GDT: Blue Jackets vs Sabres 2/10/22 7 pm MSG ESPN +

[PASabreFan]

1 hour ago, FogBat said:

O U C H . . .

If I’m not mistaken, Rick DiPietro proves your point.

The answer... T U C H.

[LGR4GM]

16 minutes ago, Crusader1969 said:

Yet trades for Devon Levi, arguably as a good a goalie prospect there is 🤷‍♂️

Devon Levi is in the top 5 goalie prospects in the world conversation. Portillo is probably in the top 10 (he really settled into the NCAA the last 10 games or so). 

[LGR4GM]

I thought Dahlin played one of the more complete games we have seen from him last night. I remember in the first there was a play where Joker kept backing in and Dahlin finally just cut across ice and went shoulder to shoulder with the attacker and took the puck away right around the dot. The OT goal was played correctly, he took away the middle to that player couldn't cut in. There were multiple plays behind the boards and in front of the net where he simply imposed his will and did what he wanted in the D zone. In the 3rd I think it was the puck squirted in front and with a man pressuring him Dahlin collected it, subtly manipulated the attacker and opened up space so he could get out of the slot and up the boards with the puck. Was calm while he did it. 

I truly believe we will see more and more games like this from Rasmus Dahlin. He is finally showing what he did as a rookie and what he did as a SHL'er again. He still has things to work on for sure but I think he will continue to improve as this season winds down and hopefully carries that momentum into next year when he will get legitimate support in the form of Owen Power on the back end. 

[PASabreFan]

2 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

I thought Dahlin played one of the more complete games we have seen from him last night. I remember in the first there was a play where Joker kept backing in and Dahlin finally just cut across ice and went shoulder to shoulder with the attacker and took the puck away right around the dot. The OT goal was played correctly, he took away the middle to that player couldn't cut in. There were multiple plays behind the boards and in front of the net where he simply imposed his will and did what he wanted in the D zone. In the 3rd I think it was the puck squirted in front and with a man pressuring him Dahlin collected it, subtly manipulated the attacker and opened up space so he could get out of the slot and up the boards with the puck. Was calm while he did it. 

I truly believe we will see more and more games like this from Rasmus Dahlin. He is finally showing what he did as a rookie and what he did as a SHL'er again. He still has things to work on for sure but I think he will continue to improve as this season winds down and hopefully carries that momentum into next year when he will get legitimate support in the form of Owen Power on the back end. 

Outstanding analysis. Not to follow that praise with a shot, but it strikes me that none, or very few, of your observations would be detected by fancy stats.

Edited February 11, 2022 by PASabreFan

[eman]

11 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

Pity about those 2 weeks then, as getting Wright might be the only saving thing to happen this season (apart from Tuch, I like him, he's like the type of Sabre we used to have before Terry bought this thing)

and no guarantee the Sabres get Wright either despite the odds.

[Derrico]

5 minutes ago, eman said:

and no guarantee the Sabres get Wright either despite the odds.

Quite the opposite. 

[eman]

35 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

Yep, just like the bills were rebuilding for the greater part of 2 decades and it was correct to have hope at some point.

and then Mahomes showed up and the #1 ranked D failed.

Just now, Derrico said:

Quite the opposite. 

Believe it when I see it. Wright ain't gonna be a Sabre. 

[LGR4GM]

38 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

Outstanding analysis. Not to follow that praise with a shot, but it strikes me that none, or very few, of your observations would be detected by fancy stats.

hmmm, not directly. You would be correct there, instead what you would see is that when Dahlin is on the ice the shot quality would be down and the shot assists and zone entries up. Eye test and fancy stats are both tools that need to be used and should compliment eachother. 

I don't want to sound like I am disagreeing because you aren't wrong but they do track rush breakups, zone exits with control, completed passes and the likes so some of what Dahlin did will get picked up by the numbers. It helps though when you have someone who knows the numbers and has eyes on because they understand the numbers in context. 

Edited February 11, 2022 by LGR4GM

[LGR4GM]

A great example would be that Dahlin would get hit in OT for the zone entry, the shot, and obviously the goal but the zone entry was the fault of the top forward getting deked, Dahlin had to readjust to intercept the attacker and he did that well. The shot is from a mid level area but it wasn't dangerous and the goalie needs to save that. 

[nfreeman]

11 hours ago, Randall Flagg said:

I hope Adams pretends they don't exist when trying to set up the pro squad next year. 

If one of them kicks the door down and earns a spot then all the better, but he had better not assume any of them are NHL players

I hope this is what happens but I have a cold feeling that it's going to be another cheap JAG plus the kids fighting it out for #1 in net.

[woods-racer]

Just now, nfreeman said:

I hope this is what happens but I have a cold feeling that it's going to be another cheap JAG plus the kids fighting it out for #1 in net.

The only way your are wrong is if a decent goalie comes available for a late round pick.

[jsb]

My observations on the game:

1. Dahlin played one of his best all around games, defensively and with the puck and is currently 3rd on the team in hits & blocked shots
2. The Skinner-Thompson-Tuch line is unquestionably our #1 line
3. I thought Krebs played well as the C for Olofsson & Asplund and they also played well together
4. If Krebs continues to play well at C does Cozens move over to RW to play with Mitts?? Quinn on LW when he gets back
5. I liked it that both Tuch and Dahlin blamed themselves and their teammates after the game for the loss, leadership in the making
6. I don't blame KA for the GK situation we're in but he needs to address it in the offseason. This loss was on Tokarski
7. I was entertained at the style of play showed in this game 

[woods-racer]

6 minutes ago, jsb said:

My observations on the game:

1. Dahlin played one of his best all around games, defensively and with the puck and is currently 3rd on the team in hits & blocked shots
2. The Skinner-Thompson-Tuch line is unquestionably our #1 line
3. I thought Krebs played well as the C for Olofsson & Asplund and they also played well together
4. If Krebs continues to play well at C does Cozens move over to RW to play with Mitts?? Quinn on LW when he gets back
5. I liked it that both Tuch and Dahlin blamed themselves and their teammates after the game for the loss, leadership in the making
6. I don't blame KA for the GK situation we're in but he needs to address it in the offseason. This loss was on Tokarski
7. I was entertained at the style of play showed in this game 

bold.

I thought Asplund and Olofsson had their best game in months, is it because of Krebs or because they are both a little heathier and getting back to normal? I don't believe that O&A are still back to early season form.

Krebs has a controlled chaos vibe about him like Skinner. He's a lot of fun to watch and I think Granato is the perfect coach for him right now.

[Buffalonill]

1 hour ago, mjd1001 said:

Yep, just like the bills were rebuilding for the greater part of 2 decades and it was correct to have hope at some point.

 I feel bad for the hardcore Buffalo fans that support both of them I would go nuts if both of my teams sucked that long yikes..

 

[Flashsabre]

2 hours ago, Buffalonill said:

We have been rebuilding for 20 years and people still have hope .

 

If you have no hope why are you still here?

Yea they have been rebuilding the wrong way since around 2013.

The hope comes from the fact that Adams seems to have this on the right track finally. There is a ton of top young talent either knocking on the door or debuting. We have a young leader in Tuch who wants to be here and plays the right way and leads by example. Things are pointed in the right direction even with the hiccups that happen with a tear down. 

Choose to have hope or be miserable, makes no difference to me.

[Hawerchuk]

9 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Does the team win this game with better goaltending?

Totally. This loss is 100% on Tokarski last night. CBJs second and OT goals were absolutely horrible. Should have been a BUF 3-1 or at least a 3-2 victory. 🤮

[woods-racer]

4 minutes ago, Hawerchuk said:

Totally. This loss is 100% on Tokarski last night. CBJs second and OT goals were absolutely horrible. Should have been a BUF 3-1 or at least a 3-2 victory. 🤮

First, You are right in my opinion that the loss was 100% on Toker. 

But,

It's hard for any player to be ready to play at a fairly high standard having so little playing/practice as he has had over the last few months. He's played 3 games since the end of November. Got shut in because of covid. He played below his average and it's not surprising.

[Mustache of God]

The sabres have gone in to the 3rd with a lead 19 times and have lost 10 of those games. It sucks sitting through these games but for the first time in a long time I actaully have hope for the future. The Sabres are hanging around in games and looking forward to next season with an upgrade in net + the infusion of Power, Mitts, Quinn, Peterka and knowing we have other prospects in the pipeline I know nothing about give me a strange sense of optimism that we might be playing meaningful hockey next February. 

[woods-racer]

38 minutes ago, Mustache of God said:

The sabres have gone in to the 3rd with a lead 19 times and have lost 10 of those games. It sucks sitting through these games but for the first time in a long time I actaully have hope for the future. The Sabres are hanging around in games and looking forward to next season with an upgrade in net + the infusion of Power, Mitts, Quinn, Peterka and knowing we have other prospects in the pipeline I know nothing about give me a strange sense of optimism that we might be playing meaningful hockey next February. 

If you where told that in September wouldn't that have made you happy after last season?  Were we not supposed to be even worse than one of the worst all time teams (last years team)?

Would I like them to be better? Of course, but I am getting what I was really hoping for, improvement in every young (un-injured) player on the roster.

[spndnchz]

Winnable game down the drain

[DarthEbriate]

27 minutes ago, woods-racer said:

If you where told that in September wouldn't that have made you happy after last season?  Were we not supposed to be even worse than one of the worst all time teams (last years team)?

Would I like them to be better? Of course, but I am getting what I was really hoping for, improvement in every young (un-injured) player on the roster.

If I'd been told before the season they'd have led after two periods in 19 games this entire season I'd probably be pretty OK with that given the roster questions at the time. To have a lead (after 2) in almost half the games played thus far makes me very hopeful. Better goaltending wins more of those games. Another year of strength building, stamina, and experience playing for all the young players will win some more of those games. And finally, an offseason where half the roster isn't being replaced... should win a couple more of those games. In the future.

In the present... another really disappointing outcome when it should have been a solid restart to the season.

[nfreeman]

4 hours ago, mjd1001 said:

Yep, just like the bills were rebuilding for the greater part of 2 decades and it was correct to have hope at some point.

Kinda apples and oranges IMHO.  The Bills stopped trying pretty early on in that drought and RCW was content with just cashing the checks that come with owning an NFL team.  The Sabres have been trying the whole time -- they've just made a series of crippling mistakes.

[Bangarang]

11 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

Kinda apples and oranges IMHO.  The Bills stopped trying pretty early on in that drought and RCW was content with just cashing the checks that come with owning an NFL team.  The Sabres have been trying the whole time -- they've just made a series of crippling mistakes.

I can see the similarities between the two tbh. Both long time losers who could only attract bottom of the barrel coaches and GMs. It wasn’t until we got lucky with McD where things completely turned around. Not sure if Granato or KA will have that same effect.

[woods-racer]

1 hour ago, spndnchz said:

Winnable game down the drain

I see a glass half full. 

They played well enough to get the win. 

[Taro T]

A few observations in no particular order from last night's game.

They seemed to not realize the league wasn't taking the Olympic break in the 1st, but woke up in the 2nd.  That's one thing (among others) they need to fix before next season.  After having a few days off,, they need to come ready to play.  Fortunately their longest break after February is 3 days & that only happens once.

At least 3 times all the players on the ice (at least those near the puck) had no idea where the puck was when it got deflected high into the air.  Haven't seen that happen that often before.

Early in the 3rd, shift after Tuch scored his goal, he took a heavy shot that deflected off Werenski's leg and the BJ's cleared it.  Weren't was in great discomfort, so much that the ref asked if he needed a whistle.  He shook the ref off, but could barely get to his feet much less propel himself towards his bench.  So, the ref helped him up & then gave him a huge boost towards his bench.  He eventually worked his way off the ice & was back about 6 minutes later, so no serious damage done.  But honestly can't recall seeing a ref help a player off the ice during play before.  It won't be on the highlights as the play was in the Sabres zone by the time e therefore gave him the boost.  Weird.

Speaking of Tuch & blocked shots.  In the 1st, right before an icing, Tokarski made a save & the puck made an enormously loud thud as it hit Tuch's shoulder pads at chest level.  He never flinched & never reacted to it at all even though he couldn't get to the bench for about a minute.  Guess it sounded worse than it was.

While we're discussing Tuch, as enticing as having Krebs & Tuch on the same line is, really don't want to pull Skinner off Alex's line.  We've found the ONE player in the entire league that Skinner can effectively pass the puck to & don't want to mess that up.  😉  Though Skinner CAN'T hit the post w/ a wide open net off that feed from Tuch in the 1st.)

Skinner might have had his best all around game last night even though he didn't score a goal.

Wtf is Dahlin's goal song?  They played it for about 4 minutes waiting for the video review & it epitomizes what you'd expect to hear in a Euro version of a Pokémon video game.  Love the player, but he really needs to never score another goal at home.  😉

And speaking of Dahlin, maybe part of his lack of chemistry w/ Jokiharju is that Swedish Finnish thing because he was going ALL over the ice to hit Laine every chance possible.  Guess he likes Finns in B&G, but he really doesn't like them wearing opposing colors.  Which is good.

Krebs was finding the puck like crazy, but his passing was waaaaay off.  Expecting it was due to a lack of playing much w/ his linemates as he was clearly expecting them to zig, but they zapped & the puck was turned over or given back to Tokarski from the offensive zone.  D'OH!

Also looking forward to him bulking up a bit as he was getting ragdolled at times by BJ D-men.  But it never stopped him from going after the puck nor to the front of the net.

Hagg couldn't get anything to go right for him.  Hopefully that was bad luck or rust because he's likely in the lineup at least until Power shows up.

Merzerklins was bad.  Tokarski said, "hold my beer."  Not sure why he got the start over Anderson.  That decision likely cost them a point.

Watching OT, had just got done saying, "2 D, guess Granato wants OT to go a little longer than ..." "so much for that, it was a nice idea though."

Anyone that thinks Dahlin can't fly, go back and watch him go back for the puck as the PP in the 3rd was expiring & he realized the BJ coming out of the box had the line on the puck.  He found a completely different gear & won that race cleanly.

Thompson continues to show he is the 2nd Sabre exception (right after Larsson) that proves the rule that all C's can play W.  As long as Granato is coach, doubt we ever see him back on the wing, but NEVER want to see him at wing again.

Hayden has an excuse for making poor plays - he just doesn't have NHL baseline skills.  Wtf is Bjork's excuse?  Really think he simply doesn't have "hockey smarts."  Can't wait for him to be supplanted.

Nice pass from Jankowski to Mr. Leatherman (he may not be the ideal tool for the job, but he can get just about any job done) Kyle Okposo.

Will Olofsson EVER buy another goal?  Bounced a shot off the far post right after Dahlin's goal that looked like it would go.

Another very sparse crowd.  Definitely less than 5,000.  Probably less than 4,000.  Would believe it if you said there were under 3,000.

The intermission band was playing blues & was actually pretty good at it.  No idea who they were.  Bring in live bands for the intermission was a very good idea.  Hope that stays for next year.