GDT: Florida Panthers at Buffalo Sabres, 7pm, 11/10/17

[Jacque Richard]

Pegula got his hockey franchise in one fine mess. Now what. Lifeless crowd. Zero tho cheer about

All the talent in the world isn’t gonna change here

[Huckleberry]

I was just looking at our goal, I don't like Nolan , but hell yeah creat some havoc infront of the goalie.

He blurs the line of sight , and kyle redirects it nicely, that is just basic hockey sense I wish some more of our attacks had.

 

Go stand in front of the goalie , sacrifice your freaking body.

[inkman]

My God you can't ask for any more from your goalie.

Apparently you haven't been following. We traded a first round pick for him so anything outside of a sub 1.00 GAA and a. 999 save percentage means he sucks.

[Kruppstahl]

Pretty sure Jack has checked out. He sees the same BS we do, but he is much closer to it. Time to try again TP!!

Don't give him the luxury of assuming he has simply "checked out."

 

He is part of the problem too.  His game is completely directionless, he plays in fits and starts when he feels like it, and has a bad habit of metaphorically hanging his head when things don't go right or he doesn't get a good bounce.

 

I am quickly turning into a detractor of Jack.  As far as team-leading generational talents go, he sucks.

[inkman]

Honestly, if I gotta read all the hyperbole regarding Jack I'm just gonna tune this place the out. Bye bye.

[Kruppstahl]

Apparently you haven't been following. We traded a first round pick for him so anything outside of a sub 1.00 GAA and a. 999 save percentage means he sucks.

Lehner was terrible tonight, but picking on him to explain this team's many failures is ridiculous.

 

The guy who needs to come under some fire now is Housley.  

 

He clearly doesn't get it, refuses to make in-game adjustments (can't make?) and quite clearly has the team lost or flat out playing to spite the guy.

 

We all know that Pegula is not afraid to fire guys when he thinks it's time.

 

I wonder when Pegula will think it's time with Phil.

 

His days are numbered around here.

[nfreeman]

I’m officially done with Lehner.

 

I know he made some nice saves, but the GWG, like many others he’s given up this year, was simply unacceptable.

 

A legit NHL starter cannot give that goal up in the 3rd period of a tie game.

 

The team must have zero confidence in him, and rightly so.

 

I’m pretty much certain that he’s gone after this year, and that this will be another lost year.

 

I also think that if the Sabres had too-10 goaltending they’d be in the playoff hunt.

[Randall Flagg]

I’m officially done with Lehner.

 

I know he made some nice saves, but the GWG, like many others he’s given up this year, was simply unacceptable.

 

A legit NHL starter cannot give that goal up in the 3rd period of a tie game.

 

The team must have zero confidence in him, and rightly so.

 

I’m pretty much certain that he’s gone after this year, and that this will be another lost year.

 

I also think that if the Sabres had too-10 goaltending they’d be in the playoff hunt.

I want to congratulate him on some of the insane saves he made and for a good stat line, but I feel this way too. 

 

The dude fights the puck and doesn't play goalie like a guy whose dad is a goaltending coach should. Fundamentals seem absolutely horrendous night in and night out. 

[SabresBillsFan]

Pretty sure Jack has checked out. He sees the same BS we do, but he is much closer to it. Time to try again TP!!

He has looked uninspired almost every game. Instead of turning up his game after signing that big contract looks like he’s just going through the motions.

Purely addressing the Knights, they are unraveling and will settle towards the bottom of the standings soon enough.

No we Knights ain’t unraveling. This team works pretty damn hard and are more fun to watch then Buffalo. And in case your wondering yes I was born and raised in Buffalo and grew up a Sabres fan but have lived in Vegas longer. I have partial season seats and have watched many practices and this team just works and works hard. It’s like we have 3 second lines and a better defense than Buffalo.

[Randall Flagg]

He has looked uninspired almost every game. Instead of turning up his game after signing that big contract looks like he’s just going through the motions.

 

No we Knights ain’t unraveling. This team works pretty damn hard and are more fun to watch then Buffalo. And in case your wondering yes I was born and raised in Buffalo and grew up a Sabres fan but have lived in Vegas longer. I have partial season seats and have watched many practices and this team just works and works hard. It’s like we have 3 second lines and a better defense than Buffalo.

Friendly avatar bet on where they finish the season in the standings?

[Iron Crotch]

I’m officially done with Lehner.

 

I know he made some nice saves, but the GWG, like many others he’s given up this year, was simply unacceptable.

 

A legit NHL starter cannot give that goal up in the 3rd period of a tie game.

 

The team must have zero confidence in him, and rightly so.

 

I’m pretty much certain that he’s gone after this year, and that this will be another lost year.

 

I also think that if the Sabres had too-10 goaltending they’d be in the playoff hunt.

 

Lehner makes the spectacular saves but gives up the softies. And, he is the worst shootout goalie in the NHL (not even debatable). I kind of think Johnson is the opposite of Lehner - doesn't give up many softies but doesn't make the spectacular save.

[Randall Flagg]

Do you guys remember how fast Jack was? Is it his ankle? Speed is so hard to really judge accurately but I don't see anything like what I saw from him between 2014 and the end of his rookie year. 

[SabresBillsFan]

Do you guys remember how fast Jack was? Is it his ankle? Speed is so hard to really judge accurately but I don't see anything like what I saw from him between 2014 and the end of his rookie year.

He looks uninspired. I went to Anaheim and then came back home to watch Buffalo play here in Vegas and it’s like watching that player who knows he could be a dominant factor in the game but dumbs down his game and just moves the puck around. It’s actually disappointing watching him. And Yes Vegas should finish better than Buffalo. We have better defense, better goalies and players that actually play hard unlike Buffalo. I’m still a Sabres fan but they are just no fun to watch.

Edited November 11, 2017 by SabresBillsFan

[Randall Flagg]

He looks uninspired. I went to Anaheim and then came back home to watch Buffalo play here in Vegas and it’s like watching that player who knows he could be a dominant factor in the game but dumbs down his game and just moves the puck around. It’s actually disappointing watching him. And Yes Vegas should finish better than Buffalo. We have better defense, better goalies and players that actually play hard unlike Buffalo. I’m still a Sabres fan but they are just no fun to watch.

I wouldn't be comfortable with the parameters being with respect to Buffalo - I would be comfortable betting that they finish 23rd in the NHL standings or lower. 

[Hawerchuk]

Speaking of "expansion level bad," can someone explain to me how the Golden Knights are currently the 7th best team in the league while we are currently the 30th?

They have a relentless forecheck and they spread around the scoring with 3rd n 4th line guys. High goal differential too. Something Buffalo doesn’t have at all!

 

Plus VGK have a lot of speed and getting some good goaltending even though their top 3 goalies are out. Fluery should be back very soon. Lastly Gerard Gallant really has these guys prepared every game. It’s been a fun team to watch so far.

[SabresBillsFan]

I just can’t believe how boring the Sabres have become. Very upsetting. I don’t mind if you lose but work and if you lose then so be it.

They have a relentless forecheck and they spread around the scoring with 3rd n 4th line guys. High goal differential too. Something Buffalo doesn’t have at all!

 

Plus VGK have a lot of speed and getting some good goaltending even though their top 3 goalies are out. Fluery should be back very soon. Lastly Gerard Gallant really has these guys prepared every game. It’s been a fun team to watch so far.

I agree and spot on review of this team. I really like a 4th line as well. They are a solid line of Carrier, Nosek, and Bellamore. A lot of people think we have 2-3 second lines.

[ubkev]

Why do I laugh so much when I wake up and read these threads after we got smoked?

[Thorny]

All I think is what I see, Imagine if we had a Karlsonn on our D, with Risto, Scandella and McCabe, and our bottom pair is Guhle - Antipin.

###### yeah I'm going full tank mode.

Adding one great player to an already terrible defence isn't going to make the D great.

 

I’m officially done with Lehner.

I know he made some nice saves, but the GWG, like many others he’s given up this year, was simply unacceptable.

A legit NHL starter cannot give that goal up in the 3rd period of a tie game.

The team must have zero confidence in him, and rightly so.

I’m pretty much certain that he’s gone after this year, and that this will be another lost year.

I also think that if the Sabres had too-10 goaltending they’d be in the playoff hunt.

Really?? The only reason we *were even in the game* was because of Lehner. If we had JAG in net today, we lose by much more. A stellar goaltending performance today wasn't enough to save them against the team that at the time of the game was in last place. Because our forwards don't score and our D don't defend.

 

There is NFW we are in the playoff hunt with any goalie in net not named The Dominator.

 

Lehner's great save off Antipin's brutal turnover *quite literally* cancels out the GWG he gave up. It's like people have forgotten that a goal counts for the same whether it's scored in the first or third.

 

Are we blaming Lehner if he gives up the one on Antipin's brutal give away? Of course not. Then say he makes the save on the GWG shot. We still lose by the same. Yet in this other hypothetical world Lehner is fine?

 

I feel like I'm taking crazy pills.

 

Do you guys remember how fast Jack was? Is it his ankle? Speed is so hard to really judge accurately but I don't see anything like what I saw from him between 2014 and the end of his rookie year.

 

100%. I've noticed this too, yet no one I mention it to in person seems to have any idea what I'm talking about. Honestly this is the first time I've read someone else say it. His speed used to blow me away. I remember thinking he was damn fast. It's completely changed!

Edited November 11, 2017 by Thorny

[SabresBillsFan]

100%. I've noticed this too, yet no one I mention it to in person seems to have any idea what I'm talking about. Honestly this is the first time I've read someone else say it. His speed used to blow me away. I remember thinking he was damn fast. It's completely changed!

I just think he looks uninspired. For a guy that just got paid this is uncalled for. Him and O’Reilly need to be leaders and make the players around them better. But then you look at another issue this team has is overall team speed which they lack. Yes if they hustle and work hard they can compensate for some of that. But overall watching this team, they can’t play a 60 minute game to save their life. Just disappointing. It’s like they wake up on certain games and look like they might put it together and then other games it looks like they don’t know how to play the system. Like I said in previous posts if they skate hard and lose then so be it but what we have seen the last few years is complete garbage. If I still lived there I would be giving up my season seats until they figure out how to play a complete 60 minute game.

Edited November 11, 2017 by SabresBillsFan

[GoPuckYourself]

Better goaltending- Lehner makes these unbelievable saves and then let's in a stinker from the blue line that my 11 year old saves routinely. Bring up Ullmark, trade/bench Lehner he's way too inconsistent.

 

Better defense- Ristolainen is pretty much good and everyone else is meh, right now Kane is our only bet on getting a top notch defensemen to pair with him and I wouldn't wait to the trade deadline, if he gets injured before that time I think we'll lose him for nothing.

 

 

Team Speed- The problem is this team is assembled of players who are all pretty much the same player, reminds me very much like Edmonton, good skill players but these guys don't have that game changing speed, even Eichel was never the fastest guy on the ice. I think we'll have to rethink this and maybe trade away Reinhart and get some speed in here, I'm not sure how fast Middlestat is or Nylander.

[Trettioåtta]

Sabres score 1 goal and Sabrespsace blames the goalie for the loss... seems about right.

[Scottysabres]

3 things I notice with this team, and these 3 things have gone on for 5 to 6 years now, across multiple management regime changes.

1. Effort. Its been the same story year after year. Playing 20 minutes out of 60, etc...etc...

2. Lack of defensive scoring. This has really come on strong in the last 3 seasons, but the defensemen on this team do not pot the puck.

3. Speed with puck possession. This team has made terrible puck moving decisions. Passing is horribly bad, breakouts are predicted by opponents night in and night out. They rarely win puck battles.

 

These things, imo, are culture related. There is a lack of drive in the players to be better, a lack of chemistry among almost the entire roster, and that to me in any event, is culture.

Until someone, anyone, coach, GM, players, makes a concerted effort to change this, we will continue to see the same team product on the ice game after game.

[Gramps]

3 things I notice with this team, and these 3 things have gone on for 5 to 6 years now, across multiple management regime changes.

1. Effort. Its been the same story year after year. Playing 20 minutes out of 60, etc...etc...

2. Lack of defensive scoring. This has really come on strong in the last 3 seasons, but the defensemen on this team do not pot the puck.

3. Speed with puck possession. This team has made terrible puck moving decisions. Passing is horribly bad, breakouts are predicted by opponents night in and night out. They rarely win puck battles.

 

These things, imo, are culture related. There is a lack of drive in the players to be better, a lack of chemistry among almost the entire roster, and that to me in any event, is culture.

Until someone, anyone, coach, GM, players, makes a concerted effort to change this, we will continue to see the same team product on the ice game after game.

 

Lack of talent combined with lack of effort. It's all about being a professional and showing up every day for practice and games. Housley has very little to do with it as these guys wouldn't win with any system or any coach. 

[That Aud Smell]

Do you guys remember how fast Jack was? Is it his ankle? Speed is so hard to really judge accurately but I don't see anything like what I saw from him between 2014 and the end of his rookie year.

Confidence. It’s a motherfukcer.

[bob_sauve28]

So we can't score against the team that can't stop other teams from scoring.

 

I was confused by the line match ups. ROR was basically checking the Huberdahl line and was terrible. The ice was completely tilted towards our end when they were on the ice. Shouldn't a combination of Grigs, Nolan and Larson have been the checking line? ROR was a non factor offensively as he was in our zone most of the night. I just don't understand that match up, or at least seeing how badly it was working out and changing it