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Tage is Leading the Team in a New Way

Porous Five Hole

By Porous Five Hole
in The Aud Club

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nfreeman Hall of Famer

nfreeman

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This doesn't match the eye test at 5-on-5 IMHO, but he's been terrific on the PK, as has the rest of the team.  (I think the OP's #fancystat includes PK, but please correct me if I'm wrong.)

In any case he has clearly made significant improvements defensively, which is great.

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JohnC First Liner

JohnC

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36 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

This doesn't match the eye test at 5-on-5 IMHO, but he's been terrific on the PK, as has the rest of the team.  (I think the OP's #fancystat includes PK, but please correct me if I'm wrong.)

In any case he has clearly made significant improvements defensively, which is great.

Tage, Tuch and Greenway are three big guys who utilizing their size in their defensive responsibilities. 

Derrico First Liner

Derrico

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46 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

This doesn't match the eye test at 5-on-5 IMHO, but he's been terrific on the PK, as has the rest of the team.  (I think the OP's #fancystat includes PK, but please correct me if I'm wrong.)

In any case he has clearly made significant improvements defensively, which is great.

I’m not discounting it even if it’s shown more on the pk. It has been a revelation this year and he either didn’t get the right opportunity in years past or flat out didn’t have the defensive awareness and/or ability to defend with his reach in years past.  He has that this year and even if it helps the pk more than 5 on 5 it’s been a nice surprise and welcomed addition to his game. 

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msw2112 Fourth Liner

msw2112

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Posted (edited)

Granato publicly stated in the past that given the makeup of the roster (lots of youth, speed, and offensive talent), the team was going to focus on offensive play.  It is easier to teach, easier to get guys to buy in, and would help the team win some games and get the young guys some confidence while they adjusted to the league.  It worked.  He said that more defensive concepts would follow in the future and I believe that this season, it's happening.  The defensive play and penalty kill has improved, but the offense has been sporadic.  They need to find the right balance.  There's another active thread about the Sabres power play and that truly may be the difference maker.  If the team can score 1 more PP goal every game (or even every other game), they're probably winning some of the close games.  Thompson's defensive play (and the team's) has not yet resulted in a better record (they're hovering right around .500, which is where they were last season), but better defensive play should ultimately result in a better record.  The Sabres have more offensive skill than most teams and eventually, the math says that the PP will produce more goals, and that should result in more wins.  If both teams play good defense, and one team has more talented scorers, the team with more offensive talent should win most of the games over the course of a long season.  That extra goal or two that goes in because of pure offensive talent (overcoming good defense) will make the difference in most games.  Whether it plays out that way is anybody's guess, but Granato and Adams have been consistent with their messaging and, as a fan, I'm willing to give it a chance to see how it turns out.

Edited by msw2112
Quint Fourth Liner

Quint

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Posted

Tage is getting better at using his huge body to block off defenders. How do you defend against that? He's also getting better at passing and setting up goals. He's also finding new ways to score. Of course he's improved at PK. Don't forget, he's a beast at shoot-outs too. But teams are catching on. They're stuffing him on the pp one-timers. Has he scored on a one-timer yet this year? 

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