GDT: 1/23/2023 🏒 Buffalo Sabres @ Dallas Stars 8:30 pm ET, MSG & WGR

[WhenWillItEnd66]

i thought all around, it was one of the better games as a whole that the team has played. The played quick and made superfast decisions and kept the Stars on their heels most of the night. Anderson was out of his mind and tuned in! Using Tage as a decoy is the smartest thing we can do since it definitely opens up other players, like Power last night. Lets see if we can do that again tonight!!! 😀

[Stoner]

2 hours ago, Sabres Fan in NS said:

POWER !!

Awesome time for his first of the year.

My feed is just terrible ... sssssssssssssssllllllllllllllllllllllloooooooooooooooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww ..........

Put on CNN! They're saying Bubba got some action in the Oval!

[K-9]

12 minutes ago, SwampD said:

Do you listen to the radio?

Parts of it. Which is sometimes necessary. It’s amusing to later watch the highlights of the plays I had to listen to previously and see how much of what I heard differed from what I actually saw later on. 

[Taro T]

11 hours ago, ... said:

Perfect time to trade him!

Sell low, buy high.  Pretty sure Tim Murray has that embroidered on his pillows.  😉

[inkman]

Finally got around to listening to post game.  They need to put Paul Hamilton out of his misery.  He just whines and complains the whole time.  Barely has any insight and often misses big story lines.  

[LGR4GM]

14 minutes ago, inkman said:

Finally got around to listening to post game.  They need to put Paul Hamilton out of his misery.  He just whines and complains the whole time.  Barely has any insight and often misses big story lines.  

Duffer is infinitely better

[SwampD]

12 minutes ago, K-9 said:

Parts of it. Which is sometimes necessary. It’s amusing to later watch the highlights of the plays I had to listen to previously and see how much of what I heard differed from what I actually saw later on. 

I think Dan is a pretty good TV PBP guy. Certainly no where near the bottom or needing to be replaced.

I do agree that he is no radio PBP guy, though. I also agree that the Sabres need a radio guy in addition to Dan. They were lucky to have RJ for as long as they did, and even RJ wasn’t the RJ that we all have in our memories.

 

[Taro T]

9 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

I think they call it willful ignorance.  

No one is arguing that had a lousy start of the season, but since Mitts moved to wing with Jost taking over at center, that lines has been our second best line.  VO has scored in 9 in his last 10 games and Casey has 8 assists in those same games and according to Marty Biron they are all primary assists. 

One was a 2ndary assist.  The play a couple of games back where he freed the puck along the boards that Jost then skated it to the netfront & passed it to Olofsson at the far side of the crease for the 1 timer.

Pretty much everything else he has an assist on since Jost joined the line is a primary as well.

The majority of his assist prior to the line reforming were primaries as well but were coming on the PP.  The Mitts VO Asplund-Krebs-Hinostroza-Other line was not scoring much at 5v5.  And they didn't score much the 1st ~6 games w/Jost.  But since Detroit (or maybe the game before that) the line has been very effective.

[Taro T]

9 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Also Mitts and VO’s return to good hockey couldn’t have come at a better time.  JJP has only 3 assists in his last 15 games while Quinn has a goal and an assist in his last 15, with both occurring in the Nashville game. I’d say the kids have hit the rookie wall.  

And there is a bit of a yin & yang to their results.  When Mittelstadt & Olofsson were getting blown up as 2/3's of the 2nd line, the Kids Line was running wild.  Since the lines flipped, so have the results.  (Although the kids ran on adrenaline for ~4 games after getting bumped up a line.)

If the Jost line can keep playing like this to the AS break wouldn't be at all surprised to see the lines flip back.  That line is more veteran than the Kid Line and are playing w/ confidence.  They likely won't get destroyed like earlier in the year if flipped though they'll likely not continue as a GAG line but it could get the kids really rolling again.

Edited January 24, 2023 by Taro T

[Taro T]

5 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

Dunleavy has gotten better.

 

Since being put on Jost's wing he's been pretty solid. 

Took a few game for them to jell, but they have been effective post Christmas.

[Taro T]

3 hours ago, FrenchConnection44 said:

The way teams are figuring out to play the Sabres is to just forecheck the heck out of them. Dallas did that quite well. We really have trouble getting free from that and clearing the zone. And we have to cut down on the turnovers. 
 

Talent wise, whether it happens this year or in the off season, along with another strong defenseman with size who can skate; and it really could use a physical, two-way forward, with size, who can score, forecheck, and play defense. If we added those two spots and if the rest of the team developed as expected … this team could be a genuine contender in another 1-2 yrs. 

I like the centers - still young and developing. And a few on the way.  

Dallas did forecheck the heck out of the Sabres, particularly in the 1st 1/2 of the 1st.  But that is a difficult thing to do for long and after Anderson weathered the storm (let's face it, he weathered it, not the Sabres, they barely survived it) the Sabres evened the play and even had the edge in play slightly from then on.

Really expect the 2 middle lines to be improved next year as the kids mature and the Jost line continues to gain chemistry.  Also expect Power to be significantly better and Lyubushkin to be better as he gets comfortable w/ what he's asked to do & hopefully stays healthy.  Get 1 more Lyubushkin (or better) defensive D-man  & a lot of the improvement your looking for will be here organically.

The top line doesn't have much more to give as they are pretty much at their ceilings in their prime, but Krebs will be better too.  Okposo & Girgensons (if both are back) could take steps back, but they're towards the end of the line & won't lose much defensively.

So, a lot of the improvement your looking for will happen with minimal moves as half of the team will be better just by being 1 year closer to their primes.

Edit, and upon further review, guess we're on the same page but expect Cozens or other will become that power forward you're looking for.

Edited January 24, 2023 by Taro T

[dudacek]

4 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Dallas did forecheck the heck out of the Sabres, particularly in the 1st 1/2 of the 1st.  But that is a difficult thing to do for long and after Anderson weathered the storm (let's face it, he weathered it, not the Sabres, they barely survived it) the Sabres evened the play and even had the edge in play slightly from then on.

 

I felt that a lot of the Sabre issues early were more due to their incompetence than the Stars' forecheck.

The passing was way off and they just weren't executing the plays they usually execute routinely.

Donnie was worried pre-game that the fact they had the day off was going to hurt their start but he thought that overall they needed the rest more than the warm-up.

Fortunately, Anderson weathered the early issues and it ultimately proved to be the right call.

[Taro T]

2 hours ago, Pimlach said:

Yeah,  The kids were a bit overwhelmed versus Dallas. Peterka had some offensive zone chances, Quinn was not doing much.  I watched Quail bail out of the forecheck and quickly get back on defense a few shifts - so he was trying hard to be responsible.   Which was smart actually.  

Cozens is having an amazing year considering he has to carry these two for 9-10 minutes a night at ES.  DG uses Cozens more in the 3rd period.  Last night he put him with 17-71 and also with 21-28 to get him more minutes and to take important face-offs. That tells me that 37 and 19 got some shelter time.  

Krebs is looking better on the PK lately, he is more decisive. 

And again, the shift before he was out w/ 17-71 he was out w/ 37-71.  That line was essentially made a 4 player line w/ 37&17 alternating as the LW.  But then the PP happened & that line didn't see the ice again (except in their roles on the 2 PP units) during regulation.

[matter2003]

2 hours ago, SwampD said:

You really need to listen to other teams’ PBP guys.

Watch the Dallas feed. Same exact call of the goal. No mention of Tuch because they are still describing Power’s shot and Tuch’s play was a routine keep. And it took the color guy (who I really like) to even mention that it was Power.

Dan is fine. And do people still listen to the radio?😂

Only when I am driving in the car...

[Taro T]

1 minute ago, dudacek said:

I felt that a lot of the Sabre issues early were more due to their incompetence than the Stars' forecheck.

The passing was way off and they just weren't executing the plays they usually execute routinely.

Donnie was worried pre-game that the fact they had the day off was going to hurt their start but he thought that overall they needed the rest more than the warm-up.

Fortunately, Anderson weathered the early issues and it ultimately proved to be the right call.

Chicken & egg.  You could be right it was the Sabres poor play feeding that forecheck, but Dallas was flying and it was like watching men play against Juniors for 10 or 12 minutes.  And all 4 lines were susceptible to the pressure.

But focusing more on the better play after that poor start.  Don't believe it's a coincidence that the Sabres coming out of their 5 or so game funk corresponds directly w/ Adams ending the "Amerk of the Day" experiment by waiving Hinostroza.

[Turbo44]

4 hours ago, triumph_communes said:

Jost is a good player.  Hope we re sign 

He's in the 2nd year of a 2 year $4m contract.  After this season he's a RFA, so I'm sure we resign him or qualify him

[MattPie]

12 hours ago, SwampD said:

I don't agree with this at all. Danny Briere was 26 when he became Danny Briere. 

12 hours ago, Sabel79 said:

Danny Briere wasn’t terrified of the puck at any point.  Again, I’d love to be wrong.  But I don’t think I am.  

11 hours ago, Doohickie said:

Mitts is an ink blot test:  You see what you want to see.  I see a guy who was jerked around and put in too many positions to fail who's been reinventing is game and is finally making progress.  He's a good, but somewhat flawed, player who is clawing out a role on this team.  He may figure it out or he may be the next Hinostroza who gets moved/waived to make room for the next prospect.

Re Jost and Mittelstadt: by draft pedigree, they're pretty similar players (24 and 25, 10th and 8th picks). Casey doesn't have as good numbers, but has played far fewer games due to injury. Do I think Casey will become a 1-2 C? Probably not. Do I think he could be Jost-like? Yes. Would anyone really complain if he became a serviceable middle/bottom-6 winger at this point? I wouldn't, given what else the team has brewing for the top-6.

Better question: if Jost was originally a Sabres draft pick and had played the same up to now, how would the fans rank him? My guess is there'd be two guys in the doghouse right now.

[LabattBlue]

After the horrible start who would have thought the game would have not only made it to OT, but the Stars would have lost. Fantastic ending!!
 

A much needed win against a team you would expect a loss to, but the Sabres desperately need to clean up play in their own end.  Case in point, on the PK in the first period, what was Samuelsson doing while Benn was standing all alone with a point blank shot, and then slamming home the rebound. I’d list others, but my keyboard would probably break before I got done. 
 

This reckless structure less style without much regard for defense is preparing them how for the future?

I ask DG one question…do you think it will be easy to break players of bad habits that they develop?

[JohnC]

3 hours ago, matter2003 said:

It's hard to find a player for free that is a perfect fit for exactly what you need in a top 9 forward role but KA has done it with Jost...just a masterful waiver pickup by him.

Lyubushkin was a free agent signing. I consider him more of a third pairing defenseman. Both he and Jost were terrific pickups that cost us no assets. The GM did well with those acquisitions. Both of them fill needed roles and blend in well with their teammates. 

Instead of the Chyrchrun trade speculation that would be costly, and in the not-too-distant future squeeze the cap, more attention should be given to acquiring another Lyubushkin caliber player who would help to round out the unit. 

[dudacek]

28 minutes ago, LabattBlue said:

After the horrible start who would have thought the game would have not only made it to OT, but the Stars would have lost. Fantastic ending!!
 

A much needed win against a team you would expect a loss to, but the Sabres desperately need to clean up play in their own end.  Case in point, on the PK in the first period, what was Samuelsson doing while Benn was standing all alone with a point blank shot, and then slamming home the rebound. I’d list others, but my keyboard would probably break before I got done. 
 

This reckless structure less style without much regard for defense is preparing them how for the future?

I ask DG one question…do you think it will be easy to break players of bad habits that they develop?

He’s answered it. Many times, actually.

It is his opinion that it is much easier to teach defence than offence and more important that these young players learn how to break down structure offensively and feel confident that they can create against anyone.

His supporting argument is look how much better Dahlin/Tage/Skinner etcetera are than they were following the safety-first principles of Ralph Krueger.

 

[Doohicksie]

52 minutes ago, MattPie said:

Re Jost and Mittelstadt: by draft pedigree, they're pretty similar players (24 and 25, 10th and 8th picks). Casey doesn't have as good numbers, but has played far fewer games due to injury. Do I think Casey will become a 1-2 C? Probably not. Do I think he could be Jost-like? Yes. Would anyone really complain if he became a serviceable middle/bottom-6 winger at this point? I wouldn't, given what else the team has brewing for the top-6.

Better question: if Jost was originally a Sabres draft pick and had played the same up to now, how would the fans rank him? My guess is there'd be two guys in the doghouse right now.

I could also see if Mitts were waived or traded or whatever, that he would excel with his new team in the proper role.  I think that same role (bottom 6 winger/center) is available to him here and that he could fill it just fine going forward.

[LabattBlue]

3 minutes ago, dudacek said:

He’s answered it. Many times, actually.

It is his opinion that it is much easier to teach defence than offence and more important that these young players learn how to break down structure offensively and feel confident that they can create against anyone.

His supporting argument is look how much better Dahlin/Tage/Skinner etcetera are than they were following the safety-first principles of Ralph Krueger.

 

Only time will tell…when exactly do they start teaching defense? 😂

[dudacek]

42 minutes ago, LabattBlue said:

Only time will tell…when exactly do they start teaching defense? 😂

It’s an interesting thing to watch play out. The underlying principle is “go-for-it” so I doubt we will ever see a Granato team adopt a “shut-em-down” no-risk New Jersey Devils philosophy.

If they succeed it will be like Tampa and PIttsburgh - they didn’t change their style, they just got smarter and more diligent within it.

[Doohicksie]

2 minutes ago, LabattBlue said:

Only time will tell…when exactly do they start teaching defense? 😂

Eh.  They allowed only 2 goals against the team with the 4th most in the league.

[Eleven]

2 hours ago, dudacek said:

the safety-first principles of Ralph Krueger.

Ralph Krueger probably made them wear helmets to team meetings.