GDT GDT: Sabres at Coyotes, 10 ET, 11/2/2017

[WildCard]

You're like the parent with a misbehaving kid who counts down from  3 to 2 to one and a half, one and a quarter, one and one eighth!!! DAKOTA ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME?????

:lol: :lol:

[North Buffalo]

You're like the parent with a misbehaving kid who counts down from 3 to 2 to one and a half, one and a quarter, one and one eighth!!! DAKOTA ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME?????

Didn’t know if I wanted to laugh at this one or sigh in frustration.

Edited November 3, 2017 by North Buffalo

[PASabreFan]

Prior to Jack making the dish to Kane for nice goal I thought Jack fumbled the puck but, after seeing it again in slow mo I change my mind, that was a sick move of peak-A-Boo I See You whoops I don't. Dang the kid has high speed hands.

I also heard Sully hit those birds on purpose.

Which goals do you put on Lehner in this one?  The first two are Ristolainen.  The 4th was a nasty screen.  A goaltender cannot overcome terrible defense.  You hope for a few big saves (and we saw them last night) and for the rest you hope the D limits the quality of scoring opportunity ( we didn't see that last night).  The goaltending isn't the issue.  The defensive zone coverage is a much bigger issue at the moment.

I think this is the rare game where you have to give your goalie a pass, he was that good. But to be honest, the second goal can't happen. That's a Lehner Special and gave Arizona hope. Big rebound on the third goal too. If those goals tie and win the game, it's a different discussion.

[That Aud Smell]

Prior to Jack making the dish to Kane for nice goal I thought Jack fumbled the puck but, after seeing it again in slow mo I change my mind, that was a sick move of peak-A-Boo I See You whoops I don't. Dang the kid has high speed hands.

 

I only saw the highlights and that's absolutely what I saw. Call it the not-quite-all-the-way-around-the-world (a la Vanek), something intended to freeze the goalie a bit.

[PASabreFan]

I only saw the highlights and that's absolutely what I saw. Call it the not-quite-all-the-way-around-the-world (a la Vanek), something intended to freeze the goalie a bit.

I feel like Mr. Pitt in the episode of Seinfeld where he can't adjust his eyes the right way to see the spaceship in the painting. I keep watching the replay, but I can't see Eichel doing that on purpose. Unless he is an evil genius.

[darksabre]

I feel like Mr. Pitt in the episode of Seinfeld where he can't adjust his eyes the right way to see the spaceship in the painting. I keep watching the replay, but I can't see Eichel doing that on purpose. Unless he is an evil genius.

I think we're confusing Jack's recovery from taking that Kane pass on the heel of his stick for something deliberate. It worked out that it did in fact freeze the goalie, but I don't think Jack was trying to catch that pass on the heel of his stick. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

Do we call that a good win?  Does playing great for 20 minutes against a bad team count as a good win?  

 

I understood the lack of legs in the first.  Travel and 4 days off; i expected a slow start.  Lehner was great keeping us in the game.  

 

The Sabres then played flawlessly in the 2nd only to fall asleep in the 3rd.  Thrilled about Pouliot.  Griffith is now 200% better then Grant.  I thought Jack's line was terrible.  Kane made 3 giveaways in the 1st that made me almost go back to the Bills game.  Kane also on a 2 on 1 with Jack didn't even lookup to see if he had anyone with him and then hit Raanta in the chest protector.  If he passed to Jack we would have been up 1 instead of down one in the 1st.  

[That Aud Smell]

I think we're confusing Jack's recovery from taking that Kane pass on the heel of his stick for something deliberate. It worked out that it did in fact freeze the goalie, but I don't think Jack was trying to catch that pass on the heel of his stick. 

 

Ahhhh. I see that now. Yes.

 

Well, I'll submit that both things happened. He received it less than cleanly, and then intentionally gave a little unnecessary woop-woop before passing it back.

[LGR4GM]

http://buffalonews.com/2017/11/03/sabres-okposo-finally-enjoys-net-result/

It tied the game, 1-1, and propelled the Sabres to a 5-1 lead. They barely held on after allowing three goals in the final 7:49.

 

totally unacceptable outcome for this game. 3 goals in 8 minutes is the exact reason the Sabres are terrible, they give up for stretches. 

[bob_sauve28]

I'm a little confused by your comment, did you think they played well the first few games of the season?? It appears to me they are very susceptible to a counter-attack and they are confused as to who should be defending who in front of the net.

One defender appears to have a man and the 2nd defender is oblivious to what's going on around him. As for the counter attacks, I can't remember so many 2 on 1s, 3 on 2s and clean breakaways against us as this season has progressed.

No, I think they played terrible the first few games, just like they did early on last night with all the break aways. That's why I think they regressed while off 

[jsb]

 I thought Jack's line was terrible.  Kane made 3 giveaways in the 1st that made me almost go back to the Bills game.  Kane also on a 2 on 1 with Jack didn't even lookup to see if he had anyone with him and then hit Raanta in the chest protector.  If he passed to Jack we would have been up 1 instead of down one in the 1st.  

 

We were tied after the first. As for Kane, he leads the team in goals, he leads the team in points, he leads the team in Power Play assists (yes look it up and he's not on the PP1 team) and he leads the league in Short Handed Goals. But alas, he's not perfect so his line and he in particular suck. And I wonder why I grind my teeth, can we at least be somewhat fair and blast guys who aren't producing at all as opposed to it always being him in particular.

No, I think they played terrible the first few games, just like they did early on last night with all the break aways. That's why I think they regressed while off 

Gotcha!!!

Edited November 3, 2017 by jsb

[PASabreFan]

Evander Kane=Tyrod Taylor?

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Well at least they hung on there at the end, barely.

 

A win is a win, but that was pretty bad.

[MattPie]

I only caught the first 2 periods so these are my observations:

 

That might have been Reinhart's best game as a Sabre Center, in fact I like he and Girgensons together.

Pouliot's best game as a Sabre

ROR appears to be coming around.

Eichel was fine but I expected more out of him in this type of fast paced game.

Keller is for real. Wow, how would you like him instead of Nylander at the moment. The kids pace is just phenomenal

Our D is atrocious. Just absolutely terrible. Have we over rated Risto because he was the best of the worst?? Just always seems to be a step behind mentally.

We were winning because of Lehner, I haven't said that all year. I haven't seen the last 3 goals by the Yotes, but if they were anything like the SOGs from the first 2 periods our D was non-existent.

I think that was Kane's 3rd short handed goal this season. In fact I just looked it up and he leads the league in that category. Nice

 

We probably have overrated Risto. He may be mentally behind, however, from having at least three coaches[0] with wildly different systems in the five years he's been in the league. Maybe some stability (?) will help him, maybe he's always just going to be half a step slow.

 

[0] Housley, HHDCRGDDB, Nolan, maybe Rolston (I don't remember how his 34 games in 2013-14 were spread out).

Edited November 3, 2017 by MattPie

[Randall Flagg]

So another 20 games or so of Kane-Jack at even strength because of that super-sustainable and reliable 2 on 0 shorthanded breakaway right?

[dudacek]

Those (and I don’t know if they exist) who thought Risto is a true #1 overrated him.

But he is a better player than he has been this year, a legit first pairing guy.

 

He proved it over the previous two seasons.

 

If he, Okposo and Reinhart (who I liked last night) start playing the way they can, the team can start climbing the ladder.

So another 20 games or so of Kane-Jack at even strength because of that super-sustainable and reliable 2 on 0 shorthanded breakaway right?

I want Kane/Reinhart and Eichel/Girgensons too, but the “jack and Evander have no chemistry” meme is starting to reach “Lehner is terrible” status.

 

This team has worse problems.

Edited November 3, 2017 by dudacek

[Randall Flagg]

Those (and I don’t know if they exist) who thought Risto is a true #1 overrated him.

But he is a better player than he has been this year, a legit first pairing guy.

 

He proved it over the previous two seasons.

 

If he, Okposo and Reinhart (who I liked last night) start playing the way they can, the team can start climbing the ladder.

I want Kane/Reinhart and Eichel/Girgensons too, but the “jack and Evander have no chemistry” meme is starting to reach “Lehner is terrible” status.

 

This team has worse problems.

That's good, because Lehner is not a good goalie  :nana:

 

We aren't a good team and so I tune in to watch our best player get neutralized with a weak lineup that could be boosted by having Evander by himself be one of those crap lines, while opening up Jack to actually have the puck once in a while and not get hemmed in because Kane missed a pass, missed an open net, or dumped the puck backwards leading to 2 minutes of pressure against because the forwards were expecting him to pass it to them and not 10 feet the other way onto a Coyotes stick. I don't even want to watch this team right now. Not because they're bad, but because Jack has not been Jack. He's being made invisible at even strength by his own blind coach and a linemate that he doesn't work with. Phil will cite the one drop pass in the second period. That was literally the only thing Kane and Eichel did together in an entire game of hockey and it was pointed out here and at hfboards that hey u kane h8ers look at that see.

 

If we're getting a completed pass and a drive towards the net resulting from it as the result of a full game of action from our star, and it's NOT because of his linemate who has mountains of evidence against him, then we had better trade our star while his value is still high and try again because that doesn't do it for me or for anyone. Not when I see what other stars do per game and what I've seen Jack do with my own eyes before. This is not enough and it's not Jack's fault and it's not being changed. I can't handle it anymore.

 

[Randall Flagg]

To expand on the other stars thing, Jack is in some special company. The only NHLer not named Crosby/Ovechkin/Malkin/Kopitar/McDavid to have as many points as young as he is in the last 20 years or something. This is off the top of my head in case somebody wants to crucify me for it, it might not be exactly right but it's close. Matthews will be there too. I watch these guys forging identities with linemates. Matthews-Nylander-Hyman absolutely dominate people when they play together. They're the Harlem Globetrotters. They make you say "wow they could have scored there" fifteen times in a given game. P. Kane and these other guys are also like that. Jack has shown he can do that too. He's given us a treasure trove of moments. But we're now satisfied because one of three things happens - Kane or Jack completely by themselves rush the puck and almost sorta get a scoring chance. Then the puck comes back the other way and hopefully they can get off without allowing a goal. Then in the second period, Kane will do a 3 foot drop pass and Jack will get a shot on goal. Then the only thing of note is how long they get hemmed in, or how close that line almost gets to setting up a cycle. Anything more than 2 passes to other Sabres is too much to ask though, because they're all in the wrong spots at the same time. 

Jack does not always play like this. Rewatch the game with Foligno and Sam flanking him against Ottawa, and watch what that line did together. Name 2 shifts this entire season where Jack, Evander, and Pominville actually buzzed like that. BUZZED, not two cycles and a perimeter shot that gets turned the other way. We've seen Jack not be like this, but only for 4 periods THIS season. Watch other super stars. Know that Jack can do that stuff. Expect it. We should not be happy with the even-strength display of these players because Jack can be so much more right this second and Kane will be exactly the same even through the apocalypse. And 2 on 0 shorthanded breakaways and goalie-pulling fluke shots will not change my mind or make this team bearable to watch. 

[LTS]

I also heard Sully hit those birds on purpose.

I think this is the rare game where you have to give your goalie a pass, he was that good. But to be honest, the second goal can't happen. That's a Lehner Special and gave Arizona hope. Big rebound on the third goal too. If those goals tie and win the game, it's a different discussion.

 

I agree on the 3rd goal.  You can't put a rebound out front like that.  I've just watched the second goal over and over again.  I'll go with you on the second goal to a certain degree.  I think Lehner believed he was going to tip it five hole but even if that was the case Lehner's positioning from the post down to the butterfly was not good.  At the same time you watch the replay and look at Ristolainen just watch Rinaldo go by him and tip it into the net and you wonder what in the hell he's thinking.  If he skates with Rinaldo then he can probably get his stick in there to keep him from getting a good tip.

[Weave]

Evander Kane=Tyrod Taylor?

Something, something, Civil War, something...

[Sabres Fan in NS]

You're like the parent with a misbehaving kid who counts down from  3 to 2 to one and a half, one and a quarter, one and one eighth!!! DAKOTA ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME?????

 

This is great.

 

:lol:

[dudacek]

This is great.

 

:lol:

The "DAKOTA" is perfect

[Doohickie]

I only caught the first 2 periods so these are my observations:

 

That might have been Reinhart's best game as a Sabre Center, in fact I like he and Girgensons together.

Pouliot's best game as a Sabre

ROR appears to be coming around.

Eichel was fine but I expected more out of him in this type of fast paced game.

Keller is for real. Wow, how would you like him instead of Nylander at the moment. The kids pace is just phenomenal

Our D is atrocious. Just absolutely terrible. Have we over rated Risto because he was the best of the worst?? Just always seems to be a step behind mentally.

We were winning because of Lehner, I haven't said that all year. I haven't seen the last 3 goals by the Yotes, but if they were anything like the SOGs from the first 2 periods our D was non-existent.

I think that was Kane's 3rd short handed goal this season. In fact I just looked it up and he leads the league in that category. Nice

 

Yes.