mjd1001
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Posts posted by mjd1001
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I'd love him back in the organization. I never wanted him gone when he was fired, and every time there was an opening I wanted him to fill it again here. But I'm letting Granato finish out the year, and then evaluating in the offseason.
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5 minutes ago, JohnC said:
I have little regard for cheap shot players. You seem to admire them. I don't.
Same with me. I want skating shooting, scoring, shot blocking....I don't need the cheap stuff.
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I've hit a strange spot with following the Sabres just in the last couple weeks. When they win, I'm on the board posting all the time, good things, bad things...just talking about the team in general. After a loss...they losses don't really bother me or get me upset that much, but I just kinda dont' feel like thinking about them much...at least until the next game. Sure, its always like that to a certain extent, but win or lose, after a game I wanted to watch highlights, I wanted to talk about the game.....that has just changed in the past few weeks.
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I know players, especially D-men, who get a lot of minutes tend to 'learn' when to coast, how to conserve energy when on the ice to allow for higher minutes. Granato made a comment last week regarding Dahlin and his minutes. However, I wonder if the NHL is just 'behind' in their thinking/research into load management.
-in the NBA recently, players, STAR players, over the last few years are starting to get nights off. entire games where they don't play. even if their team is in a playoff race, because the thinking is, it is more important for the long run of the team and the players health to manage their minutes/games than it is to have them play every game.
-in baseball, for most of my life (and well before) your best pitcher pitched as long as he could. Starters in general you wanted at least 7 innings, and if you could get a complete game out of them you did that. Again, in the last few years with research and trial-and-error, baseball has found out you are better off not doing that. Get a fresh guy in there when you can. Starts go 6 innings, 5, even 4? that is fine. Bring in a reliever to throw 20 pitches, then on to the next? That is what they do now.
Again, maybe you don't want your best D-man out there 'figuring out' when to coast, and who knows how the minutes impact him by the end of the season (even if he says he is ok day-to-day). Maybe, not just the Sabres but he entire NHL, might learn something from the way the NBA and MLB handles minutes/load. I'm not saying I would LIKE that (I really enjoyed baseball more when your starter's goal was a complete game), and I certainly would NOT want to be a ticket buyer when a star player isn't playing.....but I'm not sure the way the NHL is doing it vs other sports might be the correct way of load management.
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The season as a whole is what should matter. NOT how bad the start was, NOT how bad the end was, but look at it as a whole. If, IF something changed that is obvious, tangible, measurable, that you don't have to TRY to convince yourself is different...then maybe that can factor into things, but don't try to reach too deep/think to much.
24 minutes ago, dudacek said:The stretch run will have no impact on the likelihood of making the playoffs either way.
It's not going to change Adams offseason plan either. Generally speaking, he's bringing back the kids, shopping to replace the UFAs and deciding what to do with his RFAs, picks and prospects based on possible returns. We might see a start to that this week.
Granato is coming back unless the bottom really falls out down the stretch. He gets to start next season, but he wont survive a slow start. Only other thing that might change that is Brind'Amour wanting the job.
I agree with all of that, especially the bolded part, and that is what I would do if i was in charge.
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2 hours ago, phil_soisson said:
If Cozens found something, what exactly did he lose? His drop off from last year is titanic; what we see in totality just may be a player who is wildly inconsistent.
What he lost is consistency from last year. Last year, he scored, goals per month, 4, 4, 4, 5, 6, 5, and then 3 in the short last month. He was very consistent as a goal scorer last year. So, consistency is what he HAD last year that he lost this year.
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I haven't looked at the upcoming schedule for a while, but wow, the next 10 games are really tough:
-Winnipeg, 3rd overall, won 8 of their last 10
-Toronto, 7th overall in the league, hottest team in the league maybe, 9 wins in their last 10
-Nashville, back to back after Toronto, the Preds have moved into playoff position with 8 wins in their last 10.
-Edmonton. They 'flipped the switch' around Thanksgiving, since then going 31 wins in 40 games (playing at a 129 point pace)
-Detroit. A surprise team 10 points ahead of Buffalo.
-Islanders. This is the easy one I guess
-Detroit again.
-Seattle, who Buffalo has never beat (0 wins in 5 attempts, including being dominated 5-2 back in January.
-Vancouver. Best team in the league for good portions of the season, and currently 5th overall.
-Edmonton again (see above)
If they come out of the next 10 games with a winning record, then I'll be really impressed with this run they are on. They are going to need to see some backup goalies.
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I guess we'll have to keep looking at a list of every American player Granato coached with the team USA program, see who is currently in the NHL but not having a major role with their team, and can be traded for with less than a 1st round pick or a top prospect. I haven't done the research, but it should be someone off of that list.
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1 hour ago, sabrefanday1 said:
Strange to see KO and Girgs both score...they have been constantly the brunt of negativity on this board all year (along with many other players of course)...so KO now has I believe 12 goals and Girgs 7...how many other teams have 4th line players with that many goals? I would be shocked if you can find any othe rteam with 4th line players having 19 goals and that is just the two of them (and whoever plays with them). I get that we are all pumped up to make changes and add this and that but I cannot help but wonder if we will actuall ylose if we try to replace players on this team as it stands now. Every team is looking for a physcial top 4 d-man and yes that would be great but as the old saying goes they don't grow on trees.
KO gets a good number of minutes off of that 4th line, and even some PP time. Zemgus? its all 4th line for him which makes it a bit more impressive for me.
I like tracking his 'goals per 60 minutes' because I truly believe that is the best way to evaluate how someone who doesn't get top line minutes (or pp minutes) contributes offensively. After last night Zemgus is at 0.94. He is now 3rd on the team (behind only Peterka and Tuch). He's higher than Skinner, Thompson, Mitts, everyone else that has played more than a handful of games.
Last year I looked around the league at the top teams, and their 4th liners usually averaged about .40 goals per 60.
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6 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:
So where was this in November and December?
If they'd played like this all year we'd be in the playoffs. As enjoyable as this game was, and it was, the frustration for me is how it's too late AGAIN.
The only explanation I can come up with is KA botched goaltending. He put all his faith in an instant Levi and when the goaltending was sucking this team basically quit on the season. They felt there was no point as no matter how well they played they couldn't win without a goalie. It took a number of games to "believe" but now they feel they do have a goalie and so they are giving the effort again. That's all I can come up with, but whatever the reason, this is not the team we watched in late 2023.
Pity it's too late.
Maybe UPL needed to 'get in a groove' and get consistent play...but when he DID play early in the year, he didn't play all that well.
Through December...he DID play more games than any other goalie...he was 7w-10L, 3.13gaa and only an .892 save percentage.
Since January 1, 11w-7L, 1.84gaa and .934 save percentage.
His play, and the entire team (mostly the forwards up front getting back in the D-zone), I don't know if I remember a team playing a totally different game, like flicking a light switch...when the Calendar changed from 2023 to 2024.
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18 minutes ago, JohninMinn. said:
He doesn't skate, avoids contact and coughs up the puck quite a bit. Shooting is not everything.
My point was comparing him this year to last year (and the year before) with reference to what Matthews was/did. If he doesn't skate (not sure what you mean by that, I'm not sure I'd agree with what you might me) and avoids contact..well, that was/is the same type of player he always has been. He is getting the same number and quality of offensive chances this year compared to the last 2. The difference is...the shots aren't going it (just like Matthews, with the wrist injury).
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1 minute ago, Dr. Who said:
Okposo and Zemgus, somebody run out and buy a lottery ticket.
With that goal, Zemgus ES goals per 60 this year is approaching .90. By far the best of his career and 70-80% above his career average. I think most 4th liners around the league are in the .40-.50 range, some less.
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5 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:
He is going to bring back virtually the same roster.
He’ll re-sign UPL, Krebs, Joki and Mitts, elevate Levi to goalie 2 and if KO wants to play again, he’ll re-sign him as well. I also think he’ll re-sign Robinson. That leaves exactly 2 roster spots; 13th forward and 7th D available for new talent.
He’ll claim that this season was growing pains for the youngest roster in the league. He’ll state the fans should be optimistic for 24/25 because of the improved defense and goaltending in the second half of this season, the return to health of key forwards and the continued development of young elite talent in Benson, JJP, Quinn, Power, Levi and Ryan Johnson. He’ll talk about how close to NHL ready star prospects Savoie, Rosen, Kulich and Novikov are giving us great depth next season and in the future.
If, IF the Sabres finish the season strong (this 2 months of good play runs through the rest of the year), I'd probably be OK with that explanation. At least partially OK. The thing that I wouldn't like and the reason I wouldn't buy into it 100% is that...it seems like another case of 'we heard that before" But, Drop KO and Maybe Robinson....make a trade for an obvious upgrade up front (a forward that is under 30 but you can rely on for at least 20 goals and good 2 way play)....well...I wouldn't be all that upset. I mean, we have been burned before and for me this WOULD rely on them continuing to play well (finish in the 85-90 point range).
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Thompson better bouncing back from a wrist injury. Cozens better because he seems to have found 'something' and is playing better lately. Benson and basically the entire D-group as better because they are all young and should get better with expereince.
Skinner worse simply becasue he is at that point in his career. Greenway MAYBE worse (didn't select it) because I think he is having 'his' career year (at least career-2-months). I'm hoping UPL not worse, but there is a chance there is a regression-to-the-mean.
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On 2/21/2024 at 12:14 PM, SwampD said:
I think Tage has looked much better of late. He has even played a little more of a physical game.
It's just weird now that he just can't hit the net. I wonder if it is still his wrist.
He has a wrist injury. Sometimes that injury can heal enough that you can play, but it can impact production big time from scorers.
Who else had a wrist injury that he played through? Look 1.5 hours north to Austin Matthews.
2 seasons before his wrist injury: 41 goals in 52 games (65 goal pace per 82)
1 season before his wrist injury: 60 goals in 73 games (67 goal per 82 pace).
Year he played through the wrist injury: 40 goals in 74 games (44 goal per 82 pace)
Year after his wrist injury: 53 goals in 58 games (75 goal pace)
So, a guy who is a big time scorer averaged 66 goals per 82 games without a wrist injury....the season he plays through a wrist injury his goal production drops 33% the season he has the injury....then when he gets a full year off his production goes back up to (and beyond) what it was before the injury.
Now Tage...
2 seasons before his wrist injury: 38 goals in 78 games (40 goal pace)
1 season before his wrist injury: 47 goals in 78 games (almost a 50 goal pace)
year of his wrist injury (this year) 18 goals in 50 games (30 goal pace)
With Tage, a guy who is a big time scorer averaged 45 goals per 82 games without a wrist injury...the season he plays through it his goal production drops 33% the season he has the injury...With a full season off to heal his wrist, AND in his prime at 27 years of age, is there a chance he exceeds is prior production? Maybe.
The naysayers will say no...but I like to bring this up as a possible positive. Tage isn't Matthews, but the similarities in their injury, in how it impacts production at the same time and the same point...very similar. Something to think about.
I looked into one other things....Matthews shooting percentage those 2 seasons before his wrist injury was 17.7. It went down to 12.2 the year of his injury (5.5 points lower). He took about the same number of shots per game (4.4 vs 4.6), just his percentage was down.
Tage's shooting percentage the 2 years before his wrist injury this year was 15.5. It is down to 10.0 this year....(5.5 points lower). He has taken about the same number of shots per game (3.5 vs 3.6) but his percentage is just down.
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59 minutes ago, sabremike said:
This team is hiring an actual NHL quality coaching staff away from becoming a contender.
The team is injury luck, a better powerplay coach, and Tage getting half-way back to where he was the last 2 years away from being a contender.
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17 minutes ago, inkman said:
I don’t really care about any of that crap anymore. They need to get into the playoffs. Which clearly isn’t happening with this happy to be here band of losers. They need players that aren’t happy at all. Guys that wake up and want to make someone’s life worse. They are solely concerned with winning hockey games with no regard to teammates feelings or opponent’s safety. I want players with personal problems that motivate them to smash someone’s face into the glass visualizing the teeth of whomever they pictured during that hit flying though the air getting lost on the frozen surface that lies beneath. Enough Tommy Dangles or All-Star 🤮Rasmus Dahlin. I want players that enjoy seeing other people suffer, writhing in pain on the ice. Take all of these nice guys, remove them from the team and bring in guys that ***** in your sandwich and piss on your dog.
It would be hard for me to disagree on more of this if I wanted to. Other than them needing to get into the playoffs that is.
To me this is a game. Its entertainment. People play this game...not ones I can always relate to their lifestyle, but they are people. I do not want ANYONE's goal to make someone else's life worse, I can't even relate to that thought at all. I do not want to root for a team that only cares about winning at the expense of feelings or safety of other people...really?
Again, the sport is entertaiment. Played by people I don't in any world want MORE people in our society to care less for others, to want to hurt others...any of that just for the sake of 'winning' at something that has zero other impact on my life other than a few hours of entertainment per week.
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1 hour ago, LTS said:
Stone will miss precisely enough time to reactivate for the playoffs.. just like last time. The farce of the NHL salary cap continues.
What I don't get is, why don't they change this? It seems like 95% of fans, commentators..just about everyone hates the way they have it. Just make the change so you can't do this. I don't get it.
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1 hour ago, dudacek said:
Not my opinion, it's what the numbers say:
The Sabres finished last season 24th in the NHL in defence, allowing 3.35 goals per game
- In the 1st quarter of this season they were 18th, allowing 3.33
- In the 2nd quarter of this season they were 25th allowing 3.40
- In the 3rd quarter of this season they are 1st allowing 2.16
Overall this season they are tied for 12th allowing 2.98
The last time the Sabres finished in the top half of the league in goals against was 2009/10, Ryan Miller's Vezina season. The only time they've been close since was when they finished 16th out of 30 in Bylsma's first year.
What, if anything, should we read into this?
I'm going to try to take a middle ground here between those who think it means something and those who say it means nothing:
Lets see if it continues.
-On one hand, not only the stats, but the 'eye test' (to me) shows the forwards are playing MUCH better in their own zone. Yes, they have had a 'lighter' schedule, but this also does apply in the few games against good teams they have played. The Forwards play better in their own zone...thus that helps the defensemen to play better, and backstopped by good goaltending, and you get a team that is OBVIOUSLY improving.....but..
-On the OTHER hand, just about every team has stretches of good and bad play that don't last. Just one example...Arizona. Through the end of the Calendar year, they were 18-14-2, 38 points in 34 games. Since then they only have 5 total wins in 25 games. Look at Florida last year...they barely squeaked into the playoff, but they since then (playoffs and this season) are arguably the best team in the league since. BAD teams have stretches of games, maybe months long, where they look good but ultimately aren't. GOOD teams have stretches of games (again, weeks or months long) where they look bad but ultimately aren't. The Sabres? I'm HOPEFUL they have turned the corner, learned good D-zone play. but....
I need to see it continue. I'm a 'partial' believer it means something, but I need more before I can be sure.
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Good team, but not as good as Florida. They can be beat. Might get Eichel back, but they are still 4w-6L in their last 10....10w-12L since the beginning of 2024.
This is a definite "Can win" for the Sabres, and if they want the fanbase to keep thinking they have turned the corner into a better team, a 'should win' game.
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1 hour ago, sabrefanday1 said:
No one should look at what the Leafs do and wonder what is going on there...that GM is so desperate and wil give away anything to get whatever is needed to win. Their defense is awful and Boosh is notgoign to help trust me. desperate times call for desperate measures...Leafs are real desperate. Complaining becuase Leafs gave more then we got for Boosh is absurd. Just anolter reason to complain for the sake of complaining...
I guess we all do it...but some people (most, all)) have agendas. We all have what we believe. Fire the coach. Move Cozens to Wing. Get rid of KA. Pegula should sell the team. Anything, ANYTHING we can grasp at to support that point of view....it will be done and posted here. The thing that gets to me more and more is the non-stop negativity. Doesn't matter what happens, a good game, a good week, a great play by a player, a player playing better over a few weeks time. Nope, if it gets in the way of the negative agenda, can't accept it! But again, this is a message board, this exists for people to speak their mind.
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5 hours ago, LTS said:
Well, that's certainly an opinion and certainly not an uncommon one at that. Similar to people who watch football to see big hits, or boxing, or MMA, or NASCAR to see crashes. There is a certain contingent of society that loves watching people destroy each other. This has existed for far longer than professional sports, that's for certain. I think it speaks to an inherent nature of of a segment of humanity to want to destroy itself. Almost as if we regret gaining intelligence and as penance we choose to destroy that which differentiates us from other animals.
I don't care for fighting at all in hockey, and your Nascar comment made me think even more about it.
For most of my life...I wanted to Watch Daytona or Talledega (Atlanta now also) to see 'the big one'. If one of those races happened and a huge, 10+ car accident didn't happen, I was a bit disappointed from an entertainment point of view. Now, I'm 100% the other way around. When I watch those races, when I DO see a big crash I'm disappointed because of them. I see who was involved in them and think its too bad that those drivers won't get to finish. I see the wrecked cars and think, thats too bad I'd rather just see them race.
I'm like that with fights in hockey. Don't need them, don't even want them. When I see all the hype of Rempe fighting for the Rangers, I just don't see the appeal anymore of watching 'hockey' and having it interupted by a fight. I USED to, but I don't anymore.
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2 hours ago, TheAud said:
Lots of guys without NMC's.
He may even need to overpay a bit. But the thing is with trading prospects, you don't really know if you're overpaying or underpaying. Not for a few years at least. Whereas with veterans it's much more of a sure thing relative to what you are getting.
Again, I am not advocating trading away all the prospects or as a strategy in general. But when you have the #1 prospect pool and a ton of young talent on your NHL team, it's good to move some of those lottery tickets for proven commodities. Maybe the prospect pool moves to the 10-15 range next year. Who cares if they can add a Top 4 D and a middle 6 winger who are proven NHL players who contribute to a playoff squad.
Agree 100%. If that top 4 guy is really good, (as I have said before, a legit top 4 guy, not a 5/6 guy you can convice yourself is a top 4 guy) and if they also add a middle 6 guy like you said, I'm pefectly happy going forward.
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1 hour ago, LTS said:
Well, that's certainly an opinion and certainly not an uncommon one at that. Similar to people who watch football to see big hits, or boxing, or MMA, or NASCAR to see crashes. There is a certain contingent of society that loves watching people destroy each other. This has existed for far longer than professional sports, that's for certain. I think it speaks to an inherent nature of of a segment of humanity to want to destroy itself. Almost as if we regret gaining intelligence and as penance we choose to destroy that which differentiates us from other animals.
While I love hits in hockey, I don't love head injuries. I don't watch boxing or MMA and I prefer to watch a race where drivers demonstrate skill and where crashes don't happen. Albeit, I do marvel at the technological advances that have occurred with race cars to keep drivers safe in such high speed incidents.
The only villain I need is the opponent. They don't have to do anything more than try and impede me (or my team) of winning.
As for the sentiment that the game will get rougher, it's a simple solution. Change the rules, call penalties, implement fines. Stating that a league and officials won't do it does not negate the validity of the action. The penalties and fines are a deterrent when properly enforced. There will always be some risk, that's a given.
I agree with you. I don't think the game 'sucks' at all without big hits and fighting. I have seen many, many games that are end to end, high scoring, and I absolutly love them without a hit, without any fights.
And for those that say you NEED the players to police each other, hockey is a rough sport so you NEED to allow fighting? That is just wrong. Look at the NFL. Its more physical than hockey, but yet they don't put up with the cheap shots. People still love the NFL, it is still physical. It is as popular as ever, but there aren't pushing and shoving matches multiple times every game. They aren't tons of cheap shots after the whistle. (it happens, but its rare). There are no fights. Why? because if those players did some of the 'cheap stuff' that is allowed in the NHL, they would be fined, and fined heavily.
Rumor: Brady Tkachuk available
in The Aud Club
Posted
I guess we are all fans in a different way. Entertainment for me happens on a night-to-night basis. I'm not in the "win-at-all-cost-or-make-changes" crowd. If I watch their game and they play well, great! If they don't...then I'll just wait until the next game. For the I WANT the Sabres to do well, but is something I only think about when watching a game or posting here, I don't dwell on the losses the way I used to.