My comments from the first 3 games

[OpIv37]

Eb PM'ed me and called the bet off. So, my rants are back, and you can thank/blame Eb depending on your opinion of them.

Game 1: No production from the first 2 lines, I was surprised and encouraged at how well we matched Philly's physical play. It was ugly, but I was encouraged by the fact that we won the type of ugly game that we usually lose.

Game 2: Just straight-up sloppy. The PK was incredible, everything else was off. Vanek was good early but then the first two lines were once again rendered ineffective, largely because they spent so much time killing penalties. And the penalties were a combination of bad calls, the Sabres doing stupid things to recover from being out of position, and the Sabres taking out their frustrations in stupid ways. The only mildly encouraging thing was that we only lost by 1, despite being on the road and spending half the game in the penalty box.

Game 3: I'm convinced that this team has returned to their true form. The PP is mediocre and there is once again no production from the first two lines. The only good thing about this game was moving Boyes down to the 3rd line. That line definitely applied some pressure. Of course, it came at the expense of moving Special Neids up to the 2nd line and getting him more playing time. He seems better than he was earlier in the year, but he is NOT a 2nd line player in the NHL anymore.

It seems like our 1st 2 lines are struggling to match up with Philly physically. Our 3rd and 4th lines are getting some pressure because they can match the physical intensity, but they don't have the talent to carry the 1st and 2nd line. Pominville, Vanek, Stafford and Connolly need to wake the **** up or this series will be over by Friday.

And for ****'s sake, why can't this team get a puck to the front of the net? It seems like we never get the puck to the crease and when we do, there is no one there to receive/redirect/fight for it.

[hydro]

I think the time off did you some good. Great analysis and spot on.

[Ebenezer]

I think the time off did you some good. Great analysis and spot on.
Completely rational!

Now, he will have to rant harder than that to ensure a Sabres victory!

[elltrain22]

Eb PM'ed me and called the bet off. So, my rants are back, and you can thank/blame Eb depending on your opinion of them.

Game 1: No production from the first 2 lines, I was surprised and encouraged at how well we matched Philly's physical play. It was ugly, but I was encouraged by the fact that we won the type of ugly game that we usually lose.

Game 2: Just straight-up sloppy. The PK was incredible, everything else was off. Vanek was good early but then the first two lines were once again rendered ineffective, largely because they spent so much time killing penalties. And the penalties were a combination of bad calls, the Sabres doing stupid things to recover from being out of position, and the Sabres taking out their frustrations in stupid ways. The only mildly encouraging thing was that we only lost by 1, despite being on the road and spending half the game in the penalty box.

Game 3: I'm convinced that this team has returned to their true form. The PP is mediocre and there is once again no production from the first two lines. The only good thing about this game was moving Boyes down to the 3rd line. That line definitely applied some pressure. Of course, it came at the expense of moving Special Neids up to the 2nd line and getting him more playing time. He seems better than he was earlier in the year, but he is NOT a 2nd line player in the NHL anymore.

It seems like our 1st 2 lines are struggling to match up with Philly physically. Our 3rd and 4th lines are getting some pressure because they can match the physical intensity, but they don't have the talent to carry the 1st and 2nd line. Pominville, Vanek, Stafford and Connolly need to wake the **** up or this series will be over by Friday.

And for ****'s sake, why can't this team get a puck to the front of the net? It seems like we never get the puck to the crease and when we do, there is no one there to receive/redirect/fight for it.


Very good analysis!! Pretty dead on, but its not that hard to sum up. Our 1st and 2nd lines suck ***, can't score, can't forecheck, can't defend Van Riemsdick, Briere, and company. PK has been very good, but they've had to do it too much, b/c we aren't smart enough to stay outta of the ***** penalty box. Our 3rd and 4th lines, especially Gerbe's line, has been amazing, and if every line played w/ that grit and hustle we might be up in this series. Miller also needs to step his game up as well.

The good thing game 4 is in Buffalo, and we can tie this series back up, and gain momentum going forward. Lets go Sabres!!

[hydro]

Don't let this go to your head Opiv.... :D

This was good because it was fair and balanced. You acknowledge the good along with the bad. That is all I have ever asked for.

[hydro]

I think the team is afraid to be in the middle of the ice. Even when they are actually there with the puck it's like a hot potato...

[chernobylwraiths]

Easy to acknowledge the bad when they are losing.

[rbochan]

I think the team is afraid to be in the middle of the ice. Even when they are actually there with the puck it's like a hot potato...
Aside from a few of them, you are correct.

[trapezeus]

in games 2 and 3 briere continued his antagonist ways. Both games, the sabres could have neutralized him with a solid beat down, and both times the sabres backed away from him. Seems odd, no?

[chernobylwraiths]

in games 2 and 3 briere continued his antagonist ways. Both games, the sabres could have neutralized him with a solid beat down, and both times the sabres backed away from him. Seems odd, no?

What does this mean? When was Briere an antagonist?

[G Wolly]

What does this mean? When was Briere an antagonist?

Assuming he's referring to when he was messing with Goose before the faceoff in game 2 which led to the fight between him and Hartnell I think it was.

[chernobylwraiths]

Assuming he's referring to when he was messing with Goose before the faceoff in game 2 which led to the fight between him and Hartnell I think it was.

He wasn't "messing" with Gaustad. I think on most draws, Briere puts almost his entire body in the dot to win the draw. The official didn't drop the puck, and since Briere was already right in the dot and right in Gaustad's face coincidentally, Gaustad just pushed him over.

[G Wolly]

Then that must be what happened. I had to work at the Bandits game so I didn't get to see every second of it, but when the people watching the game in the store yelled "FIGHT!" I had to stop and watch my boy Goose.

[trapezeus]

well i thought after goose dropped him at the dot, he fought hartnell, meanwhile briere is giving a couple shots to kaleta. i didn't understand then and i don't understand now why kaleta didn't just drop em and go at it. Wouldn't you make that trade of losing kaleta if they lost briere?

Then he ran miller in game two

then in game three he was in a couple other scrums and the sabres only pull him off. engage him i say. If he wants to throw a couple shots after the play is over, then make him feel it.

[G Wolly]

This team isn't that tough. That's our downfall in playoff hockey. We're not built for it. We can't match the physical game of Philadelphia.

i just feel like they don't even care.

[chernobylwraiths]

well i thought after goose dropped him at the dot, he fought hartnell, meanwhile briere is giving a couple shots to kaleta. i didn't understand then and i don't understand now why kaleta didn't just drop em and go at it. Wouldn't you make that trade of losing kaleta if they lost briere?

Then he ran miller in game two

then in game three he was in a couple other scrums and the sabres only pull him off. engage him i say. If he wants to throw a couple shots after the play is over, then make him feel it.

I have no problem with what Briere did with Kaleta. Sure, if you're Kaleta, you have to think about dropping them because that is a great tradeoff for Buffalo. But I always liked how Briere didn't take crap, though I didn't necessarily like him using his stick sometimes, but for a little guy, he is more fiesty than guys like Pomminville and Hecht.

I don't remember him "running" Miller. At least no more than Gaustad or Vanek "run" other goaltenders. He bumps them sometimes and tries to get position, but that is what I want out of our players as well.

The Sabres rarely take shots at opposing players. That's why I loved seeing Gerbe shove his glove in Giroux's face. I'm beginning to really like Gerbe.

[helmetguy]

Good analysis, OP. While we all agree that Vanek is pretty streaky, I do give credit to Philthy for the didsciplie they showed dealing with Vanek. Whenever he was camped near the crease, there akways seemed to be two guys there to defend. Not a lot of room to squeeze shots through from the perimeter. Philthy looks content to over defend him in order to neutralize him.

At the other end of the ice, the D has it's moments, but has been mostly scary. Razor hit the nail on the head last night when said that there wasn't any communication back there. The Briere goal was as much misfortune as defensive breakdown but, just the same, NOBODY picked up Briere. On the Zherdev goal, Leoplod gambled and lost big time. He almost had to, though. The way they're not clearing pucks out of the zone, it's almost like Lydman came back to haunt us.

On a positive note, it was great to see Gerbe make Versteeg his *****. That was classic.

[Michael82]

i just feel like they don't even care.
It felt like that in the Arena last night. The fans were pumped up and loud at the start of the game and tried to get into it. But after the 1st period, it became obvious that the Sabres players didn't really give a ****. They were so lazy and kept dumping the puck down the ice and then never putting any pressure on Boucher. It was really pissing me off.

And is it just me or did the ice look terrible last night? Several players fell more than once, including Gerbe. And the Sabres players looked like they were skating in mud. :ill:

[SkateZilla]

Game 1...
Physical, and we got a hard work rebound goal, miller shut the door, the D played D and cleared loose pucks out of the area before Philly can tap in freebies.

Game 2...
Started Physical, then the Officials decided to send a message to the teams by calling everything buffalo did, eventually philly got some calls, but i mean 10 PPs ... we spent more time on the PK than we did on the PP + Ev Str together. Undisciplined, blame the refs for some, but I mean, they called them because they saw them, whether or not they only called stuff on buffalo is besides the point. The Defense Stopped playing like they did in game 1, Not covering anyone down low, and not getting loose pucks out of the area, Credit 1 goal as Miller's fault the rest you can litterally Credit to Sekera. How is hartnell not had his face bashed yet?, he gets away with the Jersey crap during the fight, then he dove liek 3 or 4 times and got his team a PP every time. he sucked a player into a double minor .. ran over miller and got a PP out of it.

Game 3...
Why the eff is T.C. on the ice for the PP or Even Str.
D decides to not play D or aggressively at all, lets skate back wards all the way up to millers face. Same as Game 2

[G Wolly]

And is it just me or did the ice look terrible last night? Several players fell more than once, including Gerbe. And the Sabres players looked like they were skating in mud. :ill:

I didn't get to see the entire game due to working, but everything was sloppy.

I saw Goose, Miller, and Leopold after the game and wanted to go talk some sense into Miller or something.

Also walked past Leino. Should have clubbed his knees.