dudacek

Probably weren’t the better team but we made enough stops and scored enough goals. Mitts Peterka and Levi were really good, Krebs, Savoie and Jost barely played, Cozens was really bad, the refs were worse and the rest were various degrees of adequate to fine.

I think a healthy Benson gets another shot to play out his 9 unless the Krebs Jost Rousek Olofsson group steps up, and/or they sign Kane.

Not surprised about the move, I am surprised it happened now. Thought they’d stretch it out a few more weeks until it had to happen. But maybe we’re getting healthy and the numbers are such that it does. He’s been skating and learning in the pros for 2 months now, learned he can play in the AHL and got to skate with and against Dahlin and Tuch and Thompson. Gives him perspective and something to shoot for.

Cozens and particularly Krebs got a lot of time on the PK late last year, which was the main reason I was thinking Peyton was being groomed for a traditional 3C role. Krebs was bad to start last year too, but I quite liked how he played down the stretch and Donnie agreed, feeding him a ton of ice. Not sure if it’s chicken or egg but I think Peyton was kinda expected that to continue and it hasn’t really materialized. He’s kinda been a misfit toy in terms of lineup fit and I think it’s probably played a role in his poor start. Kid works his ass off, but he’s really in his own head.

This is a deliberate shift and the main reason why the PK is better. Last year, we’d chase and open a clear lane to the back door on a regular basis. Last night may have been the first back door PK goals we’ve allowed this year, and at least one of them was at least partly because of Okposo and Girgs pursuing hard up high. I think people notice the occasional botched breakouts and blueline keep-ins and take for granted the successful ones and don’t realize how often they happen. He does 10 good ones for every bad one. And he also 10 good ones for every good one a guy like EJ does. Anyone paying attention knew from the day he was drafted he’d frustrate some for his lack of mean. They see the size and want Pronger, but his style is a lot more Lidstrom than Pronger. He’s 20 and only played 100 NHL games. He’s got a lot to learn, but his competence at this level already is amazing. He played in the 3rd while Savoie, Jost, Krebs and even Cozens didn’t, which is all you need to know about what Donnie thought. First game I saw what I’d been hoping to see from Lukas. Think he’s earned another. Related, there hasn’t been much chatter about how Donnie’s game day tactics have changed this year, but “coaching to win” for him clearly involves riding his top forwards any given night hard in a way we haven’t seen before.

Yep, he got stapled to the bench after a promising offensive rush turned into a chance the other way thanks to his bad pass. Its not usually skill and size that kids struggle with, it’s how fast the holes open and close.

Cozens definitely came off in the 2nd half last night and it looked like Skinner as well, although I’m not sure if Skinner was more of a shift-related thing. Greenway was on for Dylan and Peterka for Jeff. Quite curious to see where they go with it tonight.

His play in that run made me realize that he could be more than a middle-sixer in the NHL if the cards fall right. It was flat out dominance. Nice to see him taking an NHL step this year and Donnie recognizing and rewarding it.

I realize your post is mostly about his all-around game, but it made me think about how underrated JJ’s physique is for hockey. 5’10 to 6’0” 190-200 with burst and a strong lower body for leverage is often the ideal forward build. Crosby is the prototype, but you seem to see it most with Euro wingers: Kucherov, Pastrnak, Bure, Mogilny… They don’t win the standing still battles against the Bogosians, but not much of the game is played standing still and they excel at getting around, under and in between.

The bold, I can certainly agree with. i think the Sabres have accumulated a nice amount of talent and a good mix of personalities. But there is still one more bridge they need to cross.

This is the most interesting post I've read here in a long time. I've posted on here before that it was hard not to notice that the Sabres building process this summer left a very Patrick Kane-sized hole on both the salary cap and the roster. A battle-tested middle-six winger who can unlock their desired 3-line attack and "knows how to win" is exactly what the doctor ordered even before the power play went AWOL. The question was always about how closely the 2023/24 version of Patrick Kane matched any of the many narratives around him. Is Kane a selfish me-first player, or can he slide comfortably into a middle-six role on the ice? How will his undeniable presence work in the room and affect the vibes? Is he still a viable 2nd-line NHL player? Were his pedestrian numbers last year a product of his hip and his situation or a sign of serious decline? Has he fully recovered from his surgery? At this portion of his career, how focused is he on winning hockey games? How badly does he want to be in Buffalo and why? I haven't weighed in on this one much because I don't have the answers to any of the above. There are so many variables and so many ways this could go. But, as @nfreeman said, Kevyn is not an idiot. Both he and Donnie have pre-existing relationships with Kane. I have been expecting him and his team to be working hard behind the scenes to formulate their own answers. Apparently, we have their conclusions. Their interest is real. We'll see if it's mutual

KA’s boss on the other hand…

You guys know that Quinn and Peterka were 30-something-point 3rd-liners last year and that Cozens got half his points playing with other people? Is “Granato doesn’t know how to use him” code for “he’s had to play some games with Olofsson”? Because in terms of when and how he’s being deployed, not much has changed.

He played really well in one game. It's both a small sample size and a meaningless commentary on the quality of our regulars.

Thorny will speak for himself, but i read his post as talking about NHL depth, as opposed to replacement depth Jokiharju, Johnson Clifton Johnson, (the bottom half of the D) are better NHLers than Olofsson, Jost, Krebs, Okposo, Girgensons, Benson, Rousek) (or whoever he sees as F7-13)

I’m going to swim against the tide here and suggest that the defence corps - now that Clifton is starting to smooth out the bounces and find his stride - is a group we can win with. Jokiharju is looking pretty good at 17 minutes a night and off the PK. Erik Johnson has delivered exactly what we’d hoped. Samuelsson is doing his part and Dahlin is great. I need more assertiveness from Power as a #2, but I still find him a net positive. I’m no longer terrified when any of the 6 are in the lineup. And the fact that Ryan Johnson might be good enough to force one of them into the press box is amazing to me.

I can’t read your characterization of Cozens another way. You implied they are building Mittelstadt (who is playing well) up and undermining Cozens (who has been Inconsistent) with their usage. I can’t read your characterization of the line juggling any other way. You said they shouldn’t be mixing up lines so much, even though they hadn’t been working. I always thought their model was more closely related to the Blackhawks and the Red Wings

it's about overall team identity, not having 12 Daniel Brieres or JJ Peterkas. Greenway and Girgensons aren't high-skill, but they are capable of playing with pace and they provide complementary, necessary skills. I said 3 scoring lines and Greenway has shown he can fit in well with more gifted players on one of them. Okposo is slowing but he gets it and was effective last year on the one non-scoring line. And Olofsson has fallen off the roster because he doesn't fit the team identity.

Having an identity since Granato and Adams took over is not a Sabre problem in the slightest. They want 3 lines of high-skill pace-pushing forwards and mobile defencemen who close on attackers quickly and flip the ice effectively. They want their team to play the game faster than you do and be skilled enough to capitalize on the breakdowns their pace causes. They actively seek out players who can play that way. Playing to their identity has been a problem. When the Sabres are moving their feet, they’re good, when they stop skating, they aren’t.

Cozens as the high right guy is the worst offender. The more I think about it, I’d like to see them put Dahlin there. He’s got a good shot and is a lefty. More importantly, he’s got the passing ability to thread the box and find Tage and Tuch (better yet Quinn) on the other side. Power can certainly be the high guy effectively. And I’d replace Skinner with Mitts. Jeff is just too chaotic.

Moving this post to the proper thread: Did we know Mittelstadt is #2 in the entire NHL for even-strength points this year? He’s (temporarily?) replaced Cozens on PP1, but in what role? What’s to stop them from deploying him behind the net as the “down low QB” opposite Dahlin, get him to handle the puck more like Gretzky in the old days? Why not Peterka opposite Tage on PP1? I’ve seen him score plenty from there in juniors and Rochester. Much better at entries and retrievals than VO. He’s a lefty, unlike Cozens. How about Dahlin opposite Tage and Power on top? Greenway net front? Cozens? Or maybe get Tuch and Skinner to, you know, do something? They rarely set people up and they don’t screen, snipe or crash the net nearly enough. Get them cycling with Tage like they do at even strength, with Dahlin and Power at the points So many untapped alternatives. Time to try one.

There’s a lot to like here, especially if your stated team strategy is to employ 3 scoring lines: Skinner Thompson Tuch Quinn Cozens Kane Greenway Mittelstadt Peterka Girgensons Krebs Okposo

You when Granato keeps sending the kids out there after they make mistakes: Players need to be accountable and Granato needs to coach to win, not to develop. You when he shuffles lines that aren’t working and rides players that are: They need to be more patient and put players in an advantageous position to succeed.

Per Granato's presser today post-practice: Samuelsson skated today, could join practice tomorrow and is a possibility to return to the lineup soon.

Per Granato's presser today post-practice; Comrie skated on his own with Benson and Samuelsson today.