GAME DISCUSSION THREAD

[PASabreFan]

Another poor night for the Sabres, and Gaustad, on faceoffs. A bad trend here.

 

Sabres wasted a very good performance by Miller. What a shame. On the other hand, Miller has to stop that flipper by Ovechkin.

 

MacArthur was terrible. Bring Ennis up to Philly again. Rivet is just a joke right now.

 

Maybe time to raise money for a billboard! Hey, firelindy.com is available!

[R_Dudley]

Or shoot at all, for that matter. Part of the problem with all 6 of our top forwards is they all want to pass the puck to someone else. I can't remember how many times tonight we just sent an errant pass in front of the crease with no man there instead of trying to get it to another player on the perimeter for a shot. Not one of those top 6 forwards crash the net with any regularity, which is unbelievable since that is where Vanek makes his money, in front of the net.

 

Yeah that's exactly what I'm seeing as well. It's making me wonder a couple of things;

Is this a result of the system ?

Does Lindy's new approach "players are accountable" leave them on their own in practice ?

Are we actually practicing passing or shooting on net and driving it?

[PASabreFan]

I missed most of the first. This is a pretty good game. And PA, the crowd is every bit as quiet/loud as HSBC.

 

"Ref you suck!" Deafening. A few hundred Sabre fans make a chirping sound after a call like that.

 

They chanted Varlamov's name. I've NEVER heard that for Miller in Buffalo.

 

The crowd stood as one after the Cap goals, and never sat down until after the proceeding faceoff.

 

Rick said the crowd was "raucous."

 

Yeah, the resemblance was uncanny.

[...]

The problem is that the Sausage Grabbing Marys (AKA the top six) don't want to go to the net. They want to pass. They want to tic-tac-toe. They don't want to risk hurting their pretty little faces.

 

WTF is the drop the puck back to the point play being used ALL of the damn time? DRIVE TO THE NET!

 

No one on this team but Kaleta, Grier, and Mair hit. Well, I saw Myers lay a good hit tonight. They're weak - the so-called "skill team" is a misnomer for "weak-ass-pansie-wanna-be team".

 

I don't care who they get rid of, just DO SOMETHING. Make a change. Roy and Connolly are the likely trade-bait, I think, because of their relatively okay contracts.

[Kevbeau]

I didn't know my beer league team was playing the Caps tonight.

[SwampD]

"Ref you suck!" Deafening. A few hundred Sabre fans make a chirping sound after a call like that.

 

They chanted Varlamov's name. I've NEVER heard that for Miller in Buffalo.

 

The crowd stood as one after the Cap goals, and never sat down until after the proceeding faceoff.

 

Rick said the crowd was "raucous."

 

Yeah, the resemblance was uncanny.

:blink: So you are saying that if we lost Vanek to a game misconduct, nobody in HSBC would say anything?

 

Ri-di-cu-lous! Nothing that has happened at HSBC this year even remotely compares to OV getting kicked out of a game. Buffalo fans would chant for Roy. It took MVP of the entire NHL for the Caps to chant that.

[Eric in Akron]

How come it seems that this team has no offensive structure? Even early in the season we seemed to have race and beat the guy to the puck in the offensive zone on almost every pass. Cohesion has been missing all year. We rarely setup in the offensive zone. Additionally, there was a time (just 2 years ago - yes even in the 07-08 season) when the Sabres would have a 2 on 1 and score about 40% of the time. Now, I don't count on them scoring on a 2 on 1, I don't even feel an ounce of excitement when they have a 2 on 1. I know that they are just going to F it up and they do.

 

I've also noticed that when one of our forwards blasts one onto the goalie and the goalie gives up a nice juicy rebound it seems as though the other forward is camped next to the goal post too deep for the rebound. Also the third guy in is hanging out at the blue line anticipating the ensuing rush. If Miller is that good of a goalie, then why doesn't the 3rd forward trail to grab the rebound?

 

To give PA the satisfaction, some of these items are a result of coaching.

[PASabreFan]

:blink: So you are saying that if we lost Vanek to a game misconduct, nobody in HSBC would say anything?

 

Ri-di-cu-lous! Nothing that has happened at HSBC this year even remotely compares to OV getting kicked out of a game. Buffalo fans would chant for Roy. It took MVP of the entire NHL for the Caps to chant that.

 

Somebody might say something, but there wouldn't be a chant of "Ref, you suck!" :)

 

What would they chant for Roy? There's a nice softball for someone.

[SwampD]

Somebody might say something, but there wouldn't be a chant of "Ref, you suck!" :)

 

What would they chant for Roy? There's a nice softball for someone.

"Frazier wears a rug! Frazier wears a rug!"

 

Your memory's goin' ol' man.

[CallawaySabres]

As soon as Kennedy lost that faceoff, I knew goal #2 was going in the net. I guess this team is getting too predictable again.....No finishers and no sense of urgency. How in the world do we have the most boring offense in BOTH sports?????

 

Make a move before you are looking up at 8 spot 6 points behind....make a move!

[stenbaro]

As soon as Kennedy lost that faceoff, I knew goal #2 was going in the net. I guess this team is getting too predictable again.....No finishers and no sense of urgency. How in the world do we have the most boring offense in BOTH sports?????

 

Make a move before you are looking up at 8 spot 6 points behind....make a move!

I want to know why he was left out there to take the center ice faceoff after he lost the one that led to goal number 2!!!

 

PS.. I freaking Hate lydman.....

[BuffalOhio]

I was disappointed with Kennedy's effort on goal #2. He let his man get to the net uncontested, then couldn't get position on him in time to tie up the stick.

 

Crappy game by the Sabres. Don't know what they need, but the need something!

[repster]

Can you believe that Friday this team could easily be sitting in 12th place in the conference? If Montreal was playing, it could have been 13th...

It's still too early to jump to firm conclusions about anything, but it's following the exact same pattern as last year. They are being manhandled all over the ice. Zero confidence as a team and no finish from the money players. It seems so easy for this team to fall from grace, but so difficult to get it back on track after hitting a slump. This just looks like the real deal for some reason, almost like they were overachieving for the first part of the year. What can Lindy do, he's tried reinventing himself and it's like no response from this team? Maybe they should really change the style back to the run and gun that fits the type of player they have on the top 2 lines better but then again, they seem like they're outhustled all the time and they have no puck presence. They just had 4 days off... It's frustrating. They could rhyme of a few in a row to get it back but so far they haven't responded well to the tougher part of the schedule that we were wary about a few weeks ago. I almost feel like not watching for a few games...

[rickshaw]

Thats the kind of radical move needed to shake this teams top 6 up. Either that or coach is really all we got. Otherwise if this is what we can expect it's going to be a long maddening season. :wallbash:

 

The problem is, Darcy doesn't make in season trades, not at the deadline. Wasn't the last one Jason Woolley?

 

They have moveable pieces in their top 6. It will take equal contracts coming back, but they have options. It's time to do something.

[carpandean]

The problem is, Darcy doesn't make in season trades, not at the deadline. Wasn't the last one Jason Woolley?

Paille. :nana:

[carpandean]

Crappy game by the Sabres. Don't know what they need, but the need something!

Mostly, it came down to finishing. They didn't play a great game, but it wasn't awful either (PP aside.) They had their chances and until that late goal, they only let in one sniper shot from the best player in the league. Had Vanek, Pommer, Roy or Connolly buried any of their chances, it would have been a different game. They scored none, zero, zip, nada. Something in that top six needs to change.

[Kristian]

Well, if we don't start winning some games soon..maybe it is time to pull the cord on Lindy...Remember the Pens last year!!! Also, I am not saying we the Pens but we are better than this!!!

 

Just about as likely to happen as a trade.

[rickshaw]

Paille. :nana:

 

I knew he made a move this year but couldn't recall it.

 

The Sabres haven't gotten a player via trade that wasn't at the trade deadline since before Jason Woolley was dealt to Detroit in Nov '02.

 

All other deals were either deadline day or off season. I believe the last deal was Bob Corkum coming over from Atlanta for a 5th round pick?

[nucci]

I was disappointed with Kennedy's effort on goal #2. He let his man get to the net uncontested, then couldn't get position on him in time to tie up the stick.

 

Crappy game by the Sabres. Don't know what they need, but the need something!

Better talent. I watch other games on Center Ice. Our forwards are slower, smaller and less talented than most.

[CallawaySabres]

They need to pull a Philly and just get a WHOLE NEW IDENTITY. Too bad these idiots can't even take advantage of a red hot goaltender...You have to wonder if Miller is second guessing his decision to sign on with this group of underachievers.

[Kristian]

I haven't really watched as much hockey as I would've liked this year, so there's a chance here that I'm being a tad unfair, but :

 

I can't help having issues with a team that has both Roy, Pominville, and Vanek on the same roster.

 

It's not so much that these guys can't play hockey, it's their entire attitude.

 

Like Pominville the other day joking about LeClaire being a good friend after his team just got smoked for who knows which time in how few years by the Sens, to extend their losing streak to three.

 

There's just something wrong with that picture.

 

And these guys are supposed to be the fabled "core" everyone speaks of? These guys are supposed to be the leaders? Sorry, I just don't see either ever leading anyone anywhere, though I could easily see all three score 70-80 a season on some other teams second or even third line.

 

I just get the feeling that they need someone else to lead the way and take responsibility, for them to be at their best.

 

Either that, or the team has been playing to get Lindy fired since 06-07.

 

But hey like I said, maybe I'm not being fair and letting some bad memories from seasons past carry over.

[bottlecap]

Sabres are 12-7 don't forget. It's a long season and there are stretches that are bad. Like this whole month of November where they had to play every Wed-Fri-Sat. I've never seen this sort of scheduling before.

 

That said, my suspicion is that the personalities of the players aren't aggressive enough. I think the way the Sabres develop -- mostly from the minors -- assures that the guys are already familiar and comfortable with each other. Too comfortable. When they get up to the bigs, they discover that this is an underdog team that must expend max effort to compete and win. I just don't think the guys have enough forceful personalities to sustain the max effort over the long haul. The talent is a bit better than average but the fire just isn't there and the personalities don't have it them to push hard enough. Ruff kicks em in the butt all the time but it doesn't seem to help -- anymore. I once heard the word "phlegmatic" describing Gil Perreault...I looked it up and it seems to describe alot of the personalities on the Sabres. I mean, how many "choleric" personalities do you see on this team?

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Temperaments

[PASabreFan]

I just called the Butterball hotline on these guys. They said to discard this turkey and wait 'til next year.

[PASabreFan]

"Frazier wears a rug! Frazier wears a rug!"

 

Your memory's goin' ol' man.

 

Vogl: "...ear-piercing standing ovations..."

[R_Dudley]

Sabres are 12-7 don't forget. It's a long season and there are stretches that are bad. Like this whole month of November where they had to play every Wed-Fri-Sat. I've never seen this sort of scheduling before.

 

That said, my suspicion is that the personalities of the players aren't aggressive enough. I think the way the Sabres develop -- mostly from the minors -- assures that the guys are already familiar and comfortable with each other. Too comfortable. When they get up to the bigs, they discover that this is an underdog team that must expend max effort to compete and win. I just don't think the guys have enough forceful personalities to sustain the max effort over the long haul. The talent is a bit better than average but the fire just isn't there and the personalities don't have it them to push hard enough. Ruff kicks em in the butt all the time but it doesn't seem to help -- anymore. I once heard the word "phlegmatic" describing Gil Perreault...I looked it up and it seems to describe alot of the personalities on the Sabres. I mean, how many "choleric" personalities do you see on this team?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Temperaments

 

Good post. How many Choleric ? By that pure definition I would say none.

 

I just do not see any players ever angry enough about losing. Instead we always hear excuses like, bad night, bad bounces, didn't capitalize on chances, too tired, got away from the system, didn't take them seriously, didn't come out ready, took to many penalties, and they go on just plug in your favorite.

 

I hate to hear them making excuses instead of taking responsibility :wallbash: and after enough of that I have to really start to look at coaching. I know it's been said but I will say it again a good coach gets players that fit his system or he adjusts his system to maximize his players talents within a system. He is the one responible to go to managment and make it clear what he needs and the plea to make it happen. Watching the remade Lindy on the bemch with these WTF looks is not making me feel like that is going to change anything with this bunch.

 

So Darcy that leaves ony two options different players or different coach. This ain't rocket science it's hockey .