Went to the game last night...

[LabattBlue]

-The crowd was jacked both at the "party at the plaza", before the game inside the arena and appeared to be pretty enthusiastic until Carolina made the score 3-0.

 

-The forwards as a group were disappointing. Drury and Briere as leaders of the team were pretty much non-existant.

 

-I know that you can't win when the scoreboard reads zero goals for your team, but I was hoping this was one of the games where Miller put the team on his back. Screened or not screened, Miller was to find a way to make the big save early in the game.

 

-No shots on goal during the last 13+ minutes of the game in front of your home crowd. This was a practical joke, right?

 

-My suggestion near the end of the regular season that Max needs to be locked up to a BIG long term contract makes me look like an idiot. I didn't expect him to be the underachiever of this years playoffs.

 

-Unlike the Buffalo News this morning who gave Gerber a thorough ball-washing, I don't think he had a difficult save outside of a couple by Dumont and one by Drury during the first period.

 

-FU to anyone who left the game at the beginning of the 3rd period. I wouldn't leave a 3-0 game in the regular season let alone the conference finals.

 

-Time to make some lineup changes. I would put Vanek and/or Mair into the lineup.

 

-WTF was up with the crew who replaces the glass. You acted like you had never done it before.

 

All that being said, it is a 2-2 series and if the Sabres can stay out of the box and not let Carolina jump out to a lead, it should be a fight to the finish.

[GGM]

I haven't seen it mentioned, but I thought Hecht was the worst forward on the ice last night...Followed closely by Max. J.P. and Briere both made some bad plays too, but Hecht was just killing that line last night.

[DR HOLLIDAY]

I haven't seen it mentioned, but I thought Hecht was the worst forward on the ice last night...Followed closely by Max. J.P. and Briere both made some bad plays too, but Hecht was just killing that line last night.

 

Making stupid passes and the wrong choices seemed to be the order of the day............. <_<

[GGM]

Making stupid passes and the wrong choices seemed to be the order of the day............. <_<

Don't forget mishandling of the puck, whiffs, shots right into Gerber's womb from point blank range, and not even injuring any Hurricane's in the process! ;)

[LabattBlue]

One other note on the game as what I thought was the turning point...Sabres have back to back PP's at the end of the first period, come up empty(and I mean empty) and then give up the 3rd goal to Carolina 2 minutes into the second period.

[nfreeman]

One other note on the game as what I thought was the turning point...Sabres have back to back PP's at the end of the first period, come up empty(and I mean empty) and then give up the 3rd goal to Carolina 2 minutes into the second period.

 

 

I completely agree that this was the killer. We were playing well and full of fire, notwithstanding the 2-goal deficit, and that impotent power play, followed by that 3rd goal, just burst the balloon.

 

I hate to say it, but I think this is how the Ottawa fans must have felt. We play well, play hard, put shots on goal, then make one bad pass -- and bang! Carolina roars away on a 3-on-2 and gets a goal. We're getting killed on the counterpunch and the power play.

 

I think our answer is simply to forecheck with desperation, convert on our opportunities (of which we had quite a few), and get good goaltending. We can beat them.

 

Go Sabres.