GDT: 4/1/21 NY Rags vs. Buffalo Sabres. 7:00 p.m. TV MSG, Radio WGR550

[Figster]

5 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

I am in Buffalo and missed the game.  Just running around visiting.  Sounds like they did good just to get a point.  I’ll take it.  
 

The Rangers are hot, we are in back to back.  Granato doing well without Eichel and Cozens. 

It was a spirited game. Sabres were really slamming there bodies around with bad intentions the first half of it , but started running out of gas. Confidence in goaltending is growing and confidence in themselves and as a team is growing. As a Sabre fan and big homer it is a wonderful thing to see.  You have to give most of the credit to coaching because the transformation in such a short time has been amazing in my humble opinion.

[Doohicksie]

Tage and Mitts are legit middle-6 forwards since Granato took this team over.  That's saying something.

[Doohicksie]

40 minutes ago, Figster said:

I had a feeling If we could Sabres would win.

I had the same feeling.

[sabremike]

GIRAFFE SCOOOOOOOOORES!!!!

If we had won this game I'd be running down Main Street here in Brewster clad only in my Tage gameworn wildly screaming in celebration.

[Figster]

13 minutes ago, SDS said:

What did he do when he didn’t get the puck back?

Its looks to me he still thought Olofson was going to poke the puck through, I don't know, it was pretty bang, bang, it is something that should be talkied about between players and coaches for sure. 3 on 3s a different beast. One mistake and its all over.

[pi2000]

47 minutes ago, SDS said:

Not only did Reinhart put him in a jam, but how long does it take him to realize that VO was battling along the boards and he was the player furthest away from the play before he moved? He was just standing there. Watching. 

What did everyone expect to happen with that group out there?

Reinhart, Olofsson, and Dahlin are a combind -74 in just 35 games... smh.    They simply can't defend, always on the wrong side of the puck, can't win battles, cheat on plays, etc...  I mean, it's kinda dumb to put them out there as a unit.    

[Figster]

One has to wonder If Jack might be watching these games and thinking, wow, this sure looks better, and bet I could have made the difference between 4 and 6 points.

 

[pi2000]

Just now, Figster said:

One has to wonder If Jack might be watching these games. 

 

fixed

[Figster]

19 minutes ago, pi2000 said:

What did everyone expect to happen with that group out there?

Reinhart, Olofsson, and Dahlin are a combind -74 in just 35 games... smh.    They simply can't defend, always on the wrong side of the puck, can't win battles, cheat on plays, etc...  I mean, it's kinda dumb to put them out there as a unit.    

Its a good point and just asking for it 3 on 3

Edited April 2, 2021 by Figster

[dudacek]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

Nope, olofsson sucks. Seriously just send it back to Reinhart or don't cough it up. 

 

 

 

 

1 hour ago, SDS said:

What did he do when he didn’t get the puck back?

What was Victor doing where he was if not presenting himself as a passing option?

The end zone camera showed Sam gaining the line, drawing the defender, and putting the puck to an uncovered teammate in space, and heading to open space himself expecting the return along the boards. It was tight, but it was also a pretty textbook entry play that NHL players use all the time.

For whatever reason — good puck pressure by the Ranger defender, not thinking Sam had enough space — Olofsson didn't take the option Sam presented. At that point, he had three choices: move the puck back to Dahlin (the safest play), skate it out himself and regroup, or try to protect the puck himself. He took option three, failed, and then made the hope play up the boards well after that window had closed, resulting in a turnover.

I think Sam's goal was to get a lane on the deep defender and had already done so by the time Victor coughed it up. Do you thihk he should have expected Victor to cough it up and stopped as soon as he give him the pass? I don't see it. He certainly wasn't standing there watching with eyes in the back of his head as the play took 8/10s of a second to unfold.

It wasn't an easy play, but it was one Victor usually would have executed. Maybe he was tired?

Edited April 2, 2021 by dudacek

[Kristian]

6 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

No that was def olofsson and his awful puck protection

Sam should’ve backtracked into the neutral zone, the play wasn’t there.

Blaming Olofsson for poor puck possesion, which he has, when he gets fed the puck standing still at the blueline to avoid the offside with a Ranger right on him, and another one coming to doubleteam him while Sam coasts to the slot, is hardly fair.

Yes, he could’ve passed to Dahlin, but he actually gets away from the first guy, it’s the second guy who creates the turnover. Why are the Rangers allowed to doubleteam him like that?

Edited April 2, 2021 by Kristian

[Kristian]

5 hours ago, pi2000 said:

What did everyone expect to happen with that group out there?

Reinhart, Olofsson, and Dahlin are a combind -74 in just 35 games... smh.    They simply can't defend, always on the wrong side of the puck, can't win battles, cheat on plays, etc...  I mean, it's kinda dumb to put them out there as a unit.    

Stop making sense, my head hurts.

[Kristian]

Sabres actually got 4 out of 6 points, playing three games in four nights.

Oh what might have been, if the conartist hadn’t been hired in the first place....

[Thorner]

9 hours ago, MidwestSabresFan said:

Wow... they've really clawed their way back? Who is this team? Keep the throttle down and get the W. 

Keep this Fogarty kid up here, he's been pretty legit in his tenure so far. 

Turning 28 soon, not exactly a “kid” haha 

9 hours ago, Figster said:

I'll take the point

Nice game Trobarski, we might have found our backup

Tokarski hasn’t played more than 6 NHL games in a season since 2024-15. 

34 NHL games in his career TOTAL before this season. Will be 32 for next season. 

I like the guy but Adams would be making the same mistake he made last offseason if the tandem entering next season is Ullmark-Tokarski

[Torpedo Forecheck]

Another solid performance, not good enough, but DG has got them up on their toes and playing an improved all around game. I don't love our options 3-3 right now. We match up poorly with a team that has really high end players. Bottom line is our better players are not good in that type of situation.

[Thorner]

Ya I feel like OT has generally been Eichel or bust for us in the recent past 

[LGR4GM]

Victor screwed up. He touch passes it back to Sam and none of this happens. Olofsson isn't good 5v5 or 3v3 and I'd be fine if they traded him. 

Edited April 2, 2021 by LGR4GM

[GASabresIUFAN]

The best thing about last night was that they played hard to the final whistle.  They are learning to be competitive without Eichel and that can only help long- term.  

They have now held a lead 4 games in a row and points in the last 3.  
 

PS Dear SS can y’all say in one voice, “GA was right about Mitts!” 😃😎

 

Edited April 2, 2021 by GASabresIUFAN

[Thorner]

33 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

The best thing about last night was that they played hard to the final whistle.  They are learning to be competitive without Eichel and that can only help long- term.  

They have now held a lead 4 games in a row and points in the last 3.  
 

PS Dear SS can y’all say in one voice, “GA was right about Mitts!” 😃😎

 

You weren’t the only one saying he wasn’t a bust lol 

I’ve pegged him as a third liner this entire time 

Others, too. Healthy continent of the opposite opinion, to your point. Nice to see progress. 

[Stoner]

I honestly don't see how you guys can microanalyze what happens in three on three hockey. It ain't hockey.

[SDS]

[Drag0nDan]

10 hours ago, dudacek said:

 

What was Victor doing where he was if not presenting himself as a passing option?

The end zone camera showed Sam gaining the line, drawing the defender, and putting the puck to an uncovered teammate in space, and heading to open space himself expecting the return along the boards. It was tight, but it was also a pretty textbook entry play that NHL players use all the time.

For whatever reason — good puck pressure by the Ranger defender, not thinking Sam had enough space — Olofsson didn't take the option Sam presented. At that point, he had three choices: move the puck back to Dahlin (the safest play), skate it out himself and regroup, or try to protect the puck himself. He took option three, failed, and then made the hope play up the boards well after that window had closed, resulting in a turnover.

I think Sam's goal was to get a lane on the deep defender and had already done so by the time Victor coughed it up. Do you thihk he should have expected Victor to cough it up and stopped as soon as he give him the pass? I don't see it. He certainly wasn't standing there watching with eyes in the back of his head as the play took 8/10s of a second to unfold.

It wasn't an easy play, but it was one Victor usually would have executed. Maybe he was tired?

It's a pretty basic give and go play.  The puck needs to get in deeper there.  

[SwampD]

And once again, there is Dahlin, looking pretty, not making the play.

His only job there is stopping that pass. I guess he didn’t want to get any ice shavings on his jersey.

[Thorner]

8 minutes ago, SwampD said:

And once again, there is Dahlin, looking pretty, not making the play.

His only job there is stopping that pass. I guess he didn’t want to get any ice shavings on his jersey.

How often do Dmen stop a 2 on 1 pass?

The only reason we even got to OT is because Dahlin got down and dirty and got ice shavings aaaaaaaaaaaallll over his shin pads by getting down and blocking that shot on his empty net, in the last minute right before we scored 

Edited April 2, 2021 by Thorny

[dudacek]

8 minutes ago, SwampD said:

And once again, there is Dahlin, looking pretty, not making the play.

His only job there is stopping that pass. I guess he didn’t want to get any ice shavings on his jersey.

I'm not going to dump on, or defend Dahlin here, but your comment resonated with me when it comes to this play and the Sabres in general.

And it reminded of Promo's automatic defence of a goalie.

Whether Sam put Victor in a bad position or not, whether our defenceman put Hutton in a bad position or not, they aren't being put into impossible positions. Victor didn't have to cough up the puck. Carter doesn't have to wave at the puck.

Just make the damn play.

Edited April 2, 2021 by dudacek