GDT: Sabres @ Sharks - Sat Jan 27, 2024, 4:00 pm ET MSG, ESPN+ NBCSCA 📺 WGR 📻

[JohnC]

22 minutes ago, Stads said:

Who had on their "At the All Star Break" Bingo Card that Connor Clifton would be leading the team in plus/minus?

Greenway was added last year and Clifton was added in the offseason. Neither transaction can be categorized as major additions. However, they were both solid deals that added an element ruggedness for a team that lacked it, and it improved the roster. It has taken some time for each player to adjust to his new role and team, but they now appear to have reached a comfort level. 

[JohnC]

14 hours ago, Doohickie said:

The answer might already be in the system.  By next summer one of Kulich, Savoie, Rosen or Östlund, ever even Poltapov, might be ready to make the jump.

It will be interesting to see if Kulich is brought up to take the place of Quinn. (After watching DG's post-game interview, it appears that Quinn is going to be out for quite a while.) Olofsson could also end up taking Quinn's spot.  

[PromoTheRobot]

Kind of wondering what to do with myself with the Sabres shut down for a week plus. Don't care about the All Star game at all. At least the AHL keeps going. What happens if Kulich gets called up? Does he miss the AHL All-star game on Feb 6?

[ska-T Chitown]

Moved my projection comment over to PA's new thread...

Edited January 28 by ska-T Chitown
found a better home for it!

[Broken Ankles]

2 hours ago, JohnC said:

One goal went off the stick of Johnson. How was he to blame? He's an AHL player who served as a fill-in for an injured player. He played to his level. He was adequate with limited minutes. Bryson is a fringe player. What else do you expect from him? 

Right before the tipped shot, Bryson had full possession of the puck, tried to, pass or clear the zone (don’t really know) and fanned on it giving SJ possession in our zone.  It’s the definition of a giveaway in your defensive zone.  

[JohnC]

1 hour ago, Broken Ankles said:

Right before the tipped shot, Bryson had full possession of the puck, tried to, pass or clear the zone (don’t really know) and fanned on it giving SJ possession in our zone.  It’s the definition of a giveaway in your defensive zone.  

I'm not trying to portray him beyond what his talent level is. He's more of an AHL than NHL caliber of player. You watch plenty of NHL games. There are plenty of giveaways from both teams in a game. That's unavoidable in such a fast-paced game.  From what I watched, I didn't see him being a major liability in this game, a game in which we won. If others have a different take regarding this player, I'm fine with it. 

[K-9]

5 hours ago, JohnC said:

One goal went off the stick of Johnson. How was he to blame? He's an AHL player who served as a fill-in for an injured player. He played to his level. He was adequate with limited minutes. Bryson is a fringe player. What else do you expect from him? 

Watch what Bryson attempted to do a few seconds before the puck found the Shark player who shot and scored. Lazy attempt to control and clear the puck that went directly to the man who shot. 

[JohnC]

31 minutes ago, K-9 said:

Watch what Bryson attempted to do a few seconds before the puck found the Shark player who shot and scored. Lazy attempt to control and clear the puck that went directly to the man who shot. 

He didn't get the puck out that was subsequently shot and deflected off of Ryan Johnson's stick. The puck was headed wide of the net but instead was inadvertently deflected in. In how many plays within a game is the puck turned over? It happens a lot. As I have said, Bryson is an AHL caliber of player. He is a marginal player who was brought in as a replacement, who then played a moderate number of minutes. Was he a liability in this game? Maybe inconsequentially so? In my view, (not directed toward you) there is too much attention directed toward marginal/fringe players when the primary reason why this has been a disappointing season is that our primary players slumped compared to the prior season and to our maybe oversized expectations. 

[K-9]

Just now, JohnC said:

He didn't get the puck out that was subsequently shot and deflected off of Ryan Johnson's stick. The puck was headed wide of the net but instead was inadvertently deflected in. In how many plays within a game is the puck turned over? It happens a lot. As I have said, Bryson is an AHL caliber of player. He is a marginal player who was brought in as a replacement, who then played a moderate number of minutes. Was he a liability in this game? Maybe inconsequentially so? In my view, (not directed toward you) there is too much attention directed toward marginal/fringe players when the primary reason why this has been a disappointing season is that our primary players slumped compared to the prior season and to our maybe oversized expectations. 

If you watched the entire sequence of that goal and still say that Bryson wasn’t a liability on the play, then I don’t know what to tell you. Simply put, that goal never even has a chance to happen if Bryson makes a routine, competent play with the puck a few seconds prior. 

Marginal players or not, my criticism is focused on the players in the lineup on any given night. The fact that Bryson isn’t an NHL quality player doesn’t exempt him from me saying he sucks and was a liability in the lineup last night.