GDT:Flyers at Sabres 7:30PM NBCSN

[inkman]

Larson does not belong up(reminds me of Luke Adam). I would rather see Grigorenko up and playing 2nd/3rd line minutes.

Grigs is hurt. Larsson in no single way reminds me of Luke Adam. Johan skates, battles and has good hockey IQ. Adam didn't do or have any of that.

[TrueBlueGED]

Great post Dudacek. I'm thrilled we're in last place and happy Nolan is unwittingly contributing...but assuming he is trying to win, that's a major problem going forward. The whole "nobody could win with this roster" is a cop out--he's not expected to win, but he is expected to make micro-level decisions which could contribute to winning if he had more talent to work with. Well, he's not doing that. I thought Hodgson played very well last night, yet he gets 6 minutes; apparently hard work only gets rewarded when it involves laying a body check.

 

So Nolan's just that incompetent then? Was he like this when he was with the Isels/Sabres before?

Yes. He just happened to have a certain goaltender saving his bacon and an entertaining sideshow line to distract people.

[SabresFanInRochester]

 

I'm tired of excusing Ted Nolan for this team.

 

As bad as Cody Hodgson has been, he hasn't played on the power play in a month and I don't know if he has been on the first unit all year. Sure he sucks 5 on 5, but, given time and space, he can create better than most of our roster.

Instead, Brian Flynn — who works hard, but will be lucky to score 40 goals in his NHL career — centres our 2nd power play and Zemgus, who has three PP points all season is unchallenged as our number one PP pivot.

 

Balls played the point on the Colorado PP. Like Hodgson, he can't play in traffic, but he has some skills on the point.

Matt Moulson is good complementary PP forward, but no one sees him as a point man on any team's power play. He's not a great passer or playmaker and he doesn't have a big shot. But hey, the guy he's replacing is Josh Gorges, you know, the guy with 13 PP points in 10 NHL seasons. At least Risto and Zads get a look on unit two.

 

Johan Larsson is a solid, hard-working prospect who has mastered the AHL and is at the point in his career where he needs to show what he has at the NHL level. He gets less than 7 minutes. Torrey Mitchell, a career 4th-liner and UFA to be, gets nearly 17.

 

I would think at this point in the season, Tim Murray would like to see some marketability salvaged to Hodgson's tarnished reputation, to remind other GMs that Benoit might be a useful depth pickup for the playoffs, and to give some kids a chance to show what they can do. Or maybe he would just like to see us score on the PP sometime.

 

Instead, Ted continues to favour veterans and "reward hard work" with ice time, regardless of how ineffective his strategy has been in winning hockey games or developing assets.

 

Yes, Benoit is one of many fringe hockey players on this squad and Hodgson is a dishcloth, but Ted has not done a good job of developing talent or effectively utilizing it.

 

He clearly is not on the same page as his GM.

He is great guy and I will give him credit for holding the room together.

But I will be very disappointed if he is not fired as soon as the season is over.

 

Spot on. Great post. That is why I believe TN will be gone at year end. Whether this is intentional tanking or not, mismanages players.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Bogo is a beast, as advertised.

 

That's all.

[inkman]

Great post Dudacek. I'm thrilled we're in last place and happy Nolan is unwittingly contributing...

Yeah he's a bozo and I'm thrilled. His coaching is laughable.

[Guest Sloth]

The oreo line

 

 

 

One game into the Bogosian Era, I'll say this - we always liked Angry Myers; the problem was that he wasn't angry often enough; in fact he's too tentative.  Bogo doesn't have that problem.  He's not angry, he just plays that way.

Ha ha The Oreo line was said in The Mighty Ducks. That was Disney made, so it must be okay to say. Of course basstard and biitch were also said....

 

And please don't misinterpret this. Just joking around. 

[SwampD]

This year is about sinking the Titanic. Period. They can worry about rearranging the deck chairs next year. I'll judge Ted then.

[biodork]

 

I'm tired of excusing Ted Nolan for this team.

 

As bad as Cody Hodgson has been, he hasn't played on the power play in a month and I don't know if he has been on the first unit all year. Sure he sucks 5 on 5, but, given time and space, he can create better than most of our roster.

Instead, Brian Flynn — who works hard, but will be lucky to score 40 goals in his NHL career — centres our 2nd power play and Zemgus, who has three PP points all season is unchallenged as our number one PP pivot.

 

Balls played the point on the Colorado PP. Like Hodgson, he can't play in traffic, but he has some skills on the point.

Matt Moulson is good complementary PP forward, but no one sees him as a point man on any team's power play. He's not a great passer or playmaker and he doesn't have a big shot. But hey, the guy he's replacing is Josh Gorges, you know, the guy with 13 PP points in 10 NHL seasons. At least Risto and Zads get a look on unit two.

 

Johan Larsson is a solid, hard-working prospect who has mastered the AHL and is at the point in his career where he needs to show what he has at the NHL level. He gets less than 7 minutes. Torrey Mitchell, a career 4th-liner and UFA to be, gets nearly 17.

 

I would think at this point in the season, Tim Murray would like to see some marketability salvaged to Hodgson's tarnished reputation, to remind other GMs that Benoit might be a useful depth pickup for the playoffs, and to give some kids a chance to show what they can do. Or maybe he would just like to see us score on the PP sometime.

 

Instead, Ted continues to favour veterans and "reward hard work" with ice time, regardless of how ineffective his strategy has been in winning hockey games or developing assets.

 

Yes, Benoit is one of many fringe hockey players on this squad and Hodgson is a dishcloth, but Ted has not done a good job of developing talent or effectively utilizing it.

 

He clearly is not on the same page as his GM.

He is great guy and I will give him credit for holding the room together.

But I will be very disappointed if he is not fired as soon as the season is over.

 

Good stuff, dudacek... I'm starting very much to agree with this line of thinking.  Yes, I understand you shouldn't just hand rookies tons of ice time without merit, but FFS the journeyman and grinders should not be on the 2nd and 3rd lines over prospects who need to be evaluated properly.

[CallawaySabres]

Bogosian was really good tonight.

 

Almost a little too good.....

Aside from his hits, let's not forget that he made the nicest pass of the night to Ennis when it was called offside. 

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Good stuff, dudacek... I'm starting very much to agree with this line of thinking.  Yes, I understand you shouldn't just hand rookies tons of ice time without merit, but FFS the journeyman and grinders should not be on the 2nd and 3rd lines over prospects who need to be evaluated properly.

*Angry Bio* is kinda cute with steam coming out of her ears ...  :wub:

 

 

 

;)

[biodork]

*Angry Bio* is kinda cute with steam coming out of her ears ...  :wub:

 

 

 

;)

:blush:

[Weave]

So Nolan's just that incompetent then? Was he like this when he was with the Isels/Sabres before?

 

 

Yes. He just happened to have a certain goaltender saving his bacon and an entertaining sideshow line to distract people.

 

I don't remember Nolan putting grinders on scoring lines over skill guys. At least not as a regular thing.  I remember the team not having many skill guys, and the skill guys they had weren't terribly skilled, but I don't recall him putting shlubs in the top 6 over guys that are skilled enough.  Yes, Randy Burridge was LaFontaine's winger, but back then he was the best winger that we had for Lala.  Dawe wasn't a grinder.  Nor Plante.  Peca, Audette, Grosek all played top 6 roles.  I am a bit confused by Nolan's player usage right now.  Either he's in on the tank or he's completely lost it.  I'm leaning towards the 2nd.

[LastPommerFan]

I don't remember Nolan putting grinders on scoring lines over skill guys. At least not as a regular thing.  I remember the team not having many skill guys, and the skill guys they had weren't terribly skilled, but I don't recall him putting shlubs in the top 6 over guys that are skilled enough.  Yes, Randy Burridge was LaFontaine's winger, but back then he was the best winger that we had for Lala.  Dawe wasn't a grinder.  Nor Plante.  Peca, Audette, Grosek all played top 6 roles.  I am a bit confused by Nolan's player usage right now.  Either he's in on the tank or he's completely lost it.  I'm leaning towards the 2nd.

 

Or he doesn't have an all-world goalie. This is the result Ted Nolan gets when he doesn't have a better than +.025 advantage in save%.

[Weave]

Or he doesn't have an all-world goalie. This is the result Ted Nolan gets when he doesn't have a better than +.025 advantage in save%.

 

Are you suggesting that he might be using bottom 6 guys in top 6 roles because of his current goalie?

[Doohicksie]

Either he's in on the tank or he's completely lost it.  I'm leaning towards the 2nd.

I think it's the first. He'll be rewarded with a paid vacation next season when he's relieved of his coaching duties for Richardson.

[inkman]

Are you suggesting that he might be using bottom 6 guys in top 6 roles because of his current goalie?

Are you saying GMTM went to Nolan ~ 15 months ago said:

 

"I need a coach to help me lose 60 games, this year and next. Are you my guy?"

I think it's the first.

I won't ever believe that. If they wanted to Tank why not keep Ron Ron. He was burying this team.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

:blush:

My apologies for making you uncomfortable.

 

Rest assured I am just having some fun, but do not intend to take this route again going forward.

[Weave]

Are you saying GMTM went to Nolan ~ 15 months ago said:

 

"I need a coach to help me lose 60 games, this year and next. Are you my guy?"

 

 

No I am not. I think he's lost it.  I think he's floundering in an all out attempt to create some roster magic, and as a result we get bottom 6 guys in top 6 roles that Nolan thinks is going to work themselves some team success.

 

As for specifically Larsson, my gut tells me that Nolan just doesn't want rooks on his team.  I think he wants hungry vets, hence the preference for guys like Torrey Mitchell.

[LGR4GM]

I really thought Larson played a solid game last night and actually helped Hodgson suck less. You know who I didn't notice, Matt Ellis.  

[LTS]

Pretty sure that's our first 5 on 3 goal this year.

 

Close... it was the Sabres first 5 on 3 goal in 697 days or so.  Saw a stat posted today.

 

Now don't we all feel much better.

[Iron Crotch]

No I am not. I think he's lost it.  I think he's floundering in an all out attempt to create some roster magic, and as a result we get bottom 6 guys in top 6 roles that Nolan thinks is going to work themselves some team success.

 

As for specifically Larsson, my gut tells me that Nolan just doesn't want rooks on his team.  I think he wants hungry vets, hence the preference for guys like Torrey Mitchell.

 

Frustrating to see a guy like Mitchell centering for a guy like Moulson.  MattyMo hasn't had a good year, but Mitchell has a career high of 10 goals and 23 points.  He is a 4th line.  CoHo obviously has had a brutal year, but why is he on the 4th line and Mitchell on the 2nd?  And, why the ###### is Flynn getting power play time over CoHo?

 

Nolan is trying a little too hard to prove a point.

[Weave]

Frustrating to see a guy like Mitchell centering for a guy like Moulson.  MattyMo hasn't had a good year, but Mitchell has a career high of 10 goals and 23 points.  He is a 4th line.  CoHo obviously has had a brutal year, but why is he on the 4th line and Mitchell on the 2nd?  And, why the ###### is Flynn getting power play time over CoHo?

 

Nolan is trying a little too hard to prove a point.

 

None of it makes sense to me.  And it doesn't match what I recall of Nolan's forward use in the 90's.

 

Thinking on GCoE's post, I suppose Nolan may be thinking that he is putting a more responsible player on each line to minimize goaltender exposure.  I don't know.  I'm not convinced that a guy like Mitchell's game is responsible enough to make up for his lack of ability to create offense, especially when offense is what this team needs more than anything else.

Edited February 16, 2015 by weave

[Doohicksie]

I won't ever believe that. If they wanted to Tank why not keep Ron Ron. He was burying this team.

...and ruining the players. Nolan gets you the losses without sucking the soul out of the team.

My apologies for making you uncomfortable.

 

Rest assured I am just having some fun, but do not intend to take this route again going forward.

You're SO Canadian....

[TrueBlueGED]

No I am not. I think he's lost it.  I think he's floundering in an all out attempt to create some roster magic, and as a result we get bottom 6 guys in top 6 roles that Nolan thinks is going to work themselves some team success.

 

As for specifically Larsson, my gut tells me that Nolan just doesn't want rooks on his team.  I think he wants hungry vets, hence the preference for guys like Torrey Mitchell.

 

I agree with the bold, which is why I want him gone at the end of the year.  This is also why I don't buy that he has "lost it"--my memory is that he hasn't necessarily had a skill bias, but a preference for hard-working vets over young players. It's certainly possible my memory on this is incorrect (after all, I was only 11 during his previous stint with the team); but at the very least I think most would agree this is his current preference, which makes him about the worst coach on the planet for this team when they actually start trying to win some games next year with a few key rookies.

[LGR4GM]

Frustrating to see a guy like Mitchell centering for a guy like Moulson.  MattyMo hasn't had a good year, but Mitchell has a career high of 10 goals and 23 points.  He is a 4th line.  CoHo obviously has had a brutal year, but why is he on the 4th line and Mitchell on the 2nd?  And, why the ###### is Flynn getting power play time over CoHo?

 

Nolan is trying a little too hard to prove a point.

So the question is, is CoHo sucking because of the coaching or does he suck because he is bad.  I mean I noticed him positively for the first time in weeks yesterday when he played with Larson so I honestly don't know.