GAME DISCUSSION THREAD GDT: Winnipeg at Buffalo 12-17-13 at 7:00 PM EST

[Jsixspd]

I was out, and couldn't watch the game -but looks like a great effort by the Sabres - sorry I missed it They were down 2 to 1, going into the 3rd, and scored 3 goals in the 3rd! That's awesome! How many times in the Rolston era did we see the team do nothing in the 3rd? Ted's got these guys playing 3 periods, and it's great!

 

The other thing is - last week they scored 4 goals in 3 games - last night they scored almost as many in 1 period as in 9. I'm proud to be a Sabres fan again - the team is clearly in good hands.

[MattPie]

The other thing is - last week they scored 4 goals in 3 games - last night they scored almost as many in 1 period as in 9. I'm proud to be a Sabres fan again - the team is clearly in good hands.

 

I was proud (albeit a bit frustrated) all along. :) As for the game last night, if I see a few more games where they score I'll start to believe this is a change. Otherwise I'm chalking this one up to the luck that has Matt Ellis tipping a waist-high shot with the shaft of his stick past the goalie.

 

That Moulson goal was fantastic though, I'm surprised you don't see more of that setup. Or maybe you do if you're not watching the Sabres.

[Doohickie]

That Moulson goal was fantastic though, I'm surprised you don't see more of that setup. Or maybe you do if you're not watching the Sabres.

 

We used to see it quite a bit when Blue & Gold #26 was worn by Thomas Vanek. I was jonesing for TV lately. Yeah, he coasted some, but he could finish. The team needs to work the tip drill more. Moulson is the tip guy on the first PP unit; I'd like to see Staff or Foligno do the same on the second PP. (Stafford could probably do it right now, but if Foligno could be taught the zen of puck tipping I think he'd be much better at it with his size.... comparable to Thomas Holmstrom or Dave Andreychuk who made their livings at the top of the crease.)

[Kristian]

We used to see it quite a bit when Blue & Gold #26 was worn by Thomas Vanek. I was jonesing for TV lately. Yeah, he coasted some, but he could finish. The team needs to work the tip drill more. Moulson is the tip guy on the first PP unit; I'd like to see Staff or Foligno do the same on the second PP. (Stafford could probably do it right now, but if Foligno could be taught the zen of puck tipping I think he'd be much better at it with his size.... comparable to Thomas Holmstrom or Dave Andreychuk who made their livings at the top of the crease.)

 

I kinda like the umbrella setup they seem to play on the PP these days, with one d-man high, and the other drops to the halfboards, letting you have two forwards close to the net.

 

I also like they're not afraid of just passing the puck back and forth between two open players if there isn't a play to be made immediately.

[Iron Crotch]

I was proud (albeit a bit frustrated) all along. :) As for the game last night, if I see a few more games where they score I'll start to believe this is a change. Otherwise I'm chalking this one up to the luck that has Matt Ellis tipping a waist-high shot with the shaft of his stick past the goalie.

 

 

He got his shaft in behind Clitsome.

 

(...I love it when we play Winnipeg)

[Doohickie]

I kinda like the umbrella setup they seem to play on the PP these days, with one d-man high, and the other drops to the halfboards, letting you have two forwards close to the net.

 

I also like they're not afraid of just passing the puck back and forth between two open players if there isn't a play to be made immediately.

 

Also, you may notice that they rotate the whole setup, where the center man in the umbrella slides to the side, the point man slides down, and the rest of the formation follows. It pulls the PK players around and makes them transition their coverage. If the PK gets out of sync it creates openings.

[dEnnis the Menace]

I'm glad I didn't need to use the pepto...just saying.

[Wyldnwoody44]

I'm glad I didn't need to use the pepto...just saying.

After that goal onslaught last night, I mentioned that I sharted, maybe I needed to use that pesto... Pink powerade

[Kristian]

Also, you may notice that they rotate the whole setup, where the center man in the umbrella slides to the side, the point man slides down, and the rest of the formation follows. It pulls the PK players around and makes them transition their coverage. If the PK gets out of sync it creates openings.

 

Exactly, you often have 2-3 guys moving at the same time, while keeping the PP formation close to intact, while the PK guys have to move to maintain coverage.

 

I like it.

[dudacek]

 

- I'm OK with giving Kane a try at RW, but I'm not giving up Risto, Zadorov, Pysyk, Zemgus or a #1 for him and I'm not giving him a big contract either. He looked awfully Stafford-like tonight.

 

 

Interesting. Kane is only 22, hits more often, was a higher pick (4th), and scored 30 goals as a 20-year-old.

But in some ways (size, position, skill set, general style of game) Stafford — or at least what Stafford could/should have been — is very good comparison.

And like Stafford, Kane has issues — only in Kane's case, his seems to be immaturity.

 

Also like Stafford he's not playing up to his big new contract (cap hit of $5.25 million per, until 2018.)

 

I'm not overly familiar with what they have in the system, but when I looked at the Jets Tuesday, I see a young team with a lot of big wingers that is in need of skilled centres and mobile defencemen.

The Sabres don't have a lot of skilled centres, but they do have Hodgson, Grigorenko and almost certainly a top three pick this year. They are bursting with young, mobile defencemen. And they are desperately in need of a power wingers who can score.

 

If the Jets have grown tired of Kane (like Darcy Regier was with Stafford, they may be reluctant to part with a young winger with that skill set) there is potential for a deal.

I would consider a package deal centred around any of the players you list except Girgensons and our first, and I would throw Grigorenko and Armia into the mix as well.

[nfreeman]

Interesting. Kane is only 22, hits more often, was a higher pick (4th), and scored 30 goals as a 20-year-old.

But in some ways (size, position, skill set, general style of game) Stafford — or at least what Stafford could/should have been — is very good comparison.

And like Stafford, Kane has issues — only in Kane's case, his seems to be immaturity.

 

Also like Stafford he's not playing up to his big new contract (cap hit of $5.25 million per, until 2018.)

 

I'm not overly familiar with what they have in the system, but when I looked at the Jets Tuesday, I see a young team with a lot of big wingers that is in need of skilled centres and mobile defencemen.

The Sabres don't have a lot of skilled centres, but they do have Hodgson, Grigorenko and almost certainly a top three pick this year. They are bursting with young, mobile defencemen. And they are desperately in need of a power wingers who can score.

 

If the Jets have grown tired of Kane (like Darcy Regier was with Stafford, they may be reluctant to part with a young winger with that skill set) there is potential for a deal.

I would consider a package deal centred around any of the players you list except Girgensons and our first, and I would throw Grigorenko and Armia into the mix as well.

 

You're right that there are a number of factors that weigh in Kane's favor relative to Stafford. My biggest concern is that, as with Stafford, I saw no fire in his play whatsoever. He was another big, fast body who took his shift, skated up and down, took a shot if the puck to him, and didn't make anything happen. Like Stafford, he may have been ruined by being exposed to too much loser-dom at an early age. And being married to Stafford 2.0 for the next 5 years is terrifying.

 

I suppose I could be persuaded to part with Pysyk for him, and I'm fine with either Griggy or Armia too. But not Risto or Zadorov.