GDT: Sabres vs Pens- October 6, 2023 - 7:00PM, MSG/NHLN📺WGR📻

[Believer]

28 minutes ago, GoPuckYourself said:

I agree it's not all on him and it's pre season but we 100% need another veteran goalie to help him along the way.

Thought I read sometime back Anderson was going to serve as mentor?

[ndirish1978]

2 hours ago, jad1 said:

As an team, the Sabres have no clue  how to defend the front of the net. And that doesn't mean knocking people down. They don't take away passing lanes, tie up sticks, block shots, lean on guys in front. 

It's just open season on the goaltender.

I'm not super well schooled in hockey, just been reading about it the past few months. But, I don't see how we can consistently show such poor advanced stats on D and then apparently do nothing at all to solve the problem. I may be wrong, but I'm not seeing much in the way of system change in regards to our defending at all. Kinda bummed about it tbh.

[PromoTheRobot]

I couldn't watch so I just so a recap.
> Levi comes down to Earth.
> Maybe Clifton needed a few more preseason games?
> Benson!!

[Bangarang]

That was a bit of a gut punch

[FrenchConnection44]

3 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

Well, "obviously" that was disappointing.  Announcers in mid season form with the list of excuses though. Already sick of hearing about "the good things they did" already and the season hasn't even started. Complete garbage hockey. Absolutely no idea how to play defense at all. IF we play like this, we will definitely not make the playoffs. 

I guess this isn't unexpected. Lots of talent and the ability to score a goal quickly at any time (eg. Mitts goal) but absolutely atrocious D, and by that I don't mean the defensemen, but the team. 

I watched this carefully and even replayed chunks of it to be sure and I think the thing about Clifton is two fold. First, he's used to playing on a highly structured team where players cover the gaps and rotate into empty positions and not on this hurly burly mess of running around and chasing puck carriers or waving sticks near shooters, but from a distance. You can see he kind of doesn't know where to go as a result. Also, perhaps most importantly, there seems to be zero communication between the D on the team as a whole and it impacts the new guys the most. It's all just a mess of running around and chasing just like every year before. THIS is not on Clifton, or Dahlin, or Power (who also is struggling mightily) it's on the COACHING. Preseason is the time to get this together and it seems we have not. Not in the least. So unless they fix that, Cliffy will become your new whipping boy.

On the upside, if you noticed, his outlet passes were crisp and damn near perfect tape to tape. 

Levi looked like a rookie goalie can look. It wasn't his fault, but he wasn't great either. He will crumble under this kind of assault and lack of D in front of him. Looks like a guy who, as most young goalies do, needs a few years in the AHL first. We are in trouble unless this was an outlier. 

Benson. Super talented but he really looks like a child. The good is he can score and create chances out of very little and do it often. The bad, as you could see on Carter's goal, he is a child among men and that will show in tough situations as it did there. The risk, is he gets crunched and injured. I would still send him to juniors.

As is often the case, I don't get the Skinner love. Cost us the first goal, gave the puck away a lot, refused to play D and just ran around and tried to be annoying until he was shoved and then just looked scared. Whatever. Nothing new there.

A couple good things in this sea of disaster, Peterka looks like he has matured fully. Poise and solid play. He's a young man now and no longer just a kid. This is clear. He should have a very good year. Possibly a major break out.  Also, Mitts looks like he is capable of being a good 3C. 

 Otherwise, if this is it we will suck - AGAIN.

 

Almost identical thoughts on Clifton re his Bruins stint. The Bruins play a much more disciplined, ‘structured’ as you put it, and physical form of hockey. And Buffalo doesn’t. And one has to wonder if that doesn’t make him struggle to fit. 
 

Don’t think they can send Benson down at this point. He will surely get at least 9 games, then see where we are. He’s played his way on the team. 
 

Benson’s play makes me even more disappointed in the Savoie injury (to say nothing of Quinn!). Savoie actually looked good and even better - tho different - than Benson this season up until his injury. Not arguing he’d have made the team. But still disappointing we didn’t get to see him against higher NHL level talent. 
 

I really like Granato in a lot of ways. He is a players coach. But I’ve been wondering about whether he has any sort of system? Other than, be aggressive on offense and use your talent? Of course, this team is not geared for some sort of grind it out defensive system. But they need to play total hockey, not just go for it offensively. And one wonders whether they will generate the same amount of offense as last year - will teams have figured out how to slightly neutralize some of our talent? 
 

Decent breakdown here:

 

[bob_sauve28]

Preseason, and Sabres ran a lot of young players through the wringer. Pens have been getting their core ready, we have been looking at young talent. This next week we will get the core all on the same page. 

 

The Sabres will be fine 

[LGR4GM]

Like the Bills Jets game, sometimes what you see isn't really what team is. All teams play bad games and have bad stretches, I'll worry when it isn't preseason and they don't have a week to fix it. 

That said, defensively the Sabres don't look sharp. I'd be practicing that all week and nothing else. 

[Getpucksdeep]

2 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Like the Bills Jets game, sometimes what you see isn't really what team is. All teams play bad games and have bad stretches, I'll worry when it isn't preseason and they don't have a week to fix it. 

That said, defensively the Sabres don't look sharp. I'd be practicing that all week and nothing else. 

Yup and I'm optimistic they'll figure it out. They want it. Just hope they don't lay an egg (>5gaa) in the first few games and get rattled.  

[LGR4GM]

I'd like to point out Okposo didn't play last night. 

[Sidc3000]

I see the Sabres pick up where they left off last season.
 

[LGR4GM]

7 minutes ago, Sidc3000 said:

I see the Sabres pick up where they left off last season.
 

Idk if the Sabres are but team stormcloud is in mid season form.

[North Buffalo]

47 minutes ago, bob_sauve28 said:

Preseason, and Sabres ran a lot of young players through the wringer. Pens have been getting their core ready, we have been looking at young talent. This next week we will get the core all on the same page. 

 

The Sabres will be fine 

Let's hope so... yeh I get it Sabres have been evaluating a lot... now they need to lock in D zone play or itll more wash rinse repeat... Leaves south...  

[Carmel Corn]

Well.....at least the team won't go into the regular season with a "cocky" attitude.

[Pimlach]

I missed the game.  Didn’t see any of it.  Sounds like some of the vets are not in full gear yet.  

 

Time to move on and start the season.  

For 2023-24 we brought in Devon Levi, Conner Clifton, Erik Johnson, and Zach Benson.   Will it be enough to get us to the playoffs?   I am ready to see and looking forward to it. 

[JustOneParade]

3 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

Like the Bills Jets game, sometimes what you see isn't really what team is. All teams play bad games and have bad stretches, I'll worry when it isn't preseason and they don't have a week to fix it. 

That said, defensively the Sabres don't look sharp. I'd be practicing that all week and nothing else. 

After that first Bills game I wasn’t concerned that it was a reflection of what the Bills were, but rather they lost a winnable game that may have playoff implications at season’s end.

I’m feeling a bit of the same now. If it takes the Sabres 8 or 10 games to get their defensive play in order there will likely be some points lost with playoff implications because they weren’t ready out of the gate. Thus, I share @LGR4GM’s hope the Sabres have a VERY productive week of practice.

[bob_sauve28]

FYI, 

 

Mitts goal was just  amazing plays by three young players. Power lofted a neat pass to Benson from his own end to Pens blueline, Benson did something with it and made a nice pass to a breaking Mitts who scored on a sick backhander. Sweet! 

[dudacek]

14 hours ago, JoeSchmoe said:

 

Greenway would be easily replaceable. Don't like his game at all.

I thought he had a good game at both ends of the rink. One of the few Sabre consistently on the right side of the puck. Won battles and moved the puck well. Moved his feet better than he has.

We look so talented offensively and so clueless defending.

It’s remarkable actually

13 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

 Levi and defense were pretty bad.  I liked Benson with Mitts and Greenway.

This

Edited October 7, 2023 by dudacek

[nfreeman]

Disappointing showing.  They looked like, to quote the great Ryan Miller, fragile little children and they looked allergic to defense.  Meanwhile, Pittsburgh looked like a mentally tough, veteran team that was able to completely expose the Sabres.

I don't expect Levi to be as ordinary as he was last night, but they aren't going anywhere if they don't start playing NHL-caliber team defense.  And to echo @PerreaultForever, this isn't a couple of the individual defensemen playing poorly.  This is a team defense issue and it's a major problem that will keep this team out of the playoffs if it doesn't improve substantially.  Mental toughness and dedication to defense is needed.  It's far from clear whether the Sabres can provide it.

Otherwise, Benson continues to look like he belongs, and belongs in a real role.  As noted upthread, he consistently elevates his linemates, regardless of who they are.  I liked Greenway-Mitts-Benson much more than I liked Greenway-Mitts-Tuch.

The power play looks better.

VO looks like he's playing with some desperation for a roster spot and a contract.  Good for him.

We haven't seen much yet out of TT, Dahlin or Power.  I wonder if contract issues are on the minds of the latter 2.

DM has his work cut out for him.

 

[Doohicksie]

17 hours ago, Brawndo said:

Can’t wait to see Benson’s 

Yeah I've got some work to do before the opener.

[LabattBlue]

16 hours ago, Randall Flagg said:

Donny said offense was the hard part, and he can teach defense to anyone.

Summer school is over. Let’s see how much your “students” have learned for the fall & spring semesters. 🤔

Edited October 7, 2023 by LabattBlue

[Sidc3000]

6 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

Idk if the Sabres are but team stormcloud is in mid season form.

I’m just speaking at what I saw.  I guess you think they didn’t look like the team from last year? 

[PerreaultForever]

1 hour ago, LabattBlue said:

Summer school is over. Let’s see how much your “students” have learned for the fall & spring semesters. 🤔

So when? I mean preseason is the time to learn and work the system, get the kinks out, shore up your lines and D pairings. You want to compete for the playoffs it all has to be ready to go for opening night. This looks like a team of individuals and not a team at all. It's the same damn thing every year.