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[Incomplete Title] Sabres (21-12-5) & NHL 2018-19 - Game 39 (MSG-B) vs. BOS (20-14-4) at 7 PM ET on 12/29


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Posted

It's clear that Sheary is the xfactor for the offense. Without him, there's little scoring threats  from the secondary lines at this point, and opposition adjusts to focus only on the Eichel line.  

Posted
28 minutes ago, JohnC said:

This is a WGR clip of Housley's post game comments. It's a three minute clip. Everything you said was said by Housley. He makes the point, as you do, that if you can't carry the puck in then use a different tactic such as dump and chase to get into the offensive zone. He was also complimentary of Pilut. 

 

https://wgr550.radio.com/media/audio-channel/12-03-phil-housley-post-game

 

Now if only he had said that during the game instead of after.  Either he said it and they didn't listen or he never did.  I'd say we're still in the coach growing pains stage.

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Posted

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Game Preview: 12/4/18 vs. Toronto

 

GAME-DAY RESOURCES
 
Game Notes NHL Stats Press Clips

 

LAST GAME
Monday, December 3
Buffalo 1 at Nashville 2
Goals: Reinhart
Goalie: Hutton (23 saves/25 shots)
PP: 0/4; PK: 1/2; Shots: Nashville 25 – Buffalo 22
 
CURRENT INJURIES – (Man Games Lost: 102)
Player (injury, first game missed) – total games missed

Matt Hunwick (neck, Oct. 4; injured reserve) – 28 games
Scott Wilson (ankle, Oct. 4; injured reserve) – 28 games
Marco Scandella (upper body, Nov. 27; injured reserve) – 4 games
Conor Sheary (upper body, Nov. 27; injured reserve) – 4 games
Jake McCabe (upper body, Nov. 29) – 2 games
Jason Pominville (upper body, Dec. 3) – 1 game
 
TRANSACTIONS IN PAST 7 DAYS
11/30: Activated F Patrik Berglund from IR; Recalled D Matt Tennyson from Rochester (AHL); Placed F Conor Sheary and D Marco Scandella on IR
 
UPCOMING GAMES
Saturday, Dec. 8: Philadelphia at Buffalo, 1 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 11: Los Angeles at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 13: Arizona at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 15: Buffalo at Washington, 7 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 16: Buffalo at Boston, 5 p.m.
 
TONIGHT’S GAME
MAPLE LEAFS at SABRES
  • This is the first of four meetings between the Sabres and Maple Leafs this season.
  • Last meeting: Toronto defeated Buffalo 5-2 in Toronto on April 2
  • Next meeting: Monday, Feb. 25 in Toronto
  • The Sabres are 5-5-0 in their last 10 games vs. the Maple Leafs; 7-3-0 at home.
  • This is the 211th game all-time between Buffalo and Toronto; Buffalo has a 115-69-26 series record.
  • The Sabres are 70-28-8 at home against the Maple Leafs all-time.
Posted
1 minute ago, shrader said:

 

Now if only he had said that during the game instead of after.  Either he said it and they didn't listen or he never did.  I'd say we're still in the coach growing pains stage.

When you go against a more talented team the issue sometimes isn't so much what you should do as it is that they are preventing you from doing what you want to do. The Preds were impressive in swarming and clogging up the middle. The better option was to dump the puck and chase. On the other hand they were still in better position to retrieve the puck. In other words not only was option A stymied so was option B. The better and deeper team out talented the less talented and thinner team. 

 

It's not surprising that teams are going to make a concerted effort to jam our prolific first line. Saying that there is a need for secondary scoring is obvious. The problem is that the secondary scorers simply don't have enough ammo to take the pressure off of the first line. 

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Posted
1 minute ago, JohnC said:

When you go against a more talented team the issue sometimes isn't so much what you should do as it is that they are preventing you from doing what you want to do. The Preds were impressive in swarming and clogging up the middle. The better option was to dump the puck and chase. On the other hand they were still in better position to retrieve the puck. In other words not only was option A stymied so was option B. The better and deeper team out talented the less talented and thinner team. 

 

It's not surprising that teams are going to make a concerted effort to jam our prolific first line. Saying that there is a need for secondary scoring is obvious. The problem is that the secondary scorers simply don't have enough ammo to take the pressure off of the first line. 

 

Missing both Sheary and Pominville doesn't help with the secondary scoring issue either.  I'll stick to my guns though with the thought of adding another center somewhere during the year.  I'm not sure who that would be, but there is enough talent on the lower lines where adding in one piece could light that fire under their *****.

Posted
16 minutes ago, shrader said:

 

Missing both Sheary and Pominville doesn't help with the secondary scoring issue either.  I'll stick to my guns though with the thought of adding another center somewhere during the year.  I'm not sure who that would be, but there is enough talent on the lower lines where adding in one piece could light that fire under their *****.

I don't see this regime giving up substantial assets to get the center that you are seeking. Botterill is building a contender. It's not about the now as it is the near future. Maybe Nylander will be moving up soon? 

Posted
3 minutes ago, JohnC said:

I don't see this regime giving up substantial assets to get the center that you are seeking. Botterill is building a contender. It's not about the now as it is the near future. Maybe Nylander will be moving up soon? 

 

I don't think it would take something too substantial.  It tends to fluctuate from year to year, but you typically see a mid-line guy wind up moving for a 2nd-4th round pick and maybe a crap shoot prospect.  I'm paying that price if I can get these young guys some actual playoff experience.  Yes, they're not winning this year, but I do think that experience would be incredibly valuable moving forward, especially to wash away the stink of constant losing.

Posted
1 hour ago, shrader said:

 

Missing both Sheary and Pominville doesn't help with the secondary scoring issue either.  I'll stick to my guns though with the thought of adding another center somewhere during the year.  I'm not sure who that would be, but there is enough talent on the lower lines where adding in one piece could light that fire under their *****.

In the meantime, I wonder why Housley doesn't have Jack playing a few 3rd or 4th line shifts in a game to give those wingers a spark now and then. Coaches have been doing that forever with the latest being Hitchcock giving McDavid shifts on the bottom six to generate some offense from those lines. 

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Posted
1 hour ago, shrader said:

 

I don't think it would take something too substantial.  It tends to fluctuate from year to year, but you typically see a mid-line guy wind up moving for a 2nd-4th round pick and maybe a crap shoot prospect.  I'm paying that price if I can get these young guys some actual playoff experience.  Yes, they're not winning this year, but I do think that experience would be incredibly valuable moving forward, especially to wash away the stink of constant losing.

We have that type of middling players in Sobotka and Bergland. I'm not criticizing their play because they are useful filler type players who don't necessarily help you yet they don't hurt you. My preference is to ride with the younger players such as Mittelstadt and Tage and hope that the added playing time will accelerate their development. My worry is that they will hit the proverbial wall sometime in this grinding season. 

 

Where I somewhat disagree with you is that I believe that this roster as this is presenty constituted is good enough to make the playoffs this year. Let's put things in perspective. The Sabres were the worst team in the league last year. We have impressively moved up the ranks in one season. Be patient and trust the process. 

Posted

I hope Babcock’s prediction comes true; that soon Buffalo fans will once again be buying all those tickets before Leafs fans can get their hands on them. 

 

Losing out on Babcock really hurt us. Best coach in the game. Housley should take notes.

Posted

Lordy, what a difference from last night. 

 

Not that I have thought of her naked or anything, but does Tappen look Preggo to anyone? That girl needed  a Sammy in the worst way last year, so maybe she just starting to eat like a normal person. 

 

But i guessing she preggo

Posted

Jeff Skinner on Sabres' Success, Joining Bills Mafia, and More

 

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Greg Wyshynski ESPN
 
The Buffalo Sabres have been the NHL's hottest team and biggest surprise this season. Their success can be linked to competent goaltending and some smart moves by GM Jason Botterill to reshape the roster of a team that hadn't made the playoffs since 2011. None of those moves was smarter than the acquisition of left wing Jeff Skinner from the Carolina Hurricanes. He was entering a contract year. He needed a change of scenery, and Buffalo was close to his hometown of Toronto. His goal-scoring prowess seemed to be a fit with center Jack Eichel, and Eichel would be the best center with whom Skinner had played.
 
Through 25 games, Skinner had 19 goals to lead the NHL. His chemistry with Eichel has provided the engine to drive the Sabres up the standings.
 
We spoke with Skinner recently on the ESPN On Ice podcast about his move to Buffalo, success on the ice, what's happening in Carolina and, of course, the Bills Mafia:
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