GDT: Montreal at Sabres 3-27-2023 7PM MSG

[Claude Balls]

17 hours ago, SDS said:

 

Jeff Skinner has had one shoot out attempt with Buffalo and one with Carolina in seven years. He missed both. Prior to 2016 he was 6 for 34. he is awful at them. No coach put him out there because he is awful at them. Why would any fan want a guy who missed two shootouts in seven years put him on the ice? 

i’m gonna go ahead and say the monkey would’ve known not to put Jeff Skinner in the shootout, but I’m a Darwin guy. 

So that means he'll never score again if given the chance? Got it. I bet he can at least hit the net. Mitts is 3/14 in shootouts, not much better than Skinner.  Zemgus is over 28%. Maybe he shoulda been out there. 

Edited March 28, 2023 by Claude Balls

[Marvin]

55 minutes ago, Claude Balls said:

So that means he'll never score again if given the chance? Got it. I bet he can at least hit the net. Mitts is 3/14 in shootouts, not much better than Skinner.  Zemgus is over 28%. Maybe he shoulda been out there. 

Good call on Girgensons.

[LGR4GM]

4 hours ago, Pimlach said:

Yes, after 329 career goals and his emergence as a pretty solid player all around - I think he can handle taking a penalty shot since he has not had one since 2018.  He could not be worse than the 5 attempts that were easily handled by Allen.  Skinner has had just 1 shootout attempt as a Sabre and 29 with Carolina.  He is 6 for 30, only slightly worse than Mitts and Olofsson, and both were called on last night.  I think Skinner would come through in the clutch, but perhaps not, perhaps he really sucks at it in practice and the coaches all joke about it - which seems quite unusual for a guy who has a very accurate shot and could score 400+ goals in a career.  

BTW - Cozens and JJP have yet to make a shoot out goal and they got a chance.  

 

If you're in a playoff race and you're gonna go with Skinner, Mitts, Olofsson when you have to have the point, you're buying your own supply. Granato should know based on practice and the last season who's going. This entire notion of "well my gut felt like this guy was going tonight" cost us a point. Granato ***** up, period. 

[JoeSchmoe]

I get the frustration, but being that I don't get to see what goes on in practice, I always give the coach the benefit of the doubt on shootout selections.

[Believer]

1 minute ago, LGR4GM said:

If you're in a playoff race and you're gonna go with Skinner, Mitts, Olofsson when you have to have the point, you're buying your own supply. Granato should know based on practice and the last season who's going. This entire notion of "well my gut felt like this guy was going tonight" cost us a point. Granato ***** up, period. 

Thought KA employs an Analytics Dept?… Would expect that group to have the shootout specs on every skater… Would expect the data is available to DG and Ellis before they select the shootout participants… DG makes the final call, my guess… regardless of the data.

[Pimlach]

2 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

No, I don't think they are either, but somehow they haven't been as bad as people thought they'd be (a tank team) and they do have some character guys and decent younger players. Their rebuild strategy is different than ours. idk how fast it'll come together there. We will have a more talented team and hopefully a more winning team too but those two things don't always go together. 

Martin St Louis is doing a good job.  

[Eleven]

9 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

If you're in a playoff race and you're gonna go with Skinner, Mitts, Olofsson when you have to have the point, you're buying your own supply. Granato should know based on practice and the last season who's going. This entire notion of "well my gut felt like this guy was going tonight" cost us a point. Granato ***** up, period. 

It's like a bad NFL coach deciding to punt from the opponent's 40.  

I understand that Skinner was bad in the shootout years ago.  I also understand that Granato sees him in practice, and maybe he didn't get better.  Ok, Skinner might not be a good first three option.

I don't understand what Granato did last night.  If he was going on "gut," Rousek should have been out there.  Cozens and Quinn should be better considerations for the first three than Peterka and Oloffson, too.

[Pimlach]

44 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

If you're in a playoff race and you're gonna go with Skinner, Mitts, Olofsson when you have to have the point, you're buying your own supply. Granato should know based on practice and the last season who's going. This entire notion of "well my gut felt like this guy was going tonight" cost us a point. Granato ***** up, period. 

He went with Olofsson, Peterka, Tuch, Quinn, Mitts, and Cozens.  I would love to hear why, but our press doesn’t ask questions this deep.  
 

If you’re going “gut” Dahlin was a beast on the last PK. Give him the first slot vacated by no Thompson.  

Edited March 28, 2023 by Pimlach

[SwampD]

Just wanted to mention that I thought Dahlin was pretty lame on that first goal.  Why he went searching for the puck instead of taking out the freakin' guy that shot it and was then driving for the rebound, was baffling, and maybe a little lazy.

Edited March 28, 2023 by SwampD

[Eleven]

10 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

 I would love to hear why, but our press doesn’t ask questions this deep.  

When they do, they get castigated for it.  

[dudacek]

Sorry guys, I respect most of your hockey takes, but you are out to lunch on this shootout debate

How the heck do you have any idea how good any of the Sabres are at shootouts? How many times have you seen them take one? 10 max for most of them, probably less?

The team had taken 5 all year before last night.

Donnie has months worth of watching them take dozens, if not hundreds, of attempts in practice, plus a library of analytics to lean on. He’s also up close in the dressing room and on the bench to see where they are at the moment.

Not buying you know better, sorry.

Edited March 28, 2023 by dudacek

[JohnC]

1 hour ago, dudacek said:

Sorry guys, I respect most of your hockey takes, but you are out to lunch on this shootout debate

How the heck do you have any idea how good any of the Sabres are at shootouts? How many times have you seen them take one? 10 max for most of them, probably less?

The team had taken 5 all year before last night.

Donnie has months worth of watching them take dozens, if not hundreds, of attempts in practice, plus a library of analytics to lean on. He’s also up close in the dressing room and on the bench to see where they are at the moment.

Not buying you know better, sorry.

Granato stated on WGR that the team very often ends practices with shootouts. For the most part the players who are chosen for the shootouts are players that they have demonstrated to be the best at that aspect of the game. He also noted that there are some variations due to how a player is playing in a game and sometimes there is a gut consideration in selecting the shooter. His comments reflect what you just stated. 

Edited March 28, 2023 by JohnC

[msw2112]

In watching the game, I was not in favor of the choices that Granato made.  I wanted Quinn first.  I didn't want to see Peterka.  Despite banking in a nice goal off the back of the goalie earlier in the game, he has not shown as a finisher in games.  I wanted to see Dahlin too.

That said, I do have to believe and trust that Granato knows more than I (and we on this board) do about which guys to go with.  Frankly, other than Quinn, who scored when he lost control of the puck, none of the guys could score.  And the same goes for their last shootout too. 

[Weave]

38 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Sorry guys, I respect most of your hockey takes, but you are out to lunch on this shootout debate

How the heck do you have any idea how good any of the Sabres are at shootouts? How many times have you seen them take one? 10 max for most of them, probably less?

The team had taken 5 all year before last night.

Donnie has months worth of watching them take dozens, if not hundreds, of attempts in practice, plus a library of analytics to lean on. He’s also up close in the dressing room and on the bench to see where they are at the moment.

Not buying you know better, sorry.

Although…. How much good information is DG getting from practice with these goalies?

[Sabres Fan in NS]

On 3/27/2023 at 11:25 AM, PASabreFan said:

@Sabres Fan in NS

Too bad he hs no idea how awesome his post was, eh.  Also sad in a way.  Once again the Sabres were pretty close to almost veing on the cusp of something once again.

@PASabreFan

[DarthEbriate]

3 hours ago, Weave said:

Although…. How much good information is DG getting from practice with these goalies?

This was my assessment as well. If Comrie is hurt and Anderson is getting maintenance days, then you can reasonably assume that UPL is making a lot of the shooters look better at the end of practice than they are.

Levi will set them right for future shootouts. Or break their spirits completely.

[Broken Ankles]

8 hours ago, pi2000 said:

Comrie played great.    .927 sv%, allowing almost 2 goals fewer than expected.   

That's a massive goaltending improvement on home ice, one of the top 3 performances of the season.   

Unfortunately they gave up way too many high danger chances, 21... the second most they've allowed on home ice all season.   

In their 14 home wins, they're averaging 11 high danger chances against per game.   

It's frustrating.  They finally get a quality goaltending performance and let it go to waste with careless defense.   

Great stats.  I watched Cozens last night b/c another poster’s observations on him leaving the high danger areas uncovered and on his first shift of the game I’ll be damned if he didn’t miss an assignment which could easily have cost them a goal.  Then again a few shifts later.   Coaching has to be function of this consistent failure.
 

 What shall we use
To fill the empty spaces
Where we used to skate?
How shall I fill
The final places?
How should I complete the wall?

[dudacek]

1 hour ago, Broken Ankles said:

Great stats.  I watched Cozens last night b/c another poster’s observations on him leaving the high danger areas uncovered and on his first shift of the game I’ll be damned if he didn’t miss an assignment which could easily have cost them a goal.  Then again a few shifts later.   Coaching has to be function of this consistent failure.
 

 What shall we use
To fill the empty spaces
Where we used to skate?
How shall I fill
The final places?
How should I complete the wall?

In Donnie’s presser today, he was asked about Selke candidates and about Cozens in that context.

He talked about a player who can close on a puck carrier so quickly and efficiently they simply have no options. He said they spend a lot of time working with Cozens about the when. He also said he thinks Cozens has the skill and the will to be that player, but, through how he answered, left the impression he still believes there is a ways to go.

My read in the context of your post is that coaching is happening but the learning isn’t complete. And I’m sure Donnie would tell you that’s because Dylan needs more reps to make better reads.

I gotta say that every time I hear a presser like today where they talk about actual coaching development strategies and game tactics, I’m left impressed by the way our coach breaks the game down. 

The idea that some have that he’s a neophyte just doesn’t ring true listening to him speak.

[Kristian]

I never understood the slow approach in the shootout.

Want the goalie moving? Put on some speed.

Treat it like a breakaway.

[Pimlach]

13 hours ago, DarthEbriate said:

This was my assessment as well. If Comrie is hurt and Anderson is getting maintenance days, then you can reasonably assume that UPL is making a lot of the shooters look better at the end of practice than they are.

Levi will set them right for future shootouts. Or break their spirits completely.

OR help them get better.  

[Pimlach]

11 hours ago, dudacek said:

In Donnie’s presser today, he was asked about Selke candidates and about Cozens in that context.

He talked about a player who can close on a puck carrier so quickly and efficiently they simply have no options. He said they spend a lot of time working with Cozens about the when. He also said he thinks Cozens has the skill and the will to be that player, but, through how he answered, left the impression he still believes there is a ways to go.

My read in the context of your post is that coaching is happening but the learning isn’t complete. And I’m sure Donnie would tell you that’s because Dylan needs more reps to make better reads.

I gotta say that every time I hear a presser like today where they talk about actual coaching development strategies and game tactics, I’m left impressed by the way our coach breaks the game down. 

The idea that some have that he’s a neophyte just doesn’t ring true listening to him speak.

Cozens is 21, there is time for Selke talk once he improves his game a bit further.  Cozen has made great strides, especially with him carrying two rookies and playing on both PP and PK this season.