GDT: Sabres at Rangers, Sun 11/4/18, 7:00 pm

[Huckleberry]

Some rangers fans want a top 5 pick, are deep into tank mode.    But realize they can't have that when king henrik is playing like that.

You think some of us were bad during the tank years, one board had two rangers fans hoping he would go into concussion protocol ?

[North Buffalo]

Three insights from the game.  Sabres give back 30 seconds at beginning of 2nd Sabres win 1-0. Sabres murder Lundqvist they win 10-0. Except for some brief periods when either Eichel line or Sam line on ice play was tilted toward in Rangers end..., Sabres had 40 shots on net, Rangers had 15 blocks plus all the shots Risto missed then net had to been over 60 shots taken...  Good effort,  couldnt solve the goalie.

Edited November 5, 2018 by North Buffalo

[North Buffalo]

PS Sam still playing too soft especially in the corners in first and second, he played better in the third but man he just skates too slow.  Guy shows more speed at times but not enough effort imo.

Id be ok trading him... 

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Thanks, NB.

I was wondering how they looked.  Peppered another 40 at Henrik (who at 50 is almost as handome as Bogo).  Hot goalies win games.  How was Hutton?  He did not face nearly as many shots, but maybe they were good chances and he was stellar, just not as stellar as Henrik.

[North Buffalo]

Hutton except for screen by Nelson and puck that ramped up probably Risto’s was awesome as well.  Again lose those 30 seconds of seeing eye shots...

Hell Hank saved a shot labeled for top corner with his glove he never saw because of screen just knew where puck eould be going, guy was unconscious

[hockeyhound]

Wow, the Sabres played well; If it not for Lundqvist, the Sabres would've won that game.

By the way, do the Sabres have a defensemen that they can call up to replace Marco *weakest link* Scandella? IMO, at the end of the game, he was a liability. I thought he might have broken out of the slump he has been in.

 

Edited November 6, 2018 by hockeyhound

[GASabresIUFAN]

12 minutes ago, hockeyhound said:

Wow, the Sabres played well; If it not for Lundqvist, the Sabres would've won that game.

By the way, do the Sabres have a defensemen that they can call up to replace Marco *weakest link* Scandella? IMO, at the end of the game, he was a liability. I thought he might have broken out of the slump he has been in.

 

Strangely Ristolainen and Scandella were our best D from last season have kind of been our worst this season.

[hockeyhound]

13 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Strangely Ristolainen and Scandella were our best D from last season have kind of been our worst this season.

Maybe moving Risto to the second pairing would help, and if that doesn't work maybe to the press box for a few games.

On the other hand, the guy is facing 1st line talent every night and eats up a lot of minutes. That's a tough position to be in; maybe they can coach him to a better place along the way.

Edited November 6, 2018 by hockeyhound

[Thorny]

On 11/4/2018 at 8:30 PM, Randall Flagg said:

The only thing I can take solace in tonight is the fact that Henrik will never win a cup. 

The high in between was very high, but we've lost 4 of 5 now in the "easy" stretch that we "needed" lots of wins in. 

I thought the "easy" stretch was considered Ottawa, Ottawa, New York, Montreal, Vancouver?

So we are 1-2 so far. Can still salvage the stretch with wins in the next 2. 

[Randall Flagg]

22 minutes ago, Thorny said:

I thought the "easy" stretch was considered Ottawa, Ottawa, New York, Montreal, Vancouver?

So we are 1-2 so far. Can still salvage the stretch with wins in the next 2. 

I'm 90% sure a thread about it was made that included the Columbus game, and 100% sure it included a home game against a tired Flames squad while we were rested - that's the stretch I'm referring to, even though I agree @Columbus isn't "easy"

[Hoss]

5 hours ago, Thorny said:

I thought the "easy" stretch was considered Ottawa, Ottawa, New York, Montreal, Vancouver?

So we are 1-2 so far. Can still salvage the stretch with wins in the next 2. 

I know expectations were on things but Montreal and Vancouver are a combined 17-10-2 for 36 points in 29 games. I don’t know how long they sustain that success but worth noting when calling anything “easy” for a team that’s struggled to get out of the basement.

We’re in a stretch right now where we’ve given away some big points and could risk falling into a big hole on a season that was off to a promising start.

[PASabreFan]

Through 15 games, the Sabres are in a playoff spot (barely) and are three points out of top spot in the conference (though they've played more games than everyone in the East except Philly). Their points per game pace is not quite enough to be a playoff team. But they're close.

Honestly, the nice thing about even a modestly good start is that we don't have to put soooo much emphasis on one game in early November.

That said, a nice little winning streak here would be, uh, nice.

[Randall Flagg]

3 hours ago, PASabreFan said:

Through 15 games, the Sabres are in a playoff spot (barely) and are three points out of top spot in the conference (though they've played more games than everyone in the East except Philly). Their points per game pace is not quite enough to be a playoff team. But they're close.

Honestly, the nice thing about even a modestly good start is that we don't have to put soooo much emphasis on one game in early November.

That said, a nice little winning streak here would be, uh, nice.

Yeah, they need to have a good 3-1-1 stretch or something like it - they're 20th in points percentage in the league, 10th in the east, so the playoff spot is purely because they've played more games than most. 

 

And, as far as Vancouver goes:
2015/16: Through November 2nd had a 109 point pace, finished with 75
2016/17: Started 4-0, finished with 69 points
2017/18: 6-3-2, 7-4-2, 8-5-2 before falling apart and finishing with 73 points

Vancouver just plays well to start the year every year, I still believe they have a bad team. Their defensive top six is dreadful and their forward depth is bad. Once Pettersson stops shooting at 40% and creating a goal every 10 corsi events while he's on the ice, which is the definition of unsustainable, and the usual Canuck-ness kicks in, they'll settle into their proper standings place

[PASabreFan]

1 hour ago, Randall Flagg said:

Yeah, they need to have a good 3-1-1 stretch or something like it - they're 20th in points percentage in the league, 10th in the east, so the playoff spot is purely because they've played more games than most. 

 

And, as far as Vancouver goes:
2015/16: Through November 2nd had a 109 point pace, finished with 75
2016/17: Started 4-0, finished with 69 points
2017/18: 6-3-2, 7-4-2, 8-5-2 before falling apart and finishing with 73 points

Vancouver just plays well to start the year every year, I still believe they have a bad team. Their defensive top six is dreadful and their forward depth is bad. Once Pettersson stops shooting at 40% and creating a goal every 10 corsi events while he's on the ice, which is the definition of unsustainable, and the usual Canuck-ness kicks in, they'll settle into their proper standings place

Yeah, I dunno if they "need" that stretch. Unless the word need has no meaning anymore.

[Randall Flagg]

1 hour ago, PASabreFan said:

Yeah, I dunno if they "need" that stretch. Unless the word need has no meaning anymore.

Fine - I'd like them to have a 3-1-1 stretch so that they are "in" the playoff picture rather than "close to being in the playoff picture if they can go so and so and so then they'll be there," because the former is much more fun than the latter.

I'd especially like it because we play a bunch of teams that kick our a$$es on the regular coming up shortly. 

[PASabreFan]

7 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

Fine - I'd like them to have a 3-1-1 stretch so that they are "in" the playoff picture rather than "close to being in the playoff picture if they can go so and so and so then they'll be there," because the former is much more fun than the latter.

I'd especially like it because we play a bunch of teams that kick our a$$es on the regular coming up shortly. 

That's better. Stick with me, kid.