Post-Game Talk (GBU): Sigh.

[misterchainsaw]

Frustrating loss. Didn't get the puck luck in the offensive end and Dan Ellis was really solid in net.

Hodgson was the best player on the ice for Buffalo tonight. I was really impressed with his game.

Also, I thought Myers was fine tonight - yes he was beat by Skinner on the ENG, but he was solid for the rest of the game and made some plays that only someone with his reach could make. I think some people's expectations for him are so high that only a hockey playing cyborg could reach them.

 

[Paxon]

Frustrating loss. Didn't get the puck luck in the offensive end and Dan Ellis was really solid in net.

Hodgson was the best player on the ice for Buffalo tonight. I was really impressed with his game.

Also, I thought Myers was fine tonight - yes he was beat by Skinner on the ENG, but he was solid for the rest of the game and made some plays that only someone with his reach could make. I think some people's expectations for him are so high that only a hockey playing cyborg could reach them.

If Myers were a hockey-playing cyborg he'd be criticized for his lack of heart

 

[stokes84]

It hasn't been said much. We lost tonight because the other teams goalie played AWESOME. And really for no other reason. Panic.

 

[Corto]

Also, I thought Myers was fine tonight - yes he was beat by Skinner on the ENG, but he was solid for the rest of the game and made some plays that only someone with his reach could make. I think some people's expectations for him are so high that only a hockey playing cyborg could reach them.

He also had that bad giveaway that led to a 3-on-0 for the Canes.

But yes, I agree, the expectations are high, but only because he set them so high in his rookie year.

 

[Beerz]

It's very possible this team is worse than last year. Stafford and Foligno are our secondary scoring wingers. I love Foligno but he hasn't shown me he's a true top 6 forward. Stafford is a tweener, would be a 3rd liner on a contending team.

If we're going to have any chance this year at making the playoffs, either Ennis is going to have to find out how to produce or Miller is going to have to be tremendous.

Right..

Not many here have put this team in the playoffs....yet they they expect their play to be upon that tier.


Everyone needs to chill out.

For real.

I dont want Ruff playing Grigs to "develope" him.... I want him putting the best guys on the ice to win the paticular game... right now..its not Grigs... Hecht is the better choice at this point.

People need to relax.

 

[Beerz]

It's very possible this team is worse than last year. Stafford and Foligno are our secondary scoring wingers. I love Foligno but he hasn't shown me he's a true top 6 forward. Stafford is a tweener, would be a 3rd liner on a contending team.

If we're going to have any chance this year at making the playoffs, either Ennis is going to have to find out how to produce or Miller is going to have to be tremendous.

This team isnt even close to being worse than last season....

This team seems to give a ****...which is alot better than what we can sat for last years team...Yeah..they've lost two in a row this year but its not like they're out of it where they dont give a ****.... we are heading in the right direction...people dont need to be in panic mode... Have patience *****es.

 

[misterchainsaw]

He also had that bad giveaway that led to a 3-on-0 for the Canes.

But yes, I agree, the expectations are high, but only because he set them so high in his rookie year.

I'm 70% sure that was Pominville with an ill-advised pass, and most of the rest of the missing percentage is me thinking it might have been Vanek. 95% sure it wasn't Myers.

I mentioned in yesterday's GBU (I think?) that a lot of that "drop-off" probably should be attributed to teams realizing that Myers can move/skate the puck exceptionally well for a big man, and starting to take that away from him. As an unknown quality I think he took a lot of teams by surprise that season (and I think his 2nd half of his rookie season was much less effective than his first).

 

[misterchainsaw]

I'm 70% sure that was Pominville with an ill-advised pass, and most of the rest of the missing percentage is me thinking it might have been Vanek. 95% sure it wasn't Myers.

I mentioned in yesterday's GBU (I think?) that a lot of that "drop-off" probably should be attributed to teams realizing that Myers can move/skate the puck exceptionally well for a big man, and starting to take that away from him. As an unknown quality I think he took a lot of teams by surprise that season (and I think his 2nd half of his rookie season was much less effective than his first).

Hmm....seems I was thinking that a completely different play resulted in that 3 on 0

 

[start winnin]

That being said, I'm glad we didn't start the season off strong, our guys will get too complacent and it's good to face some adversity in the beginning of the season. Look at the Kings, struggled all year during the regular season, barely squeaked in and dominated their way to a cup. I'm not saying this team is good enough for a cup but I think if we squeezed into the playoffs, we could win a round or two.

Adversity is good.

 

[jBuds]

Ugly:

- Myers continues to boggle my mind. You're 6'86.5, and you can't knock Jeff Skinner off the puck?
- Grigorenko with Scott as a linemate... that's awful any way you try to dissect it.
- Failure to execute simplest forms of hockey: breaking out, forechecking, entering the offensive zone. All abysmal.
- Regehr looks so, so, so slow and old...damn
- I can count on one hand the number of tape-to-tape passes that we hit tonight

Other notes:

- Sekera is far and away the team's best defenseman, and needs to be treated as such. Play him every other shift, put him on the opposition's top line and go from there.
- Miller's third solid game in a row


I told myself this year would be a rebuilding year; a year to phase out an old regime and phase in a new style with new personnel. I coined "Dream '16". As tough as we've been to watch the last three games (the last two especially), I need to remember that notion: REBUILD. Keep Grigorenko, play guys like Ott and Kaleta who bring something noticeable to the table in the form of finishing checks, dress TJB and Weber, see what Lou Kattem can do in another stint, and toy around.

Not panicking. Just realizing that this should be a season to figure out a lot about what remains from the original core.

 

[jBuds]

Klagenfurter

 

[Beerz]

YOU ain't **** . Bump another line of jiff, then realize you're telling people on a message board not to discuss ... anything related to hockey or the team we root for. Loser.

Ugly:

- Myers continues to boggle my mind. You're 6'86.5, and you can't knock Jeff Skinner off the puck?
- Grigorenko with Scott as a linemate... that's awful any way you try to dissect it.
- Failure to execute simplest forms of hockey: breaking out, forechecking, entering the offensive zone. All abysmal.
- Regehr looks so, so, so slow and old...damn
- I can count on one hand the number of tape-to-tape passes that we hit tonight

Other notes:

- Sekera is far and away the team's best defenseman, and needs to be treated as such. Play him every other shift, put him on the opposition's top line and go from there.
- Miller's third solid game in a row


I told myself this year would be a rebuilding year; a year to phase out an old regime and phase in a new style with new personnel. As tough as we've been to watch the last three games (the last two especially), I need to remember that notion: REBUILD. Keep Grigorenko, play guys like Ott and Kaleta who bring something noticeable to the table in the form of finishing checks, dress TJB and Weber, see what Lou Kattem can do in another stint, and toy around.

Not panicking. Just realizing that this should be a season to figure out a lot about what remains from the original core.

Get real... the kid is not going to win us games... the sooner you people get over the boner you have for the new kid and accept that fact the better... He's being eased into the NHL...nothing wrong with that.... sad fact is..Hecht..Kaleta ...give us a better chance of winning now than Grigs does...

Maybe the kid sticks around for the season...maybe he doesnt... Whatever happens he will be the primary influence on his future.


Suck it up people..... enjoy your team...recognize that they are NOT an elite..top contending team and accept that you need to be patient with what is transpiring...

Im comfortable with a hardworking team for now...win/lose or draw... sow me heart...and effort im in your corner....everything else is slowly being put into place.

 

[Imagining Defeat]

Get real... the kid is not going to win us games... the sooner you people get over the boner you have for the new kid and accept that fact the better... He's being eased into the NHL...nothing wrong with that.... sad fact is..Hecht..Kaleta ...give us a better chance of winning now than Grigs does...

Maybe the kid sticks around for the season...maybe he doesnt... Whatever happens he will be the primary influence on his future.


Suck it up people..... enjoy your team...recognize that they are NOT an elite..top contending team and accept that you need to be patient with what is transpiring...
Im comfortable with a hardworking team for now...win/lose or draw... sow me heart...and effort im in your corner....everything else is slowly being put into place.

This doesn't synch with your inital rant about how it's all about "winning now".

I don't think anyone thinks we're a contender...which is why some think we should roll with Grigorenko and all the growing pains that go with it...

 

[Beerz]

This doesn't synch with your inital rant about how it's all about "winning now".

I don't think anyone thinks we're a contender...which is why some think we should roll with Grigorenko and all the growing pains that go with it...

That is true.

But I do not think...you can take a 4 game sample and run with the absolute hogwash that is being spewed on here.

People need to realize that Grigs is not going to help us now..... Hecht/Kaleta and others are better suited to help us win now.

Grigs will have plenty of time and chances to help us in the future. That is my overall point.

 

[sba]

It's very possible this team is worse than last year. Stafford and Foligno are our secondary scoring wingers. I love Foligno but he hasn't shown me he's a true top 6 forward. Stafford is a tweener, would be a 3rd liner on a contending team.

If we're going to have any chance this year at making the playoffs, either Ennis is going to have to find out how to produce or Miller is going to have to be tremendous.

I think it's pretty similar to last year record-wise, maybe even worse.

Yet, I feel better about the long term prospects. It's a growing pains year.

 

[jBuds]

I think it's pretty similar to last year record-wise, maybe even worse.

Yet, I feel better about the long term prospects. It's a growing pains year.

For sure... but I'm a bit worried about the blueline

 

[sba]

For sure... but I'm a bit worried about the blueline

So many teams need help back there right now, I'm not even sure there's a market to try to upgrade it in any way. I'd love to swap Leo for a Bryan Allen/Tim Gleason type.

 

[heartsabres*]

So many teams need help back there right now, I'm not even sure there's a market to try to upgrade it in any way. I'd love to swap Leo for a Bryan Allen/Tim Gleason type.

What about McNabb

 

[Zip15]

Just watched it again on DVR. Ellis played great. If that's Bryz or Scrivens--or even Cam Ward right now--Buffalo nets 4 or 5. FES was the most visible line over the final 35 minutes of the game, but still can't finish. I think the floodgates will open if they can get one, and I wouldn't break them up yet.

On to the next one.

 

[RattleYourSabre]

While we certainly have reason for concern, keep in mind that Ellis played on his head last night. We had good chances and good shots on goal that were turned away. That's part of the game, too.

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

It's not a good team. Just watch what happens to them when Miller isn't saving pucks at a .950 clip. They're going to get shelled. They have no defensive center that can do the heavy lifting in the defensive zone and win faceoffs consistently. Their blueline is below-average.

If Miller gets hurt this year, this team will be picking in the top-5. Probably not high enough to get Seth Jones, sadly.

This is the truth about no centres. Although Ennis did win key draw and it was iced. He's not winning two in a row against Staal. Team needs a strategy for losing face offs. On Ruff. Not going to win more, centres are week in this area

 

[S319R11S16]

That is true.

But I do not think...you can take a 4 game sample and run with the absolute hogwash that is being spewed on here.

People need to realize that Grigs is not going to help us now..... Hecht/Kaleta and others are better suited to help us win now.

Grigs will have plenty of time and chances to help us in the future. That is my overall point.

How do you know he cant help us now?

He was given 1 ****in shift with good linemates and they looked very good.

Kaleta and Hecht are good defensively but in a 0-0 or 1-1 game ya kinda need offense to score. Kaleta and hecht sure as hell aren't better offensively than he is.

 

[PlamsUnlimited]

Yeah. I for one think that Grigs was benched on that fourth line because Ruff doesn't see that Grigorenko has great talent.

Edit: and that he can win some face offs .. And can hold his own...

 

[gallagt01]

Didn't catch much of the game as I was busy at my internship.

One thing that has stuck out through three games (and at least once last night) is that they need to get back to basics on the power play. Whoever has the puck on our half-wall is trying to make cross-ice feeds far too often. It's getting picked off and sent down the ice.

Furthermore, it appears as though the strategy to thwart a Lindy Ruff power play is to aggressively pursue the puck. I find that all of our players panic when faced with an aggressive checker and either cough it up or dish it to a guy not in position to receive a pass or make a play.

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

How do you know he cant help us now?

He was given 1 ****in shift with good linemates and they looked very good.

Kaleta and Hecht are good defensively but in a 0-0 or 1-1 game ya kinda need offense to score. Kaleta and hecht sure as hell aren't better offensively than he is.

I've been to two games in person and watched every other minute of play on TV. There's no depth a centre and asking an 18year old to fill that gap is buying a lottery ticket on the season. Ruff must coach around this weakness. Darcy is a smart guy, clearly he didn't want to trade prospects for a centre for just this season when he has talent in the pipeline.