GDT-11/27/21:The Buffalo Sabres versus The Detroit Red Wings, with the latter being the Home Team. Puck Drop 1am CET(11/28), 8:30 pm NST, 8 pm AST 7pm EST, 6pm CST, 5pm MST and 4pm PST. The Game will be broadcast on MSG and will be simulcast on WGR 550.

[Digger]

14 hours ago, The Ghost of Yuri said:

What's up with R2 though?

I assume that Granato kept R2 out because he did not want to change the lineup after the win (he's not hurt).  I understand hockey superstitions and even wanting to reward the players that played for the win by not taking anyone out but to me inserting a fresh R2 after the win over Hayden would make sense to me. 

[dudacek]

Tokarski can both have a pretty good game and let in a soft goal or two at the same time.

It’s kinda why he’s in the NHL but has never been an NHL regular.

The idea that Dahlin is being singled out on the winner is…interesting.

His play there wasn’t “good” but it is one that every D on every team makes every game. Can we even say it should have been registered as a scoring chance?

Goalies who let in that shot on a regular basis don’t stick around in the NHL.

[nfreeman]

As someone who’s been delighted with TT’s play this season, I was pretty disappointed with his line last night.  Until the GTG they generated zero offense and were frequently hemmed in the D zone by Detroit’s first or 2nd line.  

[Weave]

6 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

As someone who’s been delighted with TT’s play this season, I was pretty disappointed with his line last night.  Until the GTG they generated zero offense and were frequently hemmed in the D zone by Detroit’s first or 2nd line.  

I was stuck with the Detroit announcing team last night.  They made references to the Raymond-Larkin-Bertuzzi line being one of the best in hockey right now.  This would be a perfect example of Thompson being slotted at least one line too high.  He's not an A list player, but he's forced to be one at the moment.  I'm sure it was the matchup Detroit wanted.

I am puzzled by ESPN+ and VPN.  I had been cruising along all season with VPN allowing me to watch all the games on ESPN+.  Last night ESPN+ figured me out and I'll be damned if I know why/how.  Last night I was blacked out even though I was using VPN.   I was even blacked out using my phone and VPN.  The gig is up on all my devices.  Anyone that knows what the deal is, and how to correct it, I'd welcome a message.

[Stoner]

1 hour ago, Taro T said:

Ab-so-#######-lute-ly.

Detroit now has 1 PP goal in their last 9 games (if Rayzor had his facts correct).  Take a chance & trust your guys to get it done if the refs screw the pooch on the replay.  

Even if you lose it, the "we're gettin' screwed here, boys!" could fire them up.

[PromoTheRobot]

2 hours ago, Taro T said:

Ab-so-#######-lute-ly.

Detroit now has 1 PP goal in their last 9 games (if Rayzor had his facts correct).  Take a chance & trust your guys to get it done if the refs screw the pooch on the replay.  

Exactly. Take a chance hoping the refs give you a break. LOL. It wasn't close to being overturned.

[Norcal]

I felt like Toker got caught cheating his angle in anticipation of Raymond driving wide.

He was slightly off angle when the shot came and it slipped in when he tried to adjust. 

 

[Taro T]

1 hour ago, PASabreFan said:

Even if you lose it, the "we're gettin' screwed here, boys!" could fire them up.

Maybe.

1 hour ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Exactly. Take a chance hoping the refs give you a break. LOL. It wasn't close to being overturned.

Will agree to disagree.  Have seen FAR less egregious goalie interference get changed from good goal to no goal.

[Doohicksie]

Just now, Taro T said:

Have seen FAR less egregious goalie interference get changed from good goal to no goal.

And I've seen far worse contact called a good goal.  With the specter of a delay-of-game penalty hanging over Donny Meatballs' head, he chose not to question the call which, in my opinion, is exactly why they added the penalty aspect.  If it's really obvious a coach has recourse.  If it could go either way, you don't want to hold up the game for a crap shoot without dinging the team that delayed things.  I think it's a good rule even though I think the second goal should have been disallowed due to goalie interference.

[Taro T]

7 minutes ago, The Ghost of Yuri said:

And I've seen far worse contact called a good goal.  With the specter of a delay-of-game penalty hanging over Donny Meatballs' head, he chose not to question the call which, in my opinion, is exactly why they added the penalty aspect.  If it's really obvious a coach has recourse.  If it could go either way, you don't want to hold up the game for a crap shoot without dinging the team that delayed things.  I think it's a good rule even though I think the second goal should have been disallowed due to goalie interference.

That was the 2nd time they scored w/ a skater in the crease in 1-1/2 minutes.  The 2nd one absolutely caused Tokarski's left leg to move & opened up the 5 hole.

Detroit nearly did it again a minute later.  Had Granato challenged that 2nd one, maybe they stop seeing just how much they can get away with.  And again, Detroit's PP is really bad right now.  Low risk, high reward.

[Doohicksie]

Right.  But how sure are you that it really would have been overturned?  I'm not.

[dudacek]

1 hour ago, Norcal said:

I felt like Toker got caught cheating his angle in anticipation of Raymond driving wide.

He was slightly off angle when the shot came and it slipped in when he tried to adjust. 

 

Modern day NHL goaltending is mostly about facing the shooter while blocking as much of the net as possible as a defender forces him to hurry his shot so he can't cleanly pick a spot.

That is why NHL teams will always pick 6'4" 240-pound behemoths like Robin Lehner over normal sized humans like Dustin Tokarski. Tokarski may be able to track and move as good or better than Lehner, but he can't physically take up enough space when talented shooters like Raymond have time to pick their spots. He has no margin for error.

That's why Devon Levi went in the 7th round and will always have doubters until he proves himself against the quick-release NHL guys who can pick their spots. Your tracking, positioning and athleticism has to out of this world to make up for lack of size.

[Taro T]

5 minutes ago, The Ghost of Yuri said:

Right.  But how sure are you that it really would have been overturned?  I'm not.

IMHO it was better than 50/50 to go the Sabres way.  And giving up a PP to a team that can't work one is quite similar in terms of creating issues for your team as a lost TO.  Low risk, high reward.

Will agree to disagree.

[Kristian]

8 hours ago, triumph_communes said:

Dude was at the top of the circle.  Outside the slot 

And Dahlin was still too far away from him.

I’m not saying he should mug the guy, but giving an advancing forward that much space, is just a poor defensive play.

[bob_sauve28]

19 minutes ago, Kristian said:

And Dahlin was still too far away from him.

I’m not saying he should mug the guy, but giving an advancing forward that much space, is just a poor defensive play.

It’s a problem with him. He got beat by people going through him now he’s giving up more space 

[PromoTheRobot]

1 hour ago, Taro T said:

Maybe.

Will agree to disagree.  Have seen FAR less egregious goalie interference get changed from good goal to no goal.

Not for the Sabres. Bad teams don't get that kind of help from the officials.

[Kristian]

21 hours ago, bob_sauve28 said:

It’s a problem with him. He got beat by people going through him now he’s giving up more space 

His defensive play, as many offensive minded blueliners before him, is lacking. To put it mildly.

I’d be willing to live with that if he was showing something on offense, but that too is lacking.

Not sure we can blame him though, I sure wouldn’t want to come through the system in this organisation.

Buffalo is where careers go to die.

[Nitro60]

Someone cursed this franchise.  Can not get a defenseman to develop   This game was sloppy on all levels