plenzmd1 Posted October 12, 2019 Share Posted October 12, 2019 Just now, K-9 said: Agree entirely. I’m interested in seeing how Dahlin responds. As is Krueger, I imagine. no doubt he stunk agaisnt the Habs...did you think he stunk last night? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-9 Posted October 12, 2019 Share Posted October 12, 2019 1 minute ago, plenzmd1 said: no doubt he stunk agaisnt the Habs...did you think he stunk last night? No. Just his usual game with a few D hiccups and several brilliant, little plays that tend to go unnoticed. I think his biggest challenge is physical strength at the moment. Which lends itself to fatigue more readily and I can see why Krueger would want to protect him a bit. But you raised a good point about removing Dahlin’s offensive ability from the lineup, which makes it easier for teams to defend us. And I HATE going Alamo mode! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Darin Posted October 12, 2019 Share Posted October 12, 2019 12 minutes ago, plenzmd1 said: i disagreee on both points. 1) The second goal is scored because a man without a stick is essentially useless, therefore being two men down in that situation last night anyway. They would have been down 2 for 6 seconds as opposed to 40, especially on the short change. 2) You know me, i was adamant anybody was going to an upgrade over Housley, but that is two 2 goal third period leads and two points given away to rivals we may be fighting later for a playoff berth. They have let the foot off the gas a bit in terms of trying to score goals with those leads, and 26 helps you score goals. Housley finally set me over the edge last year when he sat Pilut cause of a defensive mistake, and Pilut was shot the rest of the year. 26 only gunna learn by playing in crunch times, not watching I think it's ok for the new coach to hold EVERY player accountable. Those are messages that need to be sent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plenzmd1 Posted October 12, 2019 Share Posted October 12, 2019 Just now, K-9 said: No. Just his usual game with a few D hiccups and several brilliant, little plays that tend to go unnoticed. I think his biggest challenge is physical strength at the moment. Which lends itself to fatigue more readily and I can see why Krueger would want to protect him a bit. But you raised a good point about removing Dahlin’s offensive ability from the lineup, which makes it easier for teams to defend us. And I HATE going Alamo mode! so do i brother! I like Sean Tierney on twitter .. https://twitter.com/ChartingHockey, most numbers still look good for the Sabres! Chad does great work too https://twitter.com/CMDeDominicis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted October 12, 2019 Share Posted October 12, 2019 4 minutes ago, plenzmd1 said: i disagreee on both points. 1) The second goal is scored because a man without a stick is essentially useless, therefore being two men down in that situation last night anyway. They would have been down 2 for 6 seconds as opposed to 40, especially on the short change. 2) You know me, i was adamant anybody was going to an upgrade over Housley, but that is two 2 goal third period leads and two points given away to rivals we may be fighting later for a playoff berth. They have let the foot off the gas a bit in terms of trying to score goals with those leads, and 26 helps you score goals. Housley finally set me over the edge last year when he sat Pilut cause of a defensive mistake, and Pilut was shot the rest of the year. 26 only gunna learn by playing in crunch times, not watching The strategy of holding your position on the perimeter rather than going to the bench for a stick is the approach that most if not every team uses. The Panthers were in their zone and set up with multiple accomplished shooters. I have no problem with how the player handled the situation. The Housley issue is over for me. He's coaching another team. If you want to continue to chase that bogeyman that is your prerogative. How about giving credit to Florida for coming back? They are a good team with some exceptional offensive players. This was a typical end of the game offensive push by a team that has some potent players. Give them credit for coming back. In this game they had plenty of near miss chances, as we also had. The margin of error is miniscule in this type of a hard fought game. The Sabres are 4-0-1. As you well know hockey is an ebb and flow game. Right now it is flowing in our favor. That good fortune can quickly turn in this quixotic game that can dramatically change on a deflection or two. I'm more than satisfied with how things are developing for us with also recognizing there is still more to be done with this roster. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-9 Posted October 12, 2019 Share Posted October 12, 2019 7 minutes ago, Alaska Darin said: I think it's ok for the new coach to hold EVERY player accountable. Those are messages that need to be sent. While I think it’s less of sending a message than it is to protect a still physically immature player who can be a defensive liability at times as a result, I can’t agree more with the concept of holding players accountable. 3 minutes ago, JohnC said: The strategy of holding your position on the perimeter rather than going to the bench for a stick is the approach that most if not every team uses. The Panthers were in their zone and set up with multiple accomplished shooters. I have no problem with how the player handled the situation. The Housley issue is over for me. He's coaching another team. If you want to continue to chase that bogeyman that is your prerogative. How about giving credit to Florida for coming back? They are a good team with some exceptional offensive players. This was a typical end of the game offensive push by a team that has some potent players. Give them credit for coming back. In this game they had plenty of near miss chances, as we also had. The margin of error is miniscule in this type of a hard fought game. The Sabres are 4-0-1. As you well know hockey is an ebb and flow game. Right now it is flowing in our favor. That good fortune can quickly turn in this quixotic game that can dramatically change on a deflection or two. I'm more than satisfied with how things are developing for us with also recognizing there is still more to be done with this roster. GREAT point about tipping your hat to the Panthers. The other teams have good players, too, and it’s a lot less stressful to give them credit than it is to make it about how much we suck. Although, I’m still a little miffed we aren’t gonna go 82-0 like I thought. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plenzmd1 Posted October 12, 2019 Share Posted October 12, 2019 4 minutes ago, Alaska Darin said: I think it's ok for the new coach to hold EVERY player accountable. Those are messages that need to be sent. That fine, as long as its everyone..so to be clear I love what he has done for the most part...i just don't like 26 not being out there in crunch time. I think he needs that experience to grow. Sure Freddie knows more than me though..cant argue with no losses yet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted October 12, 2019 Share Posted October 12, 2019 The two games against Montreal and Florida were teams that we will be probably vying with for playoff spots. In the Montreal game I thought they had the edge. We won. In the Florida game I thought they had the edge but if someone took the opposite view I couldn't argue with it. We won. The point is that there are a number of evenly matched teams where the difference in talent is miniscule. Will we be a playoff team? I'm still not sure. Right now the good fortune has worked out in our favor. It usually doesn't last. What makes me more optimistic about our playoff prospects is that this team under Krueger is more resilient and mentally tough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted October 12, 2019 Share Posted October 12, 2019 6 minutes ago, plenzmd1 said: That fine, as long as its everyone..so to be clear I love what he has done for the most part...i just don't like 26 not being out there in crunch time. I think he needs that experience to grow. Sure Freddie knows more than me though..cant argue with no losses yet! By all accounts Dahlin is a very coachable kid. Even with the occasional situational sitting he is getting a lot of playing time. I'm not worried that because he isn't playing in all situations that he still isn't learning from what he is seeing. Krueger is a masterful teacher who knows how to develop his players. He's not an old school ogre who viscerally reacts when handling players. I'm comfortable in how the learned HC is handling not only Dahlin but also the younger players such as Mitts and Joki. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted October 12, 2019 Share Posted October 12, 2019 51 minutes ago, JohnC said: The two games against Montreal and Florida were teams that we will be probably vying with for playoff spots. In the Montreal game I thought they had the edge. We won. In the Florida game I thought they had the edge but if someone took the opposite view I couldn't argue with it. We won. The point is that there are a number of evenly matched teams where the difference in talent is miniscule. Will we be a playoff team? I'm still not sure. Right now the good fortune has worked out in our favor. It usually doesn't last. What makes me more optimistic about our playoff prospects is that this team under Krueger is more resilient and mentally tough. That's how I feel. Every player isn't going to be perfect all the time. I though Ullmark was great even though that first goal was on him for dropping too soon. The eye test says these guys are a lot better than last year but they aren't going 82-0. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-9 Posted October 12, 2019 Share Posted October 12, 2019 8 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said: That's how I feel. Every player isn't going to be perfect all the time. I though Ullmark was great even though that first goal was on him for dropping too soon. The eye test says these guys are a lot better than last year but they aren't going 82-0. Fair enough. But is 81-0-1 too much to ask? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted October 12, 2019 Share Posted October 12, 2019 44 minutes ago, K-9 said: Fair enough. But is 81-0-1 too much to ask? Perfectly reasonable expectation. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GG Posted October 12, 2019 Share Posted October 12, 2019 2 hours ago, plenzmd1 said: i disagreee on both points. 1) The second goal is scored because a man without a stick is essentially useless, therefore being two men down in that situation last night anyway. They would have been down 2 for 6 seconds as opposed to 40, especially on the short change. I think the bigger issue for the tying goal was a little stick in Risto's skates as he tried to clear and then a blatant hold of his stick that he couldn't get in position for the blocked shot with 6 secs to go. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Darin Posted October 12, 2019 Share Posted October 12, 2019 15 minutes ago, GG said: I think the bigger issue for the tying goal was a little stick in Risto's skates as he tried to clear and then a blatant hold of his stick that he couldn't get in position for the blocked shot with 6 secs to go. Agree Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted October 12, 2019 Share Posted October 12, 2019 4 hours ago, Alaska Darin said: I think it's ok for the new coach to hold EVERY player accountable. Those are messages that need to be sent. What also occurred at the end of the game for a few shifts was that Vesey was moved up to the first line to replace Olofsson. It's not so much as holding players accountable, which it is to a degree, but it is more so coaching to the situation and putting the players better suited for that situation. Going with your better defensive players at the end of the game when the other team with high end offensive players is making a push is a reflection of a smart and flexible coach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFan4 Posted October 13, 2019 Author Share Posted October 13, 2019 So I guess Joker is not the odd man out after all. Sounds like he’s here for the season. It would be quite a d*** move by our GM if he told Jokiharju to go get a house and then sent him down a few weeks later... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted October 13, 2019 Share Posted October 13, 2019 (edited) 11 hours ago, BillsFan4 said: So I guess Joker is not the odd man out after all. Sounds like he’s here for the season. It would be quite a d*** move by our GM if he told Jokiharju to go get a house and then sent him down a few weeks later... The issue isn't so much whether he would have been sent down with the return of Montour as it is how does it affect his playing time and pairing? As it stands Miller is working well with Dahlin, Risto and McCabe are our rugged pairing, and Scandella and Joki are a good puck moving and passing pair. Montour is a first or second pairing caliber of player. With whom is he going to be paired with? The person who is impacted with Joki being anchored to the roster is Pilot. I suspect that he will be spending more time in Rochester even after he is fully healed. As it has been much discussed this abundance of defensemen understandably leads to the speculation that Risto will eventually be traded to better balance out the roster. That means getting a second line forward back in a deal if it should happen to materialize. I'm ambivalent on trading Risto. Unless the return is a plug and play second line forward keeping him is a good option. Because he is such a rugged player on a defensive unit that leans toward a finesse style of play I have no qualms keeping him. Addition: Either last Thursday or Friday one of the hosts on the Instigator show made the comment that Montour was at least three weeks away from getting back on the ice. So it can be nearly a month or so before the GM has to address this roster issue. Edited October 13, 2019 by JohnC addition Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plenzmd1 Posted October 13, 2019 Share Posted October 13, 2019 hey @JohnC, say they make a Risto trade..( and i am with you, don't fix what aint broken right now) for a forward...what do they do with 17 at that point? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted October 13, 2019 Share Posted October 13, 2019 33 minutes ago, plenzmd1 said: hey @JohnC, say they make a Risto trade..( and i am with you, don't fix what aint broken right now) for a forward...what do they do with 17 at that point? For the sake of this discussion let's say that Risto is traded to Winnipeg for Ehlers to add a second line forward. The player who would get bumped would be Sobotka. That's an easy call. What happens to Sobotka? He could be moved to the MItts line or simply be an extraneous player who doesn't get much playing time or even be a regular watch in the box type of role. Sobotka is good on faceoffs and is a responsible checking player. But his role is limited. The GM doesn't like to buy out contracts. If that is the case then he will have to maybe send Sobotka down to Rochester or work out some accommodation for him to play in another league. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted October 13, 2019 Share Posted October 13, 2019 The attached link is an article by Paul Hamilton for WGR focusing on Dahlin and explaining why Dahlin didn't play at the end of the Florida game. Dahlin is a good and coachable kid who is receptive to what the coach decides to do. He's a big talent with a secure ego. We are fortunate to have him. https://wgr550.radio.com/articles/news/sabres-dahlin-knows-why-he-didnt-play-late-third 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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