SwampD

You would think that in this day and age of hockey technology, they would have come up with a way to deal with flow by now.

In open ice. Board battles and the cycle have nothing to do with speed. (Footspeed,… kinda. You know what I mean). They’re about taking a beating and still seeing the play, then making it.

And yet you say that physicality has nothing to do with it.

Oh, my god! That’s the point. Guys use their bodies to gain positioning.

I agree. Tuch needs to use his size more. (AND LGR, I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT PUNCHING PEOPLE). He definitely makes a lot happen because of his size, I just feel he could do more with it. Our young guys (they are really young) will get there.

Lack of physicality leads to bad penalties. Imo

Doubt it. We rarely get to those areas. When we do, we usually scare, too. We had people on here last night actively defending UPL and how he had no chance on (I think) four of the goals. I’m not an idiot. Do we need better goaltending (GT)?… um, duh. But bad goaltending is an easy, simplistic excuse for why the tide shifted in the last 4 minutes of that game.

Sure. Look where they scored from and look where we took our penalties. https://www.espn.com/nhl/game/_/gameId/401458935 (scroll down to shot chart)

Awesome. And if the Sabres do it, they need to guard that information with their lives.

You are missing the point. As usual. I’m not talking about punching ppl every night, as much as you want to believe that so you can hang on to your hockey ideals. Why we’re we on the PK? Because they got physical and knocked certain of our players out of their game and forced them into taking bad penalties. Don’t get me wrong. We’re getting there. Our young hopefuls look like they are going to be those players. They just aren’t there yet. And I’m certainly not going to get down on a 19 YO for making a rushed play against the defending SC champs. But we were on the PK because Tampa pushed back hard and we couldn’t deal. Next year. It’ll be next year. …. I have to believe that, otherwise what’s the point.

Hockey is a physical game. That physicality can be and is used by teams to win games. There are plenty of guys that can stick handle and score goals. Tampa is filled with guys that can not only do that, but also get physical and nasty. It’s why they’ve been as good as they have been for as long as they have. I’m sure you’re going to show me a bunch of stats and say, “no, this is why they’ve been good.” And once again, I will say that stats are a result, not the why.

I hate quoting myself, but this isn’t exactly true. Dahlin definitely didn’t bump Kucherov hard enough to for him to hit UPL as hard as he did, but being the cagey vet that he is, knew he that once Dahlin touched him, he had a free shot at the goalie. Dahlin has to be smarter than that. It’s not the first time he has hit guys into our goalies.

I think we are a solid netminder from getting bounced in the first round. Which would be AWESOME!!!!!!

The Girgs tackle is hilarious. At 5 minutes left in the 3rd.

We really need a Kucherov, and a Cernak. Next year. I’m just sure of it.