FIRST!!!

I'm an OVERTIME JUNKIE AND I NEED MY FIX!!!

I think the team was out of it cerebrally to start the game, probably disenchanted with non-overtime hockey. Penalty trouble, soft goal, yeah that's a lack of focus.

As a Sabres fan newb, one of the things that I am totally surprised by is the way they use Vanek on the power play. I get that he's awesome around the net, the willingness and the hands are second to none. The thing is, he also has the best shot on the team. And after watching some 30+ Sabres game over the past year, I have yet to see a single one-timer from Vanek. That...that is mind botteling. You know like when your thoughts get all bottled? Kind of like how Vanek's talent is being bottled! Let the Genie out for the LoG!! You don't need a 40 goal scorers hands to make an effective screen, sit Connolly down and put Vanek on the LW half boards.

GRIP AND RIP IT!

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"I love that you know how to do that." Cheryl/Carol/Crystal

"And I love that I have an erection that doesn't involve homeless people." Kreiger

I vote you off the island.

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My thoughts are, Miller needs to play better early on in this game. His last two goals were saves he typically makes. Ok the second goal could go either way, but he had it stopped and it trickled through.

The team responded well, and played decent enough against the best team in the East. I don't think they played bad, but they didn't play very great in the first period.

Overall, not a terrible game, and we can't win every game.

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The Sabres' first 30 minutes were not the Sabres we've seen the past few games. That's about it...

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A worthy effort in the come back attempt.

Power Play looks like it is finally getting some life. Much improved puck control.
Roy is on fire and Vanek is feeding off of him.
Montador is a warrior once again.
Poor Butler, that last goal hit his skate then both posts. This guy just has bad luck.
Sekera trying to carry the puck to often. I like his play, but let it go sometimes kid.
Leopold, excellent jump into the play for the goal. Great Defensive signing by Darcy (it took so much for me tosay those words).
Gerbe, your my hero kid. Keep going balls to the wall. Hey Darcy, how about giving this kid a shot up on line 2 where he can be a little more effective on the score sheet? No?

Miller should have saved the second goal, but no biggie. He wasn't really tested that hard this game, defense did good to clear the front most times, except the goals.
Connolly............FUCK OFF!!!!!
Pommers, come on man, atleast hit the net once in 30 shots........sheesh.
Hecht, sorry man, until Darcy gets rid of Connolly, you and Pommers are being punished by association.

Decent game by Buffalo overall. Probably does show that a couple to 3 moves and we may be able to contend.

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Lord Stanley's Cup is what its all about.
Mr. Pegula, your destiny awaits you sir.

It's the only reason they lost. They've proven when they play with some heart, they're a better team than pretty much anyone out there. Guess we just need to find that pulse sometimes.

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I think this was a good character game. The 5-3 stung us, and we caught an unlucky break with the shot off the post and off miller and in.

The caps are one of the best in the east, and I can handle this game.

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Wheelhouse

I agree also, but they weren't the Sabres we saw the first 5 games either, they were way better than those versions but not where they had been.

Against a lesser team, I would say even with them playing like they did early on, they were still strong. They were beat bad by the Caps third line though, out hustled and the forecheck was really strong from that Caps line.

They fought at the end after they got their first goal though.

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Actually, I would say try Gerbe with Vanek and Roy and make Ennis the Center for line 2.

I know how great the REV line is doing, but Gerbe can hang in with those two guys just as well, drop Connolly to a third or fourth line until he gets his shit together.

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Comes down to talent, caps put out half the effort they can still win.

Side note: The ugly about this game wasn't even on the ice.
It was Regier and his interview with "Company Man" Kevin Sylvester.
He speaks about building a Stanley Cup Championship team from within. Which sounds great, but he hasn't done it in 13 years. Whats to say the next 13 years are going to be any different?

You builda Championship Team by any means you can, limiting yourself to one prescribed method is doomed to failure and he'll end up watching his peers pass him by as they put components in place from multiple methods and build winners.

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Lord Stanley's Cup is what its all about.
Mr. Pegula, your destiny awaits you sir.

I don't think Darcy is calling the lines.

I can't believe Connolly has not been benched yet. He has to have some filthy pictures of Lindy, maybe a picture of Lindy wearing a Leafs jersey?

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Pfft. Unless it's a filthy picture with Lindy also in a leafs jersey i doubt that'd bother him.

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"Call a cop he robbed Delmore blind!!!"
Rick Jeanerette after Marty Biron's diving save back in 2000.

"I'm going to go to the spa and have a hot tub and massage and relax," Miller said. "That's it, and it's back to work tomorrow." Ryan Miller after clinching the North East division.

It wasn't the Caps best game, but the Sabres spotted them two goals so I'm not sure where their "talent" took over. Fact is, the active sticks by Buffs-D blew up a great many Caps rushes before they had a chance to evolve into legitimate threats. The Sabres can hang with the Caps at their best, when and if both teams ever decide to bring their "A" games for 60 minutes is the real question.

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"I love that you know how to do that." Cheryl/Carol/Crystal

"And I love that I have an erection that doesn't involve homeless people." Kreiger

Blowing up successful lines to make up for a lack of secondary scoring is not what I would do, but if the REV well dries up I would do that in a heartbeat!

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"I love that you know how to do that." Cheryl/Carol/Crystal

"And I love that I have an erection that doesn't involve homeless people." Kreiger

My Caricature of Tim Connolly;

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"Let's just trap Sekera in the caverns underneath HSBC arena." -BlueandYellow

Reporter: "Steve, you guys now lead the league in defensive scoring."
Montador: "It's probably because of how good-looking we are."

missed the game tonight.... thanks for the re cap... sounds like it wasn't to bad... but a little more of the same, connley dicking the dog out there... i like the idea of Gerbe-Hecht-Pommers ... see what they can do... drop timmy a line... and interesting thought about putting TV on the half board on the PP... wonder why that hasnt been tried?

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I definitely agree with vanek being moved from in front of the net on the PP. I dont know who else could go there, but i'd like to see what vanek could do elsewhere.

On another note, I was unpleasantly non-surprised to see pominville utterly fuck up such a beautiful chance late in the third. He somehow managed to shoot the puck almost directly straight up in the air from the surface of the ice. And I thought constantly shooting it into the exact center of the goalies chest was annoying.

Goose in the Goalies face on the PP?

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Only Stamkos, Ovechkin, Crosby, Semin, and the Sedins are ahead of Roy in scoring

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mechaphil