Post-Game Talk (GBU): Baby Steps? Signs of Life?

[sand1138man]

Effort is there. Miller is there. Some scoring opportunities are there. The team has no luck, is running into good goalies, and plain and simple can't score goals.

The record for least goals in a season is 133. That record may be in trouble, at this pace.

u said it buddy,looking at this roster, we have one finisher (vanek) for at least half the year, we have a couple playmakers (ennishogson), we have some young talent that is not ready to be regular contributors (larson, flynn, foligno, griggs, gergs) these guys can not make up the upper part of an nhl team, we have one first line caliber player (vanek), we have two second like caliber players (ott, hogson) and we have the streaker crew (staff, ennis, leino, foligno) who all could be second line players but only 1/4 of the time. it's simple, these young guys are too inexperienced to have chemistry, the older guys are streaky and fed up, and these is no GROUP to look at for goals.

now i saw RARE signs of life today from myers and stafford. if stafford and ennis can play to their potential. If we can get ennis and stafford going on maybe a second line with one of the talented young guns like flynn or gergensons it could help that guy develope and take some pressure off vanek/hogson/ott to get our scoring, then we could win some games and have the bottome 6 compete for ice time.....no one should be safe, especilly not mccormic, scott,kaleta griggs, foligno....

did u see millers face after period 1, he was disgusted, maybe he said something to the team that got the moving, but either way they made the game interesting and I thought it would be a blow out...Vanek and hogsons gave eachother changes to tie it a point even would have felt good

at this point we need a ton to go positive to get ayhere near a race, but these are new guys, maybe they will surprise us...at least we dont have to watch the same guys as last year for the most part

 

[wunderpanda]

g- i think the sabres did a lot of the little things, miller was great, grigs with vanek for a few shifts and during the empty net time at the end. myers saved a goal, stafford scored a goal

b- nothing really stood out, just couldn't score

u- the rangers

 

[Wisent42]

G:
- Miller standing on his head
- Stafford didn't suck
- Hodgson looked confident with the puck
- Girgensons using his body
- Grigorenko getting some ice-time with Vanek and also with the empty net. THAT'S how you learn him to play the game and build confidence, not by sitting him out.
- The third

B:
- Sulzer's first game showed why he was sent down.
- Ennis got nowhere. Is it just me or is he falling down a lot?
- The first.

U:
- PP
- The fact that Stafford missed one home. That was not where he ment to shoot it.

All in all, I think the guys performed okay. There's still a long way to being a good team but I think some of the youngsters are starting to adept. It's a matter of confidence at this point. In the first they looked small, backed off to much and offered room for the hawks, had too much respect. In the third, with some desperation, they started pinching, earning ice and time with the puck, and suddenly they didn't look so small. Off course, the hawks backed off a bit and either way you can't play desperate for sixty minutes, but they need to find that balance. Know when to pinch and when to play safe. Find the guts to hold on to the puck and not just try to get rid of it, but also to know when it's really time to just get rid of it.

 

[Wisent42]

Also, I think Myers performed well tonight.

 

[DJN21]

I had to pull a graveyard can anyone comment on Foligno's performance?

 

[Sabre Dance]

I mean, 40 shots again. Had to be at least 20 that just missed or were blocked.

You cant win games like that. The only reason it wasnt 7-1 was Ryan Miller. That is how you get fooled.

But because of Miller the Sabres seemed to gain confidence in the 3rd. Should we hope now they carry it over? Like i said a few times, there is enough talent to play .500 hockey, which Im positive they will. More reason for Darcy to start working the phones so this tank doesnt turn into 10th place.

And I just looked, only 4 points out of 8th! Playoff push! Too early?

 

[Beerz]

I had to pull a graveyard can anyone comment on Foligno's performance?

Bout the same as the last game... maybe a little better... but he's nowhere near where he needs to be with his intensity.

 

[SatanwasaSlovak]

It's embarrassing. Something needs to happen. Something's got to get them going.

Put Big John Scott on the first-line challenging his opponent every shift. See how the opposing team reacts.

 

[gallagt01]

Did Ennis even play?

Seems like people are conflicted in regards to Grigorenko. I thought he was solid. Not spectacular but he wasn't timid out there. Given his empty-net shift, Rolston agreed.

Hodgson played his best game as a Sabre and was buzzing around all night.

 

[moltenlava26]

G: Mr Miller/Crawford
CoHo. He was fantastic. Surprisingly solid on the fore check.
sabres top line. Hawks top line
myers saving a goal with some great hand eye coordination

B: Ennis. He is pressing. Between him and stafford, the 2nd line is a mess.
Sultzer. Yikes
no penalty or penalty shot for gurgs.
the sabres 4th line vs kane and towes

U: team identity. Not sure what the hell it is.

That was the best period of hockey all season. A feel good point would have done wonders for the confidence of the locker room.

 

[Sabresfansince1980]

The lack of goals is still inexcusable. They have 6 goals in 6 games. That is pathetic. Toronto scored as many tonight as we have all season.

Someone mentioned the record for fewest goals in a season - 133. Buffalo won't end up as bad as the 1953-54 Chicago Blackhawks, but they'll probably smash their own record in a non-strike season - 190 goals in 2002-03.

I had been fairly excited to watch the rookies this season, but Rolston has them playing a game that is limiting their scoring chances to about 4-6 per game, while caving back into the D-zone. It's almost un-watchable, getting out-shot an avg. of 37-26 and out-chanced around 15-5. Rolston has really surprised me.

 

[PlamsUnlimited]

Yeah Rolston is having them play some sort of collapse. It's not helpful at all

 

[SabresBillsBuffalo]

You would think he'd try to balance out offensive talent on the team....

 

[TheMistyStranger]

Thanks to Corey Crawford for summarizing the Sabres futility so succinctly.

"They kind of hung around there."

 

[couture23]

I was really happy with Myers' game. I saw most of it, was distracted with Sox-Tigers but for the most part he looked great.

Loved loved loved Hodgson, he was buzzing for sure. Big games from Girgensons and Pysyk as usual too.

 

[twinpeaks]

Thanks to Corey Crawford for summarizing the Sabres futility so succinctly.

That just means they didn't take a huge lead. A lot of players say this.

 

[Zip15]

Didn't see any of the game, but the first time I checked the score it was 1-0 Hawks and shots were 30-9. Can't win in this league getting dominated like that. Sounds like Miller held them in it and Chicago was on their heels in the 3rd. We will see if they can carry over that 3rd period, but color me skeptical.

 

[French Connection]

Also, I think Myers performed well tonight.

He did make a nice play to save a goal.

 

[Zip15]

Would've liked Girgs to have taken away the cross-ice pass from Sharp to Kane on the second goal.

*ducks for cover*

 

[is the answer jesus]

Would've liked Girgs to have taken away the cross-ice pass from Sharp to Kane on the second goal.

*ducks for cover*

Was my first thought as well.

 

[littletonhockeycoach]

Did Ennis even play?

Seems like people are conflicted in regards to Grigorenko. I thought he was solid. Not spectacular but he wasn't timid out there. Given his empty-net shift, Rolston agreed.

Hodgson played his best game as a Sabre and was buzzing around all night.

Yeah, I'm definitely conflicted. I really want the kid to succeed. I've quietly kept an eye on him - as much as TV camera work allows - and have reserved judgment. He's young, wasn't handled properly last season, not sure he's been handled much better this season either. I've not generally commented on his performance until recently.

There's a reason he dropped in the draft 2 years ago. IMHO it was his skating (versus the mono illness). It's just not very good. Being tall and lanky, he has too wide a stance in the glide. His acceleration (jump start) is poor. He has virtually no explosiveness when a change in direction is needed. Which leaves him gliding a lot and making looping direction changes. Bad, bad, bad. He's fighting for the puck more (and better i.e.; last night). But he still has a tendency to wait in place for someone to get the puck to him. This ain't a team that does that very well.

He needs to improve his skating. Else I don't see him being able to meet expectations as a 1st round NHLer.

I really WANT to be wrong about this.

 

[TheMistyStranger]

That just means they didn't take a huge lead. A lot of players say this.

It's also a very placid statement. They "kind of" hung around. This is a very bland Sabres team.

 

[start winnin]

Would've liked Girgs to have taken away the cross-ice pass from Sharp to Kane on the second goal.

*ducks for cover*

Girgs has looked better with each passing game, but I still want him to play in the AHL. He'll be called up anyways, but for now he looks like he's always chasing the play.

 

[Paxon]

Agree with the others who say Myers looked good. I liked the penalty he took early. If you don't have your stick and you make the decision to step close on a guy, you go all the way even if you take a penalty. It wasn't unlike what Hjalmarsson did, though that was in the slot rather than on the boards.

Myers looked good with his stick and made good passes and decisions for the most part.

 

[Pominville Knows]

How has Steve Ott been offensively? Good trying or just lame?