Practice Report 2-4-19

[PerreaultForever]

I think he needs to shift things around more during the game(s) and stop this set 4 line rotation thing he is set on. I want to see Pommers back on the line with Skinner and Eichel at times. Not cause he is better than Reinhart, but they had chemistry earlier and I want to see if Reinhart can click with Casey. Somebody on that 2nd unit needs to go to the net. We need a little mix and match and double shifting of our best. Right now we are a predictable one line team and easy to check.

[Mustache of God]

16 minutes ago, Drunkard said:

Looks like we're going from being a team with 1 good line to a team with zero good lines. Excellent. I'm curious to see how Skinner and Mittelstadt play together but I wish they had someone else with speed playing with them.

I agree, if I were Phil I'd roll these lines:

 

Sheary-Eichel-Reinhart
Skinner-Mittelstadt-Thompson 
Smith-Rodrigues-Pomminstein
Girgensons-Sobotka-Okposo

[Doohickie]

4 hours ago, darksabre said:

Also, NO, NOT LIKE THAT PHIL.

ugh.

I'm trying to keep an open mind here.  Each of the top three lines has a top forward on it.  I kind of don't mind seeing how it works.  I expect that if they win a few like this, it will only be a mater of time until the top line is back together, but int he meantime it could energize the other lines.  And Thompson is a wildcard on the 4th line; he's got size and reach so might be decent in a shutdown role, plus he's got The SHOT so maybe he can score a bit too.

[darksabre]

4 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

I'm trying to keep an open mind here.  Each of the top three lines has a top forward on it.  I kind of don't mind seeing how it works.  I expect that if they win a few like this, it will only be a mater of time until the top line is back together, but int he meantime it could energize the other lines.  And Thompson is a wildcard on the 4th line; he's got size and reach so might be decent in a shutdown role, plus he's got The SHOT so maybe he can score a bit too.

I like the idea of breaking the top line up to try to get other things going and then putting the top line back together. I've been banging the drum for months now that Reinhart needs his own line.

I just don't agree with Phil's combos.

I also think he will be too quick to put the top line back together if things don't go well tomorrow night. He knee-jerked last time too.

[Samson's Flow]

12 minutes ago, darksabre said:

I like the idea of breaking the top line up to try to get other things going and then putting the top line back together. I've been banging the drum for months now that Reinhart needs his own line.

I just don't agree with Phil's combos.

I also think he will be too quick to put the top line back together if things don't go well tomorrow night. He knee-jerked last time too.

Yeah the last time this experiment happened (Sam on his own line) it lasted all of 10 minutes before the S-E-R line was reunited. We'll see how long PH gives his new combos, but I suspect it won't be long.

[R_Dudley]

3 hours ago, Samson's Flow said:

This however is like throwing ***** at the wall. Despite .500 results the last few games, the previous Rodrigues-Mittelstadt-Sheary line was finally creating scoring opportunities to support the Eichel line - but let's blow everything up and start over!

This experimenting should have happened months ago when the streak ended and the wheels were not spinning instead of waiting for them to fall off and now be at this point in the season where its desperation motivated.   Too many new unpracticed moving parts to expect this to magically click but hey lucky is better than good when you haven't been good. 

[darksabre]

5 minutes ago, R_Dudley said:

This experimenting should have happened months ago when the streak ended and the wheels were not spinning instead of waiting for them to fall off and now be at this point in the season where its desperation motivated.   Too many new unpracticed moving parts to expect this to magically click but hey lucky is better than good when you haven't been good. 

Yup. This is all coming much too late.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

1 hour ago, steveoath said:

Don't see the sense in Okposo on first line. I thought he was not bad on the checking line with Girgs and Larsson (with Larry out we have a big problem!). 

 

However, fair play to Housley for at least shaking things up.

I love the European fair play football reference.

The rest of your post is pretty good too ... ?

[sweetlou]

the biggest reason why the wait till now to make some of the moves is that the Sabres will have the last move in line changes with having the next six at home.  Phil will be able to get the match ups he wants. This to me will also tell a lot in what type of coach he is.

This is make or break time for some of these players and coach Phil.  No excuses.

My lines would be-

Sheary- Eichel-Thompson

Skinner- Mitts- Pommer

Smith- ERod- Reinhart

Girgs- Sobotka- Okposo

 

[Samson's Flow]

4 minutes ago, sweetlou said:

the biggest reason why the wait till now to make some of the moves is that the Sabres will have the last move in line changes with having the next six at home.  Phil will be able to get the match ups he wants. This to me will also tell a lot in what type of coach he is.

This is make or break time for some of these players and coach Phil.  No excuses.

My lines would be-

Sheary- Eichel-Thompson

Skinner- Mitts- Pommer

Smith- ERod- Reinhart

Girgs- Sobotka- Okposo

 

In theory this is a great point, but Phil Housley has consistently demonstrated that he does not line match whatsoever. 

[Ogrish]

To go with whatever Phil comes up with for line changes, it is time to make Linus the #1 goaltender.

See if he can step up and prove he can handle it.  Hutts is not our long term solution between the pipes.

 

 

Edited February 4, 2019 by Ogrish

[Weave]

5 hours ago, LTS said:

 or is it showcasing?

 

Now here is an interesting tidbit.

[Thorny]

5 hours ago, LTS said:

This time of year has to come with all kinds of speculation.

Is it just throwing stuff at the wall, is it trying to mix things up (Eichel/Skinner have not been producing as of late) or is it showcasing?  See a player with a better center/winger talen to see what they do.

We'll see what happens!

 

9 minutes ago, Weave said:

 

Now here is an interesting tidbit.

From the lineup today, who are the players that it looks like they'd potentially be trying to prop up?

From the looks of things I'd say Sheary, Okposo, Mittelstadt, and Rodrigues. 

Sheary and KO by playing with Jack.

Mittelstadt being given Skinner.

Rodrigues being given Reinhart for a 3rd line RW.

I don't think they'd be looking to trade Mittelstadt or think there'd be a market for Rodrigues, so that leaves Sheary and Okposo. There aren't going to be any takers for Okposo so that leaves Sheary. 

It's possible they are looking to showcase him so they can deal him for a pick but more likely I'd say they are just trying to get him going. 

Edited February 5, 2019 by Thorny

[inkman]

Showcasing players for a trade is not a thing 

 

They have hundreds of hours of footage to look at, why on Earth would watching them for 15 minutes in any game be of importance.

Edited February 5, 2019 by inkman

[Doohickie]

1 hour ago, inkman said:

Showcasing players for a trade is not a thing 

 

They have hundreds of hours of footage to look at, why on Earth would watching them for 15 minutes in any game be of importance.

Then why were there scouts from 19 NHL teams at the Sabres/Blackhawks game?

[inkman]

23 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

Then why were there scouts from 19 NHL teams at the Sabres/Blackhawks game?

Because NHL 

[Sabel79]

The Sabres were pillioried for the OSP-inspired video scouting period.  Watching guys live does have value.  

[Scottysabres]

Phil Housley, shuffling the deck chairs on the Titanic...……...the metal ones no less!

[SABRES 0311]

11 hours ago, darksabre said:

Me screaming at Phil to change the lines.
 

edit: fixed it

Pretty sure Phil doesn't want to be here anymore.

[MakeSabresGrr8Again]

1 hour ago, Doohickie said:

Then why were there scouts from 19 NHL teams at the Sabres/Blackhawks game?

Because the other 11 couldn't make it.

[Doohickie]

3 hours ago, inkman said:

Because NHL 

Weak.  I expect better of you. 

2 hours ago, MakeSabresGrr8Again said:

Because the other 11 couldn't make it.

See?  At least he's trying to be clever... even if he can't add (should have been 10:  19 scouting teams, 2 playing teams, which leaves 10 more to get to 31).

[Cascade Youth]

Maybe showcasing Okposo - hoping to get him a few rebound goals off of Eichel's offense.  Would still need to retain some salary if he gets dealt.

[MakeSabresGrr8Again]

9 hours ago, Doohickie said:

Weak.  I expect better of you. 

See?  At least he's trying to be clever... even if he can't add (should have been 10:  19 scouting teams, 2 playing teams, which leaves 10 more to get to 31).

So the two teams playing don't need their scouts there?  Guess we're both wrong.

I did leave out our own scouts admittedly not thinking. 

[Doohickie]

22 minutes ago, MakeSabresGrr8Again said:

So the two teams playing don't need their scouts there?  Guess we're both wrong.

I did leave out our own scouts admittedly not thinking. 

Eh.  The point was a good one.

[LTS]

16 hours ago, inkman said:

Showcasing players for a trade is not a thing 

 

They have hundreds of hours of footage to look at, why on Earth would watching them for 15 minutes in any game be of importance.

Let's say I am looking at Player X.  I have hundreds of hours of footage of that player.  That player has been playing with Players Y and Z and those players are a certain type of player that are not who I intend to pair Player X up with when I bring them into the organization.

So, I float that I am interested in seeing how a player plays with a different level caliber player, etc.  The team interested in moving Player X makes a change and now I have fresh footage of a player I am interested in acquiring. 

The point here is that hundreds of hours of footage are what get you interested in the player.  However, it's how they are playing at this moment, in the types of situations you intend to use them, that might make or break the trade. 

I'm not saying that's what happening, just merely making an example of why it has importance.

Edited February 5, 2019 by LTS
made it a different caliber player rather than higher