Ralph says Team needs to Physically Respond Against Pittsburgh

[LabattBlue]

Just now, bunomatic said:

If you’re not built that way it is what it is.

This is what I said about Tage prior to the season started.  There was all this talk about how he bulked up, and will be tougher blah blah blah...

 

Fast forward several months, and in terms of physical play, he is the same player he was before.  There are exceptions to this change in terms of being more physical, but they are the exception rather than the rule.

[Sabre fan]

6 minutes ago, LabattBlue said:

This is what I said about Tage prior to the season started.  There was all this talk about how he bulked up, and will be tougher blah blah blah...

 

Fast forward several months, and in terms of physical play, he is the same player he was before.  There are exceptions to this change in terms of being more physical, but they are the exception rather than the rule.

it is too bad Tage couldn't or won't play tougher cause he sure has the size and hands to be a great power-forward. We haven't had a good power-forward since we gave away Kane. When I see Tage I think he has so much potential

[IKnowPhysics]

[Kruppstahl]

Hutton is 1-7-1 with a 3.4 GAA and a .883 save percentage.

Currently ranked 48th out of 50 goaltenders in the league.

What could go wrong?

 

 

[Weave]

31 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

 

Yes. the moment KA has the final info he needs regarding the extent of change.

[That Aud Smell]

8 minutes ago, Kruppstahl said:

Hutton is 1-7-1 with a 3.4 GAA and a .883 save percentage.

Currently ranked 48th out of 50 goaltenders in the league.

What could go wrong?

Yeah - the historically abysmal goaltending is, to me, an underrated factor in this team's suckitude.

I am curious: What do the #fancystats say about the quality of shots our goalies face? Or what those metrics would say about the extent to which our goalies save fewer shots than they reasonably should be expected to save?

[DarthEbriate]

9 minutes ago, Kruppstahl said:

Hutton is 1-7-1 with a 3.4 GAA and a .883 save percentage.

Currently ranked 48th out of 50 goaltenders in the league.

What could go wrong?

We could outscore the opposition?

[Marvin]

Hey!  A straw I can grab at!

Maybe GMKA looks for guys who play the game like he did.

Oh, heck.  Now I woke up.

[PerreaultForever]

18 minutes ago, IKnowPhysics said:

Well it was him or Dalton Smith. Choices had to be made. 

Can't believe we're bullied by the Pittsburgh Penguins. So sad.

[Kruppstahl]

6 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

Well it was him or Dalton Smith. Choices had to be made. 

Can't believe we're bullied by the Pittsburgh Penguins. So sad.

Funny you write this.  If there is any single franchise that embodies the hitless, soft, modern NHL, it's the Pittsburgh Penguins.  They've been that type of franchise for years.

And now they are bullying us.

 

[DarthEbriate]

4 minutes ago, Kruppstahl said:

Funny you write this.  If there is any single franchise that embodies the hitless, soft, modern NHL, it's the Pittsburgh Penguins.  They've been that type of franchise for years.

And now they are bullying us.

Pittsburgh is the model franchise we keep trying to emulate.

[dudacek]

1 hour ago, Weave said:

Ralph is asking the players to step out of their comfort zone.  Its not about sending a message to Pittsburgh, its about sending a message the the Sabres and getting them looking out for each other.

This may be the watershed moment.  They either step up and build from it, or its the bellweather to make big changes.

Maybe it's about giving the fans a reason to buy tickets...?

 

1 hour ago, Kruppstahl said:

You don't get "do overs" with this type of thing!  Either you show up when its unexpected and you are called to do something, or you don't.

Last night, Miller stepped up and showed up when he had to.

But after Ruhwedel's cheap shot on Dahlin, no one did a thing, and that was the cheaper of the 2 hits by a mile IMO.

This is the Lucic incident in Boston all over again.

Maybe next game we can send Paul Gaustad out there to crack some skulls like we did last time.

LOL

 

 

 

I knew this was coming. Pick the one that fits your agenda.

[Randall Flagg]

22 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

Yeah - the historically abysmal goaltending is, to me, an underrated factor in this team's suckitude.

I am curious: What do the #fancystats say about the quality of shots our goalies face? Or what those metrics would say about the extent to which our goalies save fewer shots than they reasonably should be expected to save?

I don't have these stats for this year. I will say that, the previous 2 years suggested that our goalies were helped by our defense, and weren't doing an adequate job on the real shots on goal, the important/dangerous ones that separate goalies into tiers. But our defensive system did enough to hide that 

[KC Scouts]

Ralph wants the boys to be physical.....I can only think of my all time favorite bellow from a fellow season ticket holder as the Sabres were getting pushed around by a team in the AUD (Recurring theme, right?)

"HIT HIM WITH YOUR PURSE HOUSLEY !!" 

[Stoner]

Uh ohhhhhhhh...

[bob_sauve28]

So we will probably lose a few fights and lose the game. 

[Torpedo Forecheck]

The Sabres playing physically and sticking up for a teammate, This will really fire everyone up!

[Pimlach]

4 hours ago, Weave said:

Ralph is asking the players to step out of their comfort zone.  Its not about sending a message to Pittsburgh, its about sending a message the the Sabres and getting them looking out for each other.

This may be the watershed moment.  They either step up and build from it, or its the bellweather to make big changes.

Ralph and Adams should have thought of this in the off season.  This division is filled with bruisers.  Pittsburg a finesse team compared to Boston, Philly, Caps and Isles.   
 

The toughest and strongest guy on the team by far is Risto.  He can’t fight worth a damm but he sure can hit.   So let him hit Crosby and Rowweasel and the rest with good clean hits.  Let him send the messages.  

Lazar, Miller, and Irwin should be able to drop them if needed.   It would be nice if Tage had a mean streak but we have not seen that either.   
 

As for Dahlin, if he can’t stand up to Chad Roweedel by himself he is going to just keep getting cheap shots.  They ran him last year (Tampa twice) and they will continue until he finally fights back.  

[Pimlach]

3 hours ago, Kruppstahl said:

Hutton is 1-7-1 with a 3.4 GAA and a .883 save percentage.

Currently ranked 48th out of 50 goaltenders in the league.

What could go wrong?

 

 

Well ... He has a very good record against Pittsburgh for whatever reason, and JJ is not a better choice.  

[Pimlach]

7 hours ago, Kruppstahl said:

Funny you write this.  If there is any single franchise that embodies the hitless, soft, modern NHL, it's the Pittsburgh Penguins.  They've been that type of franchise for years.

And now they are bullying us.

 

They have maintained enough grit to win.    I don’t think of them  as soft.  

Edited March 13, 2021 by Pimlach

[gomper]

Yeah, and my Lotto #'s are coming in tomorrow. This team has zero heart. They should run every Penguin on the ice. All game. Forget the two points.  It's not going to matter anyway.  You might as well keep your pride.

[Weave]

1 hour ago, Pimlach said:

As for Dahlin, if he can’t stand up to Chad Roweedel by himself he is going to just keep getting cheap shots.  They ran him last year (Tampa twice) and they will continue until he finally fights back.  

 

Unfortunately, I think this is accurate.  Mr. Dahlin really needs to lose his temper.

[PerreaultForever]

5 hours ago, Kruppstahl said:

Funny you write this.  If there is any single franchise that embodies the hitless, soft, modern NHL, it's the Pittsburgh Penguins.  They've been that type of franchise for years.

And now they are bullying us.

 

It's true. And really, they didn't actually do that much, it's just most of our games are so listless and hitless and just lacking in every aspect of the game that one push from behind and one knee on knee hit and that's all it takes. Bruins Caps or Islanders there's more hits in one period than a whole month of our games. We've just been lucky that we're so lousy those teams haven't felt the need to play physical with us yet.

My guess is Pittsburgh felt pretty safe to try it out and Burke wants his truculence so why not try a little against the weakest link. 

[Kruppstahl]

5 hours ago, dudacek said:

Maybe it's about giving the fans a reason to buy tickets...?

 

 

I knew this was coming. Pick the one that fits your agenda.

Agenda?  Get a clue.

 

 

[Scottysabres]

6 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

 

Olivia was one of a hand full of my cardio discovery pre-teen era. Her, Farrah, Jaclyn Smith and a couple others are directly responsible for my carpel tunnel surgery.

Edited March 13, 2021 by Scottysabres