NHL Regular Season Thread

[McGahee]

Buffalo-Atlanta tonight baby! If we can beat up the Thrashers, I think that means we're ready to shut Melrose up about how we "haven't beaten a Cup contender"...

Looking at the Sabres schedule, the only tough WC team we play are Nashville, Minnesota, and I guess Calgary... works for me

[detroitbasketball]

jacktheripper said:

Write this down: New York Islanders for the Stanley Cup.....in 3006.

Don't give em that much credit...it'll take longer than that!

[McGahee]

Didn't you hear Fette's? DiPietro got a 1,500 year extension for 15 trillion dollars. Therefore I'm looking in the 3500s just to get back in the playoffs...

[JackTheRipper]

That's a bargain deal right there

[Joe Pa's Love Slave]

I thought it was life contract?

Play untill he needs a coffin.

[JackTheRipper]

Hell, stick the coffin in front of the net. I'm sure it'll stop more pucks.

[McGahee]

Boston's doing exactly what I'd thought they do... rough us up. They won't make the playoffs, but they're certainly going to test teams to see if they have what it takes or not... and right now it's not looking good for us. That 1st period was the worst I've seen Buffalo play post-lockout...

[McGahee]

oh my freakin god... WHAT A GAME! 11-0-1 Baby!

[Chief Bstn]

I wouldn't be to impressed with how you guys fought back. That's a typical game for the B's.

[JackTheRipper]

I stopped watching with about 12 minutes to go, assuming all was lost. Needless to say, when I saw that they had won, I was shocked.

[Freak93]

I wonder who will stop more shots this year a Flyers goalie or a 76er's center.

[Joe Pa's Love Slave]

$50 on the Center

[McGahee]

Do goaltendings by the center deduct a block, because if so, no way Dalembert can win, regardless of how bad the Flyers are...

Oh, and Buffalo got raped last night. We could really use a bit of a break to get back on track now, seeing how we always have one period that seems like its the worst we've had all year (last night it was the 2nd). Oh well, the Rangers tonight... if we can stop Jagr and Shanahan we should take this one, especially the way Lunqvist has been playing lately...

[McGahee]

Wow, this is phenomenal... we have another terrible 2nd period, but once again, we pull out a miracle. This is the benefit of having 4 so called 2nd lines...

12-1-1! Briere For Mayor!

[Chief Bstn]

Yeah? Briere smells funny.


>_>

[JackTheRipper]

Oh yeah? Well....your mom. O MUH GAWD I GOT U GUD!

[McGahee]

Flyers nearly pull an upset last night, but again, Buffalo finds a way to win.

I must give Philly credit, they played a really good game for the most part, but little lapses by Nitti and some weak defensive efforts cost them the game. But they did fairly well staying out of the penalty box, which is what killed them the last game, and bullied the Sabres around to gain some momentum from the crowd.

Personally, I think if Forsberg had played, the game would have ended with a Buffalo regulation win. The team put everything out there, getting some great chances, and just got unlucky some times (3 on 0 anyone?). Although I also think if Afinegenov had played, we would have won it in regulation as well. Buffalo's offensive strategy is an east-west controlled speed attack, where people are quickly shifting around making quick passes. Maxim in a way contrasts that, as he's a bit more get the puck and go to the net with it, which is what we definitely lacked last night, seeing how the Flyers D started to pick it up a little making Buffalo make passes through the skates, which isn't effective.

All the same, it was a great game. I'm sure the Flyers are gladly taking their point for this one, and maybe this is the shift they need to turn it around. One other thing I forgot to mention- Nittimaki is the #1 on this team. Esche would have been pounded out there, but Nittimaki made some amazing saves, and one big thing, was that he didn't allow many rebounds. If they're gonna make a turn around, it's gonna be because of him...

[Ircknewskool]

No such thing as an upset in hockey, except for in the playoffs, maybe.

[TJFOR3]

[qoute]Personally, I think if Forsberg had played, the game would have ended with a Buffalo regulation win.[/qoute]

??

How would one of the best players in the game hurt his team

[McGahee]

Because his emotions have hurt this team since game one. For a guy that's been named a captain, it's insane to see how negative he seems to have been this year. He refused to go out for a shootout against the Rangers, despite his coach's orders. He threw away a game just a week or so ago by lettingh im emotions get the best of him, commiting stupid hooks and other things and got himself thrown out of a game, giving them no chance to overcome the deficit they already faced. He's missed games because of little injuries that he normally would play with, which I have no other reason to believe than he just doesn't care any more. When quite a few of the members of the team tried to spark a lockerroom emotional turn around by a person shaving their head after every loss (which would be a great way to unite the team, especially for a team with a poor start, management shifts, and still seeking their identity), the captains (Forsberg and Gagne) said they would refuse to take part in it. For one thing, it should be the captains coming up with these ideas to spark a revival. But more than that, why should the captains be shooting this down?

I love Forsberg on the ice, I really do. He's an amazing play-making warrior in his prime. But he's slowing down, and even worse, he's slowing the Flyers down. Last night, you saw a Flyers team united for the first time this season, and it came of course, without their so-called captain.

And irck, you're right, upset doesn't qualify here. I guess I didn't use my words wisely enough. I was trying to point out that scoring 3 straight goals to take the lead would shock the Sabres and let them squeak away with a win they probably shouldn't have had, but then Buffalo did what Buffalo's done all year...