GDT GDT: Red Wings @ Sabres, 7:30 pm ET 10-24-17 NBCSN

[Doohicksie]

Also.... my first GDT starter win.

LOL, well its been a long time since I seen was one of those but you might be right..

 

fify

[Randall Flagg]

Pssst..... Sabres are 2 points away from a playoff spot.

We definitely don't have games in hand though! Some NHL teams only have 6 games so far, which is kinda crazy. 

 

Ask for this more often ok?

 

Wow, a shut out, that's new.

 

Gonna just kick back and enjoy the feeling for tonight. Another step forward.

I think we'll get this more often if they continue to play defense like that.

Edited October 25, 2017 by Randall Flagg

[hockeyhound]

That boys and girls, was a real NHL victory: two teams playing hard, playing smart and the good guys being a little bit better.

Haven’t seen many of those in the past five years.

 

How many times did we watch this team lose the one goal games because teams tied it up in the final seconds and then went on to beat us in the shootout.

 

Not Today, Not This Time. "playing hard, playing smart and the good guys being a little bit better."

 

Great team effort,

[Doohicksie]

Gritty. Love it. They needed a game like that. 

 

Hopefully that helped Lehner's confidence and lets him get dialed in. If we're constantly rotating these two we have problems. We need Robin to give us no reason to start Chad. 

 

Defensive zone play from everyone was very very good. Pouliot in particular had several takeaways at the top of the blue line. 

 

Now that things have started to settle down and they're plucking monkeys off their back, it's time to get working on our transition again. We have spacing and support issues. Reinhart, ROR, Pominville seem to be the only guys that can create those exciting plays from within 5 feet of the blue line on either side of it. Getting better at our positioning and passing will open things up once we get into the zone and allow for a lot more high quality chances than the endless perimeter play that we see now. 

 

I didn't see the Three Stars, but I'm thinking Lehner, Pouliot, and either Tennyson or Antipin.

[French Collection]

Nice!

 

Solid effort for 60 minutes, just like we wished for. Lehner was solid and I really liked Scandella. McCabe took another step forward.

 

Building block game.

 

Who's next?

[Randall Flagg]

Agree with everyone that McCabe played well.

[hockeyhound]

McCabe was brilliant tonight, he had a great game. He anticipated the play well, was tough, physical, and a great overall effort.

[Randall Flagg]

Oh, and this is my Beaulieu bias, but keep him on the bench, especially when Falk and Bogosian come back in some order.

[dudacek]

Games like this are why Lehner is better than Johnson.

When his defence does what he expects them to, he plays within himself.

And when he plays within himself he is very imposing.

 

Also protected the post very well tonight on multiple occasions.

 

 

Oh, and this is my Beaulieu bias, but keep him on the bench, especially when Falk and Bogosian come back in some order.

It’s funny, but Phil seems to have had Beaulieu and Tennyson as 3/4.

If McCabe continues to play like that he’ll pass them and from training camp I’d imagine Bogo is slotted higher as well.

If Antipin plays well, you might get your wish.

 

And on that note, Beaulieu, Gorges, Bogosian and Falk have combined for 25 man games lost already this year.

Looks like Botterill did a decent job with Antipin, Tennyson and Fedun.

Edited October 25, 2017 by dudacek

[Andrew Amerk]

I didn't see the Three Stars, but I'm thinking Lehner, Pouliot, and either Tennyson or Antipin.

It was Lehner, Pouliot, Kane

[Mustache of God]

Great win. Watched almost all of the game except I missed the one goal. Defense looked great and Kenner was solid. Let's hope they can carry this momentum into tomorrow and pick up another two.

[darksabre]

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure these two have played a part in one even strength goal together over the last, like, nine games. Jack & Zemgus did 3 in 4 periods before being broken up.

Basically. That line 5v5 doesn't do anything.

[Andrew Amerk]

Great win. Watched almost all of the game except I missed the one goal. Defense looked great and Kenner was solid. Let's hope they can carry this momentum into tomorrow and pick up another two.

Who is Kenner?

[hockeyhound]

Oh, and this is my Beaulieu bias, but keep him on the bench, especially when Falk and Bogosian come back in some order.

 

Where does Zach Redmond fit into the equation?

[Taro T]

McCabe was brilliant tonight, he had a great game. He anticipated the play well, was tough, physical, and a great overall effort.

Definitely his best game of the season.

 

Lehner as well in what might have been his best game in B&G. Never gave up a big rebound & except for one shot that floated harmlessly wide early in the 1st, never seemed like he was going to let something fliat over his shoulder. Never pulled away from the post early either.

 

Liked Reinhart's game tonight. He even threw A check. (Baby steps. :lol:) He seemed to mesh well w/ Nolan in the 1st but that synergy seemed to wane as the game went on.

 

O'Reilly seems to finally understand how to play in this system - the last 3-4 games his decisions have been much quicker than the 1st 5 or so.

 

Okposo's still not right, but he's looking better.

 

Hopefully Scandella stepping his game up gets noticed by Ristolainen & he takes some pressure off himself. If he could get back to where he was ~1-1/2 seasons ago, they'd have 3 very solid D.

 

Like Tennyson w/ the puck. HATE him in transition when the opponent has the puck. McCabe made him look less scary than he was.

 

Really liked the PK tonight. And, after that 1st horrible PP, though they didn't score on the others, they never gave up another shorty chance & had 3-4 legit scoring chances. Which translates into 0-for-4, but compared to where it's been, it was relatively stellar in the last 3.

 

Except for his complete lack of hands, Larsson looked good. And, if Pouliot had hands he probably doesn't score that goal as he doesn't accidentally bounce it off the D's stick & off Howard's skate. Of course, if he had hands, he might've had 2 legit goals. Like they used to say in the Labatt's commercial "crose enough." ;)

 

Good win. Play a simple road game tomorrow & keep this going. (And PLEASE for the love of all that is good & holy give Eichel a LW NOT named Evander at 5v5.)

It was Lehner, Pouliot, Kane

McCabe deserved one more than Kane.

 

  

Where does Zach Redmond fit into the equation?

Until somebody else is healthy, as designated press box sitter. After some other D is good to go again, back in Ra-cha-cha.

 

He's earning some pretty good money to get a free dinner watching a hockey game while wearing a suit. :lol:

[Iron Crotch]

I thought that was some boring hockey to be honest. But,the outcome is all that matters. Needed a regulation win and got one. The team is maybe getting a little more comfortable with the new system. And, the new staff is sorting thorugh personnel decisions and figuring out which guys should play and which guys should sit (plant Beaulieu in the press box).

 

[PalmTreeMafia]

Nice defensive win!

 

Hmmm, so 8 points after 10 games.....if we can maintain a 12 point per 10 game pace for the rest of the season, we should make the playoffs.

[Doohicksie]

It was Lehner, Pouliot, Kane

 

I can't argue.

 

My choice of Tennyson may have been the last few games combined.  He's not spectacular but he's quietly playing very well.

Where does Zach Redmond fit into the equation?

 

Depth AHLer.

[French Collection]

Moulson and Griffith with just over 6 minutes played.

 

Phil is seeing what many of us are. They're days are numbered with Gus and ERod getting healthy. I think ERod brings more energy than Griffith, I hope he can start scoring. ERod was also decent in the PK IIRC.

 

Antipin getting some PP time, I still like this guy's potential once he gets acclimated.

[dudacek]

I thought that was some boring hockey to be honest. But,the outcome is all that matters. Needed a regulation win and got one. The team is maybe getting a little more comfortable with the new system. And, the new staff is sorting thorugh personnel decisions and figuring out which guys should play and which guys should sit (plant Beaulieu in the press box).

What I liked about it was that leading by one in the third we carried ourselves with confidence.

It wasn’t perfect, Detroit wasn’t rolling over, but there was none of this panicky, out-of-control vibe we’ve had those few times we’ve been leading a tight game late over the past five years.

 

Boston and Vegas showed them they can come back. Tonight showed them they can lock someone down if they stay structured and keep skating.

Edited October 25, 2017 by dudacek

[French Collection]

What I liked about it was that leading by one in the third we carried ourselves with confidence.

It wasn’t perfect, Detroit wasn’t rolling over, but there was none of this panicky, out-of-control vibe we’ve had those few times we’ve been leading a tight game late over the past five years.

Boston and Vegas showed them they can come back. Tonight showed them they can lock someone down if they stay structured and keep skating.

Plus Lehner giving us a better vibe.

[Doohicksie]

Moulson and Griffith with just over 6 minutes played.

 

Phil is seeing what many of us are. They're days are numbered with Gus and ERod getting healthy. I think ERod brings more energy than Griffith, I hope he can start scoring. ERod was also decent in the PK IIRC.

 

Antipin getting some PP time, I still like this guy's potential once he gets acclimated.

 

I'm satisfied with his game already.  If he gets any better, it's just gravy.

Also worth mentioning:  Pomminstein has found the fountain of youth.  His wheels are FINE.

[Randall Flagg]

What I liked about it was that leading by one in the third we carried ourselves with confidence.

It wasn’t perfect, Detroit wasn’t rolling over, but there was none of this panicky, out-of-control vibe we’ve had those few times we’ve been leading a tight game late over the past five years.

 

Boston and Vegas showed them they can come back. Tonight showed them they can lock someone down if they stay structured and keep skating.

I absolutely loved that they forechecked right until the last second. Without a scoreboard, before Detroit pulled the goalie, a long-time NHL watcher would have guessed that the score was tied.

[LTS]

It was noted by Rob Ray coming back from the commercial break with about 9 minutes left that Housley was telling the players to stop playing to protect the lead and instead keep attacking.  

 

I think this, in a nutshell, is the biggest difference this year from last year.  The first few games we've seen an increase in Goals Against because the Sabres focused on generating offense.  Jump a guy up in the play.  As the turnovers subside this should lead to even more goal scoring.  However, if you are a slob in your own end this will kill you.

 

Tonight I believe the Sabres played a more disciplined game.  I mentioned the icings that Detroit was taking.  As I saw it, many times Detroit had nowhere to go with the puck and tried to dump it early or they missed a long breakout pass.  These long passes were a result of trying to avoid the Sabres forecheck.

 

In their own zone, they are still getting trapped in there a bit too often.  I think a better team makes them pay a few times.  At the same time, they were moving the puck better.  They are still lost on positioning at times but its improving.

 

The bottom line is Housley is not going to play "not to lose".  He's going to play to win.

 

And I still firmly believe that the lines will shake out more as the injured players return and Kane gets traded.  He's the most viable asset to bring in a 3/4 D player and potentially a prospect or good draft pick.  I like Kane and he's flying this year but intuition says he's not signing here and therefore will be moved.  AS I said, it's purely intuition.... 

[SwampD]

I absolutely loved that they forechecked right until the last second. Without a scoreboard, before Detroit pulled the goalie, a long-time NHL watcher would have guessed that the score was tied.

I'm just not sure this is accurate. No matter what Phil said, they were definitely playing to not lose, at least a little bit. I absolutely saw players (O'Reilly) peeling off and thought to myself that if they had done this last year, Bylsma would not have heard the end of it.