GDT - Flyers @ Sabres - Friday, April 5, 2024 - 7:00 PM (EDT)

[Kristian]

52 minutes ago, SABRES 0311 said:

Uh, the issue is the Flyers are inferior on paper but have had a better season. One win/loss doesn’t create or destroy a narrative.

For some people, it does. Every year…

[PerreaultForever]

2 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

No, not really.  This season is almost of the opposite of last year.   Last year the forward play was good, but the D play was terrible as was the goaltending most of the year.  The PP was good for the 1st 3rd of last year, but the PK sucked all year.  They also played with much more urgency last season after the long losing streak early in the year.

This is why I'm in the fire DG and his staff camp.  They literally coached the heart out of this team and in the process made the team slow out of the gate, stifled the offense and completely un-entertaining.

No, the elements are different as you say, but to the original comment you made :

 

4 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

What is keeping us out of the playoffs is a lack of urgency from the start of the season and at the start of games coupled with lousy goaltending in the 1st third of the season, our terrible PP and poor forward play for most of the season.  

It's still goaltending, specialty teams, and inconsistent efforts (urgency if you prefer) and that will combine together to likely leave us just about exactly where we were last year.

I think it will be f'n hilarious if we miss by one point again after another late season push. Total deja vu. 

[Huckleberry]

2 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

No, the elements are different as you say, but to the original comment you made :

 

It's still goaltending, specialty teams, and inconsistent efforts (urgency if you prefer) and that will combine together to likely leave us just about exactly where we were last year.

I think it will be f'n hilarious if we miss by one point again after another late season push. Total deja vu. 

Most likely 3 - 5points, can't see us winning all 5 games anymore.

[mjd1001]

6 hours ago, SABRES 0311 said:

Uh, the issue is the Flyers are inferior on paper but have had a better season. One win/loss doesn’t create or destroy a narrative.

I'm not sure why we say the Flyers are inferior enough on paper than the Sabre that its an issue.  Philly has 8 of their top 10 scoring forwards as former first round picks, 2 of them in the top 10. They have really no rookies or first year players, but they have a good mix of guys in their early 20's, late 20's and guys in their 30s.  Their top 2 D-men are also former first round picks, and they have a really good mix of veterans back there that actuall are still productive.

The Sabres have a few more top 10 picks than the Flyers, but that Philly team is under-rated in terms of talent, and they are older/have a better mix of veterans than the Sabres do. In terms of 'talent and pedigree' they really aren't lacking guys with skill, and 'on paper' they are a more experienced team than Buffalo.

Last year I looked at Philly's roster and thought they were in trouble, but when I look at who they have...sure no 'elite' talent, first or 2nd overall picks, but on paper they do have a lot of talent, it may even be one of the 'better constructed' rosters out there.

Edited April 6 by mjd1001

[bob_sauve28]

8 hours ago, sabremike said:

 

That was funny! If we needed that goal it wouldn't have been, but its ok to look back on it now and laugh 

[SwampD]

29 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

I'm not sure why we say the Flyers are inferior enough on paper than the Sabre that its an issue.  Philly has 8 of their top 10 scoring forwards as former first round picks, 2 of them in the top 10. They have really no rookies or first year players, but they have a good mix of guys in their early 20's, late 20's and guys in their 30s.  Their top 2 D-men are also former first round picks, and they have a really good mix of veterans back there that actuall are still productive.

The Sabres have a few more top 10 picks than the Flyers, but that Philly team is under-rated in terms of talent, and they are older/have a better mix of veterans than the Sabres do. In terms of 'talent and pedigree' they really aren't lacking guys with skill, and 'on paper' they are a more experienced team than Buffalo.

Last year I looked at Philly's roster and thought they were in trouble, but when I look at who they have...sure no 'elite' talent, first or 2nd overall picks, but on paper they do have a lot of talent, it may even be one of the 'better constructed' rosters out there.

I agree.

You have to remember that when we talk about the Sabres around here, we are talking about their ”potential” talent, not their actual talent. 

[Archie Lee]

20 minutes ago, bob_sauve28 said:

That was funny! If we needed that goal it wouldn't have been, but its ok to look back on it now and laugh 

Agreed. 
 

On the larger topic of sticks breaking though, why does the NHL and its owners and players accept this? I can’t think of an equivalent in the other major team sports. I’ve seen now dozens of examples of an NHL player’s stick breaking, often at an inopportune moment, with seemingly little to no force being placed on the stick. It would be like baseball gloves occasionally just having the pocket blow out when outfielders go to make a routine catch on a fly ball. It’s just odd to me that this has become something that could happen in the biggest moment of a game and the hockey world has shrugged its shoulders with acceptance. 

[inkman]

1 hour ago, Huckleberry said:

Most likely 3 - 5points, can't see us winning all 5 games anymore.

It doesn’t matter.  Every other team not named Tampa has 2 games in hand. 

Just now, Archie Lee said:

Agreed. 
 

On the larger topic of sticks breaking though, why does the NHL and its owners and players accept this? I can’t think of an equivalent in the other major team sports. I’ve seen now dozens of examples of an NHL player’s stick breaking, often at an inopportune moment, with seemingly little to no force being placed on the stick. It would be like baseball gloves occasionally just having the pocket blow out when outfielders go to make a routine catch on a fly ball. It’s just odd to me that this has become something that could happen in the biggest moment of a game and the hockey world has shrugged its shoulders with acceptance. 

Because NHL 

[mansquito]

So, does anyone know why Donny decided to get vocal with his team last night, up to and

including a second period timeout? Where was that all season? I can't help but feel that he's been told, that if he can't make a run... He's out. 

 

Forgive me if this was already discussed.

[Stoner]

29 minutes ago, mansquito said:

So, does anyone know why Donny decided to get vocal with his team last night, up to and

including a second period timeout? Where was that all season? I can't help but feel that he's been told, that if he can't make a run... He's out. 

 

Forgive me if this was already discussed.

I think this goes back to at least his blowing up at the refs after a correct call after perhaps some dubious calls. I think it's all tied to season ticket renewal time.

[JohnC]

10 hours ago, ska-T Chitown said:

You mean Mr. +3 tonight? Ha, yeah, I am with you - but haters gonna hate.

Some people get invested in a narrative on a player and are incapable of altering their opinion as time goes by and the circumstances change. There were zealots here who wanted to dispatch UPL for a retread goalie not too long ago. The same resistant line of thinking applied to Mitts.  While I was a wait a longer UPL guy , he is playing way beyond my expectations. I was more invested in Levi. And the book on him is far from being completed.  

[Believer]

35 minutes ago, mansquito said:

So, does anyone know why Donny decided to get vocal with his team last night, up to and

including a second period timeout? Where was that all season? I can't help but feel that he's been told, that if he can't make a run... He's out. 

 

Forgive me if this was already discussed.

Maybe… He clearly has proven to be a passive game coach… Delegating bench messaging to his bench coaches seems to be the Head Coach Model he has in his head…

His timeout flashes last night were clearly out of character…

Sadly, like his team, it is too little too late to make a difference… 

[JohnC]

10 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

What is keeping us out of the playoffs is a lack of urgency from the start of the season and at the start of games coupled with lousy goaltending in the 1st third of the season, our terrible PP and poor forward play for most of the season.  

In general, I'm agreeing with your assessment. However, I believe the primary source of our poor start related to this staff's determination before the season started to make it a point of emphasis for our forwards to put a greater amount of emphasis on two-way play by our forwards. Our players struggled with that offense/defense balancing act. Because of that attempt to modify play there was too much thinking resulting in hesitancy in play. In hindsight, a better approach might have been to stress consistent effort rather than style of play. (My opinion.) 

As others have noted, Quinn's injury before the season and during the season hurt this team. And there is no question, the ineffectiveness of our PP had a sabotaging effect on this team. The staff simply didn't do enough to mix it up and be more flexible in altering the PP strategy when it was struggling. 

[Doohicksie]

10 hours ago, sabremike said:

 

 

[inkman]

1 hour ago, mansquito said:

So, does anyone know why Donny decided to get vocal with his team last night, up to and

including a second period timeout? Where was that all season? I can't help but feel that he's been told, that if he can't make a run... He's out. 

 

Forgive me if this was already discussed.

Make a run to what? Ninth place?  

[bob_sauve28]

1 hour ago, Archie Lee said:

Agreed. 
 

On the larger topic of sticks breaking though, why does the NHL and its owners and players accept this? I can’t think of an equivalent in the other major team sports. I’ve seen now dozens of examples of an NHL player’s stick breaking, often at an inopportune moment, with seemingly little to no force being placed on the stick. It would be like baseball gloves occasionally just having the pocket blow out when outfielders go to make a routine catch on a fly ball. It’s just odd to me that this has become something that could happen in the biggest moment of a game and the hockey world has shrugged its shoulders with acceptance. 

Fine line between a stick with a whip-flex and one that breaks. A whip flex helps make shot harder 

[Archie Lee]

1 minute ago, bob_sauve28 said:

Fine line between a stick with a whip-flex and one that breaks. A whip flex helps make shot harder 

Yeah, that's the reason.  Players/teams are willing to sacrifice the occasional break at a bad time in exchange for the harder and more accurate shot. I get that. In a world of analytics, it just surprises me that we haven't seen a movement to using a different stick in different scenarios.  Back when it was somewhat common for teams to call for a stick measurement, it was typical that players would use a stick with an illegal curve only to change to a stick with a legal curve if they were leading late in the game (to avoid an inopportune penalty call against). I'm not blaming Benson at all for last night, but in that situation maybe it's time for teams to require that the players who are going to be relied upon to defend the lead switch to a different type of stick that is less likely to break.

[Sidc3000]

1 hour ago, mansquito said:

So, does anyone know why Donny decided to get vocal with his team last night, up to and

including a second period timeout? Where was that all season? I can't help but feel that he's been told, that if he can't make a run... He's out. 

 

Forgive me if this was already discussed.

Make a run with 1.9% chance of making it? Doubt it. He waiting way too long to begin to hold these players accountable.

[Flashsabre]

Torts should be runaway Coach of the Year for having that Flyers lineup anywhere close to the playoffs. With the Hart mess and that goaltending and what not. I think they are crashing now but they have no business being in playoff contention at this point.

[GASabresIUFAN]

28 minutes ago, inkman said:

Make a run to what? Ninth place?  

I think you mean EPIC run to 9th place

[ska-T Chitown]

8 hours ago, SABRES 0311 said:

Uh, the issue is the Flyers are inferior on paper but have had a better season. One win/loss doesn’t create or destroy a narrative.

Hey! You get right outta here with your logic!

[ska-T Chitown]

1 hour ago, JohnC said:

Some people get invested in a narrative on a player and are incapable of altering their opinion as time goes by and the circumstances change. There were zealots here who wanted to dispatch UPL for a retread goalie not too long ago. The same resistant line of thinking applied to Mitts.  While I was a wait a longer UPL guy , he is playing way beyond my expectations. I was more invested in Levi. And the book on him is far from being completed.  

I think almost everyone does it with someone or something at one point or another.  Normally it is because one person wants another person to be something they just aren't. This is just as true in real life as it is with sports fans. Owen Power is a solid defenseman who is figuring out how his game applies in the toughest, most skilled league in the world ... gosh!

[mjd1001]

9 minutes ago, ska-T Chitown said:

I think almost everyone does it with someone or something at one point or another.  Normally it is because one person wants another person to be something they just aren't. This is just as true in real life as it is with sports fans. Owen Power is a solid defenseman who is figuring out how his game applies in the toughest, most skilled league in the world ... gosh!

We are all like that at times. With me its Krebs and Cousins (although I think they, especially cousins, is finally playing better.)

The team isn't in the playoffs. Its been a while. Yeah, no one likes that, but making changes, changing players, changing coaches, that isn't always the answer.  It may be the answer at times, it may make us feel better because "something is being done" but often times, that terrible word (patience) is what you need just a little more of.

[ska-T Chitown]

2 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

We are all like that at times. With me its Krebs and Cousins (although I think they, especially cousins, is finally playing better.)

The team isn't in the playoffs. Its been a while. Yeah, no one likes that, but making changes, changing players, changing coaches, that isn't always the answer.  It may be the answer at times, it may make us feel better because "something is being done" but often times, that terrible word (patience) is what you need just a little more of.

Yeah, all fair points. I also don't begrudge any Sabres fans that are out of patience. I mean, this is bordering on ludicrous at this point!

[Pimlach]

6 hours ago, JohnC said:

Some people get invested in a narrative on a player and are incapable of altering their opinion as time goes by and the circumstances change. There were zealots here who wanted to dispatch UPL for a retread goalie not too long ago. The same resistant line of thinking applied to Mitts.  While I was a wait a longer UPL guy , he is playing way beyond my expectations. I was more invested in Levi. And the book on him is far from being completed.  

 

I think UPL is playing to his expectations.  He was at one time a top goalie in the OHL.   He had the double hip surgery.  Goalies take time is the old adage. What confused me most about UPL is why he never dominated in the AHL.   UPL got NHL games before he was ready because Adams had Tokarski and Dell as our goalies when Linus left, not because he was lighting it up in the AHL.  

Levi is intriguing by his athletic ability, his technique is still a work in progress, but he is playing great in the AHL. 

UPL is big.  Big with great positioning is a good start.  

They could be a fantastic combination some day.  

Edited April 6 by Pimlach