GDT 2/26/20 Sabres at Colorado 8pm ET, NBCSN and WGR550

[sabremike]

Honestly here is the callup from Rochester they should make:

[hockeyhound]

They're Playin Hockey!

Let's Go Buffalo!

Great Game!

Edited February 27, 2020 by hockeyhound

[Huckleberry]

Going to be rough we need a lot of wins against good teams.   Didn't expect a win here though.

[Scottysabres]

1 hour ago, Huckleberry said:

Going to be rough we need a lot of wins against good teams.   Didn't expect a win here though.

They played very well, just didn't capitalize on the scoring opportunities. If they continue this they should have a chance.

But yea, tough schedule.

[Kristian]

At least they turned their slide around this year, but man - November/December has been terrible for this franchise for as long as I can remember ☹️

[LGR4GM]

8 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

That's true. Our PK is terrible. Has been all year. Two main reasons, we don't win face offs and we cannot clear or control the front of the net at any time, and even worse a man down. Part of this is a downside to the focus on puck moving D men. We have to get better at this for sure. 

First faceoffs have nothing to do with our pk being bad. 

Second, we have the worst PK in the league and part of the reason is because we put Risto and McCabe out there and they simply are not that good. The 2nd bolded is laughable to me because that isn't what you see. You do not see guys parking in front and magical tips and screens. You see the defense (risto) breaking down and Hutton tossing out huge rebounds. 

[SwampD]

4 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

First faceoffs have nothing to do with our pk being bad. 

Second, we have the worst PK in the league and part of the reason is because we put Risto and McCabe out there and they simply are not that good. The 2nd bolded is laughable to me because that isn't what you see. You do not see guys parking in front and magical tips and screens. You see the defense (risto) breaking down and Hutton tossing out huge rebounds. 

I’m convinced that you have no idea what it means to be a defender in the NHL.

[LGR4GM]

5 minutes ago, SwampD said:

I’m convinced that you have no idea what it means to be a defender in the NHL.

Apparently all it means is cross checking people in front of the net and hitting things. Risto is a bad defender. There is 6 years worth of games to back this up. 

[SwampD]

Just now, LGR4GM said:

Apparently all it means is cross checking people in front of the net and hitting things. Risto is a bad defender. There is 6 years worth of games to back this up. 

Would you rather have Pilut in there instead of Risto?

Edited February 27, 2020 by SwampD

[LGR4GM]

3 minutes ago, SwampD said:

Would you rather have Pilut in there instead of Risto?

I would rather have just about anyone than Risto. A guy who notoriously loses his coverage and makes poor reads. 

[WildCard]

4 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Apparently all it means is cross checking people in front of the net and hitting things. Risto is a bad defender. There is 6 years worth of games to back this up. 

I remember a time when everyone thought Bogosian was good for the same reasons. Then we, literally, couldn't give him away

[SwampD]

Just now, LGR4GM said:

I would rather have just about anyone than Risto. A guy who notoriously loses his coverage and makes poor reads. 

If that is a yes to my question, then I don’t think you know what it means to be a defender in the NHL.

The problem with the Sabres is not, nor has it ever been, our defense. The problem with the Sabres is they just don’t score. Period.

[WildCard]

Just now, SwampD said:

If that is a yes to my question, then I don’t think you know what it means to be a defender in the NHL.

The problem with the Sabres is not, nor has it ever been, our defense. The problem with the Sabres is they just don’t score. Period.

It was our defense for years when we got Risto. We were drafting/trading for d-men left and right. It 100% was our problem

[Eleven]

4 minutes ago, WildCard said:

It was our defense for years when we got Risto. We were drafting/trading for d-men left and right. It 100% was our problem

This is how I remember it.

[LGR4GM]

11 minutes ago, SwampD said:

If that is a yes to my question, then I don’t think you know what it means to be a defender in the NHL.

The problem with the Sabres is not, nor has it ever been, our defense. The problem with the Sabres is they just don’t score. Period.

Our world class physical defenders. 

[SwampD]

6 minutes ago, WildCard said:

It was our defense for years when we got Risto. We were drafting/trading for d-men left and right. It 100% was our problem

 

1 minute ago, Eleven said:

This is how I remember it.

I’ll add the stipulation “post tank”.

[SwampD]

1 minute ago, LGR4GM said:

Our world class physical defenders. 

K

[WildCard]

8 minutes ago, SwampD said:

 

I’ll add the stipulation “post tank”.

Even post tank. Montour, Miller, Pilut, Antipin, Ryan Johnson, Guhle...we've been trying to get a good defensive core together since Campbell was here. I think we finally have one, but I don't particularly think Risto is the key to that. Put him on the 2nd pair I don't really care and McCabe on the 3rd

[dudacek]

25 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Our world class physical defenders. 

LOL. That goal wasn't a breakdown, it was a power play with Nathan MacKinnon doing Nathan MacKinnon things.

Our defenders shut out one of the league's best attacks 5-on-5 last night.

[LGR4GM]

9 minutes ago, dudacek said:

LOL. That goal wasn't a breakdown, it was a power play with Nathan MacKinnon doing Nathan MacKinnon things.

Our defenders shut out one of the league's best attacks 5-on-5 last night.

So you think Risto is good at defense? 

[dudacek]

Just now, LGR4GM said:

So you think Risto is good at defense? 

I think you're frustrated because the Sabres aren't good enough, venting on one of your favourite whipping boys and you chose a bad example.

[LGR4GM]

11 minutes ago, dudacek said:

LOL. That goal wasn't a breakdown, it was a power play with Nathan MacKinnon doing Nathan MacKinnon things.

Our defenders shut out one of the league's best attacks 5-on-5 last night.

Let's review this play. Risto, leaves his man to waive his stick at McKinnon. Before that pass is even made, Risto is covering no one. After the pass is made, because he was flat footed, Risto does nothing. He doesn't collapse to his man. His man then starts to walk out in front of the net. McCabe then panics and instead of skating towards the guy, lunges with his stick and completely misses and also leaves the guy he was supposed to have wide open on the backside. Wow. So glad we have these big tough physical forwards clearing the front of the net. Really paid off of for us yesterday. 

[Curt]

9 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

That's true. Our PK is terrible. Has been all year. Two main reasons, we don't win face offs and we cannot clear or control the front of the net at any time, and even worse a man down. Part of this is a downside to the focus on puck moving D men. We have to get better at this for sure. 

The puck moving D aren’t playing much on the PK though.  All season it’s been Risto, McCabe, Scandella, Bogo on the PK.  Not Dahlin, Jokiharju, Miller, Montour.

[dudacek]

30 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Let's review this play. Risto, leaves his man to waive his stick at McKinnon. Before that pass is even made, Risto is covering no one. After the pass is made, because he was flat footed, Risto does nothing. He doesn't collapse to his man. His man then starts to walk out in front of the net. McCabe then panics and instead of skating towards the guy, lunges with his stick and completely misses and also leaves the guy he was supposed to have wide open on the backside. Wow. So glad we have these big tough physical forwards clearing the front of the net. Really paid off of for us yesterday. 

First off, defence on a PP its not about "his man" it's about getting into passing and shooting lanes and protecting against 2-on-1s. Risto starts the play where he should be, between the goal line player, the bumper and the shooter, ready to move to each as the play requires.

The structural breakdown actually happens when MacKinnon bobs and weaves his way into stranding Lazar too high on the blue line, giving him a direct line to the goal and a ton of ice to work with. If Risto collapses he leaves Mac and the partially covered bumper a clear lane to the goal. If he charges, same thing. He elects to split the difference in order to eliminate Mackinnon's shot, thinking he has the support of Frolik on the bumper and Landeskog is in the least dangerous position of the three players he is responsible for.

Unfortunately Landeskog and Mackinnon are really good. Mac attacks Risto, freezes him by faking a pass to the bumper while Landeskog attacks the hole. Mac zips the pass into exactly the right space, and Landeskog beats Hutton on a 180-degree spinaround that 4 out 5 players would missed and another 4 out of 5 would not have even tried, instead opting to stay at home to make a pass, or stuff the puck into Hutton's pads.

The goal wasn't because of a Risto mistake, it was because two really good players executed the PP perfectly. The best defencemen in the league get beat on that play.

Edited February 27, 2020 by dudacek

[OverPowerYou]

If only we could have tanked the right way for mackinnon