GDT:The Season Opener! Montreal at Buffalo 10/14/21 7pm MSG, WGR550

[PromoTheRobot]

17 minutes ago, Marvin, Sabres Fan said:

I could handle 81 more games with that effort.  That type of game is worth spending money on.

Just 81?

17 minutes ago, Gatorman0519 said:

Is Granato the nhl version of McDermott? 

Why wouldn't you apply the Bills family concept to your hockey team?

[SDS]

3 minutes ago, Scottysabres said:

Ah, but was he forced to play a conservative east/west style due to coaching or was it by his own choices? 

A loaded counter-question of course, because we'll most likely never know the full story I guess.

We drafted the guy in 2015. He’s played a lot of games. I don’t ever recall him playing a single game in that time where he push the pace of the game with his speed. I’ve read the comments here for years. No one is denying the talent, but I never have seen him play a game like the one we just played.

[Cheektorado]

1 minute ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Just 81?

You mean a team can play more than 82 games?  It's been so long I forgot.

[Marvin]

1 minute ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Just 81?

If there are more than 81 like that this year, I will camp out for playoff tickets.

[PromoTheRobot]

13 minutes ago, SDS said:

Here’s a provocative question… Does anyone see how Jack Eichel’s play fits into the style we just watched?

Him on a couch watching it on TV.

[Thorner]

3 minutes ago, SDS said:

We drafted the guy in 2015. He’s played a lot of games. I don’t ever recall him playing a single game in that time where he push the pace of the game with his speed. I’ve read the comments here for years. No one is denying the talent, but I never have seen him play a game like the one we just played.

2019-20 happened.

[Marvin]

1 minute ago, SDS said:

We drafted the guy in 2015. He’s played a lot of games. I don’t ever recall him playing a single game in that time where he push the pace of the game with his speed. I’ve read the comments here for years. No one is denying the talent, but I never have seen him play a game like the one we just played.

He only had 1 coach whose system resembled the one we saw tonight.  And those teams had at least 1 line and 1 defence pairing of dead weight.  This time might have a lot of marginal NHLers, but at least they are NHLers.

[Eichless21]

Why is it that Craig Anderson reminds me of Ryan Miller in this interview🤨

[Digger]

4 minutes ago, SDS said:

We drafted the guy in 2015. He’s played a lot of games. I don’t ever recall him playing a single game in that time where he push the pace of the game with his speed. I’ve read the comments here for years. No one is denying the talent, but I never have seen him play a game like the one we just played.

Are you not going to give Granato some credit for the style of play tonight?

[SDS]

Just now, Thorny said:

2019-20 happened.

I’m not denying the year he had. I’m asking how his style of play fits into what we saw tonight. This is completely different.

[K-9]

Just now, Eichless21 said:

Why is it that Craig Anderson reminds me of Ryan Miller in this interview🤨

It’s the wisdom on display.

[SDS]

Just now, Digger said:

Are you not going to give Granato some credit for the style of play tonight?

I don’t even know why you would ask that. 

[Thorner]

Just now, SDS said:

I’m not denying the year he had. I’m asking how his style of play fits into what we saw tonight. This is completely different.

Was having more fun just reading along on that front. Carry on. 

[Trettioåtta]

Meanwhile Hutton let in eight goals. Sub .700 save percentage 

[Thorner]

5 minutes ago, SDS said:

I’m not denying the year he had. I’m asking how his style of play fits into what we saw tonight. This is completely different.

He had games that year he pushed the pace with his speed and power. Very much so. It was much more occasional that he would do that, in seasons prior to that one. I think Eichel could probably fit in this system because he's certainly showcased the ability *to* play that game, even if he didn't do it enough: to bridge the rest of the gap would be what Granato is for, right?

Sam would be able to fit too. Of course he would. Sam can play fast enough cause he's smart enough. There's always "room on the Sabres" for those talents if they are committed. Say what you want about Jack now but he certainly was in years previous. Sam too. 

Edited October 15, 2021 by Thorny

[SDS]

4 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Was having more fun just reading along on that front. Carry on. 

I’m just asking a serious question. In no way shape or form am I denying his speed (when he chooses to use it), his puck protection, his vision, his passing, his shot, etc.… 

I also have a terrible memory. If people say he’s a relentless forechecker and someone who hounds the puck like what we just saw. I’ll gladly accept it.

[Digger]

1 minute ago, SDS said:

I don’t even know why you would ask that. 

Because you are suggesting that Eichel could not play tonight's style of hockey (at least that's how I read your post) and Eichel never was coached or played under Granato for the Sabres.  That's the reason that I think Eichel would play very well in Granato's system.

[Figster]

17 minutes ago, Cheektorado said:

It was his team for a good while.  If he wanted to play this style he could of attempted to.  I just think he fits a different scheme.

Like SDS mentioned, Jack is fast.  You guys might be right , but under Granato Jack might be a different player IMO. I just wish we would let Jack have his surgery the way he wants. So maybe by some miracle he stills wants to play for the Sabres again one day. Hes injured goods right now and not worth much in a trade.  Stalemate accomplishes nothing.

Good win, hate to have the whole season over shadowed by this ...

Edited October 15, 2021 by Figster

[Thorner]

2 minutes ago, SDS said:

I’m just asking a serious question. In no way shape or form am I denying his speed (when he chooses to use it), his puck protection, his vision, his passing, his shot, etc.… 

I also have a terrible memory. If people say he’s a relentless forechecker and someone who hounds the puck like what we just saw. I’ll gladly accept it.

I think what people forget most about 19-20 was his hustle in the neutral zone on the backcheck 

[Cheektorado]

1 minute ago, Figster said:

Like SDS mentioned, Jack is fast.  You guys might be right , but under Granato Jack might be a different player IMO. I just wish we would let Jack have his surgery they way he wants. So maybe by some miracle he stills wants to play for the Sabres again one day. Hes injured goods right now and not worth much in a trade.  Stalemate accomplishes nothing.

Good win, hate to have the whole season over shadowed by this ...

This type of stuff is going to be discussed and argued about for years.  Jack wants to move on and I agree with him that he should.

I am not going to look backwards.  A lot of this stuff is a "chicken and egg" situation with no answer ever being completely known.

Granato had the team playing great for this game and I'm only interested in the next one.  I enjoyed it.  

[bunomatic]

Wow 29 pages. Enjoyed the heck out of that game. Thank you team.

[PerreaultForever]

Well that was a pleasant surprise. and I hate Montreal so double bonus pleasure. 

I'm not sure how to word this but the thing that struck me the most was a sort of uniformity and continuity on the team. I've often said in the past they looked like a bunch of individuals playing different ways and there was messy discontinuity and sloppy mistakes, and although there were a few mistakes here too, overall it was solid fundamentally sound team play. Very different for Buffalo but maybe there is an upside to no star power after all. 

I suppose it speaks to good coaching, or maybe it's just we finally have a young no name group that listens to their coaches. idk, but whatever it is, it's a more solid way to build on than I expected. See where this goes. 

[Stoner]

6 minutes ago, Thorny said:

I think what people forget most about 19-20 was his hustle in the neutral zone on the backcheck 

You want to defend him, but the fact you cite one season is pretty damning.

[JohnC]

4 minutes ago, Thorny said:

I think what people forget most about 19-20 was his hustle in the neutral zone on the backcheck 

It's remarkable how quickly people forget how talented Jack is. He is one of the fastest and most powerful skaters in the league. And when healthy he is a top 15 talent in this league. Anyone who doesn't believe that a healthy Jack doesn't fit in with a Granato coached team is allowing their personal feelings to cloud their objectivity for Jack. 

[SDS]

7 minutes ago, Thorny said:

I think what people forget most about 19-20 was his hustle in the neutral zone on the backcheck 

Maybe. He did have an MVP like season. I just have a picture of him in my head and how he’s played over the years and it just looks different than what I saw tonight.