Sabres & NHL 2016-17 - Victor Antipin Signs One Year Deal

[JohnC]

After watching this game where for the most part we dominated you get frustrated over past losses, such as in Arizona, that we should have won. For a team on the margin you can't throw away points.

 

I thought O'Reilly was excellent in this game. His nifty pass to Kane who blasted it in was a thing of beauty. This play was a good demonstration of Kane playing a much more controlled and smart game. In this sequence in which he scored he and O'Reilly were near each other and he slowed up and moved in an open spot to receive the nice pass from O'Reilly.

 

It's unlikely that the Sabres will get into the playoffs. However, it would sure be nice to string a few wins together. The fans deserve some late season meaningful games.

[4merper4mer]

3-2: GMTM ON WGR (23:54)

 

The fact that this caustic loser wants Kulikov back in the same interview where he blames himself for the crap D is about as wtf as it gets.

[Buffalo Barbarian]

It just takes time. The forwards are great, IMO. But getting solid NHL defenseman is not easy. They are much harder to find.

 

And Risto just looks burned out to me.

 

should have drafted a Defensemen instead of Nylander.

[JohnC]

 

should have drafted a Defensemen instead of Nylander.

I disagree with you. Nylander was the best player available at the time our turn came up. In another year or two he is going to be a very good first or second line forward. Drafting for needs when you are drafting players so young is foolish.

 

Getting functional defensemen as a stopgap measure was a reasonable approach to take by the GM. What wasn't expected was that players such as Bogo and Kulikov would be such disappointments. Being liabilities is less than being functional players.

[shrader]

I disagree with you. Nylander was the best player available at the time our turn came up. In another year or two he is going to be a very good first or second line forward. Drafting for needs when you are drafting players so young is foolish.

 

Getting functional defensemen as a stopgap measure was a reasonable approach to take by the GM. What wasn't expected was that players such as Bogo and Kulikov would be such disappointments. Being liabilities is less than being functional players.

Personally, I lean towards drafting for need once you move beyond the section be or third round. It looks like Murray has actually done that the last two years. But either way, draft day decisions made by Murray couldn't possibly have changed today's situation. None of those guys would be NHL ready right now. The only draft move that would have impacted today's roster would have been winning the lottery back in 2014. I know it's been said that they wanted Reinhart anyway but that's pure BS. They would have taken Ekblad for sure there.

[Tiberius]

After watching this game where for the most part we dominated you get frustrated over past losses, such as in Arizona, that we should have won. For a team on the margin you can't throw away points.

 

I thought O'Reilly was excellent in this game. His nifty pass to Kane who blasted it in was a thing of beauty. This play was a good demonstration of Kane playing a much more controlled and smart game. In this sequence in which he scored he and O'Reilly were near each other and he slowed up and moved in an open spot to receive the nice pass from O'Reilly.

 

It's unlikely that the Sabres will get into the playoffs. However, it would sure be nice to string a few wins together. The fans deserve some late season meaningful games.

That play he made on Foligno's goal! Wow!

[Alaska Darin]

No hockey GM should ever draft a "need" choice in any round. You fix your needs through free agency or trades. The draft should always be the best player on the board, with actual position being the LAST tie breaker. Hockey is not football. Unless you're picking number 1 overall, you're more than likely not getting a guy who will help you right away. Choices beyond the second round rarely make a dent in the NHL, though that appears to be changing a bit because of the salary cap and major country development programs that are now churning out better players.

 

The reason the McEichel tank was so important to the franchise was because by picking NLT second you were getting a proven 20+ NHL goal scorer who could help you the very first day he puts on the sweater.

[JohnC]

Personally, I lean towards drafting for need once you move beyond the section be or third round. It looks like Murray has actually done that the last two years. But either way, draft day decisions made by Murray couldn't possibly have changed today's situation. None of those guys would be NHL ready right now. The only draft move that would have impacted today's roster would have been winning the lottery back in 2014. I know it's been said that they wanted Reinhart anyway but that's pure BS. They would have taken Ekblad for sure there.

I respectfully disagree with you. Most prospects with the exception of a few are not ready to play at a NHL level. Pick the best players and allow them to develop. Addressing immediate needs can be done through trades and pickups.

 

Alaska Darin's response in post #2970 well states my position.

[ExiledInIllinois]

 

I've been preaching it for years now. Even back with the 4-on-4, the OT needed to be longer. Honestly, I would leave in the loser point and go to a true sudden death OT like in the playoffs (probably 3-on-3 though). I know their concern would a never ending game where someone has to play the following day. But that right there is all the incentive you need to push a little harder for a goal to end the game. You would have the fluke marathon game every so often, but it would be very rare.

 

Honestly, I'd also rather have ties instead of the shoot out.

 

 

edit: And speaking of 3-on-3, it is amazing to see it in person. On tv you really don't get a good feel for just how much space is suddenly out there, especially from up in the nose bleeds. I do wish they'd use the red line for offside call during those 5 minutes though. That would really open things up. I bet they'd be scare of teams sitting back and burning out the clock though.

Why don't they make it 3 points for regulation win, 2 points for OT/SO win, and 1 point for OT/SO loss.

 

Every game should be a 3-point game.

[QCity]

We dominated that game by almost every metric -- shots, shots attempted, Corsi, puck possession, etc, etc, yet with 6:00 minutes left the game is tied and seemingly headed to OT. Bizarre. Those 6 goals look nice in the box score but we scored 1 goal at even strength? 6 goals and the Kulikov/Bogo pairing is a -2

Edited March 3, 2017 by QCity

[ChevyVanMiller]

We dominated that game by almost every metric -- shots, shots attempted, Corsi, puck possession, etc, etc, yet with 6:00 minutes left the game is tied and seemingly headed to OT. Bizarre. Those 6 goals look nice in the box score but we scored 1 goal at even strength? 6 goals and the Kulikov/Bogo pairing is a -2

I was at the game last night, sat up in the 300s at the end of the rink that the Sabres Defended twice.

 

I can tell you that the reason that the game was tied with six minutes left with simply because of Robin Lehner. The first two goals he gave up were awful. I know he's had a good year, but on breakaways, one-on-one, he has to be the worst goalie in the league.

[QCity]

I was at the game last night, sat up in the 300s at the end of the rink that the Sabres Defended twice.

 

I can tell you that the reason that the game was tied with six minutes left with simply because of Robin Lehner. The first two goals he gave up were awful. I know he's had a good year, but on breakaways, one-on-one, he has to be the worst goalie in the league.

 

No doubt, I think everyone agrees about Lehner and the breakaways/shootouts. He's just a mess in those scenarios. But in no way was that first goal Lehner's fault. He was expecting Bogosian to take out his man, and instead Bogo decided to practice his ice dancing.

 

Watch this video of the first goal https://www.nhl.com/video/pulkkinens-first-as-a-coyote/t-283376016/c-49899103

 

Now someone explain to me wtf Kulkov is doing. Goligoski clearly has possession of the puck, and yet Kulikov is pinching in? Gee, you think that will result in an odd-man rush? That has nothing to do with an injury or bad back, it's just stupidity. I do love the color commentary about Bogosian "picking flowers," that's spot-on.

[bbb]

No hockey GM should ever draft a "need" choice in any round. You fix your needs through free agency or trades. The draft should always be the best player on the board, with actual position being the LAST tie breaker. Hockey is not football. Unless you're picking number 1 overall, you're more than likely not getting a guy who will help you right away. Choices beyond the second round rarely make a dent in the NHL, though that appears to be changing a bit because of the salary cap and major country development programs that are now churning out better players.

 

The reason the McEichel tank was so important to the franchise was because by picking NLT second you were getting a proven 20+ NHL goal scorer who could help you the very first day he puts on the sweater.

 

What is NLT?

 

[K-9]

We dominated that game by almost every metric -- shots, shots attempted, Corsi, puck possession, etc, etc, yet with 6:00 minutes left the game is tied and seemingly headed to OT. Bizarre. Those 6 goals look nice in the box score but we scored 1 goal at even strength? 6 goals and the Kulikov/Bogo pairing is a -2

I hear that. It's uncanny how often Bogo/Kuli are on the ice when we are scored against. Not saying they have a direct baring on all of those goals against, just that it's uncanny how often they are on the ice when the opposing team scores.

[Alaska Darin]

 

What is NLT?

 

No Later Than

[26CornerBlitz]

@BuffaloSabres

Coach Bylsma says Kyle Okposo will definitely be out tomorrow but no further update at this time.

[26CornerBlitz]

VS.

Lightning (29-26-8) at SABRES (27-26-11)

SAT MAR 4, 2017 @ 7:00 PM ET

TV: MSG-B

RADIO: WGR 550

Sabres Digital Press Box Game Preview

CURRENT INJURIES – (Man Games Lost: 310)

Player (injury, first game missed) – total games missed
Cody McCormick (blood clots, Oct. 13; injured reserve) – 64 games
Johan Larsson (wrist, Jan. 3; injured reserve) – 28 games
William Carrier (knee, Feb.4; injured reserve) – 14 games
Kyle Okposo (ribs) – 0 games

TRANSACTIONS IN PAST 7 DAYS
2/26: Recalled G Linus Ullmark from Rochester (AHL)
2/28: Acquired D Mat Bodie from NY Rangers in exchange for F Daniel Catenacci
3/1: Assigned G Linus Ullmark to Rochester (AHL)

UPCOMING GAMES
Sunday, March 5: Buffalo at Pittsburgh, 5 p.m.
Tuesday, March 7: Philadelphia at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Friday, March 10: Buffalo at Columbus, 7 p.m.
Saturday, March 11: Columbus at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, March 14: Buffalo at San Jose, 10:30 p.m.

TONIGHT’S GAME

LIGHTNING at SABRES
This is the third of four meetings between the Sabres and Lightning this season.
Last meeting: Tampa Bay defeated Buffalo 4-2 in Tampa on Jan. 12
Next meeting: Sunday, April 9 in Tampa
The Sabres are 1-9-0 in their last 10 games vs. the Lightning; 2-6-2 at home.
This is the 93rd game all-time between Buffalo and Tampa Bay; Buffalo has a 52-33-7 series record.
The Sabres are 24-17-4 at home against the Lightning all-time.

Morning Skate: March 4, 2017 at 10:00 am – 11:00 am at KeyBank Center

 

@BuffaloSabres

The numbers don't lie. @Jack_Eichel11 is one of the most productive players in the @NHL - just look at these stats: http://bufsabres.co/pjHgTF

 

Edited March 4, 2017 by 26CornerBlitz

[shrader]

No hockey GM should ever draft a "need" choice in any round. You fix your needs through free agency or trades. The draft should always be the best player on the board, with actual position being the LAST tie breaker. Hockey is not football. Unless you're picking number 1 overall, you're more than likely not getting a guy who will help you right away. Choices beyond the second round rarely make a dent in the NHL, though that appears to be changing a bit because of the salary cap and major country development programs that are now churning out better players.

 

The reason the McEichel tank was so important to the franchise was because by picking NLT second you were getting a proven 20+ NHL goal scorer who could help you the very first day he puts on the sweater.

I don't mean to suggest to draft to fill current holes on the big club. That obviously will never work. I'm thinking of it more in terms of systemic or organizational needs. You need to be stocking up with guys on both sides of the ice. Because of that exact crap shoot nature that you described, I don't believe that best player available exists much beyond the second round. It's just a muddled mess of kids who could each head off on completely different paths depending on where and how they develop.

 

I think we're very much on the same place once we get past the meaning of "needs". The draft itself is about spreading those roots and hoping that the tree grows well years from now.

[bbb]

No Later Than

 

Thanks............But, I do have a grammar quibble with the word proven. LOL

 

by picking NLT second you were getting a proven 20+ NHL goal scorer who could help you the very first day he puts on the sweater.

 

[Buffalo Barbarian]

I disagree with you. Nylander was the best player available at the time our turn came up. In another year or two he is going to be a very good first or second line forward. Drafting for needs when you are drafting players so young is foolish.

 

Getting functional defensemen as a stopgap measure was a reasonable approach to take by the GM. What wasn't expected was that players such as Bogo and Kulikov would be such disappointments. Being liabilities is less than being functional players.

 

I guess, but it was clear last year our D needed to be a priority and Timmy did nothing about it. Should have gotten someone last offseason.