GDT- Buffalo Sabres @ Detriot Redwings, 11/15 7pm ESPN

[Doohickie]

So just watched the highlights.  Happy to see the Sabres pulled out a win.  I was at a play with my wife (who is a Red Wings fan).  I checked before the play started and the Wings were up 4-1 so I gave up on the game and enjoyed the play.  At the end of the intermission, I got back from the restroom and my wife said, "DON'T GLOAT."  I had no idea what she was talking about so I checked the score.... nice surprise.

The play we saw was & Juliet.  It reimagined would have happened if she hadn't killed herself at the end of the play.  It was very "meta"; William Shakespeare was one of the characters.  The play broke the fourth wall a lot and Shakespeare even became a character in his own play.  Hard to follow at first but once it got going and I understood how surreal it was going to be, I enjoyed it a lot.

The play was in Bass Hall in Fort Worth, a gorgeous theater.

Edited 12 hours ago by Doohickie

[Doohickie]

5 hours ago, Spoonman said:

Your wife watching tonight? Dee Troy it!? 

We were at Bass Hall.

[PerreaultForever]

42 minutes ago, Thorny said:

You don’t think 8th seed ends up around 94/95 where it’s currently at? Frankly it IS pretty likely the sabres need to play at the pace suggested to make it 

Oh well I don't think they have any hope of making it. There are more teams in the mix currently than expected before the season started. Before the season started we thought they'd be competing with Detroit, Ottawa. Montreal, maybe the Rags, Tampa or Columbus for a wild card. Teams like Boston and Pittsburgh were being counted out and in the McKenna sweepstakes. But look at the standings. You have to get ahead of the expected playoff teams like Florida, Toronto and Washington just to get back in the conversation and then you still need several others to fall. 

Did you see any of that Boston Montreal game? That was vintage Bruins Habs rivalry stuff and Sabres are nowhere near the level of intensity either of those teams brought. It was almost playoff hockey. 

Sabres could go on a 10 game win streak and still be on the outside. 

[gilbert11]

Yeah, I checked and it was 4-2.   I figured it would be the typical 3rd period where Detroit would make it 5-2 and then get the typical empty net goal.

[Doohickie]

I just re-watched the winning goal.  The Sabres had 1 forward (Thompson) and two defensemen (Muel and Dahlin) on the ice when they scored.  Almost looks like a flubbed change.

[clink]

4 hours ago, Stads said:

Thank you very much. Glad my immaturity can give you some entertainment!

Birds of a feather.... 

[clink]

THAT Tage play in OT 😍 I absolutely LOVED it! 

It will be in people's heads for a hot minute 

Hopefully, the snarl is contagious...

 

[Mustache of God]

I guess I can throw away the milk carton with Tages face on the side. we found him.

[Archie Lee]

4 hours ago, clink said:

THAT Tage play in OT 😍 I absolutely LOVED it! 

It will be in people's heads for a hot minute 

Hopefully, the snarl is contagious...

 

There is still lots on this team to be excited about from a player talent standpoint. Thompson played at a level we don’t quite see enough, but I think we got a sense of what playoff-Thompson would look like. 

I also really liked the way Ellis battled in net, Kozak with the painful shot block,  Krebs running over Sandin-Pelika, McLeod’s speed, Sammuelsson, ot heroics aside, looks like a player well worth his contract. 

At the risk of being unnecessarily negative after a rare positive performance and outcome, all the same issues were present and led to the 4-1 deficit. It wasn’t structure or system or coach-imposed accountability, that dug them out of the 3 goal deficit. The players clearly still have pride and some commitment to one another. I think there is a team here that could get on a roll, with the right couple of changes. 

[Slack_in_MA]

7 hours ago, Doohickie said:

I just re-watched the winning goal.  The Sabres had 1 forward (Thompson) and two defensemen (Muel and Dahlin) on the ice when they scored.  Almost looks like a flubbed change.

[JohnC]

The play of the game was McCleod’s shorthanded goal. It kept us in the game and was the pivot point for the win.

Tage played like his life depended on the outcome. He showed a lot of intensity and emotion.

I have been waiting for Kesserling being paired with Power. Can’t make any judgement off of this game.
 

Can this team hang on until we get some players back? I’m not talking playoffs as I am respectability.

It would have been easy to quit in this game when the score was 4-1. They didn’t. That’s a tribute to their character. 
 

Dahlin’s play was flat but understandable. His presence alone considering what he has going on in his life should be inspirational to his mates. He chose to be with his teammates when he could have been back home. He definitely cares. 
 

There have been a lot more downs than ups in this disappointing season. For the moment, this is a game I will appreciate. The ending took me by surprise.

[Ross Rhea]

9 hours ago, shrader said:

Right because no team in the history of the league has ever played at that pace. The math speaks. 
 

yeah, this team doesn’t have it in them, but for at least once can we spare the woe is me crap? I have no idea why so many of you continue to watch/post. 

I know right, 6 points back with 64 games to play, how will they ever overcome that, hahaha

Edited 4 hours ago by Ross Rhea

[LGR4GM]

5 hours ago, clink said:

THAT Tage play in OT 😍 I absolutely LOVED it! 

It will be in people's heads for a hot minute 

Hopefully, the snarl is contagious...

 

It isn't. 

[SwampD]

11 hours ago, Brawndo said:

Bullying works? 

Should I understand this?

[PromoTheRobot]

Not everyone was happy last night. 

 

[Brawndo]

3 minutes ago, SwampD said:

Should I understand this?

Bad joke. 
 

He was the favorite whipping boy for many Sabres Fans last year, so he took that personally and currently is the Sabres best defenseman 

[Pimlach]

5 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Not everyone was happy last night. 

 

What makes a seeming full grown, adult woman do that to a crowd of visiting hockey players?  
 

Boards and thick glass. 

[shrader]

19 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Not everyone was happy last night. 

 

I wonder how long it took for the photographer to realize he/she had that gem. 

[Jorcus]

On the downside our defensemen took turns giving away the puck that lead to goals against. Timmons first, Byram second, Dahlin third, then Sammy directed one into the net. Amends were made and they came out with the win. They got 4 goals in regulation for the 1st time in 11 games and only the third time this year. In this version of the NHL you are going to need 4 or more on most nights to win. Let's see if they can start ripping twine. 

On the too many men penalty it was not perfectly clear on the replay but it seemed like one guy was going off and 3 jumped on. Lindy was talking about a dump in and that should not be called but at the end of the day it was on the bench for it happening in the first place. If nothing else the PK keeps coming though though. 

Still have not seen enough of Ellis but his side to side movement and play down low seems pretty good so far. The comfort level with him seems to be increasing. This is going to be a strange season in the standings. No reason to waive the white flag just yet. I could see a lot of teams fighting for 90 points this year. 

 

[Night Train]

1 hour ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Not everyone was happy last night. 

 

 

Her hot dog vendor was ecstatic..

[rickshaw]

10 minutes ago, Night Train said:

 

Her hot dog vendor was ecstatic..

Ouch

[Flashsabre]

23 minutes ago, Jorcus said:

On the downside our defensemen took turns giving away the puck that lead to goals against. Timmons first, Byram second, Dahlin third, then Sammy directed one into the net. Amends were made and they came out with the win. They got 4 goals in regulation for the 1st time in 11 games and only the third time this year. In this version of the NHL you are going to need 4 or more on most nights to win. Let's see if they can start ripping twine. 

On the too many men penalty it was not perfectly clear on the replay but it seemed like one guy was going off and 3 jumped on. Lindy was talking about a dump in and that should not be called but at the end of the day it was on the bench for it happening in the first place. If nothing else the PK keeps coming though though. 

Still have not seen enough of Ellis but his side to side movement and play down low seems pretty good so far. The comfort level with him seems to be increasing. This is going to be a strange season in the standings. No reason to waive the white flag just yet. I could see a lot of teams fighting for 90 points this year. 

 

In Muel’s defence if he doesn’t get a stick on that then Kane is burying it for the goal anyways. 

[mjd1001]

2 hours ago, Ross Rhea said:

I know right, 6 points back with 64 games to play, how will they ever overcome that, hahaha

How well they have to play the rest of the season can be parsed to make it look really good or really bad. 

When there's no break, the team plays 14 to 15 games per month. Let's go with 14 for argument's sake. 

To play at a 95 point Pace, every month, a team would have to... In those 14 games... Get 16.2 points per month.

With the hole the team has dug, to get to 95 points in that same 14 games. They now have to get about 17.2 points per month. 

If you look at it that way... A crew about one more point per month than what you thought you needed going into the season.. It doesn't look that bad.

Of course, like most people, that's if you were playing at a 95 point Pace. This team hasn't shown the ability to even do that.

[PromoTheRobot]

1 minute ago, mjd1001 said:

How well they have to play the rest of the season can be parsed to make it look really good or really bad. 

When there's no break, the team plays 14 to 15 games per month. Let's go with 14 for argument's sake. 

To play at a 95 point Pace, every month, a team would have to... In those 14 games... Get 16.2 points per month.

With the hole the team has dug, to get to 95 points in that same 14 games. They now have to get about 17.2 points per month. 

If you look at it that way... A crew about one more point per month than what you thought you needed going into the season.. It doesn't look that bad.

Of course, like most people, that's if you were playing at a 95 point Pace. This team hasn't shown the ability to even do that.

Benson might be the key. Let's see how they do when he gets back. Then Norris could be playing within 2-3 weeks. 🤷‍♂️

[JohnC]

1 hour ago, Pimlach said:

What makes a seeming full grown, adult woman do that to a crowd of visiting hockey players?  
 

Boards and thick glass. 

Too many beers intensify one's reactions.