GDT LA Kings at Buffalo Sabres Tues 7pm MSG/ ESPN+

[PerreaultForever]

Well, given the usual, idk what you say about this game? Most unexpected. They actually played pretty damn good hockey. Now in fairness, LA was crap and they had some Comrie level goaltending but Sabres were still playing well. I'm starting to wonder if that Pierre Luc Dubois is in fact an actual cancer. Torts was right? Something definitely wrong on that team and the coach was not the problem obviously. 

Sabres played some good hockey though. Even went to the net. A one off? Too late? Another after the fact late season rush that leaves us just outside? idk, but I'm very interested to see what they bring against Florida. 

[Standing Room Smoking Cigs]

1 hour ago, Buffalonill said:

Wtf lol 

I probably got age on you kid.... Buffalonili!🤣

[GASabresIUFAN]

2 hours ago, K-9 said:

There once was a goalie from Nantucket …

With a name so long you could…..;.

[thewookie1]

1 hour ago, PerreaultForever said:

Well, given the usual, idk what you say about this game? Most unexpected. They actually played pretty damn good hockey. Now in fairness, LA was crap and they had some Comrie level goaltending but Sabres were still playing well. I'm starting to wonder if that Pierre Luc Dubois is in fact an actual cancer. Torts was right? Something definitely wrong on that team and the coach was not the problem obviously. 

Sabres played some good hockey though. Even went to the net. A one off? Too late? Another after the fact late season rush that leaves us just outside? idk, but I'm very interested to see what they bring against Florida. 

Well after PLD tanked a shift in CBJ, I knew all that I needed about him.

[Rasmus_]

Where the ***** has this game been.  They played strong defense, for each other, and they put up goals.  Some weren't pretty, but this was the first time I saw last years team.

 

[Huckleberry]

I checked out a bit for this year, could have watched but didn't feel like it at work.

[Night Train]

They played good D without Samuelsson and Power coughing up the puck and playing soft. 

[inkman]

50 minutes ago, Night Train said:

They played good D without Samuelsson and Power coughing up the puck and playing soft. 

Bryson looked the part.  Maybe he can put together something his next team will get excited about.  

[CallawaySabres]

Anything but a 10 game win streak with this effort each game and this type of win is meaningless to me. Maybe they can actually win 3 in a row for the first time all year. 

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Nice win.  Great team effort.

6K is da man.

I thought 6K would turn into a reliable 2 this seaon.

@Hank was right all along.  I salute you, sir.

Devon who ??

Long-term I see these 2 as a dynamic due between the Sabre pipes.

[JohnC]

Just a few thoughts on this game: I'm not going to get carried away overinterpreting this win. But the major takeaway is the big difference between a team that gets good goaltending and a team that doesn't get it. LA's goalies were atrocious. Half of our goals should have been routine stops. We didn't overwhelm their goalies with barrage of shots. What we did is get our shots on net while their goalies whiffed on them. Greenway's goals should have been routine stops. 

What I noticed on both ends of the ice is a greater effort to have net presence. And that net presence on both ends is what distinguishes this game from many of our games. The Okposo tip and even the Benson nifty twirling goal resulted in scores because they were around the net. On defense, we had plenty of coverage around our goalie that resulted in a quick clear when the puck was hovering around the net after a stop. 

What's noticeable about UPL's recent stellar play is that he is not allowing many juicy rebounds. And what's also noticeable is that he is using his size to play big without much wasted motion. There is a calmness to his game brought on by his confidence. If we end up finding our #1 goalie in this disappointing season it will be a plus. (I still believe that eventually Levi is going to be our #1 goalie or at the minimum our rotational goalie.) 

I thought our defensive unit played well. The more I see Ryan Johnson, the more I am impressed. Eric Johnson is a stabilizing player on the blue line. It would be foolish to deal him off at the trade deadline. 

Greenway would have had a good game even if he wouldn't have scored. He's not flashy but he is a strong player on a team that needed such a physical presence.  The Greenway and Clifton additions were solid additions to this team. They weren't exciting additions but good additions that bulked up the roster. We need a couple more of those types of additions in the offseason. 

It would be a big mistake not to re-sign Mitts. He's good, gritty and versatile. 

This team needs to go on a winning streak even if it doesn't result in a playoff spot. The players have to believe that they can win so that the malaise of persistent failure doesn't contaminate their attitude towards being here. How many players wanted out because they got tired of losing and watching the playoffs on TV each year? 

This was a good game with good effort all the way through. The next game should be a better measuring stick game. 

1 hour ago, inkman said:

Bryson looked the part.  Maybe he can put together something his next team will get excited about.  

He can have a role as a utility player who is brought up when needed. I agree with you that he played well in this game. 

[WhenWillItEnd66]

Tage looks super slow!! Late nights with the baby?? The rest of the team looked good!! LIttle J looked like a vet on the backend, and the top 3 lines were skating their ***** off. Do not like the 4th line at all minus Krebs. 

 

I have liked 6K since he was in tearing it up in Juniors. I thought the double surgery was going to kill him, looks like he just needed time to get comfortable again. I hope he keeps this up!!! 

 

Our year is done, but this is time to set this team up for next year! Get what we need to make the team better as a whole! Get more physical and get the players that live in the blue paint!

[Believer]

34 minutes ago, JohnC said:

This team needs to go on a winning streak even if it doesn't result in a playoff spot. The players have to believe that they can win so that the malaise of persistent failure doesn't contaminate their attitude towards being here.

Agree… We had a strong second half last year… and have to think our players were full of confidence coming into this season…

Unfortunately, Adams and Granato used the last few weeks of the preseason to extend training camp tryouts for prospects… instead of sending out our first team regulars to establish the new defense and winning games for a fast start to the season… 

All on Adams, imo… 

What are the chances he doesn’t make the same bonehead move next preseason?

[FrenchConnection44]

UPL was bashed so badly by so many fans. So many said he was done. Many on here. Guy has stepped up and is starting to prove the doubters wrong. Get some solid D in front of him he can be a bonafide NHL goalie. 

Just goes to show, ya never know … 

If everyone on the team made the commitment he did in the offseason we’d be a real hockey team. 

[Pimlach]

11 hours ago, Thorny said:

I agree. But I’d just add that adding that back up goalie, should it prove necessary (which we need to be sure of before the season starts) is another priority we have room for. I think the things you mentioned, *and* solidifying the net are all important. In today’s NHL almost everyone has two guys that play a lot. The 40% UPL won’t play is a HUGE chunk. Doesn’t become non-prioritizeable because the 60% is addressed 

Agree.  We need to improve the backup (Comrie) and find a 1B or a solid 2.   Leave Levi in AHL to develop - stop rushing our prospects and make Levi beat out a real NHL goalie. 

The Peters rumor - Trade Mitts for a goalie - will turn out to be typical Peters/Rivet nothing.  

[Pimlach]

30 minutes ago, FrenchConnection44 said:

UPL was bashed so badly by so many fans. So many said he was done. Many on here. Guy has stepped up and is starting to prove the doubters wrong. Get some solid D in front of him he can be a bonafide NHL goalie. 

Just goes to show, ya never know … 

If everyone on the team made the commitment he did in the offseason we’d be a real hockey team. 

It goes to show you that you cannot expect a 22 year old goalie to jump into the NHL.  UPL is now 24.  When he was 23 he was inconsistent, but showed he could be very good at times.   Just like Levi shows now.  Levi's very good games show us he has the talent, his bad ones show us he needs more time.   

I think back to how we gutted this team, including Rochester, and all the young players had to rush due to the very poor work of Murray and Co.  

I think the key going forward is to make a few trades/acquisitions for vets in their prime, ones that have leadership qualities, and get this roster older and more in line with our playoff competition.   This way our prospects have to beat out a real NHL player, not a tweener/JAG, to make the jump.   

This is not hard to figure out when you look at the teams that have been good for a long time.  Their young guys come into a better situation.  

 

Edited February 14 by Pimlach

[JustOneParade]

1 hour ago, JohnC said:

Just a few thoughts on this game: I'm not going to get carried away overinterpreting this win. But the major takeaway is the big difference between a team that gets good goaltending and a team that doesn't get it. LA's goalies were atrocious. Half of our goals should have been routine stops. We didn't overwhelm their goalies with barrage of shots. What we did is get our shots on net while their goalies whiffed on them. Greenway's goals should have been routine stops. 

What I noticed on both ends of the ice is a greater effort to have net presence. And that net presence on both ends is what distinguishes this game from many of our games. The Okposo tip and even the Benson nifty twirling goal resulted in scores because they were around the net. On defense, we had plenty of coverage around our goalie that resulted in a quick clear when the puck was hovering around the net after a stop. 

What's noticeable about UPL's recent stellar play is that he is not allowing many juicy rebounds. And what's also noticeable is that he is using his size to play big without much wasted motion. There is a calmness to his game brought on by his confidence. If we end up finding our #1 goalie in this disappointing season it will be a plus. (I still believe that eventually Levi is going to be our #1 goalie or at the minimum our rotational goalie.) 

I thought our defensive unit played well. The more I see Ryan Johnson, the more I am impressed. Eric Johnson is a stabilizing player on the blue line. It would be foolish to deal him off at the trade deadline. 

Greenway would have had a good game even if he wouldn't have scored. He's not flashy but he is a strong player on a team that needed such a physical presence.  The Greenway and Clifton additions were solid additions to this team. They weren't exciting additions but good additions that bulked up the roster. We need a couple more of those types of additions in the offseason. 

It would be a big mistake not to re-sign Mitts. He's good, gritty and versatile. 

This team needs to go on a winning streak even if it doesn't result in a playoff spot. The players have to believe that they can win so that the malaise of persistent failure doesn't contaminate their attitude towards being here. How many players wanted out because they got tired of losing and watching the playoffs on TV each year? 

This was a good game with good effort all the way through. The next game should be a better measuring stick game. 

He can have a role as a utility player who is brought up when needed. I agree with you that he played well in this game. 

Not for nothing @JohnC but I find it interesting that in your observation about net front presence you (rightly) cite OK and Benson. The oldest and youngest players, respectively, on the Sabres roster. Now we need to find someone in between with the willingness to regularly go there. 

[Pimlach]

11 hours ago, Pimlach said:

Good Evening Teammates, Punch checking in late.  I missed the best game of the season, had a Valentines Date. 
 

I looked at the game stats. Our 1st line (Tage line) played the least minutes and didn’t do much. Odd for that to happen and win 7-0.  ? 
 

I’ll go back and read the thread now.  Should be fun 

OK, I wrote this last night after the game.  I missed the game.

Were was Tage?    TOI - 14:46

Skinner TOI - 12:50

Kyle TOI - 10:56

Looks like that line became the 4th line.  Tage must have got a few extra minutes for the PP? 

Any comments?  

[Scottysabres]

So, we did a thing? That's nice.

[Pimlach]

5 hours ago, Night Train said:

They played good D without Samuelsson and Power coughing up the puck and playing soft. 

It helps when the opposing goalie is swiss cheese.  The win probably had very little to do with the Samuelsson and Power being out.  The Sabres have had a tough time scoring but last night everything was going in.  

Edited February 14 by Pimlach

[Mustache of God]

I completely forgot they were playing last night, so of course that's the game they win 7-0. 

[bob_sauve28]

4 hours ago, JohnC said:

 

  Eric Johnson is a stabilizing player on the blue line. It would be foolish to deal him off at the trade deadline. 

 

Thank you! He should be signed for next year. He is an excellent defensive defenseman 

[Stoner]

6 minutes ago, bob_sauve28 said:

Thank you! He should be signed for next year. He is an excellent defensive defenseman 

Recency bias? Did you feel this way in December?

[bob_sauve28]

Just now, PASabreFan said:

Recency bias? Did you feel this way in December?

Yes, I thought he is just excellent. The puck goes back in our zone, he goes and gets it, and its almost always out of the zone before you know it. He also uses his body to block people out well. 

[JohnC]

4 minutes ago, bob_sauve28 said:

Thank you! He should be signed for next year. He is an excellent defensive defenseman 

Compared to last year, the additions of Clifton, Ryan and Eric Johnson have substantially upgraded the unit from the previous year. I'm not sure if Eric wants to play another year or not? I would like to see another Clifton caliber of player added to the unit. It took Clifton a little time to get comfortable but now he is a solid defenseman. The player who has surprised me the most with his play is Ryan Johnson. I didn't think he would be this good so soon. 

3 hours ago, JustOneParade said:

Not for nothing @JohnC but I find it interesting that in your observation about net front presence you (rightly) cite OK and Benson. The oldest and youngest players, respectively, on the Sabres roster. Now we need to find someone in between with the willingness to regularly go there. 

We need to add a younger Okposo type player to the roster. A rugged player who can score at a moderate level.