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dudacek

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Everything posted by dudacek

  1. If the goaltending doesn't work over 82 games, it's on Adams. We've been on the same page for this for a long time. Right now, the goals against is 15th in a 32-team league and my eye test says our goalies have neither cost us a game, nor stolen any either. It's been "OK", or "fine". It will be interesting to see where that goes as the year progresses.
  2. Here’s a bonus to “wasting” a year: sometimes you get to sign a player to his 2nd contract before he breaks out which can save you good money. Casey Mittelstadt is a good example. People put way too much emphasis on this. It’s a secondary consideration, not a big deal.
  3. Are we really going to say playing a well-rested, well-prepared 21-year-old goalie 4 times in 8 nights was putting him at risk? Ive been watching goalies do that pretty much my entire life. I watched Levi play 6 in 11 days at the world junior. I watched him play 7 in 15 days to close out last season. Until somebody shows me the numbers, colour me very skeptical.
  4. i'm sure there are individuals who qualify, I'm talking collectively. 6'4" 225, 6'4" 231, 6'6" 220, 6'6" 230.
  5. I’ve been telling you guys since we got him, he has it in him to be this team’s Mike Grier.
  6. There can’t be a bigger/longer quartet in the league than Greenway/Thompson/Johnson/Mule. I wonder if there has been a taller PK in NHL history? Couple that length with the increased pressure they’re bringing and the lanes are smaller and closing fast. They’re also able to win more 50/50 pucks and get clears when those opportunities arise.
  7. They've actually shifted things around a lot. The set-up Tage for the left boards 1-timer 4 times a PP hasn't really been been a thing. We are seeing lots of Tage rotating to the right side, and Skinner up high that wasn't part of the mix before. They are also giving it to Skinner down low more often, and trying to work it to the bumper, though the guys playing the bumper (really, all 4 forwards have rotated in) haven't been particularly effective. Also, Cozens is handling the puck a lot more than he used to. They still aren't using the back door as much as they could, or getting to the net enough for screens, tips and rebounds. And the execution from some of the other guys hasn't been there enough to make it pay off. But they've definitely been mixing things up.
  8. If you want to say a team that had Skinner, Girgensons, Okposo, a 19-year-old Mitts, a 20-year-old Tage, and an 18-year-old Rasmus is the same team, I guess i ain't going to stop you. Lot of baggage on this board.
  9. Here's what it might have looked like 5 years ago: Skinner Eichel Reinhart Nylander Mittelstadt Thompson Olofsson Asplund Rodrigues Girgensons Larsson XXXX Dahlin Ristolainen McCabe Montour Samuelsson Borgen Ullmark Luukkonen How did that one turn out?
  10. Kane had 72 points as a rookie. He wasn’t Jack Quinn or JJ Peterka. If Benson is only Quinn or Peterka does that mean he doesn’t belong? I am speaking to them being the same size at 18 and that not holding Kane back. My entire point is size becomes irrelevant if your awareness and your attitude (and, of course, your skill) are at a sufficiently high level. We don’t know yet if Benson is at the level, but it doesn’t matter how big he is, what matters is how good he is.
  11. Patrick Kane played in the NHL as an 18-year-old at Benson’s exact size. Played every game. In fact, he missed only 11 games total in his first 5 seasons.
  12. Not at all. Im suggesting little guys can thrive with the right mix of awareness and attitude, like Marchand has for 15 years. I’m pushing back against the predisposition he’s going to fail because of things that have nothing to do with how he actually plays. For me, it was and is, always going to be a long haul thing with Benson: against expectations, he’s earned his chance; can he sustain it? He’s looked like he’s belonged in 2 games, looked like an impact player against the Islanders and looked overwhelmed against Calgary. It’s a story that’s still being written.
  13. Yep, they’re trying to be different, they’re just not good enough at it yet, and it’s affecting what they are good at.
  14. I think Botterill chose the return and accepts responsibility for that. I just wonder if he thought the team needed to ship O’Reilly because: He didn’t fit into Botterill’s plan and vision for the Sabres moving forward He really liked the return and thought the Sabres were better off with 2 veteran middle sixers and 2 lottery pieces He thought ROR was a bad fit in the room, or needed to be moved for some “HR” reasons. ROR demanded a trade Pegula demanded a trade Circumstances forced the Eichel trade; the situation was broken beyond repair. I wonder if the same could be said about the ROR trade as well.
  15. I can’t really sink my teeth into the above debate until someone explains “why” ROR was traded. It never made sense from the roster construction they had, so what forced their hand?
  16. I don’t have preference in terms of which guy I think is a better goalie, but I definitely think Comrie is better suited to be Levi’s backup.
  17. While this is true, I don’t really care Just play the goalies in the way that best gives us a chance to make the playoffs. Ive fully expected them to treat Levi as a number one and that means if he’s rested he starts. Get used to it Curious if they will share the backup duties or not. As in are we going to see one guy every 4 games so, or will they each play once every 8.
  18. Peca is one of my all-time faves and I’d be happier if he was in the organization. That said, I suspect some of the same people who criticized 30-year pro coach Granato as inexperienced would be happy with handing Peca the reins after what, 3 years? I find it kinda disingenuous to characterize the situation as “the Sabres refused to promote him”. He has 2 years pro experience as a bench coach, both in the AHL, both with the Buffalo organization. The thing people seem to be overlooking in the Peca case is that there wasn’t a job available on the Sabres coaching staff. They literally have 5 assistants. They actually did offer him a job with Buffalo, but not behind the bench. Sure, you have no problem firing someone (Matt Ellis is the likely suspect) in order to keep him, but they apparently like what they have. He got an offer he liked better and took it.
  19. More specifically it’s “I feel connected to him in a way I don’t with the current team” stuff.
  20. Marchand, the guy who is listed 6 pounds heavier and 3/4 of an inch shorter than Benson?
  21. "We need more guys like..." We add Johnson, Clifton, Greenway and they play that way. "Not those guys" "We need to stick up for each other and play the right way" Team jumps to the defence of Jost and Jokiharju after questionable hits, Dahlin, Clifton, Greenway throw devastating hits in 1st 3 games "That doesn't count" "We just can't play defence and Granato doesn't hold players accountable" Granato benches Olofsson, cuts ice time to underperformers, team allows just 5 goals and 51 shots in its past 2 games. "We just can't play defence and Granato doesn't hold players accountable"
  22. So it looks like we are going to get a taste of RJ every home game with a “Here come the Buffalo Sabres!” as the team hits the ice to start. Personally, I think they did good: the right amount of presence, good clip, well-placed.
  23. Based on the Canucks situation, both big picture and how they were trending, I’m good with what Tocchet said. I kinda feel the same way about Granato too based on where the Sabres were. Each of them has to read the team and determine what’s needed in the moment to bring out the best in them. I think it’s fair to wonder whether Donnie has it in him to say what Tocchet said when it’s warranted. It’s something that warrants watching in this “about winning” season.
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