Post-Game Talk (GBU): Well... It WAS Pardy time ...

[ottsabrefan]

I also think that enroth wasn't the problem last game. ok, the sevond goal right after the faceoff was weak but all the other goals against enroth were the result of an overal bad defensivr zone play by the whole team.....

They gave up like 20 shots and he let in 4 goals. I don't recall a single save he made that was difficult. I am certain we win that game with Miller in net. Enroth was awful.

 

[Woodhouse]

If I'm going to nitpick the D, an early play stuck with me... Brennan backhanded a D-to-D pass behind the net to Sulzer under light pressure, but it was out of Sulzer's reach and Ottawa gained possession; they continued to press us in our zone until Enroth was able to freeze a SOG... I think I muttered c'mon the moment they botched that pass and knew a chance was imminent... I also was disappointed to see Brennan miss the net on two prime PP chances, though I think he'd be better served as a focal point on PP2 with his shot than in the role he had on PP1. .

It looks like I nitpicked the only "failure" of Brennan-Sulzer.

More Buffalo/Ottawa Zone Exit Data from Yost:

Also quite clear: the Buffalo Sabres had a nightmare first in the defensive zone. The Leopold/Weber pair struggled mightily -- eight times (!) they failed to clear the zone and turned possession back to the Ottawa attack. Compounding the issue, on their six clean clears, only one ended directly with an offensive zone gain for the forwards. Comparably, Myers and Pardy were better at getting the puck up-ice, but not shown on the table is how often the two would be hemmed in their own zone, with Ottawa controlling the play.

 

[jBuds]

It looks like I nitpicked the only "failure" of Brennan-Sulzer.

More Buffalo/Ottawa Zone Exit Data from Yost:

Failure to clear the zone is just as much on the forwards. If the wingers aren't at the hashes on the breakout, the breakout is already thwarted. Too many times our forwards are leaving the zone early and not being the support outlet they're supposed to be when trying to clear the zone.

 

[Woodhouse]

Failure to clear the zone is just as much on the forwards. If the wingers aren't at the hashes on the breakout, the breakout is already thwarted. Too many times our forwards are leaving the zone early and not being the support outlet they're supposed to be when trying to clear the zone.

Oh I agree that our forwards like to watch for quick counters and as such, rarely engage hard enough to win back possession, leaving the bulk of the work to our d-men... it's just that I don't see these "stats" tracked often enough in my feed and when I do, I'll share the actual numbers rather than listen to perceived conceptions about their play... I also wanted to clear up that I may have cited the only real mistake Brennan made in the game (outside of missing the net twice), so that no one piles on him or interprets it as a poor game... but I think we can all agree that Leopold is an utter mess.

 

[jBuds]

Oh I agree that our forwards like to watch for quick counters and as such, rarely engage hard enough to win back possession, leaving the bulk of the work to our d-men... it's just that I don't see these "stats" tracked often enough in my feed and when I do, I'll share the actual numbers rather than listen to perceived conceptions about their play... I also wanted to clear up that I may have cited the only real mistake Brennan made in the game (outside of missing the net twice), so that no one piles on him or interprets it as a poor game... but I think we can all agree that Leopold is an utter mess.

Agreed on Leo, obviously. My issue with these stats is that there is no quantification of the forwards' ineptitude in this regard. The D sucks...Yes. But the zone clearance stats can't account for forwards being lazy or undisciplined, if you get where I'm coming from.

 

[Luceni]

True, at the same time a goalie needs to make those saves, even if he's the backup. The Sabres didn't play well in front of him but he didn't play well at all.

I didn't say that Enroth played well. I just wanted to point out that the team did nothing to help Enroth. Overall play in the own zone against the puck has been a problem all year. And the decissions some players make with the puck in the own zone are just horrible sometimes.

The overall defensive awareness is defenietely something they have to work on.