GDT: Capitals @ Sabres - Feb. 26, 2023, 1pm, MSG, WGR

[phil_soisson]

Just watching the highlights, what a player Dylan Cozens has blossomed into!

[Thorner]

from mustache to god’s ears: another successful GDT dub

[Night Train]

6 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

 

 

Grin and bear it because we are riding with UPL in the mix to the playoffs.

   We get that, since as of today they don't have options unless Cromrie rises from the dead and Andersons starts pick up. It doesn't mean we're any less nervous when he starts.

  He missed a lot of development time rehabbing. When the Rochester playoffs started last year, he was hurt again. 

[Believer]

Vinnie gets 3rd star… Good on him… Made the most of the opportunity today

[PromoTheRobot]

2 minutes ago, Night Train said:

   We get that, since as of today they don't have options unless Cromrie rises from the dead and Andersons starts pick up. It doesn't mean we're any less nervous when he starts.

  He missed a lot of development time rehabbing. When the Rochester playoffs started last year, he was hurt again. 

Why do we wring our hands over the goaltending but never care a lick about the turnovers and poor play in our end that leads to these goals?

[Night Train]

Coming into today UPL in February

.856 Save %

5.35 GA

So he lowered that today with 4.

 

Anypne got some pig lipstick ? 

 

[Pimlach]

25 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Yeah I do. Mainly because there aren't that many soft goals he's given up. (SabreSpace definition of soft goal: A goal.) 
Today's menu:
1) Player left open
2) Rebound after a turnover
3) This was actually a set play. Deliberately high and wind with Ovi parked for the bounce of the wall.  Anderson would have stopped that because he would have seen the set up a mile away.
4) Gift wrap breakaway.

 

I watch the replays and you can hardly blame UPL for all four goals.  But he also didn't play well with a lead.  

1 -  team effort for poor d zone play.

2 - Turnover, then UPL left a big fat rebound, then Joker failed to clear it.  If UPL learn to swallow up the puck he will get better.  But it is a problem

3 - He didn't get much help and was unaware 

4 - Breakaway - you want your goalie to stop these on occasion, like Andy did 3 times yesterday, but he didn't. 

Bottom line is he did enough on a day when he got a lot of goal support.  I am not gonna rail on him.  He showed some improvement since he came up, but his play has leveled off.  

I though he played a heady 3rd and he covered everything up that he could.  

Edited February 26, 2023 by Pimlach

[Porous Five Hole]

12 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Yeah I do. Mainly because there aren't that many soft goals he's given up. (SabreSpace definition of soft goal: A goal.) 
Today's menu:
1) Player left open
2) Rebound after a turnover
3) This was actually a set play. Deliberately high and wind with Ovi parked for the bounce of the wall.  Anderson would have stopped that because he would have seen the set up a mile away.
4) Gift wrap breakaway.

My main issue with UPL is rebound control.  
Also, I’m honestly trying to wipe the slate clean and only judge what I see from game to game, but I live in ROC and I’ve seen him a lot. UPL never had it here.
I’m not giving up on him, but I think it would be generous to say he’s NHL average right now.  
 

If the goal is UPL’s long term development at the expense of this season, we can hope he gets hot. But I don’t expect it. 
 

If the goal is to get in the playoffs, I think the Sabres are better served sticking to the original Andy/Comrie plan. One thing I will say is I don’t want to spend assets to acquire a goalie in the next seven days. UPL should get every chance at the #1 spot next year. 

[Taro T]

2 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Why do we wring our hands over the goaltending but never care a lick about the turnovers and poor play in our end that leads to these goals?

Because some people's selective reading doesn't seem to notice any of the posts decrying turnovers or the like.

[Night Train]

All I'm saying is UPL should be developing in Rochester. I don't hate him. Ullmark was there for 2 1/2 years. 

[Porous Five Hole]

3 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Why do we wring our hands over the goaltending but never care a lick about the turnovers and poor play in our end that leads to these goals?

I’m quoting you because I like the discussion.  I think you’re right. The Sabres are timid along the boards and don’t push the puck forward out of the zone well at all. They keep the play moving along the wall, but a lot of time it is backwards.  Ice the freakin puck if you must. To me, that’s better than on your heels in your own corner. 

[Sabel79]

3 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Why do we wring our hands over the goaltending but never care a lick about the turnovers and poor play in our end that leads to these goals?

Because it can be simultaneously true that the team is not very good defensively AND UPL is a dumpster fire.  
 

I don’t think it’s fair to say that nobody cares about the bad defense.  Goaltending, specifically UPL, is the more damaging problem.  

[JohnC]

56 minutes ago, K-9 said:

Yep.

It’s just a shame that we have to give up fewer than four when sieve boy is between the pipes.

You have to admit that our defense in our own zone was loose and weak. I, like you, worry about a UPL's inconsistency. But most of the goals scored against him were not his fault. The play in the opposition's zone was troubling. 

[LGR4GM]

26 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Yeah I do. Mainly because there aren't that many soft goals he's given up. (SabreSpace definition of soft goal: A goal.) 
Today's menu:
1) Player left open
2) Rebound after a turnover
3) This was actually a set play. Deliberately high and wind with Ovi parked for the bounce of the wall.  Anderson would have stopped that because he would have seen the set up a mile away.
4) Gift wrap breakaway.

 

Grin and bear it because we are riding with UPL in the mix to the playoffs.

We watched a different game. 2 and 3 were UPL being bad at his job. 

[PerreaultForever]

49 minutes ago, matter2003 said:

I dunno...I watch the other teams feed every game and I would probably put the Sabres broadcast maybe 30th out of 32 teams.

Oh heck no. Not even close. 

Sabres broadcast is now a little on the dull side now and again but Marty's good and overall it's a slick professional affair. It's mid to upper range in terms of league comparisons.

Detroit and Pittsburgh are two of the worst imo. Really hate the Detroit ones. HNIC is produced extremely well and they are the most knowledgeable without question but their biases can make them hard to watch. 

The ESPN broadcasts are the worst imo and they have the money to be much better. Hockey obviously an afterthought for them. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

Really a very good game for the Sabres.  They started quickly and played fast all game.  Except for a couple of bonehead plays (yes Casey that was stupid play), the Sabres drove an old and tired Caps team into the ground.  

UPL still is very mediocre IMHO.

Cozens was fantastic today and his line drove play most of the game.  Besides the bonehead play, Mitts made two great plays to assist Cozens on two of his 3 goals.

Defense, without Dahlin, needs some serious help (are u listening KA?), but overall an exciting and solid team effort.  

Has anyone sent out a search party for VO?  I don't remember him even touching the puck today.

[LGR4GM]

1 minute ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Really a very good game for the Sabres.  They started quickly and played fast all game.  Except for a couple of bonehead plays (yes Casey that was stupid play), the Sabres drove an old and tired Caps team into the ground.  

UPL still is very mediocre IMHO.

Cozens was fantastic today and his line drove play most of the game.  Besides the bonehead play, Mitts made two great plays to assist Cozens on two of his 3 goals.

Defense, without Dahlin, needs some serious help (are u listening KA?), but overall an exciting and solid team effort.  

Has anyone sent out a search party for VO?  I don't remember him even touching the puck today.

I can only remember 1 good assist from Mitts. One goal was the Hinostroza pass, the other the great Quinn pass. 

[Taro T]

Just now, LGR4GM said:

I can only remember 1 good assist from Mitts. One goal was the Hinostroza pass, the other the great Quinn pass. 

The Hinostroza pass was set up by Mittelstadt's work behind the goal line and a nice look to Hiney at the boards.  Though it was a 2ndary assist, it was a nice play.

He also didn't get an assist on the Hiney goal, but started the tic-tac-toe-toe play.

[GASabresIUFAN]

4 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

I can only remember 1 good assist from Mitts. One goal was the Hinostroza pass, the other the great Quinn pass. 

Watch the 3rd Cozens goal.  Mitts digs the puck out from behind the net, and passes to Vinnie who rifled a pass to a closing Cozens.

https://www.nhl.com/video/cozens-scores-third-of-the-game/t-336269816/c-15538608

2 minutes ago, Taro T said:

The Hinostroza pass was set up by Mittelstadt's work behind the goal line and a nice look to Hiney at the boards.  Though it was a 2ndary assist, it was a nice play.

He also didn't get an assist on the Hiney goal, but started the tic-tac-toe-toe play.

Correct.  

Again despite the bonehead play and it was a doozy, Mitts had a really good game feeding Vinnie and Dylan and finished +3 for the game.

Edited February 26, 2023 by GASabresIUFAN

[JohnC]

15 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

I watch the replays and you can hardly blame UPL for all four goals.  But he also didn't play well with a lead.  

1 -  team effort for poor d zone play.

2 - Turnover, then UPL left a big fat rebound, then Joker failed to clear it.  If UPL learn to swallow up the puck he will get better.  But it is a problem

3 - He didn't get much help and was unaware 

4 - Breakaway - you want your goalie to stop these on occasion, like Andy did 3 times yesterday, but he didn't. 

Bottom line is he did enough on a day when he got a lot of goal support.  I am not gonna rail on him.  He showed some improvement since he came up, but his play has leveled off.  

I though he played a heady 3rd and he covered everything up that he could.  

As you noted the play in their defensive zone was atrocious. It was simply weak. When his players left him exposed the opposition took advantage of it. 

[Believer]

13 minutes ago, JohnC said:

You have to admit that our defense in our own zone was loose and weak. I, like you, worry about a UPL's inconsistency. But most of the goals scored against him were not his fault. The play in the opposition's zone was troubling. 

Thought we forechecked ok… We didn’t back check or play physical today… Got away with it because their goaltending was worse than ours… Will need to play an aggressive defensive and offensive game to be primed for the playoffs

[GASabresIUFAN]

2 minutes ago, JohnC said:

As you noted the play in their defensive zone was atrocious. It was simply weak. When his players left him exposed the opposition took advantage of it. 

As I have been saying since Samuelsson got hurt early in the season, KA needs to get better depth on D for this team.  The goaltending would look much better if we could simply reduce the shots on goal 10 a night through better defense.

[Flashsabre]

Hasek would struggle behind the way this team plays defence. They have to clean it up. Can’t just out score all your miscues.

[K-9]

1 minute ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Why do we wring our hands over the goaltending but never care a lick about the turnovers and poor play in our end that leads to these goals?

Oh FFS, we all care very much about the poor defensive play and other gaffes that lead to goals, so you don't have to insult our intelligence by suggesting we don’t understand the team nature of the game and how it pertains to everything that happens on the ice. But every goalie in the league has to contend with these issues at times and they don’t all have well below average GA averages and save percentages.

If UPL needs perfect play from his teammates at all times in each game just to achieve average goalie status, then that only underscores how much he isn’t ready to be an NHL number one.

OK, this time I mean it. I really won’t engage any further UPL debate. 😂

[nucci]

1 minute ago, Flashsabre said:

Hasek would struggle behind the way this team plays defence. They have to clean it up. Can’t just out score all your miscues.

No he wouldn't. Hasek regularly faced 40 shots with a team that played horrible defense