GAME DISCUSSION THREAD

[Knightrider]

Gametime is 7:30...

 

Can we please beat these guys for a change?

 

 

 

 

Please?

[Corp000085]

We can't turn the season around without beating the sens. Perfect timing, cause we play them tonight! I'm also looking forward to a bunch of green beer inspired posts tonight!

[Guest Sloth]

Gametime is 7:30...

 

Can we please beat these guys for a change?

Please?

 

That was the exact thought I had before I checked the game discussion thread. Ottawa has owned Buffalo for a number of seasons. The Senators will probably up their game for tonight's game. I'm sure they'd love to break the Sabres chances of making the playoffs.

I just want the Sabres to have a stronger desire to win tonight. After losing to Ottawa game after game, the players keep saying they'll get it done next time. They need to back their words tonight. The Sabres need to kick the tires and light the fires!

[scottnc]

Here's a quote from Derek Roy yesterday:

 

?Sometimes the teams not in the playoffs are the hardest teams to play,? said Derek Roy. ?They?re playing loose, skating hard and they try different things sometimes.?

 

I'm dumbfounded hearing a statement like that, especially when the teams ahead of us have been feasting on the bottom feeders of the conference, while we're hovering around .500. It just comes across as a lame excuse as to why we lose to to teams like the Thrashers, Islanders and Senators on a regular basis.

[SwampD]

That point against Atlanta is looking pretty good to me right now. Considering that they have won 6 in a row and 8 of their last ten.

 

Here's a green beer to 2 points tonight.

[ThePebble19]

In my opinion, if they win this game, we're going to the playoffs. This is the type of game that can create enough momentum to ride them into the top 8.

 

Huge game tonight. I'll be glued to the TV as usual.

[wonderbread]

Here's a quote from Derek Roy yesterday:

 

?Sometimes the teams not in the playoffs are the hardest teams to play,? said Derek Roy. ?They?re playing loose, skating hard and they try different things sometimes.?

 

 

Then we should be twice as good since we havn't been in the playoffs for almost 2 years now.

[Kristian]

Here's a quote from Derek Roy yesterday:

 

?Sometimes the teams not in the playoffs are the hardest teams to play,? said Derek Roy. ?They?re playing loose, skating hard and they try different things sometimes.?

 

I'm dumbfounded hearing a statement like that, especially when the teams ahead of us have been feasting on the bottom feeders of the conference, while we're hovering around .500. It just comes across as a lame excuse as to why we lose to to teams like the Thrashers, Islanders and Senators on a regular basis.

 

Good to hear Derek, cause seeing as the Sabres are not in the playoffs that's exactly what I'll be expecting from you tonight.

 

Stick a fork in them, we haven't even played the game yet, and they're already pulling out the excuses.

[deluca67]

Good to hear Derek, cause seeing as the Sabres are not in the playoffs that's exactly what I'll be expecting from you tonight.

 

Stick a fork in them, we haven't even played the game yet, and they're already pulling out the excuses.

That's as disturbing as the Pominville quote.

 

My expectations for this team have gone from low to none. I don't expect any more effort tonight than we have seen over the past couple of months.

[BuffalOhio]

Ooooh, Peters will play tonight. Big deal. Mair's out for a week. What about Ellis?

[SabresFan526]

Win tonight, I see good things happening. This week is the make or break week for the Sabres with 3 extremely tough games against Ottawa, Philly, and the Rangers. They must get 5 out of 6 possible points this week to get back in the playoff hunt. I fully expect a loss tonight given how they have played the Sens this year. I would love for a win, but the excuses are coming out left and right from everywhere. Luckily, I will not be able to watch much of the game tonight, so if they end up playing badly, I won't have to watch it. I'm getting so frustrated with their performances against bad teams, I almost don't even want to watch anymore.

[2ForTripping]

They've been full of excuses since the epic collapse in the ECF against the Sens. All they have is the talk certainly not the walk, this bunch is softer than Liberace at the Playboy Mansion.

[CallawaySabres]

I don't know about you guys but these games are almost becoming too tedious to watch. I don't think my frustration level can get any higher and I just don't want to be in a bad mood tonight.

 

Having said that, I will put the kids to bed tonight and start watching at around 8:15. I can't stand the moment where the tv goes on and you just hope they are not the ones down 1-0. One thing I will say is that if they are down by a couple when it clicks on, I won't bother checking for another half hour. It seems to work well that way as far as frustration level.

 

Now Come on you Sallys!! Pick it up a notch!!

[K-9]

Sorry to pee on the cornflakes this morning but we don't have a chance tonight. After the Pommer interview, the Roy quote, and the usual "we're still mad about the loss " crap, I'm convinced they are clueless.

 

We have NO answer for Ottawa's big three: they will have a 12 point night with BOTH Heatley and Spezza scoring hat tricks.

 

As usual, the opposing goalie will have his best game of the year as our "snipers" once again come up short.

 

No chance, fellas. No chance in hell.

 

Ottawa: 11

 

Sabres: 0

 

Fat lady has the Viking horns on and is doing the "do-ray-me" to warm up.

 

GO BILLS (normally I'd put SABRES in there, but they ain't going anywhere).

[deluca67]

Ooooh, Peters will play tonight. Big deal. Mair's out for a week. What about Ellis?

Peters is really playing tonight? Is Portland on the other side of the galaxy and they can't get any players to Ottawa in time? Why in the hell would the Sabres go into a game that they desperately need basically short a man? Has the organization actually given up?

[deluca67]

Sorry to pee on the cornflakes this morning but we don't have a chance tonight. After the Pommer interview, the Roy quote, and the usual "we're still mad about the loss " crap, I'm convinced they are clueless.

 

We have NO answer for Ottawa's big three: they will have a 12 point night with BOTH Heatley and Spezza scoring hat tricks.

 

As usual, the opposing goalie will have his best game of the year as our "snipers" once again come up short.

 

No chance, fellas. No chance in hell.

 

Ottawa: 11

 

Sabres: 0

 

Fat lady has the Viking horns on and is doing the "do-ray-me" to warm up.

 

GO BILLS (normally I'd put SABRES in there, but they ain't going anywhere).

I have a feeling that the white flag game is coming. If not tonight within the next couple of games. I hate the Sens but I wouldn't be surprised if this game was over after the first 20 minutes.

[sabr_fn]

all i can think is it is time to switch to my west conf. team---the bluejackets.....

[LabattBlue]

Peters is really playing tonight? Is Portland on the other side of the galaxy and they can't get any players to Ottawa in time? Why in the hell would the Sabres go into a game that they desperately need basically short a man? Has the organization actually given up?

I swear if Peters is in the lineup tonight over MacArthur, Ellis or even Paetsch, I will turn the game off and give up on Lindy.

[carpandean]

Three words: FIND A WAY!

 

 

 

As for the Roy quote, it's actually true. Look at the teams with the best last ten in the EC:

NJ (8-0-2)

Pitt (8-2-0)

Atlanta (8-2-0)

Islanders (6-2-2)

Montreal (6-3-1)

Toronto (6-3-1)

Ottawa (6-3-1)

 

A lot of these teams are playing their best hockey of the season right now and it's not just the Sabres losing to them. Atlanta crushed Washington 5-1 last night. On Saturday, Florida lost in a shootout to Tampa, Pittsburgh lost to Ottawa in a shootout and, while not in conference, Calgary lost to Toronto. This time of year, they are the harder to play because they have nothing to lose and can play fast and loose. Also, often times the problems, such as lack of chemistry, that hampered them early in the season, have finally worked themselves out. If that is all that Derek was saying, then no big deal. It doesn't mean that you automatically lose against them; just that they are harder than you would think this time of year. However, if he was saying it to give them an excuse for why they've played poorly against those team all season long, then it doesn't make sense.

[scottnc]

Three words: FIND A WAY!

As for the Roy quote, it's actually true. Look at the teams with the best last ten in the EC:

NJ (8-0-2)

Pitt (8-2-0)

Atlanta (8-2-0)

Islanders (6-2-2)

Montreal (6-3-1)

Toronto (6-3-1)

Ottawa (6-3-1)

 

A lot of these teams are playing their best hockey of the season right now and it's not just the Sabres losing to them. Atlanta crushed Washington 5-1 last night. On Saturday, Florida lost in a shootout to Tampa, Pittsburgh lost to Ottawa in a shootout and, while not in conference, Calgary lost to Toronto. This time of year, they are the harder to play because they have nothing to lose and can play fast and loose. Also, often times the problems, such as lack of chemistry, that hampered them early in the season, have finally worked themselves out. If that is all that Derek was saying, then no big deal. It doesn't mean that you automatically lose against them; just that they are harder than you would think this time of year. However, if he was saying it to give them an excuse for why they've played poorly against those team all season long, then it doesn't make sense.

 

I hope you're right about what Roy was saying, but if we miss the playoffs, I believe all we have to do is look back at the season up until this point. These are the numbers against the 11-15 teams in the conference for the playoff contenders from an article in the news the other day.

 

Linky

 

The Rangers are 14-3-3 against the bottom five, including an 11-1-1 mark against the Thrashers, Lightning and Islanders (the Sabres are just 4-4-3 against that trio).

 

Carolina is 14-6 ? including 8-0 against Tampa Bay and the Isles.

 

Philadelphia is 12-5 ? and 8-0 against Atlanta and the Islanders.

 

Florida is 13-5-2.

 

Buffalo is 8-8-4. If you're looking for the missing points at the end of the season they're right there. That is unacceptable.

[carpandean]

Ooooh, Peters will play tonight. Big deal. Mair's out for a week. What about Ellis?

Yeah, I'd rather see Ellis. I read this:

 

Andrew Peters might get a chance to get back in the lineup in Mair's place, as he skated Monday with Paul Gaustad and Patrick Kaleta.

and thought "what a waste." We'll see Peters for about four minutes and then we'll see other guys double-shifting (e.g., Moore at center or Paille on the left wing.) Put out Ellis-Gaustad-Kaleta and you'll get energy from all three for close to 10 minutes (5-on-5; plus some more in PK time for each.)

[Claude_Verret]

I hope you're right about what Roy was saying, but if we miss the playoffs, I believe all we have to do is look back at the season up until this point. These are the numbers against the 11-15 teams in the conference for the playoff contenders from an article in the news the other day.

 

Linky

 

The Rangers are 14-3-3 against the bottom five, including an 11-1-1 mark against the Thrashers, Lightning and Islanders (the Sabres are just 4-4-3 against that trio).

 

Carolina is 14-6 ? including 8-0 against Tampa Bay and the Isles.

 

Philadelphia is 12-5 ? and 8-0 against Atlanta and the Islanders.

 

Florida is 13-5-2.

 

Buffalo is 8-8-4. If you're looking for the missing points at the end of the season they're right there. That is unacceptable.

 

And there you have it. Pathetic. :sick:

[deluca67]

Three words: FIND A WAY!

As for the Roy quote, it's actually true. Look at the teams with the best last ten in the EC:

NJ (8-0-2)

Pitt (8-2-0)

Atlanta (8-2-0)

Islanders (6-2-2)

Montreal (6-3-1)

Toronto (6-3-1)

Ottawa (6-3-1)

 

A lot of these teams are playing their best hockey of the season right now and it's not just the Sabres losing to them. Atlanta crushed Washington 5-1 last night. On Saturday, Florida lost in a shootout to Tampa, Pittsburgh lost to Ottawa in a shootout and, while not in conference, Calgary lost to Toronto. This time of year, they are the harder to play because they have nothing to lose and can play fast and loose. Also, often times the problems, such as lack of chemistry, that hampered them early in the season, have finally worked themselves out. If that is all that Derek was saying, then no big deal. It doesn't mean that you automatically lose against them; just that they are harder than you would think this time of year. However, if he was saying it to give them an excuse for why they've played poorly against those team all season long, then it doesn't make sense.

Wouldn't that be why this time of year is referred to as "crunch time?" The bottom feeders play better and the contenders gear up for the playoff run. Which is why the Sabres efforts of late have been so disappointing. They do just enough not to fall in the bottom feeder category and nothing to jump up with the contenders.

[cilevel]

I hope you're right about what Roy was saying, but if we miss the playoffs, I believe all we have to do is look back at the season up until this point. These are the numbers against the 11-15 teams in the conference for the playoff contenders from an article in the news the other day.

 

Linky

 

The Rangers are 14-3-3 against the bottom five, including an 11-1-1 mark against the Thrashers, Lightning and Islanders (the Sabres are just 4-4-3 against that trio).

 

Carolina is 14-6 ? including 8-0 against Tampa Bay and the Isles.

 

Philadelphia is 12-5 ? and 8-0 against Atlanta and the Islanders.

 

Florida is 13-5-2.

 

Buffalo is 8-8-4. If you're looking for the missing points at the end of the season they're right there. That is unacceptable.

 

Yup, that is a whopping 20 points lost to those teams - a mere 25% of those points would have them sitting in a playoff spot right now. 25%! That's unacceptable.

 

EDIT: Okay, a mere 20% would have them IN the top 8 but just 1 more point (25%) puts them right in the thick of things.

[rickshaw]

Sens 5

Sabres 3