mjd1001

Dahlin something is up with. He is playing all the minutes, but just looks 'decent' out there. You are paying and expecting borderline elite. Power, no big deal to me. I always view him as a 10 goal, 40-50 point guy who has a balanced game. Other than one terrible pass, I think he has played 'good enough' Thompson, he is showing signs of being the best player on the team, controlling the puck. Again, no assists but he is putting the puck in the net. I'm paying him $7m, not $10m. Lets see the next few games. I don't think i 'need' him to be a 1pt per game player. I can take 60 points if 40 of those are goals. Cozens. Awful. Awful with the puck , Awful without the puck. Yeah, just...whatever. Tuch. Hes fine. UPL, I'd like better numbers and I want him to steal a game for me, but he hasn't played 'awful'. Very few of the goals he allowed I said to myself "thats totally on him" or "I need him to make THAT save". same with Tuch, not upset, but lets see where it goes over the next couple weeks. Samuelsson. He has made 2 really bad plays, but other than that,I like his game. Hes not going to produce much, but he has been solid in his own end...overall...to me. To me this slow start is on Cozens, Dahlin, and Quinn. Those are the 3 guys that are either hurting you, or not helping you, enough.

I immediately take him off of both the penalty kill and the power play also. Doesn't mean he can never go back, but for now... No point of having him there.

Cozens.... He's going to be 24, and he's in his what.. 5th NHL season? So yes he could still blossom into something more but we're getting to the point of figuring out who he is. He's not a 20-year-old in his second season anymore. What he is right now for his career is this: He's a guy that will get you 200 shots on goal per year. He will shoot 10% per year (And that's averaging in his career year. For the other 75% of his career. He is consistently below that). He will make dumb plays without the puck and he's not showing many signs of getting better away from the park. Maybe he'll start playing better and putting the puck in the net. Then we can have a different conversation. But as of now, somebody who averages 10% shooting at 200 shots a year is a 20 goal scorer. A 20 goal score who is consistently making mistakes without the puck, and has done that his entire career without really learning, what is that value? What is the value of a guy who who you hope will average 20 goals a year and play below average defensively?

Advanced analytics are useful in some evaluations, they can add 'color' to the picture. The problem I have with them is when someone tries really really hard to come up with just a couple numbers, or a handful of numbers, to prove a point. -The 'eye test' doesn't always work, but SOMETIMES it is enough. -Simple stats don't always tell the whole story (Goals, assists, shots on goal, plus-minus) but they do tell part of a story and should not just be thrown away. -Advanced stats, well, In my opinion, they are no worse, but not any better than either of the above. If I SEE something with my eyes, can I back it up with some kind of data, (analytics or simple stats), or if I see something else with my eyes, can I disprove it with some kind of data? Even if you can do that, it shouldn't be the end of the story. It shouldn't do anymore than open up a larger discussion about the game, the style of play, the player, etc. I think good teams do that. They use simple stats, analytics, AND coaching/eye tests together. Sometimes it gets annoying when the 'math nerds' just throw out analytics and say "there, we are right, you are wrong, deal with it"

I posted this earlier, but look at the replay of the goals allowed last night, the one where Pittsburgh broke out of their zone quickly and Benson got back but was a tad late. Look at Cozens there. -1st, he wasn't going to get back no matter what, the goal was scored too quickly, but it is an example of bad plays he makes all the time, and it was an example of being over-aggressive. -In the Pittsburgh Zone, the puck was already picked up by Pittsburgh. Cozens had a decision to make. Hit the guy who made the initial pass (following through on the hit) but potentially taking him out of the play...or make a quick turn and get back into the defensive zone quickly. He chooses to make the hit, thus making him the last guy back into the zone. -If you look at the hit, you might say he was going high, but he did lead with his shoulder, so at first it looks 'ok' but then he follows through with the fore-arm and eventually it ends up looking like the hit turned into a punch with the follow through. In that case, he was being phyiscal, but it was another bad decision. He chose to make a hit (a borderline illegal one) but in doing so make sure there would be no chance he could be back in his own zone in transition. There are times to make hits, but those times are not "all the time". I agree on most of that. UPL didn't play spectacular, but when I watched the replays of the goals, it wasn't like all of them were "That one is on UPL and no one else". You score 5 goals and get his level of play, you should win. He wasn't stellar, but he wasn't bad. Clifford also, overall his is playing on your 3rd pair but I would characterize his overall play as "VERY good 3rd pair" or "pretty decent 2nd pair" level. I think he's fine.

To me, the problems with Quinn and Cozens are in the different end of the spectrum. Quinn is invisible. I think I've seen two giveaways from him but his problem is mostly the lack of offense. He's not hurting you too much with turnovers and bad decisions. Cozens isn't scoring either. He's working himself into position to get chances, He just can't convert them. But the other problem with Cozens is he's hurting you without the puck in all three zones. he's hurting you with giveaways, and he's hurting you with dumb plays. So yeah, you want both of them to score and neither are doing that. But what's worse? Quinn not even getting chances that at least Cozens is getting? Or Cozens being a liability in all three zones of the ice where Quinn isnt doing that?

A lot of us talked about that last year. The problem isn't he thinks too much....the problem is you need your center to think a bit more than a winger, and he doesn't play that game. He just want to go full speed, no thinking in his game at all. He is a straight ahead, all-gas-no-breaks type of player. That is who he seems to be now. He likes to chase the puck. He likes to go to the boards. He likes to hit. He likes to go deep into the corners. All things I want out of my wingers, and things I don't always want out of my Center (I want my center to be more aware positionally, my wingers can skate hard and crash and bang all day long). His style of play for sure suits wing better than center. But, that doesn't solve his shooting problem. He is getting chances in the offensive zone, ...he just can't put them in, and thats been the case for a while now. Changing him to wing might reduce some of his mistakes he makes at center, but I'm not sure it fixes his non-scoring issue...and ultimately that is why you are paying him $7m per year. But yeah, if Lindy said tomorrow that they were moving Cozens to wing, I'd be elated.

Maybe this wont make this team a Stanley cup winner, but right now, I think McLeod and Krebs as your #2 and #3 centers (in either order) makes this a better team. They won't produce that much offensively, but...well...where are we now? They play 'smarter' hockey.

As much as I hate his play currently, and I think he is hurting the team, I wouldn't trade him (yet) either. Unless you get a really good offer. But I think his game isn't evolving, its not growing. He plays 'dumb' hockey. Putting him out there over and over, making him your #2 center and never taking that away from him no matter how poorly he plays....that doesn't really give him any incentive to change his play. The only thing I can think of is he is a "Pegula guy". Pegula sees the aggressive play and says "I like that kid". Pegula saw the 30 goal season, and, like a fan, assumes that is the norm, not the exception. Not to take Adams off the hook totally, but I can see Pegula as one that wanted to 'lock him up' to a long term deal so early and encouraged the team to get it done. It might be the reason that he isn't ever taken out of the lineup. I mean, maybe not, but there doesn't seem like any other reason that makes sense. He's played bad defensively for his entire career, he hasn't scored for a year and a half, and now 2 different head coaches keep putting him out there and giving him every opportunity in every single situation. Granato and Ruff aren't common denominators. Adams and Pegula are, and I think it might be a tad bit more Pegula.

Only 23, but he will be 24 this year. 285 career games played, will be ove 350 by the end of the year. Yeah, it takes some guys years to 'get it', but supposedly he already 'got it' 2 seasons ago. I'm just so frustrated with his play and honestly its not even his lack of production. Its is overall play. Its that he makes dumb mistakes and hurts this team, yet he is used on the PP, PK, all the time. Under no coach has he ever had any accountability, no matter how bad he plays. I said earlier he plays like the 'anti-Crosby' but I think he might be more of an 'anti-Patrice Bergeron'. Bergeron was ALL about positioning. He knew where to be before anyone else on the ice did. He knew when to follow through on a hit, and when to back off to get himself back in the play quicker. He didn't have a great shot but he was very sneaky and got himself into scoring position. He never looked like he was working super hard, just 'hard enough' while thinking a great game. That is pretty much the exact opposite of Cozens. Well, this night was a close game, a back and forth game, and he had a 'kinda benching' toward the end. He played a bit in the 3rd period, but it was only a couple shifts. Maybe that is the first sign of Lindy having enough of his play.

No idea, I took a quick look and couldn't find that info. I am pretty sure with the exception of possibly Tuch, he scores goals that are just as important/timely as anyone else who is currently on this team. Now maybe that isn't good enough, but hes a $7m dollar player, not a $12m guy. I don't think Tage contributes more to wins than he does to losses...overall. I understand wanting even more from him, but the low hanging fruit on this team to change is not Tage, there are other places to look first.

He is tied for most overtime goals over the past 3 years on the team (yeah, I know its only 2 but no one else has more than 2) And in terms of Game winning goals (however the NHL defines that now), only Tuch has more over the same time period. Tuch 16, Tage, 14, Olofsson 12, Skinner 10. Cozens, another way he is 'not clutch', in the last 3+ seasons, even including his 30+ goal season, he is credited with a total of 3 game winning goals in 244 games played.

I agree with you with the 6 on 5. You don't want a free-for-all, but with less space on the ice you can be a bit more aggressive. As far as the regular, 5 on 4 penalty Kill, the Sabres kill penalties best when they do play passive. From watching the replays of just about every shorthanded goal they have allowed over the past 2 seasons, I would say the majority of them happen when they start chasing and get out of position.

Lindy on the radio this morning (maybe it was yesterday). Said he sees problems with the Powerplay. He said they have a lot to work on and sounded like the coaching staff knows what the issue is, just have to get something through the players heads (my words, not his.) I'd like to know exactly what they THINK the problem is.

Dahlin is just not himself. Quinn is practically invisible. At least they aren't HURTING you.....Cozens, he is.

VERY small sample size, but Peterka is scoring about 4 goals per 60. League leaders average about 1.5 Of course he won't keep it up, but he LOOKS like he could keep it up.

Yeah, I don't have a problem with Clifton. Honestly, I don't have a major problem with the Defense in general. Dahlin isn't playing at a 'high' level, and there have been a handful of bad mistakes, but 90% of the time the whole unit is where they should be, including Clifton.

Quinn with just over 12 minutes of ice time. Benson only 10.5 minutes. Cozens didn't play much the last 10-12 minutes of the game. Thompson, Peterka, Tuch, and Greenway led all with over 18 minutes among forwards. As far as Defense, everyone got their shifts. Clifton was at the bottom of the ice time sheet, but still had over 17.5 minutes.

Special teams, well we know they are the worst on the Power play in the league (A few other teams at 0% but with less chances/less games played). After tonight, they are probably in the bottom 5-7 also in the penalty kill.

Cozens only had a 2, maybe 3 shifts in the 2nd half of the 3rd and into overtime. Dahlin. He didn't play BAD, but wow, he seems like a shadow of what he was the last 2 years. He just doesn't look like a difference maker. Almost 25 minutes of ice time but he looks like just a 'slightly above average' 2nd pair guy right now.

I haven't seen the replay other than the quick ones on TV, but I think I wanted Zucker to take the goal scorer there.

I think he has played slightly above average. Its hard to rate his game. Not like he let in 4 bad goals, but he hasn't stood on his head.

Right before they scored, I was going to type...I'm not rooting for a Pitt goal, but the way this game is going, this is the EXACT time I would expect one. Just a crazy game.

Jokiharju...I haven't really noticed him but... So far... 1 assist, +3, 20 minute of ice time so far, 26 shifts (more than anyone but Dahlin) , a blocked shot and a takeaway.

Yeah, I agree with that, but this is going to a national audience....Do you think the fans, and casual fans that might be watching this want to hear about Crosby, Letang, and Malkin (scoring his 500th)? Or about Thompson, Cozens, and Dahlin? If I were the producers at TNT, I'd be yelling if they didn't talk about the Penguins players at least 75% of the time.