Around the NHL 2016-2017

[Randall Flagg]

With those points, Laine ties Jack Eichel's rookie season point totals, in 25 fewer games played.

Pretty crazy. I still take Jack 10/10 times :P 

[Ducky]

Laine now has 56 points in 56 games.

Schief has 26g and 39a for 65 points in 61 games and we still aren't going to make the playoffs.

[WildCard]

Laine now has 56 points in 56 games.

Schief has 26g and 39a for 65 points in 61 games and we still aren't going to make the playoffs.

I'm curious, who do you blame for that?

[Winston]

I'm curious, who do you blame for that?

I won't speak for Ducky, but I would mostly blame the guys that make a 6x4 look like a soccer net. They've got a sub-.900 save % as a team. Top 10 in the league in goals for, but only Dallas has allowed more goals against.

 

They've got a young D, and Buff is basically a forward back there. But I don't think their defensive corps are as bad as the goalies make them look.

[Thorner]

With those points, Laine ties Jack Eichel's rookie season point totals, in 25 fewer games played.

Pretty crazy. I still take Jack 10/10 times :P

 

Laine now has 56 points in 56 games.

Schief has 26g and 39a for 65 points in 61 games and we still aren't going to make the playoffs.

Ya, I mean, Laine is an amazing talent. But playing with a top C like Scheifele is going to help your numbers. Not taking anything away from Laine, he's helping Scheifele too.

 

I won't speak for Ducky, but I would mostly blame the guys that make a 6x4 look like a soccer net. They've got a sub-.900 save % as a team. Top 10 in the league in goals for, but only Dallas has allowed more goals against.

They've got a young D, and Buff is basically a forward back there. But I don't think their defensive corps are as bad as the goalies make them look.

Their defence, and commitment to team defence as a whole, has been pretty weak.

Edited March 1, 2017 by Thorny

[Ducky]

It is a combination of poor goaltending, poor PK, and injuries.

Myers has played 11 games this year and enstrom has been out twice and Trouba held out and Little was out for a fair stretch. Also, we started off the year setting a record of 32 games in 60 days.

 

If I had to say one thing, we don't have a goalie that is playing like a starter. Chevy needs to pick up a LHD and a vet goalie this summer.

Ya, I mean, Laine is an amazing talent. But playing with a top C like Scheifele is going to help your numbers. Not taking anything away from Laine, he's helping Scheifele too.


Their defence, and commitment to team defence as a whole, has been pretty weak.

Actually, Scheif's stats are considerably worse when not playing with Laine and while Laine's are worse without Scheifele, they are not that much worse. He is 6' 5" or something so I expect he will put on another 12-15 pounds in the next 3-4 years. He will start winning the battles against the wall that he is losing pretty easily.

[Thorner]

It is a combination of poor goaltending, poor PK, and injuries.

Myers has played 11 games this year and enstrom has been out twice and Trouba held out and Little was out for a fair stretch. Also, we started off the year setting a record of 32 games in 60 days.

 

If I had to say one thing, we don't have a goalie that is playing like a starter. Chevy needs to pick up a LHD and a vet goalie this summer.

 

Actually, Scheif's stats are considerably worse when not playing with Laine and while Laine's are worse without Scheifele, they are not that much worse. He is 6' 5" or something so I expect he will put on another 12-15 pounds in the next 3-4 years. He will start winning the battles against the wall that he is losing pretty easily.

He plays with Scheifele quite a bit though, and they very much complement each other. It's something that may count against Laine in the Calder race, considering Matthews doesn't play with a player at the level of a Scheifele. I'm hoping Laine wins it, but not winning the Calder isn't the end of the world anyways.

Edited March 1, 2017 by Thorny

[Ducky]

I expect the TO bias to win it for him even though he will have played 8 more games than Laine.

[Thorner]

I expect the TO bias to win it for him even though he will have played 8 more games than Laine.

Very likely accurate.

[Brawndo]

The Vegas Golden Knights are officially official

[Sabres Fan in NS]

The Vegas Golden Knights are officially official

 

Bet they make a big deal today.

[WildCard]

Bet they make a big deal today.

Existing is a pretty big deal ;)

[Robviously]

The Vegas Golden Knights are officially official

We could trade them Gorges, Bogo, Kulikov, and Franson and they'd all be about equally productive for the remainder of the year.

Edited March 1, 2017 by Robviously

[Samson's Flow]

We could trade them Gorges, Bogo, Kulikov, and Franson and they'd all be about equally productive for the remainder of the year.

Savage. The hate is strong with this one.

[MattPie]

Savage. The hate is strong with this one.

 

We could actually trade them, though. I believe you can make trades after the deadline, they just won't be eligible for this year's playoffs, which is N/A for both teams in this case.

[WildCard]

Panik with possibly the goal of the year

[SwampD]

Panik with possibly the goal of the year

That was a pretty sick goal.

[SwampD]

Y'all can talk about DD and systems that you hate and stretch passes and blah blah blah,.. but looking at the tape to tape passing and awareness of every player on the ice that these two teams have (Pitt/Chi), nobody is going to convince me that the Sabres have anything but a talent problem.

[Doohicksie]

Panik with possibly the goal of the year

 

Hardly.

 

https://www.nhl.com/video/paniks-gorgeous-goal/t-283375496/c-49880903

[WildCard]

Y'all can talk about DD and systems that you hate and stretch passes and blah blah blah,.. but looking at the tape to tape passing and awareness of every player on the ice that these two teams have (Pitt/Chi), nobody is going to convince me that the Sabres have anything but a talent problem.

Please tell me you don't think Chicago and Pittsburgh play the same style us

[Randall Flagg]

Y'all can talk about DD and systems that you hate and stretch passes and blah blah blah,.. but looking at the tape to tape passing and awareness of every player on the ice that these two teams have (Pitt/Chi), nobody is going to convince me that the Sabres have anything but a talent problem.

I know nobody is going to convince you but we've spent 140 games worth of practices without any full team transition with puck support to speak of, that's a lot of time where these players could have gotten better at small NZ passes that I see chicago's freaking Hinostroza or Carolina's Lindholm lines execute easily or goddamn Eric Haula. In the same manner you will never convince us that Jack Eichel or Ryan O'Reilly or even Marcus Foligno just can't hope to keep up with a player like freaking Hinostroza.

 

When you watch any one of those Chicago players they have three immediate passing options at almost all times. I can count the number of times the Sabres have had that this year on one hand. We just bull rush to the corners and whip the puck around the wall from there.

 

On the off chance we do pass the puck in, we actually maintain it at a high rate, too....I have stats to show it :P

Edited March 2, 2017 by Randall Flagg

[Weave]

Y'all can talk about DD and systems that you hate and stretch passes and blah blah blah,.. but looking at the tape to tape passing and awareness of every player on the ice that these two teams have (Pitt/Chi), nobody is going to convince me that the Sabres have anything but a talent problem.

I'm with you.

[woods-racer]

I'm with you.

 

I'm with Flagg.

 

Lessor talented teams this whole season have beat us handily with a short passing puck control game. It's also the reason I don't think our D is as bad as Dan's system makes them look.

[pi2000]

Panik with possibly the goal of the year

 

Very Tim Connolly-esque.

[darksabre]

I'm with Flagg.

 

Lessor talented teams this whole season have beat us handily with a short passing puck control game. It's also the reason I don't think our D is as bad as Dan's system makes them look.

Yup.