Sabres at Bruins
October 21, 2017
Of Note
The skill the team possesses was finally on display in the overtime period, and after last season where it seemed like the team had all of the aggressiveness of an NFL coach facing a 4th down in opponents territory, it was a welcome sight. Holy crap something was finally fun. It was the players you needed to see dominate the play, too. Ristolienen was out on the ice for nearly the entire overtime. Eichel had possession of the puck for nearly a full 30 seconds by himself. Okposo and O’Reilly hauled ass. May this be the start of better things.
Ristoleinen needed a good game tonight and he played 30 minutes and was a plus 3.
If you aren’t going to be fast you had either be accurate or smart. Get to the spot you need to be in before the play happens or make tape-to-tape passes consistently. A slow player who is bad at passing is a bad player, and it seems like the Sabres have ten of these players right now.
Nothing ever looks easy for this team. Not their zone exits, which takes two to three passes usually under duress, or their offensive sets which consist of defenseman trying to keep a puck in the zone and being unsuccessful. It isn’t fluid. It isn’t natural. Its stressful watching professional athletes struggle to do things that should be easy to them. If I wanted to watch something and be stressed about it I’d watch myself write.
This game is very reminiscent of some of the 2009-2012 Sabres teams. Lethargic for a full two periods and then freaking out and climbing back into it in the third.
1-0
Nah it’s cool just look at the guy you’re supposed to knock on his ass I’m sure he’ll just fall over. Everyone stand around and slap at the puck good things will happen. Or not. Eichel is facing his goalie and not his man, and he cuts off Antipin from continuing with him. It’s not a good play for him.
2-0
Oh my god.
3-0
ITS FUCKING OCTOBER AND THE SEASON IS OVER ALREADY
3-1
How is Pominville the only one?! THE. ONLY. ONE.
Good on O’Reilly for taking his man and forcing the turnover. The Sabres currently have four players who aren’t a waste of atmosphere.
4-1
Pasternak cuts to the middle and his shot deflects in off a Sabre leg. This is the kind of goal that gets scored in the NHL, and if you aren’t complete dogshit it doesn’t kill you.
4-2
The Sabres aren’t the only team that can’t box out in front of the net! A point shot gets through and Eichel is there to put it in quickly. Can the Sabres score twice in 25 minutes without allowing another goal themselves? WHO KNOWS STAY TUNED.
4-3
A rebound the goes nearly as far as the Irish Sea ends up on Pouliot’s stick and he fires hit home from the slot. Khudobin was left out in the cold. Can the Sabres score once in 12 minutes without allowing another goal themselves? WHO KNOWS STAY TUNED.
4-4
AAAAHHHHHAHAHAHAHH eat shit Bruins.
5-4 in OT
CHARA RETIRE BINCH
Miscellany
- This season was dead at 4-1. D-E-D dead.
- Eichel deciding to use the linesman as he reverses course in overtime deep in the Boston zone, preventing the Bruin defending him from pursuing. Incredibly smart hockey.
- Did the IIHF choose the IHOP font on purpose?
- Holy crap Chara is still playing?!
- Rick Jeanerette sounds like hockey to me but at this point, it is simply the frequency and not the content.
- People who live in Boston have to be as sick of the Dropkick Murphys as much as we are sick of the Goo Goo Dolls
- Jason Pominville is playing on a team with two wins in nine games and is a plus two with nine points. Was, he, uh, the best Sabre from the 05-07 run?
Tonight’s GIF
There are 73 more games. Are the Sabres trash?
