GDT/ Buffalo Sabres @ Vancouver Canucks Tuesday 10pm 3/19, ESPN+ MSG & WGR Radio

[PromoTheRobot]

They died well. I wasn't expecting a win playing two in a row.  They only have 2 more Ls to give in the last 12 games.

[Doohicksie]

So, can anyone dispute that the coach in the walrus commercial is Darcy Regier?

 

[JohninMinn.]

7 minutes ago, Carmel Corn said:

Deflections.....that is why you SHOOT....you never know 

Puck luck is very underrated.

Edited March 20 by JohninMinn.

[Doohicksie]

Just now, JohninMinn. said:

Puck luck is very underrated.

Yeah but how would the Sabres know that?

[thewookie1]

10 minutes ago, DarthEbriate said:

TNT walks in...  and not even a shot on goal.

I had mixed feelings on that play particularly; Thompson was tight to the net and DeSmith was way over to Thompson's side. At that point he either had to pass it in hopes of a deflection/tip or try a wrap around and with his wrist issues I'd guess he doesn't trust his ability to role his wrists over.

Dahlin did everything he could to tie that game and definitely deserves kudos. (The ENG I'm guessing since he's dead to rights against their best player that he was hoping to surprise his countryman with a diving poke check but it failed)

I'm both angry and less annoyed thanks to the last 10 minutes. I both want to give credit for the desperate push they made in the 3rd on the back end of a back to back but also feel angered they lost and didn't exactly play great for about 50min.

As the Ben said on Twitter, if this were earlier in the season this would be a game to chuck into the bad pile and move on but we don't exactly have much wiggle room at this point.

 

[Doohicksie]

[CTJoe]

Would have been nice if they showed up before the third and any forward showed up at all.  Problem with this team is (a) coaching and (b) they have guys in their lineup that our borderline useless and no threat at all offensively: Krebs, Jost, Robinson, Bryson, Clifford, Oloffson.  That's 6 guys that shouldn't even be in the NHL must rather playing meaningful minutes and that's on Adams.  Most of our forwards (Skinner, Peterka, Oloffson), are soft - hit them and they disappear.  Skinner was MIA today. Not sure the power play got a SOG 

[thewookie1]

7 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Dahlin by far our best skater today, Tuch his usual self.

One thing: we certainly don’t quit. We didn’t play a good game but at least they kept coming 

Did Cozens play the entire last 35 minutes? 

Yes, had a couple nice effort plays and a couple turnovers. A rather mixed bag and likely right up the alley of high effort low effectiveness tonight.

[GASabresIUFAN]

Margin for error is now officially gone.  They basically have to win out to have a chance at making the playoffs.  

[Thorner]

1 minute ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Margin for error is now officially gone.  They basically have to win out to have a chance at making the playoffs.  

Not really. Cutoff will probably be like 90, not 95

Probably need to keep it to 2 more regulation losses tho

Edited March 20 by Thorny

[DarthEbriate]

There were too many teams to jump over in the standings in January and there are still too many teams to jump over in the standings.

But rest assured, we know who our goalies are next season!

Now, maybe overhaul the bottom 6 to have be able to force the issue, throw the occasional body check, and find someone willing to go to the net. And maybe even some sort of mid-twenties late-blooming mid-round pick who is simply willing to go to the net to play on TNT's wing. The Zach Hyman approach.

1 minute ago, CTJoe said:

Would have been nice if they showed up before the third and any forward showed up at all.  Problem with this team is (a) coaching and (b) they have guys in their lineup that our borderline useless and no threat at all offensively: Krebs, Jost, Robinson, Bryson, Clifford, Oloffson.  That's 6 guys that shouldn't even be in the NHL must rather playing meaningful minutes and that's on Adams.  Most of our forwards (Skinner, Peterka, Oloffson), are soft - hit them and they disappear.  Skinner was MIA today. Not sure the power play got a SOG 

You can have a Skinner, or a Peterka (and I like him, but he's so inconsistent and soft still, maybe someday), or Olofsson, or Jost (who was at least a little feisty today). But you can't have all of them.

[GASabresIUFAN]

2 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Not really. Cutoff will probably be like 90, not 95

Not sure where you came up with that number, but Washington is the bottom wild card right now (by points %) and they are on pace for 92 points.  We need 93 points and with 71 currently and 24 games to go, our max points is 95 if we win at 12 games.  Lose one more and max goes down to 93.

[Gatorman0519]

Why is playoffs still being discussed? 🫠

[triumph_communes]

Coaching is the problem. Being back Lindy break the curse 

[sabremike]

23 minutes ago, thewookie1 said:

I had mixed feelings on that play particularly; Thompson was tight to the net and DeSmith was way over to Thompson's side. At that point he either had to pass it in hopes of a deflection/tip or try a wrap around and with his wrist issues I'd guess he doesn't trust his ability to role his wrists over.

Dahlin did everything he could to tie that game and definitely deserves kudos. (The ENG I'm guessing since he's dead to rights against their best player that he was hoping to surprise his countryman with a diving poke check but it failed)

I'm both angry and less annoyed thanks to the last 10 minutes. I both want to give credit for the desperate push they made in the 3rd on the back end of a back to back but also feel angered they lost and didn't exactly play great for about 50min.

As the Ben said on Twitter, if this were earlier in the season this would be a game to chuck into the bad pile and move on but we don't exactly have much wiggle room at this point.

 

Why has nobody to my knowledge asked Donny why the team was so completely unprepared coming into the season? 

[Thorner]

20 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Not sure where you came up with that number, but Washington is the bottom wild card right now (by points %) and they are on pace for 92 points.  We need 93 points and with 71 currently and 24 games to go, our max points is 95 if we win at 12 games.  Lose one more and max goes down to 93.

Well we’d only need 92 as we likely have the tie breaker. I don’t see Washington finishing with 92 though, cause of their schedule. Very reasonably could be 90

Also even by your math 93 allows us another loss, and you said win out

more likely 91 gets the job done, so two more regulation losses and we conceivably have a reasonable shot 

Edited March 20 by Thorny

[North Buffalo]

Nucks play Sabres like it is a road game, solid D take advantage of counter punch chances and momentum but always back on D.. they dont give Sabres speed any room... and play hard down low in their own end... Sabres movement and passing isnt good enough to overcome it despite their speed... 

[Thorner]

17 minutes ago, Gatorman0519 said:

Why is playoffs still being discussed? 🫠

Fun to fantasize about even if it never comes to pass 

Hope for the best, detail the worst 

[PerreaultForever]

I was thinking a lot about Vancouver tonight. They are not more talented. Matter of fact they probably have less talent than we do. But up there they sit, and it's all on the coaching. They battle harder, they have stronger position play, they play better team D and most of all they battle really hard in front of the net. This all comes from the coaching and their team system. There is absolutely no reason we could not be just as good if we had a good coach.

But we do not. 

 

[gomper]

41 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

So, can anyone dispute that the coach in the walrus commercial is Darcy Regier?

 

Looks like Gerald Ford. 

[Thorner]

8 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

I was thinking a lot about Vancouver tonight. They are not more talented. Matter of fact they probably have less talent than we do. But up there they sit, and it's all on the coaching. They battle harder, they have stronger position play, they play better team D and most of all they battle really hard in front of the net. This all comes from the coaching and their team system. There is absolutely no reason we could not be just as good if we had a good coach.

But we do not. 

 

They are more talented 

[PerreaultForever]

2 minutes ago, Thorny said:

They are more talented 

Looking over that roster player for player I don't think so. 

[rickshaw]

Tough loss. My seats were 10 rows up in Canucks end. Tage almost had it and the puck was just not able to be tapped in. Dahlin goal was beauty and his slapper just about tied it at 2.

Really poor decision to try wrap around by 12.

Schedule makers didn’t help. Sabre didn’t quit. Canucks need to finish teams off or they are done round one. Levi was excellent.

Was cool to see a 100%!different team than last time I saw them in 2012. Only Tyler Myers was a skater back then.

[Thorner]

6 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

Looking over that roster player for player I don't think so. 

Miller and EP blow anything we have at forward out of the water and Hughes is better than Dahlin and I’m the biggest Dahlin guy there is 

[SabresBillsFan]

55 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

I was thinking a lot about Vancouver tonight. They are not more talented. Matter of fact they probably have less talent than we do. But up there they sit, and it's all on the coaching. They battle harder, they have stronger position play, they play better team D and most of all they battle really hard in front of the net. This all comes from the coaching and their team system. There is absolutely no reason we could not be just as good if we had a good coach.

But we do not. 

 

^ This, when they were in Vegas like a week or two ago they were all over the puck, it was pretty impressive.