What to do With UPL?

[Archie Lee]

They should do what they should have done from the start of the season. If all are healthy, rotate them like a rotation of starting pitchers until one or two emerge or show they aren’t the answer. The NHL sample sizes on all 3 are too small to draw any conclusions yet. If you can’t decide based on what you have seen to date and therefore need all 3, then play all 3 and let them sort themselves out. 

[Captain Caveman]

10 hours ago, inkman said:

Apparently he just needed to play?

I'd feel a lot better about this statement if not for the last 5 minutes last night (admittedly I did not get to see the game and am only going by box score)

[Doohicksie]

16 minutes ago, Captain Caveman said:

I'd feel a lot better about this statement if not for the last 5 minutes last night (admittedly I did not get to see the game and am only going by box score)

I'd say the last 5 minutes were more about the Sabres playing a high-pressure defense most of the night but losing their legs at the end due to being on the second game of a back-to-back.

[Zamboni]

While I don’t think UPL is NHL starting goalie material…. I do think he’s NHL backup goalie material. He could have a long career in this league as a back up. Bouncing around from team to team on 1 or 2 year deals. Like a lot of backups do and did. Or go play over in Europe and make great money there playing a game.

[zow2]

I know UPL played pretty well last night, but I still don't trust him enough.  Straight on he's OK, but when he has to go side to side, or track a play from behind the net that goes one side to the other, he's kinda slow.  It costs the team goals.  On the plus side, UPL seems to get good support when he plays... it's just random I'm sure but the team scores when he's between the pipes, therefore he gets wins.  I don't see him winning many 2-1, 3-2 type games. 

[Doohicksie]

14 minutes ago, zow2 said:

I don't see the Sabres winning many 2-1, 3-2 type games. 

fify

[LETSTUCHINGO]

Let me start with that I am not a UPL fan, but he played excellent last night. He controlled rebounds well, which was one of his downfalls last season. I thought he played poised. The first goal was on him. The second goal was a bang, bang play on an excellent pass where once again the Sabres didn't recognize a player cutting to the net on the weakside. The last five minutes of the game was a melee! The Senators knew they were out of it and started to get cheap to rattle the Sabres. While I was thrilled how physical they played, stuck up for one another and didn't back down, they aren't used to doing it and they let their emotions get the better of them. They couldn't focus on finishing them out the way they had played the rest of the game. UPL was the victim of this. Team defense totally collapsed, leading to  bang-bang plays. You have to give credit where credit is due, and UPL deserves credit for a well played game and the victory. Play him again and see if he can do it against the Devils!

[Weave]

2 hours ago, Archie Lee said:

They should do what they should have done from the start of the season. If all are healthy, rotate them like a rotation of starting pitchers until one or two emerge or show they aren’t the answer. The NHL sample sizes on all 3 are too small to draw any conclusions yet. If you can’t decide based on what you have seen to date and therefore need all 3, then play all 3 and let them sort themselves out. 

If we are going to keep three, I think this makes sense.

 

Edited October 25, 2023 by Weave

[zow2]

1 hour ago, Archie Lee said:

They should do what they should have done from the start of the season. If all are healthy, rotate them like a rotation of starting pitchers until one or two emerge or show they aren’t the answer. The NHL sample sizes on all 3 are too small to draw any conclusions yet. If you can’t decide based on what you have seen to date and therefore need all 3, then play all 3 and let them sort themselves out. 

This I agree with.  The "hot hand" approach doesn't work all that well for Buffalo especially considering 1 game constitutes a hot hand for this club.  It seems like the 2nd consecutive start is just as often a loss.   I'm OK with Granato and the staff observing who looks best in practice physically and mentally for that particular game. 

[Doohicksie]

1 hour ago, Weave said:

If we are going to keep three, I think this makes sense.

If this is the intent, I think the right thing to do is to send someone down to Rochester.  Only one of the three is waive exempt.  Sorry, Devon.  But I also expect that won't last indefinitely and he will be back up, either because he's killing it in the AHL, because one of UPL or Comrie gets hurt, or because Kevyn finally gets a good return for one of them.

And if one of Comrie or UPL get hurt, Kevyn will look smart for hanging on to both of them.

[Pimlach]

4 hours ago, Archie Lee said:

They should do what they should have done from the start of the season. If all are healthy, rotate them like a rotation of starting pitchers until one or two emerge or show they aren’t the answer. The NHL sample sizes on all 3 are too small to draw any conclusions yet. If you can’t decide based on what you have seen to date and therefore need all 3, then play all 3 and let them sort themselves out. 

Yup, play all three and see what happens - an in season tryout if you will - it is what we have. 

Maybe by the trade deadline we can trade one to free up a roster spot for another D/F? 

It will take a bunch of games to determine who to keep.  Competition will bring out the best.  

[Taro T]

UPL had the horseshoe up his arse in the 1st.  There were 2 cross ice passes that just missed (1 right before Skinner's goal, the other about 3 minutes after it) that UPL was still square to the passer by the time the guy with the open net failed to receive the pass.  Otters could easily have had 4 goals about 4 minutes into the 2nd.

His rebound control was better than usual and he didn't make himself small and did a good job of protecting the top of the net.  

Still don't trust him.  Though he has a different temperament and is taller than him, see a lot of Ray Emery in his game.  

[zow2]

All 3 goalies seem to be pretty solid against straight on shooters.  The difference to me is who is quicker side to side to stop those super fast cross ice passes you see on power plays and 2 on 1's.  Who handles breakaways/shoot outs better?   

I need to see a compilation tape.  I'm sure Granato & Co. has that... but i think UPL shows the slowest reactions on the side to side plays.  But I have no idea to what extent it's worse than the others.  and UPL might have some other nuances to his game that are better. 

[Taro T]

Just now, zow2 said:

All 3 goalies seem to be pretty solid against straight on shooters.  The difference to me is who is quicker side to side to stop those super fast cross ice passes you see on power plays and 2 on 1's.  Who handles breakaways/shoot outs better?   

I need to see a compilation tape.  I'm sure Granato & Co. has that... but i think UPL shows the slowest reactions on the side to side plays.  But I have no idea to what extent it's worse than the others.  and UPL might have some other nuances to his game that are better. 

UPL when he's on his game is the prototypical huge goalie.  Nothing to shoot at square on but is slow getting across and opens up a lot getting across.  When he's not on his game, well ...

Comrie has extremely long legs for his height and takes away the entire bottom of the net.  On rare occassion the 5 hole opens up low if he's moving, but he's typically very good at blocking off all 6' along the ice.  His issue is his glove is just adequate and as we saw on the Gallagher goal, he has difficulty getting pucks at his feet covered up.  Also, his rebound control often leaves room for improvement.

Levi is short, so the top looks open but it rarely actually is because of his reflexes.  He's also very good at anticipating plays and moves side to side quicker than any goalie the Sabres have had in the last 20 years.  A big part of the reason he'll end up making the D look better than it actually is.  Wonder if he got hurt in warmups of the Calgary game because from the get go he did not look right.  (Even on the shots he stopped before the 1st goal against.)

[Quint]

Put him in the net whenever the Sabres feel they can score seven.

[Thorner]

11 minutes ago, Quint said:

Put him in the net whenever the Sabres feel they can score seven.

[Scottysabres]

If UPL continues to play the way he did today, we have our #1 goalie. We need to see consistency....so come on UPL, show us your the man!!!!

[LGR4GM]

I badly want him to prove me wrong. Just become a stud upl

 

[Taro T]

2 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

I badly want him to prove me wrong. Just become a stud upl

 

OK, totally get the 1st sentence and am at the same place.

No idea what that 2nd one is saying.

[LTS]

13 hours ago, Taro T said:

OK, totally get the 1st sentence and am at the same place.

No idea what that 2nd one is saying.

If you read it as up! it makes no sense (it's an l not a !).  If it you read it as UPL it makes way more sense.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Give him both starts against the dastardly Flyers.

[Hank]

Get off my island!!

[Pimlach]

29 minutes ago, Sabres Fan in NS said:

Give him both starts against the dastardly Flyers.  

If Levi can go start him and give UPL the home game.  If not, we have Opie until Levi is ready. 

 

[Porous Five Hole]

Well, injury insurance has paid off for now 

[matter2003]

UPL gonna be up for at least the next few weeks.  I'm not the biggest UPL supporter, but he has played mostly solid and at times spectacular.  Rebound control seems to be much better as well.  Pucks seem to be sticking to him far more than normal.