Flashsabre Posted July 5, 2023 Report Share Posted July 5, 2023 Just want to say how much I appreciate this place. Go to the hockeybuzz Sabres discussion thread for 5 minutes and you want to blow your brains out. Just a cancerous troll fest of negativity at all times. 3 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalonill Posted July 5, 2023 Report Share Posted July 5, 2023 12 minutes ago, Flashsabre said: Just want to say how much I appreciate this place. Go to the hockeybuzz Sabres discussion thread for 5 minutes and you want to blow your brains out. Just a cancerous troll fest of negativity at all times. They probably had meatless meatloaf also 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CTJoe Posted July 5, 2023 Report Share Posted July 5, 2023 45 minutes ago, Flashsabre said: Just want to say how much I appreciate this place. Go to the hockeybuzz Sabres discussion thread for 5 minutes and you want to blow your brains out. Just a cancerous troll fest of negativity at all times. yep - it's okay to play devils advocate, but half of the people at Buzz just like being negative dbags. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zamboni Posted July 5, 2023 Report Share Posted July 5, 2023 1 hour ago, Flashsabre said: Just want to say how much I appreciate this place. Go to the hockeybuzz Sabres discussion thread for 5 minutes and you want to blow your brains out. Just a cancerous troll fest of negativity at all times. And you think this forum (or any other sports forum really) are full of positive fans? 😂 Thanks for the heads up warning about Buzz. I’ll be sure to never go there👍🏼 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CTJoe Posted July 5, 2023 Report Share Posted July 5, 2023 7 minutes ago, Zamboni said: And you think this forum (or any other sports forum really) are full of positive fans? 😂 Thanks for the heads up warning about Buzz. I’ll be sure to never go there👍🏼 I can't help but go there, it's like a car crash. You don't want to look but can't help it 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrader Posted July 5, 2023 Report Share Posted July 5, 2023 39 minutes ago, CTJoe said: yep - it's okay to play devils advocate, but half of the people at Buzz just like being negative dbags. I mean, it doesn't sound all that different from a lot of things around here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kas23 Posted July 5, 2023 Report Share Posted July 5, 2023 2 hours ago, Scottysabres said: If we go with that we better get one hell of a 1A goalie. They'll need it to bail out that defense. I really don’t get this take. We didn’t have “one hell of a 1A goalie” last year and we were 1 win out of the playoffs. Are you saying we would’ve been better off with Joki (#4 TOI) or Clague (#5 TOI) than signing Clifton and Johnson? You’re essentially saying our D has considerably worsened from a time we had no one even remotely resembling a 1A goalie. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashsabre Posted July 5, 2023 Report Share Posted July 5, 2023 23 minutes ago, shrader said: I mean, it doesn't sound all that different from a lot of things around here. You have no idea 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottysabres Posted July 5, 2023 Report Share Posted July 5, 2023 19 minutes ago, kas23 said: I really don’t get this take. We didn’t have “one hell of a 1A goalie” last year and we were 1 win out of the playoffs. Are you saying we would’ve been better off with Joki (#4 TOI) or Clague (#5 TOI) than signing Clifton and Johnson? You’re essentially saying our D has considerably worsened from a time we had no one even remotely resembling a 1A goalie. I'm saying the actual defensive play of the defensemen, both acquired recently as well as the retention of the ones that were here all fit the 5/6/depth positions. I don't believe any one of them are answer for the top 4. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottysabres Posted July 5, 2023 Report Share Posted July 5, 2023 37 minutes ago, shrader said: I mean, it doesn't sound all that different from a lot of things around here. We have BuffaloNILL and PA, they don't, and that makes all the difference 😀 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curt Posted July 5, 2023 Report Share Posted July 5, 2023 1 hour ago, Scottysabres said: If we go with that we better get one hell of a 1A goalie. They'll need it to bail out that defense. 1 hour ago, Buffalonill said: Yeah I'm not excited I don’t know, Clifton played top 4 for the Bruins for a good chunk of early last season when they were winning like 80% of their games. Also, I think the forward group as a whole will be better defensively due to player improvement and the coaching staff’s increased emphasis on playing a responsible defensive game. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrenchConnection44 Posted July 6, 2023 Report Share Posted July 6, 2023 14 hours ago, RochesterExpat said: I'd rather Joki than Johnson and I say that as someone who has a pretty low opinion of Joki. Johnson may well need to be spelled some on defense as he’s no longer a 22 minute guy, but his defensive metrics are better than any of our 4-5-6 guys last year. And they didn’t sign him to a $3.25 to sit at #7 on the depth chart. I think Joki can and will improve. How much remains to be seen. He’s still quite young. So while Biron thinks he could be trade bait I’m fine with him competing to play on the 3rd line. I do think the D will be improved. Perhaps significantly. Clifton and E Johnson give it a boost. The young guys will improve. Power needs to add a good 15-20 lbs to his frame over the course of the next few yrs. But we are already more sound on D than last year, imo. I actually have more concern - today -at forward with Quinn out and VO still on the team potentially getting minutes with his -23. With Quinn, we have a solid pairing with Cozens or Krebs. But we still need a replacement at forward as well as an upgrade over VO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottysabres Posted July 6, 2023 Report Share Posted July 6, 2023 13 hours ago, Curt said: I don’t know, Clifton played top 4 for the Bruins for a good chunk of early last season when they were winning like 80% of their games. Also, I think the forward group as a whole will be better defensively due to player improvement and the coaching staff’s increased emphasis on playing a responsible defensive game. I am skeptical. Boston was one of the top defensive teams in the league last season. Buffalo, one of the worst. While I agree both individual player as well as group growth will help, it is highly suspect to believe Clifton and Johnson are going to be the additions that stabilize the back end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
North Buffalo Posted July 6, 2023 Report Share Posted July 6, 2023 (edited) 28 minutes ago, Scottysabres said: I am skeptical. Boston was one of the top defensive teams in the league last season. Buffalo, one of the worst. While I agree both individual player as well as group growth will help, it is highly suspect to believe Clifton and Johnson are going to be the additions that stabilize the back end. It doesnt take much sometimes to stabilize the back end, sometimes 1 guy or 2, change of pairing... certain guys read off each other better than with others... on ice chemistry is a big thing... finding the right combo for Power will be key. I could see Johnson being the guy to start the season and the moving in Clifton later. Edited July 6, 2023 by North Buffalo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted July 6, 2023 Report Share Posted July 6, 2023 22 minutes ago, Scottysabres said: I am skeptical. Boston was one of the top defensive teams in the league last season. Buffalo, one of the worst. While I agree both individual player as well as group growth will help, it is highly suspect to believe Clifton and Johnson are going to be the additions that stabilize the back end. Buffalo is never going to match the defensive style of play that Boston plays. Each team has a different philosophy, and its rosters are built around their respective philosophy. Buffalo is a more offensive and faster paced team. In order for Buffalo to make the leap forward it doesn't need to replicate Boston's style of play; it simply has to alter its style a little more to play a more balanced two-way game. What we need to do to be more successful is replicate how it played at the end of the last season. And the two additional blueliners added to the roster should help to do that. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curt Posted July 6, 2023 Report Share Posted July 6, 2023 1 hour ago, Scottysabres said: I am skeptical. Boston was one of the top defensive teams in the league last season. Buffalo, one of the worst. While I agree both individual player as well as group growth will help, it is highly suspect to believe Clifton and Johnson are going to be the additions that stabilize the back end. I get being skeptical. The way I look at it though, all Sabres defenders 2-8 should be improved. Dahlin may be better too, but that’s hard. Power and Samuelsson should be better, Clifton pushes down Lyubushkin and Jokiharju, Johnson adds to the 6/7 mix. Stillman/Bryson are pushed down to 8/9. Guys like Pilut, Fitzgerald, Clague shouldn’t be playing any games at all. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
triumph_communes Posted July 6, 2023 Report Share Posted July 6, 2023 4 hours ago, JohnC said: Buffalo is never going to match the defensive style of play that Boston plays. Each team has a different philosophy, and its rosters are built around their respective philosophy. Buffalo is a more offensive and faster paced team. In order for Buffalo to make the leap forward it doesn't need to replicate Boston's style of play; it simply has to alter its style a little more to play a more balanced two-way game. What we need to do to be more successful is replicate how it played at the end of the last season. And the two additional blueliners added to the roster should help to do that. Or you just need players who fit the play style better. You can’t round peg every square hole Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doohickie Posted July 6, 2023 Report Share Posted July 6, 2023 5 hours ago, North Buffalo said: It doesnt take much sometimes to stabilize the back end 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorny Posted July 6, 2023 Report Share Posted July 6, 2023 (edited) 6 hours ago, Scottysabres said: I am skeptical. Boston was one of the top defensive teams in the league last season. Buffalo, one of the worst. While I agree both individual player as well as group growth will help, it is highly suspect to believe Clifton and Johnson are going to be the additions that stabilize the back end. It’s a good point. There hasn’t been a time Ullmark has been brought up around these parts without the automatic “do you think he’d have been that guy in buffalo?!!1” response, should be applied both ways. Clifton addition makes sense for the same reason adding a good goalie from another team does: improvement is improvement, good need not be enemy of perfect. It’s ok to improve D by adding a good player to the D unit, it’s ok to add a better goalie to improve the goaltending unit. We don’t need to roster Shesterkin to improve the D, adding a reasonable defender worked too, and we don’t need to roster an all star D to fix goalie: we can add a competent second goalie considering you need 2 Edited July 6, 2023 by Thorny 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PerreaultForever Posted July 7, 2023 Report Share Posted July 7, 2023 15 hours ago, Scottysabres said: I am skeptical. Boston was one of the top defensive teams in the league last season. Buffalo, one of the worst. While I agree both individual player as well as group growth will help, it is highly suspect to believe Clifton and Johnson are going to be the additions that stabilize the back end. "stabilize" is a strong word. We definitely need better team structure and better defensive play all around but the simple fact is we have better players on the roster than last year and more depth. Is it enough? I don't think so either, but it is an improvement. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
French Collection Posted July 7, 2023 Report Share Posted July 7, 2023 6 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said: "stabilize" is a strong word. We definitely need better team structure and better defensive play all around but the simple fact is we have better players on the roster than last year and more depth. Is it enough? I don't think so either, but it is an improvement. EJ will have credibility in the room. He is already talking team defense and I hope he holds guys accountable. He and KO go way back so there should be good support there. Clifton is a D first guy and will also walk the talk. DG said the PK will be better with these two guys. Goals against should drop. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dudacek Posted July 7, 2023 Report Share Posted July 7, 2023 8 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said: "stabilize" is a strong word. We definitely need better team structure and better defensive play all around but the simple fact is we have better players on the roster than last year and more depth. Is it enough? I don't think so either, but it is an improvement. As it stands right now, these are the changes from last year’s opener: Jost Asplund Greenway Hinostroza Rousek (?) Bjork Clifton Bryson Johnson Fitzgerald Levi Anderson Luukkonen Comrie That’s 7 of 23 slots - a lot more of a turnover than what it feels like. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
French Collection Posted July 7, 2023 Report Share Posted July 7, 2023 2 minutes ago, Thorny said: Because that’s not what people mean when they say turnover They mean from the end of last season Only two guys have never worn Blue & Gold. That’s why it feels like they are running it all back. Still hoping for a goalie move. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorny Posted July 7, 2023 Report Share Posted July 7, 2023 2 minutes ago, French Collection said: Only two guys have never worn Blue & Gold. That’s why it feels like they are running it all back. Still hoping for a goalie move. I understand the idea though so I deleted my post was thinking the context was offseason change for some reason. They mostly are running it back, with the couple D adds, at least so far it seems, ya. Could still see a move but not necessarily expecting much. We’ve built year over year for the last few in total points so hopefully the same team/process with only minor tweaks (The D adds) yields a similar result and it should be in the playoffs with ~ the same of injury luck as last year Playoffs are the judgment line, I haven’t seen anything this offseason that would make me think we aren’t in a spot where we can reasonably challenge for that goal, at least. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PerreaultForever Posted July 7, 2023 Report Share Posted July 7, 2023 1 hour ago, dudacek said: As it stands right now, these are the changes from last year’s opener: Jost Asplund Greenway Hinostroza Rousek (?) Bjork Clifton Bryson Johnson Fitzgerald Levi Anderson Luukkonen Comrie That’s 7 of 23 slots - a lot more of a turnover than what it feels like. I suppose that's because, aside from Levi, it's turnover around the edges and not the core. I think we are improved, I just don't think we've improved enough. It still all hinges on Levi. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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