GDT: Sabres at Penguins, Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022, 7 p.m., MSG

[Norcal]

16 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

The way I saw it Couzins was hit shoulder-to-shoulder and was going down anyway before he tripped over Letang's leg.  If it were Dahlin applying the hit everyone in Sabrespace would have called it good.

Negative. Letang wanted to punish people after Petry injury. 

He took Tuch down in the corner on the next shift and delivered some stick work while he was down. 

What Tuch did to Petry was legal. 

[Carmel Corn]

3 minutes ago, Norcal said:

Who could have guessed you'd jump in near the end of the thread and leave a post like this? 

I'm starting to think ForeverPerrault doesn't mean Forever Sabres for you. 

Your comments read more and more like a bitter fan of another team who knows the Sabres time is coming and doesn't want to admit it. 

They're coming.

It is happening.

Letang made some questionable plays near the end of the game after Tuch broke Petrys baby soft arm, which you would have known if you were watching the game. 

 

I don't disagree with his statement that the Sabres are a "soft" team though....they lack playing with an edge, turn away from contact, don't finish checks, etc.  Not everybody, but still too many players who won't play the body.

[Norcal]

1 minute ago, Carmel Corn said:

I don't disagree with his statement that the Sabres are a "soft" team though....they lack playing with an edge, turn away from contact, don't finish checks, etc.  Not everybody, but still too many players who won't play the body.

They could use some edge to them and it could still come as they mature.

Some of the times they were supposed to be "tough" could have gotten them into penalty trouble when the game was within reach. 

Then people would call that out. 

[Thorny]

5 minutes ago, Carmel Corn said:

I don't disagree with his statement that the Sabres are a "soft" team though....they lack playing with an edge, turn away from contact, don't finish checks, etc.  Not everybody, but still too many players who won't play the body.

They’ve got too many Penguins on Ignore 

[Believer]

36 minutes ago, KC Scouts said:

I don’t know what to say other than they refuse to exert any kind of “nasty” or “snot” to their game. Do they really think when they get to the point that they make the playoffs that they are going to be able to dance around every team?

No way, they are going to have to have the piss and vinegar game that every team brings to the playoffs

Most teams reflect their Coaching… Sabres are no exception… Granato is a nice guy… Gentle by hockey standards… Understanding and forgiving… Granato is a Development Coach… Needs to develop some nasty in himself and his team… so when it is called for it can be played… DG and this young team need to show they can win… consistently… against anyone… playing any style

[grinreaper]

Just now, Claude Balls said:

Looked like a slew foot. Apparently that's legal now. 

Absolutely. The BS about giving the older, established teams who have displayed success the benefit of the doubt as far as officiating goes is contrary to the whole idea of officiating. Giving the star players preferential treatment is like issuing them a license to make a habit out of it and to push the proverbial envelope. The Sabres would have won the game if only they were able to finish. To have isolated games or mini offensive slumps on a team that is built around offense is a killer. A team that is built around defense first is more consistent but has difficulty playing from behind and is about as exciting as the old NJ Devils. It seems that this year the Sabres are working on their offensive game including a relentless forecheck. DG is even putting top offensive players in defense first situations and having them be on the ice defending a lead. We are a young team with overall talent the equal of any team in the league. For large parts of the game tonight we outplayed the Penguins with our speed and passing. As  lucky as the guys were in scoring against Columbus they were unlucky tonight. Until the very end the Penguins were protecting a one goal lead and their experience and polish along with their great goaltending was the difference. I hated the loss but enjoyed the game.

[SwampD]

Just now, Believer said:

Most teams reflect their Coaching… Sabres are no exception… Granato is a nice guy… Gentle by hockey standards… Understanding and forgiving… Granato is a Development Coach… Needs to develop some nasty in himself and his team… so when it is called for it can be played… DG and this young team need to show they can win… consistently… against anyone… playing any style

This has nothing to do with coaching. It still has everything to do with the roster.

[Thorny]

Through 28 games, Sabres pacing for identical points total to last season, at this time 

[Zamboni]

It stings to lose back to back to the Pens.

UPL held them in it for awhile there after a poor 1st period. 
 

I thought JJ and Tuch had a strong game. The penalties just kill this team lately.

[Thorny]

re: Hope is kindled 

[SwampD]

17 minutes ago, Thorny said:

re: Hope is kindled 

[GASabresIUFAN]

38 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Through 28 games, Sabres pacing for identical points total to last season, at this time 

Yet lead the NHL in scoring.  Somehow KA remains happy with the plan and unwilling to help the team.

[Gatorman0519]

1 hour ago, Thorny said:

How did they look? Didn’t see this one. 

.500 remains elusive. 

They got absolutely worked the first period.  Second period they dominated for stretches but could not score.  3rd was split.  Sabres came on strong middle of the period until the Crosby goal.  

[Thorny]

9 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Yet lead the NHL in scoring.  Somehow KA remains happy with the plan and unwilling to help the team.

Though the amount we are giving up is bordering on equal but opposite, which suggests perhaps the system itself sacrifices D while dialing up the O, and vice versa - but even that is more representative of a middling team but not low level. With the positive goal differential I could see this team climbing to “mid pack”. 
 

It’s a tale of two cases right now - we end up at the point total we are actually pacing for and the accompany standings position, it’s a disappointment. If we end up more along the lines of where our differential has us, I could see Playoffs in range for next season 

We gotta finish above .500, it’s more than time and that’s a base level expectation 

Edited December 11, 2022 by Thorny

[Gatorman0519]

2 minutes ago, Thorny said:

We gotta finish about .500, it’s more than time

Going to be tough but possible.  I expect we will be picking somewhere in the 8-12 range in the draft.  As is I simply do not see a way to consistently beat the good teams. Probably an 80 point season.  85 tops.  Progress....albeit a bit too slow imo.

Edited December 11, 2022 by Gatorman0519

[Broken Ankles]

Sabres Corsi was 58 v. Pitt. 42 but high danger chances were 14 to 6 in the Pens favor.
Guess we know what drives Moneypuck, as they had the Sabres “Deserved to win” at 33%.  Thought it may have been closer.  

Casey had the best Corsi rating EV (75%) on the Sabres but a low xG 36.7%.  Just not getting quality chances.  Cozens for example had an xG of 78%.  Mitts battled down low and actually won a few, which was surprising but the fact he finds himself having to dig out and battle so often is troubling.  

Bad start, bad finish.  Some good inbetween. 

[Thorny]

There’s still this @SwampD

 

[SwampD]

That hit on Cozens by Letang (that's French for "the tang") was just beautiful, and why he is who he is.

I've watched it more times than I care to admit and just don't see a penalty.

It's those physical plays that kill us.

I really wish that the team that I love and root for weren't such a bunch of f'n dandies.

[PerreaultForever]

1 hour ago, Norcal said:

Who could have guessed you'd jump in near the end of the thread and leave a post like this? 

I'm starting to think ForeverPerrault doesn't mean Forever Sabres for you. 

Your comments read more and more like a bitter fan of another team who knows the Sabres time is coming and doesn't want to admit it. 

They're coming.

It is happening.

Letang made some questionable plays near the end of the game after Tuch broke Petrys baby soft arm, which you would have known if you were watching the game. 

 

This. Add 800+ game The Tang to that list.

Been a Sabres fan longer than you've walked the earth bucko. Shut it. 

2 hours ago, Thorny said:

As a Canadian, I’ve been lucky to avoid the Crosby angst. That golden goal just goes such a long way 

😉

No it doesn't. I hate Crosby. Always have. 

[Thorny]

9 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

Been a Sabres fan longer than you've walked the earth bucko. Shut it. 

No it doesn't. I hate Crosby. Always have. 

[SABRES 0311]

Anyone else feel like Tuch has been floating lately. For some reason I feel like he has another gear in him that isn’t engaging. Not sure how else to describe it.

[LGR4GM]

9 hours ago, Pimlach said:

Not much else to say.  They are better.   We are gainin, but at a slow rate.  I sure hope Adams makes a serious move, a step-function upward move, for next year.   He isn't going to do it this year it seems.  

Yea with all those November and December trades we see in the NHL, Adams sure is not taking part in the raging hot trade market. 

1 hour ago, SABRES 0311 said:

Anyone else feel like Tuch has been floating lately. For some reason I feel like he has another gear in him that isn’t engaging. Not sure how else to describe it.

Yup. 

[NAF]

Mittelstadt has the longest leash I’ve ever seen. Dude must be the greatest locker room guy of all time.

[LGR4GM]

Here's the thing. We know this roster needs improvement, externally. Can we please for the love of whatever diety you prefer stop acting like Adams is some blind oblivious idiot who doesn't know that and is sitting around doing nothing? It's just not true. 

[Sidc3000]

51 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Here's the thing. We know this roster needs improvement, externally. Can we please for the love of whatever diety you prefer stop acting like Adams is some blind oblivious idiot who doesn't know that and is sitting around doing nothing? It's just not true. 

I don’t thing he’s a blind oblivious idiot. I just think he is up against a wall because no player that is worth a ***** is going to come to the Sabres right now. At least not until they show that the front office is stable and they start winning consistently. After this off season (as long as Terry doesn’t do anything stupid) the league will see that the front office has stabilized. Next year this team has to start winning consistently and playing good on both sides of the puck. If that happens, then you’ll see some decent moves begin to happen.