Shutdown Mode

[Doohicksie]

One aspect of the Sabres that's been frustrating has been their inability to hold 2nd and 3rd period leads.  They usually end up winning the game but not always. 

Against Anaheim Saturday they had a 2 goal lead and lost it, then went ahead again 3-2 before losing that lead and entered the 3rd tied at 3.  In the end they won 6-3.  One development that came out of that was that for most of the 3rd period, Donny Granato switch centers on the 1st and 4th lines, swapping Krebs for Tage.  It gave the fourth line a huge physical presence and Tage responded well I thought, simplifying his game to extend offensive zone possession without trying to score every shift. 

For his part Krebs did well with wingers Tuch and Skinner.  He added a defensive dimension with his 4th line mentality (which is good because as a unit the Tage line can get hemmed into their own zone at times), and it turned out Krebs even scored a goal.

I don't think you break up the top line and Krebs is doing well on the 4th line, but late in the game swapping the two centers seems to create two highly skilled but defensively responsible lines.

Is this Donny's solution to creating a Shutdown Mode?

[matter2003]

21 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

One aspect of the Sabres that's been frustrating has been their inability to hold 2nd and 3rd period leads.  They usually end up winning the game but not always. 

Against Anaheim Saturday they had a 2 goal lead and lost it, then went ahead again 3-2 before losing that lead and entered the 3rd tied at 3.  In the end they won 6-3.  One development that came out of that was that for most of the 3rd period, Donny Granato switch centers on the 1st and 4th lines, swapping Krebs for Tage.  It gave the fourth line a huge physical presence and Tage responded well I thought, simplifying his game to extend offensive zone possession without trying to score every shift. 

For his part Krebs did well with wingers Tuch and Skinner.  He added a defensive dimension with his 4th line mentality (which is good because as a unit the Tage line can get hemmed into their own zone at times), and it turned out Krebs even scored a goal.

I don't think you break up the top line and Krebs is doing well on the 4th line, but late in the game swapping the two centers seems to create two highly skilled but defensively responsible lines.

Is this Donny's solution to creating a Shutdown Mode?

It's worth a shot to try it out...can't keep doing the same thing and expect different results.

[Taro T]

28 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

One aspect of the Sabres that's been frustrating has been their inability to hold 2nd and 3rd period leads.  They usually end up winning the game but not always. 

Against Anaheim Saturday they had a 2 goal lead and lost it, then went ahead again 3-2 before losing that lead and entered the 3rd tied at 3.  In the end they won 6-3.  One development that came out of that was that for most of the 3rd period, Donny Granato switch centers on the 1st and 4th lines, swapping Krebs for Tage.  It gave the fourth line a huge physical presence and Tage responded well I thought, simplifying his game to extend offensive zone possession without trying to score every shift. 

For his part Krebs did well with wingers Tuch and Skinner.  He added a defensive dimension with his 4th line mentality (which is good because as a unit the Tage line can get hemmed into their own zone at times), and it turned out Krebs even scored a goal.

I don't think you break up the top line and Krebs is doing well on the 4th line, but late in the game swapping the two centers seems to create two highly skilled but defensively responsible lines.

Is this Donny's solution to creating a Shutdown Mode?

Expect a big part of a transition to "shut down mode" is transitioning to paying attention to opponents in & near the crease and clearing them away.  Expect we'll be seeing that more often moving forward.

Doubt the C swap was for shutdown purposes but more to try to get Thompson to simplify his game and get lesser opponents to work through and also to keep from benching Krebs who had been playing well and deserved to still be getting shifts.  Can make the 1st move w/out the corresponding one unless somebody is getting double shifted.

Will be watching to see if either happen as the game moves on tonight.

[BuffalOhio]

My whole life the Sabres have been playing the defensive shell in the third period.  I'm sick of it.  Go destroy the other team. 

[Eleven]

Aren't they near top of the league with a lead after 2?

[Taro T]

6 minutes ago, Eleven said:

Aren't they near top of the league with a lead after 2?

2 OTL, 0 RLs, & 16 or so Ws after heading into the 3rd w/ a lead. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

How about KA getting Donnie better D and goalies?  

[dudacek]

1 hour ago, Eleven said:

Aren't they near top of the league with a lead after 2?

 

1 hour ago, Taro T said:

2 OTL, 0 RLs, & 16 or so Ws after heading into the 3rd w/ a lead. 

They've blown 2 points when leading after 2. That's it.

Columbus has yet to blow any — largely because they've only been leading 7 times after 2.

Five teams have squandered a single point. Then come the Sabres.

Perception doesn't match reality. it's not Ken Daneyko's NHL any more and the Sabres protect leads better than most.

Edited January 23, 2023 by dudacek

[Doohicksie]

11 hours ago, Taro T said:

Expect a big part of a transition to "shut down mode" is transitioning to paying attention to opponents in & near the crease and clearing them away.  Expect we'll be seeing that more often moving forward.

Doubt the C swap was for shutdown purposes but more to try to get Thompson to simplify his game and get lesser opponents to work through and also to keep from benching Krebs who had been playing well and deserved to still be getting shifts.  Can make the 1st move w/out the corresponding one unless somebody is getting double shifted.

Will be watching to see if either happen as the game moves on tonight.

They never got to shutdown mode tonight since the game was tied.  They didn't have a lead to protect (well, a 1-goal lead for about 4 minutes in the third, but too early to close up). 

[Stoner]

15 hours ago, Eleven said:

Aren't they near top of the league with a lead after 2?

I'll file this along with the Bills sterling defensive rankings. The eye test says neither team can stop anyone when it counts.

[dudacek]

3 hours ago, PASabreFan said:

I'll file this along with the Bills sterling defensive rankings. The eye test says neither team can stop anyone when it counts.

How are you defining "when it counts"?

If it's "when the game is on the line in the 3rd this season", they are 16-0-2.

If it's "during the last game that means something" no Buffalo team ever has.

[bob_sauve28]

Happy? 

[matter2003]

On 1/23/2023 at 1:58 PM, Doohickie said:

One aspect of the Sabres that's been frustrating has been their inability to hold 2nd and 3rd period leads.  They usually end up winning the game but not always. 

Against Anaheim Saturday they had a 2 goal lead and lost it, then went ahead again 3-2 before losing that lead and entered the 3rd tied at 3.  In the end they won 6-3.  One development that came out of that was that for most of the 3rd period, Donny Granato switch centers on the 1st and 4th lines, swapping Krebs for Tage.  It gave the fourth line a huge physical presence and Tage responded well I thought, simplifying his game to extend offensive zone possession without trying to score every shift. 

For his part Krebs did well with wingers Tuch and Skinner.  He added a defensive dimension with his 4th line mentality (which is good because as a unit the Tage line can get hemmed into their own zone at times), and it turned out Krebs even scored a goal.

I don't think you break up the top line and Krebs is doing well on the 4th line, but late in the game swapping the two centers seems to create two highly skilled but defensively responsible lines.

Is this Donny's solution to creating a Shutdown Mode?

But for as frustrating as it is to watch when they have a lead going into the 3rd they are 17-0-2. That's pretty freaking good.

13 hours ago, dudacek said:

How are you defining "when it counts"?

If it's "when the game is on the line in the 3rd this season", they are 16-0-2.

If it's "during the last game that means something" no Buffalo team ever has.

17-0-2 after tonight.