Can we keep winning series...

[PromoTheRobot]

We're all thrilled the Sabres are moving on, but can we keep winning letting teams bring the play to us? I was pretty worried in this game. The Sabres looked tired and out-of-sync. They weren't hitting. The Sens totally out-played us EXCEPT the Sabres D was smothering. We are probably playing Carolina, and they are every bit as potent as Ottawa. Can we start playing some offense again? Or are we going to lay back, get outshot, and wait for a turnover?

 

PTR

[Kristian]

Well, I don't think The Sabres are going to play either NJ or CAR the way they played The Sens.

 

I think Ruff pretty much had owned up to the fact that The Sabres couldn't play a wide open style against Ottawa, since that's what basically got us killed in the regular season. So apart from game 1, what we saw was some Hasek-era style of playing sound defense, and capitalising on The Sens mistakes.

 

I don't see The Sabres doing this in the next round, as they'll be able to skate better with either NJ or CAR.

 

Also, there's the officiating to worry about - Apparently we're right back in the old NHL once again.

[jad1]

We're all thrilled the Sabres are moving on, but can we keep winning letting teams bring the play to us? I was pretty worried in this game. The Sabres looked tired and out-of-sync. They weren't hitting. The Sens totally out-played us EXCEPT the Sabres D was smothering. We are probably playing Carolina, and they are every bit as potent as Ottawa. Can we start playing some offense again? Or are we going to lay back, get outshot, and wait for a turnover?

 

PTR

 

Not sure. Can the Sabres cycle the Hurricanes or Devils (probably the 'Canes). With Ottawa's speed and size, there was no way they were going to win the physical matchups on a consistent basis, so they focused on positional play.

 

No doubt this Ottawa series was exhausting, for a five game series, it felt like it went seven. You have to give Ruff and team all the credit in the world for taking Ottawa's best punches, and then having the ability to counter so effectively.

[BetweenThePipes00]

Well first of all, whatever works ...

But I think we would take the play at Carolina or NJ a little more ... they're more explosive than Philly but not as explosive as Ottawa ... Not to mention, you have to give the Sens SOME credit for how they played against us ... if you get the puck deep and don't turn it over in the neutral zone, it takes some of our offense away, and that's what they did after Game 1 ...

What I like is that the Sabres are proving they can win EITHER way ... however you want to play, they can be effective ...

[nfreeman]

A very fair question, but I think one of the biggest reasons we had to play rope-a-dope against Ottawa was the strength of their defense. We were simply not able to get any consistent forecheck or power play going -- and it wasn't from lack of trying. Their D was so fast, so good in the corners, and executed so well in clearing the puck that it forced us to get most of our offense in the transition game.

 

(This btw is not how we operated throughout the season -- and it's yet another demonstration of how good a coach Lindy is that we were able to win with a different style of play).

 

I don't know much about Carolina's D, but I'm pretty sure it's not as good as Ottawa's. They are a really good team, and they beat us 3 out of 4 in the regular season. The outcome of this series is far from certain. However, I don't think we're going with the rope-a-dope. I think our offense will re-establish itself and we'll play as much in their end as we do in ours.

 

And just for the record: THAT WAS AN INCREDIBLE VICTORY!!!!

 

Go Sabres.

[wjag]

A very fair question, but I think one of the biggest reasons we had to play rope-a-dope against Ottawa was the strength of their defense. We were simply not able to get any consistent forecheck or power play going -- and it wasn't from lack of trying. Their D was so fast, so good in the corners, and executed so well in clearing the puck that it forced us to get most of our offense in the transition game.

 

(This btw is not how we operated throughout the season -- and it's yet another demonstration of how good a coach Lindy is that we were able to win with a different style of play).

 

I don't know much about Carolina's D, but I'm pretty sure it's not as good as Ottawa's. They are a really good team, and they beat us 3 out of 4 in the regular season. The outcome of this series is far from certain. However, I don't think we're going with the rope-a-dope. I think our offense will re-establish itself and we'll play as much in their end as we do in ours.

 

And just for the record: THAT WAS AN INCREDIBLE VICTORY!!!!

 

Go Sabres.

Agreed. But when the game mattered, Buffalo went there at the end of the season and shut them out. That denied them the top seed in east as I recall..

[matter2003]

I agree to a point, but I thought Chara was absolutely horrible on the dump ins into the corner...they pointed out numerous times tonite alone where Chara would softly and blindly backhand the puck up the boards to noone(usually a Sabres player actually) after he stopped and looked at a Sabres player about to hit him like he was scared to death and they were like "That's a horrible play for a bad NHL defenseman but for a Norris Trophy candidate like Chara it's inexcusable"

[Taro T]

I agree to a point, but I thought Chara was absolutely horrible on the dump ins into the corner...they pointed out numerous times tonite alone where Chara would softly and blindly backhand the puck up the boards to noone(usually a Sabres player actually) after he stopped and looked at a Sabres player about to hit him like he was scared to death and they were like "That's a horrible play for a bad NHL defenseman but for a Norris Trophy candidate like Chara it's inexcusable"

The Sabres cost Chara a few million $'s this series. He was touted as a Norris finalist (well, not quite), but when the chips were down, he only outplayed Volchenkov on the D. I definitely see Ottawa letting him leave this off-season.