GDT: Wild @ Sabres - Nov 10, 2023 - 7:00pm, MSG-B/ESPN+📺WGR📻

[CallawaySabres]

I was not able to watch one second of this game last night, and was wondering if anyone had a really quick summary of strength and weakness, thanks in advance!

[dudacek]

13 minutes ago, CallawaySabres said:

I was not able to watch one second of this game last night, and was wondering if anyone had a really quick summary of strength and weakness, thanks in advance!

Probably weren’t the better team but we made enough stops and scored enough goals.

Mitts Peterka and Levi were really good, Krebs, Savoie and Jost barely played, Cozens was really bad, the refs were worse and the rest were various degrees of adequate to fine.

[SabresBillsFan]

18 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Probably weren’t the better team but we made enough stops and scored enough goals.

Mitts Peterka and Levi were really good, Krebs, Savoie and Jost barely played, Cozens was really bad, the refs were worse and the rest were various degrees of adequate to fine.

That is a fair assessment of that game. 

[Doohicksie]

3 hours ago, dudacek said:

He’s kinda been a misfit toy in terms of lineup fit and I think it’s probably played a role in his poor start.

He's being asked to be the glue that holds the misfit toys together.  Cozens has had the role in the past.  I think Krebs has a good mental approach and he will get through the misfit toys phase, but that's as much about his wingers as him I think.  It's obvious to all of us that VO needs to go, that KO has lost a step.  I think Kevyn would like to move VO but hasn't found the right trade partner yet, and basically gifted a rosters spot to KO in gratitude for the leadership he's provided.  I hope that KO requests some maintenance nights eventually and his role gets reduced.   Love the guy, but as a player he's not what he once was.

Anyway, with more dynamic wingers I think Krebs will be much better.  I think his ceiling is bottom 6 C though and we can't expect more than that out of him.

[nfreeman]

 

3 hours ago, Taro T said:

 

Agree on Power.  The funny thing is, he IS having a sophomore slump as he gets asked to do more than he was last year.  But he's still far and away their 2nd best D-man.  Not wishing any of this season away, but really looking forward to seeing what he'll end up doing next year when all this is starting to become old hat for him and also when he will likely FINALLY be nearly as strong as a person with a body that large should be.  He can very much be a Lidstrom-style player.

There also is a reasonable chance that R Johnson will be getting top 4 usage next year (at least at 5v5) which means Power can have either him or Samuelsson as his partner.  Don't underestimate how much having a guy that SHOULD be top 4 as a partner will make him better.  (Will also likely make the 3rd pairing better regardless of which 2 guys end up there.)

Can't wait for tonight's game and Tuesday's as well.  Expect they'll play a lot better tonight than they did last night.  Hopefully they do and the better team gets the W too.

Totally agree on both Power and Johnnie, and think both are going to keep getting better.  I can definitely see Johnnie beating out Joki and/or Muel next year for a spot with Dahlin or Power.

 

16 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Probably weren’t the better team but we made enough stops and scored enough goals.

Mitts Peterka and Levi were really good, Krebs, Savoie and Jost barely played, Cozens was really bad, the refs were worse and the rest were various degrees of adequate to fine.

It was pretty close between the 2 teams, IMHO.  Certainly the Sabres needed Levi to shine, and he did.

2nd bolded:  and TT and Skinner!

[Doohicksie]

2 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

It was pretty close between the 2 teams, IMHO. 

Here's the thing:  Minnesota dictated the pace of play last night.  The Sabres style is freewheeling; the Wild style is tight checking.  The Wild forced the Sabres to play the Minny style and yet the Sabres still got the W.  I also think that by beating the Wild at their own game for the first two periods, it loosened things up in the 3rd and the Sabres had more space.

This is significant because while the Sabres have a run-and-gun team there are other teams in the league that play a style that smothers that, and last night's game demonstrated that the Sabres can play that kind of game and win.

The other significant thing about last night is I think it's the first time this season we got the Devon Levi of last season.

[nfreeman]

2 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

Here's the thing:  Minnesota dictated the pace of play last night.  The Sabres style is freewheeling; the Wild style is tight checking.  The Wild forced the Sabres to play the Minny style and yet the Sabres still got the W.  I also think that by beating the Wild at their own game for the first two periods, it loosened things up in the 3rd and the Sabres had more space.

This is significant because while the Sabres have a run-and-gun team there are other teams in the league that play a style that smothers that, and last night's game demonstrated that the Sabres can play that kind of game and win.

The other significant thing about last night is I think it's the first time this season we got the Devon Levi of last season.

Good stuff here, although I thought Minny had the better of it in the 2nd until Skinner scored that beauty with 1 minute left in the period.

Totally agree about Levi.

[Doohicksie]

2 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

Good stuff here, although I thought Minny had the better of it in the 2nd until Skinner scored that beauty with 1 minute left in the period.

Totally agree about Levi.

Last night, our tight checking game matched their tight checking game, but their offensive firepower couldn't match ours.

Not by a lot, but by enough.

[PromoTheRobot]

How many own goals do we have this year? Feels like a lot.

[Taro T]

1 minute ago, PromoTheRobot said:

How many own goals do we have this year? Feels like a lot.

None in this one.  😉

[PromoTheRobot]

7 minutes ago, Taro T said:

None in this one.  😉

Didn't #3 go off E. Johnson?

Even though they gave it to Crosby because....

[PromoTheRobot]

Sorry wrong thread.