Copy and pasting from the GDT:
Overall, just a really ugly hockey game.
I hope FMASC was watching this game tonight, because this is a PRIME example of how shot quality >>> shot quantity. I have never seen a team get SO much possession time and not create any legitimate scoring opportunities. The Sabres were an abomination in their own zone tonight, we had MULTIPLE instances of +2 minutes of solid zone time and only made low percentage shots. We dominated in time of possession and shots taken but didn't have many quality chances at all.
Defensive zone coverage was awful. We're lucky their forward lineup is pond scum, we left the gate open the entire game. I felt bad for Marty on both goals, awful defensive zone turnovers combined with standing around and watching instead of covering the other team. We gave them the back door play all night long and they kept failing, otherwise this would have gooten much uglier.
I have never seen a team shoot into so many shin pads. There aren't even shooting lanes, they just blindly fire into bodies. Zidlicky telegraphs that he's going to shoot, the defender goes down, AND HE STILL SHOOTS DIRECTLY INTO HIS BODY. Mind-numbing.
Zubrus was a ****ing boss all night long. He looked like Bobby god damn Orr on the 2nd goal.
I didn't even realize Poni and Dags were scratched until the 3rd period, that's also when I realized #9 was Josefson and not Pesonen.
Sullivan looked great, as did Bernier. Loki and Fayne were decent. I don't think Volch took a shift in the 3rd, if he did I didn't notice it.
I am so pissed with Patty right now. This guy is one of the smartest and most creative players in the sport of hockey over the last 20 years and he's out there making rookie mistakes. Blind passes, forcing low percentage shots, shooting right into the goalie, soft dump-ins, cheating out of the zone, not elevating the puck....things he knows not to do.
Kostopulous adds nothing to this team except another name to the "obscure Devils" thread.
Zajac got physically abused all not and never stood up for himself. He just stood there and let them punish him.
Side note: I've been wearing my Devils gear to NJ/BUF games in Buffalo for almost 10 years now, and this is the first time I've EVER been antagonized by Sabres fans leaving the building. People were yelling expletives and someone actually got out of their car and tried to fight me. I've been a Sabres mini-pack holder for four years now and I can't described how humiliated I was, not just for the Devils loss, but because I've never had a bad experience with the fans I share this city with. All of my closest friends are Sabres fans and I can't say how disappointed I was.