DC Tom Posted April 19, 2010 Posted April 19, 2010 Canadian ancestry, although a couple of generations removed. Also, a childhood crush on Guy Lafleur. And, well, that big shiny silver thingy they skate around with. Posing with Lord Stanley was the highlight of my last trip to Toronto. (Sure wasn't the Bills game.) That said, I own more USA sweaters than Habs ones, and nothing with a maple leaf. Hope that's enough of a mitigating circumstance to commute my sentence. And you have Canadian ancestry, no less. I wonder if crayonz contracts out...
CountDorkula Posted April 19, 2010 Posted April 19, 2010 My favorite series to watch as of now(besides the hometown boys) is the Phoenix V Detroit series. Fast paced, hard hitting, goal scoring. Who ever wins that series is going to have a tough time making it out of the 2nd round IMO. Giving it 150% in the first round in a series that looks like it will go 6-7 games.
Lori Posted April 19, 2010 Posted April 19, 2010 And you have Canadian ancestry, no less. I wonder if crayonz contracts out... Who won at Crysler's Farm?
Lori Posted April 19, 2010 Posted April 19, 2010 Threadjack over ... Bill Hoppe reports that Stafford is "80-90 percent" probable to play tonight, according to Lindy Ruff.
duey Posted April 19, 2010 Posted April 19, 2010 I am very concerned about tonights game. I thought the Sabres would take care of Boston something like 4-1 on Saturday and was very suprised to see how off they looked at times. Passes were missing, clearing attempts were getting out of the zone, and Boston was def setting up their plays better. It's going to take a big effort all around tonight to bounce back from the last game.
DrDawkinstein Posted April 19, 2010 Posted April 19, 2010 I am very concerned about tonights game. I thought the Sabres would take care of Boston something like 4-1 on Saturday and was very suprised to see how off they looked at times. Passes were missing, clearing attempts were getting out of the zone, and Boston was def setting up their plays better. It's going to take a big effort all around tonight to bounce back from the last game. i think we'd all be surprised to hear how greatly Vanek going out rattled the team. even though it shouldnt be much of a surprise, given how young a lot of our players are. Ruff talked about it in his post-game, that after TV went out, the bench was quiet the rest of the game. star player goes out, the lines were shifted, and everyone loses their focus. you dont like that happening, but it does. i think (hope) that with the day off, and time for everyone to wrap their heads around the situation, we'll see a different team tonight.
Celtic_soulja Posted April 19, 2010 Posted April 19, 2010 i think we'd all be surprised to hear how greatly Vanek going out rattled the team. even though it shouldnt be much of a surprise, given how young a lot of our players are. Ruff talked about it in his post-game, that after TV went out, the bench was quiet the rest of the game. star player goes out, the lines were shifted, and everyone loses their focus. you dont like that happening, but it does. i think (hope) that with the day off, and time for everyone to wrap their heads around the situation, we'll see a different team tonight. I certainly hope so...that was brutal to watch...I mean yeah you'd like to have your leading goal getter in the line up but the way they responded to adversity was horrible...and it doesn't give me much faith they will make it very far in the playoffs...I'd had such high hopes coming in this season to...they need to reaffirm my belief with this game tonight...
DrDawkinstein Posted April 19, 2010 Posted April 19, 2010 I certainly hope so...that was brutal to watch...I mean yeah you'd like to have your leading goal getter in the line up but the way they responded to adversity was horrible...and it doesn't give me much faith they will make it very far in the playoffs...I'd had such high hopes coming in this season to...they need to reaffirm my belief with this game tonight... even as a huge homer of a fan, i have to say it's a mistake to get your hopes up. this is a "good to very good" team but they are still a couple of players, or couple of years, away from being serious cup contenders. making the playoffs lived up to the expectations. id say winning the division was above expectations. and winning the first round of the playoffs would be huge for this team. anything past that is just bonus.
Celtic_soulja Posted April 19, 2010 Posted April 19, 2010 even as a huge homer of a fan, i have to say it's a mistake to get your hopes up. this is a "good to very good" team but they are still a couple of players, or couple of years, away from being serious cup contenders. making the playoffs lived up to the expectations. id say winning the division was above expectations. and winning the first round of the playoffs would be huge for this team. anything past that is just bonus. Top ten scoring team, top five goaltender, top penalty kill...I thought they stood a pretty good chance...figuring Vanek had an off season, he's got a lot of goals left to score in him this year...maybe I was just looking at them wrong...through my buffalo goggles heehehe...but after seeing last game I seen my folly they aren't near as good as I gave them credit for
LongLiveRalph Posted April 19, 2010 Posted April 19, 2010 i think we'd all be surprised to hear how greatly Vanek going out rattled the team. even though it shouldnt be much of a surprise, given how young a lot of our players are. Ruff talked about it in his post-game, that after TV went out, the bench was quiet the rest of the game. star player goes out, the lines were shifted, and everyone loses their focus. you dont like that happening, but it does. i think (hope) that with the day off, and time for everyone to wrap their heads around the situation, we'll see a different team tonight. I don't doubt the impact that Vanek's injury had on the psyche of the team. Any team that loses their big gun, off of a line that had been really clicking, will likely stumble for a few minutes. However, I'm all set with hearing how young this Sabres team is. It's a b.s. excuse that has been perpetuated by Quinn and Regier, and it's just not true anymore. If you take their likely roster on any given day in these playoffs (20 players): Forwards: Connolly- 28 Roy- 26 Gaustad- 28 Ellis- 28 Hecht- 32 Kennedy- 23 Torres- 28 Mair- 31 Pominville- 27 Vanek- 26 Grier- 35 Stafford- 24 Kaleta- 23 Defensemen: Myers- 20 Tallinder- 31 Lydman- 32 Montador- 30 Rivet- 35 Butler/Sekera- 23 (both) Miller- 29 AVERAGE AGE: 27.95 YEARS OLD Of those, the following players have been on the team since the lockout, in the '05-'06 season and have been involved in two runs to the Eastern Conference finals: Connolly, Roy, Grier (traded after '06), Pominville, Vanek, Hecht, Gaustad, Lydman, Mair, Tallinder, Miller. Stafford came up in the '06-'07 season and was a part of that playoff run, and Kaleta made his regular season debut during the '06-'07 season as well. Regardless of age, I would hardly call those guys "green" in the ways of the NHL. They have been through the trials and tribulations of full seasons, ups and downs, playoff pressure, etc. Myers is probably their best player besides Miller on any given night, so that also hurts the "age" argument. Darcy continues to talk like this team is going to magically blossom into something special, once they get older. He talks like they're all 22 years old, and a lot of fans buy into their "young" team. It's just not true. It's a salary cap league, every team has cheap young players on their roster. The Sabres actually have a big chunk of NHL experience and playoff experience on their roster, compared to the majority of the playoff teams. I realize that in the previous go-around, guys like Roy, Vanek, and Pommer didn't have to be "the guy." But they were there, they know the ropes. And they're deep into their 3rd season beyond the Drury/Briere regime. In my opinion, if they can't step up and get it done now, it's because they aren't good enough, not because they are young.
DC Tom Posted April 19, 2010 Posted April 19, 2010 Threadjack over ... Oh, go stuff a backbacon into your toque, hoser. Bill Hoppe reports that Stafford is "80-90 percent" probable to play tonight, according to Lindy Ruff. I'd be more encourage if he were "80-90 percent" returning from a sore thumb and not a concussion. Isn't league policy "no symptoms for three days", not "eh, close enough"?
LongLiveRalph Posted April 19, 2010 Posted April 19, 2010 I'd be more encourage if he were "80-90 percent" returning from a sore thumb and not a concussion. Isn't league policy "no symptoms for three days", not "eh, close enough"? You must be symptom free before you can even skate, much less participate in practice. He suffered the concussion last Saturday, 9 days ago. He went through all of the testing and baseline comparisons during the week, and was cleared to return to activity last Thursday (he skated on his own the morning of Game 1 after the team had their AM session.) He had no recurring symptoms from skating and was cleared for practice, which he did fully yesterday. So I guess the protocol was followed. The "80-90%" number probably came from the fact that Stafford has been awful the last month of the season and Ruff was considering calling up Mancari or Gerbe from Portland to fill out the dress roster.
shrader Posted April 20, 2010 Posted April 20, 2010 I don't doubt the impact that Vanek's injury had on the psyche of the team. Any team that loses their big gun, off of a line that had been really clicking, will likely stumble for a few minutes. However, I'm all set with hearing how young this Sabres team is. It's a b.s. excuse that has been perpetuated by Quinn and Regier, and it's just not true anymore. If you take their likely roster on any given day in these playoffs (20 players): Forwards: Connolly- 28 Roy- 26 Gaustad- 28 Ellis- 28 Hecht- 32 Kennedy- 23 Torres- 28 Mair- 31 Pominville- 27 Vanek- 26 Grier- 35 Stafford- 24 Kaleta- 23 Defensemen: Myers- 20 Tallinder- 31 Lydman- 32 Montador- 30 Rivet- 35 Butler/Sekera- 23 (both) Miller- 29 You missed 20 year old Tyler Ennis. Anyway, the big issue here is that 2 of the 6 starting d-men (regardless of whether Sekera or Butler plays) are playing in the playoffs. That's going to be a big question mark no matter how you look at it.
KD in CA Posted April 20, 2010 Posted April 20, 2010 You missed 20 year old Tyler Ennis. Speaking of....youngsters need to learn to keep their head up. Hope he's not done for the year after that hit. Edit: Whoops...that was Ellis, not Ennis! And it looks like he's ok.
shrader Posted April 20, 2010 Posted April 20, 2010 Speaking of....youngsters need to learn to keep their head up. Hope he's not done for the year after that hit. Edit: Whoops...that was Ellis, not Ennis! And it looks like he's ok. To be fair, Ennis is getting pummeled out there too.
DPR4444 Posted April 20, 2010 Posted April 20, 2010 the end is near for the 2010 Sabres, I'm afraid. too small, too soft, not enough intensity, not built for the playoffs. congrats Darcy - you built a team in your own timid image.
Pine Barrens Mafia Posted April 20, 2010 Posted April 20, 2010 the end is near for the 2010 Sabres, I'm afraid. too small, too soft, not enough intensity, not built for the playoffs. congrats Darcy - you built a team in your own timid image. Outskated, outhustled. Bruins deserved that one. Glad I din't spring fot Center Ice. Let's go Yankees!
BuffOrange Posted April 20, 2010 Posted April 20, 2010 the end is near for the 2010 Sabres, I'm afraid. too small, too soft, not enough intensity, not built for the playoffs. congrats Darcy - you built a team in your own timid image. Not only small, but no talent to boot. How did they make the playoffs?
KD in CA Posted April 20, 2010 Posted April 20, 2010 Outskated, outhustled. Bruins deserved that one. Don't forget outhit. Sabres were limping to the bench all night. But hey, they finally showed a little heart in the 3d and then played hard for a whole 5 minutes at the end of the game.
Lori Posted April 20, 2010 Posted April 20, 2010 Well, that pretty much sucked in both Boston and Montreal. Thphppht.
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