Game Discussion Thread

[Punch]

Was that the case or did Rick and Harry have their heads up their ######?

 

It was actually Hartnell not Giroux, but he was literally sitting in the penalty box before the officials changed it following the jumbotron replay.

[wjag]

They have a bunch of you kids playing D. Hopefully tonight's game is a good lesson. Buffalo does need an answer to Hartnell's shennigans..

[darksabre]

True. I think we hold all psychological advantages going into game 3. Not that they mean much. But Philly CANNOT play any better and yet they are fortunate to be tied at 1 apiece. Plus, they have goalie questions. We don't. Miller will take this game as a clunker and I LOVE how he comes out after poor games. Wouldn't surprise me if he got another shutout. Yeah, I said it.

 

GO SABRES!!!

 

Liking the positivity. I think Miller will play huge on Monday and that whichever goalie Philly plays won't get it done. I also think the team will do a better job of ignoring Philly's BS by just hitting them and scoring goals. I also think Connolly has a huge game. The man is due for a goal. Only thing I would switch lineup wise is Gerbe on a better line. Kid needs more chances.

[ThePebble19]

True. I think we hold all psychological advantages going into game 3. Not that they mean much. But Philly CANNOT play any better and yet they are fortunate to be tied at 1 apiece. Plus, they have goalie questions. We don't. Miller will take this game as a clunker and I LOVE how he comes out after poor games. Wouldn't surprise me if he got another shutout. Yeah, I said it.

 

GO SABRES!!!

 

Miller also didn't get the backside coverage that we had in game 1. He wasn't great, and wasn't as "in position" as he was last game, but the defense around him wasn't as good either. Sekera doesn't take his man off the rebound, and he gets an easy tap in...Myers pinches and Butler isn't in position to block the wide open guy in the slot...JVR skates through 3 guys and nobody puts a body on him...

 

Some pretty bad defensive breakdowns for them tonight that contributed to Miller's bad play. With all that said, he has to be big in front of the net for those chances, and he wasn't.

[Stormin Norman]

Miller also didn't get the backside coverage that we had in game 1. He wasn't great, and wasn't as "in position" as he was last game, but the defense around him wasn't as good either. Sekera doesn't take his man off the rebound, and he gets an easy tap in...Myers pinches and Butler isn't in position to block the wide open guy in the slot...JVR skates through 3 guys and nobody puts a body on him...

 

Some pretty bad defensive breakdowns for them tonight that contributed to Miller's bad play. With all that said, he has to be big in front of the net for those chances, and he wasn't.

 

Very insightful. You captured it very well.

[Eleven]

Everyone who is complaining: If you'd been offered a split of the first two games before the series started, you would have been all over it. It's a good result, so far. Relax; it's coming home for two.

 

Hang in there, stop bitching, and LET'S GO, BUFFALO!!!!!

[PlayoffReadyMatt]

- Would have loved to go up 2-0, but that is not easy when you are the lower seed and have a 1-0 lead.

 

- Philly came out and played "their style", the one they and the Bruins like to play. We got sucked in. Not good. Gotta work on staying above it next time.

 

- Good game from a lot of the forwards. Grier-Goose-Nieds-McCormick were great. Did not see enough of Ennis, Gerbe, or Boyes 5 on 5.

 

- Refs sucked. So many whistles. Can we play 5 on 5?

 

- Miller was average, but a lot of goals were out of his control.

 

- Can't be pedestrian clearing the puck. Little things add up in playoffs.

 

- I feel pretty good. We played real poorly and yet stuck with them all game. Should be pumped at home. Their goalies do not scare me. Pronger or no Pronger, I feel good for game 3.

[Derrico]

Everyone who is complaining: If you'd been offered a split of the first two games before the series started, you would have been all over it. It's a good result, so far. Relax; it's coming home for two.

 

Hang in there, stop bitching, and LET'S GO, BUFFALO!!!!!

 

Agreed. Buffalo has played much better at home the second half of the season and I expect us to show up and ready to roll the next two games. Entertaining game, too bad we didn't win but hey the big bad flyers haven't shown me that they are the superior team. We've got a good chance at this series still....

[Weave]

Everyone who is complaining: If you'd been offered a split of the first two games before the series started, you would have been all over it. It's a good result, so far. Relax; it's coming home for two.

 

Hang in there, stop bitching, and LET'S GO, BUFFALO!!!!!

 

Providing critical analysis =/= complaining.

 

And no, I wouldn't have been all over a split. I'd want them to play it out.

 

*more relaxed than you* :beer:

[K-9]

Everyone who is complaining: If you'd been offered a split of the first two games before the series started, you would have been all over it. It's a good result, so far. Relax; it's coming home for two.

 

Hang in there, stop bitching, and LET'S GO, BUFFALO!!!!!

 

This. There is nothing to bitch about. Unless you're DeLuca. Oh no. Did I unwittingly make this a post about him? I fear there is no way his self-important pompous ass can't won't think so.

 

GO SABRES!!!

[LabattBlue]

Everyone who is complaining: If you'd been offered a split of the first two games before the series started, you would have been all over it. It's a good result, so far. Relax; it's coming home for two.

 

Hang in there, stop bitching, and LET'S GO, BUFFALO!!!!!

This would be an accurate assessment if you only saw the boxscores and not the games themselves. There are some troubling things that have to be addressed before Monday.

 

That being said, the Sabres still have home ice advantage. Let's see how Game 3 goes.

[Weave]

This. There is nothing to bitch about. Unless you're DeLuca. Oh no. Did I unwittingly make this a post about him? I fear there is no way his self-important pompous ass can't won't think so.

 

GO SABRES!!!

 

Can we please stop calling out people who aren't in the conversation?

[Stormin Norman]

Everyone who is complaining: If you'd been offered a split of the first two games before the series started, you would have been all over it. It's a good result, so far. Relax; it's coming home for two.

 

Hang in there, stop bitching, and LET'S GO, BUFFALO!!!!!

 

This is an outlet for my pent-up frustration. I overreact to the negative and overreact to good stuff, too. I guess I'm a fan.

 

But I can't just do the "don't worry, be happy thing, either." I was at HSBC after we earned a split in Carolina during the Conference Championship series in 2006. In Game 4, we could have taken a commanding 3 to 1 advantage in games, but laid an egg and lost at home 4 - 0. You know the rest. Other disappointments though forty years have taught me never to take anything for granted. Yes, I am happy with the split. Am I content? Satisfied? Worry-free? No chance.

 

But I AM an insane, passionate, heart-on-my-sleeve follower of my favorite hockey team! GO SABRES!!!

[K-9]

Can we please stop calling out people who aren't in the conversation?

 

Normally, I might be swayed by your fair sense of civility. But I'm not normal right now. I'm pissed, depressed {nothing to do with the Sabres, BTW) , and (worst of all) drunk, so NO, I won't stop calling out the naysayers. F 'em all. If you don't have anything good to say, don't say it. But thanks for trying to reign me in.

 

GO SABRES!!!

[...]

Color me confused about Lindy. His press conference was nearly the opposite of what I expected; he was calm, he praised his team, didn't call anyone out. You know when Lindy is angry - he can't hide it. He was happy with the game! Weird.

 

Obviously, he has to play the media a certain way for a variety of reasons, but, like I said, a lot of times it's pretty easy to see through what he's saying and get a general idea of his reaction to a game. Not today, unless he's genuinely alright with what happened today.

[Dave Dryden]

Can we please stop calling out people who aren't in the conversation?

Ruppert, you don't always have to be Deluca's wingman. As is the creed around here, if you don't like it ignore it--be it critcism, analysis or whatever.

[Dave Dryden]

Color me confused about Lindy. His press conference was nearly the opposite of what I expected; he was calm, he praised his team, didn't call anyone out. You know when Lindy is angry - he can't hide it. He was happy with the game! Weird.

 

Obviously, he has to play the media a certain way for a variety of reasons, but, like I said, a lot of times it's pretty easy to see through what he's saying and get a general idea of his reaction to a game. Not today, unless he's genuinely alright with what happened today.

I agree--very odd. Not a whiff of critcism over a lack of discipline.

[PlayoffReadyMatt]

Color me confused about Lindy. His press conference was nearly the opposite of what I expected; he was calm, he praised his team, didn't call anyone out. You know when Lindy is angry - he can't hide it. He was happy with the game! Weird.

 

Obviously, he has to play the media a certain way for a variety of reasons, but, like I said, a lot of times it's pretty easy to see through what he's saying and get a general idea of his reaction to a game. Not today, unless he's genuinely alright with what happened today.

I hope he wouldn't be embarrassingly mad after splitting at Philly 1-1. He told the players when he needed to.

[...]

I hope he wouldn't be embarrassingly mad after splitting at Philly 1-1. He told the players when he needed to.

 

 

After the win Thursday, he said they could play better, and the offense needed to produce scoring chances.

[Punch]

This is an outlet for my pent-up frustration. I overreact to the negative and overreact to good stuff, too. I guess I'm a fan.

 

But I can't just do the "don't worry, be happy thing, either." I was at HSBC after we earned a split in Carolina during the Conference Championship series in 2006. In Game 4, we could have taken a commanding 3 to 1 advantage in games, but laid an egg and lost at home 4 - 0. You know the rest. Other disappointments though forty years have taught me never to take anything for granted. Yes, I am happy with the split. Am I content? Satisfied? Worry-free? No chance.

 

But I AM an insane, passionate, heart-on-my-sleeve follower of my favorite hockey team! GO SABRES!!!

 

Oof. That was the single worst feeling I've ever had at a Sabres' game. It felt like we were never in it, and I had such a great feeling about the Series when I arrived.

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

Color me confused about Lindy. His press conference was nearly the opposite of what I expected; he was calm, he praised his team, didn't call anyone out. You know when Lindy is angry - he can't hide it. He was happy with the game! Weird.

 

Obviously, he has to play the media a certain way for a variety of reasons, but, like I said, a lot of times it's pretty easy to see through what he's saying and get a general idea of his reaction to a game. Not today, unless he's genuinely alright with what happened today.

 

What's he gonna do? Sekera was $#!t and had the Vanek face on all game. Morrisson's head is dinged. Montador looks like Rivet. Myers is looking like the Ennis of the defense. He's down to this year's Janik/Jillson if he needs to make a change.

 

The same gritty guys did their thing, and the same core did their thing. At least Vanek burried 2 pucks on a whiff and a whistle.

 

The Sabres tried to answer Philly in the physical department for a shift and Carcillo scored. I'm sure Lindy went on lockdown after that and it only got worse.

 

When you rely on a 23yo defense in a war....you can't make threats your military can't back up. Lindy needs to coddle.

[SabresFan526]

Personally, I'm okay with today. Of course I would have loved the win, but hey, the Sabres got the split on the road in a Best of 7. You've got to be thrilled with that with a decent shot coming home.

 

I loved that the Sabres would not back down from these guys in both games. The Sabres stood up to the Philly thugs the entire game and it didn't rattle them or get them off their game. The Sabres had some great scoring chances and opportunities. If not for the second period, I think the Sabres have a decent shot of winning this game.

 

I actually think that some of the penalties in the second, were good penalties. For example, I don't have a problem with Pominville's trip or Montador's penalty as those prevented breakaway scoring chances. But, there were some bad calls too, like Myers penalty on Hartnell was just horrible. There's also no excuse for a Too Many Men on the Ice penalty. I think the PK is still excellent and was a total of 14 out of 15 during the first two games, which you have to be thrilled with.

 

I think if the Sabres stay out of the box, play strong defensively, and create more scoring opportunities, they've got a good shot of winning the series. I think they played well in the third period.

 

I'm not happy about today's loss, but I'll take the split in Philly and move on to Buffalo and try to take 2 at home and really put pressure on Philly.

[Punch]

Color me confused about Lindy. His press conference was nearly the opposite of what I expected; he was calm, he praised his team, didn't call anyone out. You know when Lindy is angry - he can't hide it. He was happy with the game! Weird.

 

Obviously, he has to play the media a certain way for a variety of reasons, but, like I said, a lot of times it's pretty easy to see through what he's saying and get a general idea of his reaction to a game. Not today, unless he's genuinely alright with what happened today.

 

The 1st two Philly goals could have been wiped out by a healthier and less rusty Sekera if he'd have dropped to the ice on the Giroux goal and successfully swept the puck away on the Carcillo shot. He seemed slow to react defensively early in the 1st period. Aside from that, and a lucky bounce off of Briere's skate I dont have a huge problem with the game. Philly is good to excellent at converting on turnovers and burying chances... no reason to beat up on the team when he trusts they know what to do for Game 3 in Buffalo. Yes, they took some dumb penalties in the 2nd period but a lot of that stuff doesn't get consistently called. A tired Sabres' team with mismatched lines got beat in the late 2nd and 3rd.

 

I fully expect a tight disciplined Game 3 and a Sabres' win, Pronger or no. Lindy's teams (and especially this one since February) respond well to losses.

[carpandean]

Dammit, Briere's skate alone was worth 5x5! :angry:

[bunomatic]

Much like I expected. Even the positive rose coloured glasses type posters are bitchin and whining. Why so negative fellas? Relax,we got our split in their barn and we're coming home.