Goose loses a draw and the Devils make a great play and score. Every player on the ice gets a minus (Weber/Regehr included) even though they didn't make a mistake leading to the goal. It drives me ****ing nuts when posters make an arguement based soley on +/-. Its analytical laziness.
Agreed, +/- is the most useless statistic by far of any of the main statistics tracked and used.
Agreed. Let him be a physical bottom pairing guy who plays the second PK unit for a while. To his credit, he and Kaleta caused the mismatch that led to the Leopold goal.
Anyway, on to the GBU.
Good:
Myers
Brodeur
Vanek had a strong game on the forecheck. He and Poms created a lot.
Boyes/Leino/Stafford's zone time.
Bad:
Roy- I liked the first line a lot more when Pominville was the one doing most of the difficult defensive zone coverage. He was chasing the puck in his own zone a lot, blew the 2 on 1 with Pominville and had a couple really dumb turnovers because he tried to do too much.
Ehrhoff- Lazy.
Boyes/Leino/Stafford's finishing ability.
Ruff's pairings and his use of them.
Pominville as the 6th man.
Enroth. No big saves.
Ugly:
Effort level early.
More awful defensive zone breakdowns.
Another shorty.
Finish finish finish, and I'm not talking about the country.
It's not really the loss, it's the cumulative effort that the team is putting forth, it's a culmination of the entire season, underachievement, lazy play, this team will not get out of the first round unless they get a favorable matchup. Look how they responded to the hit on Miller, aren't they supposed to have each others backs? A team that doesn't believe in each other will go nowhere, who knows what the problem is.
Oh please...
It's way too early to be complaining about this ****. I saw the second half of the game, and they battled. New Jersey just capatilized, and Brodeur was SOLID. There's went in, ours didn't. The effort was there. It was a tough game. It wasn't a lack of effort game. Do you even remember games back in 07-08? Horrid efforts. Much softer than our team now. They're trying out there. They just need to get their chemistry down.
It's early...back away from the cliff. Ottawa in 06-07 went through the same hardships. Questionable effort, soft, blah, blah, blah. The point is, almost every team battles through adversity through out the season. Just get it done when it counts. In the Spring.
This reminds me of last November when everyone was jumping off the cliff. Atleast now everyone believes they'll make the playoffs...
Why are Weber/Regehr playing together anyway?? They should each be paired with one of the 35 offensive defensemen we dress every night.
And people wonder why jame and I have not liked the guy for so long. (Ruff, not Weber)
I can criticize him without hating him or thinking he needs to be fired. Whereas you don't like him and take every opportunity you can to bash him. I think much of your bashing is ridiculous.
Ruff's use of Weber. He hardly dresses but when he does he has gone against Giroux/Jagr and tonight Parise/Kovolchuk.
Whether Weber should be out against those guys is one thing. But if Ruff wants him out against that level of opponent. How is he not playing more?
Like I said its very confusing.
Agreed. Ruff is not putting him in a position where he can succeed--it's almost like he's looking for an excuse to put in Grags, and can manufacture it by making Weber look bad. I know it seems farfetched...but the "keep Grags RFA" thing just keeps nagging at me.
I can criticize him without hating him or thinking he needs to be fired. Whereas you don't like him and take every opportunity you can to bash him. I think much of your bashing is ridiculous.
it's when he's criticized by others and you disagree with that criticism, that you end up labeling others "haters"... it gets old.
- Brodeur was outstanding
- Myers. Strong physical game, but would like to see the hit on Zubrus again since they didn't show any replay of it in the rink nor is it part of the highlights package. I wonder if he's facing the Shanaban. The goals, much like a great deal of his play was decisive tonight.
- Boyes continues to impress with his energy and hard work. He jumpstarted Leino and Stafford. A broken stick on the eventual Clarkson goal looked like a glorious opportunity, one of several he had tonight.
- Tropp. High energy and hit everything.
- Ehrhoff getting some late bombs on net... that went through Brodeur...
The Bad -
-...but didn't go in.
- Pominville had problems passing the puck and blew the shortie as the third man coming in and completely mis-played it.
- Vanek with a dumb penalty at the end of a long shift. Stop with the bad offensive zone penalties Tom.
- Roy got schooled repeatedly tonight. Late on the shortie (though he was the fourth man coming back, against two Devils...), walked around on the PP goal, and then missed it off the boards for one of the others.
- Adam. Stop being a passenger. Wake up kid, you are killing every line you are on.
- Weber weak on the wall leading to a goal against. A couple of giveaways, some bad gap, and screening on several goals. Back to the pressbox for you. This is not the guy who finished last season.
The Ugly -
- Can this team play basic hockey -- and play it well -- to start a home game?
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It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. - Aristotle
Probably get roasted but I don't think the Sabres played all that bad of a game. Just fell behind early and Jersey seemed like they had their share of fortune tonight and the good guys didn't.
On to the weekend.
Brodeur was the difference. He stoned them on at least seven glorious chances. A different 'tender in there and this might have been a barn-burner.
It's way too early to be complaining about this ****. I saw the second half of the game, and they battled. New Jersey just capatilized, and Brodeur was SOLID. There's went in, ours didn't. The effort was there. It was a tough game. It wasn't a lack of effort game. Do you even remember games back in 07-08? Horrid efforts. Much softer than our team now. They're trying out there. They just need to get their chemistry down.
It's early...back away from the cliff. Ottawa in 06-07 went through the same hardships. Questionable effort, soft, blah, blah, blah. The point is, almost every team battles through adversity through out the season. Just get it done when it counts. In the Spring.
This reminds me of last November when everyone was jumping off the cliff. Atleast now everyone believes they'll make the playoffs...
This.
Quit your pity party and wake up people. What he said ^
Goose loses a draw and the Devils make a great play and score. Every player on the ice gets a minus (Weber/Regehr included) even though they didn't make a mistake leading to the goal. It drives me ****ing nuts when posters make an arguement based soley on +/-. Its analytical laziness.
Weber tried to clear the front of the net. He eventually did, but the puck was in the net by that time because Enroth couldn't see through him. And the second goal they were on the ice for was obviously Weber's fault on the shanked clear giveaway up the boards. That's to say nothing of the screen on the PP goal or the general carelessness with the puck. So yeah, Weber had a rough game regardless of +/-.
I really didn't think we played horrendously, which seems weird because I never felt like we were in the game at any point. I thought Brodeur played great, the usual suspects turned in poor performances, and we can't score outside our top line.
Principle point of contact is Zubie's head. Shanaban coming.
can't Myers just say he didn't mean to hit him in the head. Lying seems to be the best course of action when it comes to Shanahan. Although Buffalo isn't a big market, so they may decide to make an example out of us.
I really didn't think we played horrendously, which seems weird because I never felt like we were in the game at any point. I thought Brodeur played great, the usual suspects turned in poor performances, and we can't score outside our top line.
Disappointing:
- Luke Adam. MIA
- Ville Leino
I'm surprised so many people didn't like Leino's game tonight. I thought he was tenacious on the forecheck, didn't shy away from the physical stuff (even initiated a bit) and even stirred the pot a little in post whistle scrums. Displayed good offensive instincts again as well.
This was one of his better performances of the season, I thought.
I'm surprised so many people didn't like Leino's game tonight. I thought he was tenacious on the forecheck, didn't shy away from the physical stuff (even initiated a bit) and even stirred the pot a little in post whistle scrums. Displayed good offensive instincts again as well.
This was one of his better performances of the season, I thought.
I thought he did a very good job of forechecking/puck control, especially when he got moved over to center. It's just that nobody on that line can finish right now.
I'm surprised so many people didn't like Leino's game tonight. I thought he was tenacious on the forecheck, didn't shy away from the physical stuff (even initiated a bit) and even stirred the pot a little in post whistle scrums. Displayed good offensive instincts again as well.
This was one of his better performances of the season, I thought.
I completely agree, the physical stuff in particular kind of stuck out to me. I noticed two or three times he actually kind of went out of his way to make sure he finished his check. I thought he had a pretty strong game all around tonight.
