Sabres v. Pens GDT

[Ebenezer]

This just in...there is a game...

2-1 Sabres end of the first! :shocked:

[Nighthawk]

Can't see it....have DirecTV.

[hydro]

Can't see it....have DirecTV.

http://www.channelsurfing.net/watch-nhl.html

[YardRat]

Well, there's another prediction down the ****ter already.

They better at least win, then.

[helmetguy]

One! Two! Three.....WE WANT FOUR!!!

[elltrain22]

Happy 20th b-day to Tyler Myers!!

[Ebenezer]

Well, there's another prediction down the ****ter already.

They better at least win, then.
I love being wrong!! ;)

[Ebenezer]

:oops:

[YardRat]

Whoa...That went to hell quickly.

[Nighthawk]

What happened...did they choke it away?

[LtFinFan66]

They let Sid the Kid score a 2nd period hat trick...lost 5-4

[OpIv37]

This team isn't even going to win the division.

[Nighthawk]

They let Sid the Kid score a 2nd period hat trick...lost 5-4

Ughhh....

[qcsabresfan84]

This team isn't even going to win the division.

Did you notice that we only lost by one goal?? And Miller let in two awful goals?? Hell, we even outshot them. If we get blown out and look awful as a team then I can sometimes deal with your outlandishly negative remarks, but this one has no bearing after a close game like tonight.

[OpIv37]

Did you notice that we only lost by one goal?? And Miller let in two awful goals?? Hell, we even outshot them. If we get blown out and look awful as a team then I can sometimes deal with your outlandishly negative remarks, but this one has no bearing after a close game like tonight.
Which just proves what I've been saying all along: the team relies too muchbon Miller. They can't win when he has an off night.

Also, you're looking at it in a vaccuum. 4-4-2 in the last ten, meanwhile Ottawa is on a 9 game tear and closing ground quickly. If you take it as a reaction to one game, you MAY have an argument that it's an overreaction. But if you look a the larger picture, it's not good at all.

[qcsabresfan84]

Which just proves what I've been saying all along: the team relies too muchbon Miller. They can't win when he has an off night.

Also, you're looking at it in a vaccuum. 4-4-2 in the last ten, meanwhile Ottawa is on a 9 game tear and closing ground quickly. If you take it as a reaction to one game, you MAY have an argument that it's an overreaction. But if you look a the larger picture, it's not good at all.

How many teams can you expect to win when they need to score six goals?? There is not a single team in the league that is going to win the majority of the time when they let in 5.

And you're saying that Ottawa is going to go undefeated the rest of the season and we're going to go .500? If I'm looking at a vaccuum, then so are you. The only way to judge a team is by the entire season and we have been better this season. Ottawa is streaky and always has been while we have been for the most part consistent. Even if you widen your look on Ottawa by just five games, they started this win streak after a five game losing streak.

[OpIv37]

How many teams can you expect to win when they need to score six goals?? There is not a single team in the league that is going to win the majority of the time when they let in 5.

And you're saying that Ottawa is going to go undefeated the rest of the season and we're going to go .500? If I'm looking at a vaccuum, then so are you. The only way to judge a team is by the entire season and we have been better this season. Ottawa is streaky and always has been while we have been for the most part consistent. Even if you widen your look on Ottawa by just five games, they started this win streak after a five game losing streak.
The d could step up and allow fewer shots. The o could stepnup and score more. The backup goalie could come in and win the game. Those are the things that don't happen with this team.

And Ottawa is 5 points behind us in the standings. The don't need to go undefeated or need us to go .500 to catch us. They just need to be 3 games better. The point is that they are hot right now and we are mediocre.

There is nothing "outlandishly negative" about this- it is the plain and simple reality.

[qcsabresfan84]

The d could step up and allow fewer shots. The o could stepnup and score more. The backup goalie could come in and win the game. Those are the things that don't happen with this team.

And Ottawa is 5 points behind us in the standings. The don't need to go undefeated or need us to go .500 to catch us. They just need to be 3 games better. The point is that they are hot right now and we are mediocre.

There is nothing "outlandishly negative" about this- it is the plain and simple reality.

You are correct, our team could play perfectly and we wouldn't have to worry about winning the division, but it doesn't really make sense to hold any team to that kind of standard.

And yes, it is negative. You are taking the negative outlook, and I am taking a more positive outlook. Neither one is simple reality because it hasn't happened yet. We'll know the simple reality at the end of the season.

I simply disagree with using last night's game, or even the last ten games, as a measuring stick for the remainder of the season. There are way too many contributing factors that differ between any particular game or set of games.

[OpIv37]

I'm not using last nights game as a measuring stick. These are problems that have been with this team all season. The last 10 games, and last night in particular, put these problems on display.

Why is it that every time I complain, someone accuses me of expecting perfection? We LOST the game. We allowed 5 goals, 3 in one period. We allowed a hat trick. I really don't see anything wrong with expecting better than that. I've seen nothing fro this team to suggest we could beat Washington, Pittsburgh, NJ or Ottawa over a 7 game series.

I stand by my assertion that my view is more realistic. I take the "negative" approach because the reality is that this team's flaws are catching up to them. You take the positive view because, well, you like to think good things are in store for this team. I'd like to think that too, but reality doesn't support that at the moment.

[Ebenezer]

look at who they have played in the last ten...that was a tough skein...they didn't fare that great but it doesn't detract from the fact that they are a very good team and as long as they don't get a bad match up (Pitts, Wash or Ott) in the playoffs they will make a dent. That was the point of my two game losing thread - it was the worst possible time to play these two teams and expose that they are not good match ups for the Sabres...unless Ott stays on fire they will win the division but the downside is that they will struggle against any of those three teams...in other words - they are right where they were when they won the president's trophy with not as much offense.

[BlackMetalNinja]

I'm not using last nights game as a measuring stick. These are problems that have been with this team all season. The last 10 games, and last night in particular, put these problems on display.

Why is it that every time I complain, someone accuses me of expecting perfection? We LOST the game. We allowed 5 goals, 3 in one period. We allowed a hat trick. I really don't see anything wrong with expecting better than that. I've seen nothing fro this team to suggest we could beat Washington, Pittsburgh, NJ or Ottawa over a 7 game series.

I stand by my assertion that my view is more realistic. I take the "negative" approach because the reality is that this team's flaws are catching up to them. You take the positive view because, well, you like to think good things are in store for this team. I'd like to think that too, but reality doesn't support that at the moment.And the 10 before that we were 7-1-2... but why mention that, because it might actually look like we don't suck as bad as you'd like everybody to believe.

[OpIv37]

Eb, your mentality is dangerously close to "poor stretches are ok as long as they're against good teams.". The point is that in the playoffs, we will have to play NJ, Wash, Pitt or Ottawa- maybe not in the first round, but barring several major upsets, definitely in the 2nd round (if we even make it that far).

With the exception of the "goals for" column, this team looks pretty damn good on the standings sheet. They don't look nearly as good on the ice, particularly agianst what should be even competition.

[OpIv37]

And the 10 before that we were 7-1-2... but why mention that, because it might actually look like we don't suck as bad as you'd like everybody to believe.
Because my contention all along is that Miller would break down later in the season and the team would go down with him. So far, that's exacly what's happening.

[BlackMetalNinja]

Because my contention all along is that Miller would break down later in the season and the team would go down with him. So far, that's exacly what's happening.I do not like the fact that he's started 10 straight at all. That's his longest streak of the season, and with the Olympics coming up, that's not good at all.

[OpIv37]

That's exactly what concerns me. Lalime was decent after that stint in the minors, but he had that one bad outing and Lindy seems to have lost all faith in him.

I want to see the USA do well in the Olympics, but it might be best for the Sabres if the US goes out early and Miller gets a few days to rest.

[JD]

How much would you all like to wager that Op turned the game on during the 2nd period?

It would only make sense.

[OpIv37]

How much would you all like to wager that Op turned the game on during the 2nd period?

It would only make sense.
Ha, this ones not on me. I heard the 1st on xm in the car and it was 2-1. Then I was out of the car but I was busy- by the time I got the chance to check it again, it was 5-3 with a minute to go in the 2nd. I refused to listen to it after that.

[RockStar36]

If they lost faith in Lalime, it's for good reason. Even me, someone who said I was over worrying about him, I now have very little faith. That game against Anaheim was awful.

I'll be shocked if they don't pickup a goalie capable of giving Miller a few nights off. They can't keep this trend up.

[Ebenezer]

If they lost faith in Lalime, it's for good reason. Even me, someone who said I was over worrying about him, I now have very little faith. That game against Anaheim was awful.

I'll be shocked if they don't pickup a goalie capable of giving Miller a few nights off. They can't keep this trend up.


I reallly thought Telqvist could do that...they didn't even try to resign him.

[OpIv37]

If they lost faith in Lalime, it's for good reason. Even me, someone who said I was over worrying about him, I now have very little faith. That game against Anaheim was awful.

I'll be shocked if they don't pickup a goalie capable of giving Miller a few nights off. They can't keep this trend up.
They've kept it up for 2 1/2 seasons and counting....

[THATHURMANATOR]

They've kept it up for 2 1/2 seasons and counting....
Wrong AGAIN OP. This is Lalime's second year so it is 1 and 1/2 Seasons and counting..

[OpIv37]

Wrong AGAIN OP. This is Lalime's second year so it is 1 and 1/2 Seasons and counting..
Wrong again, Thurm. Before Lalime we had Thibault, who was
even worse. So it's been 2 1/2 years since we've had a quality back up. Get your facts right before attempting to slam people.

[THATHURMANATOR]

Wrong again, Thurm. Before Lalime we had Thibault, who was
even worse. So it's been 2 1/2 years since we've had a quality back up. Get your facts right before attempting to slam people.
You didn't mention Thibault.

You can't expect people to assume.

You need to stop being wrong.

[OpIv37]

You didn't mention Thibault.

You can't expect people to assume.

You need to stop being wrong.

You're right- it was wrong of me to assume the average BZ poster (ie, you) would have the mental capacity to infer the meaning of that statement.

[qcsabresfan84]

Because my contention all along is that Miller would break down later in the season and the team would go down with him. So far, that's exacly what's happening.

How can you say that Miller is breaking down?? His stats have barely changed at all. He has one bad game and all of a sudden he's not the same goaltender? I really don't understand how you can say that he's breaking down.

[RockStar36]

I reallly thought Telqvist could do that...they didn't even try to resign him.

I liked him quite a bit but it was my understanding that they weren't really given a chance to resign him. He took off to the KHL pretty quick.

[RockStar36]

If there was one positive I could pull out of that debacle, it was that Vanek, Pominville, and Roy all scored goals.

[qcsabresfan84]

If there was one positive I could pull out of that debacle, it was that Vanek, Pominville, and Roy all scored goals.

I completely agree. I thought that Roy in particular played great the entire game. Let's hope that his confidence is back up now and he starts contributing consistently on the score sheet.

[OpIv37]

How can you say that Miller is breaking down?? His stats have barely changed at all. He has one bad game and all of a sudden he's not the same goaltender? I really don't understand how you can say that he's breaking down.

he's not able to carry the team. That's as much- if not more so- on the rest of the team as it is on him, but the fact remains that it's going to get worse, not better, as the season and the Olympics wear on.

[RockStar36]

he's not able to carry the team. That's as much- if not more so- on the rest of the team as it is on him, but the fact remains that it's going to get worse, not better, as the season and the Olympics wear on.

He can definitely carry the team. Even the greats have rough stretches.

Hell, Brodeur let up 2 goals with the lead with 90 seconds remaining of Game 7 last year. If Miller did that your head would literally explode.