GAME DISCUSSION THREAD

[CallawaySabres]

I don't think I have ever predicted a loss but tonight has the feel of a drubbing. 5-2 with the empty netter and 2 weeks for these guys to realize how far they have fallen. Miller is mentally in the Olympics so I would start Lalime. Throw Kaleta out there and tell him to hit everything that moves. They probably won't win but maybe they can get some frustrations out....

 

It's always nice when reverse psychology works on myself!!

[Bmwolf21]

It was well played defensively with very few mistakes.

 

A convincing win against whats probably the best team in the NHL

 

Nice way to bounce back before the break :thumbsup:

Not often that I completely agree with possibly our most optimistic poster, but I can't disagree. I'm also not concerned about Miller being "officially off his game" or that it bodes poorly for Team USA. He's been in a slump, and he fought through with a pretty damn solid effort tonight. He got caught leaning a little on the goal (and should have stopped it) but it didn't hurt the team and most importantly, they didn't fold up and let it snowball into a blown lead.

[Eleven]

"Sabre Hockey" is beating a west coast team at the end of a long road trip facing a two week vacation? Hopefully for the Sabres the remaining schedule is full of those scenarios. :doh:

 

They got two points from a team that clearly started their Olympic break early. All that has been accomplished is giving Quinn and Regier another excuse not to do anything.

 

I guess it makes it easier for Regier, Quinn and many fans to ignore that the Sabres were a desperate team and this may have been their biggest game of the year while San Jose was just looking to get home and won't even remember they played in Buffalo let alone lost by the time their players land in San Jose or Vancouver.

 

You post after wins now?

[SabreInFla]

"Sabre Hockey" is beating a west coast team at the end of a long road trip facing a two week vacation? Hopefully for the Sabres the remaining schedule is full of those scenarios. :doh:

 

They got two points from a team that clearly started their Olympic break early. All that has been accomplished is giving Quinn and Regier another excuse not to do anything.

 

I guess it makes it easier for Regier, Quinn and many fans to ignore that the Sabres were a desperate team and this may have been their biggest game of the year while San Jose was just looking to get home and won't even remember they played in Buffalo let alone lost by the time their players land in San Jose or Vancouver.

How dare the Sabres win this game.....they needed to lose so that Darcy can sign Ray Whitney because he will guarantee a Stanley Cup. You gotta be kidding me. With Ottawa losing, this is an important win if they decide to wake up for the rest of the season.

[SabresRepublic]

It was well played defensively with very few mistakes.

 

A convincing win against whats probably the best team in the NHL

 

Nice way to bounce back before the break

 

Agreed! This was a long time coming; A streak in the making having

acquired points in the last three games! Back in the saddle - 1st place NE,

2 games in hand - work in progress back on track!

[deluca67]

You post after wins now?

I often do.

 

Unlike your posts, mine are not pointless. :D

[deluca67]

How dare the Sabres win this game.....they needed to lose so that Darcy can sign Ray Whitney because he will guarantee a Stanley Cup. You gotta be kidding me. With Ottawa losing, this is an important win if they decide to wake up for the rest of the season.

Your kidding yourself. If no Olympic break this game goes in a entirely different direction. Not even the most optimistic Pollyanna on this board can say the Sabres got the Sharks best effort. Not even close. This is the equivalent of the Bills beating the Colts in the final week.

[PASabreFan]

Ryan said after the game the ice betrayed them a few times, pucks bouncing over sticks.

 

An open question: is the ice routinely bad in Buffalo? Does it hurt the Sabres? If so, is there a reason this can't be fixed?

 

And Thornton said some of the players looked ahead to the Olympics; he also said the Sharks were worn out by the Wings and tired at the end of their trip. Fodder for DeLuca.

[deluca67]

Ryan said after the game the ice betrayed them a few times, pucks bouncing over sticks.

 

An open question: is the ice routinely bad in Buffalo? Does it hurt the Sabres? If so, is there a reason this can't be fixed?

 

And Thornton said some of the players looked ahead to the Olympics; he also said the Sharks were worn out by the Wings and tired at the end of their trip. Fodder for DeLuca.

Is there anyone here who truly thinks differently? That this a lynch pin game to a great season? It's two points, that is it. The Sabres will have the same problems that need to be addressed tomorrow as they did yesterday. Nothing changes tonight. The other teams in the East will look for ways to get better and the Sabres front office will look for excuses.

[SabreInFla]

Your kidding yourself. If no Olympic break this game goes in a entirely different direction. Not even the most optimistic Pollyanna on this board can say the Sabres got the Sharks best effort. Not even close. This is the equivalent of the Bills beating the Colts in the final week.

I agree with you on several points......I hope moves are made to better the team as well, but the bottom line is, it's a win and two points which is the best result in a long time.

[Eleven]

I often do.

 

Unlike your posts, mine are not pointless. :D

 

Your posts aren't pointless, but they usually come after the Sabres are pointless.

[deluca67]

Your posts aren't pointless, but they usually come after the Sabres are pointless.

Might want to to pay more attention then so you don't look like one of the noobs that have infested this board as of late.

[nfreeman]

I don't [agree as to whether Miller's games lately bode poorly for USA]. His head has been in Vancouver for a while now, and he'll do better there and will do better here after the break.

 

All that said...Nabakov was freaking Hasek tonight, and the Sabs still found a way to win. NICE effort tonight, and a nice game. Good to hit the break with a strong win, maybe even a statement win, over a very good team.

Yes! But on the other hand there is some truth to this:

 

They got two points from a team that clearly started their Olympic break early. [rest of post deleted due to veer-off into rant.]

 

Not often that I completely agree with possibly our most optimistic poster, but I can't disagree. I'm also not concerned about Miller being "officially off his game" or that it bodes poorly for Team USA. He's been in a slump, and he fought through with a pretty damn solid effort tonight. He got caught leaning a little on the goal (and should have stopped it) but it didn't hurt the team and most importantly, they didn't fold up and let it snowball into a blown lead.

I agree about Miller, but our most optimistic poster, without a doubt, is:

 

Agreed! This was a long time coming; A streak in the making having

acquired points in the last three games! Back in the saddle - 1st place NE,

2 games in hand - work in progress back on track!

 

Is there anyone here who truly thinks differently? That this a lynch pin game to a great season? It's two points, that is it. The Sabres will have the same problems that need to be addressed tomorrow as they did yesterday. Nothing changes tonight. The other teams in the East will look for ways to get better and the Sabres front office will look for excuses.

Don't forget that so much of a teams's success comes from between the ears. If the Sabres can start to play with some confidence and better decision-making as a result of this win, which was a very strong complete game, then a lot of those problems can be "solved" internally by the existing guys simply playing better than they did in February.

[Eleven]

Might want to to pay more attention then so you don't look like one of the noobs that have infested this board as of late.

I'm not too worried.

[deluca67]

I'm not too worried.

Your posts show as much.

[Bmwolf21]

I agree about Miller, but our most optimistic poster, without a doubt, is:

While SR has been annoyingly Pollyanna-esque, dog's been doing it longer so he gets the nod in my book. Plus SR spent way too much time pounding the no "rent-a-skaters" drum too fast upon arrival.

[nfreeman]

While SR has been annoyingly Pollyanna-esque, dog's been doing it longer so he gets the nod in my book.

I might have to put together an Olympic-break poll on this one.

[Eleven]

Your posts show as much.

 

DeLuca, I don't know where you're coming from tonight, but from the guy who didn't want to rest Miller and then started a thread about how he's fatigued and no one else is concerned, from the guy who didn't want to trade for a rental, and then was bitching about how the Sabres didn't rent Kovy, how much do you think I'm going to take? I've been backing off. Don't know what you're up to. Let it go. And enjoy the freaking team, for crying out loud.

[ThePebble19]

2 points, and the start of another streak, 3 straight with points, and back in the NE lead. Not much to be unhappy about those three things.

 

The Sharks were really lifeless tonight, and there is no question that they were looking ahead. However, the Sabres could have easily come out and crapped the bed, and lost this game -- but they didn't. They played a solid 60 minutes, didn't give up many chances, and got the win.

 

I know that DeLuca would like to point to this game as the catalyst for whether Darcy makes a move at the deadline or not, but I don't think it matters in the grand scheme of things. He has made it very clear over the last 3 years that he is happy with the team of Rochester Americans he has built, and is not going to disrupt the flow for anything...especially while they are leading the division and, barring a massive collapse, making the playoffs.

 

Maybe this team shows us something come time for the postseason. Maybe the Vaneks, Roys, Pominvilles, Hechts, and MacArthurs that have been the poster boys for mediocrity all season long step their game up in the 2nd season, and surprise us all.

 

Maybe we lose 4 straight to a 6 seed in the playoffs and get eliminated in the first round.

 

Who knows what will happen. What I do know, is that we are now 2 points closer to that "magic number" to make it to the 2nd season, and that makes me happy.

[SDS]

I often do.

 

Unlike your posts, mine are not pointless. :D

 

no, there is one single, ad hominem, uninteresting point... Maybe it's time for a 2nd one? Any year now.

[SabresRepublic]

Is there anyone here who truly thinks differently? That this a lynch pin game to a great season? It's two points, that is it. The Sabres will have the same problems that need to be addressed tomorrow as they did yesterday. Nothing changes tonight. The other teams in the East will look for ways to get better and the Sabres front office will look for excuses.

 

Actually, methinks, this was a significant accomplishment for the Sabres and the Sharks are lying. The fact of the matter is that Sabres are 12 - 1 against the Sharks at home and now they know that after the recent West Coast excursion that derailed them it may actually make them better. The Sharks on the other hand have peaked - and they will now be in trouble.

 

The Sabres were off their game by the time they left SJ on that trip for whatever reason or reasons that the Sabres hopefully have figured out! We all now know that was a pretty good run up to the break despite the recent swoon. The up tempo Sabres can skate with anyone now if only the officiating becomes more consistent because in several games it left plenty to be desired like in Carolina!

 

Officiating must be transparent, objective and rational, without that Sabres have a lesser chance of success! I recall saying earlier in the year that the Sabres would put together a ten game or more win streak. I absolutely stand by that claim the only question being how close to the playoffs will that occur - personally, I'll take a sweep or two!!! Oh! Did I mention that the roster stays as is? Or maybe an AHL promotion - maybe Mancari?

[SabresRepublic]

While SR has been annoyingly Pollyanna-esque, dog's been doing it longer so he gets the nod in my book. Plus SR spent way too much time pounding the no "rent-a-skaters" drum too fast upon arrival.

 

Pollyanna huh? You just can't handle rational analyses! I stand by the no rent-a-skater creed, Sabres have everything they need - and after some rough bumps they believe despite the naysayers and goon squad ilk aficionados!!! We can play aptitude and skill, is the NHL up to the excellence? GO Buffalo Sabres!!! GO USA!!!

[Bmwolf21]

Pollyanna huh? You just can't handle rational analyses! I stand by the no rent-a-skater creed, Sabres have everything they need - and after some rough bumps they believe despite the naysayers and goon squad ilk aficionados!!! We can play aptitude and skill, is the NHL up to the excellence? GO Buffalo Sabres!!! GO USA!!!

You also need to seriously back off the exclamation points and maybe think about switching to decaf.

[Two or less]

I'll be honest, i thought tonight we would have gotten blown out. When i started to watch, i didn't expect a win at all. Even with a 2-0 lead, i was happily surprised at the score, but still, thought, the flood gates are bound to open. Ryan Miller was very good. I thought Stafford and Vanek skated very well and the 4th line had lots of energy. However, I was most impressed by the defense. They were on top of it early on. San Jose tried to make long passes and play their style of spread out offense but the Sabres defense closed down the passing lanes very quickly. The defense won us the game tonight. Kevin Sylvester made a great point on the Shootout, Sabres got 4 out of possible 6 points this week. Sure, more was wanted, but, realistically when the week started, i think most would have said wins over Boston and Carolina would make it a successful week.

 

The Olympic break could not come any sooner for the Sabres though. I thought Montador was great tonight. He's been horrid for a month if not longer. Same with Tim Kennedy. Not sure what made them play awesome tonight? Maybe rest is what these guys need?

 

Also, not sure if mentioned, but, once again awesome thing the Sabres did pre-game ceremony to honor those heading to Vancouver. Does every team league wide do that? Anyone know? I spend most of the day watching the Olympics and the Sabres game and didn't see any other game and was wondering.

 

Not sure how many more of these kind of efforts the Sabres have left in them, as we saw last few weeks, this team is pretty fragile, but, it was a very good feeling seeing this team out play the Sharks. And for the record, i thought we outplayed them in San Jose too last month.

[Kristian]

Miller puzzles me at the moment.

 

He was in great position throughout most of the game, making most of his saves look easy, and had at least one great stop on Thornton on the doorstep.

 

But what the heck happens on the goal? He's been allowing goals like there's no tomorrow on 2 on 1's lately, and these goals have been on clean shots.

 

Hushkin's shot looked very stoppable.