GDT: Sabres @ Devils - April 11, 2023, 7pm, MSG 📺 WGR 📻

[Doohickie]

 

[Pimlach]

Just now, PerreaultForever said:

I watched NJ play the Bruins the other day and they are very very similar to the Sabres and I don't really think they are any better. Only reason they have more points is because they had solid goaltending.  They have good and fast young talent but so do we. Can Levi go again? idk, that's asking a lot but maybe he's young and spry enough to continue. Pace like this is a lot to ask but there's no other option really. Winnable game if they skate and keep moving for a full 60. 

I saw that game too.  Agree that goaltending is the major difference.  

[Taro T]

2 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Hmmm.  Hadn't notice it as an Owen Power thing.  Interesting.

Watch for it.  Once you see it, you can't unsee it.

1 minute ago, Eleven said:

I agree with all of it, but these are reminiscent of criticisms of Dahlin.  Power is 20.  When Dahlin was 20, people (not you, nor do I think you are doing this with Power now) here were questioning his value on the roster.  Power is going to learn naturally and in addition to that, if coached the right way, he'll learn from that too.  I expect more shots and fewer dumb passes next year, and the year after, etc.

As flaws in his game go, it's a great one to have, as it is something that will be completely out of his game in 2 years if not even next year.  The ones that get fixed simply by growing into a full grown adult when you're 19 or 20 are the easy ones as time fixes them.  Not knowing where to be when the other team is cycling or not knowing when to pinch and when not to are way tougher to fix as they require understanding the game at another level.  Power doesn't have either of those issues.

[pi2000]

16 minutes ago, Taro T said:

No, with Power it isn't simply a case of making sure his shot isn't into a F's shinpads resulting in an odd man rush going the other way.  He NEVER shoots unless he's almost in the blue paint or he literally has no other options.  He should have at least 3 more shot attempts every game.  They lose a lot of opportunities for rebounds because he simply won't shoot.

Am at the point where it is really frustrating watching him out there when there is a cycle going because if the puck goes to him even when the shot is the right choice it isn't getting taken.

He's trained only to shoot if he has a clear shot lane AND there's traffic in front of the goalie.     Watch next time he hesitates... he's waiting for his teammates to get a net front presence.

That said, once he has time to work on his shot, he'll be more willing to shoot without traffic in front... if he gets his velocity up, the goalie will be less able to control the rebound, creating scoring chances for teammates on the perimeter of the net front.

[Believer]

1 hour ago, pastajoe said:

One thing I see consistently with Power is he’s hesitant to shoot the puck from the point. There’ll be a screen in front and he looks to pass instead. He needs to get more confidence.

Still growing… With his wingspan and more upper and lower body muscle, Power should be easily capable of shooting 110+ mph lasers… As his shot and reputation grow, so will the shooting lanes from the blue line… “Get out of my way… if you don’t want to get hurt”

26 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

 

Clouds are parting tonight… 

[sabresouth]

There is no doubt the only reason we are still in the hunt is because of Levi.  If we were still going with the other three we would have been eliminated before now. So as long as Levi says he's good,  run him. 

[dudacek]

45 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Watch for it.  Once you see it, you can't unsee it.

As flaws in his game go, it's a great one to have, as it is something that will be completely out of his game in 2 years if not even next year.  The ones that get fixed simply by growing into a full grown adult when you're 19 or 20 are the easy ones as time fixes them.  Not knowing where to be when the other team is cycling or not knowing when to pinch and when not to are way tougher to fix as they require understanding the game at another level.  Power doesn't have either of those issues.

Agree 100 % on the hesitancy to shoot.

But if there’s one thing You can’t help but notice about Power is his ability to hang on to the puck and keeping moving into space until a lane opens up for him. He rarely makes a mis-step with the puck on his stick.

Id say at least half of the time we’re yelling at him to shoot as the “best” option, he’s decided that it’s not a “good” option and he’s going to wait a little longer to try and make a better option materialize.

Part of the reason he rejects the shot is his lack of faith in his shot and part of it is him not seeing the net-front presence needed for tips, rebounds or deflections.

He’s always looking for the best play rather than a great play, or a simple play; it’s the beauty of his game. 

Edited April 11, 2023 by dudacek

[steveoath]

 

[Taro T]

37 minutes ago, pi2000 said:

He's trained only to shoot if he has a clear shot lane AND there's traffic in front of the goalie.     Watch next time he hesitates... he's waiting for his teammates to get a net front presence.

That said, once he has time to work on his shot, he'll be more willing to shoot without traffic in front... if he gets his velocity up, the goalie will be less able to control the rebound, creating scoring chances for teammates on the perimeter of the net front.

He passes up those opportunities too.  Unless he has an absolute grade A+ opportunity he doesn't shoot.  He'll shoot more as he gets confidence in his shot, but right now, he passes up a lot of good opportunities.

[TheAud]

Luke Hughes NHL debut for the Devils tonight. 

[inkman]

20 minutes ago, sabresouth said:

There is no doubt the only reason we are still in the hunt is because of Levi.  If we were still going with the other three we would have been eliminated before now. So as long as Levi says he's good,  run him. 

I’d choose a different term but maybe it’s just me. 

[msw2112]

1 minute ago, Taro T said:

He passes up those opportunities too.  Unless he has an absolute grade A+ opportunity he doesn't shoot.  He'll shoot more as he gets confidence in his shot, but right now, he passes up a lot of good opportunities.

Until very recently, the ENTIRE TEAM was playing that way.  I've noticed a much greater willingness to shoot the puck at the net in the last couple of weeks, rather than waiting for the perfect pass or the perfect shot.  Taking these shots, as well as crashing the net for rebounds, will result in more scoring opportunities.  Most of the time, the goalie makes the save, but some sneak through for goals and some create rebounds and second chances.  It's simple, basic hockey, and I think that the Sabres forwards are so fast and skilled that they've had a hard time making the good play in favor of the (potentially) great play.  It's taken nearly the entire season, but it looks like Granato has gotten finally gotten through to them.  Also, at this time of the year, opponents that are playing for playoff spots/seeding often tighten up the defense, and the fancy tic-tac-toe and cross-ice passing plays are not available, so getting pucks to the net is even more important.  Don't get me wrong, those fancy goals are fun and awesome to see, but I'd rather see them do what is necessary to win games.

Arguably, this could tie in a bit to their lack of success at home.  Perhaps at home, they are thinking about putting on a show for the fans by trying to score highlight-reel goals, whereas on the road, they're more willing to take the simple, straightforward play.

[Taro T]

2 minutes ago, msw2112 said:

Until very recently, the ENTIRE TEAM was playing that way.  I've noticed a much greater willingness to shoot the puck at the net in the last couple of weeks, rather than waiting for the perfect pass or the perfect shot.  Taking these shots, as well as crashing the net for rebounds, will result in more scoring opportunities.  Most of the time, the goalie makes the save, but some sneak through for goals and some create rebounds and second chances.  It's simple, basic hockey, and I think that the Sabres forwards are so fast and skilled that they've had a hard time making the good play in favor of the (potentially) great play.  It's taken nearly the entire season, but it looks like Granato has gotten finally gotten through to them.  Also, at this time of the year, opponents that are playing for playoff spots/seeding often tighten up the defense, and the fancy tic-tac-toe and cross-ice passing plays are not available, so getting pucks to the net is even more important.  Don't get me wrong, those fancy goals are fun and awesome to see, but I'd rather see them do what is necessary to win games.

Arguably, this could tie in a bit to their lack of success at home.  Perhaps at home, they are thinking about putting on a show for the fans by trying to score highlight-reel goals, whereas on the road, they're more willing to take the simple, straightforward play.

True.

And realize it's a strange time to bring it up as he's actually got a bunch of assists the last 3-4 games but they pretty much are entirely 2ndary assists (with at least a couple (if not several) on zone exits) and the reason it was even brought up was another poster had commented on his shooting or lack thereof.

[That Aud Smell]

37 minutes ago, sabresouth said:

So as long as Levi says he's good,  run him. 

16 minutes ago, inkman said:

I’d choose a different term but maybe it’s just me. 

Haha - I read that phrase and recalled Lindy's admitted direction to his bench after Neal gooned Drury.

 

[MattPie]

6 minutes ago, msw2112 said:

Until very recently, the ENTIRE TEAM was playing that way.  I've noticed a much greater willingness to shoot the puck at the net in the last couple of weeks, rather than waiting for the perfect pass or the perfect shot.  Taking these shots, as well as crashing the net for rebounds, will result in more scoring opportunities.  Most of the time, the goalie makes the save, but some sneak through for goals and some create rebounds and second chances.  It's simple, basic hockey, and I think that the Sabres forwards are so fast and skilled that they've had a hard time making the good play in favor of the (potentially) great play.  It's taken nearly the entire season, but it looks like Granato has gotten finally gotten through to them.  Also, at this time of the year, opponents that are playing for playoff spots/seeding often tighten up the defense, and the fancy tic-tac-toe and cross-ice passing plays are not available, so getting pucks to the net is even more important.  Don't get me wrong, those fancy goals are fun and awesome to see, but I'd rather see them do what is necessary to win games.

Arguably, this could tie in a bit to their lack of success at home.  Perhaps at home, they are thinking about putting on a show for the fans by trying to score highlight-reel goals, whereas on the road, they're more willing to take the simple, straightforward play.

You sure that "it's finally gotten through" or is it really "being this point in the season, Granato coached them that the tac-tac-toe wasn't going to be there as teams tighten up"? I think Granato is on record that he let them create earlier this year because it's easier to teach a D system than it is to teach O. I think we're seeing that put in practice the last couple games.

[SabresBaltimore]

 

Edited April 11, 2023 by SabresBaltimore
fixing the embed

[MattPie]

Oh please let this be real:

 

 

[Scottysabres]

To get a 6 pack before the game or not, that is the question.

[steveoath]

1 minute ago, Scottysabres said:

To get a 6 pack before the game or not, that is the question.

Yes.... the answer is always yes. 

[BuffalOhio]

2 hours ago, Taro T said:

No, with Power it isn't simply a case of making sure his shot isn't into a F's shinpads resulting in an odd man rush going the other way.  He NEVER shoots unless he's almost in the blue paint or he literally has no other options.  He should have at least 3 more shot attempts every game.  They lose a lot of opportunities for rebounds because he simply won't shoot.

Am at the point where it is really frustrating watching him out there when there is a cycle going because if the puck goes to him even when the shot is the right choice it isn't getting taken.

Power shoots about as poorly as Bill Hajt did.  He needs a lower flex or someone to help with his weight transfer.  And he needs to be an SOB to play against.

[SabresBaltimore]

Good news about Cozens. Although with how much is on the line can you imagine anyone voluntarily sitting out?

[That Aud Smell]

24 minutes ago, MattPie said:

Oh please let this be real:

 

 

It’s funny. And he may go again tonight.

But nfw that’s real.

[Zamboni]

The Buffalo Sabres can keep their playoff hopes alive with a win tonight against the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center. 

The Sabres remained in the race with a thrilling, come-from-behind shootout victory over the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Monday. Casey Mittelstadtscored the tying goal with 11:47 remaining in regulation and added the winner in the shootout. 

That result - combined with a regulation loss for the Islanders in Washington and an overtime loss for the Panthers against the Maple Leafs - brought the Sabres within four points of the second Wild Card spot with three games left to play. 

Coverage tonight begins at 6:30 p.m. on MSG. The puck drops at 7. 

New Jersey will have its own motivation tonight. While the Devils have locked up their playoff spot, they can finish anywhere from first to third in the Metropolitan Division. They currently sit in second place, one point behind the Hurricanes and one ahead of the Rangers.

Jack Hughes enters tonight on a six-game point streak with two goals and eight assists in that span. He leads the Devils with 42 goals and 96 points. 

The Sabres and Devils have split the first two games of the season series, both of which were played in Buffalo. The Sabres won the most recent matchup 5-4 on March 24, fueled by two goals and an assist from Alex Tuch.

[FrenchConnection44]

2 hours ago, Believer said:

Still growing… With his wingspan and more upper and lower body muscle, Power should be easily capable of shooting 110+ mph lasers… As his shot and reputation grow, so will the shooting lanes from the blue line… “Get out of my way… if you don’t want to get hurt”

Clouds are parting tonight… 

To me, as long as he progresses physically, hitting the weights to add muscle and getting up to 230ish+ in weight over the next few years, and improving his skating/balance, he will be a stud. He should look to Hedman as his model. Though not quite as tall (Hedman is 6’6+; but was only 220 when he entered the league. For years he’s gone 240), Power can become that kind of defenseman.  

[Brawndo]

Levi in net