Around the NHL: 2024-2025 Season

[Thorner]

8 minutes ago, Forecheck said:

Cozens after 2 games with the Sens, got the game winner tonight, leads the league in hits the past two games and he was named the second star in each of his games there. The Sabres effect in action. 
 

Shocked. Shocked I tell ya. 

Could be a lot of Bernier there 

We should also be prepared for the fact he’s a pretty good hockey player 

[Forecheck]

9 minutes ago, Thorner said:

Could be a lot of Bernier there 

We should also be prepared for the fact he’s a pretty good hockey player 

I’m not shocked in the least how Cozens is performing there. Also it’s 2 games. I’m gonna go out on a limb and say he can’t keep up this hitting pace over a full season of action, but at least he is smart enough to know what his perceived weaknesses were and he’s trying to get a new start with a new team. So I give him credit for that. I know he’s happy to at least be playing in meaningful games. He’s already said that much. 

Edited March 11 by Forecheck

[PerreaultForever]

1 hour ago, Forecheck said:

Cozens after 2 games with the Sens, got the game winner tonight, leads the league in hits the past two games and he was named the second star in each of his games there. The Sabres effect in action. 
 

Shocked. Shocked I tell ya. 

Cozens got second star for scoring the game winner on the late PP but otherwise he wasn't really a star in this one. Ullmark however was sensational. Totally stole the game. 

[Pimlach]

10 hours ago, Forecheck said:

Cozens after 2 games with the Sens, got the game winner tonight, leads the league in hits the past two games and he was named the second star in each of his games there. The Sabres effect in action. 
 

Shocked. Shocked I tell ya. 

Remember Bo Byram’s first few games 

[Jorcus]

8 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

Cozens got second star for scoring the game winner on the late PP but otherwise he wasn't really a star in this one. Ullmark however was sensational. Totally stole the game. 

Ullmark made some crazy saves in that game. 

[TheAud]

Thompson is tied for 4th in the NHL in goals. Doesn't seem possible. 

No one is catching Draisaitl but if Tage gets hot he could easily finish 2nd in the league.  

[Archie Lee]

5 minutes ago, TheAud said:

Thompson is tied for 4th in the NHL in goals. Doesn't seem possible. 

No one is catching Draisaitl but if Tage gets hot he could easily finish 2nd in the league.  

It is absolutely bonkers, that Adams looked at Dahlin and Thompson, two star-level, players, and concluded that the best way to serve them and take the next step as a team, was to surround them with kids under 23. 

[mjd1001]

1 hour ago, TheAud said:

Thompson is tied for 4th in the NHL in goals. Doesn't seem possible. 

No one is catching Draisaitl but if Tage gets hot he could easily finish 2nd in the league.  

And he does it on this team without a good playmaker....as brough up before his talent isn't just shooting, but he has the ability to 'create his own shot' better than many players in the league. That is why he is as successful as he is.

A playmaker who sees the ice well would help him even more on the PP, where it is more about controlling a 'half court' set. His goal numbers and PP numbers would likely be better if the Sabres had someone line that on the wing or center to help.

Not just 4th in goals...Even strength goals per 60...he is best in the league and way out in front. He is the league's dominant goal scorer (he's at 1.95 goals per 60 minutes, 2nd place is 1.57....its not even close)

If you get a playmaker...a guy who handles the puck well and can make good passes, you would likely get more PP goals out of Thompson and he would be challenging for the overall league lead in goals.

2 words (or names). Mitch Marner.  He might be the best star winger in the league at controlling the puck and distributing from the wing.  Marner on the PP and/or Thompsons wing....and next year with a healthy Tage he probably approaches 60 goals.  I think with Marner, Tage EASILY gets 1 more PP goal per month and close to 1 more even strength goal per month.

Edited March 11 by mjd1001

[LTS]

13 hours ago, Forecheck said:

Cozens after 2 games with the Sens, got the game winner tonight, leads the league in hits the past two games and he was named the second star in each of his games there. The Sabres effect in action. 
 

Shocked. Shocked I tell ya. 

Oh boy, here we go. Hits.. the questionable stat and as many commented on about his first game, the statistician was being extremely generous. He scored a goal, good for him.

I honestly couldn't care less about what Cozens does at this point. He didn't do it in Buffalo. He's not a player on the team anymore, so he's just an opponent now.

 

[mjd1001]

Another 'rumor' from a former-player-turned analyst, take it for what you will, sounds more like conjecture than an actual source but here it is:

“I truly do believe that Mitch Marner wants to be a Maple Leaf for the rest of his life, but he also wants to be the highest-paid Maple Leaf,” Colaiacovo said on "First Up" on Monday. “That’s what I’m led to believe, just because of how this whole contract is playing out right now.”

The analyst thinks that Marner’s approach to contract negotiations, constantly delaying them and refusing to talk about it in-season, signals his desire to become the highest-paid Maple Leafs player.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nhl/why-mitch-marner-is-delaying-maple-leafs-contract-talks-finally-revealed/ar-AA1AGCPL?ocid=BingNewsSerp

[dudacek]

7 hours ago, mjd1001 said:

And he does it on this team without a good playmaker....as brough up before his talent isn't just shooting, but he has the ability to 'create his own shot' better than many players in the league. That is why he is as successful as he is.

A playmaker who sees the ice well would help him even more on the PP, where it is more about controlling a 'half court' set. His goal numbers and PP numbers would likely be better if the Sabres had someone line that on the wing or center to help.

Not just 4th in goals...Even strength goals per 60...he is best in the league and way out in front. He is the league's dominant goal scorer (he's at 1.95 goals per 60 minutes, 2nd place is 1.57....its not even close)

If you get a playmaker...a guy who handles the puck well and can make good passes, you would likely get more PP goals out of Thompson and he would be challenging for the overall league lead in goals.

2 words (or names). Mitch Marner.  He might be the best star winger in the league at controlling the puck and distributing from the wing.  Marner on the PP and/or Thompsons wing....and next year with a healthy Tage he probably approaches 60 goals.  I think with Marner, Tage EASILY gets 1 more PP goal per month and close to 1 more even strength goal per month.

I just don’t know if people appreciate how many goals Tage scores that only a handful of players can score.

Dude seems to never pop in the easy ones: they’re all power drives to the net, sick dangles, laser wrist shots and absolute bazookas.

It’s a ***** shame he and Ras are surrounded by this supporting cast because for me they might be the two most entertaining highlight reel skaters this team has had since 16 and 89 were tearing it up 30 years ago, and I’m including studs like Eichel and Briere.

[St. Pete Gogolak]

Ullmark with 48 saves and Cozens with the game winning goal.  I know it’s been forever but I think the Sabres may be turning the corner!

[PerreaultForever]

I don't know how to explain this (and nobody here will want to hear it) but somehow the Bruins actually look much better after being sellers at the deadline. Florida game was excellent tonight. Jokiharju and Mittelstadt both solid. 

I suppose the upside is Adams can point to the success of all these guys who leave as sales pitches on anybody else he wants to get rid of or move. 

[SabreFinn]

44 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

I don't know how to explain this (and nobody here will want to hear it) but somehow the Bruins actually look much better after being sellers at the deadline. Florida game was excellent tonight. Jokiharju and Mittelstadt both solid. 

I suppose the upside is Adams can point to the success of all these guys who leave as sales pitches on anybody else he wants to get rid of or move. 

It has to be the culture. When things are going against you they fight back. 

[Archie Lee]

6 hours ago, SabreFinn said:

It has to be the culture. When things are going against you they fight back. 

Good defensive structure is worth so much.  I'm not sure about Sacco, but I'm sure with the Bruins there is some holdover from what Montgomery brought to them. When a solid structure has been engrained on a team, maybe when things start getting tough the default for players is to return to the structure. On the flip-side, when there is no solid structure, there is nothing positive to default to.  The Bruins might just be the sort of team that is below-average talent-wise, but can squeeze out wins with structure, goaltending, and one star player.    

[PerreaultForever]

11 hours ago, SabreFinn said:

It has to be the culture. When things are going against you they fight back. 

Bruins lacked speed but now look much faster. Could be a blip. See if it's real or not on Thursday when they play Ottawa.

For the stats people here in 2 games, Jokiharju paired with Zadorov:

30:01 minutes of 5v5 ice time

40-20 shot attempts

22-7 scoring chances

7-3 high danger scoring chances

1-0 goals 

Go figure. 

Edited March 12 by PerreaultForever

[Thorner]

 

[DarthEbriate]

6 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

Bruins lacked speed but now look much faster. Could be a blip. See if it's real or not on Thursday when they play Ottawa.

For the stats people here in 2 games, Jokiharju paired with Zadorov:

30:01 minutes of 5v5 ice time

40-20 shot attempts

22-7 scoring chances

7-3 high danger scoring chances

1-0 goals 

Go figure. 

Zadorov is kind of the ideal Jokiharju partner. Physical, crease-clearing, and going to take chances both offensively and defensively, which allows Joker to be the steady presence and manage the breakout. Now, if they're you're 2nd pair, you're happy. As your top pair (which they are while H. Lindholm and McAvoy are out), they should get exposed. But Boston has good structure to cover for some of that exposure.

[PerreaultForever]

2 hours ago, DarthEbriate said:

Zadorov is kind of the ideal Jokiharju partner. Physical, crease-clearing, and going to take chances both offensively and defensively, which allows Joker to be the steady presence and manage the breakout. Now, if they're you're 2nd pair, you're happy. As your top pair (which they are while H. Lindholm and McAvoy are out), they should get exposed. But Boston has good structure to cover for some of that exposure.

and that's the key right? Pair a puck mover with a physical guy. Don't know why the Sabres can't figure this out. 

[Broken Ankles]

18 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

and that's the key right? Pair a puck mover with a physical guy. Don't know why the Sabres can't figure this out. 

Because Adams.

[PerreaultForever]

3 hours ago, Broken Ankles said:

Because Adams.

Predates him so I think because Pegula. Fast puck moving D was the Housley mantra. 

[DarthEbriate]

6 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

Predates him so I think because Pegula. Fast puck moving D was the Housley mantra. 

It was the Housley/JBott takeover that wanted to build Nashville-style d-corps. Adams has simply perpetuated it where the only defensive defenseman outside of Samulesson has been a 3rd-pairing ceiling guy (shell of Erik Johnson, Lyubushkin, Clifton).

Of course, that Nashville team's D-corps that went to the Final with Housley as their d-coach featured Josi (age 26), Ellis (26), Subban (27), and Ekholm (26). And then a 3rd pair of Matt Irwin!!! and Yannick Weber who averaged about 10 minutes in the playoffs.

All we need to do is wait three more years until Dahlin is 27, Power is 25, Muel is 27, and Byram is 26.

Adams will still be here and the Sabres will be in the playoffs.

[Broken Ankles]

8 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

Predates him so I think because Pegula. Fast puck moving D was the Housley mantra. 

Even during the Housley era the Sabres D iced three stay at home D.  Zack Bogo, Risto, Scandella and McCabe. The 2019 roster has Scandella (traded in season), Risto, McCabe and Colin Miller.  After trades they started to change the pairings where two puck moving D played together. 2020- Montour, Pilut, Joki, Bryson, Dahlin (who as a young D would only qualify as puck moving).  Samuelson as a rookie was considered stay at home but still weak and undeveloped. 

[LGR4GM]

4 minutes ago, Broken Ankles said:

Even during the Housley era the Sabres D iced three stay at home D.  Zack Bogo, Risto, Scandella and McCabe. The 2019 roster has Scandella (traded in season), Risto, McCabe and Colin Miller.  After trades they started to change the pairings where two puck moving D played together. 2020- Montour, Pilut, Joki, Bryson, Dahlin (who as a young D would only qualify as puck moving).  Samuelson as a rookie was considered stay at home but still weak and undeveloped. 

Ristolainen wasn't a stay at home defender when here.

[mjd1001]

23 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Ristolainen wasn't a stay at home defender when here.

I think it may be what you define as a 'stay at home' D-man.   He went 'up the ice' into the offensive zone a bit more than average if I remember, but he wasn't as quick to leave the zone as some of the guys they want now.