GDT: Sabres at Hurricanes 07 April 2022 7:30 PM

[SDS]

Just now, bunomatic said:

Yeah I guess but I wasn’t trying to make a profound statement I was just agreeing with his earlier comments about Eaken.

The game tying goal was a terrible mistake. Joki dropping his stick behind the net and interfering with Dahlin/not being able to poke check led to the game winner. Bah. 

[sabresouth]

Not a bad game all things considered. The no look pass by skinner was something. Mitts pulling the puck out of the double team on the wall was slick then the pass to victor fo the goal. They are definitely playing pretty good against playoff teams.

[Zamboni]

1 minute ago, sabresouth said:

Not a bad game all things considered. The no look pass by skinner was something. Mitts pulling the puck out of the double team on the wall was slick then the pass to victor fo the goal. They are definitely playing pretty good against playoff teams.

Yea showing signs. It’s promising … 

[K-9]

I am not pleased in the least. We gave this game away on several bad turnovers that directly led to goals. Glad we can play a good team tough and perhaps I’d feel better about that if we didn’t make it so easy for them. 

[bunomatic]

2 minutes ago, K-9 said:

I am not pleased in the least. We gave this game away on several bad turnovers that directly led to goals. Glad we can play a good team tough and perhaps I’d feel better about that if we didn’t make it so easy for them. 

I look at the disparity in the payrolls of the two teams and the bad feels I get from a loss like this kind of goes away considering we are pushing these teams that are hard against the cap despite the fact we are a low budget team.

[Zamboni]

14 minutes ago, bunomatic said:

I look at the disparity in the payrolls of the two teams and the bad feels I get from a loss like this kind of goes away considering we are pushing these teams that are hard against the cap despite the fact we are a low budget team.

Agree. All things considered beyond the loss,. Sabres gave them all they could handle for the majority of the game. With the dearth of overall talent. I’ve seen worse efforts and results this season.

[sabresouth]

Well the eakin give away was really bad. I hope they can make an improvement next year at his spot. He just doesn't help that line at all.

[Broken Ankles]

1 hour ago, Pimlach said:

Your right on queue.  
 

Actually, I thought she did ok and posted as such.  It just amuses me reading all you guys arguing over it. 
 

I had low expectations and they were exceeded.  Shocked to hear so much discontent when half the year you’re getting Dan and Rob.  Glass houses. Leah was incredibly well prepared and sprinkled the information throughout the broadcast. I also thought they were complimentary to a young Sabres team who on paper were outmatched by a division leading Hurricane squad with 37 more points.  Glad we don’t play these games as a simulation. 
 

* unless you believe our life is a simulation in which case you could argue that a real life competition within the context of a simulation is a simulation itself.  

 

 

[SDS]

2 minutes ago, Broken Ankles said:

I had low expectations and they were exceeded.  Shocked to hear so much discontent when half the year you’re getting Dan and Rob.  Glass houses. Leah was incredibly well prepared and sprinkled the information throughout the broadcast. I also thought they were complimentary to a young Sabres team who on paper were outmatched by a division leading Hurricane squad with 37 more points.  Glad we don’t play these games as a simulation. 
 

* unless you believe our life is a simulation in which case you could argue that a real life competition within the context of a simulation is a simulation itself.  

I just don’t know how you heard any of that. I could barely hear a word that came out of her mouth.

[Claude Balls]

3 hours ago, DarthEbriate said:

Callout on ESPN for Power. But no mention of Portillo.... Join us, Portillo. I'll come up with a good nickname for you, I swear. Something from the Original Trilogy golden age that we're entering.

As long as his nickname doesn't become "Porthole Portillo" I'll be happy. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

Just finished watching the game and Carolina was the better team almost all night.  Our defense made some bad decisions with the puck, but Eakin’s mindless pass right to Carolina sucked the life out of the team.  

On the plus side wicked pass by Skinner to Thompson.  Also really strong play by Mitts to dig the puck out on VO’s pretty goal.  Still not enough of that tonight.  

[Richard Noggin]

2 hours ago, K-9 said:

I am not pleased in the least. We gave this game away on several bad turnovers that directly led to goals. Glad we can play a good team tough and perhaps I’d feel better about that if we didn’t make it so easy for them. 

The ginger mullet had a gem, for sure. Some misfortune in how adeptly Teravainen handled the turnover, but Anderson's demeanor following that goal says it all. 

[nucci]

6 hours ago, sabresouth said:

Not a bad game all things considered. The no look pass by skinner was something. Mitts pulling the puck out of the double team on the wall was slick then the pass to victor fo the goal. They are definitely playing pretty good against playoff teams.

what things are you considering? Bad giveaways, defense out of position....I've never seen a fan base justify losses like here. Yes, there are improvements but it would have been difficult to get much worse then we were 

[That Aud Smell]

1 hour ago, nucci said:

...I've never seen a fan base justify losses like here. 

Weird take.

The Sabres are an improved team on a good path that got trucked by one of the league’s top teams. It happens.

[nucci]

23 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

Weird take.

The Sabres are an improved team on a good path that got trucked by one of the league’s top teams. It happens.

why is it weird?  I know they are improved so I'm not supposed to get pissed when they lose? 

Edited April 8, 2022 by nucci

[thewookie1]

2 minutes ago, nucci said:

why is it weird? They blew a 3-0 lead. I know they are improved so I'm not supposed to get pissed when they lose? 

It was 2-0 and then 3-1; we never led by 3 during the game.

I think everyone here is angry we lost; many of us however want to find the good parts in their performance. Earlier this year  they were ran out of Carolina. This year they blew a lead but their fight never ceased and they forced Carolina to play at a very high level in order to beat us this time. We played toe to toe with them until they tied it and still threatened until their lead goal in the 3rd. With their lead Carolina did what they do best in playing a heavy forecheck coupled with aggravatingly lining 4/5 players at their blue line and clutching & grabbing anyone entering the zone. 

[SwampD]

8 hours ago, Billznut said:

Buffalo is probably at least 3 years away from even coming close to the Canes play. And that’s if everything goes right for Buffalo in the next 3 years. 

No way.  We beat them at home. They beat us at their home. Last change mattered.

If the Sabres play this brand of hockey all year next year, they'll be in the playoffs.

8 hours ago, bunomatic said:

Got to agree with LGR4GM here that was a terrible give away for Eaken throwing it up the middle which led to a goal. Come on man. Use your head.

Eakin is Eakin. I'm way more pissed at Dahlin for doing the same thing on the first goal. 

I think everyone was trying to do too much in this game. They got too big for their britches and tried to get cute and it bit them.

Meh. Better they learn now and not next year.

[That Aud Smell]

51 minutes ago, nucci said:

why is it weird?  I know they are improved so I'm not supposed to get pissed when they lose? 

The take was that no other fan base justifies losses like Sabre fans. I wasn’t seeing it in this instance, atoll.

[nucci]

1 hour ago, thewookie1 said:

It was 2-0 and then 3-1; we never led by 3 during the game.

I think everyone here is angry we lost; many of us however want to find the good parts in their performance. Earlier this year  they were ran out of Carolina. This year they blew a lead but their fight never ceased and they forced Carolina to play at a very high level in order to beat us this time. We played toe to toe with them until they tied it and still threatened until their lead goal in the 3rd. With their lead Carolina did what they do best in playing a heavy forecheck coupled with aggravatingly lining 4/5 players at their blue line and clutching & grabbing anyone entering the zone. 

I corrected the score, sorry about that

[North Buffalo]

9 hours ago, K-9 said:

I am not pleased in the least. We gave this game away on several bad turnovers that directly led to goals. Glad we can play a good team tough and perhaps I’d feel better about that if we didn’t make it so easy for them. 

They tightened up backed off too much on D and played crappy in neutral zone with D backing up... reverted back to old habits when Carolina ramped it up... they need to trust their own next gear... takes awhile

[bob_sauve28]

Insane that VO might still get 20 goals. 

 

If he had not gotten injured he would be well above 30 goals. Sign this guy, he is a special talent 

[K-9]

59 minutes ago, North Buffalo said:

They tightened up backed off too much on D and played crappy in neutral zone with D backing up... reverted back to old habits when Carolina ramped it up... they need to trust their own next gear... takes awhile

Agree entirely. I can accept losing to superior teams as we just aren’t there yet. I just can’t feel good about losing to a superior team when we did more to beat ourselves than the opposing team did to beat us. Up two and we gave the game away. There’s a reason why we lead the league in most two goal leads given up and that leaves no room for moral victories. 

[JohnC]

10 hours ago, K-9 said:

I am not pleased in the least. We gave this game away on several bad turnovers that directly led to goals. Glad we can play a good team tough and perhaps I’d feel better about that if we didn’t make it so easy for them. 

Your attitude of not being satisfied with a loss even against superior teams is a reflection of a higher expectation. That's a good sign. Compared to the general low expectation during the Krueger era, that is a major change. People who watched this game point out specific bad plays (such as the Eakin throwaway) and point to those misplays as contributing to the loss. That certainly beats a loss where there were so many misplays that you can't ascribe blame to a particular bad play or two because the game was replete with bad plays. 

I didn't watch the game (don't ask why because it will set my fuse off) but I did listen to it. In listening to the game, I got a sense that the superior team that lost to us the night before turned it on. However, even when the more talented team took control, I didn't get the sense that the Sabres didn't play hard all the way to the end. 

I'm not looking for psychological victories in losses. What I'm looking for is a winning attitude even when the talent doesn't measure up to the opposition. Over the last 15 games or so I have seen it. I know that a few more good pieces will be added next year. I'm not fully satisfied but I'm optimistic. 

[sabresparaavida]

Through 24 games, Eichel is pacing for a 34 goal 27 assist season (if he played all 82 games)

meanwhile, his replacement Tage is pacing for 38-39 goals and 30 assists per 82 games.

[Pimlach]

44 minutes ago, K-9 said:

Agree entirely. I can accept losing to superior teams as we just aren’t there yet. I just can’t feel good about losing to a superior team when we did more to beat ourselves than the opposing team did to beat us. Up two and we gave the game away. There’s a reason why we lead the league in most two goal leads given up and that leaves no room for moral victories. 

I understand the frustration.  What I saw was the more talented and physically imposing team wear us down and force the errors.  Give Carolina some credit.  Stahl said it after the game, we played hard and they had to work for it, and they got the bounces when they needed them.

There were numerous Sabres  turnovers that Callahan pointed out.  Dahlin's and Eakins turnovers led to goals.  Joker, Samuelsson and Tage all made similar mistakes, using the center of our defensive zones to try to break out, but they got bailed out by Anderson.  Carolina controlled the boards and the blue lines.  They are fierce on the forecheck and they stand up on their blue line - no easy O-zone entries for us.   We don't match up physically yet.  

As you noted and Callahan noted several times, our record holding a two goal lead, or any lead going into the 3rd is poor.  But the last 5-6 weeks we have been much better, something that Callahan did not mention.  

Carolinas plays like their coach played.  We have to get bigger and more experienced to consistently play with the big boys.  We could challenge for the WC next year but realistically we are still several years away from the top teams.  

 

Florida tonight with Toker in net.  It will take a huge effort to win.