pi2000

https://www.the-rink.com/despite-what-some-experts-say-faceoffs-matter/ "Win a clean draw to your defenseman on the penalty kill in your zone, and 9 times out of 10 that puck is going hard around the boards and out. Win the draw to your defenseman in the offensive zone on the power play and you have a good chance of setting up and initiating a play." It would be nice if they didn't need to put Lazar or Eakin out to start OT....

Actually, you'd have a team that maybe doesn't score much, but gives up the fewest goals in the league. Throw in an all-world goalie and they'd be Cup contenders every season and well under the cap 🙂

Reinhart is not a center. You can't have a 2C that win's 30% of his face-offs, unless you only give them O-zone starts. That line is also a collective -50 this season, no bueno. I could see Cozens at center (60% FO), with Reinhart and Okposo as a 3rd line maybe.

He's only a -6, TRpm of +4.5. He's less of a liability at ES than as say Sam Reinhart (-24, -9 TRpm) or Victor Olofsson (-20, -7 TRpm).... so should we waive them too?

KA all alone at the wheel scares the ***** out of me. Was hoping he would have some help by now, oh well, classic Sabres.

the rich get richer

Had covid 2 months ago. Is there any point in getting vaccinated right now? Maybe wait until the fall when the antibodies weaken?

For whatever reason, Ullmark looks like a better goalie under Granato.... and I'm not just talking number wise, can't really put my finger on it, but it just looks like he's playing with more determination, focus and confidence.

about time

Is it?

My point with Sam, and same could be said for Olofsson, is that if he's not scoring he's kinda useless and a liability defensively. Casey is a better defender at this point... his battle and compete for pucks, strength on his skates at the point of attack, is ahead of Sam. The closer I watch him it appears that Sam's base is just not very strong, his platform is weak so he has trouble in battle situations unable to create leverage at the point of attack, so you see him easily get knocked off the puck, stumble, lose balance, which is why you see him fall down a lot.

Has Sam improved under Granato? He's now 10 for 30 on draws since moving to C.

It's easier to bury your chances when you're in better physical shape. I think part of the poor puck luck was guys just being tired and missing their opportunities. They look lighter on their feet now, don't slow down as much during a shift, which tells me whatever Granato is doing in practice to condition these guys is working. Maybe taking shorter shifts too.

Oh I butchered that, it was the Nylander pick. For me anyway, swapping Reinhart for Draisaital and Nylander for Sergachev woulda put this team on a much different course.

Did he play tonight? <checks scoresheet> Ah there he is... 0g 0a, 0 hits, -1, 4 for 7 on facoeoff

Yep. The true test now, as it is for any young player, is consistency. For how long can you sustain thay level of play? Are you bumping up against your ceiling? Or setting new floor?

There's really only two picks that stand out to me that would've been game changers for this franchise.... Reinhart over Draisaital Mittlestadt over Sergachev ...and the jury is still out on Mittlestadt. Reinhart is a goos winger, but Draisaital woulda been a game changer. Those two and over drafting of European players by JBOT... but guys like Asplund, Laaksonen, Weissbach, UPL.. are promising prospects.

Yeah it sucks, hindsight is 20/20 tho especially when it comes to the NHL draft where you're picking teenagers. At the time, nobody had a real issue with any of those picks. Look how many teams passed up on Brayden Point. I think it's more to do with developing these kids properly and not eroding their confidence by asking them to do too much before they're ready.

trade piece

With the way the hockey gods are treating Buffalo this season, they have no choice but to keep him out.

I like what I've seen from him recently, but i think him and Tage would benefit by playing one more full season in Roch next year. Let them kill it down there, solidify their confidence and develop as leaders together. They still need to work on the fine details of playing the pro game IMO.

Ullmark and better practices both have helped. Getting Cozens and Borgen back will help again, as will Eichel at some point down the road. I hope they don't panic and blow up the entire thing. That losing streak was a product of many unfortunate events along with garbage coaching. A healthy Ullmark, Eichel, McCabe, Borgen, Cozens, a real coach, with a real training camp and pratice time... I dont think they're that far off.

Anybody but Hutton.

Staal is probably my most hated Sabre of all time. He was absolute trash and contributed zero leadership. Seems like was trying tk llay his way out of town from day one.

when it's a deflection and they can't tell who scored then what