GDT: Pittsburg Penguins @ Buffalo Sabres 3/27/25 --Yes, Pittsburg --7pm Face off MSG, ESPN + and on the radio

[mjd1001]

1 hour ago, JohnC said:

An interesting question is what is the GM going to do on that issue next season? My sense is KA is a status quo guy. I'm just not sure about depending on UPL to be a #1 goalie. And as well as Reimer is playing is he capable of handling a #1 workload? A lot is at stake to get this critical issue right. 

This is where I am hoping the analytics dept and the coaching staff spend a lot of time on film.  What is UPL doing differently this year compared to last year?  Break down every single goal, maybe every single shot he faced, compare it to the year before.  Is it an easy fix to get him back to how he was playing last year?  Can it be fixed at all?

[Archie Lee]

14 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

This is where I am hoping the analytics dept and the coaching staff spend a lot of time on film.  What is UPL doing differently this year compared to last year?  Break down every single goal, maybe every single shot he faced, compare it to the year before.  Is it an easy fix to get him back to how he was playing last year?  Can it be fixed at all?

Through November, UPL was 8-5-1 with a .904 save % and a GAA in the 2.60 range. Then came the 1st Colorado loss and the meat of the 13 game losing streak. His game slowly unravelled from there to the point of complete collapse by February/March. Of course, a large part of this is on him. I think though, that the Sabres will be making an enormous mistake if they don’t recognize the negative impact that the Lindy Ruff system/structure has on goalies. 

[JohnC]

46 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

This is where I am hoping the analytics dept and the coaching staff spend a lot of time on film.  What is UPL doing differently this year compared to last year?  Break down every single goal, maybe every single shot he faced, compare it to the year before.  Is it an easy fix to get him back to how he was playing last year?  Can it be fixed at all?

Marty Bieron has pointed out that his struggles are much due to him reaching and lack of body control. When he plays a calm game with less motion and frantic reaction he has been effective.

The goalie position is so tough to gage year to year. One year a goalie can play at a Vezina level and the next year it could be at a struggling AHL level. The position is mercurial and confounding to figure out.

[JohnC]

1 hour ago, Doohickie said:

And what makes you think that?

/sarcasm

If he was an employee for the Pony Express he would be riding the same pony throughout his career, horse exhaustion be damned. 😀

[shrader]

This morning on XM they were questioning why a team would play Reimer 3 straight games because it doesn’t help anyone’s development. I get that angle, but don’t you still need to send the message to all these young players that good play will be rewarded? Yeah, you’re not developing the 37 year old goalie, but he’s earned these games. 

[Drag0nDan]

Just now, shrader said:

This morning on XM they were questioning why a team would play Reimer 3 straight games because it doesn’t help anyone’s development. I get that angle, but don’t you still need to send the message to all these young players that good play will be rewarded? Yeah, you’re not developing the 37 year old goalie, but he’s earned these games. 

Yeah... during the bills playoff drought people similarly want to see young guys play and i think a lot of what changed under McDermott was that you needed to earn your stripes.  And if someone else is outplaying you, you lose playing time as a result.  Where you were drafted does not matter once the pads go on.  

[French Collection]

36 minutes ago, JohnC said:

If he was an employee for the Pony Express he would be riding the same pony throughout his career, horse exhaustion be damned. 😀

And delivery time be damned.

[shrader]

36 minutes ago, Drag0nDan said:

Yeah... during the bills playoff drought people similarly want to see young guys play and i think a lot of what changed under McDermott was that you needed to earn your stripes.  And if someone else is outplaying you, you lose playing time as a result.  Where you were drafted does not matter once the pads go on.  

Football is so different though. You’re not calling up your prospect QB from the minors when Trent Edwards checks down yet another pass. 

[dudacek]

46 minutes ago, shrader said:

This morning on XM they were questioning why a team would play Reimer 3 straight games because it doesn’t help anyone’s development. I get that angle, but don’t you still need to send the message to all these young players that good play will be rewarded? Yeah, you’re not developing the 37 year old goalie, but he’s earned these games. 

I think we've reached a point (again) where everything the Sabres do will be automatically criticized because that's what their track record has earned.

Personally, I'm tired of anything other than play to win every game that's in front of you. And if that means picking 8th instead of 3rd, I'm more than fine with it.

Reimer has clearly been better than UPL, he should play.

That's the message the young players need to see.

[Drag0nDan]

19 minutes ago, shrader said:

Football is so different though. You’re not calling up your prospect QB from the minors when Trent Edwards checks down yet another pass. 

Oh of course, rosters are considerably longer. I just mean... the "lets see the young players because we are out of the playoffs" isn't really a fair solution.  

[Archie Lee]

1 hour ago, shrader said:

This morning on XM they were questioning why a team would play Reimer 3 straight games because it doesn’t help anyone’s development. I get that angle, but don’t you still need to send the message to all these young players that good play will be rewarded? Yeah, you’re not developing the 37 year old goalie, but he’s earned these games. 

I'm of the opinion that Reimer playing 3 in a row has been about giving UPL a break as much as it has been about Reimer playing well.  Certainly Reimer has earned the starts, but I think for UPL this is a longer-term equivalent of pulling a guy when he has allowed 6 goals through 30 minutes.  At some point, it's not helping to stay in the net.   

[Mr Peabody]

Apparently Lindy also “isn’t interested” in not coaching to win.   Good for him. 

[JohnC]

1 hour ago, Archie Lee said:

I'm of the opinion that Reimer playing 3 in a row has been about giving UPL a break as much as it has been about Reimer playing well.  Certainly Reimer has earned the starts, but I think for UPL this is a longer-term equivalent of pulling a guy when he has allowed 6 goals through 30 minutes.  At some point, it's not helping to stay in the net.   

The heart of the matter at this point is not how does handling him affect his play compared to how does his play affect the team. If asked, is he a #1 goalie, my answer would be "I just don't know". Players such as Quinn, Power, Samuelsson and other young players have been forced to the team suite to watch their teammates play while they observed. There comes a time (belatedly so) where players get judged based on their performance rather than potential or developmental need. Even in a playoff lost season, playing time should be earned and not automatically given. What's encouraging is that is what Ruff is doing regarding playing time, role and also sitting time. That's the right approach for the players and also the bruised and battered fans. 

Edited Friday at 07:49 PM by JohnC

[Pimlach]

I thought UPL started slow this season, then played very good for awhile, then he tailed of to the version of UPL that we have now.  

Maybe a little rest helps him get going again. 

Goalies are strange.  He might be fine again next year.  

[JohnC]

23 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

I thought UPL started slow this season, then played very good for awhile, then he tailed of to the version of UPL that we have now.  

Maybe a little rest helps him get going again. 

Goalies are strange.  He might be fine again next year.  

How he will play next year, I don’t know. No one does.What I will say is that there has to be a backup plan just in case he struggles or gets injured. There is too much at stake to make assumptions about him. And having just in case options is a GM responsibility.

[FrenchConnection44]

8 hours ago, bob_sauve28 said:

13-4-0 at home in last 17 home games. Nice 

That is nice.
 

But no offense at all, but that is ultimately utterly meaningless unless it gets us into the playoffs. And in reality that means … continues into next year. And how often has winning when it no longer matters benefitted the team the following year over the past decade plus? Until and unless we get a team that has the ingredients to win consistently all that happens the rest of the year doesn’t mean bleep. IMO. I don’t care about moral victories. Not after 13 years plus of futility. 

[Pimlach]

6 hours ago, JohnC said:

How he will play next year, I don’t know. No one does.What I will say is that there has to be a backup plan just in case he struggles or gets injured. There is too much at stake to make assumptions about him. And having just in case options is a GM responsibility.

Knowing Adams and his past, Levi is the plan B, with Reimer as a 3rd option to start the season. 

Edited Saturday at 05:14 AM by Pimlach

[HumanSlinky39]

26 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Knowing Adams and hi# past, Levi is the plan B, with Reimer as a 3rd option to start the season. 

He will hang on to UPL and Levi until the bitter end. I'm not writing either off, by any means. Both have shown enough flashes of ability to see there *might* be something there. But goalies are funny, man. And tying entire seasons to young/unproven goalies is not something you can do if you're serious about getting to the playoffs. It's a total dice roll. And if they go into next season with an expected Levi/UPL tandem, then they are not serious about it again. I'm sure they'll keep Reimer on again as the latest version of the greybeard plan B like Anderson, and (not really greybeard) Comrie. If Levi & UPL pull it together, they may have a chance. If it's another year of spotty results and having to fall back on the aged guy to stop a spiral, it'll be yet another wasted year. They could start by getting them a decent goalie coach. That might help.

This has been the fatal flaw in Adams's plan. Too much is being banked on the production of young guys. 

Edited Friday at 11:20 PM by HumanSlinky39

[Flashsabre]

So Benny is pretty good.😁

He reminds me of a ROR like player. Not sexy but he impacts the game so much for your team that he is invaluable.

[French Collection]

46 minutes ago, Flashsabre said:

So Benny is pretty good.😁

He reminds me of a ROR like player. Not sexy but he impacts the game so much for your team that he is invaluable.

Imagine his heart and mind in Power’s body.

[Jorcus]

So Kulich is a post hit away from a hat trick in the last game and all we can do is find a way to gush about Benson?

[JohninMinn.]

1 hour ago, Jorcus said:

So Kulich is a post hit away from a hat trick in the last game and all we can do is find a way to gush about Benson?

The Benson thing is because of Dunleavy. Zach is way overrated. 

[PromoTheRobot]

1 hour ago, French Collection said:

Imagine his heart and mind in Power’s body.

He had another moment in the Pittsburgh game where he was behind a guy chasing a puck to the corner, yet somehow got possession anyway which extended a Sabres offensive drive. He's like a leprechaun who can just pop from one point to another. It's amazing to watch.

[LGR4GM]

51 minutes ago, JohninMinn. said:

The Benson thing is because of Dunleavy. Zach is way overrated. 

Zach Benson? Overrated? 

[CallawaySabres]

Finally, our real crap team shows up again just in time for the draft.