Practice Lines September 24th

[Brawndo]

 

[Randall Flagg]

I do have to say, when our fifth coach uses Risto in a 24 minute per game, top pairing role, and he's the same guy he's always been, I'm hoping we no longer have to talk about what a new coach may do to Risto's game

[darksabre]

Just now, Randall Flagg said:

I do have to say, when our fifth coach uses Risto in a 24 minute per game, top pairing role, and he's the same guy he's always been, I'm hoping we no longer have to talk about what a new coach may do to Risto's game

To me, it looks like what Krueger is trying to do is see if Risto actually belongs on the top line with Dahlin. If Risto/Dahlin doesn't work (and it hasn't) then I think Risto will, by necessity, find himself playing less minutes on a lower pair. 

He has to prove he can work with Dahlin if he wants his minutes. 

[triumph_communes]

3 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

I do have to say, when our fifth coach uses Risto in a 24 minute per game, top pairing role, and he's the same guy he's always been, I'm hoping we no longer have to talk about what a new coach may do to Risto's game

Montour is out, it's a bit pre-mature to go to this superlative.

[dudacek]

33 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

 

I can’t help but think this is very similar to what we open the season with, with Larsson and Sheary added to the starting lineup when healthy.

Three of Sobotka, Thompson, Elie, Asplund, Lazar, Wilson, Borgen and Jokiharju will make it. The others will be early call-ups. Cozens is gone.

I don’t necessarily mean the lines precisely, although there is already a framework there.

Ralph was pretty clear that the final 3rd of the camp is prepping for the season.

Edited September 24, 2019 by dudacek

[Taro T]

36 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

 

Curious if Cozens is still rotating in on the Eichel line or if he's rotating in elsewhere.

Also, would be mildly surprised if those pairings hold and Scandella and Jokiharju are on the outside looking in rather than Nelson & Borgen on opening night.

Edited September 24, 2019 by Taro T

[triumph_communes]

1 minute ago, Taro T said:

Curious if Cozens is still rotating in on the Eichel line or if he's rotating in elsewhere.

Also, would be mildly surprised if those pairings hold and Scandella and Jokiharju are on the outside looking in rather than Nelson & Borgen on opening night.

The order of the lines by the reporters is nothing to look into.  They mix it up all the time.

[Taro T]

1 minute ago, triumph_communes said:

The order of the lines by the reporters is nothing to look into.  They mix it up all the time.

They do.  And the post you referred to was simply pointing out that those pairings likely, though not definitely, we're reversed.

[dudacek]

5 minutes ago, Taro T said:

 

Also, would be mildly surprised if those pairings hold and Scandella and Jokiharju are on the outside looking in rather than Nelson & Borgen on opening night.

Agreed. Miller has been bumped to the second pair because of Monty’s injury.

Scandella Nelson is the likeliest 3rd pair on opening night, IMO, but the kids are getting an opportunity.

Related, Montour is a freelancer coming off an injury to a team where he hasn’t really carved a role on or off the ice. He would have really benefitted from training camp - more than most Sabres, IMO.

Edited September 24, 2019 by dudacek

[rakish]

9 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

I do have to say, when our fifth coach uses Risto in a 24 minute per game, top pairing role, and he's the same guy he's always been, I'm hoping we no longer have to talk about what a new coach may do to Risto's game

Dahlen shouldn't be getting defensive zone faceoffs against the other teams best forwards since you want Dahlen on the ice in the offensive zone. I think this is RaKru (yeah I'm totally assimilating) deciding that McCabe and Miller (which is almost a movie title from the 1970's) are going to be the defensive zone pair while Risto will be the offensive zone defenseman, very different than how the other coaches have used Risto.

[bob_sauve28]

Any news on when Montour will be back? Even with a couple of major injuries, we still are putting out a pretty good defensive squad. The addition of Miller was really nice. Casey Nelson has been a real pleasant surprise. He got better every year in the organization. Not great, but a good player to plug in there when needed. 

[Doohicksie]

38 minutes ago, rakish said:

McCabe and Miller (which is almost a movie title from the 1970's)

Which one is the detective, and which one is the slobbery dog?

[Randall Flagg]

40 minutes ago, rakish said:

Dahlen shouldn't be getting defensive zone faceoffs against the other teams best forwards since you want Dahlen on the ice in the offensive zone. I think this is RaKru (yeah I'm totally assimilating) deciding that McCabe and Miller (which is almost a movie title from the 1970's) are going to be the defensive zone pair while Risto will be the offensive zone defenseman, very different than how the other coaches have used Risto.

I'll buy it when I see it for the first time on the fifth try 

[inkman]

1 hour ago, Brawndo said:

 

This looks frighteningly close to opening night line up.

[Randall Flagg]

2 minutes ago, inkman said:

This looks frightening

indeed

Edited September 24, 2019 by Randall Flagg

[Brawndo]

 

[pi2000]

Okposo on the second line?   Holy hell. 

I'm really pulling for the guy... but c'mon, he is what he is at this point.   

I'd rather have Vesey in that spot, which is not easy for me to say.

[Brawndo]

Something to remember Okposo is probably higher in the lineup with the absence of Sheary, who probably slots in at 2 RW

Also Larsson is day to day, hopefully he knocks Sobotka to the press box 

[woods-racer]

It makes me giggle every time I see PI's and Brawndo's avatars back-to-back.

 

Back to regularly scheduled programming.

Edited September 24, 2019 by woods-racer

[LGR4GM]

7 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

Something to remember Okposo is probably higher in the lineup with the absence of Sheary, who probably slots in at 2 RW

Also Larsson is day to day, hopefully he knocks Sobotka to the press box 

I am not sure I like the idea of Sheary at #2 RW

[That Aud Smell]

For the first time in memory, I'm not really all that excited about the start of the season.

[Brawndo]

13 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

I am not sure I like the idea of Sheary at #2 RW

Neither do I but Sheary is unlikely to collide with his center on a zone exit , unlike Okposo. 

 

19 minutes ago, woods-racer said:

It makes me giggle every time I see PI's and Brawndo's avatars back-to-back.

 

Back to regularly scheduled programming.

Pi’s Avatar deserves a spot in the SabreSpace HOF,  mine not so much 

[Randall Flagg]

21 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

For the first time in memory, I'm not really all that excited about the start of the season.

Year 2 in a row for me

[TrueBlueGED]

25 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

For the first time in memory, I'm not really all that excited about the start of the season.

What, you're not buying that a new coach is going to transform mostly the same roster into a good team? 

[That Aud Smell]

2 minutes ago, TrueBlueGED said:

What, you're not buying that a new coach is going to transform mostly the same roster into a good team? 

It's mostly the Sobotkality of what I see. That, and the apparent Okposonity.