‘“Casey, it’s nice to see him get that opportunity,” said Granato. “He has a lot of potential to grow into that nicely. This is a great opportunity for experience and that’s what we’re seeing. He’s a fast learner. He’s a competitive guy. He’s put in a lot of work. I’m excited that he does have this opportunity. I’m excited to work with him in regard to that.”’
Archives for March 31, 2021
Casey Mittelstadt’s development earns him gig as Sabres’ top center
‘“He’s progressed to the point where I’m comfortable putting him at center regardless of the fact that we’ve lost the guys that we have due to injury or being traded,” Granato, whose Sabres have lost 18 straight games, said on a Zoom call Tuesday. “He was starting to earn that position anyway.”’
Sabres’ Jacob Bryson set to return; Dylan Cozens’ status uncertain
‘Bryson practiced beside Rasmus Ristolainen. Based on today’s defense pairings, Bryson’s return would push defenseman Matt Irwin out of the lineup.’
Wednesday’s Philadelphia Coverage
Flyers visit the Sabres after overtime victory (AP)
5 Things: Flyers vs. Sabres (PhiladelphiaFlyers.com)
Jeff Skinner playing more, but not producing more under Granato
‘“You’ve got to build on those things,” he said. “Every team is chasing that consistency. There’s going to be ebbs and flows and there’s going to be changes in momentum, and you just have to stick with it. It’s not going to be easy. Especially in this division, you can’t let up and you can’t play the game in spurts. To do that, you have to find your game and be consistent with it.”’
Sabres’ Granato after back-to-back blown third periods: ‘I don’t feel it’s a conditioning issue anymore’
‘”We had a lot of anxiety to our game, which was fatigue. I mentioned at that time we’re going to practice longer, practice harder, and it may cost us in the short term but we need to prop up our game conditioning. I feel we’ve done that. What I felt in the last two games was our opponent being great opponents in Boston and Philly took in the first two periods, elevated in the third, and we were slow to elevate. So, we fell behind and chased in the third period. Now, we need to learn from that, but I don’t feel it’s a conditioning issue anymore.”’
Take 2: Sabres making progress? Paul Hamilton says yes
‘The reason I didn’t even give losing a thought was for the first time all season they played fast and played with confidence. Interim head coach Don Granato told our Julianne Pelusi that when he took over, he realized this team needed to work harder.’
Mittelstadt seeking to take advantage of opportunity at center
‘”It’s no secret it’s a big opportunity for me,” Mittelstadt said. “I feel like I’ve been playing well and making plays. It’s just, we got to get the results.”‘