Post-Game Talk (GBU): Our GBU has the same Urgency as Dahlin tonight

[darcyRegier]

To my surprise we actually lead in CF%, HDCF% and SCF%

How? I don't know. It felt like Montreal was all over us for large stretches.

We've actually been good at preventing a lot of good scoring chances at 5v5, even though we have trouble getting the puck out of the dzone. RK seems to have a good dzone structure in place.

 

[Fjordy]

Dahlin even spending not the best match manages to gain his points. Sobotka, Vesey and Mitts should not be in the roster.

 

[Goathead]

I think the biggest obstacle with getting Vlad/Casey/Sheary out of the lineup is that we don't have anyone to fill in for them, and the fact that Botts probably wants Asplund and Tage to spend a good chunk in Roch with Taylor working on their game.

But for real though, they need to figure it out because Casey is really struggling and Vlad is terrible.

They should be more concerned with Mittlestadt’s development than those two. He has the highest upside.

 

[darcyRegier]

They should be more concerned with Mittlestadt’s development than those two. He has the highest upside.

Agreed, and the organization invested a lot into him taking him 7th overall. He's a huge piece to the puzzle and they need to get him on the right track.

 

[Vito_81]

I think its time to scramble things up and flip Vesey and Olafsson.

Vesey-Jack-Sam
Skinner-Johansson-Sobotka
ERod-Mitts-Olafsson

 

[La Cosa Nostra]

What is wrong with Sheary in the top 9? He looked a lot better then Vesey and Mitts before he got hurt.

Good luck finding an upgrade on Sheary for cheap.

 

[Panthaz89]

Some are acting like we got smacked at even strength. I'd give Montreal the edge but not by a lot. There was a lot of sloppy play in all phases that needs to get cleaned up.

honestly most of the big shots from Montreal weren't from sustained pressure....most were from bad giveaways and 2 of them were our defenseman sitting in the back waiting 2 years not passing and getting checked right off the puck despite seeing the man coming and giving them a free pass to the front of the net.

 

[Vito_81]

loved the 4th line tonight

Okposo has been solid

 

[Chainshot]

I can't wait to see Joker without Scandella.

 

[Husko]

I'd be interested in seeing Sam slide down to Mitts line, see if he can get him going. Maybe ERod with Eichel and Goalofson.

 

[joshjull]

 

[brian_griffin]

Traveling for work. Business 7am to 10pm so missed game will have to watch DVR when I return.
Eichel’s 2nd goal was channeling Perrault, except Perrault would have split the d-men then deked the goalie.

 

[joshjull]

What is wrong with Sheary in the top 9? He looked a lot better then Vesey and Mitts before he got hurt.

Good luck finding an upgrade on Sheary for cheap.

Pommer

 

[Panthaz89]

I can't wait to see Joker without Scandella.

Scandella was surprsingly good today...probably because he isn't winding up for a slapper every time he got the puck in the O-zone.

 

[joshjull]

I can't wait to see Joker without Scandella.

Would it be safe to say that all you’re having is negative thoughts..... about them together.

 

[coastal]

A win and no GBU?

G: The PP
B: Most of the team at es
U: Dahlin with the puck

Stats for the night

After 4 games I think this team is being told be Krueger to just go. May take them a while to figure out how to go without getting got. 2 games in a row they've really struggle with the fast forecheck. Decision making really struggles under pressure and there's still the panic mode of last season creeping into their game.

Is this English?

 

[joshjull]

 

[Butt Ox]

G: During the co-cap era it seemed that it never mattered if the Sabres fell behind - No lead was insurmountable. They found a way to win. You never felt that they were out of the game. Cardiac kids, right.

The last several seasons I've forgotten how that felt. It was more of a sense that the Sabres were certain to snatch defeat out of the mouth of victory. Coupled with a genuine dislike for most of the personnel it was hard to watch an entire game.

But it feels different now. It feels like it used to. There is a sense of that old swagger coming back. I like these guys.

 

[flashsabre]

If the plan is still to trade Risto then they need to get a healthy Bogo back or bring up Borgen. For his faults, Risto brings the hammer which is desperately missing from this lineup.

If they could get a scoring winger for Risto that could compliment Mojo-Skinner then they would be in business.

 

[Gabrielor]

To my surprise we actually lead in CF%, HDCF% and SCF%

How? I don't know. It felt like Montreal was all over us for large stretches.

The answer lays somewhere between “they dominated the neutral zone, which isn’t tracked as anything offensive”, and “there was a lot of puck luck and bounces in the ozone where the puck was technically there for Montreal, but wasn’t really generating much outside of fear in the fans”

We definitely had more scoring chances than them this game. All the stats reflect that.

 

[coastal]

Were in 1st place.

B o n e r

Jamz

 

[Buffalo Norsemen]

I'd be way more scared of missing a limited window to get more solely focused on hockey development, and not winning for this team right now, when he can't.

I'm not debating it with you, your wondering why he is here still and that's the only reason i can think of.

 

[dortt]

I'd be interested in seeing Sam slide down to Mitts line, see if he can get him going. Maybe ERod with Eichel and Goalofson.

do NOT break up Jack and Sam. Things are going quite well. Why mess with something that is working?

 

[Montag DP]

Were in 1st place.

B o n e r

Jamz

Crap, we peaked even earlier than last season.

 

[NotABadPeriod]

The answer lays somewhere between “they dominated the neutral zone, which isn’t tracked as anything offensive”, and “there was a lot of puck luck and bounces in the ozone where the puck was technically there for Montreal, but wasn’t really generating much outside of fear in the fans”

We definitely had more scoring chances than them this game. All the stats reflect that.

I think the first two games also raised the bar and set a high expectation for this team. A relatively even game feels "bad" compared to the utter domination of the Pens and Devils. We see that this team is capable of more, and now we demand it on a nightly basis.

On the one hand, it's not realistic to expect that kind of consistency. On the other, it's refreshing to actually be expecting it out of the Sabres. That's a feeling we haven't had in forever.