GBU The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly - No Puck Luck For You! Edition 10/27/22 3-2 loss to Montreal

[Panthaz89]

Did I watch a different game? Dahlin and Power were a disaster. Dahlin needs to better in his own end.

You expect Dahlin to push Power out of screening our goalie? I mean I can't imagine him doing much better in this game when he was stuck covering for mistakes a lot and he actually stopped a lot of their odd-man chances by himself.

 

[Grouch]

G

# of shots
Quinn with better game
Comrie
Skinner looked better

B

Powers
KO
VO

U

Lines - there has been 1 consistent line that has been good. 77-24-29. Why breaks that up. Because trying to get KO and VO to do something. Doesn't make sense.

 

[TheBarnIsElectric]

I didn't think this was a good performance given the standard this team has shown capable of reaching. Sure, they outshot the opponent, but everything was still kind of loose and sloppy. Effort was fine, but decision making was poor overall. Passes were often a little bit off in key spots. Poor defensive zone coverage.

G: Dahlin was excellent. Cozens still pretty good.

B: Power

If they can get Thompson and Skinner going and tighten things up overall, this team can still be really dangerous.

 

[BFLO]

Quinn defended better than 90% of the team last night and had a big assist for Skinners goal. He was one of our best skaters in the game.

I didn't say he was bad.

Just pointing out one of the worst brain farts I've ever seen on the ice. Maybe it didn't look as bad on TV? That play upset everybody in the arena, it was atrocious.

 

[THUNDERBURST]

Did I watch a different game? Dahlin and Power were a disaster. Dahlin needs to better in his own end.

No, you're just biased towards Dahlin as usual. To whom, but there are no complaints about him, he is good all over the ice and plays damn well for 25+ minutes a night.

 

[old kummelweck]

This team needs more practice time, but I see some concerning things around structure. Could be the D depth, could be coaching, could be lack of practice. Hard to tell.

 

[TheMistyStranger]

Did I watch a different game? Dahlin and Power were a disaster. Dahlin needs to better in his own end.

I can't imagine watching that game last night and having issues with Dahlin's game

 

[BFLO]

G: Fitz, Pilut, Quinn. 0 high danger corsi against.

 

[Sabre the Win]

I don't really like the deflection takes about being down 2 defensemen is the struggle to our losses.

Is it a factor? Sure a small factor mixed in with a bunch of other factors like, running the youngest team in the NHL with very little experience. Running a soft team who are losing in the hits department regularly. Granato allowing these cutesy little plays rather than playing hard nosed hockey and going to the net. The most ugly power play I have ever seen, the players are static and rarely move from their assigned spots other than to chase a lose puck.

Also Pilut played a decent game, I had no problems with Fitzy or Boosh. Dahlin was amazing, so if being down just Joki and Cobra is causing Power and Bryson to suck which I don't think Bryson had a terrible game either than they should just pack up for the season and try again next year.

Power was absolutely putrid.

 

[Panthaz89]

I don't really like the deflection takes about being down 2 defensemen is the struggle to our losses.

Is it a factor? Sure a small factor mixed in with a bunch of other factors like, running the youngest team in the NHL with very little experience. Running a soft team who are losing in the hits department regularly. Granato allowing these cutesy little plays rather than playing hard nosed hockey and going to the net. The most ugly power play I have ever seen, the players are static and rarely move from their assigned spots other than to chase a lose puck.

Also Pilut played a decent game, I had no problems with Fitzy or Boosh. Dahlin was amazing, so if being down just Joki and Cobra is causing Power and Bryson to suck which I don't think Bryson had a terrible game either than they should just pack up for the season and try again next year.

Power was absolutely putrid.

Well yes Power is going to look bad on the top pair he's supposed to be on the 2nd pair with Joker without Joker and Samuelsson we really only have 1 D-man that is capable of defending adequately in a top 4 role.

 

[Sabre the Win]

Well yes Power is going to look bad on the top pair he's supposed to be on the 2nd pair with Joker without Joker and Samuelsson we really only have 1 D-man that is capable of defending adequately in a top 4 role.

Power shouldn't even be in the top 4, it's not Joki being out causing the Sabres to lose or Cobra.

It's experience and coaching being the main culprits. Sabres bought into their own hype like I did with these cutesy plays.

It's Granato playing Power top 4 because for some reason Bryson or Pilut can't move up.


EDIT: Also Joki was everyone's whipping boy before he went out and now he's the deflection for the Sabres trouble. According to whipping boy status, him being out should make us better.

 

[BFLO]

I think some posters are being a bit harsh on Power. He had some awful puck luck.

He was out there a lot with the 53/72/89 who decided to play fire wagon hockey.

Power had the highest on ice SCF and HDCF. He also had the highest against, but he wasn't a huge outlier.

He generated some significant chances that we failed to convert.

 

[GrierIsGod123]

I think some posters are being a bit harsh on Power. He had some awful puck luck.

He was out there a lot with the 53/72/89 who decided to play fire wagon hockey.

Power had the highest on ice SCF and HDCF. He also had the highest against, but he wasn't a huge outlier.

He generated some significant chances that we failed to convert.

I agree with this. Power wasn't horrible by any means. He was exactly as the analytics described. It feels as though the forwards are struggling to help in the defensive zone, especially the top line. I'd say the analytics back up the eye test on this one. Power still generally makes the right/smart plays, but think teams are starting to pressure his side quite a bit and he's adjusting.

Dahlin was fantastic and looks all-world out there. He made a couple of small mistakes but was able to quickly counteract his mistakes with good plays.

Personally, I'd split Power and Dahlin up. Try something like...

Dahlin Bryson (worked last year, but maybe they switch sides with Dahlin being strong at RD)
Power Boosh (complimentary styles)
Pilut Fitz (seemed fine to me)

 

[THUNDERBURST]

Dahlin Bryson (worked last year, but maybe they switch sides with Dahlin being strong at RD)
Power Boosh (complimentary styles)
Pilut Fitz (seemed fine to me)

It makes a lot of sense

 

[Panthaz89]

I think some posters are being a bit harsh on Power. He had some awful puck luck.

He was out there a lot with the 53/72/89 who decided to play fire wagon hockey.

Power had the highest on ice SCF and HDCF. He also had the highest against, but he wasn't a huge outlier.

He generated some significant chances that we failed to convert.

a lot of the puck luck happened because of him though usually...also he plays WAY too passive on D he constantly backs off in the D-zone like every player that gets the puck in the zone is McDavid even when he is in the right spot to quickly stop a play he's content skating towards the net and letting the opponents make the first move.

 

[Chainshot]

Power shouldn't even be in the top 4, it's not Joki being out causing the Sabres to lose or Cobra.

It's experience and coaching being the main culprits. Sabres bought into their own hype like I did with these cutesy plays.

It's Granato playing Power top 4 because for some reason Bryson or Pilut can't move up.


EDIT: Also Joki was everyone's whipping boy before he went out and now he's the deflection for the Sabres trouble. According to whipping boy status, him being out should make us better.

Everyone's? So we are going with the appeal to the masses to discount Jokiharju's underlying GA metrics to start the season. Cool cool. Power is clearly doing things they want out of their defensemen or else they wouldn't be giving him the icetime. Pilut was a team low on defense last night. The game prior, it was Fitzgerald. Going back to the games before the string of losing a defenseman every night, it was Lybushkin team low against Florida (consider he took 2 penalties and was not out there in PK time as he normally is to kill off the ones he was serving) and the opener it was Bryson.

If they had confidence that either Pilut or Fitz could play more right now, they likely would. But until they step up in the minutes they are playing, we're likely to continue to see Power in the 20-minute plus neighborhood. Bryson and Lyubushkin are in the high teens already, which is 5-6 minutes more for each than when the season started.

 

[THUNDERBURST]

Joki problem is that he is constantly injured. Yes, it's absolutely not his fault, but that doesn't make it any easier.

 

[Matt Ress]

Glad Skinner read my rant about him.
Sloppy game throughout.
No killer instinct
Missed the net quite a bit.
First game is back is always a tough one but this was a very winnable game.

This. Also felt like we were fine with tying the game and started laying back when we did.

Seemed like they were content going to OT with like 8 minutes left in the game.

 

[Game suspension]

Forget the good

The bad and ugly is that this team can't score. When you stack up your first line and 2 of the 3 guys have 1 goal after 7 games you are in trouble.

I get the sense this will be the same problem all year until some of these losing legacy forwards get traded away.

 

[Sabre the Win]

Everyone's? So we are going with the appeal to the masses to discount Jokiharju's underlying GA metrics to start the season. Cool cool. Power is clearly doing things they want out of their defensemen or else they wouldn't be giving him the icetime. Pilut was a team low on defense last night. The game prior, it was Fitzgerald. Going back to the games before the string of losing a defenseman every night, it was Lybushkin team low against Florida (consider he took 2 penalties and was not out there in PK time as he normally is to kill off the ones he was serving) and the opener it was Bryson.

If they had confidence that either Pilut or Fitz could play more right now, they likely would. But until they step up in the minutes they are playing, we're likely to continue to see Power in the 20-minute plus neighborhood. Bryson and Lyubushkin are in the high teens already, which is 5-6 minutes more for each than when the season started.

You don't know unless you try, Power isn't exactly screaming confidence right now so I have no idea what gives the coaches confidence to play Power 20 minutes a night in the top 4. He was an absolute liability last night. Power needs to be sheltered, play sheltered minutes.

 

[CrazyWayne]

Good
The confidence most of the team has in trying highly skilled moves and passes

Mitts, cozens, peterka constantly looking dangerous

Dahlin

Bad
The fact the moves and passes haven't really worked

The ugly
The timing and area the players try those moves, seem like way too many happen trying to break out. Need to keep the break out a bit simpler

Also ugly the poor and over aggressive angles the defensemen have taken these past couple games with the sabres more defensive first defenders out injured

 

[beerme1]

Forget the good

The bad and ugly is that this team can't score. When you stack up your first line and 2 of the 3 guys have 1 goal after 7 games you are in trouble.

I get the sense this will be the same problem all year until some of these losing legacy forwards get traded away.

Who? Girgs, Oki? Who is left?

 

[dasaybz]

Forget the good

The bad and ugly is that this team can't score. When you stack up your first line and 2 of the 3 guys have 1 goal after 7 games you are in trouble.

I get the sense this will be the same problem all year until some of these losing legacy forwards get traded away.

You get the sense that Skinner and Tage will be on an 11 goal for the season pace?
oooooook

 

[Sabre the Win]

You get the sense that Skinner and Tage will be on an 11 goal for the season pace?
oooooook

It's not out of the realm of possibility because you know, the Sabres can always Sabre

Just like it's not out of the realm of possibility after our 5-1 start, we drop 8 to 10 in a row because it feels like it has happened almost every year.

 

[Deep Blue Metallic]

I wonder how much the success of the Bills, and the increase in cost of attending their games, is putting a drag on Sabres attendance? Along with other economic factors like inflation?

Until this team is a legit playoff contender, they will have a hard time filling the building on plenty of nights. Now if they are a legit contender and still struggle to fill the building, then you really have to be concerned.

I think the Eichel trade was the proverbial last straw for many casual fans. The hardcore fans like us were "good riddance". They were "nope, I'm not supporting yet another rebuild".

Agree that being a genuine playoff threat will be required to bring them back. That's 1-2 seasons away imho.