You don't think the Sabres need more physical players on the blueline?

[LabattBlue]

Think again. One player(Lydman) is listed in the top 100 blueliners for "hits". What a joke.

 

http://www.nhl.com/ice/playerstats.htm?fet...rtssPlayerStats

[ROC Sabres]

Think again. One player(Lydman) is listed in the top 100 blueliners for "hits". What a joke.

 

http://www.nhl.com/ice/playerstats.htm?fet...rtssPlayerStats

Not just top 100 but top 20. Still, I question what the hitting is worth when it comes to turnovers.

 

He's 19th for hits, but 17th for giveaways.

[PASabreFan]

I've grown very suspicious of NHL stats.

 

I wonder if the big problem with the Sabres defense isn't that they're not physical, but that they're so dim-witted. More brains, not brawn. The idea of "clearing the crease" is a very old fashioned one to me. Wasn't Craig Rivet going to "clear the crease"?

 

When the Sabres are being shut down, it's not often because the other team's defense is so physical. It's because they intelligently take away time and space, collapse down low, block shots etc.

[Kristian]

I've grown very suspicious of NHL stats.

 

I wonder if the big problem with the Sabres defense isn't that they're not physical, but that they're so dim-witted. More brains, not brawn. The idea of "clearing the crease" is a very old fashioned one to me. Wasn't Craig Rivet going to "clear the crease"?

 

When the Sabres are being shut down, it's not often because the other team's defense is so physical. It's because they intelligently take away time and space, collapse down low, block shots etc.

 

True, but it's not like most of our guys are big enough to take much effort to get out of the way either, if you get my meaning. Only Goose and Vanek and perhaps Max (damn, did I just say something positive about him!??!) takes som manhandling to move, everyone else can be brushed aside rather easily.

 

But yeah, generally when one of our passes hit a stick or a skate it goes to the corner or we lose possesion and the puck is cleared. When it's the other way around, that puck ends up on an opposing stick, or we get possesion and can't clear, or it flat out ends up in the net.

 

All of this can't fall on simple bad luck and bad bounces, there has to be some skill involved in the defensive aspect of the game, like blocking shots and taking away passing lanes that we just seem to lack.

 

If goaltenders are supposed to control rebounds, why shouldn't defensemen be asked to control where a deflected pass goes, at least somewhat? Seems like we're content to swipe the puck away, or take it off the shinpad, and if it then turns out to be a juicy rebound for someone else, then aw shucks, gorsh darn it all, bad bounce again.

 

I know the puck bounces where it wants most of the time, but not all the time.

[deluca67]

Lydman must also lead the team in delay of game penalties. The man has no touch off the glass.

 

It's been clear for a long time now that the fan's idea of what a defenseman should be and that of the Sabres are not the same. It goes to a general franchise philosophy that down grades the physical aspect of the game. The Sabres defense, the entire roster for that matter, is soft by design. The Sabres don't value physical hockey the way other, more successful, teams do. Until there is a shift of philosophy at the top there is no reason to believe that the current make up of the team will change all that much.

[Patty16]

the top teams in the league also have a hell of a lot more offensive talent on their rosters. Most nights the sabres lost by not capitalizing on their chances, not bc they got their kicked physically.

Look at the top teams in the league, go down their rosters, look at the scorers, then do the same for us. No comparison. we have two 20 goal scorers and a bunch of marginal forwards,

[Bmwolf21]

the top teams in the league also have a hell of a lot more offensive talent on their rosters. Most nights the sabres lost by not capitalizing on their chances, not bc they got their kicked physically.

Look at the top teams in the league, go down their rosters, look at the scorers, then do the same for us. No comparison. we have two 20 goal scorers and a bunch of marginal forwards,

True. But if you don't have enough talent to win outright, then you need to find ways of neutralizing their talent and evening the playing field. One way to do that is play physical and take them off their game.

[Kristian]

True. But if you don't have enough talent to win outright, then you need to find ways of neutralizing their talent and evening the playing field. One way to do that is play physical and take them off their game.

 

The problem with this team, is that we're neither a good offensive team or a good defensive team.

 

We don't have a Dominik Hasek anymore either, so in order to win this team needs to figure out what to be good at, and build from there.

 

Right now we're just plain "average" in every aspect of the game, except perhaps goaltending.

 

Problem is a lot of teams have good goaltending, so that hardly gives us an edge.

[Patty16]

True. But if you don't have enough talent to win outright, then you need to find ways of neutralizing their talent and evening the playing field. One way to do that is play physical and take them off their game.

 

sure, but if youre going to upgrade, i think you spend $ on offensive talent, esp some second line players, the ones we have cant compete.

My point is that the cause of this team isnt physicality its lack of talent, offensively.

[Bmwolf21]

The problem with this team, is that we're neither a good offensive team or a good defensive team.

 

We don't have a Dominik Hasek anymore either, so in order to win this team needs to figure out what to be good at, and build from there.

 

Right now we're just plain "average" in every aspect of the game, except perhaps goaltending.

 

Problem is a lot of teams have good goaltending, so that hardly gives us an edge.

Agreed. I've said it in a couple other threads, but it bears repeating - talent-wise this team is exactly where they should be - on the playoff bubble, and could finish anywhere between 6th and 10th depending on what the rest of the conference does.