GDT: Sabres vs Wild 7 PM ET - TV:MSG Radio:WGR550 - It's All Gravy (Boat)

[My Cozen Dylan]

I don’t expect a win coming off the west coast trip. But at a minimum we need 3 of 6 points this week.

 

[Zman5778]

The last couple years, the first game back after a West Coast swing has been a horror show for the Sabres. And Minny is a damned good team with a damned good top line.

Bit of a litmus test here. I'm not expecting a win.....but even playing these guys close would signal to me that maybe the mentality/culture of the team is changing for the better.

 

[Sabre the Win]

Curious how they respond after the Cali road trip and then Ruff laying into them at practice yesterday. Fairburn spoke about it with KB yesterday, they picked it up after the coach stopped everything and lit them up.

Is there audio or video for this, I completely missed it.

 

[debaser66]

My only gripe is McLeod on the 4th line over Krebs. Im assuming McLeod will still stack a decent amount of mins depending on how the game goes.

Does Cozens deserve to be 2C with how he played recently, it’s hard to decipher given all the negative comments about his play.

 

[Sabre the Win]

Does Cozens deserve to be 2C with how he played recently, it’s hard to decipher given all the negative comments about his play.

I don't think so, I would switch him with Mcleod but here we are stuck with a 7 million dollar center who can't be buried or sat because of the money is being paid or so I think, also giving him a letter is also probably protecting him. What else could it be?

 

[GrierIsGod123]

My only gripe is McLeod on the 4th line over Krebs. Im assuming McLeod will still stack a decent amount of mins depending on how the game goes.

I think the easy move will be to move McLeod up to 2C, shift Cozens to wing and move Krebs back to the 4th Line C role. That is if the second line struggles to make an impact. It almost feels like that is what Lindy is setting them up for.

 

[old kummelweck]

The last couple years, the first game back after a West Coast swing has been a horror show for the Sabres. And Minny is a damned good team with a damned good top line.

Bit of a litmus test here. I'm not expecting a win.....but even playing these guys close would signal to me that maybe the mentality/culture of the team is changing for the better.

Ruff didn't like yesterdays practice and actually made today's skate mandatory. Could be a matzo ball.

 

[Dubi Doo]

Does Cozens deserve to be 2C with how he played recently, it’s hard to decipher given all the negative comments about his play.

He looked quite a bit more confident last game. He's getting there, but McLeod is still the better C at this point, imo.

I'm intrigued how Lindy is going to use McLeod this game. I have to wonder if he'll give him spot checks on other lines to up his ice time.

 

[Zman5778]

I don't think so, I would switch him with Mcleod but here we are stuck with a 7 million dollar center who can't be buried or sat because of the money is being paid or so I think, also giving him a letter is also probably protecting him. What else could it be?

Personally, I think the fanbase in general is overblowing Cozens' poor play. Yeah, he has some rough moments......but he's largely getting chances, playing physical (3rd on the team in hits....yeah, it's a flawed stat....but it still does provide SOME insight) and IMO has been getting dragged down covering for Quinn who has had a putrid start.

 

[Zman5778]

He looked quite a bit more confident last game. He's getting there, but McLeod is still the better C at this point, imo.

I'm intrigued how Lindy is going to use McLeod this game. I have to wonder if he'll give him spot checks on other lines to up his ice time.

I think the lines are setting up well for Lindy to use Zucker with McLeod and Lafferty/Malenstyn/Quinn/Kulich in a close game.....with the winger being dictated by score and who's playing well.

 

[Fjordy]

Personally, I think the fanbase in general is overblowing Cozens' poor play. Yeah, he has some rough moments......but he's largely getting chances, playing physical (3rd on the team in hits....yeah, it's a flawed stat....but it still does provide SOME insight) and IMO has been getting dragged down covering for Quinn who has had a putrid start.

He's not consistent, he has a few decent games, then three bad ones in a row, and so on. But Lindy probably knows better, I hope Cozens starts playing even better.

 

[joshjull]

Personally, I think the fanbase in general is overblowing Cozens' poor play. Yeah, he has some rough moments......but he's largely getting chances, playing physical (3rd on the team in hits....yeah, it's a flawed stat....but it still does provide SOME insight) and IMO has been getting dragged down covering for Quinn who has had a putrid start.

He’s getting criticized because we’re 21gms in and he only has 4g 4a 8pts. Thats a 16 goal/32pt pace. Not remotely acceptable for our 7mil #2C.

Bigger contracts bring bigger expectations.

 

[GrierIsGod123]

I don't think so, I would switch him with Mcleod but here we are stuck with a 7 million dollar center who can't be buried or sat because of the money is being paid or so I think, also giving him a letter is also probably protecting him. What else could it be?

I'm willing to see/hope if that big goal last game will spark him. Getting a game-tying goal in the third period is big for him. I truly think a lot of his game (or lack thereof) is around confidence. He'll never be a high IQ guy but when he's confident he can use his physical abilities easier, if that makes any sense.

That said, I would keep that line on a short leash. McLeod has earned a continued look in a "scoring" role. Benson McLeod Cozens could be a pretty good 2nd line that would likely be a pain to play against with the speed and Benson's tenacity/rat-like play. Krebs seemed to spark Cozens last game but often those types of in-game moves don't translate to the next game, so we'll see. McLeod perhaps wasn't able to fill the Tage void very well but I do think he'd do well in a secondary role with more skilled line mates. He should be able to help that fourth line quite a bit as well.

He looked quite a bit more confident last game. He's getting there, but McLeod is still the better C at this point, imo.

I'm intrigued how Lindy is going to use McLeod this game. I have to wonder if he'll give him spot checks on other lines to up his ice time.

Absolutely ... there's no way he's playing 8 minutes on the 4th Line. He'll obviously get PK time but I think you're right that he'll see some time on the second line as well. They may even swap him and Krebs in that fashion.

 

[Sabre the Win]

Personally, I think the fanbase in general is overblowing Cozens' poor play. Yeah, he has some rough moments......but he's largely getting chances, playing physical (3rd on the team in hits....yeah, it's a flawed stat....but it still does provide SOME insight) and IMO has been getting dragged down covering for Quinn who has had a putrid start.

Getting chances sure, he shoots a lot but he fires directly into the goalies chest like I said in another thread. Give me Cozens in an accuracy contest with the 4 targets in each corner and a cardboard goalie. I bet he hits the goalie more.

 

[joshjull]

I’m hoping putting the two rats on Cozens wings is an attempt by Ruff to drag him back into the fight physically. The big brother to stick up for his pisspot little brothers.

 

[GrierIsGod123]

He’s getting criticized because we’re 21gms in and he only has 4g 4a 8pts. Thats a 16 goal/32pt pace. Not remotely acceptable for our 7mil #2C.

Bigger contracts bring bigger expectations.

Right and he's also getting dominated by the fancy stats too. The eye test, analytics and actual production are all bad ... and has been for over a year. Not sure how we're supposed to feel with a $7M guy getting primo ice time and looks largely incompetent in both ends of the ice.

I know, I'm the biggest Cozens hater in the world...but that is mainly because he hasn't really gotten better since his rookie year. Just watch closely and you'll see us getting outplayed when he's on the ice most of the time. He's having trouble with his positioning in Lindy's system and knowing where to be. You can almost see his head spinning out there and it's almost making him stand still at times.

That said, he looked better in spurts over the last few. He was terrible against San Jose for the first half of the game but then a switch seemed to turn on for him. Let's hope that wasn't just because we played a piss poor opponent. A game like tonight will be telling if he can look competent against a top team from the West.

 

[Fjordy]

Getting chances sure, he shoots a lot but he fires directly into the goalies chest like I said in another thread. Give me Cozens in an accuracy contest with the 4 targets in each corner and a cardboard goalie. I bet he hits the goalie more.

Maybe he should play more like a playmaker and shoot less?

 

[Butt Ox]

Buffalo Go!

 

[tsujimoto74]

A new lineup has entered the chat -

I wish Ruff would swap Cozens and Krebs. Some time on the wing might be the thing that gets Dylan going like we know he can.

 

[SundherDome]

Feels like MN is gunna wanna play with speed and meet our guys at their blueline, forwards will need to be defensively responsible and then forecheck like hell.

 

[Chainshot]

Is there audio or video for this, I completely missed it.

It was mentioned in the Baker-Fairburn podcast.

 

[Chainshot]

 

[Chainshot]

Personally, I think the fanbase in general is overblowing Cozens' poor play. Yeah, he has some rough moments......but he's largely getting chances, playing physical (3rd on the team in hits....yeah, it's a flawed stat....but it still does provide SOME insight) and IMO has been getting dragged down covering for Quinn who has had a putrid start.

They have mutually derailed one another.

 

[MarkusKetterer]

They have mutually derailed one another.

 

[Sabre the Win]

Maybe he should play more like a playmaker and shoot less?

Or he could figure out how to pick corners.