deluca67 Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 Yet are still 15 points back with the Sabres having two games in hand. They really only played one bad period. They carried the play in the first then ran into penalty trouble, which you expect when playing in Canada, in the second. Emery returned to form in the third and the Sabre put a few past him. Looking at the Sabre schedule over the next 10 or so they have an excellent chance of running with the conference. With games against the Blackhawks, Leafs, Bruins and Blue Jackets the Sabres maybe heading to the softest part of their scehdule. The two home & home's against the Bruins alone should create some more space. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bills_fan_in_raleigh Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 Yet are still 15 points back with the Sabres having two games in hand. They really only played one bad period. They carried the play in the first then ran into penalty trouble, which you expect when playing in Canada, in the second. Emery returned to form in the third and the Sabre put a few past him. Looking at the Sabre schedule over the next 10 or so they have an excellent chance of running with the conference. With games against the Blackhawks, Leafs, Bruins and Blue Jackets the Sabres maybe heading to the softest part of their scehdule. The two home & home's against the Bruins alone should create some more space. hope so I thought i heard on sens broadcast last night that sabres are 7-5 against northeast division so dont start counting leafs and bruins b to b as wins. It may be time for another Biron start Miller has been playing great but team is letting down ahead of him. Id also like to see a better rolling of 4 lines if this means getting a couple of folks up from roch and sitting Peters I am all for it since the team looks tired at times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PASabreFan Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 Yet are still 15 points back with the Sabres having two games in hand. They really only played one bad period. They carried the play in the first then ran into penalty trouble, which you expect when playing in Canada, in the second. Emery returned to form in the third and the Sabre put a few past him. Looking at the Sabre schedule over the next 10 or so they have an excellent chance of running with the conference. With games against the Blackhawks, Leafs, Bruins and Blue Jackets the Sabres maybe heading to the softest part of their scehdule. The two home & home's against the Bruins alone should create some more space. Do you really believe Canadian teams playing at home get calls from refs? You might think about changing that signature. I'm with billsfan, why would you look past Boston, which has a winning record? The Sabres can't take anyone lightly. They're not that good. No one is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrader Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 Why look past Boston? Two words: Tim Thomas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nfreeman Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 DeLuca is right -- no need to panic over last night's awful showing. We really did come out on fire and dominated the 1st. We had 12 shots in the 1st 8 minutes! I have to admit that Emery played great to keep the game at 0-0. Then that pathetic power play just sucked the momentum out of the game, Heatley bats 2 in a row out of midair past Ryan, and the whole game changed. But we didn't quit and still hustled in the 3rd. I expect us to come back strong tomorrow night. I will say that they don't seem to be playing with the same passion and desperation on the PP as they do during the rest of the game. Might be time to shake up the PP units. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DR HOLLIDAY Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 Do you really believe Canadian teams playing at home get calls from refs? You might think about changing that signature. LOL........... :beer: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apuszczalowski Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 hope so I thought i heard on sens broadcast last night that sabres are 7-5 against northeast division so dont start counting leafs and bruins b to b as wins. It may be time for another Biron start Miller has been playing great but team is letting down ahead of him. Id also like to see a better rolling of 4 lines if this means getting a couple of folks up from roch and sitting Peters I am all for it since the team looks tired at times. You will only see Biron start in the back to back games. Miller has played well, and even last night he was ok, a couple of those goals were fluke type goals (like the first one Heatley scored) and he wasn't getting much help in front of him. I doubt Biron would have had a better chance in net. The Sens have had Buffalos number the past 2 years during the regular season, luckily Buffalo took care of them when it mattered last year and hopefully they can do it again this year if needed. As for rolling 4 better lines, you will get to see some of the Rochester guys soon as Paetsch will be back up to take over for Tallinder (who should probably sit til the playoffs taking calcium supplements and chugging milk til then to strengthen his bones). As for bringing guys up just to sit Peters, it won't happen cause it can't happen. They are too close to the cap that they can't afford to bring anyone up unless it is to fill in for an injured player. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doohickie Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 I will say that they don't seem to be playing with the same passion and desperation on the PP as they do during the rest of the game. Might be time to shake up the PP units. Here's my take on the PP: A lot of Sabres production comes off the rush, catching the other team up ice when they're trying to do something offensively themselves, then they can't get back in time and the Sabres transition game and speed results in goals. On the PK, a team is not going to be caught up ice; they are always going to be back. So that element of surprise is lost. The Sabres are great improvisers and are hard to predict on a rush. Contrast that with a power play, when the other team knows you're coming and you try to follow set plays. I can see why the PP struggles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spandrel Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 Is there any reason to fear this Sens team come playoff time? We continue to struggle against them, and at this rate, we'd be looking at a second round matchup with them in the playoffs. I think they'd love nothing more than "returning the favor" for last year. I'm not over-reacting, but I'd love nothing more than to see the Sens get bounced in the first round this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taro T Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 You will only see Biron start in the back to back games. Miller has played well, and even last night he was ok, a couple of those goals were fluke type goals (like the first one Heatley scored) and he wasn't getting much help in front of him. I doubt Biron would have had a better chance in net. The Sens have had Buffalos number the past 2 years during the regular season, luckily Buffalo took care of them when it mattered last year and hopefully they can do it again this year if needed. As for rolling 4 better lines, you will get to see some of the Rochester guys soon as Paetsch will be back up to take over for Tallinder (who should probably sit til the playoffs taking calcium supplements and chugging milk til then to strengthen his bones). As for bringing guys up just to sit Peters, it won't happen cause it can't happen. They are too close to the cap that they can't afford to bring anyone up unless it is to fill in for an injured player. He broke one bone in his arm in the same place (according to media reports) 2 times in a row, which is very unusual. Normally the callus is much stronger than the rest of the bone. This implies that somehow the last break either wasn't set properly or didn't heal properly or both. IF he broke his leg, you and the several others that have posted this sentiment could have a point, but the early reports were that he had an ankle sprain. If anything, I'd expect too much calcium could cause problems along those lines as it could lead to calcification of the cartilage and additional strain on ligaments and tendons when the joint moves. I don't know of any other broken bone issues he's had in his career. Am I missing something? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hopeleslyobvious Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 hope so I thought i heard on sens broadcast last night that sabres are 7-5 against northeast division so dont start counting leafs and bruins b to b as wins. It may be time for another Biron start Miller has been playing great but team is letting down ahead of him. Id also like to see a better rolling of 4 lines if this means getting a couple of folks up from roch and sitting Peters I am all for it since the team looks tired at times. This is where numbers are deceiving. The Sabres are now 7-6-1 against the Northeast yes. Take Ottawa out of the mix and they are 6-2-1. They struggle against Ottawa, not the rest of the division. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PASabreFan Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 Take Ottawa out of the mix and they are 6-2-1. And besides that, Mr. Hussein, how was your trip to the gallows? Am I missing something? The joke? :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taro T Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 ... The joke? :) Touche. :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hopeleslyobvious Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 And besides that, Mr. Hussein, how was your trip to the gallows? The joke? :) My point being that our struggles against Ottawa don't translate into troubles against the rest of the division. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePolishSabre Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 Is there any reason to fear this Sens team come playoff time? We continue to struggle against them, and at this rate, we'd be looking at a second round matchup with them in the playoffs. I think they'd love nothing more than "returning the favor" for last year. I'm not over-reacting, but I'd love nothing more than to see the Sens get bounced in the first round this year. That is why i think the Sabres are kinda flooting vs the Sens. They know the Sens are far behind in standings and that we are a better team and that we most likely will face them in the playoffs. Making it seem like the Sens own us is really the only thing i can come up with unless they really do own us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apuszczalowski Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 He broke one bone in his arm in the same place (according to media reports) 2 times in a row, which is very unusual. Normally the callus is much stronger than the rest of the bone. This implies that somehow the last break either wasn't set properly or didn't heal properly or both. IF he broke his leg, you and the several others that have posted this sentiment could have a point, but the early reports were that he had an ankle sprain. If anything, I'd expect too much calcium could cause problems along those lines as it could lead to calcification of the cartilage and additional strain on ligaments and tendons when the joint moves. I don't know of any other broken bone issues he's had in his career. Am I missing something? It was just a joke He has broke his arm twice and from the way he went down and needed help off the ice, I immediately thought another broken bone. It just seems like the way this season is going, he will spend most of it on the IR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deluca67 Posted January 5, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2007 This is where numbers are deceiving. The Sabres are now 7-6-1 against the Northeast yes. Take Ottawa out of the mix and they are 6-2-1. They struggle against Ottawa, not the rest of the division. And Heatley had three goals which matches his career playoff output. And lets not forget the Sens were 5-1 against the Sabres in 05-06 outscoring the Sabres 29-7. What did it get the Sens in the playoffs? A quick exit. I'll start to worry about the Sens when they trade players like Alfredson and Heatley for some players with heart. The best thing that could happen to the Sens is for Heatley to drive Alfredson home. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thesportsbuff Posted January 5, 2007 Report Share Posted January 5, 2007 It's one thing if they beat us last year 5 times or whatever with Hasek, and then we ousted them with Emery in net. But this year Emery is really playing well and they're dominating us spare our victory. I wouldn't look forward to playing them in the playoffs, and definitely would not expect a repeat of last year. Not being pessimistic, just bringing some reality to this thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deluca67 Posted January 5, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2007 It's one thing if they beat us last year 5 times or whatever with Hasek, and then we ousted them with Emery in net. But this year Emery is really playing well and they're dominating us spare our victory. I wouldn't look forward to playing them in the playoffs, and definitely would not expect a repeat of last year. Not being pessimistic, just bringing some reality to this thread. Reality? The "Reality" is that the Sens are a complete non factor in playoff hockey. They might as well be listed as 'BYE'. If you want to worry than worry about the Habs or Devils. The Habs because they have a team that works hard and looks a lot like the Sabres from 05-06 with their top level special teams. The Devils have one of the all-time great playoff goalies. The Sens haven't earned that respect. The Sens are also 1 and 3 following games against the Sabres. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted January 5, 2007 Report Share Posted January 5, 2007 It's one thing if they beat us last year 5 times or whatever with Hasek, and then we ousted them with Emery in net. But this year Emery is really playing well and they're dominating us spare our victory. I wouldn't look forward to playing them in the playoffs, and definitely would not expect a repeat of last year. Not being pessimistic, just bringing some reality to this thread. Exactly. Much better to be 1-4 now than 1-4 in the playoffs. On a positive note they just can't keep on winning against us... The Sabres are too good... Just on odds and winning... I don't see them stringing a bunch of regular season wins against us and into the playoffs... In other words, the tide HAS to turn... Right? And better to let them have their fun now! I could be wrong of course... Just like in football... How many times does a team win 3 games (2 divisional and then a playoff) against another in a season? In other words... I really like BFLO's chances... Even know it was a downer last night, HT went down for a couple weeks, and Ryan let in 6 goals... To ME... BLFO's 3 goals showed grit... When I thought they would pack it in for a one goal effort or worse a shut-out... In a way, it was a very good morale booster for me... They have answered the call everytime they have been whooped to make it respectable or win... Even hurt, they got heart! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thesportsbuff Posted January 5, 2007 Report Share Posted January 5, 2007 Reality? The "Reality" is that the Sens are a complete non factor in playoff hockey. They might as well be listed as 'BYE'. If you want to worry than worry about the Habs or Devils. The Habs because they have a team that works hard and looks a lot like the Sabres from 05-06 with their top level special teams. The Devils have one of the all-time great playoff goalies. The Sens haven't earned that respect. The Sens are also 1 and 3 following games against the Sabres. You can't just assume it's going to be easy to get past them in the playoffs, especially if they're dominating us all season. Yeah, we beat them last year, but three of our four wins were in overtime, and one was a 2-1 regulation victory (if i remember right). All of those games could have gone the other way, and not to say that Ottawa would have won if they had Hasek rather than Emery, but let's just leave it at this; Emery has gotten a LOT better since last season. I'm not saying not to have faith, or that Ottawa is the scariest team we'd have to face. I just don't think you should write them off as an easy win. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nystrip66 Posted January 5, 2007 Report Share Posted January 5, 2007 The Sens game wasn't really as out of whack as the score might indicate. The biggest difference that stood out, was the way the Sens push the puck toward the net. If you put the puck on net, by driving or shooting, good things happen. Sometimes our PP passing looks great, 15-20 passes for Kotalik or Spacek to take the shot from the point. Not always bad, but look what the Sens do. Between Heatly, Spezza and Alfredsson, they are always working toward the cage, and thier hands are skilled enough to do it. I love Gaustad, the energy he brings to the ice is awesome, but I just don't think his hands are skilled enough around the net to create his own opportunities there. Sure he'll bang a rebound in from time to time, and he's a big presence, but get more skilled bodies to the net, and I think you'll see our PP % go up. Just my thoughts. :D :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deluca67 Posted January 5, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2007 You can't just assume it's going to be easy to get past them in the playoffs, especially if they're dominating us all season. Yeah, we beat them last year, but three of our four wins were in overtime, and one was a 2-1 regulation victory (if i remember right). All of those games could have gone the other way, and not to say that Ottawa would have won if they had Hasek rather than Emery, but let's just leave it at this; Emery has gotten a LOT better since last season. I'm not saying not to have faith, or that Ottawa is the scariest team we'd have to face. I just don't think you should write them off as an easy win. It's not a matter of faith. I don't do or say anything based on faith. If I didn't 100% believe the Sabres are the best team in the NHL I wouldn't say it. I am not even sure if I believe in the concept. What I do have is resolve. I have decided to stop giving the Sens respect until there actually step out on the ice and earn some. As far as Emery? Better? I quess. He reminds me a lot of Loseman. The bar was so low to begin with any improvement seems drastic. He had a nice week. Good for him. I've seen a lot of goalies this season that at some point looked like world beaters. We have seen it with Ryan Miller. look at Huet last night. Four goals against on 20 shots and he gets pulled. The Sens are 15 points back for many reasons. Ray Emery is one of those reasons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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