Carrying 3 goalies - Should they keep 3, send UPL down or move someone else?

[Eleven]

12 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Nonsense.   No, it isn't.  It's identity for over a decade is unfortunately losing.   

At one time with Hasek, goaltending was the identity.    Maybe with Miller too.  They also had an era with an identity of hard work and fighting too (Ted Nolan, May, Ray, Barnaby, etc).  

If anything, their overall identity is scoring, skill, and skating - Perreault, Martin, Robert, Turgeon, Andreychuck, Housley, LaFontaine, Mogilny, Hawerchuck, plus the Briere/Conolly/Vanek "scary good" era with Miller. 

Skip the Eiche//Reinhart tank era - that was part of the losing era.   

The kids of today are forging another era of high skill, speed, and scoring.  The team's identity now is still forming but it will revolve around speed and skill.   Look at the roster, how can the identity be goaltending when they don't have a clear #1 yet?  

 

I don't want to distract too much from the point of this thread, but you are neglecting four other Vezina winners (three as Sabres), two Calder winners (one as a Sabre), Desjardins (who would have excelled if not for the eye injury) and just about the rest of Sabres history before the current misery.  This team has ALWAYS been known for goaltending.  Even Ullmark was a Sabre.

Edited January 24, 2023 by Eleven

[Norcal]

Is it possible Comrie is working through some mental or physical aspects of his game behind the scenes and trying to get right before he plays again? 

He hasn't met expectations yet, this season, but I don't think he's a lost cause. 

[Pimlach]

6 minutes ago, Eleven said:

I don't want to distract too much from the point of this thread, but you are neglecting four other Vezina winners (three as Sabres), two Calder winners (one as a Sabre), Desjardins (who would have excelled if not for the eye injury) and just about the rest of Sabres history before the current misery.  This team has ALWAYS been known for goaltending.  Even Ullmark was a Sabre.

Sure, I am aware of Sauve, Edwards and Barasso   We have had mostly great goaltending right up until Miller was traded.   

In our first SC loss, Bernie Parent was the MVP of the series for Philly and was the standard for best goalie in the league.  We played both Crozier and Desjardins in the playoffs.  With Crozier hurt/sick most of the regular season goaltending was a trouble spot, leading to the late season acquisition of Desjardins for playoff reinforcement.  

Hasek was the best in the league during his time in Buffalo, no doubt.  Ironically, in Hasek's one SC appearance with Buffalo, the MVP went to his counterpart for Dallas, Ed Belfour.  Belfour gave up only 9 goals in 6 games (including 4 OT periods).   Hasek was also great in that series, and he the reason we were there to begin with.   

In both of the SC finals series in the Sabres history, they were stymied by insanely good goaltending.  

[Taro T]

3 hours ago, dudacek said:

If you’re arguing  Comrie needs to be starting once every 3 or 4 games instead of Anderson, I understand the argument.

I think Comrie’s contract and track record mean he is almost guaranteed to start next season as the backup whether he plays a dozen games down the stretch or 3, so I don’t think it matters much, but I get where you are coming from.

It’s anyone arguing that he needs to get starts ahead of UPL right now that I don’t understand.

UPL is auditioning for the starter’s job next year right now and until he drops the ball, it is much more important to see whether he can continue to carry it than see what the other guy can do.

Nobody is arguing he should be starting ahead of UPL.

The argument is he should be starting ahead of Anderson.  And admittedly the calculus likely changed after last night's effort.

But, the message out of Seymour H. Knox Place has been that they aren't going to prioritize a single win or even a couple over consistent winning LT.  How is playing the goalie that has no future in Buffalo, who also was between the pipes for losses to the Otters, Phlyers, & Hawks in the last 3 weeks more beneficial to the LT well being of the franchise than finding out wtf they have in Comrie who IS under contract next year & could literally be anything from the goalie that played for Winnipeg last year to the goalie that was between the pipes for a significant portion of the 8 game losing streak to anything in between.

Yes Anderson's #'s on the season are good but prior to last night he had 2 bad games in a row and wasn't exactly stellar against the Otters either though his #'s were good that game.

Thing is, Granato seems to know the pulse of his team very well & he & Bales chose Anderson last night who from the outside didn't look too good but they were right in their decision in hindsight.  But they need to get to a point where they give Comrie a start or 3 (to UPL's 6 or 7) to make sure the lofty expectations of next season & beyond can actually be met.

[Doohicksie]

 

[Doohicksie]

Anyone who says we have a problem with three quality goalies on the roster has already forgotten the goalie carousel of the last two seasons.

[Pimlach]

10 hours ago, Doohickie said:

Anyone who says we have a problem with three quality goalies on the roster has already forgotten the goalie carousel of the last two seasons.

Agree.  We are fine with 3 right now as long as UPL gets the majority of the work.  
 

I thought Comrie did fine, made big stops early.  He is small and he leaves a lot to shoot at on top.  

Edited January 27, 2023 by Pimlach

[nfreeman]

FWIW:  UPL is 12-3 in his last 15 starts.  That's pretty impressive, regardless of how much run support he's gotten.

[Night Train]

Anderson is near the end but in his spot starts, he's been so darn good. 

For the rest of the year, this seems to work. Healthy scratches every night. If one is a goalie, so be it. UPL will still start the majority of games. 

Yet if the Sabres do surprise and grab a playoff spot, I'm betting you see a healthy dose of Anderson. 

 

 

[Doohicksie]

1 hour ago, Night Train said:

Anderson is near the end but in his spot starts, he's been so darn good. 

For the rest of the year, this seems to work. Healthy scratches every night. If one is a goalie, so be it. UPL will still start the majority of games. 

Yet if the Sabres do surprise and grab a playoff spot, I'm betting you see a healthy dose of Anderson.

Don't count Comrie out though.  His SV% isn't that high but remember he took a chunk of the losing streak and the Sabres were pretty horrid at that point... then the injury.  The Sabres have the luxury of bringing him slowly back into service and I'm hoping that by the end of the season he is 1B to UPL's 1A and both are playing well, relegating Andy to bench coach status (with the occasional spot start).

If the Sabres get to the playoffs, when they are finally defeated there will no doubt be a criticism of goalie usage.  It's inevitable.  So if Donny doesn't want to face that he's gonna have to win it all.  😉

[freester]

Any possibility they would trade Anderson at the deadline to a contender?

[Marvin]

32 minutes ago, freester said:

Any possibility they would trade Anderson at the deadline to a contender?

I think that's up to him.

[Pimlach]

40 minutes ago, freester said:

Any possibility they would trade Anderson at the deadline to a contender?

We are a contender.  At least we are right now.   

[Marvin]

23 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

We are a contender.  At least we are right now.   

Correct.  We are beating good teams in their rinks.  We are not one of the league's elite, but we are good enough to be considered a dark horse.

[Doohicksie]

1 hour ago, Marvin said:

I think that's up to him.

And given the choice I think he stays with the Sabres.  He made that choice last season; don't expect anything different now.

Same, by the way, with Okposo.  If he had a chance to go to a SC favorite I think he'd rather play in a more modest playoff run with the Sabres with the C on his shoulder.

[Eleven]

2 hours ago, freester said:

Any possibility they would trade Anderson at the deadline to a contender?

 

1 hour ago, Pimlach said:

We are a contender.  At least we are right now.   

Whether the Sabres are contenders or not, I doubt they pass the trade deadline with all three.  It would be silly to do so.  Some team will have a goalie go down, and some team will need one of Anderson or Comrie.  Thus, again, the need to see whether Comrie can be part of the future.  Anderson won't be.

Edited January 27, 2023 by Eleven

[French Collection]

1 hour ago, Marvin said:

Correct.  We are beating good teams in their rinks.  We are not one of the league's elite, but we are good enough to be considered a dark horse.

The Workhorse from Whitehorse leading the dark horse team in the playoff race.

[Taro T]

3 minutes ago, French Collection said:

The Workhorse from Whitehorse leading the dark horse team in the playoff race.

Well, 1999 WAS 24 years ago. 😉