NHL Playoffs thread...

[DrDawkinstein]

To me the only person who came game in and game out with grit or fire at least during this series was Grier.

 

did you not see Kaleta?

[Delete This Account]

more to come. nothing earth-shattering, but Quinn did refer to Tallinder and Lydman as "key guys" and "very important part of our team."

also, just got off phone with Grier's agent.

 

Quinn disappointed by early exit

 

jw

[DrDawkinstein]

more to come. nothing earth-shattering, but Quinn did refer to Tallinder and Lydman as "key guys" and "very important part of our team."

also, just got off phone with Grier's agent.

 

Quinn disappointed by early exit

 

jw

 

not surprised, i thought Tallinder and especially Lydman played well this series.

[LongLiveRalph]

not surprised, i thought Tallinder and especially Lydman played well this series.

 

Lydman was always a favorite whipping boy of mine, but other than about a two week downspell, he had an excellent season. He and Myers were easily the two best D-men. Tallinder was pretty solid as well, and his help as Myers' defensive partner shouldn't be overlooked as a key to Myers' easy transition.

 

Montador was average at the start, horrible mid-season, and dependable toward the end and in the playoffs.

 

Rivet was absolutely horrible. Slow, weak, and bad hands is not the hat trick you want in hockey.

[shrader]

Lydman was always a favorite whipping boy of mine, but other than about a two week downspell, he had an excellent season. He and Myers were easily the two best D-men. Tallinder was pretty solid as well, and his help as Myers' defensive partner shouldn't be overlooked as a key to Myers' easy transition.

 

Montador was average at the start, horrible mid-season, and dependable toward the end and in the playoffs.

 

Rivet was absolutely horrible. Slow, weak, and bad hands is not the hat trick you want in hockey.

 

Lydman absolutely sucks with the puck and that's something that will never change. I want to say it was him last night who was the direct cause of one of the 3rd period goals. Buffalo won a faceoff clean in their zone back to Lydman and he quickly threw it up the board blindly. Boston scored a couple seconds later off the turnover. If a team could find an effective way of masking this weakness, they'll be very happy with their signing.

[bills_fan]

Lydman absolutely sucks with the puck and that's something that will never change. I want to say it was him last night who was the direct cause of one of the 3rd period goals. Buffalo won a faceoff clean in their zone back to Lydman and he quickly threw it up the board blindly. Boston scored a couple seconds later off the turnover. If a team could find an effective way of masking this weakness, they'll be very happy with their signing.

 

 

But Lydman should not be handling the puck as much as he is asked to handle it. They need a puck moving D-man who can QB the pp. Kaberle would be great, but is a pipe dream.

[shrader]

But Lydman should not be handling the puck as much as he is asked to handle it. They need a puck moving D-man who can QB the pp. Kaberle would be great, but is a pipe dream.

 

Yeah, absolutely. I have no problem with Lydman as a whole. I can think of a long list of defensemen I'd rather have him over.

[Buftex]

he overplayed the final, and as it turns out, decisive goal, and was trying to do too much on Recchi's tally from down low (however, the blame on that one should go to Connolly for putting the Sabres down a man to begin with). however, Miller had little chance on the other two.

-- perfect deflection in front.

-- two sabres get beaten behind the net, and no one checks the front.

 

and even on the last one, Miller made what should have been the difference-making save by somehow gettting his paddle back to stop Satan on the initial chance. how the Sabres failed to clear the zone after that is beyond me.

boston was better. and the difference wasn't in goal, but came down to which top forwards played better.

 

jw

 

And that is it, isn't it? Let me say, I love Lindy Ruff, but I am really torn on whether he should be coaching this group of players. Ruff, the player, was a tough, blue-collar, lunch-pale (fill in your own cliche) son of a gun...when he came to Buffalo, as a coach, his teams played much the same. The 1999 squad he coached to the Cup finals was a team light on real talent, but heavy on work ethic. The Sabres now put a squad on the ice, of offensively skilled players, who, frankly, are just kind of lazy, until their back is against the wall. They are skilled, but not that skilled. It is criminal, IMO, that they lost this series, to a team that is (supposedly, as the all the experts said) far less talented...simply because they were out worked. Game three was disgraceful. In fact, all but about 2.5 periods of the first 4 games were disgraceful. The Sabres, mostly, played like they didn't give a crap...until they squander every chance they have.

 

It goes back to nobody willing to take the lead...I know Vanek gets a lot of ****, but, he is one of the few guys who I see play hard. We pick on him, because his role on this team is different than most of the other players...he is supposed to score goals, and create scoring chances...he certainly does that. Honestly, there are only about 5 guys on this team I would be sad to see leave.

 

This has been the story the last couple of years...at some point, you have to wonder how much blame the coach has to take for this...personally, I have seen enough of the "new NHL" Sabres, and I prefer the old time, hard working team. Unless management is really willing to commit to making this work (and I don't think they are)...they may need a different kind of coach...they certainly need a new special teams coach...

 

Saddest thing of all, despite a pretty good regular season, I feel just about exactly the same about this team as I did after last season...and that ain't good....

[Pete]

a little late for this-

Our father who art in Buffalo. Hockey be thy name.Thy will be done. The cup will be won. On ice, as well as in the stands. Give us this day our hockey sticks. And forgive us our penalties, as we forgive those who cross-check against us. Lead us not into elimination. But deliver us to victory. In the name of the fans, Lord Stanley, and in the name of da Sabres. Amen.

[shrader]

Those same players didn't look lazy back in 2006. What happened? If the departure of two key leaders has that much impact, where does Ruff fall in all of this? If he's such a great coach, how did he lose those players?

[taterhill]

Im starting the Derek Roy for Jack Johnson trade rumors.....

[LongLiveRalph]

Im starting the Derek Roy for Jack Johnson trade rumors.....

 

More from the rumor mill:

 

Even though the Sharks are on to the 2nd round, Darcy has already contacted Patrick Marleau's agent. However, the offer was so low that the NHL doesn't plan to pursue tampering charges.

[Lori]

Go Habs Go.

[BuffOrange]

And that is it, isn't it? Let me say, I love Lindy Ruff, but I am really torn on whether he should be coaching this group of players. Ruff, the player, was a tough, blue-collar, lunch-pale (fill in your own cliche) son of a gun...when he came to Buffalo, as a coach, his teams played much the same. The 1999 squad he coached to the Cup finals was a team light on real talent, but heavy on work ethic. The Sabres now put a squad on the ice, of offensively skilled players, who, frankly, are just kind of lazy, until their back is against the wall. They are skilled, but not that skilled. It is criminal, IMO, that they lost this series, to a team that is (supposedly, as the all the experts said) far less talented...simply because they were out worked. Game three was disgraceful. In fact, all but about 2.5 periods of the first 4 games were disgraceful. The Sabres, mostly, played like they didn't give a crap...until they squander every chance they have.

 

It goes back to nobody willing to take the lead...I know Vanek gets a lot of ****, but, he is one of the few guys who I see play hard. We pick on him, because his role on this team is different than most of the other players...he is supposed to score goals, and create scoring chances...he certainly does that. Honestly, there are only about 5 guys on this team I would be sad to see leave.

 

This has been the story the last couple of years...at some point, you have to wonder how much blame the coach has to take for this...personally, I have seen enough of the "new NHL" Sabres, and I prefer the old time, hard working team. Unless management is really willing to commit to making this work (and I don't think they are)...they may need a different kind of coach...they certainly need a new special teams coach...

 

Saddest thing of all, despite a pretty good regular season, I feel just about exactly the same about this team as I did after last season...and that ain't good....

 

I thought they were the better team in Game 4 tbh but just couldn't finish anything. But yah they were also kinda lucky to win Game 1 and really had no business being tied with a few minutes left in Game 3.

 

I don't know if it's a work ethic issue as much as just having the wrong kinds of players. Roy and Connolly I don't think are going to take the hits you need to slam home a rebound no matter who the coach is. But of course Ruff almost certainly has something to do with those guys being on the roster and getting paid a lot, so I don't know. Also as Mike Schopp pointed out yesterday, Torres (however you feel about him) getting demoted to the checking line his 1st week with the team is kinda ridiculous and probably isn't the greatest sales pitch with respect to future FA's.

 

I've always liked Ruff too - but mostly because I can't stand Eagle fans who want to run Reid out of town for never being lucky enough to win the big one and I want to be consistent, but it's not like we're in the playoffs every year either. At some point you do have to wonder if this guy has just luckboxed into 2 great Goalies in his career. Remember it's not like we had to beat murderer's row to make the finals in '99.

[Buftex]

I thought they were the better team in Game 4 tbh but just couldn't finish anything. But yah they were also kinda lucky to win Game 1 and really had no business being tied with a few minutes left in Game 3.

 

I don't know if it's a work ethic issue as much as just having the wrong kinds of players. Roy and Connolly I don't think are going to take the hits you need to slam home a rebound no matter who the coach is. But of course Ruff almost certainly has something to do with those guys being on the roster and getting paid a lot, so I don't know. Also as Mike Schopp pointed out yesterday, Torres (however you feel about him) getting demoted to the checking line his 1st week with the team is kinda ridiculous and probably isn't the greatest sales pitch with respect to future FA's.

 

I've always liked Ruff too - but mostly because I can't stand Eagle fans who want to run Reid out of town for never being lucky enough to win the big one and I want to be consistent, but it's not like we're in the playoffs every year either. At some point you do have to wonder if this guy has just luckboxed into 2 great Goalies in his career. Remember it's not like we had to beat murderer's row to make the finals in '99.

 

 

Yeah, you are right..the Sabres did play pretty well in game 4...my memory of this series is already getting blurred... I guess my point was, it seems that Ruff has a "system" that these current players can not follow for most of a game, let alone a season, or a playoff run. They just always seem to have their backs against the wall, before you see any real dedication from them. It is frustrating to watch. Those boring New Jersey Devils that won those Cups earlier in the decade did it, not because they were so supremely talented, or, IMO, that their goalie was otherworldy (I may be in the minority, but while I think Marty B is a very good goalie, I think he benefits greatly from a great team in front of him)...it is because they get their players to buy into a brand of hockey that requires hard work from the beginging of the game, until the end, night in, night out...until you win a Cup. I just don't see that type of mentality in Buffalo. And, it seems, Lindy has kind of softened over the years...almost like he has lost his identity as a coach.

 

I don't know, maybe I am just over analyzing things... like I said, I am not even advocating firing Ruff, I just think they really need to take a long, hard look at the roster, and decide what team they want to be. Then, Reiger has to go out and get the players that can do the job. It's just not working. It is hard to say that, after coming off a rare division win for the Sabres, but, in the end, losing in the first round of the playoffs, to a lower seed, in a weaker conference, doesn't feel all that different than missing the playoffs.

 

I honestly don't see it happening... Reiger seems to pride himself on "staying the course"... when you hear him talk, he seems almost indignant if anyone asks why they didn't do something differently at the trade deadline, or in the off-season...as if he knows what it takes to build a Stanley Cup winning team...like he has done it before, and we are all idiots for wondering why the Sabres rarely go after they guys that can really help them turn this thing around. Reiger seems to fall in love with the players that are here, far too much, IMO. Sure, the Sabres have a lot of good, young talent, but, eventually, they all seem about the same...there is something missing from the soup. Rivet is the only real, longterm, vetran they have pursued, and landed...and his best days seem behind him.

[LongLiveRalph]

They just always seem to have their backs against the wall, before you see any real dedication from them. It is frustrating to watch.

 

This is terribly frustrating, because it's proof they can play a certain style when they CHOOSE to do it. They show the ability to sacrifice the body and play with urgency and get pucks on goal and crash the net. Unfortunately, they typically don't choose to do it until they're trailing by one after 57 minutes.

 

In playoff games against a divisional rival that are consistently decided by one goal, it's baffling that professional players would need to be reminded that barrelling into the corner on a forecheck in the 1st period could result in a goal that is just as important as one with two minutes left.

[Buftex]

This is terribly frustrating, because it's proof they can play a certain style when they CHOOSE to do it. They show the ability to sacrifice the body and play with urgency and get pucks on goal and crash the net. Unfortunately, they typically don't choose to do it until they're trailing by one after 57 minutes.

 

In playoff games against a divisional rival that are consistently decided by one goal, it's baffling that professional players would need to be reminded that barrelling into the corner on a forecheck in the 1st period could result in a goal that is just as important as one with two minutes left.

 

 

They are like the college kid who waits until the last second to cram for an exam, or write a paper...

[Spun]

Defensively, a main difference between the Sabres and Bruins was that Rask had a safety net of players protecting the slot while the Sabres seemed in a broken formation much of the time. Rask is a very good goalie but he did not have to make the saves that Miller made. Myers and Tallinder played well but were also flawed. The kid did well and will do better. Watching Lydman and Montador fumble over the puck was frustrating. If you can't stickhandle or pass the puck over your own blue line simply dump it over the line. I don't think Stafford will be back. A move for more two-way players is needed. I did like the infusion of energy from Ennis and Gerbe but the smaller guys get pushed off the puck too much and too easily. Offensively, the Sabres need strength and scoring in front of the opponents net which should help the power-less play. Once again, push the puck deep in the opponents zone to force mistakes. And where were the Sabres' odd-man rushes?

 

The second period of game two decided the series. The hustle and effort was lacking in game two as the Sabres let the Bruins chase down loose pucks without much fight. Miller has got to be frustrated and tired.

 

I am looking forward to Kassian making the roster

 

I can't even watch hockey right now. To lose always sucks but to lose to THEM, is inexusable and intolerable. FIX IT.

[DrDawkinstein]

at least we're not Capitals fans!

 

so Pitt is the only favored team to win their series. and that was a 4 vs 5. wow.

[Lori]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

 

Go Habs Go!