pi2000

Those are the negative plays Risto needs to eliminate from his game. He deserved that minus.

On breakaways you have guys chasing you from you behind so you can't meander in and wait out the goalie. That said, a guy like Jacob Silfverberg (ranks 4th overall in shootout % the previous 5 season) typically comes in with a ton a speed and shoots from the hash marks. In his case, he comes in so fast that the goalie needs to back up in his net, making himself vulnerable to a quick accurate shot from the high slot. IMO the worst setup is come in at a consistent average pace straight at the goalie. Either come in slow and wandering, fast and straight, change speed, or take a wide angle to the net. P Kane typically comes in with speed then slams on the brakes and dekes. It's the change of pace that makes it difficult for goalies to judge how quickly to back up towards the net and exposes holes.

Wonder what he was trying to teach him? I thought Jack was one of our better PP assets due to his ability to possess the puck and gain the zone under control. As much as I like Moulson, I don't know what he could learn from watching.

There's two ways to approach a shootout. 1 - wait out the tendy and find an opening. 2 - make a predetermined move regardless of how the goalie sets up. Typically, when coming in over the blueline you'll want to take a peak at goalie to determine how far out of the net he is. If he's out far and you get a sense he's being aggressive, you're best off going with a deke. If he's back far in the net, shot is better. Guys that are successful typical take the same entry and come in wide (Perry) or ver slow and winding (P Kane, Osie). In Perry's case he gives himself two options depending on the goalie position. Kane and Oshie also give themselves two options. IMO the problem with the Sabres shooters is they don't give themselves any options. They come in fairly straight at half speed which makes it easy for the goalie. They need to be more patient, come in more slowly, and get the goalie moving before takingba shot or making a final deke.

Can we move this thread somewhere else please? I haven't seen the movie yet and everytime I want to talk Sabres this thread is staring me in the face and I have to make the life-changing decision of clicking on the link or leaving it be.

I agree, I think it's time to put Reinhart back with Eichel for a few games. Not sure I would lump Ennis in with Connolly. Ennis seems like he's generally liked by his peers in the locker room, and has a genuine love for the game. It sucks that he's had to deal with the concussions and now his groin issues. That said, he's still relatively young at 27, I don't think we've seen the last of him.

In the video above, there was a penalty called. I don't recall if he was penalized for this move as a member of the Sabres. I think it's up to the refrees discrection to decide if he's making a play on the puck, or simply trying to take out the legs. I recall many plays where he would race out to a lose a puck and barely get there in time to poke the puck away, sometimes taking down the opposing player in the process. TJ Oshie is a career 55%, and 6 for 8 over the past season and a half. Outrageous. McDavid 1 for 5. Eichel 1 for 7. IMO it's just a matter of time before shootouts are replaced by more 3-on-3 hockey. Go 10-min of 3-on-3, then just end it in a tie and be done with it.

He's 16 of 40 (40%) in his career. He has no attempts this seasons, and was 1/3 last year. Ryan O'Reilly is 0 for 8 as a Sabre the last 2 seasons.

Ennis will help on the shootouts. Lehner just needs to make one shootout save and I think he'll get his mojo back. It's all mental right now. ..and more Moulson on shootouts please.

Absolutely. If that happened in the 80s or 90s there would've been mayhem.

Evrn with the offensive production tonight he was an even +/-. He was on the ice for the first goal, assisted on the PP, and scored at even strength. He's been stepping up huge lately, love to see it, although it will sound like I'm nitpicking if I thought he could've played the puck better on the first goal against (Lehner should've stopped it anyway).

Larsson is a very good defensive player, he also excels on the forcheck. He can't shoot the puck to save his life, nor is he a setup guy. He's fine as a future 4th liner, but unless his shot and offensive awareness improve drastically, I don't see him as a contributor on this team offensively. How many more times is he going to fire high and wide or hit the post on a point blank opportunity, he has no finishability. Gionta is still contributing some offense now and then. The problem with a guy his size is that unless he's a significant piece of your offensive puzzle, he's a liability. I'd rather pay $3m to a younger faster more physical specimin who can give you 30 points.

We can't score in OT shootouts because they practice against Lehner and everything goes in. Lehner can't make a save because he's facing guys who can't score on a pylon in practice. Those statements are not mutually exclusive.

Just because he's trying hard during games doesn't mean he put in the time or effort off the ice to properly prepare for the season. I'm sure the prospect of a lucrative contract drives many young players to spend hours in the gym during the offseason. Once that incentive is removed, it's a huge mental hurdle to get over... having the self-discipline to continue doing what got you there, or even taking it to the next level. Is that what happened with Tyson? I don't know, but it wouldn't surprise me if it did. There's a fine line when it comes to fitness and conditioning in the NHL. When you tire physically you make mental mistakes. The slightest drop in fitness can have a severely negative impact. It's no coincidence the best players in the league are also the guys who train the hardest.

He's not wrong.

Me too. I love when people refuse to acknowledge someone else's opinion because they falsely believe their own opinion is fact. It's the best. Tyson Barrie broke my heart. I didn't view him as the type of player who would pack it in after acquiring financial security. I was wrong about him. That said Risto is a +6 over his last 7 games, which is an exciting development, I hope he's turned the corner. It's been two weeks since he's finished a game in the red.

Good points here. I haven't seen much of Nylander, until he does something I'm not going to forecast him into the top 6.... is he Ennis? or Afinogenov? Who knows. Same with Baptiste... to me, he forecasts as more of a 3rd liner. Speaking of Ennis, if healthy he can be a dynamic player and deserves consideration for a slot in the top 6. I'd like to see a healthy version of him with Eichel and whoever. With Eichel creating space, Ennis will have room to dance around and do what he does. My problem with Reinhart is that he's not a very good skater and the league is trending toward quicker, faster, more agile players. He's a cerebral puck mover, which is valuable, but I don't know that's enough to garner a spot in the top 6. Ultimately I see him at center, and if so, he'd be out of the top 6... which isn't terrible. Imagine a 3rd line with Reinhart, Baptiste or Bailey, and a maybe an Ennis or Fasching in a few years, could be fun to watch.

Larsson and Foligno have shown very very little offensive ability. ROR has shown flashes of brilliance, his issue is just trying to find consistency game to game... that's the most difficult thing to learn as a young player. It can take into their late 20's to figure it out. If ROR gains more consistency, then I expect his numbers to improve. Larsson and Foligno are consistently decent, serviceable 3rd-4th line players. With the evidence you've provided you're rule of thumb looks spot on, we'll put. That said, if that's the simple formula GMTM is using to pay his players... we're in trouble!

two?

It's a mistake to judge Samson as a player based on where he was drafted. It's not unfair to judge GMTM based on performance of players selected after Samson. Going back to 2014, BUF desperately needed a C, and they had no idea they would land Eichel the following year, or that O'Reilly would become available. For that reason I wouldn't be surprised to see him moved at some point... and if he wasn't so tight with Eichel he may have already been moved. I think GMTM is still waiting to see how this lineup shakes out over the course of the season. It's still not clear where Reinhart fits in the top 6.

I'd still try to make a deal.... Probably will take one of Bailey/Baptise/Fasching a 1st and somebody like Ennis or Girgensons. I'd do it in a heart beat. I wonder what the proposed deal was on draft day, apparently they were close, very close, but it fell through.

Yep, he's a -7. Wait, that doesn't mean anything, it's his D partners fault right?! Or maybe he's playing against really good players, let's cut him some slack!

Disagree, he's 25, still on an upward trajectory. My point is that you can't just have a blanket rule of $100k per point. That's nonsense. There's age, trends, potential, defensive ability, etc.. that go into what you pay a player. Do I give $3mil to a 22 year old winger who scored 15 goals and 15 assists? Maybe I give him $4.5-5 because of his potential to build on that. If he were 32, then no, I probably offer him $1.5-2m... (unless he's Matt Moulson I give him a max deal at age 35).