Enough About the D, This Game About the O

[MichFan]

Regardless of whether McKee is in the lineup tonight or not, this game will ultimately come down to the amount of sustained pressure the Sabre forwards are able to apply in the offensive zone and their success in capitalizing on opportunities. The Sabres need to play the way they did in the first period of Game 6 for at least the first 2 periods tonight, and need to convert pretty plays into goals similar to what they did against Ottawa. I hope Lindy is talking personally with all the forwards - Roy, Max, Danny, Drury, Pommy, JP, Mair, et al. These guys need to lay it all on the line tonight. Max in particular needs to have a career game.

 

They said Game 6 was about letting the horses out of the barn. Game 7 needs to be about the horses blasting out of the corral.

[rickshaw]

Couldn't agree more.

 

We'll know early if Miller is on his game. If so, run rough-shot over this team and try to fill the net. Get a nice lead and take care of business.

[frisky]

I agree. I don't like it when they surrender the offensive zone completely. In my opinion, if you want the D from getting tired, keeping the puck in the O zone and cycling is less tiresome than sitting in our zone and have their forwards pounding on us for long stretches of time. I kinda understand how they wouldn't want to allow any odd-man rushes and protecting our zone but if we just let them camp out in our end, eventually their gonna put it in with who they got.

[Bmwolf21]

I agree. I don't like it when they surrender the offensive zone completely. In my opinion, if you want the D from getting tired, keeping the puck in the O zone and cycling is less tiresome than sitting in our zone and have their forwards pounding on us for long stretches of time.

Absolutely - keeping four lines of forwards fresh is easier to do than keeping 4 or 5 defensemen from tiring and making a stupid mistake.

[MichFan]

The D played as well as anyone could have expected tonight. Janik was a stud, Paetsch was a positive contributor, Jilson was serviceable, Fitzy unfortunately lost the puck in a critical situation, Campbell unfortunately got a bad break on a clearing attempt. Our forwards simply disappeared tonight. Max was the same ol' Max of these playoffs, Danny was invisible, not sure JP even touched the puck tonight, nothing from Pommy, Grier and Drury started strong but were invisible at the end. Miller had no chance on three (arguably all four) of the goals. Congrats to Carolina for shutting down our strength. They won this game, our defense didn't lose it.