GDT: Sabres @ Devils - April 11, 2023, 7pm, MSG 📺 WGR 📻

[Pimlach]

3 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

I know he's hurt and probably wouldn't be playing if the games didn't matter but if Tage hadn't been dogshit the last 4 weeks we'd probably have made it in. 

 

Was Tage going to play goalie or defense in those games ??? 

[Sidc3000]

I wonder where the Sabres would be if Granato actually had them focus on a full 200 foot game instead of offense 100% of the time. Many players wouldn’t have had career years.  IF they focus on defense next season many fans will be greatly disappointed when you don’t have multiple players with sky high goal and point totals. 

[lowsabre]

Just now, Crusader1969 said:

Crazy night.  The puck just wouldn’t go in the net 

Hope you all enjoyed watching them battle to get into the playoffs. Won’t experience this again next year 

next season, they will making the playoffs easily and the only thing that we will have to think about by game 80 is - who we are playing in round 1

I can't imagine what'll happen if we don't make it next season somehow

This season has given everyone a lot of hope
and hope is a dangerous thing

[Scottysabres]

Just now, lowsabre said:

eliminated

While it is disappointing, the future looks better now than it has in some years. I am optimistic they will make it next year. These players are oh so young, their bodies are still filling out frame wise. The future is brighter now.

Go Sabres!!!!!!!!!!

[lowsabre]

Just now, Scottysabres said:

While it is disappointing, the future looks better now than it has in some years. I am optimistic they will make it next year. These players are oh so young, their bodies are still filling out frame wise. The future is brighter now.

Go Sabres!!!!!!!!!!

Go Sabres indeed!

[Sidc3000]

Just now, lowsabre said:

I can't imagine what'll happen if we don't make it next season somehow

This season has given everyone a lot of hope
and hope is a dangerous thing

So very true

[Eleven]

Just now, Pimlach said:

You happy with 2 ENGs ?  

Happy?  No.  I'd be happier if Granato understood how and when to pull a goalie and with 3 ENGs.  ENGs in a game like this do not matter.  You and I are a little older than some of the posters here, so do you remember when all the statistical literature came out about when NOT to punt in the NFL?  And how coaches ignored it for 15 years?  And how now, the well-coached teams follow those protocols?  Similar statistical analyses are now available for pulling a goalie in the NHL, and those analytics say "early and often."  The only coach whom I have noticed actually following those recommendations was on the winning bench tonight.

 

Granato is a ***** *****.

[CallawaySabres]

2 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

I have grown to love Ray and Dan and they deserve to call this team on a playoff run as much as we deserve to watch one 

He defends this team to no end in certain games when they have absolutely no right to be praised.

[Pimlach]

4 minutes ago, CallawaySabres said:

I pray that Pittsburgh and Islanders both win, because that would really suck if the hardest part of what needed to happen actually happened.

[Eleven]

2 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Was Tage going to play goalie or defense in those games ??? 

He was going to score at will like usual.  The loss of him definitely hurt.

[Carmel Corn]

Just now, Sidc3000 said:

I wonder where the Sabres would be if Granato actually had them focus on a full 200 foot game instead of offense 100% of the time. Many players wouldn’t have had career years.  IF they focus on defense next season many fans will be greatly disappointed when you don’t have multiple players with sky high goal and point totals. 

IDK - I feel the D Corps and Goaltending have been our Achilles heel....that and special teams.  But I'd like to contend that our coaching could do much better having certain D-men like Joki focus on Defense first.  If he and others focused on d-zone coverage and neutralizing high danger threats, we would have won more games. 

[Slack_in_MA]

1 minute ago, lowsabre said:

This season has given everyone a lot of hope
and hope is a dangerous thing

Yeah, but Andy Dufresne broke outta that f'ing jail and Red met him in Zihuatanejo!

[lowsabre]

Just now, Slack_in_MA said:

Yeah, but Andy Dufresne broke outta that f'ing jail and Red met him in Zihuatanejo!

I loved that movie

[DarthEbriate]

1 minute ago, Slack_in_MA said:

Yeah, but Andy Dufresne broke outta that f'ing jail and Red met him in Zihuatanejo!

And that first, second, planet-sized one, and more Death Stars all blew up.

[Eleven]

1 minute ago, Slack_in_MA said:

Zihuatanejo

He plays for the Rangers now.

[Randall Flagg]

6 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Was Tage going to play goalie or defense in those games ??? 

The margin is just so slim that if we had replaced 20 games of injured Tage with 20 games of Hart Tage, it's hard to imagine not getting a couple more wins. To be clear, I'm not blaming Tage for being dogshit, he gutted through admirably. 

Edited April 12, 2023 by Randall Flagg

[Buffalonill]

1 hour ago, Spoonman said:

Does it make you feel better being negative. 

They have 20 min. Root on them!

I guess I am a glass half full guy...... you see my posts.

 

 

[Pimlach]

1 minute ago, Eleven said:

Happy?  No.  I'd be happier if Granato understood how and when to pull a goalie and with 3 ENGs.  ENGs in a game like this do not matter.  You and I are a little older than some of the posters here, so do you remember when all the statistical literature came out about when NOT to punt in the NFL?  And how coaches ignored it for 15 years?  And how now, the well-coached teams follow those protocols?  Similar statistical analyses are now available for pulling a goalie in the NHL, and those analytics say "early and often."  The only coach whom I have noticed actually following those recommendations was on the winning bench tonight.

 

Granato is a ***** *****.

I don’t think pulling the goalie was the problem.  We missed our opportunities tonight and they didn’t.  
 

The back to back was asking for  much.  

[LTS]

There's plenty of time to debate ifs and buts.

For tonight I am going to just be happy that this time was not eliminated until game 80 of the season.

There's only one direction now.. the future.  I'll be looking forward to it.

[Crusader1969]

5 minutes ago, Sidc3000 said:

I wonder where the Sabres would be if Granato actually had them focus on a full 200 foot game instead of offense 100% of the time. Many players wouldn’t have had career years.  IF they focus on defense next season many fans will be greatly disappointed when you don’t have multiple players with sky high goal and point totals. 

It’s a process.  Maybe they would have been better off in the short run by a little but the long term is much more important to learn to score and play without fear 
they aren’t looking to be just good -they want to be great 

[...]

NJ is a tough team and had several motivations behind this game. Buffalo second of a back-to-back also with a lot to play for. 

A pity.

Anyway, was watching the NJ feed - if I hear the name "Hughes" again for several days I'm going to lose it.

[Eleven]

Just now, Pimlach said:

I don’t think pulling the goalie was the problem.  We missed our opportunities tonight and they didn’t.  
 

The back to back was asking for  much.  

I think this game would have been out of hand early in the second with UPL or Comrie.

I agree with the missed opportunities part.

I do not agree w/ Granato's lineup nor do I agree w/ his late-game decision making (as usual).  

[Pimlach]

3 minutes ago, Eleven said:

He was going to score at will like usual.  The loss of him definitely hurt.

The loss of him hurt, as did Tuch and Dahlin and Samuelsson.  Why the poster singled out Tage is ridiculous and unfair.  He didn’t play like dog$hit either.  He played hurt.  
 

The goaltending and the defensive system are the reason we fell short. Not Tage and his injuries.  

[lowsabre]

33-18-4 | Samuelsson

7-15-3 | no Samuelsson

 

what a crazy stat

Edited April 12, 2023 by lowsabre

[Taro T]

2 minutes ago, LTS said:

There's plenty of time to debate ifs and buts.

For tonight I am going to just be happy that this time was not eliminated until game 80 of the season.

There's only one direction now.. the future.  I'll be looking forward to it.

And there's actually a very good chance that had they gotten to play C-Bus back when they were supposed to have done so, they'd've actually made it to game 81 before getting eliminated.

Baby step.  

Now, win the next 2 games and get back into the 90's that is the minimum necessary to get into the conversation for the playoffs.  It's been too long since they've even been there.