GDT - Penguins @ Sabres - March 23, 2022 - 7:30 PM (EDT) - TNT and WGR

[Curt]

22 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Was gonna like this but Jokiharju was total trash tonight. Worse game of his in recent memory. 

22 minutes ago, GoPuckYourself said:

Agree with all accept Middlestadt, I didn't see any of what you said, I thought he was just as bad as usual and although I like Anderson I'd want an upgrade which there will be some available. 

He really did do all those things.  He cross checked Rackell so hard he knocked him on his a**.  I’ve been really impressed with his physicality.

Dont get me wrong.  I don’t think he is the next Ryan Getzlaf, but I think he is going to be able to use his combo of strength and soft hands to win puck battles, protect the puck and give himself time to make plays.

[Pimlach]

20 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

Results are great, but the team isn't just sneaking by on luck and guys they don't anticipate being around long term. Namely, Tage and Dahlin are leading the 5 Sabres on the ice with them to ice-tilting shifts no matter who they play against. This is very bullish. Unlike "Tagecoin" 

Tuch bothers me sometimes lol. Not the best time to post this after he wins the game for us, but if I was a video scout for the Sabres I probably would have pushed that trade in another direction. I still would rather have him than have nobody of course, and think he can play a role on a good Sabres team as well as being great for the locker room, I'm just talking about on-ice mannerisms that happen to drive me nuts sometimes

Cozens had 2 opportunities where he NEEDED to get off the ice in OT, after he had already been gassed. He thought he was being a good teammate sticking it out, but in 3 on 3, that is a very bad decision and he is lucky it didn't cost them. 

If any of the early/mid Eichel teams that still had ROR, received the night-in-night-out goaltending that this team has for stretches, those teams could have worked out. It's that important, and so it's important for Kevyn to make sure that the Sabres can get 82 games of standard NHL goaltending. It's nice when goaltending is an afterthought when watching the games because they're usually up to the task of matching the other team's guy, letting the skaters decide the game themselves. 

Samuelsson is going to be our Colton Parayko or Nick Hjalmarsson

This is a ponderous summary but I do agree with the part about Samuelsson. 

[SDS]

If you get a chance to watch Granato‘s press conference, I think his comments at the very end… Somewhere around eight minutes maybe a little before on the topic of from lability were excellent.

A quick summary is that your confidence will take a hit when you get overwhelmed and are vulnerable to the other team and you don’t know why. But if you make a mistake and you know why you made a mistake the you can keep the confidence that you have, while just being pissed off at yourself and work to correct it.

[Norcal]

The ***** 😂

 

[Pimlach]

My thoughts: 

Dahlin was the best guy on the ice tonight on either team.  Just watch the effortless play, head up and surveying the ice. 

Thompson had the goals and was next, he continues to develop into a physical beast. He is still evolving. 

Anderson in net is the kind of goaltending we need and shows us what is needed to improve for next season. 

Another growth  night for the young defensemen  Samuelsson and Bryson. 

 

I love playing to win every game every night. 

Edited March 24, 2022 by Pimlach

[Broken Ankles]

Why does the local and National media (Panger as an example tonight) refer to Kyles line as the fourth?  KO had the most TOI tonight and his line with Zemgus and Eakin lead the team 5v5 minutes.  As in more than Tage/Tuch/Skinner.  But yet referred to as the 4th line.   I believe @LGR4GM said something to the effect Eakin is less horrible with Zemgus and KO, and this remains true.   Not a fan of Eakin, and I believe having a center like Cozens next year will make this a solid third line.

 

[bg17]

Bryson was outstanding. He belongs. 

[SDS]

4 minutes ago, Broken Ankles said:

Why does the local and National media (Panger as an example tonight) refer to Kyles line as the fourth?  KO had the most TOI tonight and his line with Zemgus and Eakin lead the team 5v5 minutes.  As in more than Tage/Tuch/Skinner.  But yet referred to as the 4th line.   I believe @LGR4GM said something to the effect Eakin is less horrible with Zemgus and KO, and this remains true.   Not a fan of Eakin, and I believe having a center like Cozens next year will make this a solid third line.

 

They got the most time because they were line matched with Crosby.

[Rasmus_]

Stupid TNT Wednesday games.  I had to settle for highlights.  Dahlin, just continues to strum along.  I love this team so much more than last year.  It's just fun to see a group of guys with no expectations putting up solid wins.  Just keep growing together.  ***** another top 10 pick.  I'd rather have a team that gets close, and has guys pulling closer to their potential.  

[GASabresIUFAN]

By the way Anderson should have stopped the first goal.

[Doohickie]

41 minutes ago, JohnC said:

even if they are more talented. 

This is a notion that needs to be stomped going forward. 

The Sabres' talent might not be proven yet, but it's there and it's bubbling up to the surface.  I wouldn't call Tage a superstar yet, but he's a star.  Dahlin is rapidly approaching superstar.  Skinner is a star.  The team in general doesn't have too many more "stars" but the overall talent level isn't lacking compared to other teams.  It's spread around a bit more perhaps, but overall the team that played tonight is more than talented enough to be competitive with the best teams.  After years of trying to win with all our eggs in one Eichel, I'll take lower talent on our top players, but a better spread of talent across all players.

And if you're going to bring up the Edmonton game, I will counter by pointing you to the 1997 Western Conference Finals:  Back-to-back 6-0 games, one won by the Red Wings, the other by the Avalanche.  It happens, even to good teams.

[Curt]

37 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Good points. 

Joker will get it go8ng again. 

Olofsson passed up shoots tonight.  That is his game and he needs to fire the puck.  

Anderson is the example of a great veteran.  I hope he comes back as a #3, plus coach/mentor/locker room guru. 

I hope Joker gets it going.  I’ve been disappointed this season.

I don’t think Anderson comes as a #3/coach.  He wants to play games, that’s why he is here.

He doesn’t live in Buffalo and his family isn’t in Buffalo.  If he isn’t going to be able to play games somewhere, I think will retire to Florida.

[Broken Ankles]

14 minutes ago, SDS said:

They got the most time because they were line matched with Crosby.

Yeah, and in Vancouver, where they didn’t have last change the same.  I get the idea of calling a third line a fourth line if they don’t score but have more TOI but this is not a fourth line.  And teams don’t match their fourth against Crosby.  

[Doohickie]

49 minutes ago, Eleven said:

I SAID THE SABRES WOULD WIN

[SDS]

 

[Doohickie]

22 minutes ago, bg17 said:

Bryson was outstanding. He belongs. 

Oh no.  He's too small for this league

/sarcasm

 

I think all the people who think Bryson needs to be replaced are sadly mistaken.  I can see next year's D pairings as:
 

Dahlin-Joki
Power-Bryson/Pysyk
Muel-Fitzy

...depending on matchups.  If you're playing a fast team, Bryson plays.  If you're playing a bigger team, Pysyk plays.  But even then, maybe Bryson pairs with Muel instead of Power.

If I were going to replace a Dman right now, it would be Jokiharju.  I'm not saying I'm not happy with him, but I think at the point he is what he is, not too much more upside.  Bryson, Muel, Fitzy, are all still improving by leaps and bounds and they haven't been having major problems with opponents this month.

15 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

By the way Anderson should have stopped the first goal.

I agree.  But he saved two off the shaft of his stick, so things balance out.

[Doohickie]

In no period did the Pens get double digit shots.  In no period were the Sabres outshot (except OT when the Pens outshot the Sabres 2-1).

[dudacek]

2 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

Was gonna like this but Jokiharju was total trash tonight. Worse game of his in recent memory. 

I don’t know what you were watching.

He was snuffing rushes all nightlong and moving it smartly and safely out of our zone.

He was on for a ridiculously flukey double-bounce goal from behind the net and a PP wrister that Anderson played like he was Bill Buckner.

Nearly 25 minutes, many of them against Crosby and Malkin with a positive shot share. Took no penalties, don’t remember any egregious giveaways or running around in our zone. Looked like he was constantly in good position to support his teammates on both ends.

It was a really well-defended game by our entire D corps and I thought he was a big part of that.

[SwampD]

7 hours ago, Mustache of God said:

Lol, for some reason they were interviewing Patrick Kane and for some other reason will Arnette was doing the interview and he asked, whose leaving first, you or toews?" 

At first I thought it was stupid to have an actor on the panel but that's the honest kind of questioning that you'd never see from a career talking head.

Blackhawks were coming up after the Sabres game.

It was a good question.

That was damn fun and a total surprise to me that they won.

[That Aud Smell]

6 hours ago, Randall Flagg said:

Tuch bothers me sometimes lol. … I'm just talking about on-ice mannerisms that happen to drive me nuts sometimes

Do tell.

6 hours ago, Pimlach said:

My thoughts: 

Dahlin was the best guy on the ice tonight on either team.  Just watch the effortless play, head up and surveying the ice. 

He is beginning to regularly resemble the player we saw in those pre-draft clips — so many plays where it looks like his “controller” is set to a higher level than anyone else’s.

[Weave]

7 hours ago, SDS said:

They got the most time because they were line matched with Crosby.

Playing to win.  Refreshing change from the mantra of just let them play earlier this season.

[LGR4GM]

7 hours ago, SDS said:

If you get a chance to watch Granato‘s press conference, I think his comments at the very end… Somewhere around eight minutes maybe a little before on the topic of from lability were excellent.

A quick summary is that your confidence will take a hit when you get overwhelmed and are vulnerable to the other team and you don’t know why. But if you make a mistake and you know why you made a mistake the you can keep the confidence that you have, while just being pissed off at yourself and work to correct it.

A wise and just sds would have posted the presser. #sadface

Edited March 24, 2022 by LGR4GM

[LGR4GM]

6 hours ago, dudacek said:

I don’t know what you were watching.

He was snuffing rushes all nightlong and moving it smartly and safely out of our zone.

He was on for a ridiculously flukey double-bounce goal from behind the net and a PP wrister that Anderson played like he was Bill Buckner.

Nearly 25 minutes, many of them against Crosby and Malkin with a positive shot share. Took no penalties, don’t remember any egregious giveaways or running around in our zone. Looked like he was constantly in good position to support his teammates on both ends.

It was a really well-defended game by our entire D corps and I thought he was a big part of that.

He was out muscled multiple times. Was slow to react. He failed at multiple zone entry breakups. I was constantly terrified he wouldn't read the breakout fast enough and he had multiple turnovers in that regard. Idk what you watched but he's was not good last night. 

If Pittsburgh got extended zone time,  it was often Joker out without Dahlin. His ot performance was woof. 

[North Buffalo]

3 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

He was out muscled multiple times. Was slow to react. He failed at multiple zone entry breakups. I was constantly terrified he wouldn't read the breakout fast enough and he had multiple turnovers in that regard. Idk what you watched but he's was not good last night. 

Yes I saw those turnovers and was thinking wtf... why? not Risto why but still why?

7 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

A wise and just sds would have posted the presser. #sadface

 

[LGR4GM]

7 hours ago, The Ghost of Yuri said:

Oh no.  He's too small for this league

/sarcasm

 

I think all the people who think Bryson needs to be replaced are sadly mistaken.  I can see next year's D pairings as:
 

Dahlin-Joki
Power-Bryson/Pysyk
Muel-Fitzy

...depending on matchups.  If you're playing a fast team, Bryson plays.  If you're playing a bigger team, Pysyk plays.  But even then, maybe Bryson pairs with Muel instead of Power.

If I were going to replace a Dman right now, it would be Jokiharju.  I'm not saying I'm not happy with him, but I think at the point he is what he is, not too much more upside.  Bryson, Muel, Fitzy, are all still improving by leaps and bounds and they haven't been having major problems with opponents this month.

I agree.  But he saved two off the shaft of his stick, so things balance out.

I would leave Muel with Bryson.