GDT: Lightning at Sabres 2/13/18 7:00pm MSG

[That Aud Smell]

he just looks like a defenseman. WASPy name, Canadian, good, solid hockey name (not Bodiy or whatever). I like the cut of his jib. What has Risto's Nordic hotness done for us? Why do we need more guys from ###### hole hockey countries like Finland? We need more guys from Canada. (OK, I just googled Casey and he's from Minny. I will leave my idiocy untouched.)

 

Quintessential stuff right here. Fingers crossed that he doesn't regress.

 

 

The crowd applauds one two-man-down kill and the chirps can end? Not so fast.

 

I said shut it down. SHUT IT DOWN!

[jsb]

Totally missed the game, as we were out looking for a house to buy.

 

I liked the replays though.  Sam turning into Good Sam again.  I wish he would do that in October and press like that all year.  Maybe next year when the Rochester kids are all fighting for jobs on the big club he'll feel the pressure and show them how it's done.

I think he just allowed Jack, Kane and ROR to do the heavy lifting for him and he just played a good complemenatary game. Housley broke that pattern early in the year and I don't think he knew how to handle it. These past 20 games or so, he has completely turned it around, he looks and plays like a completely different player than before, he's taking control and he still makes a mistake here and there but you can tell his confidence is as high as its ever been. I was wondering when your Samcrush was going to come back to by the way.

[dudacek]

I think he just allowed Jack, Kane and ROR to do the heavy lifting for him and he just played a good complemenatary game. Housley broke that pattern early in the year and I don't think he knew how to handle it. These past 20 games or so, he has completely turned it around, he looks and plays like a completely different player than before, he's taking control and he still makes a mistake here and there but you can tell his confidence is as high as its ever been. I was wondering when your Samcrush was going to come back to by the way.

I think this is a good take, especially the part about Housley forcing him to seize the game instead of letting it come to him.

I hope it lasts, because what we have seen is the player I thought we were getting when we picked him and was scared Dan Bylsma had buried for good.

[LGR4GM]

Sam Reinhart claiming that he isn't doing anything different is complete BS. He knows damn well his game has changed and thats why he is having success. 

[Sabres Fan in NS]

You have one faithful follower in the NS prediction club (has a certain cult vibe about it though :worthy: )!

 

Thank you, Woodsie.

 

:thumbsup:

[Stoner]

Marty said Johnny did a good job on the schmozzle Bolts goal and fingered Antipin. Which I what I figured, but there was sentiment here that CJ screwed up.

 

Re: Smell's puck luck. I just watched the empty netter again and Tampa sent the puck up the wall, but it caromed off the ref's left skate and went to ROR for the breakout.

 

Anyone else notice how happy and loose O'Reilly looked in his postgame interview on MSG? Big smile. He said he feels lighter out there the last few games. Uh oh!

Edited February 14, 2018 by PASabreFan

[North Buffalo]

Marty said Johnny did a good job on the schmozzle Bolts goal and fingered Antipin. Which I what I figured, but there was sentiment here that CJ screwed up.

 

Re: Smell's puck luck. I just watched the empty netter again and Tampa sent the puck up the wall, but it caromed off the ref's left skate and went to ROR for the breakout.

 

Anyone else notice how happy and loose O'Reilly looked in his postgame interview on MSG? Big smile. He said he feels lighter out there the last few games. Uh oh!

Hmmm Jack creates too much pressure/ego on the team? Possibly.... Francis needs to lighten up?

[LGR4GM]

I like hearing Rivet try to say that Baptiste is a goal scorer blah blah blah. Dude, the actual coach of Rochester said that Baptiste needs to do exactly what he is doing. He isn't going to be a 30goal scorer in the NHL without a lot of improvement. But he could be exactly what he is. A fast 3rd liner with the 15g potential the 3rd line needs. 

[SwampD]

Sam Reinhart claiming that he isn't doing anything different is complete BS. He knows damn well his game has changed and thats why he is having success. 

I think I agree more with him. I don't think his game has changed as much as everyone here seems to think and have said as much.

[woods-racer]

Marty said Johnny did a good job on the schmozzle Bolts goal and fingered Antipin. Which I what I figured, but there was sentiment here that CJ screwed up.

 

Re: Smell's puck luck. I just watched the empty netter again and Tampa sent the puck up the wall, but it caromed off the ref's left skate and went to ROR for the breakout.

 

Anyone else notice how happy and loose O'Reilly looked in his postgame interview on MSG? Big smile. He said he feels lighter out there the last few games. Uh oh!

 

Watched the replay of the Johnson/Antipin screw up several times.

 

Marty is definitely biased.

 

That play was harmless if CJ never tried to play the puck, the fact that he choose to go so far out to do it  and to leave the net  open for a long length of time was a huge mistake by CJ.

 

Then CJ taps the puck toward the open net when he got to it. Double blunder.

 

Antpin and the Tampa forward reach it at the same time with Antipin in a better position. Antipin tries to pass to his defense partner and the Tampa player is able to get a stick on Antipin's so the pass is flubbed to the front of the net. Bone headed play by Antipin to just not take the puck to the corner and cover for the stupidity of the goalie. 

 

CJ has been around long enough to know never do that. 

 

Antipin has been around long enough to know he will get the bench for that now.

[dudacek]

I think I agree more with him. I don't think his game has changed as much as everyone here seems to think and have said as much.

There are three big improvements I see.

 

The first is his passing. He greatest skill is his ability to move the puck to the right spot at the right time. Sometimes it’s spectacular like the goalmouth one-touch set-up to Jack on the PP a few games ago. Sometimes it’s more subtle like in the first period last night on the rush where he paused for a split second just inside the blue line to open up the D, then slid it past him in a perfect spot to send one of our D (Nelson?) in alone on goal. In his first two years he’d make those plays in many games, but for some reason they dried up completely in the first half of this year. They’re back and they are happening more than ever.

 

The second is his pace. Freeman has mistakenly called Sam the slowest player on the team for a while now because Sam’s game has been built on waiting - creating space through pausing, and anticipating - slowing the game down while others race around, then pouncing while they panic and make mistakes. But NHL players are faster and make fewer mistakes and Sam has had to learn that he has to move and create and react more quickly to exploit the gaps he’s looking for. He is doing that.

 

And the final one - and this is where I think Housley has had the most influence - is that he is starting to take charge. He has enough skill to be a driver but in the NHL he has been cast as a lurker and a complementary player. Over the past month or two, he’s been aggressive on pucks in the corner, winning battles, shielding the puck with his body and hanging on to it every once in awhile to open ice for his linemates. He has gone from passively only taking what the game gives him to trying to impose himself on the game and be a difference maker.

 

He might not see the difference because in his pre-NHL career he always was this player, but to me he finally looks like the player I hoped we were drafting.

 

I knew he was better than what we were getting in November.

The question is will he settle in to the 20/25/45 player he was in his first two years?

Or does he have it in him to make February his new norm?

Edited February 14, 2018 by Mick O’Manly

[North Buffalo]

I think I agree more with him. I don't think his game has changed as much as everyone here seems to think and have said as much.

I dont think his game so much as his work in the corners and on his feet, hes staying on them more and avoiding checks. Now guys are looking for his sick passes. But because of his better corner/board work he is creating more space for himself. He thus is able to better play his game which imo hasnt changed. PS he appears faster. Still needs to work on his forechecking... still drive-byes too much. Still not so much change in his game as NHL maturity.

There are three big improvements I see.

The first is his passing. He greatest skill is his ability to move the puck to the right spot at the right time. Sometimes it’s spectacular like the goalmouth one-touch set-up to Jack on the PP a few games ago. Sometimes it’s more subtle like in the first period last night on the rush where he paused for a split second just inside the blue line to open up the D, then slid it past him in a perfect spot to send one of our D (Nelson?) in alone on goal. In his first two years he’d make those plays in many games, but for some reason they dried up completely in the first half of this year. They’re back and they are happening more than ever.

The second is his pace. Freeman has mistakenly called Sam the slowest player on the team for a while now because Sam’s game has been built on waiting - creating space through pausing, and anticipating - slowing the game down while others race around, then pouncing while they panic and make mistakes. But NHL players are faster and make fewer mistakes and Sam has had to learn that he has to move and create and react more quickly to exploit the gaps he’s looking for. He is doing that.

And the final one - and this is where I think Housley has had the most influence - is that he is starting to take charge. He has enough skill to be a driver but in the NHL he has been cast as a lurker and a complementary player. Over the past month or two, he’s been aggressive on pucks in the corner, winning battles, shielding the puck with his body and hanging on to it every once in awhile to open ice for his linemates. He has gone from passively only taking what the game gives him to trying to impose himself on the game and be a difference maker.

He might not see the difference because in his pre-NHL career he always was this player, but to me he finally looks like the player I hoped we were drafting.

I knew he was better than what we were getting in November.

The question is will he settle in to the 20/25/45 player he was in his first two years?

Or does he have it in him to make February his new norm?

This beat me to it. PS now he just needs to drive the net more and shoot occasionally on breaks especially, which will open up more space for himself.

[nfreeman]

Well, I've called Reino the slowest player on the team because he is in fact the slowest player on the team, both in tight and in longer runs.

 

I agree that he uses his vision, anticipation, hockey IQ and passing skills to make plays -- but those factors don't make him not slow -- they allow him to play at the NHL level, which he would otherwise be unable to do.

 

To be clear, I agree that he looks reborn over the past month or so, and I am glad to see it (and I will note that GAFan noted Reino's proclivity for slow starts and strong 2nd halves several times -- so good on him for that one).  However, no one should forget that he AGAIN didn't show up this season until the horse had left the barn and gone to the glue factory.  All the pressure is off, both on Reino and on the team as a whole.  They aren't getting the opponents' A games, or even their B games.

 

I'm pretty far away from assuming that either the Sabres or Reino will start off next season looking like they do right now.  And I sure as heck don't want to give Reino a fat contract this summer.

[SwampD]

[dudacek]

Well, I've called Reino the slowest player on the team because he is in fact the slowest player on the team, both in tight and in longer runs.

LOL. We will never agree on this point until Sam actually beats someone in a race.

 

The rest of your post is bang on.

I have always been a believer in Reinhart - I think around Christmas there were two of us left - but he’s still got a helluvalot to prove.

Edited February 14, 2018 by Mick O’Manly

[That Aud Smell]

Antipin has been around long enough to know he will get the bench for that now.

 

Boy, I hope not. He's a nifty player. I posted upthread: He made a pass to Wilson moments before that flub that was spectacular.

 

That mulligan was on Johnson.

[LTS]

Interesting would be the correct word if this was the start of the season, now it is basicly stats only with no meaning.

 

I think the thing you take away from that stat is that on this team, even a few games without its top scorer, they are able to put together that kind of run.  You look back and understand that the team has to learn the system and more importantly they have to believe in the system.  Jack Eichel finally believed that playing a full 200ft. game would translate into more points and it happened.  The team learned how to play with more speed and attack while not getting scorched for goals.  All of this equates to a change in mentality that just doesn't happen overnight.  Kind of like when the power goes out and you still walk around hitting light switches.  You know the power is out, but you haven't unlearned your ingrained thinking that when you enter a room you flip the switch.

 

Sam Reinhart claiming that he isn't doing anything different is complete BS. He knows damn well his game has changed and thats why he is having success. 

 

He's not doing anything different.  He's still skating, shooting, passing.  It's HOW he's doing it that has changed.  :)

[Stoner]

Boy, I hope not. He's a nifty player. I posted upthread: He made a pass to Wilson moments before that flub that was spectacular.

 

That mulligan was on Johnson.

Defensemen stick together. Antipin will be fine.

 

I am also impressed by the guy. His game seems so taut. Crisp and compact. I can't articulate it just yet.

[Doohicksie]

Well, I've called Reino the slowest player on the team because he is in fact the slowest player on the team, both in tight and in longer runs.

 

I agree that he uses his vision, anticipation, hockey IQ and passing skills to make plays -- but those factors don't make him not slow -- they allow him to play at the NHL level, which he would otherwise be unable to do.

 

To be clear, I agree that he looks reborn over the past month or so, and I am glad to see it (and I will note that GAFan noted Reino's proclivity for slow starts and strong 2nd halves several times -- so good on him for that one).  However, no one should forget that he AGAIN didn't show up this season until the horse had left the barn and gone to the glue factory.  All the pressure is off, both on Reino and on the team as a whole.  They aren't getting the opponents' A games, or even their B games.

 

I'm pretty far away from assuming that either the Sabres or Reino will start off next season looking like they do right now.  And I sure as heck don't want to give Reino a fat contract this summer.

 

To the first bolded:  My hope is that much of the slow start might be attributed to the new head coach learning the ropes.  Instead of creating an aggressive strategy, he was just trying to hang on at first.  Now that he has better knowledge of the players he's better able to use the weapons at his disposal.

 

To the second bolded:  That's been the issue the last several seasons, hasn't it?  We end the season playing well, expect it to carry over to the following season, and it hasn't yet.  So healthy skepticism is more than warranted.  I think the difference next year will be that HCPH will be better at his job out of the gate, and the stock of players coming out of Rochester will have been groomed to play the uptempo game that the Sabres are currently playing.  That is my hope, but this team has repeatedly dashed my hopes in the past.

[LGR4GM]

Well, I've called Reino the slowest player on the team because he is in fact the slowest player on the team, both in tight and in longer runs.

 

I agree that he uses his vision, anticipation, hockey IQ and passing skills to make plays -- but those factors don't make him not slow -- they allow him to play at the NHL level, which he would otherwise be unable to do.

 

To be clear, I agree that he looks reborn over the past month or so, and I am glad to see it (and I will note that GAFan noted Reino's proclivity for slow starts and strong 2nd halves several times -- so good on him for that one). However, no one should forget that he AGAIN didn't show up this season until the horse had left the barn and gone to the glue factory. All the pressure is off, both on Reino and on the team as a whole. They aren't getting the opponents' A games, or even their B games.

 

I'm pretty far away from assuming that either the Sabres or Reino will start off next season looking like they do right now. And I sure as heck don't want to give Reino a fat contract this summer.

Reinhart is not the slowest on the team.

[woods-racer]

Boy, I hope not. He's a nifty player. I posted upthread: He made a pass to Wilson moments before that flub that was spectacular.

 

That mulligan was on Johnson.

 

 I think Antipin has a lot of upside, he's as close to a Brian Campbell as I've seen here since he left. 

 

Yes CJ was just stupid on the play, but Antipin made it worse. 

 

I hope Antipin isn't benched Thursday in Ottawa, but considering he's been on a short leash all season I wouldn't be surprised. 

[Drunkard]

Reinhart is not the slowest on the team.

 

Definitely not. Even with Moulson leaving there's still Gorges and a few other slugs.

[Thorner]

I think he just allowed Jack, Kane and ROR to do the heavy lifting for him and he just played a good complemenatary game. Housley broke that pattern early in the year and I don't think he knew how to handle it. These past 20 games or so, he has completely turned it around, he looks and plays like a completely different player than before, he's taking control and he still makes a mistake here and there but you can tell his confidence is as high as its ever been. I was wondering when your Samcrush was going to come back to by the way.

I think this is a good take, especially the part about Housley forcing him to seize the game instead of letting it come to him.

I hope it lasts, because what we have seen is the player I thought we were getting when we picked him and was scared Dan Bylsma had buried for good.

 

Good stuff here, totally agreed.

 

Sam Reinhart claiming that he isn't doing anything different is complete BS. He knows damn well his game has changed and thats why he is having success.

 

This too. His game is way different now. You don’t go from scoring points almost not at all to scoring at (what now, a point-a-game for the last while?) this pace by doing nothing different and just getting better “puck luck”.

 

He’s a new man. Or rather, he’s becoming the man he was born to be, the natural extrapolation of the player he was in junior.

 

I attribute his quotes on the matter to typical hockey cliche.

 

Well, I've called Reino the slowest player on the team because he is in fact the slowest player on the team, both in tight and in longer runs.

 

I agree that he uses his vision, anticipation, hockey IQ and passing skills to make plays -- but those factors don't make him not slow -- they allow him to play at the NHL level, which he would otherwise be unable to do.

 

To be clear, I agree that he looks reborn over the past month or so, and I am glad to see it (and I will note that GAFan noted Reino's proclivity for slow starts and strong 2nd halves several times -- so good on him for that one). However, no one should forget that he AGAIN didn't show up this season until the horse had left the barn and gone to the glue factory. All the pressure is off, both on Reino and on the team as a whole. They aren't getting the opponents' A games, or even their B games.

 

I'm pretty far away from assuming that either the Sabres or Reino will start off next season looking like they do right now. And I sure as heck don't want to give Reino a fat contract this summer.

And there’s wisdom here, too. Particularly the bolded.

 

The Sabres looking better right now is great. It’s what we want and could bode very well for next season and beyond. But it’s not a guarantee of anything.

 

But hey, putting together good games against weaker opponent efforts is better than not doing so. Can only play the teams they put in front of you.

 

Also, Larsson is slower than Sam, probably among others.

Edited February 15, 2018 by Thorny