GdT Sabres in Vanc: Jan 21/25. Like 10 tn; you figure it out

[Slack_in_MA]

5 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

Kulich is the lone bright spot on the season. 

Well, he and Zucker.

[Doohicksie]

The Sabres FO% seems to have improved significantly this year.  In many games it's no longer a weakness.

I know people like to bag on Krebs but he's put in the work to be an NHL regular.  Not a top six guy but he's good in a bottom six role.  And apparently on the power play lately?  Maybe that's because he's most likely to win faceoffs and give the team possession.

For the record, Tage took only one draw yesterday and lost it.  Cozens was a respectable 50% on 8 draws.

On the other side, Petterson was only 33%.

[Broken Ankles]

35 minutes ago, Archie Lee said:

We have some young centres who are better at face-offs than the Thompson/Cozens/Mitts trio. Krebs has been good through the year. McLeod also. Kulich’s % on the night and year is not great, but he won two important face-offs cleanly. Face-offs in general have been a rare area of improvement this year. 

The Vancouver broadcast team (Ferraro) highlighted two of the Sabres goals first starting with a poor defensive play by the Canucks causing an icing, then the Sabres winning the draw in the offensive zone.  One was the Dahlin pass to Kulich for the one timer.  The other was Tages wrister.  The Sabres also had key wins in the D zone during the third period.  Some face offs are more important than others.

Edited 7 hours ago by Broken Ankles

[inkman]

55 minutes ago, Doohicksie said:

Kulich was 45% on the dot.  Kozak and Krebs were 67% and 62% respectively.  The team as a whole as 50-50 on the dot.

 

41 minutes ago, Archie Lee said:

We have some young centres who are better at face-offs than the Thompson/Cozens/Mitts trio. Krebs has been good through the year. McLeod also. Kulich’s % on the night and year is not great, but he won two important face-offs cleanly. Face-offs in general have been a rare area of improvement this year. 

We care about face offs now?

[WhenWillItEnd66]

I did not watch the whole game. (Not staying up to 1 AM for a non playoff bottom of the league team!) I did watch the 1st period and i was actually impressed the way they came out and played the 1st. They actually looked decent. Some thoughts and observations:

UPL - he is a starter. I have always liked his game. He was playing hurt and banged up, which should never ever happen. A goalie should always be 100% to play. He looked comfortable from what i saw. If he was hurting, he should have sat earlier and let Reimer play.

Defense - We need to trade one of our puck moving defenseman for a physical defensive defenseman. This a huge must do!! I thought Muel would be that guy, but he is a bottom pair dman. 

Cozens needs to go. He is the piece i would use to get a Middle 6 center that crashes the net and is physical and can forecheck. I do not give a flying monkeys ass on what else you need to give up to make this happen but it is a must. 

We DO have most of the pieces needed to do well. I see it. But some serious tweaks need to be made. So throw a real GM in there as well. Adams honestly has no clue. 

[Crusader1969]

1 hour ago, Doohicksie said:

Kulich was 45% on the dot.  Kozak and Krebs were 67% and 62% respectively.  The team as a whole as 50-50 on the dot.

But it's "when" he won the draws.   Not all faceoffs are the same 

[ska-T Palmtown]

1 hour ago, inkman said:

Wait is this in reference to college football where one of 5 schools only ever has a chance at the chip? 

That game was a worst case scenario for me - I can't think of two college team I hate more than that pretentious bunch of posers from a french school in Indiana and some random state school from Ohio. 🤮

[Doohicksie]

28 minutes ago, inkman said:

We care about face offs now?

 

This fanbase will desperately cling onto any positive we can find.

[kas23]

1 hour ago, Flashsabre said:

You just know Adams had an 8 year/$64 million contract drew up for Kulich after the game😝

That’s usually the kiss of death. After seeing what happened to our other “can’t miss” younger players, I really can’t muster a lot of optimism for Kulich. He’s playing very well though. 

[matter2003]

[mjd1001]

3 hours ago, WhenWillItEnd66 said:

Cozens needs to go. He is the piece i would use to get a Middle 6 center that crashes the net and is physical and can forecheck. I do not give a flying monkeys ass on what else you need to give up to make this happen but it is a must. 

I'd take a good vet 2nd pair D-man for Cozens, or a winger even.

Krebs is not a top 6 Center, but I think this team is better with him in that role temporarily than with Cozens and how much he hurts you.  Would I RATHER have a guy who is the long term solution at Center in exchange for Cozens? Sure, but even if you get this, this current season is lost.

I can deal with Krebs there for the rest of the year, in order to maximize the return for Cozens, in case someone is offering a better player at wing or D.

 

11 hours ago, K012010 said:

Is UPL a number one again?

UPL is THIS team's #1.  I think he has the potenital to be a  'real' NHL #1.

Is he a #1 now? Well, by default, but I need LAST years UPL to feel comfortable with him.  One great game, one bad game, one "OK" game...then rinse and repeat.....a LOT of mediocre goalies can do that for a team also.

[Believer]

3 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

I'd take a good vet 2nd pair D-man for Cozens, or a winger even.

Krebs is not a top 6 Center, but I think this team is better with him in that role temporarily than with Cozens and how much he hurts you.  Would I RATHER have a guy who is the long term solution at Center in exchange for Cozens? Sure, but even if you get this, this current season is lost.

I can deal with Krebs there for the rest of the year, in order to maximize the return for Cozens, in case someone is offering a better player at wing or D.

Agree with your Cozens trade wish. RHD or 200ft winger vet who likes to go to the net would be nice exchange.

Think Krebs is undervalued by most on this board. Kid is a gamer, gives 100% each shift, outgoing positive attitude on the bench with teammates. Quick to stand up for a teammate. He stays out too long on too many shifts and this creates problems for line changes, and he needs better puck control and a better shot. May never be a top 6 forward, but he is a player Ruff likes who can comfortably step into a top 1st or 2nd line role when a situation calls for it.

 

[SwampD]

I know they won, boy holy good god they ***** suck! WTF was Samuelsson doing at the end?!

Tage is a zero. All he is is a shot. He doesn’t make anyone else around him better.

This team goes nowhere until they get  a true number one center.

[Archie Lee]

36 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

UPL is THIS team's #1.  I think he has the potenital to be a  'real' NHL #1.

Is he a #1 now? Well, by default, but I need LAST years UPL to feel comfortable with him.  One great game, one bad game, one "OK" game...then rinse and repeat.....a LOT of mediocre goalies can do that for a team also.

I think as general statements, all that you say here is fair and accurate. But, I also think it is a touch (just a touch) dismissive of how bad our environment is for goalies. Just take the end of last night’s game and the save that UPL had to make with 2 seconds left (on a scoring chance that never should have occurred). It’s fair to say that #1 goalies do make saves like that. Game to game though, you really can’t expect a goalie to continually bail you out. UPL, and Levi and Reimer, play in an NHL environment where the onslaught is coming at some point, or at multiple points, almost every game. That’s tough. And if you have a stretch where for any reason you aren’t at your best, the results are going to be bad. 

Edited 5 hours ago by Archie Lee

[Believer]

15 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

UPL is THIS team's #1.  I think he has the potenital to be a  'real' NHL #1.

Is he a #1 now? Well, by default, but I need LAST years UPL to feel comfortable with him.  One great game, one bad game, one "OK" game...then rinse and repeat.....a LOT of mediocre goalies can do that for a team also.

Agree on UPL. Some of his inconsistency this season can be attributed to an inconsistent defense in front of him, forwards and defenders.

[rickshaw]

Muel needs to go. Twice in first period Zach set him up for clear shots on goal from the top of the circle and both times he missed the net. And in the dying seconds yikes. 

[JP51]

Wondering what UPL looks like with a real Defense in front of him... 

[inkman]

1 hour ago, JP51 said:

Wondering what UPL looks like with a real Defense in front of him... 

and by defense you mean forwards that actually play defense, I’m assuming.  There D ain’t great at playing D but they at least try.  Most of the forwards on this team are too lazy, passive or soft to bother doing anything of note in the D zone. 

[msw2112]

11 hours ago, bunomatic said:

We can have nice things

For one night, anyway.

[JP51]

2 hours ago, inkman said:

and by defense you mean forwards that actually play defense, I’m assuming.  There D ain’t great at playing D but they at least try.  Most of the forwards on this team are too lazy, passive or soft to bother doing anything of note in the D zone. 

Thats exactly what I mean... poor guy looks like Denis from Slapshot when he is having a PTSD episode in the locker room at times... LOL 

[DarthEbriate]

Was there anything in either Pettersson or Miller’s game last night that led anyone to believe that they’d be a useful part of the Sabres for the next 6 seasons?

[pi2000]

They won, but didn't think they played all that well.... still no sense of urgency on defense, lost battles, puck watching and lack of awareness in their own zone.     Looked sloppy and unorganized most of the game, poor decisions with the puck, etc.   Same old same old.