GDT: Buffalo @ LA Kings, 10-17-2019, 10:30 pm EDT

[dudacek]

Very interested to see if Ralph shakes things up after brutal game by all three members of the Eichel line.

It is a testament to his structure - and maybe to the players Botterill gave him - that we can win a game when the big line plays that poorly. That never would have happened under Housley: The shake-up, or the winning when Jack Jeff and Sam didn’t work.

I’m curious if the players want the shake-up or if they want another chance.

And if that matters to their coach.

[hockeyhound]

1 minute ago, SABRES 0311 said:

Semper Fi 

PI or SD

[SABRES 0311]

Just now, hockeyhound said:

PI or SD

PI 2002.

Edited October 18, 2019 by SABRES 0311

[hockeyhound]

4 minutes ago, SABRES 0311 said:

PI 2002.

PI 1983 Charlie No Corps like hard Corps, hard Corps Marine Corps, Oh Rah! Devil Dog!

Edited October 18, 2019 by hockeyhound

[SABRES 0311]

6 minutes ago, hockeyhound said:

PI 1983 Charlie No Corps like hard Corps, hard Corps Marine Corps, Oh Rah! Devil Dog!

Hell yeah brother.

[Doohicksie]

11 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Krueger needs to figure out how to get Eichel's line out against weaker lines more often.

I think for the Sabres to win, one or two of the lines need to win their matchups, and the others need to play their matchups to a draw.  If you look at the score sheets from the games so far, all the scoring comes from one or two lines in any given game.  The good part is that it's not always the same line. 

So I'm not worried about the Eichel line.  They'll win their share of battles.  But I'm thrilled to pieces that all lines are contributing goals.

[Thorner]

46 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

We're now behind the vaunted 08-09 team's pace to start though ?

Pass them again with a win in the next game. 

Edited October 18, 2019 by Thorny

[Randall Flagg]

14 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Very interested to see if Ralph shakes things up after brutal game by all three members of the Eichel line.

It is a testament to his structure - and maybe to the players Botterill gave him - that we can win a game when the big line plays that poorly. That never would have happened under Housley: The shake-up, or the winning when Jack Jeff and Sam didn’t work.

I’m curious if the players want the shake-up or if they want another chance.

And if that matters to their coach.

I wonder if he blames himself again - he was sending them out every other shift in the 3rd in Anaheim, no doubt that contributed to how tired they were today. I bet he's willing to give them more time once they rest tomorrow.

[Taro T]

5 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

I think for the Sabres to win, one or two of the lines need to win their matchups, and the others need to play their matchups to a draw.  If you look at the score sheets from the games so far, all the scoring comes from one or two lines in any given game.  The good part is that it's not always the same line. 

So I'm not worried about the Eichel line.  They'll win their share of battles.  But I'm thrilled to pieces that all lines are contributing goals.

I'm not either and they will.  But it should happen more than twice a game that they get to pin their ears back and just destroy another line.

Shifts like that can turn entire games.

[Huckleberry]

Good for casey for scoring some goals, maybe he gets going a bit now too.

[hockeyhound]

It was interesting to see how they did against big physical teams.

If Tage puts on some size, it would real help.

[MakeSabresGrr8Again]

3 hours ago, hockeyhound said:

It was interesting to see how they did against big physical teams.

If Tage puts on some size, it would real help.

He still would need to learn how to use it.

[Sabre1974]

5 hours ago, dudacek said:

Very interested to see if Ralph shakes things up after brutal game by all three members of the Eichel line.

It is a testament to his structure - and maybe to the players Botterill gave him - that we can win a game when the big line plays that poorly. That never would have happened under Housley: The shake-up, or the winning when Jack Jeff and Sam didn’t work.

I’m curious if the players want the shake-up or if they want another chance.

And if that matters to their coach.

How would you change it. Who would you move from eichels line?

[Eleven]

See what happens when the game day thread title uses the right time zone?

[miles]

I hate the late games. I want to watch it but in stuck at work 

[...]

Glad Hutton got his shut-out, from the narrative here he apparently put on a show in the first part of the third.  I knew he was dialed in when he had a leg over to prevent a wrap-around before the player trying the wrap-around thought about doing it.

Haven't read or seen anything from the players or RK, but will say that I think this game is its own built-in excuse for the play we saw.  @PASabreFan had it earlier that this is 3 games in 4 nights, on a west-coast swing with the first game being home.  That is a crazy frickin' schedule that takes a toll.

The Ducks took advantage of that by laying on the heavy, and the Sabres, God bless 'em, last night were simply pooped.  I wouldn't have blamed them if it had gone to a tie, but a shut-out? Thank you , sirs and madams.

If RK was throwing the Eichel line out there too much when all of the above is true, he's not going to complain about the output of that line, I think.  He might want them to be able to provide hockey under such circumstances, but RK strikes me as a realist.

Another thing, too, is that now that the third line showed up, I wouldn't suspect RK will be too concerned with the production of the top line - given the circumstances above, especially - because that's how it should work.  Not all lines will be operating at peak performance all of the time, but so long as at least a line is able to provide offense, we stand a chance each game.  This is reductionist philosophy I have no doubt RK would apply to the situation, at least publickly.

[...]

On heavy players, Tage will not, nor ever be, a heavy player.  He is the offensive version of Tyler Myers.  

Cozens, though, I can see that kid bringing the heavy.  Not like a mean, or dirty player, but in a Risto kind of way.  And, speaking of Risto and heavy games, FWIW, I think having Risto around is good for Dahlin, because I think Risto, for all of his faults otherwise, plays the modern heavy game properly and Dahlin can pick that up from him, at least.

[PromoTheRobot]

Just finished periods 2 and 3. I do hope all this is is just being tired. The score does not tell the story of that game. Congrats to "Sutton" for the back to backer.

[Doohicksie]

4 hours ago, MakeSabresGrr8Again said:

He still would need to learn how to use it.

You mean like this?

He's learning.

[Wyldnwoody44]

Yeah, I watched and didn't come away with confidence at all. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for the 2 points. But this needs to be cleaned up badly. 

 

I'm starting to question if other teams now have a large enough sample size and video on what we do, and now we're being adjusted to? If so, we need to counterpunch and soon. 

Ill ride the wave of another victory for today! 

[...]

[...]

Also, since this is a feel-good Friday:

[WildCard]

Just now, ... said:

Also, since this is a feel-good Friday:

I wonder what his high danger shots faced looks like. During the streak last year him and Ullmark standing on their head were a large reason for it, so far we haven't needed that (though last night we obviously did)

[...]

12 minutes ago, WildCard said:

I wonder what his high danger shots faced looks like. During the streak last year him and Ullmark standing on their head were a large reason for it, so far we haven't needed that (though last night we obviously did)

[WildCard]

Just now, ... said:

Yeah that game I expected to look like that to be honest, I just meant overall