GDT: Sabres vs (Fish Stick) Islanders, 1/19/23, 7pm, ESPN+ and MSG. Ryan Miller ceremony 6pm

[Doohicksie]

Twins separated at birth?

 

[Doohicksie]

2 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

Rasmus Dahlin: F**k it, Dylan down there somewhere.

 

I just noticed... we got a Ryan Miller WTF Wave out of Sorokin at the end.  😄

[Doohicksie]

2 hours ago, TageMVP said:

UPL is our starting goalie. Unquestionably 

 

2 hours ago, Pimlach said:

Holding them to 2 goals.  Luke’s best game so far.  He could be our 1. 

 

2 hours ago, JohnC said:

Dahlin made a great pass to Cozens. What added to the play to make it even more spectacular is the way Cozens was able to corral the pass and then shoot it in. Cozens is definitely emerging as a player. Another player who seems to get better every game is Power. He's good now and will soon be a special player. 

Yes, the way he swatted that puck out of mid air to settle it down AND quickly get the shot off was nothing short of amazing.

[Doohicksie]

2 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

 

2 hours ago, French Collection said:

Cozens also won the draw to gain possession.

I've noticed he's becoming the "Big Draw" guy.

[Doohicksie]

1 hour ago, JohnC said:

After the extraordinary Dahlin pass in OT, I thought the Mitt's pass to Olofsson for a score was the second-best pass in the game. 

Yes, I thought the Mitts pass was a remarkable pass too.

[Doohicksie]

59 minutes ago, matter2003 said:

The two 24's together in the locker room post game.

 

 

 

This picture just warms my heart.

[Doohicksie]

1 hour ago, Doohickie said:

JOST.  Jost brings out the best in both Ollie and Mitts.  Claiming him was a masterstroke.

Then again.... is Tuch the Mitts whisperer?

 

[Doohicksie]

 

[Taro T]

Just got home, expect a lot of this was covered earlier but ...

The Sabres are getting better at these ceremonies.  This one was well done.  But, the concourses were CRAZY crowded after the ceremony prior to the teams finally starting warm-ups.  Liked RJ getting the only chair w/ arms.  The speeches were good.  But, not sure if it was shown on TV, it was on the jumbotron, there was a bittersweet moment when Miller mentioned the Pegulas including Kim & the kids and the camera switched to Terry's face.  You could see how much it pained him that she couldn't be there.  It was only on screen for a moment, but it there.

To the game.  What a crazy 1st period.  The Sabres outshot them 19-5, Mittelstadt hit the post on his 1st or 2nd shift and the goal judge turned the light on about 5 seconds after the shot, so it was close w/ the bouncing & all; but after all they they ended up down 1-0, should've been down 2-0 but for an incredible toe save, & could've been down 3-0 on an Aisles bouncer.  5 shots on goal against & 3 were true grade A bona-fide scoring chances.

After tying it in the 2nd the Sabres let another uncovered player bury a puck into an open net.

But then in the 3rd period, a thing of beauty occurred.  No, not the Olofsson goal, though the feed & snipe were sweet.  (Not even talking the prettier pass by Dahlin & great finish by Cozens.)  Talking about the defensemen clearing the crease ALL the 3rd period long.  They couldn't have cared less that Aisles were setting up on the edge of UPL's crease on the 1st 2 periods, but in the 3rd there were exactly 2 times (not counting rushes off turnovers) where an Aisle got to the front of the net w/out a Sabre draped on him & both of those were due to a failed breakout where Dahlin started to step up to join the non-existant rush.  They were pushing Aisles out of the lanes & UPL could see everything & there was nobody to get a rebound shot on him.

For those saying the Sabres can't play D, they're wrong.  They CAN (who knew?), it's just for some reason they usually don't.  And interesting IMHO that the Sabres decided to do so against one of the very few teams the 80's Eulers actually played defense against.  Most everybody tried to outscore them & it couldn't really be done effectively, they were too fast, deep, & skilled.  But the Aisles were one of the few that could skate w/ them and win battles.  The Eulers lost badly to them in '83.  After that, they bore down against them or whatever Eastern opponent they met in the Finals.  Because they weren't beat up like the team surviving the east was, it worked all 5 times they reached the finals over 7 years. 

Been wondering for a while if that was part of Granato's & Adams' plan.  Beat most everybody by outscoring them.  But against the teams that can take it away from Buffalo, play that same hard nosed game and beat then at their own game.  Keep yourselves healthy by playing loose goosey against the teams you can beat that way & bear down against the ones you must.  (I.e., don't beat yourselves up any more than you have to.  And also don't block every shot possible - don't break your foot, ankle, or hand if you don't need to do so.  The Eulers stayed healthy that way.  The '06 Canes didn't play that way but won a Stanley Cup by staying healthy when none of their opponents could.  (Except maybe Joisey, can't recall if they had major injuries or not,)

[Brawndo]

I’m in Anaheim right now, the only thing I’ll say is 

 

[Thorner]

I’ve seen more images of Derek Roy in the last 2 pages of this thread than I had in the rest of my life before that 

[PerreaultForever]

I think a game like this shows you who the true emotional leaders are on this club, and those are the people it needs to keep building around. 

If Cozens, Tuch and Dahlin are not wearing the letters next year this team truly is clueless. 

[dudacek]

Sabres score only 3, still win? Hmm…

If UPL finishes the year 25/12/4 is everyone crossing “starting goalie” off the summer shopping list? He’s pacing that way.

Ryan Miller makes me proud to be a Sabre fan.

Edited January 20, 2023 by dudacek

[bob_sauve28]

If the Islanders didn't have Sorokin they would be the last placed team 

[Believer]

6 hours ago, Doohickie said:

This picture just warms my heart.

Smart of DG to seat Cozens between Girgensons and Skinner… Soak it up, kid

[nucci]

1 hour ago, bob_sauve28 said:

If the Islanders didn't have Sorokin they would be the last placed team 

but they do have him.

[LTS]

7 hours ago, Taro T said:

Just got home, expect a lot of this was covered earlier but ...

The Sabres are getting better at these ceremonies.  This one was well done.  But, the concourses were CRAZY crowded after the ceremony prior to the teams finally starting warm-ups.  Liked RJ getting the only chair w/ arms.  The speeches were good.  But, not sure if it was shown on TV, it was on the jumbotron, there was a bittersweet moment when Miller mentioned the Pegulas including Kim & the kids and the camera switched to Terry's face.  You could see how much it pained him that she couldn't be there.  It was only on screen for a moment, but it there.

To the game.  What a crazy 1st period.  The Sabres outshot them 19-5, Mittelstadt hit the post on his 1st or 2nd shift and the goal judge turned the light on about 5 seconds after the shot, so it was close w/ the bouncing & all; but after all they they ended up down 1-0, should've been down 2-0 but for an incredible toe save, & could've been down 3-0 on an Aisles bouncer.  5 shots on goal against & 3 were true grade A bona-fide scoring chances.

After tying it in the 2nd the Sabres let another uncovered player bury a puck into an open net.

But then in the 3rd period, a thing of beauty occurred.  No, not the Olofsson goal, though the feed & snipe were sweet.  (Not even talking the prettier pass by Dahlin & great finish by Cozens.)  Talking about the defensemen clearing the crease ALL the 3rd period long.  They couldn't have cared less that Aisles were setting up on the edge of UPL's crease on the 1st 2 periods, but in the 3rd there were exactly 2 times (not counting rushes off turnovers) where an Aisle got to the front of the net w/out a Sabre draped on him & both of those were due to a failed breakout where Dahlin started to step up to join the non-existant rush.  They were pushing Aisles out of the lanes & UPL could see everything & there was nobody to get a rebound shot on him.

For those saying the Sabres can't play D, they're wrong.  They CAN (who knew?), it's just for some reason they usually don't.  And interesting IMHO that the Sabres decided to do so against one of the very few teams the 80's Eulers actually played defense against.  Most everybody tried to outscore them & it couldn't really be done effectively, they were too fast, deep, & skilled.  But the Aisles were one of the few that could skate w/ them and win battles.  The Eulers lost badly to them in '83.  After that, they bore down against them or whatever Eastern opponent they met in the Finals.  Because they weren't beat up like the team surviving the east was, it worked all 5 times they reached the finals over 7 years. 

Been wondering for a while if that was part of Granato's & Adams' plan.  Beat most everybody by outscoring them.  But against the teams that can take it away from Buffalo, play that same hard nosed game and beat then at their own game.  Keep yourselves healthy by playing loose goosey against the teams you can beat that way & bear down against the ones you must.  (I.e., don't beat yourselves up any more than you have to.  And also don't block every shot possible - don't break your foot, ankle, or hand if you don't need to do so.  The Eulers stayed healthy that way.  The '06 Canes didn't play that way but won a Stanley Cup by staying healthy when none of their opponents could.  (Except maybe Joisey, can't recall if they had major injuries or not,)

I did not watch the game last night but it's good to hear they were clearing the crease in at least one period. Before I'll buy into the theories you've posited I will need to see them do it against a team that didn't play the night before. I would expect a team on back to backs to lack a certain energy level by the end of the game.

But, in order to clear the crease against even tired opponents you have to adopt that strategy and so it's good to hear they were doing it. Hopefully it continues. Hopefully whatever motivation they used last night is something they can channel repeatedly. They need to find that way.

 

[matter2003]

10 hours ago, TageMVP said:

What you said was incorrect though lol 

On another note 

UPL is our starting goalie. Unquestionably 

What a monumental save at the end of regulation 

He definitely has raised his game and taken it to another level. Maybe two levels since the first few games here.

[French Collection]

The Islanders shadowed TNT closely last night. Pageant or Cizikas were on him a lot.

He’s got to figure out how to change his approach to create space for his linemates, so the opponent will get in trouble whether Tage touches the puck or not. 

He can draw his man into another defender’s space to act as a double sized pick.

The defense, Dahlin or Power, should exploit the time an space created by TNT’s coverage.

He can use the give and go a lot more instead of trying to dangle through coverage.

Or, he can start physically punishing his shadow by using his size.

He had a pretty good game but I’m seeing him revert to too much toe dragging.

[That Aud Smell]

Checking in after attending last night.

The Miller ceremony was very well done - full marks to PSE. Miller spoke for a little over 15 minutes -- I had forgotten what a flat affect he generally has. Not unpleasant, mind you. Just presents as chill and mild.

A couple of things about the ceremony, one serious and one lulzy:

(1) There's saying "mental health matters," retweeting the content from Bell in order to raise money for the It's Okay Not To Be Okay cause, and then there's inviting your shrink to attend the ceremony where your number is being retired. I can't  readily find a reference to her online, but her role in his career and life was unmistakable when Miller thanked her. That was moving to me. I love the guy that much more for having done that.

(2) 

I sorta hate myself for including that content, as I'm not comfortable with the IR jokes at Connolly's expense. That said, it was such a weird moment when the camera shot to him already seated when they announced his name. There he was chawing on a wad of gum, looking sorta surly and sour, like he was ready to ***** (the filtered word is s.natch (c'mon)) a late-night steak sandwich right off someone's plate at Mother's and eat half of it in one bite. Did he refuse to walk out to his name being announced? Did he not listen to directions? I have questions.

EDIT: Holy spit. I JUST noticed that he had crutches. That explains the early walkout! That much funnier now.

Edited January 20, 2023 by That Aud Smell

[That Aud Smell]

As for the game: It's just the eyeball test, but good lord did the Sabres dominate that game. There were several times when the crowd would cheer a line change that was occurring while possession was being maintained or would loudly cheer a line that was coming off the ice after a strong shift. Buffalo hockey fans are real ones.

Strangely, it seemed like, when the Islanders did have possession in the Sabres' zone, they were always on the verge of scoring -- it just seemed perilous. Some of that has to do with UPL, I think. He's still got a little cah-razy in his game. I'd like to see him calm down a bit, become more economical and measured with his movement. 

On the other hand: That save UPL made at the end of the third was ginormous. The crowd went berzerk.

One last crowd comment: From the second period onward, the crowd was regularly continuing to sing along - pretty loudly - to the song that had been playing during a TV timeout. "I Want It That Way," "Take On Me," and ... whatever that Avalanche song is. That was the best atmosphere I've experienced at a Sabres game in a long, long time. I'd probably have to go back to the 2006 playoffs to find a better one.

Edited January 20, 2023 by That Aud Smell

[nfreeman]

6 hours ago, Thorny said:

I’ve seen more images of Derek Roy in the last 2 pages of this thread than I had in the rest of my life before that 

Are you saying that @Doohickie should consolidate his posts so he doesn’t take over 90% of the thread?

 

37 minutes ago, French Collection said:

The Islanders shadowed TNT closely last night. Pageant or Cizikas were on him a lot.

He’s got to figure out how to change his approach to create space for his linemates, so the opponent will get in trouble whether Tage touches the puck or not. 

He can draw his man into another defender’s space to act as a double sized pick.

The defense, Dahlin or Power, should exploit the time an space created by TNT’s coverage.

He can use the give and go a lot more instead of trying to dangle through coverage.

Or, he can start physically punishing his shadow by using his size.

He had a pretty good game but I’m seeing him revert to too much toe dragging.

I generally agree but would point out that TT did exactly this and made a great pass to Skinner, setting him up all alone in the slot with about 3 minutes left for what could’ve been the GWG.  Unfortunately Skinner missed but it was a great draw-the-D-and-dish by TT.  
 

Separately:  every now and then this team does something wonderful, like coming back for a thrilling win on Ryan Miller night.  It reminds us why we’re here and why we care.

Go Sabres.  

[That Aud Smell]

57 minutes ago, French Collection said:

The Islanders shadowed TNT closely last night. Pageant or Cizikas were on him a lot.

He’s got to figure out how to change his approach to create space for his linemates, so the opponent will get in trouble whether Tage touches the puck or not. 

He can draw his man into another defender’s space to act as a double sized pick.

The defense, Dahlin or Power, should exploit the time an space created by TNT’s coverage.

He can use the give and go a lot more instead of trying to dangle through coverage.

Or, he can start physically punishing his shadow by using his size.

He had a pretty good game but I’m seeing him revert to too much toe dragging.

More in-arena eyeballing: The Thompson line generally kicked the snot out of whoever the Islanders sent over the boards against them. They did concede that second goal (not sure which of the forwards blew that assignment), but, on balance, they dominated.

[LGR4GM]

NHL Scoring

7. Tage

22. Dahlin

28. Tuch

40. Skinner

50. Cozens

Now just imagine next year when JJP and Quinn aren't rookies. We might get 7 in the top 100. I excluded Power because I think he will get points but he isn't Dahlin. 

10 hours ago, Doohickie said:

Twins separated at birth?

 

Hey! I am glad someone got that as an avatar... profile pic? Whatever we call them. 

[bg17]

Sorry if already posted. The negative image of the long pass is something to see.