GBU Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul, Lose 5-4 in Jersey 10/27/2023

[Sabre the Win]

Vanecek saved 2 break aways. We allowed 2 break away goals. Also, I'm not 100% sure the PP goal was actually deflected. It's hard to tell on the replay, but Hughes the player who shot it got credited with the goal and UPL was not in good position.

Like I said, the goalies didn't lose the game for us, but when you give up 5 goals it wasn't a good game for them either. It's a theme going back to last year.

Vanecek didn't even move on that breakaway, Tuch shot it directly into his glove.

 

[BFLO]

Are you talking about Bullet Tooth Tony?

Some stats below, not directed at Joshjull. Just didn't want to doublepost

We're 27th in the standings. Currently drafting 6th overall before lottery shenanigans.

From Natural Stat Trick
At all strengths through the first 8 games

Shot Quality:
xGF% 30th (we're the 3rd worst team at quality of shots generated vs surrendered)
xGF/60 29th (we're the 4th worst team at generating quality shots)
xGA/60 29th (we're the 4th worst team at surrendering high quality shots)

High Danger shot attempts:
HDCF% 30th
HDCF/60 30th
HDCA/60 27th

Goals Saved Above Expected:
Comrie 26th
Levi 45th
UPL 57th

HD Shots Against/60:
UPL 4th most
Comrie 9th
Levi 39th

 

[Fjordy]

No goalie and no team

I probably would have keep Boosh rather than sign a Clifton like him, and for three years too.

 

[ValJamesDuex]

Also when you end up playing with 5 defensmen because Clifton decides to pull a Vinnie Jones (10 points to anyone who gets that reference)

 

[old kummelweck]

Yes you can. Teams do it all the time. I don’t know why you think thats even remotely unusual.

Fine.

What about the forward depth? Not an issue for you?

 

[MOGlLNY]

View attachment 759108

Some stats below, not directed at Joshjull. Just didn't want to doublepost

We're 27th in the standings. Currently drafting 6th overall before lottery shenanigans.

From Natural Stat Trick
At all strengths through the first 8 games

Shot Quality:
xGF% 30th (we're the 3rd worst team at quality of shots generated vs surrendered)
xGF/60 29th (we're the 4th worst team at generating quality shots)
xGA/60 29th (we're the 4th worst team at surrendering high quality shots)

High Danger shot attempts:
HDCF% 30th
HDCF/60 30th
HDCA/60 27th

Goals Saved Above Expected:
Comrie 26th
Levi 45th
UPL 57th

HD Shots Against/60:
UPL 4th most
Comrie 9th
Levi 39th

Jesus

 

[debaser66]

Also when you end up playing with 5 defensmen because Clifton decides to pull a Vinnie Jones (10 points to anyone who gets that reference) and get kicked out of a game in front of a bunch of family and friends for doing something really stupid its going to have an effect.

I am not taking fault to him, Hirschier ducked away and he clipped him, its hard to put on the brakes in a situation like that.

Vinnie Jones was a brit soccer player and he did some dirty stuff its a bit different ;-)
I mostly know him through his low key movie roles after his soccer career tough.

 

[debaser66]

View attachment 759094

Your thumbs up is in line with someone who watched Sabres hockey for at least the past decade

 

[Doctor Coffin]

We allowed multiple breakaways and you're talking about how the goalies could've saved it? How about the def/forwards don't allow an uncontested breakaway?

"And we'd have gotten away with it, too, if our goalie just had stopped all of those damned breakaways that our team allowed."

 

[5 Minute Major]

Samuelsson is a middling defenseman at best and he’s signed 7 more years.

What?

 

[Reddawg]

Yeah. For the people who don't get the joke: Years back notorious hard man Vinnie Jones was playing for Wimbledon away in his hometown. He begged the manager to put him into the starting IX because a bunch of his family and friends had turned out, the manager did and he promptly got sent off two minutes into the match for violent conduct.

I was trying to decide if Clifton tried slamming someone’s head in between the bench door or if he did one of these to someone out there:

 

[5 Minute Major]

October 28th and already losing my excitement about the Sabres.

 

[TehDoak]

G:

Great there is finally some open ice

B:

Oh no there is open ice.

U:

Puck over the glass

 

[OkimLom]

meh Cliftons probably made that play 100x with a great hit, Nico pulled up

Victim blaming, got to love that. Should’ve just said if Nico didn’t have the puck he wouldn’t have been a target.

Nico stopped like a lot of players do throwing the puck in the zone. Clifton coming in hot like that to finish the check when he didn’t need to. Even if Clifton didn’t injure Nico, that hit produces a fight as NJ had no problem answering the bell, and brings back the crowd into the game just as you scored and took the momentum.

It was an unnecessary big hit that sparked NJ and got the crowd and NJ players back in the game after they just had shifts controlling the game and couldn’t do anything. Then you score the one chance you get. It was a deflating type of goal.

 

[BowieSabresFan]

It just seems to me that Tuch is a step slow processing most of the time right now. Am I seeing things that aren't there?

 

[BuffaloGooner]

5 on 5 we were the better team especially in period 2. NJ went full lockdown mode in the third period and it worked, they knew we were getting quality.

That’s a positive I take from this game. That Devils PP though, man it’s nasty and I’m envious of their movement.

 

[HOOats]

It just seems to me that Tuch is a step slow processing most of the time right now. Am I seeing things that aren't there?

He definitely isn't playing like he did last year. He looks a step slow and a bit weak, which is maybe the same thing as you seeing him processing slowly.

To me, he's the type of player whose mental and physical games are more dependent on each other than most if that makes sense. It makes him dynamic and highly effective when it's all working. But right now it looks like his brain is expecting his body to be a tick quicker, stronger, etc and it's just not there, which throws everything off.

 

[HOOats]

That Devils PP though, man it’s nasty and I’m envious of their movement.

Yeah the way Jack Hughes loops around to get the puck going downhill on the left side felt red alert dangerous every time (he's great to watch, eye test matched his statistical jump this year).

I wonder if we couldn't get something like that going on the right side with Mitts. Make a defender commit then thread it across to Tage, drop it to Ras, or dish it low to Cozens or replace him low.

 

[BowieSabresFan]

Yeah the way Jack Hughes loops around to get the puck going downhill on the left side felt red alert dangerous every time (he's great to watch, eye test matched his statistical jump this year).

I wonder if we couldn't get something like that going on the right side with Mitts. Make a defender commit then thread it across to Tage, drop it to Ras, or dish it low to Cozens or replace him low.

I'd rather put Skinner there so he can turn the puck over.

 

[HOOats]

I'd rather put Skinner there so he can turn the puck over.

I honestly hated his game last night, maybe my least favorite of the forwards. He contributed to a ton of unnecessary pressure against with crummy board play in his own zone. Wonder if he was trying to decide between Brooklyn or Manhattan to hit after the game.

If he wasn't scoring like he is so far (significant "if," I understand), he'd be near the top of our collective shitlist.

 

[Djp]

The team is 3-5, and we are 10% through the season. All the weaknesses that were obvious like a top 4 D, someone who can take a faceoff and a veteran goalie, were all ignored even with about $9 M in cap. More like $10 M, if we just pitched Bryson.

There is some serious talent on this team, and we are going to burn a second prime year not maximizing what we have because of salary considerations and unwillingness to trade even one prospect for some veterans.

I'm not saying the season is done. Far from it. But this a borderline 90+ team tops on the edge of the playoffs and could be in the thick of a playoff with some minor adds.

I know, but nobody will sign with us. Trades are hard to make. The excuses are overwhelming.

Go ahead trash me. I'm off to the game tomorrow because I'm hardcore. Other people are not. Attendance is tragic. I expect maybe 15,000 for a nice 1 p.,m. matinee game against a good Colorado team. Maybe less. A Saturday night crowd not even close to sold it.

One person has been there for all of this mess and his name starts with Terry. (It could be Rip Simonick's fault too.)

I have this nightmare where the Sabres move to somewhere like Salt Lake and win a cup their first year there.

The 05/06 playoff team started 9-9-2

 

[BFLO]

5 on 5 we were the better team especially in period 2. NJ went full lockdown mode in the third period and it worked, they knew we were getting quality.

That’s a positive I take from this game. That Devils PP though, man it’s nasty and I’m envious of their movement.

We were the better team at 5v5 for the first 2 periods. It’s unfortunate there was a 3rd period and that the game isn’t only played at 5v5.

We got obliterated at every other strength throughout the game, and then also at 5v5 in the 3rd.

 

[Matt Ress]

I can't put the game on Upie but you can tell right off the bat that he was battling pucks. Too bad because Comrie was looking on top of his game.

Really a winnable game even with the officiating, 5 d men and goalie injury.

I thought Tage and Tuch were assertive again which is heading in the right direction.

Maybe not Sammy's best game but far from egregious. If Dahls wants him on his side, I'm cool with that.

Hoping someone gets called up to play in the bottom 4.

Fine with Skinner but his goal scoring streak is making him a chucker atm and he's been abandoning his playmaking and other aspects.

Clifford hit didn't look intentional to injure. Unfortunate it played out that way

Again, team physicality is continuing to improve and I doubt NJ would be happy playing a series against us. Let's hope they learn how to use that physicality to earn points.

 

[BuffaloGooner]

We were the better team at 5v5 for the first 2 periods. It’s unfortunate there was a 3rd period and that the game isn’t only played at 5v5.

We got obliterated at every other strength throughout the game, and then also at 5v5 in the 3rd.

Wow it’s almost like they were down to 5 defenweman from the start of the game

 

[OkimLom]

The 05/06 playoff team started 9-9-2

They started 11-9 for their first 20 games. They would win 2 games, lose 1 for the early part of October. They didn’t lose back to backs until end of October, then they had a rough November with a losing streak, but then finished it off with a good win streak that had them in 7th in the league by the end of November.

2005-06 Buffalo Sabres Schedule | Hockey-Reference.com

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