Kevyn Adams in studio with WGR

[dudacek]

From this morning. Nearly an hour and worth an off-season listen.

Among other things, Adams talks about:

• why the sabres don't hit
• what he's going to do to to cut the goals against
• and how he doesn't really give a rat's ass about the handedness of his defencemen

He manages to talk around a lot of things, but it's pretty relaxed and reading between the lines it gives you a pretty good insight on where they are on a lot of topics.

Gave me the sense they believe most of the pieces are already here and they will take the steps to address the ones that aren't because they expect to be good.

https://www.audacy.com/wgr550/authors/howard-and-jeremy-show

Edited May 3, 2023 by dudacek

[Zamboni]

I haven’t listened yet I will listen in a few minutes… But the phrase “read between the lines”. Reading between the lines can lead to a ton of inaccurate assumptions and then reacting Negatively or sometimes positively to those assumptions.
I know that’s an entertaining side of sports for some… But me personally I really try hard not to “read between the lines” on anything that is said or not said in sports. I’m looking forward to listening to it. And thank you for posting it!

[mjd1001]

1 hour ago, dudacek said:

From this morning. Nearly an hour and worth an off-season listen.

Among other things, Adams talks about:

• why the sabres don't hit

It wasn't brought up directly but I listed to an interesting discussion early in the season about hitting:

-Patrice Bergeron was brought up. Not a huge hitter, but it was said what makes him effective as a defensive forward is partly because he doesn't hit. The few hits he does make are ones where there is virtually zero chance of it causing him to be out of the play.  In today's NHL, you want to make no more contact than you need to make to not put yourself out of position, or to even make it 1 second slower to get back 'into the play'.  Basically, the way the NHL is played today, most (not ALL, but most) hits do more to put a player out of position than the benefits they bring for 'finishing a check'.

[inkman]

14 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

It wasn't brought up directly but I listed to an interesting discussion early in the season about hitting:

-Patrice Bergeron was brought up. Not a huge hitter, but it was said what makes him effective as a defensive forward is partly because he doesn't hit. The few hits he does make are ones where there is virtually zero chance of it causing him to be out of the play.  In today's NHL, you want to make no more contact than you need to make to not put yourself out of position, or to even make it 1 second slower to get back 'into the play'.  Basically, the way the NHL is played today, most (not ALL, but most) hits do more to put a player out of position than the benefits they bring for 'finishing a check'.

aka the Risto hit (putting yourself out of position to make excessive contact)

 

Not that I ever envision him as a defensive stalwart but Jack Quinn does this a lot (Bergeron type hit).  He will make just enough contact at the proper position to remove the puck from the opposition.  It’s sublime. 

Edited May 3, 2023 by inkman

[That Aud Smell]

13 minutes ago, inkman said:

Jack Quinn does this a lot (Bergeron type hit).  He will make just enough contact at the proper position to remove the puck from the opposition.  It’s sublime. 

[French Collection]

49 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

It wasn't brought up directly but I listed to an interesting discussion early in the season about hitting:

-Patrice Bergeron was brought up. Not a huge hitter, but it was said what makes him effective as a defensive forward is partly because he doesn't hit. The few hits he does make are ones where there is virtually zero chance of it causing him to be out of the play.  In today's NHL, you want to make no more contact than you need to make to not put yourself out of position, or to even make it 1 second slower to get back 'into the play'.  Basically, the way the NHL is played today, most (not ALL, but most) hits do more to put a player out of position than the benefits they bring for 'finishing a check'.

You need to pick your spots. If it’s one on one and your partner has your back go for the hit.

I think the players know that both of them feel the impact, there are consequences to every hit and they need to be healthy for 82 + playoffs. Teams ratchet it up in the last few weeks if they are in a playoff battle.

[PickaPecaPickles]

59 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

It wasn't brought up directly but I listed to an interesting discussion early in the season about hitting:

-Patrice Bergeron was brought up. Not a huge hitter, but it was said what makes him effective as a defensive forward is partly because he doesn't hit. The few hits he does make are ones where there is virtually zero chance of it causing him to be out of the play.  In today's NHL, you want to make no more contact than you need to make to not put yourself out of position, or to even make it 1 second slower to get back 'into the play'.  Basically, the way the NHL is played today, most (not ALL, but most) hits do more to put a player out of position than the benefits they bring for 'finishing a check'.

Does this apply to the playoffs?  From what I've seen so far, it's rare when someone doesn't hit.

[JohnC]

After listening to the WGR interview my takeaway is that for the most part the organization is going to stay the course. There is an expectation that internal growth of the younger players on the roster is going to undergird this team's improvement. The same mind-set of development is going to be applied to players in the system. The three young players that he mentioned were Savoie, Kulich and Rosen. 

Will there be some changes on the roster? He didn't speak to it specifically but most likely there will be some additions to the blue line. He was asked about the goalie situation. He's not too keen on having three goalies on the roster at the same time. 

I've listened to KA on a number of occasions. His management style can be described as a collaborator who seeks as much input as possible. He wants everyone, from the top to bottom, on the same page. He's the antithesis of the old-school autocratic executive. He's a modern manager who believes in inclusivity and the process. 

[Eleven]

1 hour ago, mjd1001 said:

Basically, the way the NHL is played today, most (not ALL, but most) hits do more to put a player out of position than the benefits they bring for 'finishing a check'.

The Sabres knew this more than a decade ago.

[Randall Flagg]

Hits are also a very poorly-collected stat. I don't trust the data itself 

[dudacek]

1 hour ago, Zamboni said:

I haven’t listened yet I will listen in a few minutes… But the phrase “read between the lines”. Reading between the lines can lead to a ton of inaccurate assumptions and then reacting Negatively or sometimes positively to those assumptions.

In this interview, he didn’t promise “I am going to get a good defenceman” but, when asked about what needs to be addressed most, he responded by talking about how much Mule’s injury hurt them. Correctly or not, I’m pretty comfortable reading that as an acknowledgment he’s aware we need another good defenceman and will try to acquire one.

I’m well aware other’s mileage may vary.

[dudacek]

8 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

Hits are also a very poorly-collected stat. I don't trust the data itself 

I hear from Adams a consistent message of context being important: the why behind the numbers.

He gives me a good sense that the principles underlying their decisions - personnel and tactics - have been pretty thoroughly and thoughtfully challenged and massaged.

[LabattBlue]

Enquiring minds want to know…why don’t the Sabres hit?

[Randall Flagg]

4 minutes ago, dudacek said:

I hear from Adams a consistent message of context being important: the why behind the numbers.

He gives me a good sense that the principles underlying their decisions - personnel and tactics - have been pretty thoroughly and thoughtfully challenged and massaged.

He mentioned the proprietary datasets his team has developed, I'd pay a lot of money to get to see them. He talks about how they use those and develop them based on what coaches explain in the film that doesn't make sense on the surface but does with their context 

[dudacek]

2 minutes ago, LabattBlue said:

Enquiring minds want to know…why don’t the Sabres hit?

My interpretation of the response: Basically, it’s that the conventional hit stat is full of empty calories.

The Sabres strategic goal is to have the puck. Hits are valued and encouraged for separating player from puck and gaining possession, hits for the sake of hits are discouraged for removing the hitter from the play.

 

[matter2003]

1 hour ago, mjd1001 said:

It wasn't brought up directly but I listed to an interesting discussion early in the season about hitting:

-Patrice Bergeron was brought up. Not a huge hitter, but it was said what makes him effective as a defensive forward is partly because he doesn't hit. The few hits he does make are ones where there is virtually zero chance of it causing him to be out of the play.  In today's NHL, you want to make no more contact than you need to make to not put yourself out of position, or to even make it 1 second slower to get back 'into the play'.  Basically, the way the NHL is played today, most (not ALL, but most) hits do more to put a player out of position than the benefits they bring for 'finishing a check'.

 

Carolina is the 2nd least hitting team in the NHL and they seem to be doing fine...

[LabattBlue]

11 minutes ago, dudacek said:

My interpretation of the response: Basically, it’s that the conventional hit stat is full of empty calories.

The Sabres strategic goal is to have the puck. Hits are valued and encouraged for separating player from puck and gaining possession, hits for the sake of hits are discouraged for removing the hitter from the play.

 

Since hitting a player without the puck is considered interference, what hits aren’t valued and encouraged?

If the coaching staff is encouraging less physical play from the team, then they have no one to blame then themselves when playing games where physical play is warranted. 

Edited May 3, 2023 by LabattBlue

[dudacek]

6 minutes ago, LabattBlue said:

Since hitting a player without the puck is considered interference, what hits aren’t values and encouraged?

If the coaching staff is encouraging less physical play from the team, then they have no one to blame then themselves when playing games where physical play is warranted. 

Hits that aren’t likely to result in Sabre puck possession, would be my guess, or to quote more eloquent people upthread: “Ristos”

Adams was very quick to say they want their players to be physical and hard on contested pucks.

(To be clear, I’m not trying to debate this with you, just passing on my interpretation of what I heard)

[LabattBlue]

1 minute ago, dudacek said:

Hits that aren’t likely to result in Sabre puck possession, would be my guess, or to quote more eloquent people upthread: “Ristos”

Adams was very quick to say they want their players to be physical and hard on contested pucks.

(To be clear, I’m not trying to debate this with you, just passing on my interpretation of what I heard)

Understood.  I just want to see replacements for Girgs, KO and 5-6-7 blueliners, being guys who thrive in games where physical play is dictated.  

[msw2112]

In watching some of the playoff games, I've noticed that hits made by a forechecking team often dislodge a puck from the defensmen, allow the forechecing forward to take possession of the puck, and frequently the result is a puck in the back of the net.

That said, the Devils fast-pace and skate-them-out-of-the-building style looked fantastic against the Rangers in Game 7, and looked a lot like the Sabres' style of play.  I think the difference is more stability in defensive play and goaltendng.  With Levi on board, that should improve for the Sabres, and Power will improve defensively with experience, but they clearly need to add 1 or 2 more veteran defensemen (which New Jersey has done).  I have not historically been a Devils fan, but against the Rangers, it's easy to root for the Devils.  More importantly, I've been a Lindy Ruff fan for decades.  He was my favorite Sabres player of his era when I was a kid, and I loved him as the Sabres coach, so it would be amazing to see him finally get his Cup.  There's a long way to go, but I'm on the bandwagon.  Granato is by far my favorite Sabres coach since Lindy.

Edited May 3, 2023 by msw2112

[PerreaultForever]

2 hours ago, mjd1001 said:

It wasn't brought up directly but I listed to an interesting discussion early in the season about hitting:

-Patrice Bergeron was brought up. Not a huge hitter, but it was said what makes him effective as a defensive forward is partly because he doesn't hit. The few hits he does make are ones where there is virtually zero chance of it causing him to be out of the play.  In today's NHL, you want to make no more contact than you need to make to not put yourself out of position, or to even make it 1 second slower to get back 'into the play'.  Basically, the way the NHL is played today, most (not ALL, but most) hits do more to put a player out of position than the benefits they bring for 'finishing a check'.

Except, he lost in the playoffs because he was hit and the Bruins didn't hit. The only time he won the cup he was surrounded by a team of big hitters. 

[Eleven]

40 minutes ago, LabattBlue said:

Understood.  I just want to see replacements for Girgs, KO and 5-6-7 blueliners, being guys who thrive in games where physical play is dictated.  

Gotta mentally separate "physical play" from hitting.  Vanek played a physical game, but he TOOK hits and stood in front of the net.  So do guys who bang in the corners.  Laying out a guy a millisecond after he dishes the puck to his teammate does send a message, and sometimes a warranted one, but it also often takes the hitter out of the play.  Again--this is something the Sabres have known for a long time; they may even have been early adopters.

Edited May 3, 2023 by Eleven

[GASabresIUFAN]

What KA talked about in the interview was really situational hitting (aka checking).  Hitting once you have possession doesn't help keep possession, but forechecking to knock guys off the puck to aid in recovering possession does.  I got the feeling from the interview that they feel they can be more physical in that area and that is one of the primary reasons Greenway was acquired.  

This answer does bring into question why Stillman was acquired and Lyubushkin was signed.  Both guy are more hit first and ask questions later type of players and both guys are known for (and we saw) getting out of position while trying to make a hit.  It's one of the primary reasons I was against the Stillman trade.  What we need to more guys who are willing to clean out the crease and block shots.  McKee type of players.  

Someone mentioned Parayko in an different thread and I incorrectly said we didn't his skill set.  I thought of him as a Tyler Myers type player with better O skillset.  However when I looked yesterday at his numbers, I was pleasantly surprised by his shot blocks and his willingness to take the body.  Turns out he maybe a perfect addition to our top 4 if really available.

 

[DHawerchuk10]

46 minutes ago, LabattBlue said:

Since hitting a player without the puck is considered interference, what hits aren’t valued and encouraged?

If the coaching staff is encouraging less physical play from the team, then they have no one to blame then themselves when playing games where physical play is warranted. 

Not trying to nitpick here, but adding to your point.  How about the hitting of defensemen during the forecheck when the puck is gone during the "grace period"?  I think this is a legitimate gray area where the Sabres need to pick up the aggression, especially if they make the playoffs.  Finishing your check in this manner leads to turnovers galore, and is equally important as hitting somebody with the puck to get possession.  Maybe Adams is equating these things, but by the way the Sabres play, I have my doubts.

In '99, we employed this strategy against Ray Bourque to great effect.  We pounded him into oblivion and he coughed up the puck fairly consistently cause he knew he was going to get punished repeatedly.  Similarly, there is a highlight from '93 that illustrates this perfectly when Bourque saw May coming, panicked, and coughed it up to Mogilny for a goal.  

[GASabresIUFAN]

One other note from the interview was KA mentioned having 4 goalies.  I take that to mean Levi, UPL, Comrie and Subban (who was excellent for Rochester this past year).  He also talked about only carrying two next season in the NHL.  Reading these tea leaves, I'll guess that they currently envision Levi and UPL in Buffalo with Comrie and Subban in Rochester.  I like the Comrie/Subban tandem in Rochester, but not real happy with UPL's return.  If KA is serious about cutting the GA, he can start with replacing UPL, but that doesn't seem in the cards right now.  

It also seems that other than adding one more D, but expect really many other changes in the roster over last year except a rookie pushing out a veteran at forward.  I think his game plan is to wait and see what Z and KO want to return and then decide on the few remaining roster spots from there.    

Edited May 3, 2023 by GASabresIUFAN