GDT: Florida at Buffalo Sabres, October 11th, 7pm ET, MSG, ESPN+ and WGR550

[repster]

[Zamboni]

 

[Randall Flagg]

Just now, ... said:

He is very Ruff-like in the thirds. I agree, this is something to watch and see if he changes his approach as the season goes on.  If he considers tonight's Alamo Mode failure a fluke, I wouldn't blame him thanks to Larry's broken stick. Still...

Yeah, and Florida and Montreal very capable of putting teams on their heels that AREN'T trying to sit back with a lead. But if this still happens frequently a couple months from now, including against opponents that aren't quite as skilled, it's probably a coaching decision, and possibly a questionable one.

[triumph_communes]

GLO line making a name for themselves. 
 

Bobrovsky had four or five amazing saves. Such a game changer. Stole them a very important point. 
 

Eichels line got caved. Reinhart was invisible on forecheck today. Skinner had a bunch of chances just didn’t finish, can’t be mad with that. Mittelstadt had jump today and the hot hands. Vesey wasn’t awful. Rodrigues is a shell of his old self. 
 

Pretty much outplayed them until final ten minutes.  Just couldn’t score on Bob. We had Scandella+Risto out there for a minute down the stretch. Can’t be having that. McCabe has come down to earth and this saddens me. Jokiharju is a great passer and makes Scandella look serviceable. Not going to enjoy him sitting for Montour. 

[Randall Flagg]

Just now, triumph_communes said:

GLO line making a name for themselves. 
 

Bobrovsky had four or five amazing saves. Such a game changer. Stole them a very important point. 
 

Eichels line got caved. Reinhart was invisible on forecheck today. Skinner had a bunch of chances just didn’t finish, can’t be mad with that. Mittelstadt had jump today and the hot hands. Vesey wasn’t awful. Rodrigues is a shell of his old self. 
 

Pretty much outplayed them until final ten minutes.  Just couldn’t score on Bob. We had Scandella+Risto out there for a minute down the stretch. Can’t be having that. McCabe has come down to earth and this saddens me. Jokiharju is a great passer and makes Scandella look serviceable. Not going to enjoy him sitting for Montour. 

Won't have to when we make...

The Big Trade 

[triumph_communes]

Just now, Randall Flagg said:

Won't have to when we make...

The Big Trade 

Rodrigues is going to join Risto when it happens. 

[nfreeman]

 

 

 

[Cascade Youth]

Dahlin is struggling a bit - seems to have lost some confidence.  He’ll get it back but it’s tough to watch.

[millbank]

It why it hard to move Risto. He has a place and hard to replace 

Both he and Jack played over 25 minutes . Risto the most at 25:24

Edited October 12, 2019 by millbank

[Stoner]

28 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

 

Make it so. I will concede the whether point and never fear or loathe the wealthy again.

[Doohicksie]

1 hour ago, Randall Flagg said:

Linus appears to be regularly good in the shootouts, right? A nice feeling to have confidence in your goalie. And I feel like Jack has been better in those than earlier in his career.

I think they said in the postgame that all-time, Linus has only allowed 3 goals on 18 shootout attempts.  That's spectacular.  (Of course the Sabres are only 3-2 in those games because they've had trouble scoring too.)

[North Buffalo]

Good win, almost gave it away but good work and hustle, good win.

[Brawndo]

12 minutes ago, millbank said:

It why it hard to move Risto. He has a place and hard to replace 

Both he and Jack played over 25 minutes . Risto the most at 25:24

That’s the problem after the first third of the season Risto wears down from all these minutes 

[Doohicksie]

57 minutes ago, Broken Ankles said:

Scandella played an excellent game all around.   Fine Defense and chipping in on the Oh-fense.   Did I just compliment the play of Marco?  Maybe Head Coach Ralph Krueger is some kind of horse whisperer.  

Not to mention the puck he almost put in, then saved on the goal line.

[millbank]

3 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

That’s the problem after the first third of the season Risto wears down from all these minutes 

Hoping with this coach he better used as season proceeds and they get healthy on D. 
I get most want trade. But solid D men are just hard to find and replace. They will regret a trade imo.

Edited October 12, 2019 by millbank

[nfreeman]

37 minutes ago, ... said:

I'm not sure what to think about Linus, yet.  He looks...better..?  Two games, though.  It's hard to tell.  That one that went in over his shoulder was the Linus of last year. 

I thought that was Hoffman, an elite NHL goal-scorer, making a great shot into a small open spot -- whereas I thought Ullmark misplayed Florida's first goal.

 

37 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

Early things to watch for: Ralph has substantially changed his lines and presumably tactics with third period leads. Twice in a row now we've lost those leads, each of them a two goal lead. 

I wonder if he'll do anything different, or if he views that a fluke, or just a result of being outmatched by forward talent rather than explicitly giving different instructions. I also wonder if shortening the bench that much hurt the guys out there at the end. 

I'll be curious to hear the results on tracking this.  I don't think shortening the bench in the last 8 min or so to 3 forward lines and 5 D is materially taxing, unless maybe it's the 2nd game of a back-to-back.

 

Separately, that was another good and entertaining win in which they were knocked back on their heels at times but still gave well as good as they got.

My game notes:

- The 3 best passes of the game were the 2 KO assists and...Sobotka to Skinner in traffic for the great scoring chance!

- Excellent game from Ullmark other than Florida's 1st goal, which was a huge momentum play.

- RK:  "world class goaltending on both ends."

- Scandella is reborn under RK.

- Risto:  25 min, 24 seconds.

- Olofsson and Jack both passed once when they should've shot.

- Reino had a couple of nice passes in the 3rd but otherwise not much of a game.  I didn't like Mitts' or Erod's game either, although Mitts contributed the winner in the SO, which must've felt good..

- Larsson's line is the third line I say. 

- It's emerged that Vesey consistently gets VO's 5-on-5 shifts with Jack and Reino in the last 5-8 min or so in the 3rd period, and that Mitts (and Erod too I think) stays on the bench with Olofsson.  I think tonight was the first time that the same has happened with Dahlin.  That is fine with me -- he was pretty shaky tonight. 

- It's been a looooooooooonnnngg time since the Bills and Sabres were both 4-1.

 

[nfreeman]

28 minutes ago, millbank said:

It why it hard to move Risto. He has a place and hard to replace 

Both he and Jack played over 25 minutes . Risto the most at 25:24

I think we all need to be honest with ourselves at this point:  we're now at about a hundred Sabres coaches, including RK, whom everyone loves, that have decided to play Risto this much.

 

12 minutes ago, millbank said:

Hoping with this coach he better used as season proceeds and they get healthy on D. 
I get most want trade. But solid D men are just hard to find and replace. They will regret a trade imo.

I think many, and likely most, generally agree with you that he has real value, and would only trade him for a really good forward who would instantly take Sobotka's spot and make the top 6 a very dangerous group.

 

17 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

Make it so. I will concede the whether point and never fear or loathe the wealthy again.

Now that is an amazing offer. 

What do I have to do exactly?

[Thorner]

1 minute ago, nfreeman said:

I think we all need to be honest with ourselves at this point:  we're now at about a hundred Sabres coaches, including RK, whom everyone loves, that have decided to play Risto this much.

 

I think many, and likely most, generally agree with you that he has real value, and would only trade him for a really good forward who would instantly take Sobotka's spot and make the top 6 a very dangerous group.

 

Now that is an amazing offer. 

What do I have to do exactly?

And it hasn’t proven to be a good decision yet, so I’m hoping Krueger starts lowering it soon. It’s still early though, so I’m not exactly worried yet

[GASabresIUFAN]

14 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

I think we all need to be honest with ourselves at this point:  we're now at about a hundred Sabres coaches, including RK, whom everyone loves, that have decided to play Risto this much.

 

I think many, and likely most, generally agree with you that he has real value, and would only trade him for a really good forward who would instantly take Sobotka's spot and make the top 6 a very dangerous group.

 

Now that is an amazing offer. 

What do I have to do exactly?

The real test of this theory occurs when Montour returns.  With a defensive liability like Miller and a rookie in Joker, Risto remains our best option at RHD.  When RK gets a better option (read Montour) I suspect Risto PT decreases to 22 or less.

Dahlin and most of the Sabres need to get back to what Larsson and Co do ever shift; K.I.S.S.

Edited October 12, 2019 by GASabresIUFAN

[nfreeman]

2 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

The real test of this theory occurs when Montour returns.  With a defensive liability like Miller and a rookie in Joker, Risto remains our best option at RHD.  When he gets a better option (read Montour) I suspect Risto PT decreases to 22 or less.

I agree with all this although I don’t think Miller is a defensive liability.  He seems quite smooth and skilled with zone exits.  

[millbank]

2 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

The real test of this theory occurs when Montour returns.  With a defensive liability like Miller and a rookie in Joker, Risto remains our best option at RHD.  When he gets a better option (read Montour) I suspect Risto PT decreases to 22 or less.

This would be my hope . Risto is not a top two D man but could settle in used less as a valuable second pairing D. I down to for me where is his head. Is he with his coach and team mates or this effort about getting out. A coach he can better communicate with by seasons end could emerge a valuable player on team. Not a hero but good solid player 

[Kelly the Dog]

1 hour ago, nfreeman said:

 

 

 

Enjoy every sandwich. 

[...]

33 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

I thought that was Hoffman, an elite NHL goal-scorer, making a great shot into a small open spot -- whereas I thought Ullmark misplayed Florida's first goal.

Sir, I beg to differ.

I have photographic evidence.

[Kelly the Dog]

I have seen Dahlin struggle a few times of course, and not have a very good game in last two, but I think he has only been on the ice for two or maybe three goals in five games. I think it was zero in first three, two in fourth, and none tonight. And has seven points. I understand he’s messed up a bunch of times but if that is messing up, we dominate. 

[Randall Flagg]

Who was the guy that rather angrily yelled at me for saying the words "I'll believe that Risto's minutes will get meaningfully reduced when I see it for the first time in four separate coaching regimes" ?