I know it's just preseason

[RVJ]

But are defense was pretty bad tonight with the the defensive

Starters playing in this game.

In 6 games We gave up 20 goals.

The most in the eastern conference. 

I think we should just have Levi and Comrie for are goalies and send UPL down.

 

 

 

[Zamboni]

It’s just preseason 

[SABRES 0311]

4 hours ago, RVJ said:

But are defense was pretty bad tonight with the the defensive

Starters playing in this game.

In 6 games We gave up 20 goals.

The most in the eastern conference. 

I think we should just have Levi and Comrie for are goalies and send UPL down.

 

 

 

We haven’t had a full team of starters on their actual lines. It’s only to get players physically and mentally ready and coaches to assess individual capabilities.

[PerreaultForever]

Well it is just preseason BUT it's the same problem as last year isn't it. We will see if there's a decent defensive system in place come regular season but quite frankly I don't see how that'll just happen. Now is the time they should be working on it and trying to learn it. 

[Radar]

I never look at preseason as being more than getting into physical playing shape. I do hope they play the last one with the regular lines together and a good week of practice as regular units.

Edited October 5, 2023 by Radar

[bob_sauve28]

Doomed! 

[Night Train]

There's still an aversion to getting back on D.  I guess when some players talk about it, they believe others need to do the heavy lifting. Wrong. Until it changes, the 4th line should get as much minutes as the top 3 with short shifts. Wake them up. 

[Doohicksie]

8 hours ago, RVJ said:

But are defense was pretty bad tonight with the the defensive

Starters playing in this game.

In 6 games We gave up 20 goals.

The most in the eastern conference. 

I think we should just have Levi and Comrie for are goalies and send UPL down.

I'm not at all concerned.  Preseason record means nothing.

[mjd1001]

I would have liked it if they had given up less, but again, its just preseason.

I think you can tell more about a hockey team from preseason than you can about an NFL team, but that isn't saying much.  90% of what this team will be we won't know from preseason.

In the NHL, sometime you get seasons where you can't even tell how good a team is once the regular season starts, it can take 20+ games.  

So, while your point should be brought up and how they are playing on the back end is something to take notice of (and certainly talk about), I'm not too worried yet...if they are at the bottom of the league in goals around in December, then we have a big issue.

[nfreeman]

It’s just preseason, but I think:

- Benson is the real deal.

- Mitts is not a #2C and Greenway-Mitts-Tuch did not work last night as a second line.

- Comrie is better than UPL. 

- Rosen and especially Kulich are not ready and the Sabres were right to send them down.

- Ryan Johnson isn’t ready either but has a lot of game on both ends and has top-4 potential.

- The team overall doesn’t seem focused and determined.  

[HOUSE]

It's only preseason but UPL belongs in Hershey wearing a sheet brown uniform 

[GASabresIUFAN]

It’s only preseason but last night’s effort was lousy and DG thought it was as well.  The D pairings aren’t working for me and I don’t like that they waited so long to get the new guys on the ice for preseason games.

[Crusader1969]

4 hours ago, Radar said:

I never look at preseason as being more than getting into physical playing shape. I do hope they play the last one with the regular lines together and a good week of practice as regular units.

and don't get hurt. Things you don't read into NHL Preseason and NFL Week #1

[Sabres Fan in NS]

It's just preseason, but UPL is at least #3 on the G depth chart and I see no reason to carry 3 on the active roster.

Sorry, pal, but it's to Rochester or some place else for you.  I think Rochester will do for now.

It's just preseason, but the experiement with the kids is over.  The remaining games and practice needs to be with the rostered players + only 1 or 2.

Edited October 5, 2023 by Sabres Fan in NS
more goodly ..

[Marvin]

One thing that I would have liked to see was a more work on defencive positioning from the entire line-up.  Some forwards clearly lose their place in the defensive structure far more often than others.  It is clear that they are practicing a more sophisticated defencive structure than last year, but not everyone has absorbed their lessons yet.

[Pimlach]

1 hour ago, nfreeman said:

It’s just preseason, but I think:

- Benson is the real deal.

- Mitts is not a #2C and Greenway-Mitts-Tuch did not work last night as a second line.

- Comrie is better than UPL. 

- Rosen and especially Kulich are not ready and the Sabres were right to send them down.

- Ryan Johnson isn’t ready either but has a lot of game on both ends and has top-4 potential.

- The team overall doesn’t seem focused and determined. 

- Benson looks good so far and earned his 9 games, AND maybe more. 

- Too early to say anything about Mitts but I do think Cozens is the real 2C, he just needs a steady line.  Last year he played with 2 rookies and he moved around a lot.  

- Greenway has not impressed me yet.  I just don't see much effort.  

- Comrie or UPL - they are both below average.  Goaltending will continue to be an issue - I fear that not enough was done at this position and everything hangs a rookie.  

-  Kulich, Rosen, R Johnson are really good prospects but we cannot absorb them right now and win.  They need time in the "A" to start the season, then we see how things progress and if any of them fit and fill a need.  

You last point is my only major disagreement.   Maybe they are not yet focused but its it too early to say.  They carried a big roster all preseason and they looked at a lot of people.  We could start slow because of it and it could take a few weeks for the real team to get going.  We will need everyone on the team to stay together and keep working.  

This is supposed to be a playoff run, the season is a marathon, not a sprint.  

[French Collection]

UPL is still in the development part of his career. I don’t know if he will ever hit his ceiling, which is probably as a 1B. He needs games to continue this development so I would risk waivers by sending him to the AHL to get more games.

Comrie is an NHL backup. He was brought in to audition for a starter’s role and never found traction. He has experience as a backup and a calm demeanor that seems suited to a support role.

If they keep 3 goalies then UPL will not get many games and practice time will be tougher to manage. I dislike losing him for nothing but he hasn’t done much to deserve a guaranteed NHL spot.

[Drag0nDan]

2 hours ago, nfreeman said:

It’s just preseason, but I think:

- Benson is the real deal.

- Mitts is not a #2C and Greenway-Mitts-Tuch did not work last night as a second line.

- Comrie is better than UPL. 

- Rosen and especially Kulich are not ready and the Sabres were right to send them down.

- Ryan Johnson isn’t ready either but has a lot of game on both ends and has top-4 potential.

- The team overall doesn’t seem focused and determined.  

Which... hard to motivate people when the game doesn't matter at all and the crowds absolutely dead. 

21 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

- Benson looks good so far and earned his 9 games, AND maybe more. 

- Too early to say anything about Mitts but I do think Cozens is the real 2C, he just needs a steady line.  Last year he played with 2 rookies and he moved around a lot.  

- Greenway has not impressed me yet.  I just don't see much effort.  

- Comrie or UPL - they are both below average.  Goaltending will continue to be an issue - I fear that not enough was done at this position and everything hangs a rookie.  

-  Kulich, Rosen, R Johnson are really good prospects but we cannot absorb them right now and win.  They need time in the "A" to start the season, then we see how things progress and if any of them fit and fill a need.  

You last point is my only major disagreement.   Maybe they are not yet focused but its it too early to say.  They carried a big roster all preseason and they looked at a lot of people.  We could start slow because of it and it could take a few weeks for the real team to get going.  We will need everyone on the team to stay together and keep working.  

This is supposed to be a playoff run, the season is a marathon, not a sprint.  

Agreed - i hope they don't wait to make a move if something opens up.  

[Taro T]

They had a plan - play the kids and find out to as great an extent as is possible just what they have in them.  Pretty sure they're pretty comfortable in their evaluations on them.

But the downside of the plan is a couple of new D that haven't played in this system have almost or actually no experience in it in game situations and some other vets seem to have rust to shake off.  Hopefully they go with the NHL roster minus the 4th line and Levi so they can get 1 last look at the kids they're making a final decision on, they look at Comrie 1 last time, and they let the rest of the lines and pairings get a full game of action in.  Losing Okposo, Girgensons, and probably Krebs won't affect the PP at all and it won't hurt to have the 5-6 and 7-8 PK F's get a little extra action in on the PK.

Won't panic until and if they look this bad on the 11th.  But last night was ugly throughout.  

[matter2003]

"Red Alert, Red Alert!  It's a Catastrophe!

But don't worry! Don't panic!

Ain't nothin' goin' on but history, yeah...

But it's alright! Don't panic!

And the music keeps on playing on and on...

And the music keeps on playing on and on..."

 

 

 

Edited October 5, 2023 by matter2003

[Marvin]

49 minutes ago, matter2003 said:

"Red Alert, Red Alert!  It's a Catastrophe!

But don't worry! Don't panic!

Ain't nothin' goin' on but history, yeah...

But it's alright! Don't panic!

And the music keeps on playing on and on...

And the music keeps on playing on and on..."

 

 

 

Do we need "Don't Panic" written in large, friendly letters at the top of the website?

[Crusader1969]

One good thing if they keep 3 goalies. - improves the chances to near 100% that Bryson gets waived 

[pi2000]

4 hours ago, nfreeman said:

It’s just preseason, but I think:

- Benson is the real deal.

- Mitts is not a #2C and Greenway-Mitts-Tuch did not work last night as a second line.

- Comrie is better than UPL. 

- Rosen and especially Kulich are not ready and the Sabres were right to send them down.

- Ryan Johnson isn’t ready either but has a lot of game on both ends and has top-4 potential.

- The team overall doesn’t seem focused and determined.  

Define "ready".   IMO Kulich is more ready than Benson... it's not just about points.

[nfreeman]

8 minutes ago, pi2000 said:

Define "ready".   IMO Kulich is more ready than Benson... it's not just about points.

In this context I'd define it as able, right now, to be effective in an NHL game.  I think Benson is "ready" in that sense now and Kulich isn't.

[FrenchConnection44]

It is concerning to me that even in preseason, we seem to be lapsing on simple fundamentals, like backchecking. I can’t remember which goal it was, but Mitts was way behind on the play, and just didn’t back check the player that scored because the player was ahead of him on the ice. That seems to me just simple laziness or inattentivness to the game. 
 

And it looked like the same level of defense we played last year, both defenseman and forwards spread out, but not bothering to guard anyone, really. There just seems to be very little aggressiveness in taking on players around them. I don’t know that teams can just turn that mental switch on when the season starts, but we will have to hope. By no means, should we panic, as we have a good nucleus of players, but it would be nice to see us playing more aggressive on defense.  

I was a little surprised we put Kulich at center, and Kris Baker mentioned that. I would’ve thought he would be a winger. Put him at the wing to use his speed and let him be set up for shots by a play making center. That, given his shot, imo, is his best position.