Shutdown Pair

Tag: Logan Stanley

  • Double Trouble

    Double Trouble

    The game started exactly how you’d want – Tage Thompson getting a goal, tapping in a shot/pass from Dahlin. That was the last time Buffalo looked decent (other than some saves from Lyon) until the third period as the Canadiens scored 4 unanswered en route to a 6-2 win. Dahlin had the other Sabres goal to briefly make things interesting at the end of the second on into the third.

    Beyond Tage and Dahlin showing up for work, there weren’t a ton of bright spots out there. Benson was still a pest and created some great chances, Dahlin’s goal was on the power play, which looked like an actual functioning unit for a stretch of the third.

    I’m curious to see what changes are made, if any. I don’t think Lyon was a problem, he made some monster saves despite the goals but I would understand if a shakeup happens. Logan Stanley was in full oaf mode (derogatory):

    For the love of GOD Stanley do not get behind the Canadiens net!!!

    — TheTickMS (@thetickms.bsky.social) 2026-05-11T01:27:13.065Z

    If there is one guy who shouldn’t be in deep in the offensive zone, it’s the giant lumbering defenseman who skates about as fast as I walk. Carrick was back, Zucker seemed to be limited – I haven’t seen anything from Lindy as I write this, but he took shifts through the whole game, just not many), Quinn was still rough, so there’s room for shuffling.

    It’s okay to be worried, but most playoff series aren’t cakewalks. Montreal beat Tampa Bay to get here, they’ve got their guys too. I’ll let Dubs finish it off:

    This is still fun as balls, don’t let yourself be convinced it’s not. Let the players worry about the loss, crack another beer and get ready to drown yourself in work tomorrow and Tuesday so the clock moves faster.

    — Matty Dubs (@theycallmedubs.bsky.social) 2026-05-11T02:07:06.062Z

    See you Tuesday.

  • Deep Breaths

    Deep Breaths

    Sabres lose the second game of the series 4-2. And it wasn’t really that close. Listen, was that game hard to watch? Absolutely. The playoffs aren’t over, though. A lot of hockey left to play.

    I alluded to the fact that stuff like this used to drive me crazy, even to the point that it would make me grumpy to my family and co-workers. I’ve worked on myself a lot to get past that, but games like this really show you how this can happen. It’s the *way* that they lost. 0 for a century on the power play. Absolutely no juice from any of the star players. The best D-man for the first 50 minutes was Logan Stanley for crying out loud. It’s enough to turn you into the Joker.

    Looking at the lineup, there’s a lot of changes that can be made. Alex Lyon was solid in relief of UPL after he gave up the fourth goal, so it wouldn’t shock me if he got a start. They mostly alternated starts in the second half of the season anyway. Guys like Metsa or Schenn are in the mix, Carrick could be back in soon, Noah Ostlund is back at practice. They weren’t going to win 16 straight games for the Stanley Cup. The response in the first 10 minutes of the game in Boston tells the tale.

  • Backing In Is Still In

    Backing In Is Still In

    This is the required vibe for the rest of the regular season:

    Tonight’s game may not have gone well (6-2 loss, Lyon yanked after 3 goals on 5 shots), but you know what? It doesn’t matter. The Buffalo Sabres will be back in the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in 14 years. The pic at the top of the post is from a practice/scrimmage the first year of the drought. We had no idea what was coming. “Suffering“, the high expectations of Eichel, and his ultimate failure here, Lindy’s first firing, and so much more. This is what my kids looked like back then:

    Now my son’s an adult with a pickup truck, the middle one’s graduating high school, and the youngest is crushing dance competitions. I’d do the same comparison for me but no one wants to see this hairline.

    It’s okay to be grumpy with the performance on the day they clinched but things don’t always go the way they do in the movies. Take a deep breath and enjoy the thought of playoff hockey. The 05/06 team had a late season stretch of 6 straight losses before ending the season on a high note. Buffalo hadn’t lost back to back games in regulation since December. The ending hasn’t been written yet; let it happen. And if it doesn’t go our way, know that it doesn’t have to go back to the way it was. They can be good again next year!

    (maybe Lindy could bench Logan Stanley though. just a thought)