JohnC

To underscore what you said in a WGR interview Granato was asked early on in the season when the Sabres were accumulating losses if he was getting discouraged. In his inimitable upbeat way he said absolutely not. He said that his most important goal for this season was to get better. He emphasized that what he saw in practice and in games was that his players were committed to getting better. He made the point that as long as they had the attitude and belief that they would get better that he was satisfied that the process that he believed in was working.

Anyone who thinks that Tage is a better player than Jack is making their judgment with a hometown bias. Jack is a much more dynamic player than Tage will ever be. Jack was out of hockey for more than a year and underwent surgery to his neck. How he is currently player after his return now is nowhere near how much better he will be next year after having an offseason. There is a lot of animosity toward Jack that clouds people's view of him as a person and player. However, from a talent standpoint he is a top tier player in this league while Tage is showing that he is a good player in this league. The one advantage I would give Tage is his shooting accuracy. Although Jack has a harder shot Tage has a more accurate shot. I said this before so I apologize for the redundancy. The best thing that happened to Jack is that he got traded. And the best thing that happened to this organization is that it got a reasonable return for him that allowed this franchise to reset and accelerate the rebuild. And to bring up another Jack issue how much better or not would this team be with Jack being healthy and playing with Granato as his coach?

The one thing none of us needs to worry about is Granato's ability to work with young players (all players for that matter) and bring them along in their development. He's brilliant at individualizing his approach to each player's talents. He has said many times that making mistakes is part of the learning process. Compare that to Krueger where if you don't adhere to the prescribed script, you either get yanked or your minutes are curtailed? I agree with you that young players are going to have uneven performances. That goes with being inexperienced. But a player like Power, who was the consensus #1 prospect in last year's draft, has shown in his international and college play that the more that he is exposed to, the more he absorbs. I'm not disagreeing with what you said. Your point makes a lot of sense. It's just that after watching him in 4 games I'm more inclined to give him a little more responsibility than you are. There is a maturity to his game that indicates that he can handle the mistakes he will make and learn from them. Just after watching him in the few games I have seen him play I don't think I'm being unrealistic in saying that this guy is going to be a gem.

The sink or swim or immersion into NHL play is the right approach to take with Power. This staff would be foolish to have him spend any time in the AHL. He's got a lot to learn as do any rookie players. What he has demonstrated is his short stint is that not only can he handle playing in this league but he can excel in it. There is no doubt that he will never see any time in the minors unless sent there in a rehabbing assignment.

After being on the phone for an hour and they running a diagnostic I was able to get the game. I saw most of the third period. So because I didn't watch most of the game I'm going to refrain from giving comments about it. However, I did watch the post game show and saw the highlights. VO has gotten his shot back! I hope those who have talked about trading him are now changing their view. He is a valuable asset. I did see Granato's post game comments. He is marvelous in giving a clear and accurate description of the game and has great understanding of his players and their individual makeups. You can see the twinkle in his eyes when commenting on Samuelsson and Power.

I'm now certifiable crazy. Anyone have any extra happy pills?

I have been on the phone with DirecTv. I'm in a state of rage!

I'll try that. Thanks.

I'll try that station. Just tried it. It's a no go. No. In Maryland near Metro DC.

I tried but it was not on Center Ice for me.

That explains why it's not on Center Ice. It's still bullshiililt!

Turned on the game expecting to watch it on Directv's Center Ice. For some reason the game is not on. I'm pissed! People, please stay away from me. I'm in a foul mood. This is bullshiiiit!

Yep. Your post is mor illustrative for dimwits like me.

If you are going to tell someone to go fly a kite you need to show him/her how. https://www.google.com/search?q=flying+a+kite&rlz=1C1SQJL_enUS802US802&oq=flying+a+kite&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i512l9.3807j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#kpvalbx=_V3FcYvy3FsuJoASR5bsg13

Injuries are an inescapable part of the game. Recognizing the varied talents of each player and their ability to play a variety of roles is essentially what Granato has done well. Mitts has played on the wing, as have Krebs and Cozens. He has exercised the same flexibility with the defense pairings in being open to have players switch sides. What he is essentially doing is not pigeonholing players and emphasizing putting his best players on the ice. He's working with the players he has on hand and trying to work with their assets and manage their liabilities. It's obvious that maximizing talent is more important than adhering to a system.

Moving Thompson to center put him in a position to succeed. It gave the lanky player more space to maneuver and create. When asked why he moved Tage to center the coach said that as a prospect he was a center and saw his ability to skate and create. It was a positional move that allowed the player to unleash his assets and minimize his liabilities. As Tage has physically filled out he has demonstrated that he can battle for the puck on both the offensive and defensive zones. In contrast to Krueger the coach with the cool blue framed glasses focused more on what a player can do rather than focus on what he couldn't do. That's what good coaches and teachers do: maximize potential.

Not that long ago I would have never imagined saying that Mittlestadt is one of our better two-way players. He is now. He really works hard on the defensive side of the game. He's one of our best battlers on the wall. As @LGR4GMpoints out put some proficient scorers on his line and his offensive production and flair will be more on display. Compared to what he was a couple to few years ago he has transformed himself into playing a tougher all-around game. For some players the maturation process takes a little longer. Tage and Mitts are the embodiment of that. And coaching matters!

You make a good point, actually two points. Is he worth his $9 M per year contract? For the Sabres, definitely yes. For this team with its current payroll structure his contract cost, at least for now and the near future, doesn't hamper addressing other personnel decisions. He certainly contributes offensively by scoring goals but also surprisingly (pleasantly so) by his passing. In addition, as you note, his competitiveness and feisty play provides a spark to the team. In yesterday's game, his aggressive play resulted in attracting penalties. The bottom line is that the production and intangibles he provides are well worth his bountiful contract. We certainly weren't saying this during his exiling in the Krueger era.

I liked how Vinny H played but I wouldn't have given him a star. Skinner should have gotten either the first or second star. Okposo has been our most consistent player all season long.

Just some quick thoughts. I thought Skinner played really well. I would have given him the first star. He made some really good passes. He is adept at hanging onto the puck and twirling around in tight passes to set others up or get off a shot. He was our most noticeable player. And he may be our most feisty player. It's getting repetitive to point out the obvious that Dahlin is usually one of the best players on the ice for a particular game but also one of the best players in the league. Krebs made a nice pass that was converted. And so did Mitts. Power is solid now but he is going to be a top tier player very soon. He plays with such instinctive intelligence on offense and defense. Sometimes you don't realize how big he is because he can skate so well in tight spaces. I'm sure I'm jumping the gun but he plays like an anchor defenseman already. Okposo is our most consistent player. Hinostroza was a good pickup. He's fast and an active player. The Sabres are an entertaining team to watch. The best decision this organization made this year was the hiring of Don Granato. The two players who would second that opinion are Skinner and Dahlin. He unchained them and set them free to exploit their natural talents.

No. Russians don't sink boats. They get their boats sunk.

I have a different perspective than you presented in your post. We all can agree that there is a fluky aspect to this sport that can't always being measured, such as deflections, being screened and unpredictable bounces off the boards etc. But in the NHL where the season is long and grinding, as with the NBA, MLB there are team weaknesses that in the long run can't be hidden. In the short run a weakness in not always evident. However, in the long run a weakness gets exposed and exploited. In baseball if you don't have good starting or relief pitching that vulnerability will manifest itself. In basketball you can get away with not having a good defense but in a playoff setting it will hurt your chances to win a series. Before the Sabres even started the season most of us were aware that they were deficient at the position that is most influential in determining success. I believe that the organization was aware of it but had other priorities to address in the rebuild. Yesterday's game against the Blues was an example that one of our main weaknesses couldn't be hidden and was exploited by the opposition to garner the win. Yesterday's loss was not a demonstration of the fluky nature of the sport as it was an exposing and exploitation of a glaring weakness.

When watching this game it becomes evident that difference between winning and losing is not great. As others have stated the score didn't reflect how this game was played. Ultimately, the quality chances we had were not converted; the fewer quality chances they had were converted. The Blues are a well rounded veteran team. Even when the tide was working against them they continued to play their game. When discussing the goalie situation its like beating a dead horse, over and over again. This game is an example of what the difference is between good goalie play and average to below average goalie play. When there is a discussion about what the options are this offseason to upgrade the position most of them are unappealing. I don't know what the solution is. What I do know until that issue is satisfactorily addressed this team will not become a serious team. Anyone who is fair-minded has to acknowledge that the roster is steadily being upgraded. That positive step will be undercut until the goalie position is solidified.

You make an incisive observation. Granato on WGR was asked if he was getting discouraged with so much losing. (Before this past month's resurgence.) He said no. He said since he took over from Krueger that his priority for this team was to consistently get better. He pointed out that he would rather play younger players who make mistakes and learn than play veteran players that give you a better opportunity to win in the short term. He has said on more than a few occasions that what he sees from his young players in practice and how they are invested in getting better that he remains optimistic of what the near future outcome is going to be. He's great to listen to. He's transparent and thoughtful in responses to the questions that he is asked. I have never seen him shirk a question or make excuses. I admire him as a coach and leader.

Don Granato was being polite. (As you astutely suggested.) He knew what was going on behind the scenes and the GM's intention to trade him. There was no secret about that. Both sides of this dispute knew what the eventual outcome was going to be. It was just a question of the GM getting back a reasonable return. There was a segment on WGR in which Granato was asked about the Jack situation and what was going to be the outcome. As a testament to Granto the man he spoke about how he felt for Jack and his situation. He said something to the effect that people should empathize with Jack the person because the sport in which his young life revolved around was not only presently taken away but there was also the possibility that his injury could result in him never playing again. So however Jack was responding in front and behind the scenes it needed to be recognized that his career was in jeopardy. It should be noted that no player has publicly or even privately insinuated that Jack was a bad guy and a negative influence. Okposo (who is one of my favorite players/people) was asked about the Jack situation. He said in a respectful and empathetic manner that sometimes in this hockey business the best outcome in some situations is that a change in teams needed to be made for the best interest for the player and for the organization. He didn't say this in a critical manner. He made this statement with the wisdom that comes from being the high character and veteran player that he is. He pointed out that Jack is a passionate person and player who can't hide his emotions. Some people don't like that. But that's who he is. He's an intense competitor and it is unlikely that it will ever change. I'm one of the few people in this forum who is not critical of Jack. In this case the circumstance dictated what needed to happen. As I said in a previous post the best thing that happened to Jack is that he got traded. And for where this franchise was heading in its rebuild he being dealt was the right thing to have happen for this franchise. I strenuously object to the demonizing of this player. A player and organization moving on is not an unusual circumstance in this sports business.