing meh, not good. 

[nucci]

9 hours ago, CallawaySabres said:

I couldn't care less if they scrape their way to 8th spot....this team has got to be blown up so they can consistently be a contender. They are sooooo far away

so you want to be the worst team in hockey for a few years again? How does this make us a contender?

[steveoath]

5 hours ago, Thorny said:

He’s lost his glove for the saves 

Can't argue with that thorny.

[Kristian]

4 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

PP is still dreadful. We should have won. If we had a decent PP we would have. 

Losing to back up goalies playing meh, not good. 

PP is too easy to figure out. 

Umbrella setup, only shooters are Olofsson and Jack.

On BOTH units. Point guy never shoots, and the 2nd unit can’t play anywhere near quick enough to play that setup.

Any 10-year old can defend against it, when they try the same every. Single. Time.

[Kruppstahl]

10 hours ago, dudacek said:

Carter Hutton has just strung  together the worst stretch of Sabre goaltending since...Trefilov? Thibault? Lalime?

Seriously, when has a “starter” put together a month of consecutive sub-900 save % starts like this?

Darcy Wakaluk comes to mind.

As I have written many times here for more than a year now, neither of our goalies are the answer going forward.

It's another of Botterill's many failings that we still have the current goaltending.

 

[Stoner]

15 hours ago, Randall Flagg said:

the UPL - 2023 1st rounder core, headed by veteran defenseman Rasmus Dahlin 

Tell me — will you visit me in the home and scrape the oatmeal off my chin and make airplane sounds and stuff?

15 hours ago, Thorny said:

Well, we were told a full, long scale rebuild (“down to the studs”) is what Botterill wanted if he could win that lottery. We should have listened. 

It bought him the timeline he wanted.

I’m already prepared for “Did the ends justify the means?” to replace The Tank as the main point of contention around here when we achieve a playoff berth in 3 or 4 years. Just how detrimental the length of the path we are taking ends up being, what Botterill was willing to sacrifice in the name of the extreme patience his route requires. 

It’ll be fascinating.

There's just no way — no way — than an NHL franchise has a plan that is supposed to culminate in a mere playoff berth in three or four years. Not even in Buffalo. But if Botterill is thinking that way, it's nuts. It's like the guy whose plan is to get his GED after seven years of studying.

14 hours ago, dudacek said:

Haven’t read the thread but was at the game, waiting for the ferry home.

Horrible first period for us.

Looked Decent second and third.

Stunned by the OT. I thought things like that only happened when we were playing the New England Patriots. The arena thought it was over when Jack scored. Joki’s penalty came out of nowhere. The one replay I saw looked like incidental contact away from the play.

From my seat, bad plays by Marco and Jake in the neutral zone cost them two rush goals and a Jack ?turnover on what should have been a nice rush for us cost them a third.

The shortie was entirely on Casey. Awful weak effort by him on the dump in let the Canucks break out easily. Overall  he looked as bad as his critics say, just totally soft on pucks and overmatched on pace. Canucks were trying to match Pettersson on Casey all night and when they did it was ugly.

Larry looked great live, pretty much the opposite of Casey - a genuine 3rd line centre. His whole line was grinding so well. The Zemgus goal was right in front of us and was magnificent.

Surprising number of Sabre fans and we erupted when Mojo tied it. Six on five it just felt like we were going to score.

Hutton let in his usual goal every six shots, but Demko wasn’t any better.

Disappointing result but an exciting game and a good atmosphere.

It was 80s night in the arena and it was a very 80s game

The penalty came out of nowhere? I've never really understood that criticism of calls. Rob's big on it. The ref waiting to put his arm up and stuff. I know it involves some kind of cheating intrigue, but I don't get it. Joki stuck his stick in where it didn't belong and whether he actually made the guy fall or the guy got tangled up and fell or took advantage of a situation and made himself fall, it's on Joki. Like the slash or the high stick, don't put yourself in that situation. Dumb play.

[Doohicksie]

15 hours ago, Scottysabres said:

We are well past the time of the rebuild now, it's time to show up in the post season, and as of now in any event, we aren't even close yet.

We're in a playoff spot RIGHT NOW.

[Doohicksie]

14 hours ago, dudacek said:

The one replay I saw looked like incidental contact away from the play.

That's the way I saw it.  I don't think either player knew they were that close to each other.

14 hours ago, freester said:

He sucks. Send him to Rochester. Let’s see the Hamburglar

Be careful what you wish for.

[Stoner]

5 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

That's the way I saw it.  I don't think either player knew they were that close to each other.

Place your stick between an opponent's legs in that situation at your peril. The "my bad/it wasn't me" arm raise wasn't particularly smart, either.

[apuszczalowski]

Watching the repeat this morning on Sportsnet......

Hutton - I said from the time they signed him that he hasn't shown enough to be a #1 goalie, he only had one season where he played close to a full season as a starter.

Tanking is not an answer, and you can't just decide to tank and then build a team that will continue to be a contender for years, no team is built on just young prospects from your system. When you have the ability to make your team better, you do it no matter if your not making the playoffs or a player doesn't fit their development time.

Myers gets his first goal with the Canucks playing against the Sabres, Lucic gets his first goal as a Flame against the Sabres (the eventual winner) and I'm calling Kassian in his return to the Oilers lineup gets the winner tonight, just because.....