GDT - Sabres @ Vancouver - January 18, 2019 - 10:00 PM - SNP; MSG-B

[LGR4GM]

7 minutes ago, Scottysabres said:

Picking a couple here or there is subjective at best given the variables that go in to success. Such as chemistry, coaching strategy and role usage to name a few of only the exterior forces on a player.

The larger picture of over all draft selections, and I am sure someone here can chart it out, is that the selections we make in 2019, if St. Louis continues on their current path is a couple of mid 1st rdr's and a late one from SJ.

None of which, in this draft class from what I've read in any event will be ready next season to step in, so 5 yrs of Reinharts and Eichel's entire early NHL careers thrown away while we wait for draft picks to mature, develop and find the pace of the NHL game? Longer for Risto, Girgs, Larsson, oh yea, I can hear the excitement in their collective draft party get together.......

 

"Look who Bots picked up guys, we'll be in the playoffs by yrs 9 or 10 of my career, oh thank you Buffalo, thank you soooooo much"..........

I stand by my comment. There's precious little I would trade those 1st round picks for. 

[DarthEbriate]

From the game last night. We had a lovely Let's Go Buffalo chant right after the opening face-off. As always, a good Sabres turnout in the stands. Some sweaters: Perrault, Hasek, Vanek, Miller. Nothing odd though -- perhaps the most obscure was Kaleta -- and he's a local-boy-fan-favorite. Whereas I loved seeing the red-to-black diagonal fade '96 third jersey for Vancouver, plus all the Bures that I adore, fan-favorite Odjicks, and ...  Dave Babych! Also props to the person rocking the Utica Comets.

Overall, the crowd was... dull. At least for a Canucks-Sabres game on a Saturday night. Over the past years they've been much more raucous. Perhaps it's because everyone has cell phones these days or they've been bad for a few years. The 50/50 draw would have netted you something like CA$ 47,000 had you won.

The game? It was one of those classic examples of --- the goalie hasn't seen a shot in 10 minutes! --- and then bam, it's in the net. We started well, the fans were restless and worried. Then, the defensive gaffes stockpiled -- Pilut, Dahlin with some mishandles, Reino and Scandella just...on a smoke break or something in front of their net. Demko had a few great saves, but mostly he just watched the pucks into his crest at low speeds and from a distance.

I don't have kids and have never taken kids to a game. So it was fun to sit in front a trio of tots (probably 6-8 years old) who were super into everything. Every one of those weak Sabres shots where... let's pick on Sheary... gets in over the line, needs to go for a change, and just puts a 40 mph shot toward the net.... even those saves got the kids excited. That was neat.

I like Pilut. He has much potential in him. But last night he was more of a Ben Quadinaros than a Wedge.

Thompson has a cannon. It's accurate as a Zhitnik Stormtrooper, but the velocity had some of my neighbors "ahhhh"ing.

Our powerplay is cringe-inducing and sluggish. Remember when the Red Wings and Datsyuk introduced that big drop pass at center ice and let him skate up with speed? We've been doing it for years with Eichel, I know... but this year we've turned it into an art form. We do 2-3 big drops until all the way back behind our own goal again. (and then we miss the drop pass!)

[DarthEbriate]

15 hours ago, PASabreFan said:

Captain, sir, I feel ready to be a class one deflector-deployer. I await your assignment.

That's the spirit! We always need more deflector screen troopers. We keep losing them on our giant space laser ball installations.

But that hat won't pass muster. Get yourself a helmet (one of those shiny black Death Star trooper styles) and get in the game.

(But I like the bow tie. Keep rocking it.)

[Stoner]

Darth, I'm sure you took note of that one drop pass on the power play. Eichel (I think) received it on his own goal line. What's next? One off the back boards. Could be a neat effect? The player could step into it as it caroms and really have a head of steam toward his own faceoff dot.

[Taro T]

24 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

Darth, I'm sure you took note of that one drop pass on the power play. Eichel (I think) received it on his own goal line. What's next? One off the back boards. Could be a neat effect? The player could step into it as it caroms and really have a head of steam toward his own faceoff dot.

The one that was even more eggregious was when Ristolainen was literally within a stick's length from the blue line with space & sent it back to nearly the Sabres blue line so Eichel could carry it in with all the other 4 Sabres now stationary at the Nucks blue line.

[Robviously]

2 hours ago, Scottysabres said:

Because you can absolutely, unequivocally, guarantee all those 1st rd picks are going to turn in to stud depth or main core components of a cup contender?

I want what your smoking.

 

2 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

If I ran the Sabres draft, yes. 

How'd Brock Boeser do last night, asking for a friend. 

This is honestly one of the more insane things I've ever seen anyone post on here.  

[Radar]

4 hours ago, That Aud Smell said:

I only got to see a bit of the game. The Sabres were positively dominant out of the gate.

I saw the SOG this morning. Shame that the team didn’t get a better result - looks like they deserved it.

I hate with total disgust SOG stats. Mean next to nothing half the time.

[Weave]

2 hours ago, Robviously said:

 

This is honestly one of the more insane things I've ever seen anyone post on here.  

I'm glad you said it.  We're freaking amateurs basing our opinions on other peoples opinions and youtube snippets.  Every freaking one of us would be laughed at in a draft war room.

[Stoner]

8 minutes ago, Weave said:

I'm glad you said it.  We're freaking amateurs basing our opinions on other peoples opinions and youtube snippets.  Every freaking one of us would be laughed at in a draft war room.

I bet they're smart enough to not laugh at one of the guys in there.

[LGR4GM]

It's a joke. But sure take it seriously. 

[DarthEbriate]

50 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

It's a joke. But sure take it seriously. 

I know, but I'll use the excuse to say: Always in motion is the future except LGR's knowledge of the NHL draft.  ;-]

[Robviously]

2 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

It's a joke. But sure take it seriously. 

Your posts on the last couple pages don't read as jokes, but I'm glad you're walking that one back.  Everyone on this board reads the same mock drafts and prospect analyses leading up to the draft which is why most of us are generally excited about the same players.  A lot of people liked Boeser (along with a bunch of other projected late 1st rounders in 2015) which is why the board was apoplectic when the Lehner trade went down.  A lot of people liked Sergachev the next year but were fine with Nylander -- again, based on what we all read.  This board was pumped about Grigorenko and Girgensons right after that draft, and no one took Laaksonen seriously when we made that pick.

We're hockey fans forming opinions based on second-hand information.  It's fun, but I think we can just leave it at that.

[dudacek]

I don’t know that the professional scouts really are that much better than us.

I mean logically they have to be, but how do you explain a kid as obviously talented as Johnny Gaudreau in the 4th round? Girgorenko over Kucherov?

Dylan Strome 3rd over all in that year of all years? Shawn Anderson over Bryan Leetch?

***** like that happens all the time.

Edited January 20, 2019 by dudacek