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

[Weave]

Poulliot has a hearing with the league for his hit on Yandle.

[Frieda]

Florida deserved that one. The Sabres are running around like chicken's with their heads cut off.

We were sitting in 303 and had a cat's eye view of that entire 2nd period in the Sabre end. Looked like Fla was on PP for the whole 20 min. It wasn't a matter if Fla scored but when. 

Edited November 11, 2017 by Frieda

[Frieda]

Didn't you see the hit one of the bubble players laid at center during the second intermission?

That was the highlight of the evening!  I would of thought ribs at Kentucky Greg's would have been the high point of the evening but I left my leftovers there sitting in the box!  :(

[Radar]

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

This is something that bothers me. We've focused a lot on having a weak defense but I have been just as concerned about our offense. Our top guys, or at least the guys I thought were our top guys, just aren't getting much done offensively. Even Jack looks quite average compared to my expectations.

[PASabreFan]

That was the highlight of the evening!  I would of thought ribs at Kentucky Greg's would have been the high point of the evening but I left my leftovers there sitting in the box!  :(

I believe when we die we get all the leftovers we left behind in restaurants. Then socks, pens, hair etc.

[Frieda]

Hope so! Those were damn good ribs!  :worthy:

[SabresBillsFan]

How many others on this board seem to notice Jack looks uninspired and he never turns it up a notch. A lot of coasting and not shooting as much as he the last two years. It’s like he knows he can half ass the game and still put up a point per game.

[rjones71]

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

You and I both know that's bullcrap. It was the equipment managers fault. This team is no fun to watch anymore.

[bunomatic]

For everyone lamenting the GWG Lehner let in go back and watch the play and specifically watch Falk in front. He makes a half hearted attempt to stop the puck by kicking his leg out. Thats why Lehner missed that puck. He lost sight of it. If you're gonna block a shot block the shot or stay out of the way. Simple minor hockey coaching. Otherwise Lehner kept us in that game when we had no business being in it. 

[darksabre]

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 caught a Vegas game the other night. What stood out to me was how aggressive they are on the puck, especially the opposing puck carrier. Plus they are not lacking in talent. Marchessault had some nice moves. They're just a gritty team that tries to smother their opponents with the forecheck. 

[Randall Flagg]

I caught a Vegas game the other night. What stood out to me was how aggressive they are on the puck, especially the opposing puck carrier. Plus they are not lacking in talent. Marchessault had some nice moves. They're just a gritty team that tries to smother their opponents with the forecheck. 

I will never believe this. They are without a doubt one of the least talented rosters in the league. IMO, the least talented. They're not mentally weak though. They're gelling in a simple system and riding high vibes to start the year and as soon as they leave that building they lose 5 of 6 against other mediocre teams like they're supposed to. Nosek, Hunt, Bellemare (who had records for being the lowest scoring player to play x amount of games over the last 4 years) in the bottom six with Eakin and Perron and Reilly Smith (if he was here we'd be pining for 2013 Drew Stafford instead) playing key roles on the top lines, and a center group of Karlsson, Haula, Bellemare, and Eakin/Lindberg. If this team was playing in Buffalo during a standard dreary season they get 58 points. 

Just because the Sabres are untalented enough that they get 25 shots off on a team that was averaging like 39 against this season, and none from a remotely dangerous area, doesn't mean that other more talented but still untalented teams are actually good :lol:

 

We're going to be shell-shocked when we play Tampa. The things Stamkos, Kucherov, and Namestnikov are doing are insane.

[Sabel79]

For everyone lamenting the GWG Lehner let in go back and watch the play and specifically watch Falk in front. He makes a half hearted attempt to stop the puck by kicking his leg out. Thats why Lehner missed that puck. He lost sight of it. If you're gonna block a shot block the shot or stay out of the way. Simple minor hockey coaching. Otherwise Lehner kept us in that game when we had no business being in it. 

Falk was pretty much responsible for both (non-EN) goals.  

[darksabre]

Flagg, you don't have to believe me, but you should watch them. They look good.

Edited November 11, 2017 by d4rksabre

[Randall Flagg]

Flagg, you don't have to believe me, but you should watch them. They look good.

I've watched what would total to about 5 games of theirs, and they were leading the games for about 70% of that time :lol: So I guess I'm fighting that, but they did not impress me still. Even a little bit. I saw so much hanging on for dear life and then capitalizing. The tank Sabres went 10-3-3 for a stretch, but 82 games is a long time, and they also lost 14 in a row in regulation. 

Edited November 11, 2017 by Randall Flagg

[TrueBlueGED]

We didn't lose last night because of Lehner, nor are we in the dumps because of him alone. But dude is sitting on a .905 SV%, good for 21st in the league among goalies with at least 10 starts. I'm not blaming him for the state of the team, but there's no need to apologize for him, he's been below average so far this year and is one of a good many problems with the team.

I've watched what would total to about 5 games of theirs, and they were leading the games for about 70% of that time :lol: So I guess I'm fighting that, but they did not impress me still. Even a little bit. I saw so much hanging on for dear life and then capitalizing. The tank Sabres went 10-3-3 for a stretch, but 82 games is a long time, and they also lost 14 in a row in regulation.

Yea...I may join Jeremy White and offer to eat a flip flop if they make the playoffs. They're bad.

[SabresBillsFan]

I will never believe this. They are without a doubt one of the least talented rosters in the league. IMO, the least talented. They're not mentally weak though. They're gelling in a simple system and riding high vibes to start the year and as soon as they leave that building they lose 5 of 6 against other mediocre teams like they're supposed to. Nosek, Hunt, Bellemare (who had records for being the lowest scoring player to play x amount of games over the last 4 years) in the bottom six with Eakin and Perron and Reilly Smith (if he was here we'd be pining for 2013 Drew Stafford instead) playing key roles on the top lines, and a center group of Karlsson, Haula, Bellemare, and Eakin/Lindberg. If this team was playing in Buffalo during a standard dreary season they get 58 points.

Just because the Sabres are untalented enough that they get 25 shots off on a team that was averaging like 39 against this season, and none from a remotely dangerous area, doesn't mean that other more talented but still untalented teams are actually good :lol:

 

We're going to be shell-shocked when we play Tampa. The things Stamkos, Kucherov, and Namestnikov are doing are insane.

Randall they are better than Buffalo and are playing a simple game but they have players who can skate and they work hard. It’s okay if you think they aren’t good but at least they work hard for one another which is more than I can say about Buffalo. And Bellamare if you were to watch him closely like we do in Vegas is actually a pretty darn good 2 way forward. Yes he’s not gonna wow you with offense but his defensive game is solid. You have to know that a lot of these players have gotten expanded roles and are making the most out of it. Karlsson hasn’t been in the league that long and is a solid two way player. Plus a career AHLer in Brad Hunt has been playing solid defense. I will tell you this much we have a better defense and better goalies then Buffalo.

[Randall Flagg]

Randall they are better than Buffalo and are playing a simple game but they have players who can skate and they work hard. It’s okay if you think they aren’t good but at least they work hard for one another which is more than I can say about Buffalo. And Bellamare if you were to watch him closely like we do in Vegas is actually a pretty darn good 2 way forward. Yes he’s not gonna wow you with offense but his defensive game is solid. You have to know that a lot of these players have gotten expanded roles and are making the most out of it. Karlsson hasn’t been in the league that long and is a solid two way player. Plus a career AHLer in Brad Hunt has been playing solid defense. I will tell you this much we have a better defense and better goalies then Buffalo.

I agree that they are better than Buffalo - Buffalo is looking to be a bottom 3 team. In fact, there's not much in this post at all that I disagree with at the moment. But it's because Buffalo is so bad, not because I think Vegas is good. 

 

At this point though I'm ready to sit and see what the next few months of hockey brings us. We can only talk about it so much - let's see how they do. 

[SabresBillsFan]

Believe me Randall I'm upset as much as you with Buffalo. They should be better. Their Defense which I thought would be better doesn't look good at all. Eichel seems uninspired and the Reinhart experiment on the 3rd line isn't working. Put him back with Jack. The Powerplay which looked dangerous last year has seem to falter. This team is a mess. Plus it looks like many draft picks squandered on garbage. Very Sad state this team is in.

[Thorny]

The powerplay going from 1st to Worst is the most disappointing thing this season so far. Coaching staff a huge net negative in that regard. Or it just on the players? Both I guess.

[SabresBillsFan]

The powerplay going from 1st to Worst is the most disappointing thing this season so far. Coaching staff a huge net negative in that regard. Or it just on the players? Both I guess.

 

Pathetic. Eichel doesn't even seem like he wants to shoot the puck as much. I think this team doesn't like the system that Housley wants to play. Botteril has a mess on his hands. Plus as much as everyone wants Kane gone I just don't get it. All the games I watch him he plays hard. Yes he isn't that pure finisher but trading him and waiting more years for a player to develop if they even get that right player is even more concerning at this point.

[Randall Flagg]

The powerplay going from 1st to Worst is the most disappointing thing this season so far. Coaching staff a huge net negative in that regard. Or it just on the players? Both I guess.

It's weird. I see Eichel making a lot of mistakes on the power play with little good to show. But when they put the unit from last year together, they scored 2 goals in 2 periods (1 was disallowed). Then that unit was gone again, and now Risto is injured. ROR was horrible in his spot earlier but is doing better now. I think it's a combination of the players and the coach not keeping the same units together, but also who blames a new coach for trying a new, supposedly offensive acquisition on the power play? 

 

I mean, I do, but realistically, coaches are going to do that to evaluate

[Pokey Jones]

I was playing poker with a bunch of Leaf fans so I missed the game and saw a good portion of the Bruins Leafs game.

 

The good news is despite all the talk about how great the Leafs have rebuilt I wasn't that impressed with what they have. Aside from Matthews (who didn't play) they aren't all that special. Marner is fast but he's a one trick pony. Easy to check. Don't see him as a star.  Nylander is really fast but he is soft and shys away from contact. Sooooo if he is the "good Nylander" we should probably forget about our bad Nylander ever amounting to anything. Without Matthews he is nothing.

 

What the Leafs have though is a team that plays harder and is more in sync. These guys forecheck really well and are definitely better than us on the 3rd and 4th lines. Their D is mobile and they pass the puck better than us. I guess that comes down to coaching. 

 

But I think that gives us hope. Talent wise its not a huge gulf, we just need to use our speed and play better as a unit. I think the gap between us can close quickly, IF Housley and JBot get it right. 

[eman]

I was playing poker with a bunch of Leaf fans so I missed the game and saw a good portion of the Bruins Leafs game.

 

The good news is despite all the talk about how great the Leafs have rebuilt I wasn't that impressed with what they have. Aside from Matthews (who didn't play) they aren't all that special. Marner is fast but he's a one trick pony. Easy to check. Don't see him as a star.  Nylander is really fast but he is soft and shys away from contact. Sooooo if he is the "good Nylander" we should probably forget about our bad Nylander ever amounting to anything. Without Matthews he is nothing.

 

What the Leafs have though is a team that plays harder and is more in sync. These guys forecheck really well and are definitely better than us on the 3rd and 4th lines. Their D is mobile and they pass the puck better than us. I guess that comes down to coaching. 

 

But I think that gives us hope. Talent wise its not a huge gulf, we just need to use our speed and play better as a unit. I think the gap between us can close quickly, IF Housley and JBot get it right. 

You're right that it comes down to coaching Pokey. The Leafs have Babcock, we don't. There's one of the differences. The Leafs have also just reeled off 4 wins in a row. I think their talent pool is better then ours as is their front office (now, with Shanny and Lamoriello) I will give Jbot a few more seasons as I do believe he inherited a mess. Housley gets a shorter leash from me because I do not see any effort from the group he coaches. If they played with a stronger and consistant effort, and still lost, then it's on the crew assembled. Right now, the coach is part of the problem.