Fixing the Offense

[GASabresIUFAN]

What’s missing from the offense. I think the answer is more playmaker and more physicality. When I watch this team I keep wondering who is going to set the table for his linemates? 

We actually have too many shoot first guys.  Ruff used to say he wanted a goal scorer, a playmaker, and a physical presence on each of his lines.  When I use this model for the Sabres, I don’t see the necessary playmakers or physical players. 
 

The first line is two shoot first guys (Skinner and TNT) and Tuch as the playmaker and physical presence.  Last season Skinner really worked at setting up his teammates as well as shooting.  This season his passing has fallen off and as has his line.  Tuch is also not ideally suited to the playmaker role, but he is such a good all-around player it does matter much.

A second line of Greenway, Mitts and Cozens has the Ruff balance.  Mitts is the playmaker, Cozens the scorer and Greenway the physical presence. That said it’s not a line I like long-term.   

The new 3rd line is a mess.  Krebs was supposed to be a good passer but Donnie had choked off that part of his game.  Benson is an unknown as he continues to work hard with minimum results.  JJP is the scorer. 

Quinn is also a shoot first type guy.

To my untrained eye, I’d start the O repair by replacing Skinner and Krebs on the roster  I’d also try to re-think all the line combos.  

Last night on the pre-game show they mentioned putting Greenway with Tuch and TNT, creating a huge physical but excellent skating line.  Greenway forechecks and goes to the net, Tuch creates and TNT snipes.  

The new second line matches Cozens and Quinn.  Cozens forechecks and plays around the net, Quinn shoots and either Mitts or a new playmaker creates for Cozens and Quinn.  I’m actually envisioning Rosen/Benson as the playmaker for this line from the wing.  In fact, I think we’d get more from Benson right now if DG asked him to use his hockey IQ to focus more on creating for his linemates.  

Lastly, the 3rd line combines JJP with Mitts.  What this line needs is someone to forecheck and  go to the net.  Just like getting Greenway at the deadline last year, adding another such player should be a deadline goal this year.  

The goal of the exercise was to re-imagine the forwards using a KA centric approach by utilizing the assets already in the organization as much as possible, thus recasting Cozens in a more physical role and Benson as a playmaker.  Both guys have those traits and it’s not a stretch to place them in those roles.  Rosen is also a pass first player and that may help him make the Sabres as early as next year.  

Edited February 24 by GASabresIUFAN

[Stoner]

Good lord.

[Pimlach]

If the lines are going to revisited then start with the first line and fix Skinner -TNT-Tuch.   Then make the center spline stronger.  

Watching Thompson play it is evident that everything revolves around feeding him or him playing solo and using his size and reach to get a shot.   

DG used to say that the change to center gives Tage room, which it does.  The problem is Tage plays and moves like winger, he is a finisher that needs to be fed.  Quite often Tage is in the offensive zone puck handling, deeking, dangling, reaching and stretching, and we still end up with no shot and no pass.  The other two tend to watch him when he does this, and passes rarely connect anymore.  Its very often a one and done Tage effort and then the puck is out and quickly in our zone facing the liability of Skinner and Tage to defend.  Somehow Tage is -13 and Skinner is -2.   This needs to be fixed.   

 

[mjd1001]

-Thompson give a month off to heal whatever injury he has. If he doesn't have one, pray he somehow returns to the form of the last 2 seasons. I don't know what else it can be.  Its not he came off of one career year, he had 2 years in a row where he was great..then this year...hes getting his shots and chances, they just aren't going it.  #1 way to fix the offense is find out what you need to do to get him going.

-Hire a new Assistant to do nothing but work with the Powerplay.  Pay the guy double/triple what you need to, just do it.

-Wait for Quinn to come back.  Last year I was thinking...hes good but its early. This year I think him and Peterka, when they are together, are legit scoring threats.

-Bring in a really, really good, veteran, 2-way D-man. I know they don't grow on trees. But someone who can both make that good first pass out of the D-zone and also someone reliable in his own end to possibly pair with Dahlin so you take some D-zone pressure off of Dahlin and let him push up the ice even more.

Edited February 24 by mjd1001

[Marvin]

I largely agree with your assessment of the forward roster.  Given the salary structure and the pipeline, it might be easier to make 4 lines of the grinder-playmaker-scorer combination as long as everyone consistently crashes the net.

[SabreFinn]

I think that our so called first line is the one that is in need of a fix. The Cozens line with JJP and Quinn will be back and as good as ever next year. Mitts and Greenway has been solid all season no matter who has the third player is. The problem is the Skinner - Thompson duo. I do not think Skinner fits in anymore and I hope he is not there next season. But since this was set up as a game where I am supposed to use current players, I would put Benson with Mitts and Greenway, put Tuch together with Thompson and Krebs, with Thompson on a wing. If we were in a situation to experiment more, it could have been an excellent time to try Savoie and give him a serious try between T and T.

[etiennep99]

1. Our PP sucks.  Olofsson is great on the PP.  Why has he been on the bench all year?  Dumb.   If you had played him on the PP and he was scoring, then you still had the option to trade him; who wants him now?

2. Dahlin is our PP quarterback, best offensive d-man.  So why is DG killing him by playing in 30 minutes a night when the playoffs are totally impossible??  Dumb.

3. Lots of good guys have been on the waiver wire.  Last year, we could have had Eeli Tolvanen for free.   GMKA doesn't have a clue on how to build a complete roster unless his goal is still to tacitly tank for at least one more year (it looks like the top 10 players will be quality players. And who knows, maybe we win the Celebrini drawing.)

4. You want size and scoring ability?  You could have drafted a guy like Quentin Musty last year.  Sure Benson has some nice attributes, but he's small and getting knocked around.  Benson isn't playing his heart out like he was early in the year, because, I assume, he realized how much of a toll it took out on his body.

I could go on.  GMTM actually had a much better idea of what a good team was.  Even GMJBott had some good ideas: Conor Sheary is OK on other teams, as are Vesey and, of course, Brendon Montour.  What GMKA has done well is locking up some key players to long term contracts.  However, it looks like Mittelstadt will need to be traded as he is in the Reinhart zone.

 

[PerreaultForever]

It's a weak system with far too much individual play. Bad coaching and the lack of a veteran line up factor in. You need to know where your team mates are and more importantly will be, and not just take easy to save shots from the wings.

Also, and perhaps most importantly, GO TO THE NET. Tips, screens and chaos in front. This is how you score. Simple as that. 

 

[WhenWillItEnd66]

Not necessarily just size, but the kahunas to live in the front of the opponents net and cause havoc. Tuch is a joke there.  The rest of the pansy forwards are all perimeter players with the exception of the kid and he takes a beating there. Agree with most of the rest of the posters. GO TO THE FRONT OF THE NET!!!!!! 

[Scottysabres]

3 hours ago, PASabreFan said:

Good lord.

I didn't read 1 word of the op (sorry GA, I'll get around to it), but illiciting a response like this from you PA gets an automatic LMAO 🤣,  so I'm looking forward to reading GA's op.

[mjd1001]

1 hour ago, etiennep99 said:

1. Our PP sucks.  Olofsson is great on the PP.  Why has he been on the bench all year?  Dumb.   If you had played him on the PP and he was scoring, then you still had the option to trade him; who wants him now?

2. Dahlin is our PP quarterback, best offensive d-man.  So why is DG killing him by playing in 30 minutes a night when the playoffs are totally impossible??  Dumb.

3. Lots of good guys have been on the waiver wire.  Last year, we could have had Eeli Tolvanen for free.   GMKA doesn't have a clue on how to build a complete roster unless his goal is still to tacitly tank for at least one more year (it looks like the top 10 players will be quality players. And who knows, maybe we win the Celebrini drawing.)

4. You want size and scoring ability?  You could have drafted a guy like Quentin Musty last year.  Sure Benson has some nice attributes, but he's small and getting knocked around.  Benson isn't playing his heart out like he was early in the year, because, I assume, he realized how much of a toll it took out on his body.

I could go on.  GMTM actually had a much better idea of what a good team was.  Even GMJBott had some good ideas: Conor Sheary is OK on other teams, as are Vesey and, of course, Brendon Montour.  What GMKA has done well is locking up some key players to long term contracts.  However, it looks like Mittelstadt will need to be traded as he is in the Reinhart zone.

 

I agree with your first 2.  Dahlin is getting way too much ice time.  And VO?  yeah, put him out there and see how it goes.  Its not like what they have is working.

[WhenWillItEnd66]

15 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

I agree with your first 2.  Dahlin is getting way too much ice time.  And VO?  yeah, put him out there and see how it goes.  Its not like what they have is working.

Not to mention putting 4th liners on your 2nd PP is kinda stupid

[Doohicksie]

3 hours ago, Pimlach said:

Quite often Tage is in the offensive zone puck handling, deeking, dangling, reaching and stretching, and we still end up with no shot and no pass.

Often that's because he pushes up into the O-zone without linemates.  He's got nowhere to go so he drives the net through four defenders.  It's weird but it happens frequently.

[Doohicksie]

43 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

And VO?  yeah, put him out there and see how it goes.

They did.  It didn't.

27 minutes ago, seer775 said:

Sell: Oloffsson, EJ, KO, Girgs, Bryson.

I was really down Bryson earlier this year but he's been valuable depth.  I'm not sure he's a long term NHLer but he's nice to have on the bench and play 20-40 games a year.

[Doohicksie]

1 minute ago, seer775 said:

If they can sign him to a 2-way, sure. I'd have Joker at 7th D. Either can slot for injuries as required.

Yeah, I'm not saying Bryson is a guy you build a defense around, but he's really not a liability, at least not as much as he's been in the past.  He plays smarter and is more defensively sound, but he's never really going to be an NHL regular I don't think.

And as amazing as it is, the Sabres have played at a pace of 134 points per 82 games with him in the lineup.

[Pimlach]

2 hours ago, Doohickie said:

Often that's because he pushes up into the O-zone without linemates.  He's got nowhere to go so he drives the net through four defenders.  It's weird but it happens frequently.

Yes.  Which is why that line needs to change.  

[sabremike]

Fire Donny and his staff and replace them all with actual NHL quality coaches.

[Pimlach]

2 hours ago, seer775 said:

The roster is going to need some significant upgrades in the offseason.

Here's my take:

---

Skinner - TT - Tuch (A)

Quinn - Mitts - Cozens

Greenway - Stephenson (C) - JJP

JVR - Krebs - Robinson

Dahlin (A) - Mule

Power - OEL (A)

RJ - Clifton

Joker (7)

UPL - Samsonov

---

PP1

Skinner - Mitts - Tuch

Thompson - Dahlin

PP2

Quinn - Stephenson - Cozens

Power - JJP

---

PK1

Greenway - Krebs

Mule - OEL

PK2

JVR - Robinson

RJ - Clifton

---

Sell: Oloffsson, EJ, KO, Girgs.

Resign: Mitts (7x7), Joker (3x3), UPL (3x5), Krebs (3x4), Robinson (2x3).

Minors: Benson, Levi.

---

HC: Sullivan, Ruff, Brind'Amour, Berube.

Demote DG to assistant.

I like Stephenson but you’re giving a C to an outsider.  
Benson will beat out Robinson.  He needs to be upgraded. 
Krebs needs to be upgraded. 

[bob_sauve28]

Dan and Rob just think they need to stop the "fancy passing" 

[Carmel Corn]

These suggested fixes may help achieve some success in the regular season, but IMHO they are not enough to go far in the playoffs.  The rigors of postseason require a team more physically suited for them, which Buffalo is hilariously inadequate for.

[bob_sauve28]

 

[Pimlach]

1 hour ago, bob_sauve28 said:

 

This is sad and it is a joke.  But the Sabres cover it like it is good news.  

Granato said "Clifton's Dad set the tone" referring to his speeches on going to the net and dirty goals. 

Every coach avoids the hockey Dad who thinks he is a coach and tells the players how to play.  Except for Don Granato.  

I really want to see this coach and his staff removed.  

[bob_sauve28]

1 hour ago, Pimlach said:

This is sad and it is a joke.  But the Sabres cover it like it is good news.  

Granato said "Clifton's Dad set the tone" referring to his speeches on going to the net and dirty goals. 

Every coach avoids the hockey Dad who thinks he is a coach and tells the players how to play.  Except for Don Granato.  

I really want to see this coach and his staff removed.  

That was not a good look, agreed 

[PerreaultForever]

2 hours ago, Pimlach said:

This is sad and it is a joke.  But the Sabres cover it like it is good news.  

Granato said "Clifton's Dad set the tone" referring to his speeches on going to the net and dirty goals. 

Every coach avoids the hockey Dad who thinks he is a coach and tells the players how to play.  Except for Don Granato.  

I really want to see this coach and his staff removed.  

I don't have a problem with his dad coming in. There are lots of teams that let different people speak before games. It's just a rah rah go thing . The problem I have is why this "tone" hasn't been set from DAY 1 when Granato was hired. This is common sense simple hockey, no more no less. It should not be something the team needs to work on at this stage.

Cliffy's dad is just like us. He's watching this crap and thinking wtf is wrong with these guys? Yells at the tv like the rest of us. "Go to the net" is not rocket science. 

[Pimlach]

25 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

I don't have a problem with his dad coming in. There are lots of teams that let different people speak before games. It's just a rah rah go thing . The problem I have is why this "tone" hasn't been set from DAY 1 when Granato was hired. This is common sense simple hockey, no more no less. It should not be something the team needs to work on at this stage.

Cliffy's dad is just like us. He's watching this crap and thinking wtf is wrong with these guys? Yells at the tv like the rest of us. "Go to the net" is not rocket science. 

Agree with you.  Dad and Moms should get support and respect.  Not problem with them participating in the rah rah.  I like that part. 
 

My concern is the look since it’s a youth hockey type of thing that Mr Clifton preached for two games.  This team doesn’t get that forced into their game from the current coaching staff.  It looks bad to me.