Good:
-Sabres playing 5th game in 8 days, 4th in 6th with 3 of those against some of the top teams in the NHL, and 2nd of a back-to-back, and came out flying against the Leafs. This time last year we were lamenting Sabres not showing up for the first period most nights, let alone being competitive against the top NHL teams for 65 minutes.
Bad:
-Thompson taking two stick penalties - especially the one on the PP!!
Then, late in the 3rd about 5 min remaining in regulation, taking his sweet ass time on a line change.
-Seemed to me the Leafs D gave BUF a lot more time and space with the puck in the slot than you'd expect a purported lock for the Cup to permit an opponent.
Ugly:
-About 5 minutes into the game when Berglund was quasi-hooked / tripped from behind in the low slot with no penalty called, the sudden realization the Sabres would need to beat both the Leafs and the Refs tonight. The feeling was reinforced in the second period when Girgensons was interfered with at the Sabres blue line, mugged up against the boards while attempting to contain / play the puck.
-Pierre McGuire's infatuation with Dahlin. It's like he wanted a hot tub date or something.
-The female Leafs fan, audibly apparent on the NBCSN broadcast, with the pre-pubescent shrieking of the ubiquitous yet redundantly banal and mindless "Go Leafs Go".
-Austin Matthews porcine snout. Serious endorsement potential there for Hormel, Jimmy Dean, Cargill, Maple Leaf, Johnsonville, Great Canadian Meat Co., etc.
Question: How was Austin Matthews first goal not disallowed for closing the hand on the puck? He clearly turned his wrist over.
I'll work the rest of my GBU comments into replies below...
I saw the Leafs having pure fits with Larsson-Berglund-Girgensons last night.
It was bizarre the NBCSN crew was surprised by Housley's usage. It's not been a secret he prefers to open road games with that line, and has preferred to match them against opponent's top lines.
I could see the goal at the end of the second period coming. Pilut, for as great of a game as he had, on the defensive zone play prior to the goal, went to the Sabres far corner to backcheck the Leaf forward with the puck. He let up right before contact, I'm sure to avoid a hit to the numbers of a player facing away from him. If it were Bogo or Risto, they'd have turned their hips to make hip-to-hip check and delay the Leaf from playing the puck. Leaf was able to play the puck cleanly enough and a lap around the rink and rush bask up the ice and the pucks in the net. Just needed a little more tie up on that preceding play to slow the time/pace down and get to intermission.
They'll have to execute Marleau to stay cap-compliant if that's the case.
I actually agree with Housley. Mitts was far less effective last night than Sobotka, and Sobotka nearly poked the puck away from Matthews before his shot. I don't think you could have inserted another forward into that last goal and had a guaranteed stop against Matthews. It was an A+ snipe.
I thought Bogo's skating and breakouts were great. He's been outstanding this season, IMO.
(and)
Wholly agree. TOR doesn't scare me. TBL are fast, skilled, and physical. Vasilevski back and they are a force. Domingue is not even close in goal.
After watching Dahlin, it's apparent Red Wings fans have been worshiping a false idol.
Again, I thought Sobotka played it very well, almost had the poke check by the diameter of a puck or so, Matthews pulled it back.
Or, need a Jochen Hecht-like player who can put up 40 points and play a complete 200-foot game.
Glad you went to this one. I had similar observations.
Exactly my view.
Like Pulp Fiction blowtorch and pliers????
He needs to be paired with Skinner in OT so he can go to open space. Give Eichel Sheary.
7% difference in FO% is huge on a sufficiently large data set. But unless a player is very low - Mittelstadt level or worse, it's still likely a coin flip for a single-event situation. Unless one player really knows another's tendencies. (My response ignores whether or not Sobotka himself should have been out there, but again, I don't fault him on the GWG.
He played the position in juniors. He's been great on faceoffs. I wouldn't use him the way Muller did with Carolina.
