GDT: Washington at Buffalo Apr. 9, 2021 • 7:00PM ET MSG, WGR

[Nitro60]

1 minute ago, darksabre said:

I give this mess of a roster credit, even if they're losing they're at least doing the things you have to do to win. 

They are serving notice that they will not be an easy mark.  You better be ready to play when you go head to head with the Sabres.  

[Thorner]

1 minute ago, Doohickie said:

Eh, they were actually kind okay in front of the empty net.  A game they might win with Ullmark.

yep, yet another game where goaltending is the potential difference 

[SwampD]

It really is amazing just how bad the hockey was under Krueger.

We ***** lost, and it was a better game than three quarters of the games under him

[Thorner]

anyways, not the least entertaining 4-3 loss I've ever seen 

[Pimlach]

Good try.  Dahlin passed with about 26 seconds left when he had a clear shot.   He needs to be the gun.  
 

They are waaaay better with Granato, or simply without Ralph? 

[Norcal]

Alot to like in a loss.

If there was a playoff position at stake I'd be pissed but seeing the kids develop and not just against "bad teams" was well worth the watch to me. 

[thewookie1]

I'll take this loss over most of the ones we've been subjected to this year. They fought tooth and nail from start to finish.

[PerreaultForever]

Not horrible. That wasn't Washington's A game though. They were coasting a little after their Boston game I think. 

Tokarski showed us why he's spent most of his career outside the NHL. 

Still, it's more fun to watch now then it was earlier in the year. 

[Crusader1969]

At least Ullmark is back on Sunday.   Assuming he isn’t traded 

 

 

 

[Marvin]

Irwin-Eakin-Reider looked more like an NHL line than anything with Hall and Staal playing together.

There is just more life in this team from more places in the line-up.  I don't get angry and depressed watching games any more.  It makes the night that much better.

[darksabre]

Mittelstadt's honesty about his maturity is really endearing. Kid seems to have turned a corner.

[sabresouth]

I hope this puts an end to the Tokarski is a good backup. Mitts, Tage, and Dahlin will be fun to watch next year. Much improved.

[LGR4GM]

36 minutes ago, darksabre said:

Mittelstadt's honesty about his maturity is really endearing. Kid seems to have turned a corner.

It's amazing. 

[Doohicksie]

1 hour ago, Nitro60 said:

They are serving notice that they will not be an easy mark.  You better be ready to play when you go head to head with the Sabres.  

I don't know if I'd go that far.  I'm sure the rest of the division views us as an easy mark.

1 hour ago, PerreaultForever said:

Tokarski showed us why he's spent most of his career outside the NHL. 

He's not good but he gives you better fight than any other goalie this year not named Ullmark.

[Nitro60]

49 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

I don't know if I'd go that far.  I'm sure the rest of the division views us as an easy mark.

He's not good but he gives you better fight than any other goalie this year not named Ullmark.

Disagree.   These young guys are showing energetic play.  When they were under RK and losing the opponent came it knowing it was an easy night.  Now they can not.  

[Kruppstahl]

I'm *still* not on the Mittelstadt bandwagon, but he wins me over a little bit more every game now.

His goal was wicked!  Goalie never moved.  Seriously fast/skilled set of hands there.

Much better than anything we saw from Hall this year, whose hands have looked like stone on many occasions. 

With better goaltending maybe we could have even won.

Watched the Caps broadcast and Craig Laughlin went out of his way to emphasize how much better the team looked relative to earlier in the year.

 

[GASabresIUFAN]

2 hours ago, darksabre said:

Mittelstadt's honesty about his maturity is really endearing. Kid seems to have turned a corner.

 

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

It's amazing. 

Why is this such a surprise?  This is an uber talented kid who got rushed to the NHL then got destroyed by an incompetent coach. Instead of hanging his head, he went to Rochester, worked hard, got real mentoring and coaching by Chris Taylor, who also fixed Tage Thompson, and by the end of his 39 games he was well on his way to being the two way force we are now watching emerge in the NHL.  The quotes from Taylor said this transformation had begun and that he was ready.  Now that Rasputin, who had no idea how to utilize his players, is gone is it really shocking that talented players like Tage, Mitts, and Dahlin are now playing toward their potential?

Sadly, it’s becoming abundantly clear that Rasputin wanted Taylor gone because Taylor challenged him and was a clear replacement when his own incompetence became apparent.  

Makes one wonder how much farther along Mitts and Thompson would be if they didn’t have RK as their coach. 

 

[dudacek]

Man if someone told be three years ago that in the spring of 2021 Casey Mittelstadt and Rasmus Dahlin would be driving our offence and making holy ***** plays every period, I would have said, of course — haven't you read the hype, they are two of the best prospects outside the NHL.

Three weeks ago on the other hand...

How could somebody coach Rasmus ***** Dahlin not to play like this? He is so ***** talented.

Dustin Tokarski learned how to play goalie from watching old Mario Lessard tapes on VHS.

Edited April 10, 2021 by dudacek

[LGR4GM]

6 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

 

Why is this such a surprise?  This is an uber talented kid who got rushed to the NHL then got destroyed by an incompetent coach. Instead of hanging his head, he went to Rochester, worked hard, got real mentoring and coaching by Chris Taylor, who also fixed Tage Thompson, and by the end of his 39 games he was well on his way to being the two way force we are now watching emerge in the NHL.  The quotes from Taylor said this transformation had begun and that he was ready.  Now that Rasputin, who had no idea how to utilize his players, is gone is it really shocking that talented players like Tage, Mitts, and Dahlin are now playing toward their potential?

Sadly, it’s becoming abundantly clear that Rasputin wanted Taylor gone because Taylor challenged him and was a clear replacement when his own incompetence became apparent.  

Makes one wonder how much farther along Mitts and Thompson would be if they didn’t have RK as their coach. 

 

Because he was a lazy immature turd for two years, trying to play high school showboat hockey and getting caved in every night. 

There's lists of guys with skill who wash out. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

2 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Because he was a lazy immature turd for two years, trying to play high school showboat hockey and getting caved in every night. 

There's lists of guys with skill who wash out. 

He certainly got caved, but was it immaturity or terrible coaching.  Calling him lazy is complete BS and you know it.  No one gets to this level by being lazy.  Immature possibly but not lazy.  After watching what RK did to Montour, Jokiharju, Dahlin, Skinner, Hall, Staal, Sheary, Vesey, Miller, Thompson and eventually Jack, are you really going to lay Mitts’ loss of confidence last year on Mitts being lazy?  

[Zamboni]

I’m not gonna name the poster (no need to, as it could be a lot of fans)  who said this, but I thought it was so knee jerk, so premature, so wrong that I had to copy it for future amusement for all 😂

said less than a year ago regarding a still developing Casey Mittelstadt ....

“Still think he's only worth a 4th round pick.  You find a GM that'll give you more, you jump on it.  He's garbage.  Watching him play against professional players in both the NHL and AHL has cemented my opinion.  He simply doesn't have what it takes to be a professional hockey player.”

“cemented opinion”

Not,  “I feel this way right now, but it could change” 😂

 

Mitts has proven, yes proven, a healthy chunk of “cemented opinions” dead wrong. And I for one, love it. Keep it up Mitts!

Edited April 10, 2021 by Zamboni

[Curt]

4 hours ago, darksabre said:

Mittelstadt's honesty about his maturity is really endearing. Kid seems to have turned a corner.

It was a brutally honest answer.  The vulnerability and openness that he showed there came across as very genuine.  That’s not easy.  It made me feel a little differently about him as a person.

[Curt]

7 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

 

Why is this such a surprise?  This is an uber talented kid who got rushed to the NHL then got destroyed by an incompetent coach. Instead of hanging his head, he went to Rochester, worked hard, got real mentoring and coaching by Chris Taylor, who also fixed Tage Thompson, and by the end of his 39 games he was well on his way to being the two way force we are now watching emerge in the NHL.  The quotes from Taylor said this transformation had begun and that he was ready.  Now that Rasputin, who had no idea how to utilize his players, is gone is it really shocking that talented players like Tage, Mitts, and Dahlin are now playing toward their potential?

Sadly, it’s becoming abundantly clear that Rasputin wanted Taylor gone because Taylor challenged him and was a clear replacement when his own incompetence became apparent.  

Makes one wonder how much farther along Mitts and Thompson would be if they didn’t have RK as their coach. 

 

 

6 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

He certainly got caved, but was it immaturity or terrible coaching.  Calling him lazy is complete BS and you know it.  No one gets to this level by being lazy.  Immature possibly but not lazy.  After watching what RK did to Montour, Jokiharju, Dahlin, Skinner, Hall, Staal, Sheary, Vesey, Miller, Thompson and eventually Jack, are you really going to lay Mitts’ loss of confidence last year on Mitts being lazy?  

Lazy may be a slightly harsh word, but did you listen to Mittelstadt’s post game?

https://www.nhl.com/sabres/video/casey-mittelstadt-postgame-4921/t-277437090/c-8032007

Edited April 10, 2021 by Curt

[Weave]

What stuck out to me regarding Mittlestadt's goal is he was in tight to score it.  We don't have enough players that go there.  He ducked behind all the traffic and got way inside to score that goal.  Good for him.  Not enough Sabres go there.

[steveoath]

Him and Tage seemed willing to go netfront last night (albeit I only saw highlights so may be wrong).