GBU Learning Lessons - Game 1 Loss 5-1, 10-12-2023

[Gabrielor]

G
Peterka scored

B
Mostly everything

U
Faceoffs
Getting shots through
Rangers playing the trap in 2023.

Click to read more...

 

[enthusiast]

game 1 of the season but not game 1 of these same issues

dump it and move on

 

[Snippit]

Thoroughly out-classed in all aspects.

 

[Ace]

If I was on a team that missed the playoffs by a point and saw no moves in goal, Quinn replaced by Olofsson and no new top 4 D brought in…while we sit with 2nd most cap and a thousand assets…don’t know why I’d think this was an important season…and that’s the effort we got

 

[Chainshot]

The Good -

Greenway dogged on the puck, involved, and an active stick on the PK.
Clifton's hit on Wheeler bringing the team and fans back into the game.
Dahlin's hip check.
Power and Peterka go 2-on-5 and score.

The Bad -

Fumbles leading directly to two goals against. Seemed like every goal against was a series of mistakes.
Cozens line had a hard time.
Krebs was energetic but the backhands to nowhere and some GA didn't help.
Chytil's jujitsu style on Thompson and then Gus.
The PP1 is all just trying to feed Thompson. Swap in Benson to activate some bumper and low drag plays to the crease. Show me some coaching and execution changes.

The Ugly -

Kreider trucking Jokiharju from behind and not winding up with a PP out of it.
That first PK was a mess. Three guys high and all pointing and not covering.
Kreider's shorty was the back breaker.
Of course it's Trouba who gets the ENG. Hate that guy. (Would love him at not that contract on my team, but hate him against...).
Wasting all that good feeling from the opening with a full house.

 

[Ralonzo]

G: It's hockey season I guess
B: Most of it
U: Sprung a 120 Minute IPA for the occasion, what a waste

 

[DolanPlsGoSabres]

G: not shut out
B: lots of things
U: it was either this or Chiefs-Broncos

 

[pigpen65]

Biggest needs going into the offseason were to add a legit starting goalie, a top 4 Dman, and some toughness. Biggest needs coming out of the offseason are a legit starting goalie, a top 4 Dman, and some toughness. So I don't know, Adams is waiting till the trade deadline or.....

 

[DapperCam]

G:
- Benson didn’t look totally above his head
- I don’t feel like Levi let in any actual softies, and made some nice saves.
- Krebs had some jump early.
- Dahlin made a guy cartwheel
- Greenway showed up

B:
- Most of the team had zero intensity
- Shooting the puck directly into Rangers.
- Rangers are the wrong team to get behind early with an elite goalie and their boring trap.
- We get another dose of boring hockey vs the Islanders soon

U:
- Two posts for us, none for the Rangers. Puck luck strikes early
- Refs giving Greenway that bogus crosscheck early
- Benson getting called for hooking when his stick was being held

 

[TheStorm]

Well that was depressing. Good thing it's a long season I guess

 

[Beerz]

Good - None

Bad- Everyone

Ugly- Power-Joker, Cozens, 1st Line

 

[stokes84]

As JA17 says, don’t let 1 bad game turn into 2

Good:

Hockey is back. I thought Power played well. Greenway was nice.

Bad:

Maybe this team needed more preseason work. They were fighting the puck all night. They looked rusty as a group. Dahlin, Tuch, Thompson, Cozens all struggled making sharp, decisive decisions. And if that group struggles, you aren’t going to win many games.

Ugly:

Refs set the tone early, in a very ugly way. Those calls and Greenway and Benson were atrocious.

 

[Sabreality]

Biggest needs going into the offseason were to add a legit starting goalie, a top 4 Dman, and some toughness. Biggest needs coming out of the offseason are a legit starting goalie, a top 4 Dman, and some toughness. So I don't know, Adams is waiting till the trade deadline or.....

odd flex when none of those were really the problem tonight.

Forward no shows were.

 

[Ace]

Well it probably can’t get worse right? He asks pretending UPL will never play

 

[Panthaz89]

G:
Johnson and Clifton looked like decent additions
B:
Unfortunately nearly every forward played like lame ducks and were chasing most of the game.

U:
Let an awful Rangers PK unit look a lot better than they should have.

 

[MOGlLNY]

G
Krebs for 2 periods
Greenway
Benson looked capable
I thought Clifton was fine
Dahlin was fine

B
Power + Top 6
Powerplay
Losing our guys constantly

U
Levi is gonna be in for a long year I think
Not being able to push back against a formation we will see all year
Laying a massive egg after begging fans to show up

 

[Ace]

odd flex when none of those were really the problem tonight.

Forward no shows were.

If only they had known their top 6 was down one of their best players before free agency.

oh wait.

 

[TehDoak]

G: Eh.
B: Really felt like the Sabres couldn't get much speed through the neutral zone and they couldn't generate any real forecheck. They seem easier to defend/keep on the outside so far (vs the Penguins and this game as well)
U. Special teams wasn't great. The PP goal by the ranger with 3 men up high and 1 down low seems like a coaching issue. And for the love of god, everyone knows you are trying to set up Thompson on the left circle. Everyone. Maybe at least use him as a decoy a few times to keep them honest.

 

[Chainshot]

G:
- Benson didn’t look totally above his head
- I don’t feel like Levi let in any actual softies, and made some nice saves.
- Krebs had some jump early.
- Dahlin made a guy cartwheel
- Greenway showed up

B:
- Most of the team had zero intensity
- Shooting the puck directly into Rangers.
- Rangers are the wrong team to get behind early with an elite goalie and their boring trap.
- We get another dose of boring hockey vs the Islanders soon

U:
- Two posts for us, none for the Rangers. Puck luck strikes early
- Refs giving Greenway that bogus crosscheck early
- Benson getting called for hooking when his stick was being held

Yeah, Panarin's puck went in off the post. Johnson had one flush and Skinner late right before Kreider's second and thus the game of inches. Hopefully they have some puck luck to offset this going forward.

 

[FaschingStatement]

The window is open and so was the backdoor.

 

[Dreakon13]

G
- Thought Greenway was good tonight
- Loved the physicality of the first period, teammates standing up for each other
- Peterka opened the season scoring

B
- Tons of shots missed the net by a mile. I don't think Thompson hit the net once
- Hard to blame Levi on most of those but he seemed shaky
- Didn't like Cozens
- Most of what you'd expect in a 1-5 loss

U
- The "told you so's" from the doomsayers all offseason after Game 1. Sigh... could a Buffalo team ever just start a season in a way that actually makes us proud or feel good

Team needs to learn how to play defense. Can't win games when everything the other team tries works.

 

[5 Minute Major]

G: just game 1 and I am still confident this team will be fine.

B: but I’m done with excuses. No need to sugar coat or look for the bright side of things.

U: Given the past 12 seasons, that was an inexcusable effort in front of a packed house with the expectations.

 

[MOGlLNY]

Looking forward to seeing the boys on Saturday but holy shit I am not looking forward to playing another team that’s going to bore me to tears.

UBS should be fun have heard how great it is

 

[SharkInABoloTie]

"This year's NJ Devils."
Let's hope tonight wasn't a sign of things to come.
Greenway, Benson, Krebs and Samuelson looked like they came to play. Everyone else kind of going through the motions.

 

[Ehran]

Good:
Greenway had a good game. If he keeps this up all season he's a great addition to the team
Krebs was engaged, at least early on.

Bad:
The team didn't seem to have an answer for what the Rangers were doing. They kept trying the same things, and getting the same results. (we know what that is the definition of). In the end, they seemed to be trying to "out skill" the Rangers and do too much alone.

Ugly:

Nothing really. It's the first game of a long season. Let's not read too much into it.