GDT: 4/6/21 Sabres at NJ Devils, 7pm ET, MSG & WGR

[Scottysabres]

Was in school. Heard we scored a Rasmus hat 5rick on the score sheet tonight.

Way to go boys, there's some hope for the future.

[Doohicksie]

4 minutes ago, Scottysabres said:

Was in school. Heard we scored a Rasmus hat 5rick on the score sheet tonight.

Way to go boys, there's some hope for the future.

It's called a Rastrick.

[Scottysabres]

Just now, Doohickie said:

It's called a Rastrick.

Nice.

[JohnC]

4 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

I think the young players are finally getting a chance because injuries. 

No question about that. But what is also apparent is that the play of a significant portion of the roster such as Okposo, Montour, Dahlin and Joki are playing demonstrably better under this coach than the prior coach. 

My position on Granato is that he is not entitled to be the HC selection for next year. But if this depleted team performs well for him then why shouldn't he be given serious consideration for job over other candidates? 

[PromoTheRobot]

23 minutes ago, JohnC said:

You are capturing my position. When you hire a new coach you want to hire someone who gets the team to play better and have his younger players get better. That is what is happening now. The season is not over so let's see how this plays out. But it should be considered that the team play has significantly improved even while the roster has been depleted due to injuries. 

They are 5 points out of the basement with a game in hand on Anaheim. After the Ducks they can climb a spot in the standings with every point or two.

Edited April 7, 2021 by PromoTheRobot

[Curt]

The Sabres were out shot and out chanced in this game, by NJ, who are a bad team.  The difference was goaltending and some nice finishing by Buffalo.  The team still is not playing well, but they look looser.

[Kruppstahl]

Ullmark's initial save on Zacha just before he scored the Devils' third goal was incredible! 

Save of the year candidate that will be forgotten b/c Zacha scored a second later on the rebound.

Still an amazing save though.

Mittelstadt and Dahlin both had strong games.

It was nice of the refs to blow the high sticking penalty late in the third to avoid a PP tie up from the Devils! 

 

 

 

[GASabresIUFAN]

Welcome back Rasmus Dahlin.  3-0-2 in last 5.  Activated D scores 3 goals.  Kiddie line was our best forward line.  Montour continuing his hot streak.  2nd rd pick for him?

Edited April 7, 2021 by GASabresIUFAN

[pastajoe]

6 minutes ago, Kruppstahl said:

Ullmark's initial save on Zacha just before he scored the Devils' third goal was incredible! 

Save of the year candidate that will be forgotten b/c Zacha scored a second later on the rebound.

Still an amazing save though.

Mittelstadt and Dahlin both had strong games.

It was nice of the refs to blow the high sticking penalty late in the third to avoid a PP tie up from the Devils! 

 

 

 

They didn’t blow the penalty call. It’s not a penalty if the high stick is the result of the follow through from shooting the puck, which it was.

[dudacek]

4 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:

That's on Ullmark. Woof.

After all these years, you finally blame the goalie and I can't even agree with you. 🤣

I mean it was a crappy rebound, but it was a bad pinch by Dahlin to allow the shot in the first place, and Fogarty completely missed his man.

Plenty of blame to go around.

3 hours ago, Stads said:

Everyone on this roster is so hard to gauge post Krueger. Hall and Eakin are tire fires, but everybody else is tricky. Montour is playing really well as of late. I'm so confused!

 

3 hours ago, steveoath said:

Eakin is terrible.  

 

3 hours ago, Thorny said:

Should be in the AHL for real 

It's not that I disagree , but he does have two points and is +4 in the past five games.

Results gotta mean something, right? 🤷‍♂️

2 hours ago, Pimlach said:

Risto is a maniac 

1G, 2A, +7 in the past five games, playing 24 minutes a night.

Is he finally shaking off the COVID?

1 hour ago, inkman said:

It’s stunning and hysterical.  How ***** awful was Ralph?  Holy ***** he sucks moose balls.  I’m embarrassed that the franchise let that snake oil salesman ruin our ***** team.  

This. Granato's refusal to answer the question was so telling.

I mean I'm mostly with @Taro T that the biggest change is Linus, but have never seen so many individual players look so much better after a coaching change.

They are legitimately entertaining to watch. Casey, Joki, Thompson, Asplund, Monty, Okposo...they've all sudden morphed in to the best versions of themselves.

And Dahlin...

Tonight was the type of game you expect from a first-overall franchise player — I can't believe he wasn't the first star. Two absolutely elite plays for his points, the second absolutely mind-blowing with the game on the line.

It was so beautiful

 

Edited April 7, 2021 by dudacek

[sabresouth]

I think if Granato can keep this team on a playoff pace for the rest of the season I'm fine with him being the head coach.

[inkman]

3 hours ago, inkman said:

 

 

 

Donny baby what is you doing

Apparently the twittersphere has R2 out due to salary cap restrictions. Maybe just getting him acclimated with the team before Hall + is traded. 

[bunomatic]

Lets face it. Ralph made Granato’s job much easier in having to follow the total shitshow that was Ralph. There must have been countless times where Granato said to himself what is this moron doing ? Every player save Linus was having probably the worst statistical season of their careers. With Granato at the helm and a healthy Linus, they have all had a complete 360 and are trending to the positive. This with their best player in Eichel on the shelf. 

[Doohicksie]

15 minutes ago, dudacek said:

And Dahlin...

Tonight was the type of game you expect from a first-overall franchise player — I can't believe he wasn't the first star. Two absolutely elite plays for his points, the second absolutely mind-blowing with the game on the line.

It was so beautiful

Can you believe it was just a week or two ago that we were saying he was ruined?

[Doohicksie]

I just watched the replay of Risto's goal.  He took a one-time spin-around slapper from basically the faceoff dot in his own end and sent it to the middle of the Devils' net on the fly.

Amazeballs.

Edited April 7, 2021 by Doohickie

[Kong]

Dahlin's goal was really exciting! Loved the celly too. All of a sudden, he's a star. Good things coming from him.

Wonder how much Granato is getting paid to be interim head coach. Krueger can't carry his lunch as a coach and what did he get? 3.7 million/3 yrs.

My coach friend suspects Skinner has a hand/wrist/wrist injury. But for two years? 

Can't wait to hear Ruotsoleinen from Ristoleinin.

Suddenly this is kind of fun. I could get used to winning.

 

  

[inkman]

21 minutes ago, inkman said:

Apparently the twittersphere has R2 out due to salary cap restrictions. Maybe just getting him acclimated with the team before Hall + is traded. 

 

[Doohicksie]

Sounds like the trade is imminent.

 

 

We'll never see Hall as a Sabre again.

 

 

😄

[GASabresIUFAN]

All Granato has really done is let his skaters skate.  What a concept.  He is partly responsible for this mess.  Did he talk to his boss and ask him to open things up? Did he recommend letting the kids play?  Was RK simple unwilling to listen to his staff?  Did Granato pull a KA and go behind RK’s back?  

I’m happy with the direction, but I don’t want Granato as the coach.  KA needs to take a more open style to utilize his roster, but needs an experienced x and O guy who will help the kids over the inevitable rough spots.

1 minute ago, Doohickie said:

Sounds like the trade is imminent.

 

 

We'll never see Hall as a Sabre again.

 

 

😄

Don’t say that.  The hockey ghost of Matt Moulson will come for u.

Edited April 7, 2021 by GASabresIUFAN

[Doohicksie]

1 minute ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Did he recommend letting the kids play?  Was RK simple unwilling to listen to his staff?  Did Granato pull a KA and go behind RK’s back?

I suspect he tried to get RK to open up and RK was his pompous, arrogant self.  I don't think he went behind RK's back at all, and that was the problem.  The team was hampered by Krueger and Smith.

3 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Don’t say that.  The hockey ghost of Matt Moulson will come for u.

[Kong]

My idea--Hall for Batherson straight up.

[Second Line Center]

1 hour ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

 

I’m happy with the direction, but I don’t want Granato as the coach.  KA needs to take a more open style to utilize his roster, but needs an experienced x and O guy who will help the kids over the inevitable rough spots.

 

 

Yea but for now that's exactly what's happening.  

 

We'll see how it plays out.  

Edited April 7, 2021 by Second Line Center

[gilbert11]

1 hour ago, dudacek said:

After all these years, you finally blame the goalie and I can't even agree with you. 🤣

I mean it was a crappy rebound, but it was a bad pinch by Dahlin to allow the shot in the first place, and Fogarty completely missed his man.

Plenty of blame to go around.

 

 

It's not that I disagree , but he does have two points and is +4 in the past five games.

Results gotta mean something, right? 🤷‍♂️

1G, 2A, +7 in the past five games, playing 24 minutes a night.

Is he finally shaking off the COVID?

This. Granato's refusal to answer the question was so telling.

I mean I'm mostly with @Taro T that the biggest change is Linus, but have never seen so many individual players look so much better after a coaching change.

They are legitimately entertaining to watch. Casey, Joki, Thompson, Asplund, Monty, Okposo...they've all sudden morphed in to the best versions of themselves.

And Dahlin...

Tonight was the type of game you expect from a first-overall franchise player — I can't believe he wasn't the first star. Two absolutely elite plays for his points, the second absolutely mind-blowing with the game on the line.

It was so beautiful

 

Dare I say BobbyOrr-ish?!

[3putt]

Everyone has six days to get a card in the mail or lineup to buy his first legal beer.  

[Taro T]

1 hour ago, Curt said:

The Sabres were out shot and out chanced in this game, by NJ, who are a bad team.  The difference was goaltending and some nice finishing by Buffalo.  The team still is not playing well, but they look looser.

Timing is huge in this life.  Had they had a different goalie in this game (a healthy Hutton, a pre-trade Johansson, Tokarski, or even today's UPL) they lose.  Had they played Baah-stan w/ Rask between the pipes or the Aisles, they lose.  But none of those things happened.  They got to play the worst teamnin the East with a goalie that wasn't brought back for the Amerks & they now have a 5 game point scoring streak & have Dahlin, Mittelstsdt, Thompson, Asplund, & Montour all believing if they work hard good things will happen.  And the rest of the team is regaining confidence as well.

It wasn't a pretty win, but there were 3 really pretty goals & some fantastic saves.  And at this point, all wins are pretty.

1 hour ago, dudacek said:

After all these years, you finally blame the goalie and I can't even agree with you. 🤣

I mean it was a crappy rebound, but it was a bad pinch by Dahlin to allow the shot in the first place, and Fogarty completely missed his man.

Plenty of blame to go around.

 

 

It's not that I disagree , but he does have two points and is +4 in the past five games.

Results gotta mean something, right? 🤷‍♂️

1G, 2A, +7 in the past five games, playing 24 minutes a night.

Is he finally shaking off the COVID?

This. Granato's refusal to answer the question was so telling.

I mean I'm mostly with @Taro T that the biggest change is Linus, but have never seen so many individual players look so much better after a coaching change.

They are legitimately entertaining to watch. Casey, Joki, Thompson, Asplund, Monty, Okposo...they've all sudden morphed in to the best versions of themselves.

And Dahlin...

Tonight was the type of game you expect from a first-overall franchise player — I can't believe he wasn't the first star. Two absolutely elite plays for his points, the second absolutely mind-blowing with the game on the line.

It was so beautiful

 

To the bolded, yes, the coaching change helped, but getting the 18 game monkey off their backs is what has them actually enjoying coming to work.  And the possibility of ending that streak started when w/ Ullmark in the net they got to the 3rd period with leads against the B's & the Phlyers even though that monkey wouldn't ultimately let them shake it in either game.  

That streak was hard to watch, but it had to be brutal to live it.

Any other goalie that was in the organization in January, even if healthy, would not have gotten either game to the 3rd with the lead.  And without him making the early saves to let them have the chance, they would've folded under the weight of trailing each by multiple goals IMHO.  And without getting those 2 40 minute starts, it is hard to expect they could finally play the full 60 that next game.  Filly actually had momentum in the 2nd in that game be streak ended, but they never got it to 2-2 which was huge in preventing that one from getting away from them.

This team is finally fun to watch.  Hopefully that continues.