PerreaultForever

No, I disagree on this totally. Yes, we played a loosey goosey open style after Kreuger got fired and won a few games when nobody took us seriously but the team was still a shambles. We were not good at the beginning of the year at all either. Everybody blamed goaltending and then injuries, but that feel that the team was a real hockey team only came together this season and not that long ago. I'm not saying Granato doesn't have a hand in that too, and the offensive side of the team's game is definitely improved, but we're not a real threat just yet. My hope is that Granato believes in getting the O going first and then will work on improving the D, but as I often say, with this team after this decade I only believe it when I see it.

Did you watch it? Any of it? If you had, maybe instead of the smug snipe you'd have seen good defensive hockey and realized what I'm talking about. It was, as I expected, a very solid team defense first game. If you can't see the difference between that game and a usual Sabres game, well then I'm sorry, but you simply do not understand hockey at all.

imo you can't have too many guys like this in the system. Seems to be the type of player who will succeed, just a question of how long it takes in terms of development.

Yes, but is it Granato's coaching, that's the issue. Far more of this imo, is the arrival of Tuch and the accompanying change in attitude. Thompson was pretty good beginning of the year, Thompson was great after pairing him with Tuch. Skinner started meh but since Tuch's arrival he's become the old Skinner again. etc etc etc EVERYTHING changed with the Eichel trade. If you want a pivotal moment, that's the moment, and not Granato's hiring. Aside from the goaltending, which is a valid argument, I don't see the injuries as that huge of a factor unless you also count Tuch in that. the main contributors have been mostly healthy (Thompson, Skinner, Dahlin, Okposo and so on). Mitts at this point isn't a big factor on this team. maybe he will be maybe not. The injured have been for the most part not essential pieces.

Watch the Boston St. Louis game tonight. Unless it's an anomaly you should see a perfect example of what that means on both sides of it.

I'm not convinced Granato is the great coach many think he is. When this team learns to play team defense I might change my mind, not before. The two big names we discussed when the job was open, Boudreau and Gallant, have both done pretty darn good with their teams and not hiring one of them might still be a mistake. (Don't know if Gallant would have considered it, but the talk was Boudreau was very interested) In many ways it's all relative, and almost anybody with any level of competence would have looked better than Kreuger but right now it's more about the young talent emerging than the coaching imo. Everything on the defensive side, and face offs, is all still pretty bad. Thompson to center is the one genius move that he will get credit for but idk was it genius or just luck because at the time we basically had no one to play a top center role so maybe it was just try anything and this one worked. get us in the playoffs next year, or at least competing for them in the last week like Vancouver is this year and I will give him the accolades then. Until then, undecided.

Looking at the Sabres and Vegas we can see the failure of building around superstars. Vegas had that early jump with the expansion draft deals and had a solid working class or lunch bucket team with a good goalie and a good coach. Rather than stick with that and add talent little by little from the draft, inserting it into that culture, they got greedy and impatient and started moving in the "stars" and they lost their unity and their chemistry. Max has always been a little lazy and off and on again or when he feels like it. Jack is a diva. He's always relished the glory but never the work or the less glamourous stuff that leads to winning. Not a team guy. More likely to blame others around him than digging down himself. Other players see that attitude and start to say "okay hotshot, you do it". It leads to other laziness, quitting, individual rather than team play and so on. Lack of leadership and a poor locker room culture. Not all "stars" are like that, and we have some young guys now with better attitudes so hopefully we will stay the course and not swap it out for a quick fix with the wrong added players. Vegas? May they crash and burn.

and all that while cheating on the cap. This is too good.

Okay, definite signs of maturity there. Definite positives. Not sure I see all that as leadership, but I see what you mean.

I don't think that's true at all. First, I don't think it's about an open goalie job being there, it's about the team turning it around and investing in winning now. We start winning and competing and the culture is a positive one, he hears good things from Power or other people he knows, and then he will want to be part of it. That's the issue, not coming to a basement dweller and being stuck until his UFA status kicks in. All these guys have confidence in their abilities and think they can win a job in direct competition, and if it's a vet they respect they'll be glad for the opportunity to understudy. Also, signing that vet for 5 years is fine as long as you don't give him a no movement clause. Too many good kids in the system, trade him away in 2-3 years, or trade one of the kids (less appealing to me). You guys just aren't used to the idea of a team having too many good prospects. Bottom line, start winning and they all will want to come. That's all it'll take.

and it's a fantasy to think Marner will do anything in the playoffs.

Is he? I'm not saying he isn't a leader, just that I haven't seen anything to indicate that. Tuch clearly is, Kyle is, Dahlin might be, Cozens and Krebs might be. Tage looks like he's having fun, smiling more, but why do you say he's a leader? As for the ROR comparative, completely different types of players so no comparison. Right now however I'd rather have Tage on the team than Eichel (or Sam) but also, it's just one season. I'm not going to get pessimistic, but I'm not ready to raise him up to comparisons with Conn Smyth winners either. Not yet. I will say this though, I think he's better than Marner or Nylander and all their lofty media accolades.

I have no doubts about Power being good, very good, but there will be debates on the best methods of development. I guess I'm just a little iffy on the usual Sabre approach with D men. Myers, Risto, given too much too fast and set back imo. Risto developed bad habits he's stuck with for his career. Dahlin's development a little iffy for me too. I think it was too much early, but fortunately he's good enough and responsive enough to coaching that he's come out of it and is becoming more complete. Thinking it could have been quicker however if it started earlier, and I still see some things he does that could become bad habits as well. Myself, I'd rather have Power paired with a veteran D man the way Boston put McAvoy with Chara and work him in step by step, but I'm obviously not going to get that so we shall see. As for Granato as a coach, definitely bringing out the offensive side in numerous players, still not convinced he can teach them a proper defensive system. maybe that too is coming later in his plan. Have to hope so.

It would appear they see him as a 2 way player and a true shut down forward. I definitely think he can become that.

Didn't want to imply he needs AHL time, just that he still needs lots and lots of coaching and his minutes and responsibilities need to be reduced here and there as appropriate or as the ups and downs of rookie development dictate.

I don't put any stank on Ullmark. He often played well in a shooting gallery. McCabe just had too many injuries. Reinhart no comment. Not worth going back to that but yes, him too.

Sloppy sloppy game but somewhat entertaining all the same. Fun to win isn't it? That wasn't good enough to beat a good team but thankfully Flyers are a bad team. They have very little upside imo. I can see them being bad for a while and the talk of tearing it down and firing the GM and all that will be rampant. Second game in a row where Power jumped into the play perfectly but misjudged and mistimed the one timer. Told ya he is still adjusting to the speed. Believe me now? (probably not). BUT, lot of good in his game and good instincts and he will be good, but he still needs a lot of time and coaching. Not sure sink or swim in the deep end is the right approach. See what they do next year I guess. Samuelsson on the other hand, developed properly in Rochester, looking like a solid dominant D man and he should still get better. Just add that solid veteran RHD as we've all discussed and that D should become a force. Finally. I like beating the Flyers.

Taller players do seem to be becoming a thing in the NHL but let's not confuse "big" with "tall". D men with reach is a big plus in today's game and that accounts for some of the tall for sure. We add some more "heavy" to our "tall" and we might really have something.

It is definitely improving. For years we've been a team that was easy to push around or intimidate. Thing is, we've been so bad most teams couldn't be bothered banging us around because it wasn't necessary. We got laughed at on many occasions. This team however, is starting to stand up for itself more. Dahlin hits people now, BUT, he shouldn't have to fight that battle when it escalates. We could still use a little more toughness for sure. Some of them will "fill out" and take it on themselves but some others will still need protecting.

Was it? I have to pay closer attention. These meaningless games are hard to stay focused on . Too much multi tasking.

idk. I didn't think Tuch and Mitts worked all that well and although Skinner and Thompson played well I don't think the line was as good as it has been with Tuch. I'm really not sure about Mitts at this point. At times his skills show but at other times he seems very ineffective. If they really want to experiment (and why not?) I'd like to see Krebs at center with Mitts on the wing.

This is true, their D is bad (even when Risto doesn't play) but I've seen a few Philly games and he isn't good.

After watching today's game anyone who had Martin Jones on their potential goaltender lists should scratch that name off for good.

Edmonton shut out Vegas at least. Hopefully LA can beat Columbus.

Horrible first period but man is Philly bad. We could have blown them out if we'd played a full 60 minutes. Thompson has really mastered his aim on those snap shots but we all know this already. Still can't stand Bjork. He's gotta go.