PerreaultForever

Amazing what a little decent goaltending can do for you . Somehow this team has to learn to step it up in 3rd periods though. They brought the intensity period 3 and we were flat. This does not bode well for later in the year. Dahlin was horrific in the 3rd and just looked confused. Also question who was out there at the end. Like we couldn't decide if we wanted to play PP or PK. imo that was a mess. Still, all a big bag of whatever cause we won, and that is satisfying. Even a little push back around the net, nice to see. We have things to improve on, but we look like a hockey team now. It's a start.

Oh I don't think so. Nobody's going to be unhappy if we ditch Miller and say, call up Samuelson for the end of the year or another move where a young player comes in for some scrub we ship out. It's pretty much a non issue anyway as we have few people anyone will want at the deadline. and the retreads like Caguila and Hagg and so on all know they are not in the long term plans here. They're not complete idiots.

Ya imo neither was ready at that time and their time in Rochester did them wonders. The shift to center has also helped a lot for Thompson, it suits his style. Now Asplund is another story. I liked him in the preseason ages ago and even suggested Ralph try an all Swedish line when we had Johanson. Maybe he wasn't totally ready back then, but I think the potential was there. Skinner is Skinner. I still don't like lots of things he does and doesn't do but as we are stuck with him hopefully Granato turns him back into a 20 goal scorer.

Stronger positional play, speed, and much better passing. but most importantly, going to the net. Yes, it's the coaching.

So I guess double digits is the cut off point as they still had to play with 9 guys out.

I'm not sure that's true for us. With Tage unexpectedly converted and adding Krebs suddenly we're not as thin at C as we thought we were. No guarantees obviously, but if Krebs is the real deal and Cozens continues his development as a 2 way shut down center, pretty soon Mitts will be fighting to hold onto a roster spot. Not saying we shouldn't look at adding more young prospect centers, just that it's not as dire and urgent as it appeared. My personal view is BPA is the approach overall but in later rounds I would lean towards more size and grit. We tend to look towards speedy small guys that might overcome their size deficiency with their talent, and it can work to some extent, but I think if we do become a playoff team with tons of young talent I want some maybe less talented grit we can call up when needed. Rather have our own younger guys than trading for some has been grit like Toronto did with Simmons etc. and, (I will keep saying this forever :)) always draft a goalie.

This isn't wrong, but you draft best available player. You trade and sign FAs to fill any deficiencies that might emerge. So sure, if 2 guys are similar take the RHD, but only if they are similar in your rating. Always draft a goalie.

I was watching the Boston Montreal game tonight and Hall plays good. He does a lot of the right things and is playing that power forward game. Pretty fearless, but seems to have absolutely no finish to his game (although he did get an empty netter in this one). McAvoy on the other hand is a beast. Wish we had him.

Really missing Krejci. Seems like nobody on that team can score after the "perfection" line. They are a very beatable team right now.

Only place they are a cup favourite is in Toronto and in their own minds. Not even close.

Whaaat? This management group plans to actually develop players properly wtf? Good plan. This is a clever tank.

Well you don't obviously, but they didn't try when numerous goalies were obtainable (before the drafts) and right now I can't think of anyone of note who might even be available so I doubt it. I still do not believe the plan is to win now. This year is the end of the dismantle and the beginning of the rebuild. All they want this year is to create a foundation, create optimism, and have a stocked cupboard. Winning now would actually work against them.

I normally don't like blaming goalies because more often than not it's bad team D and they take the fall for the whole thing being the last man but really, Dell is absolute sh#t and shouldn't be playing in the NHL at all. With any form of decent goaltending we beat them tonight handily. They seem to play well against the fast offensive type teams and match up well. The hard D physical ones have been the bigger problem. Cozens did the job again for the most part. Very promising stuff all around, except in goal. Overall what I see mostly in terms of an early season assessment is this team is finally being coached. We haven't been coached like this since Lindy and it shows. Nothing special, just basic hockey fundamentals, good passing, good positional play, teamwork, proper line changes, better utilization of players and their skills. Maybe now that certain people are gone these guys just listen better and do as they are told, or the leadership has them in a better spot or it's just proper coaching, but whatever it is, it is the beginnings of a better foundation. For the first time in years, I feel encouraged and optimistic. F the Leafs. They were lucky.

Well I didn't think we could beat the Oilers so who knows? We have not been good on the road though, even if it is a short trip. hate the Leafs.

Can't wait to play Vegas next season and watch Cozens shut down Eichel.

Yes, I am starting to think Granato is a lot better coach than I thought he'd be. He does seem to be figuring out how to use players' skill sets to make them the best they can be. Tage at center. Cozens as a shut down player. These are things I would never have even considered and yet they seem obvious now.

Which is maybe why they are testing out Cozens in the shutdown role? So you can end up with something like Skiner-Mitts-Tuch Peterka-Krebs-Quinn Olofsson-Thompson-Asplund and Cozens centering some sort of checking line which unfortunately probably needs upgrades on the wings. But really, for the first time in a long time, there are numerous enticing possibilities.

So in a few years Tuch is off the team? I don't know enough about Tuch to say, but I think I'd favour the guy who has already been here and clearly shows his leadership qualities, even when he arrived in the middle of a mess. Krebs has to earn it as well. and don't forget about Power, in a few years.

So I'm going to assume that body language said he wanted it, and he rose to the challenge. This just might be our future captain.

That was without a doubt Cozens best game as a Sabre and not just because he had 2 goals, his complete game going head to head with McDavid for much of it. He gave us a solid complete 2 way game, you got to love it. Could Cozens become our new ROR or a Patrice Bergeron? Perhaps they were right and I was wrong and Rochester is not in his future. See if it continues. Good game for Bryson and I'm starting to think maybe they should try to sign Pysyk for another 2-3 years if they can at reasonably low money. RHD and a solid physical effort from him. Might be useful and allow for proper development of the youngsters. What's not to like? Some might try to say Edmonton was tired from the Boston game but I watched that one too and they looked pretty much the same in both, we just skated better than the Bruins and kept our feet moving as they like to say these days. I am very encouraged by this game. Refs sure like Edmonton though. You take that PP away from them and they are nothing. I doubt they get out of their division come playoff time.

heart replacement at the same time no doubt.

Well at least we get their back up back up goalie (I think). Although they beat the Bruins, McDavid was pretty much held in check by them so I'd expect he puts up big numbers against us. Two games in a row here playing the big name offensive teams, see how we stack up to that. I suspect poorly. Superior PK and goaltending are our only (slim) chances.

So really slow healers.................. gotcha 😉

I would suggest it's not the injuries, everybody gets them, but rather the lack of depth.

The rebuild should be done, in terms of dismantling, so I would actually expect the addition of a few free agents mixed with the youth. You balance that right you have 2-3 years before you need the money for the kids so if you shop wisely you can help this team leap forward and not have to wait too long.