Erik Johnson sends a clear message postgame "until we have a commitment to team defense, we won’t accomplish much"

[Doohickie]

[Pimlach]

Would have loved to be a fly on the wall of the dressing when they prepared for the isles game.  EJ message was received and understood.  
 

Sure, the Islanders were on a B2B , but we really played a complete game last night. 

[nfreeman]

It's obviously much too early to come to any conclusions, but at present both EJ and Greenway look like excellent pickups.  Those hankering for an infusion of experience and toughness may have gotten their wish.

[Pimlach]

2 hours ago, nfreeman said:

It's obviously much too early to come to any conclusions, but at present both EJ and Greenway look like excellent pickups.  Those hankering for an infusion of experience and toughness may have gotten their wish.

I’ve been hankering for it.  Greenway does not look like the same guy he was last year.  EJ has elevated the PK and is a true leader. 
 

I also noticed that Clifton was clearing out the front of the net and playing solid defense yesterday.  He packs a lot of muscle.  Unfortunately, the late goal deflected off of him.  His miscues get noticed more than his good plays. 

Edited October 22, 2023 by Pimlach

[nfreeman]

46 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

I’ve been hankering for it.  Greenway does not look the the same guy he was last year.  EJ has elevated the PK and is a true leader. 
 

I also noticed that Clifton was clearing out the front of the net and playing solid defense yesterday.  He packs a lot of muscle.  Unfortunately, the late goal deflected off of him.  His miscues get noticed more than his good plays. 

Holy mackerel the PK is about a million times better than it was last year.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

It worked.

[matter2003]

On 10/20/2023 at 5:17 PM, PerreaultForever said:

But it has to start somewhere and there has to be a coaching commitment to it. It has to be. We should have been doing it since Granato got hired, but "offense first" was the mantra. Once a season starts it's too late. 

We did it backwards plain and simple. 

Seemed to work pretty well last night...

[Taro T]

2 hours ago, nfreeman said:

Holy mackerel the PK is about a million times better than it was last year.

They're trusting their goaltending.  Which allows them to pressure.  That limits the chances against, but when they do give up a chance it's seriously legit; and both Levi and Comrie have been coming up big when the PP manages to find that opening through the pressure.

[nfreeman]

15 minutes ago, Taro T said:

They're trusting their goaltending.  Which allows them to pressure.  That limits the chances against, but when they do give up a chance it's seriously legit; and both Levi and Comrie have been coming up big when the PP manages to find that opening through the pressure.

Yes -- they are definitely getting good goaltending on the PK.  Comrie was solid as a rock last night.

But Greenway, Johnson and Clifton have all been major upgrades on the PK as well, along with improved PK play by TT and Muel.  They have guys who know what they're doing out there now and they are playing with determination.

[Taro T]

1 minute ago, nfreeman said:

Yes -- they are definitely getting good goaltending on the PK.  Comrie was solid as a rock last night.

But Greenway, Johnson and Clifton have all been major upgrades on the PK as well, along with improved PK play by TT and Muel.  They have guys who know what they're doing out there now and they are playing with determination.

Those 3 ARE upgrades on the PK.  No doubt.  But they still were playing a passive box in the Rags game and looked like the PK was going to be a repeat of last season's PK (excepting for the fact the GT should be better than it was last year).  Can't speak to how they played the PK on the Island as was watching the game in a bar and couldn't really focus on details, but vs Calgary and last night they were pressuring much better.  That is a tactical change and goes beyond just different personnel.

Am actually ecstatic that they've altered the tactics.  A passive PK is a short PK because it way too often ends with the puck in the net.

Though the PP has only scored once this year, they have been generating chances the past 2 games as well as they are for the most part moving around much more than in the past.  (Though there was one point in the 3rd period last night while they had the lead but went back to old habits.  They were moving the puck from the blue line to the half walls and both the bumper and the netfront skater had both drifted towards the blue line also.  They were on the PP and didn't have a single player within 25' of Varlamov.)  If they will continue to force the PKers to vacate their diamond and create new passing lanes, the PP WILL start clicking.

And just to bring all 3 phases of the game into this post, in his postgame comments, Granato was asked about the D joining the rush tonight and he pointed out that THAT was made possible by the F2 going hard to the net.  And in their own end they weren't letting guys have an easy path to Comrie's face.  Even in transition, they weren't giving the Aisles space.  Really hoping this wasn't a 1 game aberation (they played this way in all 3 phases some last year, but rarely did so consistantly through a several game sample), because the way they played last night, they'll win a lot of games if they can continue to play that way.

[PerreaultForever]

3 hours ago, matter2003 said:

Seemed to work pretty well last night...

Used our size to our advantage for a change. If this team starts to get it, pays the price on a nightly basis and sticks with it, they could be good, but we will see. We had good games last year too. 

[DarthEbriate]

1 hour ago, PerreaultForever said:

Used our size to our advantage for a change. If this team starts to get it, pays the price on a nightly basis and sticks with it, they could be good, but we will see. We had good games last year too. 

The hope is that at some point, they collectively realize that they are bigger and stronger (except in goal, I suppose) than many teams and they don’t have to play finesse but can really just go where they want to go and dare the opposition to stop them. Then, they can break out the fancy finesse on occasion because they’re skilled enough for that, too. But will and out working the opposition should always be foremost.

[LabattBlue]

Question…why is it the newcomer who has been here less than a month have to be the guy calling the team out?  Isn’t that why guys like Okposo and Girgensons were brought back?

[Thorny]

Just now, LabattBlue said:

Question…why is it the newcomer who has been here less than a month have to be the guy calling the team out?  Isn’t that why guys like Okposo and Girgensons were brought back?

 

 

[Sabres Fan in NS]

16 minutes ago, LabattBlue said:

Question…why is it the newcomer who has been here less than a month have to be the guy calling the team out?  Isn’t that why guys like Okposo and Girgensons were brought back?

That is not their leadership style.  EJ is that style leader.  He even does it publicly.

[Night Train]

In conclusion, it seemed to wake them up. Willl continue to monitor the progress.

 

Edited October 22, 2023 by Night Train

[Zamboni]

Yea! Somebody said some thing!

Booo! It wasn’t said by someone who’s been on the team for a while!

Yea! It seemed to work!

Boooo! Why did take so long for it to work!

Yea! The team looked better last game!

Boooo! It shouldn’t have taken “this long” for the team to look better!

 

 

 

[LabattBlue]

5 minutes ago, Sabres Fan in NS said:

That is not their leadership style.  EJ is that style leader.  He even does it publicly.

Then why were they brought back at a combined 5 mil cap hit?  Oh, thats right, KA and TP put treating the players right over putting a winner together. 

[Pimlach]

2 hours ago, LabattBlue said:

Question…why is it the newcomer who has been here less than a month have to be the guy calling the team out?  Isn’t that why guys like Okposo and Girgensons were brought back?

The newcomer has a Stanley Cup Ring.  No one else does.  

He went through the rebuild in Colorado, he went from last place to a Stanley Cup win.   He is more than qualified to speak up and was probably expected to.   The newcomer wants to do it again, in Buffalo this time.  He still has fire in him.  

 

Edited October 22, 2023 by Pimlach

[Pimlach]

2 hours ago, DarthEbriate said:

The hope is that at some point, they collectively realize that they are bigger and stronger (except in goal, I suppose) than many teams and they don’t have to play finesse but can really just go where they want to go and dare the opposition to stop them. Then, they can break out the fancy finesse on occasion because they’re skilled enough for that, too. But will and out working the opposition should always be foremost.

Whoa.   They are bigger as in "taller and heavier" than many teams.  They are probably not stronger on many nights.  Their much lower average age tell us that.  I am talking playing strength, not fighting. 

If they want to think they are stronger I am all for it.  Their mindset should be like that.  

[LabattBlue]

40 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

The newcomer has a Stanley Cup Ring.  No one else does.  

He went through the rebuild in Colorado, he went from from last place to a Stanley Cup win.   He is more than qualified to speak up and was probably expected to.   The newcomer wants to do it again, in Buffalo this time.  He still has fire in him.  

 

Doesn’t explain why it can’t be other vets on the team. 

[Pimlach]

37 minutes ago, LabattBlue said:

Doesn’t explain why it can’t be other vets on the team. 

Yes it does.  I spelled it out for you.  Focus on the bold.  
 

He has a Stanley Cup Ring.  No one else does.  

He went through the rebuild in Colorado, he went from last place to a Stanley Cup win.   He is more than qualified to speak up and was probably expected to.   The newcomer wants to do it again, in Buffalo this time.  He still has fire in him.  

Edited October 22, 2023 by Pimlach

[LabattBlue]

1 hour ago, Pimlach said:

Yes it does.  I spelled it out for you.  Focus on the bold.  
 

He has a Stanley Cup Ring.  No one else does.  

He went through the rebuild in Colorado, he went from last place to a Stanley Cup win.   He is more than qualified to speak up and was probably expected to.   The newcomer wants to do it again, in Buffalo this time.  He still has fire in him.  

Then what $5mil role do KO & Girgs play other than using cap space?

[Pimlach]

1 minute ago, LabattBlue said:

Then what $5mil role do KO & Girgs play other than using cap space?

They play on the checking line and on the PK.  You can look up their stats yourself.  

They lead in their way, they are not going to do what Johnson did publicly, it’s not their nature and the reality is they don’t have the same experience as Johnson to even say that.  Johnson is new, he can shake things up and still carry himself. 
 

The more leaders that emerge the better the team will get.  What Johnson did is not a signal to call out the few vets we have.  If you don’t understand that point then I can’t help you.  
 

[thewookie1]

22 minutes ago, LabattBlue said:

Then what $5mil role do KO & Girgs play other than using cap space?

They are role players and leaders in their own right. Not all leaders fill the exact same role.

Okposo is the team Dad, the players look to him for support

Girgensons is the longest tenured player and the hard working 4th liner. Sort of like the cool uncle.

Johnson is that older gentleman in your office who has oodles of experience and has truly achieved what you dream of already. He's your Dad's friend but isn't going to coddle you like he might.  

Edited October 23, 2023 by thewookie1