GDT: Buffalo @ Arizona, 9:00 pm est, 1-18-2016

[Randall Flagg]

"5-on-5 shot attempts with Gionta on the ice: Sabres 15, Coyotes 5; with Foligno 14-5; Larsson 15-8. Their O-zone start %'s were under 30."

 

@DaveDavisHockey

Edited January 19, 2016 by Randall Flagg

[Iron Crotch]

Surprised at the yotes broadcast team. Called it pretty straight. Bogo is rocketing up my man crush charts.

 

Yeah. Tyson Nash is the color guy, one of many ex-fighters who are now an NHL color guys. Most of those guys seem to enjoy the rough play and never fault a stronger player protecting a teammate, regardless of team. Stu Grimson is the color guy here in Nashville and he calls it similarly.

Edited January 19, 2016 by Potato

[Taro T]

I don't think Larssons has accepted his role. He believes he is a top 6 guy. Same issue as last year. Once he owns up to the fact that he is a bottom six energy guy, his game will be that much better.

Seems to me, he iS accepting 3rd line duties, now that he's CENTER for 3rd line AND the 3rd line has been given the traditional 3rd line role of playing against the other team's top line (rather than having O'Reilly's line take the Drury line duties of being a scoring line & the top shutdown line).

 

Interestingly, he doesn't get much (if any) pk time but getting on the 2nd pp line seems to make up for it.

 

He strikes me as a guy that wants to feel valued. It also seems that he currently does see his current role as a valuable one. Let's hope he stays on that track that has him in his "happy place." Because a pouting Larsson is useless. This one we've seen for the last month or so is a key support piece. The pouting Larsson seemed too focused on the "support" role; the pita to play against Larsson that we've gotten lately seems to have glommed onto the "key" role.

[TrueBlueGED]

"5-on-5 shot attempts with Gionta on the ice: Sabres 15, Coyotes 5; with Foligno 14-5; Larsson 15-8. Their O-zone start %'s were under 30."

 

@DaveDavisHockey

That's beautiful.

[That Aud Smell]

"5-on-5 shot attempts with Gionta on the ice: Sabres 15, Coyotes 5; with Foligno 14-5; Larsson 15-8. Their O-zone start %'s were under 30."

 

@DaveDavisHockey

 

Cripes. That's good hockeying.

 

#DeuceontheLoose

[JJFIVEOH]

Damn, all this love for Weber and Bogo. Who is going to be the new whipping boys to take their place? I did see some picking on Varone after one and a half games and a top 3 star selection. There has to be more than one whipping boy, Gionta can't be the only one. This place needs somebody to bitch about no matter how well they're playing.  :angel:

Franson? 

[Randall Flagg]

The "whipping boy" sentiment is silly. When players play bad, we point it out. When they do it a lot, it becomes a point of discussion. When they heal/get used correctly/do whatever it is they do to play better hockey, they stopped getting talked about as a bad player, and instead get complimented for the good things they do. It's not some unfair, mindless groupthink.

[jsb]

Damn, all this love for Weber and Bogo. Who is going to be the new whipping boys to take their place? I did see some picking on Varone after one and a half games and a top 3 star selection. There has to be more than one whipping boy, Gionta can't be the only one. This place needs somebody to bitch about no matter how well they're playing.  :angel:

Franson? 

Moulson and Lehner are definitely top 2 right now.

Franson has actually played much better with McCabe on his wing.

[Doohickie]

"5-on-5 shot attempts with Gionta on the ice: Sabres 15, Coyotes 5; with Foligno 14-5; Larsson 15-8. Their O-zone start %'s were under 30."

 

@DaveDavisHockey

Noice!

[PASabreFan]

He seems to be feeling better, playing better.

Maybe we have the O'Reilly Effect here, the needing to be leaned on and asked to play a prominent role?

[Doohickie]

Yeah. Tyson Nash is the color guy, one of many ex-fighters who are now an NHL color guys. Most of those guys seem to enjoy the rough play and never fault a stronger player protecting a teammate, regardless of team. Stu Grimson is the color guy here in Nashville and he calls it similarly.

Not to mention our own Ray and May...

 

Franson?

Franson has been invisible on defence, which is just what I want to see out of him. Edited January 19, 2016 by The Big Johnson

[PASabreFan]

I would love to go back and read this whole thread, but it's not gonna happen. Sorry for any duplication, but here's what I've got:

 

• Was that Mr. Kane sitting all by himself in the front row?

 

• His son is coming around.

 

• Loved the penalty shot call. The game needs more of them. You could almost hear Arizona fans screaming, "But he got a shot off." Doesn't matter. A "more reasonable scoring opportunity" was thwarted. I think I'll start a rules thread. It could be fun. There's a lot of strange in the NHL rule book.

 

• Welcome to the Hotel Eichel? Am I missing something? Not sure if that's better or worse than Yeichel!

 

• Did Ray stay at a Holiday Inn Express the night before the game? He seemed remarkably lucid. One thing that stood out was pointed but fair criticism of Moulson one time, Eichel another. It was so refreshing.

 

• Rasmus has the best "bitch, please" face.

 

• Johnson was good but not severely tested. Still... DB made the right call. Not to press my luck, but I still see absolutely no reason for Lehner to be forced in on Wednesday. Roll with hit, baby! Maybe Johnson is the new Hamburglar!

[Doohickie]

Hotel Eichel was (probably) a one-time homage to the passing of Glenn Frey of the Eagles.

 

Without Deslauriers on the team, Risto has assumed the role of prime intimidator. Bogo and to a lesser extent Foligno and Larsson have assumed supporting roles. The overall effect has been an increase in team grit. Nice to see players stepping up.

[LTS]

So last night I drive home from youth hockey practice through the lake effect snow storm, pour myself a nice glass of something tasty and sit down to watch the Sabres game.

 

What do I see?

 

Well, a highly pixelated screen and not much of a game.  Awesome.  Can't just be MSG right?  I check NHL Network, same thing.  NBCSN, same thing.  No hockey for me tonight!  More stations are screwed up as well but not all of them... just the ones I want to watch.

 

Check NBCSN streaming on TWC and it's fine.  

 

Be nice if MSG and TWC had a streaming agreement... but they don't.  So I missed the game and get to wait for a TWC technician to visit.

 

Not a happy person.  The best is when I asked if they could activate the NHL Center Ice package for the Coyotes feed to see if it worked and TWC rep tells me the Sabres vs. Coyotes aren't on the NFL channels.... really?  No kidding.. and umm oh by the way TWC.. you don't have THOSE NFL channels.

 

Sigh... I missed a good one.

[That Aud Smell]

• Welcome to the Hotel Eichel? Am I missing something? Not sure if that's better or worse than Yeichel!

Hotel Eichel was (probably) a one-time homage to the passing of Glenn Frey of the Eagles.

 

I gave Dunleavy an "A" for effort there - he's trying to have some fun with his calls.

[WildCard]

Damn, all this love for Weber and Bogo. Who is going to be the new whipping boys to take their place? I did see some picking on Varone after one and a half games and a top 3 star selection. There has to be more than one whipping boy, Gionta can't be the only one. This place needs somebody to bitch about no matter how well they're playing.  :angel:

Franson? 

The "whipping boy" sentiment is silly. When players play bad, we point it out. When they do it a lot, it becomes a point of discussion. When they heal/get used correctly/do whatever it is they do to play better hockey, they stopped getting talked about as a bad player, and instead get complimented for the good things they do. It's not some unfair, mindless groupthink.

Thank you, Flagg.

 

As for who is actually playing their worst hockey on this team lately? Gorges and Legwand would be my two guys. Though Legwand is so inconsequential it's hard to bitch about him

[Doohickie]

Legwand is largely mistake-free except for the odd icing; he's just not a kid anymore and it shows.

[MattPie]

Chad Johnson is a 10-foot tall man-beast who showers in vodka and feeds his baby shrimp scampi.

I thought that was MODO.

[PASabreFan]

I gave Dunleavy an "A" for effort there - he's trying to have some fun with his calls.

A different Eichel catchprase for the rest of his goals would be cool. 882 catchphrases!

[WildCard]

• Did Ray stay at a Holiday Inn Express the night before the game? He seemed remarkably lucid. One thing that stood out was pointed but fair criticism of Moulson one time, Eichel another. It was so refreshing.

God dammit, PA. I spent at least a page bitching about Ray this game 

[That Aud Smell]

A different Eichel catchprase for the rest of his goals would be cool. 882 catchphrases!

 

next eichel goal should be an ode to the late Iron Mike Sharpe. "He scores! Eichel! America's Greatest Athlete!"

[JJFIVEOH]

The "whipping boy" sentiment is silly. When players play bad, we point it out. When they do it a lot, it becomes a point of discussion. When they heal/get used correctly/do whatever it is they do to play better hockey, they stopped getting talked about as a bad player, and instead get complimented for the good things they do. It's not some unfair, mindless groupthink.

 

I have to disagree. This group needs to have somebody to complain about no matter how well they play as a team. This team will pick a small handful of players  and criticize them relentlessly regardless of how well they fit their role. If they have a few good games, they'll get removed from whipping boy status temporarily, but the second they have one bad game they'll be right back where they were. Bogo and Weber will be the point of criticism shortly, this love will be short lived. Other players deserving of whipping boy status just stay on the waiting list until there is an open spot.

[Huckleberry]

 

Risto at that Oel .

[Weave]

I have to disagree. This group needs to have somebody to complain about no matter how well they play as a team. This team will pick a small handful of players  and criticize them relentlessly regardless of how well they fit their role. If they have a few good games, they'll get removed from whipping boy status temporarily, but the second they have one bad game they'll be right back where they were. Bogo and Weber will be the point of criticism shortly, this love will be short lived. Other players deserving of whipping boy status just stay on the waiting list until there is an open spot.

 

Miller, anyone?

 

Anyone?

[Jsixspd]

next eichel goal should be an ode to the late Iron Mike Sharpe. "He scores! Eichel! America's Greatest Athlete!"

 

 

haha!!!!    RIP, Iron Mike!    He was a great heel/jobber, and was always good at generating a lot of audience heat.  

Sad to read about him -  he has been confined to a wheel chair since 2007, at the early age of 55.      He was only 64 -  most of those guys die so young, way below average for lifespans.   He sure didn't look like a juicer either - just a big beefy guy.