GDT: Kracken at your Buffalo Sabres—4pm Eastern—MSG, ESPN+, and WGR 550

[Nitro60]

Due to work schedule I rarely get to see live Sabres hockey.  I stopped recording their games this year.   Watching this effort it amazes me people still come to the arena.  I have friend selling tickets at a loss.  A once proud franchise has been a bottom feeder for two decades.  

[steveoath]

[Slack_in_MA]

[ExWNYer]

It's just so exhausting watching this sh*t show night in and night out. Fourteen years running with no end in sight.

<An inadvertent sad rhyme>

 

[Scottysabres]

The play of this team is Adam’s. He should be fired immediately.

[HOUSE]

[mjd1001]

I don't care to watch the game live at this point, so I just looked at the replays of the goals allowed. My observations/opinions:

1st goal:  Cozens (mostly) on this one, and a good example of why he should not be playing center. He chases the puck, and causes the rest of the guys to rotate out of positon to cover for him.

Sabres just did a line change so I'm not sure who was supposed to be where. But basicaly, the entire center of the ice was left wide open, along with the near side of the ice, where the goal was scored from.  First of All Cozens.  Gilbert is in the corner with the Seattle guy, yet Cozens goes full speed into the corner to battle for the puck when Gilbert was already there.  Center of the ice? wide open. I assume Zucker was supposed to be on the near side. He takes the slot to cover for Cozens, now no-one is there covering for him, and the goal is scored from there.  Cozens can't go full speed deep into the corner and stay there if he is playing center, if the puck is on the boards, he has to allow the far side winger to help out the D-man. 

2nd goal: Bryam here.  Three guys were in the near corner for the Sabres, the puck headed toward the blue line (not guaranteed to go out) and all three guys started to head up to the blue line to exit the zone.  There was no guarantee the puck was going out of the zone, and the Seattle player (goal scorer) was left behind by all of them.  Byram was more concerned with breaking out of the zone instead of actually staying back on his side of the ice and left a player totally uncovered.

3rd goal:  Keyston cops goal. Not really bad positioning by anyone, just the puck goes over the stick of a few guys and then goes in of off of Bryson.

4th goal: UPL to me here, and a bit of all the forwards, Cozens again and Zucker and Tage. Now I know the forwards may be pressing being down a goal, but when the puck exits the zone, ALL THREE forwards are behind Seattle goal line and ALL THREE in the same corner.  I think it was Tage's corner so I can understand him going deep, but either Cozens or Zucker has to back off so they all aren't in the same spot.  As for UPL... First of all, doesn't look like its screened, UPL is set and its from an off angle. THIS is an example of I want my goalie to make that save. The Cozens part, and why he should not be a Center.  3 on 2, both Zucker and Cozens are the 3rd defender trailing, If you have the replay, watch it. Zucker hustles back, but can't make it. From almost center ice all the way back, Cozens just glides.  Had Cozens been hustling back, maybe Zucker could have gone to the wing and possible disturb the shooter.

5th goal. A bit on all the guys on the ice defending. PP goal, the Sabres weren't set, as simple as that.  The goal scorer was alone in front of the net, Probably Gilbert's guy, basic mistake instead of slowing a bit and going in FRONT of the net on his way back to cover the guy, he skating in too deep and had to carry speed behind the net. Once he had to circle behind the net, that extra 1-2 seconds allowed his guy to be wide open. Maybe a BIT on the forwards.  Besides Gilbert, all three other guys were on the near side. When you have 3 of your 4 PP guys on the same side of the ice, that leaves a LOT of open space on the other 2/3 of the ice.  I know the instinct is to go get the puck, but the best way to defend the PP is to have one, MAYBE 2 guys go toward the puck, and the other 2 or 3 guys need to maintain their position.

 

Edited Saturday at 11:40 PM by mjd1001

[Pimlach]

Kracken blocked 17 shots.  Sabres 1.  
 

Lots of little things 

[Gatorman0519]

KA has set this franchise back yet another 5 years. Horrendous roster construction and personnel decisions. 

[LGR4GM]

2 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

You could walk to pub a too.  

Gotta a kid and a wife so... I cannot sadly 

[Nitro60]

Just now, Pimlach said:

Kracken blocked 17 shots.  Sabres 1.  
 

Lots of little things 

The little things lead to bigger things.  They just do not get it.

[DarthEbriate]

Kozak got double-shifted at the end. Should've started sooner. Benson didn't stop skating until 00:02 left on the clock.

[Pimlach]

1 minute ago, bunomatic said:

Drowning my sorrows with a few lagers

I see your in BC.  I’m planning a trip to Alaska, then cruising on ship down to Vancouver, and then hanging out in Victoria.  

[LGR4GM]

Just now, DarthEbriate said:

Kozak got double-shifted at the end. Should've started sooner. Benson didn't stop skating until 00:02 left on the clock.

Zach Benson is the only forward I respect. 

[ExWNYer]

1 minute ago, Gatorman0519 said:

KA has set this franchise back yet another 5 years. Horrendous roster construction and personnel decisions. 

And yet the guy who hired him seems just fine watching everything circle the drain.

[Dreams Burn Down]

After the first period, this was a disgusting Sabres effort.  Even for them, which is saying something.  This team cannot escape its own aroma of suck.

[Nitro60]

Whatever hopes at making a run to a playoff spot are done.  Losing is bad enough but the last two periods of hockey were mistake filled and lack luster effort.  

[Pimlach]

3 minutes ago, ExWNYer said:

It's just so exhausting watching this sh*t show night in and night out. Fourteen years running with no end in sight.

<An inadvertent sad rhyme>

 

I’m putting on football and taking down the Festivus Pole.  

[LGR4GM]

1 minute ago, Nitro60 said:

Whatever hopes at making a run to a playoff spot are done.  Losing is bad enough but the last two periods of hockey were mistake filled and lack luster effort.  

[bunomatic]

1 minute ago, Pimlach said:

I see your in BC.  I’m planning a trip to Alaska, then cruising on ship down to Vancouver, and then hanging out in Victoria.  

I’m just across the straight from vancouver in Nanaimo. About an hour n 45 minute drive to Victoria.

[mjd1001]

Benson, Krebs, Peterka, and Dahlin (despite the -2) I thought played a good game.

Cozens, Zucker (at least compared to what we are used to), and Gilbert (in his limited ice time), not so good.  Tage wasn't BAD but he wasn't as good as he needs to be.

[CallawaySabres]

It’s time people let go of this team, it’s over and the Bills are king.

[Flashsabre]

What an absolutely embarrassing effort on Kids Day against a bad hockey team.

if Pegula had any interest in the team he would fire Adams tonight.

its just so sad what this franchise has become. So very sad.

[DarthEbriate]

1 minute ago, ExWNYer said:

And yet the guy who hired him seems just fine watching everything circle the drain.

The solution is in the room.

The Sabres take sole possession of 4th overall in the draft standings. Remember, this Kraken squad was on a 4-game losing streak and tied for Sabres in win percentage. The Kraken are garbage and headed for a lottery pick, too.

[Pimlach]

2 minutes ago, ExWNYer said:

And yet the guy who hired him seems just fine watching everything circle the drain.

The solution, to pollution, is dilution.  No, uh umm … the solution, to hockey, is in the room.    Now go on out and get’em.  I gotta catch my flight to Boca soon.