GDT: Sabres at Islanders, Sat 10/7/17, 7:00 PM

[Claude Balls]

Sabres are the pre-McDavid Oiler's... there are many fancy names and high picks but they just can't put it together.

When is the next McDavid coming to the draft? Although it won't matter, because we lose those too.

[darksabre]

Y'all are nuts.

 

We walked into Edmonton game 2 last year and ran them out of their building 6-2. What exactly did that game tell us about our respective seasons?

 

Nobody's clicking, we've faced God-in-goal and a team fresh off a 5-0 loss entering their home opener, and we were a lazy missed-pick call from the ref on the 5th goal and an eyelash away from a tie game. At least we didn't lose 10-1 like the champs did.

 

If you're selling off your tickets now, I cannot fathom why you'd have them in the first place.

 

These boys need to hitch up their trousers and go to work and they know it. New Jersey had better watch out.

Thank you.

[Jävə Keith]

Only game 2 folks. Completely new system and new teammates. Hold off making sweeping judgemenrs until 10-15 games. Time to learn system and eachother, chemistry should come witb time and good coaching. If not, then I'm all for makung some changes. Peace out.

[Claude Balls]

How bout Ovi putting in 4 goals tonight? 7 goals in 2 games. Wow.

Always been my favorite player. He made it a point to lose weight in the off-season and become faster. It's obviously paying off.

[rickshaw]

Here in Kelowna there always lots of hockey guys in town during the summer. I've heard from ex players that ROR is not all that, that he has a bit of a headcase. Good player, but I bet he's not thrilled he's not getting bank like Eichel. 

 

On Eichel, the guy is a winner and while it's early, the kid will take this team to great heights. His goal was pure grit and skill all at once. Drops the guy in the corner effortlessly, then goes to the front and Boychuk can't budge him as he tips the puck and then finds it for the goal. Skill that can't be taught. 

 

The team has some good players and pieces but the way Housley sent the lines out, some players seemed to have gotten lost in the shuffle. Kane is a beast and plays hard every shift. Some bright spots but lots of work to do.

[Pokey Jones]

I don't like to blame goalies but you could make the argument that if we had better goaltending we could be 2-0 right now. No, not saying it is all his fault, but the great goalies make the big saves at the big moments, and Lehner didn't and his play put us behind. We are simply not good enough to win without above average or great goaltending.

 

Reinhart sucked. Hmmmm, wonder who predicted that possibility?

In his defense though I will say this, not sure why Housley had him up against Tavares, that to me was a rookie coaching mistake. Total mismatch.

 

I said before the season we'd be giving up a lot of 2 on 1's as the D grew and I worried about Lehner's ability to bail us out on those. Case made tonight. Beaulieu and Tennyson both made huge errors at times and McCabe looked disappointingly awful. maybe just rust (fingers crossed).

 

Bottom line, the slower players struggled the most and once again ROR looked like he cannot play at this tempo (as did others). I think the idea he is sulking over the C is BS but if that's it, well get rid of the baby now cause that kind of attitude isn't what you want on any hockey team. 

 

Upside was they didn't quit, and Kane can play uptempo with Eichel, we need a 3rd player for that line as good. We don't have one. 

 

And of course Moulson played. He did right? Or was he in the press box? I can't remember.

[Randall Flagg]

Good point on Eich's goal. It may be my favorite one of his career so far.

[Claude Balls]

Only game 2 folks. Completely new system and new teammates. Hold off making sweeping judgemenrs until 10-15 games. Time to learn system and eachother, chemistry should come witb time and good coaching. If not, then I'm all for makung some changes. Peace out.

Not only two games......six years.

[Randall Flagg]

I don't like to blame goalies but you could make the argument that if we had better goaltending we could be 2-0 right now. No, not saying it is all his fault, but the great goalies make the big saves at the big moments, and Lehner didn't and his play put us behind. We are simply not good enough to win without above average or great goaltending.

 

I don't want to say that I think Johnson is a better goalie than Lehner, because I don't really know how to evaluate goalies, but the same thing happened tonight that happened a few times when they were the goalies two years ago. Johnson comes in to relieve and in the same game looks so much more poised and controlled that you'd think he was the starter, not the backup. 

[Eleven]

Y'all are nuts.

 

We walked into Edmonton game 2 last year and ran them out of their building 6-2. What exactly did that game tell us about our respective seasons?

 

Nobody's clicking, we've faced God-in-goal and a team fresh off a 5-0 loss entering their home opener, and we were a lazy missed-pick call from the ref on the 5th goal and an eyelash away from a tie game. At least we didn't lose 10-1 like the champs did. 

 

If you're selling off your tickets now, I cannot fathom why you'd have them in the first place. 

 

These boys need to hitch up their trousers and go to work and they know it. New Jersey had better watch out. 

 

I'm not giving up yet at all.  But tonight was sloppy and slow until it was too late.

 

Let's all chill out, eat a grilled cheese sandwich, and reconvene on Monday.

[Randall Flagg]

I'm not giving up yet at all.  But tonight was sloppy and slow until it was too late.

 

Let's all chill out, eat a grilled cheese sandwich, and reconvene on Monday.

*throws shoe at Eleven*

[Claude Balls]

I'm not giving up yet at all.  But tonight was sloppy and slow until it was too late.

 

Let's all chill out, eat a grilled cheese sandwich, and reconvene on Monday.

I like the cut of your jib

[darksabre]

I'm not giving up yet at all. But tonight was sloppy and slow until it was too late.

 

Let's all chill out, eat a grilled cheese sandwich, and reconvene on Monday.

That's a good idea. Grilled cheese sandwiches are good for the soul.

[Beer]

Did the NHL make any changes to goalie equipment this year? Shrink the pads?

[darksabre]

Did the NHL make any changes to goalie equipment this year? Shrink the pads?

Smaller pants. I think that's all.

[Sabel79]

Both coaches, IMO, are going to want to destroy all film of this game and just bag skate everybody tomorrow.

 

I honestly don't think I saw either team string two passes together all night. What a wierd game.

[Randall Flagg]

A few more random thoughts - 

 

Last year we had several themes. One was that Jack wasn't great at even strength, scoring-wise, relative to his peers in the league. he has 2 points at even strength in 2 games now, and the Sabres don't have any ES goals without him being involved yet, when they were more likely to score them with another line last year. This implies that the rest of the team will catch up. 

Another one was the power play. It was deadly. It has the same guys. They are moving the puck excellently. They've also lazily given up 3 SHG, which one could argue is the single difference between where we are and 2-0. If the Sabres' power play is the reason they've lost, and the Sabres' power play can move the puck like that, things are going to fix themselves, and when they do we'll be fine. There is no chance they keep up the pace of SHG against per game, and there's no chance they don't rise to near the top on the power play. 

The PK looked very good, which was nice to see. 

 

A lot of mental errors and kinks. The issues that everyone predicted, not ones we didn't expect. Correctable ones. 

 

Loved how Kane and Okposo battled all game. The Barzal empty net play was hysterical. 

 

Last year, the Sabres struggles were systematic and predicted and their wins were unsustainable. So far this season, IMO, those roles have switched, as outlined above, which is why I'm not panicking.
 

Edited October 8, 2017 by Randall Flagg

[darksabre]

A few more random thoughts -

 

Last year we had several themes. One was that Jack wasn't great at even strength, scoring-wise, relative to his peers in the league. he has 2 points at even strength in 2 games now, and the Sabres don't have any ES goals without him being involved yet, when they were more likely to score them with another line last year. This implies that the rest of the team will catch up.

 

Another one was the power play. It was deadly. It has the same guys. They are moving the puck excellently. They've also lazily given up 3 SHG, which one could argue is the single difference between where we are and 2-0. If the Sabres' power play is the reason they've lost, and the Sabres' power play can move the puck like that, things are going to fix themselves, and when they do we'll be fine. There is no chance they keep up the pace of SHG against per game, and there's no chance they don't rise to near the top on the power play.

 

The PK looked very good, which was nice to see.

 

A lot of mental errors and kinks. The issues that everyone predicted, not ones we didn't expect. Correctable ones.

 

Loved how Kane and Okposo battled all game. The Barzal empty net play was hysterical.

 

Last year, the Sabres struggles were systematic and predicted and their wins were unsustainable. So far this season, IMO, those roles have switched, as outlined above, which is why I'm not panicking.

 

Our PP is good when Jack shoots. They aren't setting Jack up enough. Every time he takes a one-timer it's dangerous. Why on Earth would we try to do anything but that?

[Huckleberry]

Y'all are nuts.

 

We walked into Edmonton game 2 last year and ran them out of their building 6-2. What exactly did that game tell us about our respective seasons?

 

Nobody's clicking, we've faced God-in-goal and a team fresh off a 5-0 loss entering their home opener, and we were a lazy missed-pick call from the ref on the 5th goal and an eyelash away from a tie game. At least we didn't lose 10-1 like the champs did. 

 

If you're selling off your tickets now, I cannot fathom why you'd have them in the first place. 

 

These boys need to hitch up their trousers and go to work and they know it. New Jersey had better watch out. 

 

thank you :D

[erickompositör72]

I don't want to say that I think Johnson is a better goalie than Lehner, because I don't really know how to evaluate goalies, but the same thing happened tonight that happened a few times when they were the goalies two years ago. Johnson comes in to relieve and in the same game looks so much more poised and controlled that you'd think he was the starter, not the backup. 

 

The problem is, he's too poised. He doesn't have that fighting/battle instinct, he doesn't fight for the puck, he doesn't break his neck trying to regain position when he's down, etc etc. I think he's a great backup. Unfortunately, he may be the best thing we have, ATM

 

Our PP is good when Jack shoots. They aren't setting Jack up enough. Every time he takes a one-timer it's dangerous. Why on Earth would we try to do anything but that?

 

All the teams have watched the tape by now, and they know the drill- take away the Eichel one-timer. I still agree with you, but it's going to be harder, and it's going to take some practice for them to create that opening. I think they attempted it once or twice, but it wasn't tape-to-tape.

Edited October 8, 2017 by ericcomposer72

[LGR4GM]

They played like garbage, what a joke.

[dudacek]

Y'all are nuts.

 

We walked into Edmonton game 2 last year and ran them out of their building 6-2. What exactly did that game tell us about our respective seasons?

 

Nobody's clicking, we've faced God-in-goal and a team fresh off a 5-0 loss entering their home opener, and we were a lazy missed-pick call from the ref on the 5th goal and an eyelash away from a tie game. At least we didn't lose 10-1 like the champs did. 

 

If you're selling off your tickets now, I cannot fathom why you'd have them in the first place. 

 

These boys need to hitch up their trousers and go to work and they know it. New Jersey had better watch out. 

 

Perspective. (a Neoism)

Good on ya.

 

We sucked tonight.

Does not mean we suck.

[pastajoe]

When is the next McDavid coming to the draft? Although it won't matter, because we lose those too.

Middlestat looks like he's going to be a star in a few years if he keeps progressing.

[bunomatic]

They played like garbage, what a joke.

Agreed.

[Tom Backyard]

Man guys,

 

I have probably been to a dozen Sabres-Islanders games and I have never been treated like I was tonight. It wasn't just a few meatheads either. It was pretty widespread throughout the night. Started outside Barclays and continued right through until we got into our cab. Bathrooms, concourse, seats. You name it.

 

Anyone else share that experience?