GDT/ Buffalo Sabres @ Tampa Bay Lightning Thurs. Feb 29th 7pm, ESPN+ MSG & WGR Radio

[Stoner]

9 hours ago, PASabreFan said:

BTW Sabes are winnin tonite. Take it to the HSBC house.

You should never argue with a crazy mi mi mi mind. You oughta know by now.

Edited March 1 by PASabreFan

[GASabresIUFAN]

If the Sabres showed this kind of heart all season, the season would have been a great one.  
 

 

[PerreaultForever]

1 hour ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

If the Sabres showed this kind of heart all season, the season would have been a great one.  
 

 

Really? You're serious?

[PromoTheRobot]

Just caught up with the game. Nice win. Keep racking the points up.

[GASabresIUFAN]

14 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

Really? You're serious?

Yeah.  I thought this was one of the first times all seasons I saw last year's team.  They played with a never-say-die attitude they displayed much of last season.  They came back twice against a better team on the road and won.  

[thewookie1]

22 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

Really? You're serious?

 

5 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Yeah.  I thought this was one of the first times all seasons I saw last year's team.  They played with a never-say-die attitude they displayed much of last season.  They came back twice against a better team on the road and won.  

 

Sorta with both of you simultaneously; the Sabres have looked slower and somewhat stiff these last few games yet I also definitely see that unwillingness to give up persona they showed last year. A low energy variant of it at very least.

[GASabresIUFAN]

12 minutes ago, thewookie1 said:

 

 

Sorta with both of you simultaneously; the Sabres have looked slower and somewhat stiff these last few games yet I also definitely see that unwillingness to give up persona they showed last year. A low energy variant of it at very least.

I guess, I saw this as a low-event game where the Sabres played pretty solid team defense. They had 10 takeaways and played TB even physically.  I haven't seen the puck possession stats by zone in minutes, but in the 3rd the Sabres seemed to control more of the play.  It was a very solid road win.  

[PerreaultForever]

1 hour ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Yeah.  I thought this was one of the first times all seasons I saw last year's team.  They played with a never-say-die attitude they displayed much of last season.  They came back twice against a better team on the road and won.  

 

1 hour ago, thewookie1 said:

 

 

Sorta with both of you simultaneously; the Sabres have looked slower and somewhat stiff these last few games yet I also definitely see that unwillingness to give up persona they showed last year. A low energy variant of it at very least.

Tampa has been garbage lately. major slump and they looked it tonight as well imo. Philly beat them 6-2 the game before. They are not playing well at all. 

That's what I saw, very low energy and a very low event game. In a word it was BORING. 

I'm glad they won, but I didn't see much of anything to get excited about from either team. Clifton threw one grade A hit but that's all I can think of for big plays. Tage's goal was fine, and sometimes he hits those just right, but it was just another one of those many many low danger shots from the same area and most times they get stopped or go off target. I mean they won, but it was not a good game and I definitely don't see this "heart" that was referenced. 

[North Buffalo]

6 hours ago, sabresouth said:

After being one of UPL's strongest critics, he has definitely turned the corner and playing well in the crease. Now that he is making the saves, he needs to now work on his play behind the net. He gives the puck right to the opposing team an awful lot.

Greenway is not a top line player IMHO. I don't get the logic of him being there. The Thompson line becomes less of a threat when he is on it. He doesn't have the play making prowess to match up with Thompson and Tuch. He's a third/fourth liner who can fill in on the second line.

Unlike Skinner he can retrieve pucks and be physical... also it was a wake up call to Skinner's figure skating lately... ps Skinner played a lot better this game along the boards so maybe it works... I like the switch

[Night Train]

Happy with the win .

Tampa did miss a ton of chances. 

[Believer]

Homeward Bound…

Three game curse erased and new streak started… Two wins against division rivals including a Shootout and last nights OT beauty… 

A two game homestand awaits…

Expecting entertaining hockey and a great fan response…

As @bunomatic posted after the Carolina win…

”That’s how you stop the booing.”

Edited March 1 by Believer

[OverPowerYou]

For the 18th time this year I guess we are Sabres fans again….

[bob_sauve28]

Nice win! 

[Stoner]

18 minutes ago, Believer said:

Homeward Bound…

Three game curse erased and new streak started… Two wins in a row against division rivals including a Shootout and last nights OT beauty… 

A two game homestand awaits…

Expecting entertaining hockey and a great fan response…

As @bunomatic posted after the Carolina win…

”That’s how you stop the booing.”

They lost to the Panthers.

[Rasmus_]

I still don't understand where this type of result was earlier in the year. 

[CallawaySabres]

Dunleavy is getting worse and worse. Was that the most boring OT winner call in the history of this organization?

They have to get someone new for next year, absolutely have to do that. I would rather listen to the espn plus guys by a mile. 

[WhenWillItEnd66]

I am not sure if i was watching a different game then some...... We were lucky to get to where our result was. Tampa missed a couple of wide open nets and it should not have been a close game in the 3rd. Some Thought and Observations....

 

- 6k is the man!!! He cannot save this season, but if he continues this kind of play next year, he will definitely save next!

- OT PP was finally doing something!!!! That designed play was perfect! Our 5v5 PP is old and tired. Feed Dahlin, or feed Thompson. Easy and predictable. PP needs to be Tage, Mitts, Dahlin, Greenway and Cozens. PP2 should be Skinner, Krebs, Tuch, Power and JJ. 4th line players should never be on the PP!!!!!

- I know both teams were limiting offense, but TB had 3 times the amount of grade A chances. Because of Buffalo's lack of physicality and willingness to lay the body, they were skating all over us in our own end. That is unacceptable that as a whole, this hockey team is easy to play against. 

- Too many stupid passes and perimeter play!!! At least one player on every line needs to go straight to the front of the net!!!! How many years of this is it going to take to sink in?? Fans say it, tv announcers say it....WAKE THE HELL UP!!!! We need REAL net front presence!

 

It seems weird to be so negative on a win, but this team is built so wrong and only get so many lucky wins. 2 physical players will change this team so damn much. I defensive physical dman and a power forward that will hit and drive the net. Just 2 players would have put this team in the playoffs. Who knows that kind of play could be contagious to the players that do not play like that and are called out by their own players after every loss!!! 

[CallawaySabres]

4 minutes ago, WhenWillItEnd66 said:

I am not sure if i was watching a different game then some...... We were lucky to get to where our result was. Tampa missed a couple of wide open nets and it should not have been a close game in the 3rd. Some Thought and Observations....

 

- 6k is the man!!! He cannot save this season, but if he continues this kind of play next year, he will definitely save next!

- OT PP was finally doing something!!!! That designed play was perfect! Our 5v5 PP is old and tired. Feed Dahlin, or feed Thompson. Easy and predictable. PP needs to be Tage, Mitts, Dahlin, Greenway and Cozens. PP2 should be Skinner, Krebs, Tuch, Power and JJ. 4th line players should never be on the PP!!!!!

- I know both teams were limiting offense, but TB had 3 times the amount of grade A chances. Because of Buffalo's lack of physicality and willingness to lay the body, they were skating all over us in our own end. That is unacceptable that as a whole, this hockey team is easy to play against. 

- Too many stupid passes and perimeter play!!! At least one player on every line needs to go straight to the front of the net!!!! How many years of this is it going to take to sink in?? Fans say it, tv announcers say it....WAKE THE HELL UP!!!! We need REAL net front presence!

 

It seems weird to be so negative on a win, but this team is built so wrong and only get so many lucky wins. 2 physical players will change this team so damn much. I defensive physical dman and a power forward that will hit and drive the net. Just 2 players would have put this team in the playoffs. Who knows that kind of play could be contagious to the players that do not play like that and are called out by their own players after every loss!!! 

Can’t disagree with a lot of this. 

[bob_sauve28]

27 minutes ago, CallawaySabres said:

Dunleavy is getting worse and worse. Was that the most boring OT winner call in the history of this organization?

They have to get someone new for next year, absolutely have to do that. I would rather listen to the espn plus guys by a mile. 

Ya, he is not good at all. Nice guy, just not great at his job 

[Archie Lee]

12 minutes ago, WhenWillItEnd66 said:

I am not sure if i was watching a different game then some...... We were lucky to get to where our result was. Tampa missed a couple of wide open nets and it should not have been a close game in the 3rd. Some Thought and Observations....

 

- 6k is the man!!! He cannot save this season, but if he continues this kind of play next year, he will definitely save next!

- OT PP was finally doing something!!!! That designed play was perfect! Our 5v5 PP is old and tired. Feed Dahlin, or feed Thompson. Easy and predictable. PP needs to be Tage, Mitts, Dahlin, Greenway and Cozens. PP2 should be Skinner, Krebs, Tuch, Power and JJ. 4th line players should never be on the PP!!!!!

- I know both teams were limiting offense, but TB had 3 times the amount of grade A chances. Because of Buffalo's lack of physicality and willingness to lay the body, they were skating all over us in our own end. That is unacceptable that as a whole, this hockey team is easy to play against. 

- Too many stupid passes and perimeter play!!! At least one player on every line needs to go straight to the front of the net!!!! How many years of this is it going to take to sink in?? Fans say it, tv announcers say it....WAKE THE HELL UP!!!! We need REAL net front presence!

 

It seems weird to be so negative on a win, but this team is built so wrong and only get so many lucky wins. 2 physical players will change this team so damn much. I defensive physical dman and a power forward that will hit and drive the net. Just 2 players would have put this team in the playoffs. Who knows that kind of play could be contagious to the players that do not play like that and are called out by their own players after every loss!!! 

Moneypuck has us winning the game over 60% of the time. They have Tampa at less than 2 expected goals in the game. 

I thought we played a pretty solid road game. There is not a lot of “sand paper” in our game, but I don’t expect that to change mid season. 

[JohnC]

6 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Yeah.  I thought this was one of the first times all seasons I saw last year's team.  They played with a never-say-die attitude they displayed much of last season.  They came back twice against a better team on the road and won.  

I agree with your comments about the Sabre playing with desperation and heart throughout the game. On the other hand, I have a different analysis as to why this team is playing better at this juncture of the season. The primary reason is that with UPL in between the pipes, the level of goaltending has risen to a high level. His play for a sustained period of time is one of the best in the league. There is no question that our blueline unit and team defense in general is better. But the main reason for this turnaround can be attributed to how UPL has played in net. Candidly, I am stunned by how much he has risen as a goalie. Go back I watch how UPL played in the shootout in the Carolina game and compare it to how he played in shootouts last year, when he would flop like a frantic fish facing a shooter. The metamorphosis is stunning! 

[WhenWillItEnd66]

19 minutes ago, Archie Lee said:

Moneypuck has us winning the game over 60% of the time. They have Tampa at less than 2 expected goals in the game. 

I thought we played a pretty solid road game. There is not a lot of “sand paper” in our game, but I don’t expect that to change mid season. 

Ok, i am calling BS on this..... we had 14 shots total 5 mins into the 3rd...... and we were down a goal. We had a grand total of 2 High danger chances the whole game. Either there was a huge error or Moneypuck had no idea what they hell they were doing. 

 

And there is a lot KA could of done as we have a trove of young talent that other teams would want for some skilled grit and sandpaper. There is zero way there is room on the Sabres for all these kids. KA is going to pull a Olofsson and let the pieces rot while not getting anything for them.

Edited March 1 by WhenWillItEnd66

[SwampD]

5 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

 

Tampa has been garbage lately. major slump and they looked it tonight as well imo. Philly beat them 6-2 the game before. They are not playing well at all. 

That's what I saw, very low energy and a very low event game. In a word it was BORING. 

I'm glad they won, but I didn't see much of anything to get excited about from either team. Clifton threw one grade A hit but that's all I can think of for big plays. Tage's goal was fine, and sometimes he hits those just right, but it was just another one of those many many low danger shots from the same area and most times they get stopped or go off target. I mean they won, but it was not a good game and I definitely don't see this "heart" that was referenced. 

Greenway crushed Hagel with a big hit in the last minute, as well.

I do agree that it looked like a pretty sloppy game between two okay teams. Although, it did have a playoff vibe last night, which I liked.

Thomson’s goal was great, but it pissed me off at the same time. He plays his own game and refuses to use his linemates at all. It’s no wonder that people think Skinner floats. Why should he try if he knows he’s never getting a pass.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

You know what, I'll say it, the Sabres are playing good hockey the last 10 games or so.

They played a playoff type game against the Panthers and deserved a better fate.  They came back to tie and then win against the Lightening.

They could easily be on a 5 gamer right now.

It's not likely to be enough, but I will continue to hope for the playoff until there is no hope left.

6K is legit.  The guys trust him back there.  They are playing well in front of him.  That is the biggest difference.

Edited March 1 by Sabres Fan in NS

[Believer]

1 hour ago, PASabreFan said:

They lost to the Panthers.

Thanks… Got up too early… Corrected it.