I really do not understand the problem the Sabres have whenever they face the Senators.
Before the game began last night, Rick and Harry made note of how mediocre the Sabres have been against Ottawa for the past few seasons. I now they weren't good against them in 05-06, and I definitely know they weren't good the past three seasons, but I'm not sure about before the lockout. I can easily see how...tense the team looks whenever they play Ottawa. Guys don't finish their checks too often (unless you are Kaleta, or Goose), and don't even get me started on them clearing the puck out of their own zone. What awful hockey.
This statement from the recap on Sabres.com is mindblowing.
The Senators are 19-6-4 overall against Buffalo through the last four seasons.
"Everybody's talking about it and talking about it, and I think we just need to loosen up, don't think about it," Sabres defenseman Jaroslav Spacek said. "We can play any team in the league, it's in our heads that we're losing to them game after game after game. We need to think that it's a different team."
Talk about utterly disgusting because Ottawa's best line for most of this season has been the Alfredsson-Spezza-Heatley line, and when you shut them down, the rest of the team rarely gets going. Oh wait, but the Sabres seem to not want to even touch them. My oldest brother Jason says it all the time - back when the Ducks played the Senators in the Finals, Heatley and Spezza disappeared when they were hit. That's all the Sabres have to do, but do they? No, of course not. The hit on Kovalev that Goose made on Wednesday set the tone for the game early and gave the Sabres plenty of momentum. Something should've occurred like that last night, too.
Spacek's quote is correct, but how long can the Sabres say that they 'need to think it's a different team'? I won't be surprised if nothing changs the next time they play Ottawa. If they do then it will be a huge step in the right direction. I say huge because it seems to take a miracle for them to beat the Sens.
With the loss, the Sabres are now in 10th place. Carolina moved up to 7th. We could've been 6th for a little while. Depressing.
My brother had to talk about T.O. on WGR yesterday morning, and if you haven't seen or heard already...Him and Marshawn could get matching tattoos saying 'Jail buddies 4 lyfe'.
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