GDT - Ducks at Sabres - December 7, 2021 - 7:30 PM (EST) - ESPN+ / HULU & WGR

[Pimlach]

9 minutes ago, Weave said:

My initial reaction to that goal was, wow that's an embarassing way to get scored upon. 

The first time Eichel did that faceoff move where he pushes the puck ahead and gets around the other centerman, it resulted in Jack getting an earfull from the center he embarassed.  It was a good while before he attempted that move a second time.  I would not have hated a Sabre giving Zegras some business over that goal.

Granted, with D Lo on that team our guy would have promptly got his ass kicked.

Oh but there is no place for fighting in hockey.  I keep reading that here.
 

Ridiculous.  Cup winners fight when they have too. 

Edited December 8, 2021 by Pimlach

[Thorny]

3 hours ago, eman said:

But what bothers me more is that everyone was talking up what an improvement the Sabres have shown in their play under Coach Granato. That was true up to a point. What I see now is almost a carbon copy of the Housely & Krueger era's. Starting to show a bit of lax effort, still a weak defense and a soft one. It is the coaching staff's responsibility to teach them to take the body at the very least. Don't have to be over physical but stay on your guy and use your body to at least try an push them out of position or off the puck. Under Granato, I still see the D leaving guys completely unmarked and no one is getting in anyone's way defensively. 2-0 last night was a case of Anaheim out for a skate on the second leg of a back to back and exerting just enough effort for the 2 points. In other words, a textbook road game. 

They aren't improved. They've just shifted around where the negatives are. They might be improved organizationally, maybe Adams plan is good, and the drafting as far as early returns looks pretty good. But we aren't any better on ice. Peep Granato's coaching points % record vs Krueger's for a fun time. 

The "improvement" we saw comes down to a combination of revisionist history where we all pretend the Sabres haven't had several good stretches in the last decade that fizzled to nothing, and because of the fact that people need to start accepting the Sabres try harder, as of late, early in the season than other teams do. And at the end of the season once out of it. It's always been easier to win in garbage time. 

The Sabres are in a habit of talking up the "new culture" every offseason, and have been for a while if one takes the time to look back at the messaging in years previous to this one, that people considered a breath of fresh air. They come out on fire with something to prove every season, when other teams are still getting in the rhythm of lacing up their skates for the new season. The fast starts don't mean anything. Until they do. But they haven't yet, and it didn't mean squat this year, it just didn't.

I truly don't think we've seen the effort start to suffer. I think the effort is eventually made to look inadequate when the talented teams actually try. Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard. The part of that equation that people leave out is that: when talent *does* work hard, the non-talent team is made to look like it's not working. 

Edited December 8, 2021 by Thorny

[Pimlach]

14 hours ago, Sabel79 said:

They’ve been posting some…things… on social media.  

I looked on their FB using my wife’s account, saw nothing.   I don’t have any social media accounts, except this and TBD.  
 

Talked to my brothers in town, they never heard a thing.  
 

Probably nothing here. 

[Norcal]

16 minutes ago, Weave said:

My initial reaction to that goal was, wow that's an embarassing way to get scored upon. 

The first time Eichel did that faceoff move where he pushes the puck ahead and gets around the other centerman, it resulted in Jack getting an earfull from the center he embarassed.  It was a good while before he attempted that move a second time.  I would not have hated a Sabre giving Zegras some business over that goal.

Granted, with D Lo on that team our guy would have promptly got his ass kicked.

D Lo is a load! 

[Weave]

11 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Oh but there is no place for fighting in hockey.  I keep reading that here.
 

Ridiculous.  Cup winners fight when they have too. 

It didn't have to be a fight.  Implied violence can work.  I'm fairly convinced Jack was told don't do it again or there will be payback.

But you have to be able to back that up for it to work.

[Pimlach]

1 minute ago, Weave said:

It didn't have to be a fight.  Implied violence can work.  I'm fairly convinced Jack was told don't do it again or there will be payback.

But you have to be able to back that up for it to work.

Right.  And what Jack did was legal.  He should have tried it again the next face off.   

[eman]

11 minutes ago, Thorny said:

They aren't improved. They've just shifted around where the negatives are. They might be improved organizationally, maybe Adams plan is good, and the drafting as far as early returns looks pretty good. But we aren't any better on ice. Peep Granato's coaching points % record vs Krueger's for a fun time. 

The "improvement" we saw comes down to a combination of revisionist history where we all pretend the Sabres haven't had several good stretches in the last decade that fizzled to nothing, and because of the fact that people need to start accepting the Sabres try harder, as of late, early in the season than other teams do. And at the end of the season once out of it. It's always been easier to win in garbage time. 

The Sabres are in a habit of talking up the "new culture" every offseason, and have been for a while if one takes the time to look back at the messaging in years previous to this one, that people considered a breath of fresh air. They come out on fire with something to prove every season, when other teams are still getting in the rhythm of lacing up their skates for the new season. The fast starts don't mean anything. Until they do. But they haven't yet, at it didn't mean squat this year, it just didn't.

I truly don't think we've seen the effort start to suffer. I think the effort is eventually made to look inadequate when the talented teams actually try. Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard. The part of that equation that people leave out is that: when talent *does* work hard, the non-talent team is made to look like it's not working. 

I agree GMKA has some really good pieces in Rochester and I do believe in UPL. I am still weary of Coach Granato though. Likeable guy, says the right things but unfortunately, that doesn't work for me anymore. I want to see results. I don't care if the coach is a Belichick, arrogant, no time for anyone type, as long as he gets results. I think Donny deserved a shot at the top position and I am truly hoping that as the kids trickle into the Sabres lineup, things start to improve under his coaching staff. I knew this season wouldn't be a playoff season but I am sad to say I don't even see any improvement on the ice or style of play anymore. It just seems like "same old, same old" and I am glad people are voting with their wallets. Long overdue.

[dudacek]

2 hours ago, eman said:

I agree GMKA has some really good pieces in Rochester and I do believe in UPL. I am still weary of Coach Granato though. Likeable guy, says the right things but unfortunately, that doesn't work for me anymore. I want to see results. I don't care if the coach is a Belichick, arrogant, no time for anyone type, as long as he gets results. I think Donny deserved a shot at the top position and I am truly hoping that as the kids trickle into the Sabres lineup, things start to improve under his coaching staff. I knew this season wouldn't be a playoff season but I am sad to say I don't even see any improvement on the ice or style of play anymore. It just seems like "same old, same old" and I am glad people are voting with their wallets. Long overdue.

I never expected much in the way of improvements in the standings, not with our goaltending.

I wanted to be more entertained, and I needed to see effort from the entire roster and growth from the kids. On the balance, I’ve generally got each, in fluctuating levels.

The season is only 1/4 done. Lots of room for things to change.

[PerreaultForever]

2 hours ago, dudacek said:

I never expected much in the way of improvements in the standings, not with our goaltending.

I wanted to be more entertained, and I needed to see effort from the entire roster and growth from the kids. On the balance, I’ve generally got each, in fluctuating levels.

The season is only 1/4 done. Lots of room for things to change.

Same. For this season. 

and it started that way, but more and more you see players not quite in the game. Not skating, quitting on a play, no second effort, standing and watching, letting the other guy do it. This happens every year and whoever the coach is he can't seem to address it before it becomes commonplace. Granato's nice guy philosophy only works to a point, then accountability has to happen to change things. 

[Taro T]

22 hours ago, SABRESfan said:

Is it me or does Keybank look even more empty than normal?  And by normal I mean around 8K in attendance.

There hasn't been close to 8,000 bodies in the stands for any games this year.

There could have been 6,000+ for the Kraken game because Roswell Park gave away 1-2,000 tickets.  The 300's were far fuller that game then they were any other this year.

[Digger]

21 hours ago, Gatorman0519 said:

Oh my goodness, 4500 I’d say at most 

 

13 minutes ago, Taro T said:

There hasn't been close to 8,000 bodies in the stands for any games this year.

There could have been 6,000+ for the Kraken game because Roswell Park gave away 1-2,000 tickets.  The 300's were far fuller that game then they were any other this year.

I'd say that there are lots of Sabres fans on the IR right now.  Many are "month to month" and we are seeing more and more "out for the season".

[SABRESfan]

1 hour ago, Digger said:

 

I'd say that there are lots of Sabres fans on the IR right now.  Many are "month to month" and we are seeing more and more "out for the season".

So the arena is roughly 1/4 full.  Damn.  Can anyone remember the attendance being this bad before? 

[Taro T]

5 minutes ago, SABRESfan said:

So the arena is roughly 1/4 full.  Damn.  Can anyone remember the attendance being this bad before? 

Umm, you mean other than last season?

[Doohickie]

23 hours ago, Wyldnwoody44 said:

I'm medically fine, emotionally injured and spiritually dead 😭😭

In the logo at the top of the page, this should replace "SHARPEN YOUR POINT".  @SDS please make it happen.

[Doohickie]

13 hours ago, bob_sauve28 said:

I couldn’t watch. Sounds like I was lucky. How did UPL look? 

Like the least of our problems.

[Doohickie]

11 hours ago, inkman said:

The Sabres were playing notably better defense, probably to the detriment of their offense.  

You know, I think the Sabres had some excellent chances.  They just had zero puck luck last night.

[SABRESfan]

Flyers with their sixth straight loss tonight.. just another day at the office. Jersey looked like world beaters against them.  
 

EDIT: It’s actually their 10th straight loss.  My mistake. Either way the consistency is there.

Edited December 9, 2021 by SABRESfan

[bunomatic]

Well the NHL has gotten ALL kinds of publicity from the borderline legal/illegal goal by Sonny Milano. Its literally everywhere. Shows that on a call that could have and imo should have gone the other way due to it being a high stick their vested interest probably played a part in ruling it a good goal. Why not ? Nobodies the wiser and the sadsack Sabres are ripe for the picking in being ridiculed league wide once again on being on the wrong side of a bad call. After all, its just the Sabres and many comment sections on-line ask the question many are wondering, what the heck were they doing defensively on that play ? Anyways things can’t really get any worse for this team. Or can they ?

[SABRESfan]

32 minutes ago, bunomatic said:

Well the NHL has gotten ALL kinds of publicity from the borderline legal/illegal goal by Sonny Milano. Its literally everywhere. Shows that on a call that could have and imo should have gone the other way due to it being a high stick their vested interest probably played a part in ruling it a good goal. Why not ? Nobodies the wiser and the sadsack Sabres are ripe for the picking in being ridiculed league wide once again on being on the wrong side of a bad call. After all, its just the Sabres and many comment sections on-line ask the question many are wondering, what the heck were they doing defensively on that play ? Anyways things can’t really get any worse for this team. Or can they ?

You know what… let them lose every damn game remaining as long as they handle the draft like bosses.  As far as that goal goes, it was definitely a high stick.  The good news is that no one will remember it.  It’s not a playoff game.  The Sabres didn’t score a single goal to potentially tie it (if that goal was discounted).  

[SABRESfan]

I just realized that we have the Rangers next, and they’re coming off a loss.  They lose about as much as we win so it’s a fair matchup.  Fasten your seatbelts guys.

[bob_sauve28]

Was this a case of us running into a hot goalie or did we just not have a lot of good scoring chances? 

[Doohickie]

4 minutes ago, bob_sauve28 said:

Was this a case of us running into a hot goalie or did we just not have a lot of good scoring chances? 

It seemed like puck luck deserted them.  They outshot the Ducks overall, although the Ducks had 9 in the 2nd to the Sabres' 3.

Edited December 9, 2021 by The Ghost of Yuri