Jump to content

GDT - Thursday, Jan 16 - Sabres @ Dallas - 8pm ET (WGR,MSG)


LTS

Recommended Posts

3 hours ago, Doohickie said:

This is kind of a strange statement to me.  The common impression is that these guys have asked for a trade, but I think in both cases it isn't so much that they want out as it is that they want to play.  And if not here, then trade.  They are the byproducts of what was stated as the approach at the beginning of the year:  To create internal competition to raise the level of team play.  The fact that these guys are commonly viewed as the losers in that competition does not mean that they did not buy into RFK's system from the start, it's simply that RFK frequently had other players on the roster who he wanted on the ice.  And the indications they want out I think were more indications that they want to play.

Did you watch either of them play prior to their very most recent stints on the ice?  Rodrigues benefitted tremendously from getting to face 'Hutton' in Detroit but even had he not scored those 2 goals, he actually had scoring chances in that game.  Something he hasn't had in weeks (or possibly months).  He's looked much slower on the ice this season than he has in the past and has noticeably been just about the weakest F nearly every single game.  Either the little bit of talent he had decided to leave him just as he's entering his prime, he had an unusually long learning curve to understand what Krueger was asking of him, or he didn't agree with what he was being asked to do (aka he did not buy in).

Bogosian was hitting everything that moved out there last night (especially if its last name was Pollack ? ) and was skating better than he had been which helped to make his typical boneheaded plays (like pinching at the wrong time leaving Dahlin a 2 on 1 which he masterfully broke up at the Sabres blue line (that was Dahlin's best effort on an odd man rush in a Sabres uniform IMHO) or missing a forward on a pass at the Stars blue line in the 2nd so badly the forward decided to go off on a line change rather than chase the puck) seem far less egregious than they've been this year.  He had pretty much his ONLY good game of this season last night.

And as 1/2 of the entirety of Sabres that have looked significantly worse this year than last, IMHO that coupled with the trade requests thry've both pretty much publicly made says they have not bought in.  Ymmv.

  • Like (+1) 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Doohickie said:

Maybe had something to do with seeing the game in person, but this was the first time Frolik was not invisible to me.

Pretty sure it's because he actually finally had a good game in b&g.  Let's hope he's finally settling in with understanding his role in the system Krueger's putting together. 

  • Like (+1) 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, Doohickie said:

True, but they weren't empty netters like Lazar's last game which was a bit of a desperation lob to relieve pressure.  They were the result of harrying the Stars all the way down the ice and eventually getting a shot off.  Sure, they were empty netters but they were the result of solid, aggressive effort.

Absolutely!! 
 

The first one was 6 on 4 and we broke out of our zone smartly. We outworked them and had two forwards deep in their zone controlling the puck. Frolik put it in from a very tough angle.   I’ll take a shorty on a 6 v 4 any day.  
 

The second EN goal was 6 on 5.  We outworked them again.  We played a great 3rd period.  

  • Like (+1) 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Zamboni said:

Frolik has had 5 games as a Sabre. Five. It took him what? A week or so to get comfortable? The horror.

Frolik isn’t some 2nd line underachiever. He’s a rather average 3rd liner. He’ll be fine. He’ll also most likely be here for another 3 months, and move on.

I notice the last 2 games that Frolik directs traffic during whistles while out there.  He talks to the others quite a bit.

Maybe asking for help on assignments but it looks more like he is leading than following.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, nfreeman said:

As for Ullmark -- he's certainly flawed, and if JB doesn't bring in another goalie this summer, it will be close to a firing offense.  The positive take is that Ullmark hasn't fallen off the table the way Hutton has, and the way Ullmark did in the 2nd half last year, and that he's providing at least decent goaltending.

Ullmark may overplay his position at times, but it’s the D’s job to cover for their goaltender once that happens.

I find it a little curious, that we as Sabre fans, complain about goaltenders overplaying position (Miller got a lot of flak for this too), considering the fact that we saw the greatest goalie of all time do exactly that, for almost a decade.

Check out a Dominik Hasek highlight reel, and what you’ll see 7 out of 10 times after he’s made a crazy save, is a Sabre defenseman hammering the puck out of danger, ahead of three opposing forwards ready to bang home a loose puck, after Dom was out of the play.

Granted, Ullmark is NOT Dom by any means, but I think the point still stands.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 minutes ago, Kristian said:

Ullmark may overplay his position at times, but it’s the D’s job to cover for their goaltender once that happens.

I find it a little curious, that we as Sabre fans, complain about goaltenders overplaying position (Miller got a lot of flak for this too), considering the fact that we saw the greatest goalie of all time do exactly that, for almost a decade.

Check out a Dominik Hasek highlight reel, and what you’ll see 7 out of 10 times after he’s made a crazy save, is a Sabre defenseman hammering the puck out of danger, ahead of three opposing forwards ready to bang home a loose puck, after Dom was out of the play.

Granted, Ullmark is NOT Dom by any means, but I think the point still stands.

True.  And on 2.9 of those remaining 3 times the D doesn't help him out, he ends up making an even MORE ridiculous save than the 1st one.  ?

And to compare Dom's acrobatics to Ullmark's is almost as much of a reach as Linus needed last night to save his shutout.  :p. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, Taro T said:

True.  And on 2.9 of those remaining 3 times the D doesn't help him out, he ends up making an even MORE ridiculous save than the 1st one.  ?

And to compare Dom's acrobatics to Ullmark's is almost as much of a reach as Linus needed last night to save his shutout.  :p. 

Very true ?

And I’m not comparing Ullmark to Dom by a longshot, but rather the two D-corps in front of them.

  • Like (+1) 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Taro T said:

Pretty sure it's because he actually finally had a good game in b&g.  Let's hope he's finally settling in with understanding his role in the system Krueger's putting together. 

I rewatched the game this morning but had to watch the Dallas feed since I'm in that market.  In their postgame they said that for much of the play they Eichel line was invisible (the Vesey goal notwithstanding) and the Mojo/Sheary/Frolik line was the Sabres best line all night.

Edited by Doohickie
Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

I rewatched the game this morning but had to watch the Dallas feed since I'm in that market.  In their postgame they said that for much of the play they Eichel line was invisible (the Vesey goal notwithstanding) and the Mojo/Sheary/Frolik line was the Sabres best line all night.

Eichel was working but they really had him shadowed.  The Mojo line played well and probably had more chances.  
 

The remaining 5 - Girgensons, Larsson, Okposso, Lazar and Asplund, were all playing strong and disciplined.  

  • Like (+1) 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This topic is OLD. A NEW topic should be started unless there is a VERY SPECIFIC REASON to revive this one.

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...