GDT - Sabres @ Blues - January 24, 2023 - 8:00 PM (EST) - MSG and WGR

[JohnC]

6 hours ago, dudacek said:

As far as the game goes, when almost everyone else was hanging on by their fingernails, Henri Jokiharju was continue to skate miles and break up rushes.

Another very solid effort from #10.

The narrative on a number of players has recently gotten better. Joki, Mitts, Olofsson, UPL and Krebs are in that recently elevated category. As the team has gotten better and players gained experience their profiles have become more positive. Mitts playing with Jost as his center has been an important factor in his upgraded play, just as Krebs playing with Okposo and Girgs influenced how Krebs has played. And it shouldn't be a surprise that UPL's improved level of play took a positive turn when the defense in front of him got healthy and was stabilized.  

The rebuild plan that the GM and coach laid out was to primarily build from within. Draft and develop was the mantra. I don't want to get carried away with this recent surge because the tide can quickly change, but having the fortitude to adhere to the plan, even when the team seem to be backsliding, is not only changing the narrative on individual players but also the team in general. 

[That Aud Smell]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

Why this has faulty logic. UPL, imo, gave up 2 goals I would have liked to see him stop. Because he gave up those 2 goals I would have liked to see him stop, we were in a 1 goal game in the 3rd period necessitating that he make those other stops that you and others are giving him so much praise for. So by saying things like he won it for us in the last 10 minutes it ignores the fact, again IMO, that we were in a 1 goal game to begin with. Also in the last 10 minutes he made 2 stops that were nice and one was by the paddle of ethron lucky. 

I say this without anything other than the most vague sense of things (... actually that probably goes without saying): The assessment above reminds me a bit of a goalie like Grant Fuhr. He was of course regarded as a clutch goalie, but, again as I recall, when you looked at his numbers, they looked pretty leaky -- even by the standards of the time, I think.

I'm not sure what that means. But the idea of the Sabres being a team that regularly scores enough to cover up soft goals surrendered by their clutch goalie who then makes key saves to secure high-scoring wins is ... something.

[That Aud Smell]

7 hours ago, dudacek said:

As far as the game goes, when almost everyone else was hanging on by their fingernails, Henri Jokiharju was continue to skate miles and break up rushes.

Another very solid effort from #10.

Amen. I basically missed the first half of the game, saw a lot of the second period on TV, and then caught the rest on the radio. Probably the most compelling play I saw was Joki disrupting a would-be breakaway (player got no shot off) and then stooping to block the same player's effort to play the puck from behind the net and out into the crease area. Two excellent plays on D by #10.

[PromoTheRobot]

9 hours ago, matter2003 said:

Caps broadcast also has a smokeshow on it...are the Sabres the only broadcast team that doesn't feature a hottie in some role?

What about Marty Biron and those dreamy blue eyes?

[PromoTheRobot]

7 hours ago, Thorny said:

Marty Biron to the nearest courtesy phone..

 

 

[PromoTheRobot]

2 hours ago, triumph_communes said:

They almost blew a four goal lead, Jesus. This team has issues 

You're looking at this all wrong. We held off a very good Blues team and earned a win. In years past, the Sabres would just go to pieces. Now if the other team scores first, we come back. If the other team comes back, we hold them off. THAT is what a good team does. 

[PromoTheRobot]

20 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

I say this without anything other than the most vague sense of things (... actually that probably goes without saying): The assessment above reminds me a bit of a goalie like Grant Fuhr. He was of course regarded as a clutch goalie, but, again as I recall, when you looked at his numbers, they looked pretty leaky -- even by the standards of the time, I think.

I'm not sure what that means. But the idea of the Sabres being a team that regularly scores enough to cover up soft goals surrendered by their clutch goalie who then makes key saves to secure high-scoring wins is ... something.

It's the NHL. You're not going to win every game by shutout. Great teams don't always dominate but they respond when they have to.

Look at us debating style points on Sabres wins. How far have we come?

Edited January 25, 2023 by PromoTheRobot

[Doohicksie]

1 minute ago, PromoTheRobot said:

It's the NHL. You're not going to win every game by shutout. Great teams don't always dominate but they respond when they have to.

...and who are we kidding?  The Sabres aren't great, not yet.  They are.... good?

THE BUFFALO SABRES WILL BE FINE.

[PromoTheRobot]

6 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

...and who are we kidding?  The Sabres aren't great, not yet.  They are.... good?

THE BUFFALO SABRES WILL BE FINE.

They're pretty great right now. Playing .655 since the 8-game losing streak.

[nfreeman]

19 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

You're looking at this all wrong. We held off a very good Blues team and earned a win. In years past, the Sabres would just go to pieces. Now if the other team scores first, we come back. If the other team comes back, we hold them off. THAT is what a good team does. 

Nuh-uh.  I agree with the rest of this, but that is a lousy Blues team.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

1 hour ago, Doohickie said:

You know what's nice?  Almost forgetting who the 7D is.  That's nice.

It's Bryson.

[K-9]

25 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

...and who are we kidding?  The Sabres aren't great, not yet.  They are.... good?

THE BUFFALO SABRES WILL BE FINE.

I think the larger point @PromoTheRobotwas making is that holding teams off and winning the close games is a trait that teams must exhibit on their way to being great. 

[LabattBlue]

A day after I pointed out that DG is ignoring team defense, with a one goal lead, and 5 minutes to go in the game, your top pairing allows a guy to get behind them for a breakaway.  
 

There is a time for offense and a time for defense, and either the coaches don’t get it, or the players don’t get it. 

[dudacek]

4 minutes ago, LabattBlue said:

A day after I pointed out that DG is ignoring team defense, with a one goal lead, and 5 minutes to go in the game, your top pairing allows a guy to get behind them for a breakaway.  
 

There is a time for offense and a time for defense, and either the coaches don’t get it, or the players don’t get it. 

Is this your takeaway on the 5-3 win last night, the 4 game winning streak the team is on, or the 18-8-2 run that has lifted them mathematically into a playoff spot?

[LabattBlue]

Just now, dudacek said:

Is this your takeaway on the 5-3 win last night, the 4 game winning streak the team is on, or the 18-8-2 run that has lifted them mathematically into a playoff spot?

Okay.  Sorry to be critical.  All is great.  No need for defense.   Let’s Go!

[dudacek]

1 minute ago, LabattBlue said:

Okay.  Sorry to be critical.  All is great.  No need for defense.   Let’s Go!

First time in 12 years on Sabrespace I ever changed somebody’s mind.

 

 

 

 

 

 

😁

[Doohicksie]

24 minutes ago, Sabres Fan in NS said:

It's Bryson.

It should be.  I'm not sure Clague is any better, especially paired with Boosh.

32 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

Nuh-uh.  I agree with the rest of this, but that is a lousy Blues team.

For the most part they seemed like JAT last night.  (Just A Team)

St Louis Blues:  The Matt Ellis of opponents.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

12 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

It should be.  I'm not sure Clague is any better, especially paired with Boosh.

For the most part they seemed like JAT last night.  (Just A Team)

St Louis Blues:  The Matt Ellis of opponents.

Clague is #8

[DarthEbriate]

1 hour ago, nfreeman said:

Nuh-uh.  I agree with the rest of this, but that is a lousy Blues team.

32 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

For the most part they seemed like JAT last night.  (Just A Team)

St Louis Blues:  The Matt Ellis of opponents.

The Blues aren't lousy because I don't believe that Buffalo is lousy. They're both middling teams, trending in different directions.

They're a 9th-place team that is capable of 3rd-4th in their division if healthy. They will be sellers this season because of the expiring contracts (ROR, Tarasenko) and injuries left them with gaping holes in their roster. Like Buffalo, they had an 8-game losing streak early. Unlike Buffalo, their injuries didn't coincide with that streak. They've lost 8-15 games each from Tarasenko, ROR, Krug, and Buchnevich (their equivalent W1/Tuch, C2 defensive/Cozens?, PP1/Dahlin? (Falk is more their Power), and W2...VO based on production). The other difference has been goaltending. Binnington has been shaky while UPL/Anderson have made the saves they need to.

It's a team Buffalo needs to beat (and did! despite the back-to-back vs. StL being well-rested) if they're going to make a run. But they're not some bottom 10 team that's angling to Bedard. Until they trade everyone. It was a good win.

[DarthEbriate]

8 hours ago, PASabreFan said:

I don't get it.

It's a show about a horse who's also a man who was in a very popular '90s TV show. 😇

It's absurd and silly, but its themes are about coping mechanisms for mistakes, loneliness, addiction, depression, and living in the past. It's like being a Sabres fan for the last decade.

[Taro T]

3 hours ago, Doohickie said:

Well the shoe's on the other foot now.

 

 

 

 

 

@DarthEbriate mentioned watching an episode of Bojack, a reference to Bojack Horseman, a show on Netflix, if you can't be bothered to Google it.

Or, as Frank Drebbin would say "the foot's on the other hand now."  😉

[Stoner]

3 hours ago, Doohickie said:

Well the shoe's on the other foot now.

 

 

 

 

 

@DarthEbriate mentioned watching an episode of Bojack, a reference to Bojack Horseman, a show on Netflix, if you can't be bothered to Google it.

You remain a pod. But you're our pod.

[Turbo44]

11 hours ago, matter2003 said:

Caps broadcast also has a smokeshow on it...are the Sabres the only broadcast team that doesn't feature a hottie in some role?

Bills have Maddie Glab,,,oh wait

[Turbo44]

2 hours ago, nfreeman said:

Nuh-uh.  I agree with the rest of this, but that is a lousy Blues team.

There a decent team, playing on 2 days rest, with two of their top players back in the lineup.  It was a really nice win for the Sabres on a B2B, a winthey mught not have held on to in past years

[FrenchConnection44]

Another clutch goaltending night! UPL has really been good (can't believe some had all but given up on the guy early in the season). He's showing the potential many scouts, not just the Sabres, saw in him early on. And he is still young and has plenty of upside. If we can keep Anderson in the fold another year-plus, that may give time for Levi to come in and let UPL be the starter with the heavier load as Levi adjusts. 

We continue to play pretty sloppy in our own end and at center ice - giving up too many chances. Can't do that against teams with strong scorers. Gotta keep working on staying focused on puck control and crisp passing. Get some of that sloppiness shored up and it's an even better team. 

Great to see Tage get a goal and Power and another goal. Some great passes on our first 3 goals. 

Love watching this team. )