GDT 2/26/20 Sabres at Colorado 8pm ET, NBCSN and WGR550

[DarthEbriate]

Darn good, playoff-level game. Too bad we didn't get it to OT, but alas, even the good ones can be losses. Keep playing that way and we finish strong. Play that way next season and we're in the playoffs. Onward!

[PerreaultForever]

Well that was a disappointing result but I don't know about you guys but to me I like this team we have now far more than what we saw earlier in the year. Effort level is much higher, we play harder, go to the front, dig for rebounds, just play harder. We still lack a strong finishing touch and we're still weak in front of our own net but overall I like the progression to where we are now. 

With a bounce, this game could have gone the other way. 

Loved Simmonds hitting people in the first. Might have thrown them off a little, but that line needs more time together to jell - or maybe it won't. He is slower than I remember him being. Definitely in the twilight of his career, but I still think a valuable addition down the stretch, and maybe next year too (or a similar type player(s)). 

In the end, the failure of this season rests mostly on two things imo. 1) Skinner not being close to the Skinner of last year. A 30 goal Skinner might have given us another bunch of wins easily and 2) Hutton's slump (and Ullmark's injury). He was ok tonight, but we really haven't had a lot of goalies stealing the win type things. Give us those 2 things and maybe we're tied with the leafs right now.

Disappointing, but entertaining. They looked like a legit team.

[sodbuster]

That kind of effort for 82 games gets them 95 points.

[Cascade Youth]

4 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

I have no idea what cody Hodgson virtue signaling means. Care to explain. 

It wasn’t you.  But it was done.

[Jävə Keith]

Bottom line... We win 5 on 5. Colorado won 5 on 4.  That was the difference in this well-fought well-played game by our beloved Sabres.

[dudacek]

How much ice time did Skinner get in the third? Didn’t look like much and they moved Vesey up into his spot.

Getting a 2C effectively adds three players, because it would help Mojo and Skinner so much. Semi-related whatever chemistry those two may have had in September has completely evaporated. It’s like they don’t pay any attention to each other at all.

I understand why Jeff isn’t on PP1, but I don’t get why Jeff isn’t on the ice when the goalie is pulled. He’s made for that type of chaos.

Edited February 27, 2020 by dudacek

[Claude Balls]

2 minutes ago, dudacek said:

How much ice time did Skinner get in the third? Didn’t look like much and they moved Vesey up into his spot.

Getting a 2C effectively adds three players, because it would help Mojo and Skinner so much.

I understand why Jeff isn’t on PP1, but I don’t get why Jeff isn’t on the ice when the goalie is pulled. He’s made for that type of chaos.

Skinner took a knee to the head in the second period, so maybe he wasn't feeling so good.

[JohninMinn.]

Fan since 1969. This team is very close to succeeding. Miss on Dahlin causing delay.

[7+6=13]

29 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Like what does this even mean? They weren't given chances, they earned them. Learn to win? It's just cliche bs. 

My post wasn't meant to suggest given and not earned.  Calm down psycho.

[Taro T]

1 minute ago, dudacek said:

How much ice time did Skinner get in the third? Didn’t look like much and they moved Vesey up into his spot.

Getting a 2C effectively adds three players, because it would help Mojo and Skinner so much.

I understand why Jeff isn’t on PP1, but I don’t get why Jeff isn’t on the ice when the goalie is pulled. He’s made for that type of chaos.

Yep.  And depending on whether Kahun can be at least a legit tweener between top 6 & top 9 rather than clearly a 3rd liner, when Botterill gets that 2C, it might free up Johansson to be on the 3rd line which might even allow Mittelstadt or Cozens (whichever makes the top 12 next year out of the gate) to also slot comfortably into the 3C role with MoJo and Lazar flanking him.

And the last time MoJo went out for his line's regular shift, he was centering Skinner and Frolik.

[Taro T]

4 minutes ago, Claude Balls said:

Skinner took a knee to the head in the second period, so maybe he wasn't feeling so good.

Good point.

[7+6=13]

36 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Agree with your point, but we absolutely earned our chances.

Yeah I worded that incorrectly.  Definitely believe they were created.

[SwampD]

19 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

JFC.  Can you pls calm down and knock it off with the pi**y comments.

Hi and welcome to the board.

[SABRES 0311]

Hey in about an hour NS will check in for duty and ask if he missed anything.?

[grinreaper]

27 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

JFC.  Can you pls calm down and knock it off with the pi**y comments.

What's wrong with pithy comments?

[SwampD]

We got to see a pretty good hockey game tonight.

[dudacek]

2 minutes ago, SwampD said:

We got to see a pretty good hockey game tonight.

Hell yeah. Had everything but the result.

Hutton played well, which is a huge plus and becoming a bit of a trend.

And Dahlin showed signs that he wanted to take the game over, which is the single most important thing this franchise needs to develop,

[CallawaySabres]

39 minutes ago, dudacek said:

How much ice time did Skinner get in the third? Didn’t look like much and they moved Vesey up into his spot.

Getting a 2C effectively adds three players, because it would help Mojo and Skinner so much. Semi-related whatever chemistry those two may have had in September has completely evaporated. It’s like they don’t pay any attention to each other at all.

I understand why Jeff isn’t on PP1, but I don’t get why Jeff isn’t on the ice when the goalie is pulled. He’s made for that type of chaos.

To get that #2 Center, they will also lose at least 2 good players....or a very good player and a 1st round draft choice.

[SwampD]

The non call of Johansson being tripped at the 5:00 mark of the 3rd period was a turning point.

Refs and sentiment matter.

It was bull schit.

fuhk the NHL and their biased refs.

[PerreaultForever]

1 hour ago, Jävə Keith said:

Bottom line... We win 5 on 5. Colorado won 5 on 4.  That was the difference in this well-fought well-played game by our beloved Sabres.

That's true. Our PK is terrible. Has been all year. Two main reasons, we don't win face offs and we cannot clear or control the front of the net at any time, and even worse a man down. Part of this is a downside to the focus on puck moving D men. We have to get better at this for sure. 

[Andrew Amerk]

40 minutes ago, CallawaySabres said:

To get that #2 Center, they will also lose at least 2 good players....or a very good player and a 1st round draft choice.

This is fine. This has always been fine. Give someone Risto/Miller/Montour + Mitts/pick for that 2C. 

Cant keep wasting prime years of Eichel, and soon to be prime years of Dahlin. 

[Kristian]

36 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

That's true. Our PK is terrible. Has been all year. Two main reasons, we don't win face offs and we cannot clear or control the front of the net at any time, and even worse a man down. Part of this is a downside to the focus on puck moving D men. We have to get better at this for sure. 

Yup, win some more draws in our zone, and we’re not hemmed in from the start of the play.

Edited February 27, 2020 by Kristian

[Gatorman0519]

2 hours ago, Taro T said:

He's 1 goal away from a $212k bonus.  Once he finally gets #20 and stops gripping the stick too tight, he'll be well on his way to nearly 30.  Would be much more upset with him if he wasn't getting chances or if he was one of the guys that lost his man on the 3rd goal.  He is, and he wasn't.  He's fine.  Just needs that next goal.

Eichel hasn't taken a faceoff since his maintenance day.  We going to find out when the season ends that he's been playing with bruised / cracked ribs or a minor shoulder injury?

he was wincing several times.... I think a rib injury too

[sabremike]

NINE ***** YEARS OF THIS *****. The skill level between that Colorado team and us is as deep as the one between the Kansas City Chiefs and the University of Kansas. I'm not in the mood to hand out Miz Participation Awards, I'm in the mood to see the guy who has left us with this trash roster and a virtually barren prospect pool pay the price for his malfeasance he deserves to pay. Seriously I was in Rochester tonight and all I could think is these are almost all quadruple A players who aren't going to amount to anything in terms of becoming NHL players.

[hockeyhound]

Let's Go Buffalo!