GBU The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly - Piddling Away Points At a Precipitous Pace.

[Ehran]

Did anyone ever report on what Dahlin said / did to the ref to receive the misconduct call?

Curious minds are curious.

Mrazek was surprisingly solid

Most goalies facing the Sabres lately have been......

 

[Shmuffalo]

Do you have anything besides blind optimism?

These are his stats prior to this season... and this year he's been outplayed by Kale Clague.

 

[Irie]

This needs some context.

We are talking about an offensive puck moving defenseman that was 20, 21, and 22 years old and playing for one of the worst teams in the league whose forwards struggle to help the D out with defensive assignments, and was being asked to play a defensive shut-down role in the NHL when he should have probably been marinating in the minors.

And then you look at his stats and say, "he's terrible". Not sure what anyone was expecting.

Personally, I am pulling for Jokiharju, he's a WHL prospect that I got to see live quite a bit during his time in Juniors, so I am a bit biased, but I feel the hate is unjustified given the circumstance of his situation.

I will admit that I have not been thrilled with the way Buffalo has handled his development, but I see improvement every season, and for a 23 year old D, his 5 on 5 defensive play is solid enough now, that I think he can get to the point where he will be a real asset.

The problem he struggles with most currently, IMO is his decision making with the puck under pressure, (surprisingly enough), and his propensity to ice the puck or dump it to the opposition when clearing the zone. It is starting to worry me that he isn't making better decisions as often as I had hoped he would given his expanding experience.

Having watched him in a strictly offesnive role in the past, I think he has it in him to overcome this and be a good two-way 3-4 defender, but it is true he is not there yet. Given his current value, selling low on him would not be smart though.

 

[joshjull]

The early success established expectations which wasnt supposed to happen yet. That was the next level and it’s reasonable imo to question if we have the right GM and coach for that next level. It involves accountability and making moves that hurt.

What?

 

[VaporTrail]

This is not a good hockey team.

That's not what pretty much every opposing team's broadcasting team's say...In fact it's quite the opposite.

 

[Shmuffalo]

That's not what pretty much every opposing team's broadcasting team's say...In fact it's quite the opposite.

Thank you. And people think I'm weird for muting the TV and bumping the opposing team's local broadcast audio.

 

[Zach716]

Do you have anything besides blind optimism?

These are his stats prior to this season... and this year he's been outplayed by Kale Clague.

He’s really been truly awful.

 

[joshjull]

Do you have anything besides blind optimism?

These are his stats prior to this season... and this year he's been outplayed by Kale Clague.

Posting this chart is on par with some of the ridiculous arguments you made in the debates about Tage’s extension. Like Tage didn’t deserve a contract like Thomas, etc because his average goals per season was too low by comparison. As if that had anything to do with why any those guys got paid.

Clague better than Joker? In what world would that be?

Power/Joker - 245mins
CF% —-> 48%
xGF% —> 48%
GF ——> 14
GA ——> 13
SV% —-> .913
SH%——> 11.5%
OZS% —> 43%

Power/Clague - 156mins
CF% —> 57%
xGF% -> 48%
GF —--> 6
GA ——> 9
SV% —> .875
SH% —> 7.6%
OZS% -> 69%


Joker plays much tougher deployment with Power and has better overall stats with him. Joker also plays about 2-3mins a night more with Power than Clague did and 1:30-2mins more a night 5v5.

But sure Clague is better.

 

[littletonhockeycoach]

Feels like the coach and GM need to have a sit-down to talk about what they are supposed to be trying to accomplish. They aren't getting better play out of Quinn or Peterka. The defensive play out of the Jost line is rough and best helped when they are able to cycle in the offensive zone because it's harder to score from 200' away. Thompson's line is not particularly strong defensively. There has not been improvement in how they defend in their zone or how they defend the neutral zone when up from what I can see. That's where the growth should be coming from.

And if they are now supposed to be winning instead of just improving, then the GM had better get on the same page.

Well said. There are too many players who take shifts or situations off. That's a coaching and management expectations issue. Dahlin's a superb player but even he has exhibited some dead brain time. Complaining to the Ref about the opponent's play after they had just scored was annoying. Sure he was tugged and hooked and harassed but I sensed that he wasn't as determined as usual to gain possession on the play. Anderson's whine about being interfered with was weak. It wasn't an instance drastic and debilitating contact. Thompson has this incredible reach given his height and stick length but he over relies on it and of late, does not move his feet. Evidence was at the end of the 3rd period and especially during the 3 on 3 puck recovery in the Sabres D zone.

I sense that different expectations have been set between the coach and by the GM and the players realize this and feel overly secure in their status.

Just when Oloffson and Mitts get going the rest of the team tanks. Thats the good and the worst.

Anderson has a right to be mad about Johnson on the tying goal but you can’t put your fate in the hands of toronto on a so so goalie interference.

Ive hated skinner for a while now just a lot of bad passes and lazy effort lately and think it’s affecting Thompson mojo.

Also the overuse of our studs has now come to roost. Dahlin and Thompson are not themselves. Its now a short term problem on top of a long term problem. Time to pull up on the reins Donnie.

Agree that Dahlin and Thompson are not themselves..... Or perhaps Thompson is???

Because we've seen this level of play from him before.......?

 

[joshjull]

He’s really been truly awful.

No that post was.

 

[Shmuffalo]

Posting this chart is on par with some of the ridiculous arguments you made in the debates about Tage’s extension. Like Tage didn’t deserve a contract like Thomas, etc because his average goals per season was too low by comparison. As if that had anything to do with why any those guys got paid.

Clague better than Joker? In what world would that be?

Power/Joker - 245mins
CF% —-> 48%
xGF% —> 48%
GF ——> 14
GA ——> 13
SV% —-> .913
SH%——> 11.5%
OZS% —> 43%

Power/Clague - 156mins
CF% —> 57%
xGF% -> 48%
GF —--> 6
GA ——> 9
SV% —> .875
SH% —> 7.6%
OZS% -> 69%


Joker plays much tougher deployment with Power and has better overall stats with him. Joker also plays about 2-3mins a night more with Power than Clague did and 1:30-2mins more a night 5v5.

But sure Clague is better.

I mean, Tage doesn't deserve a contract like Thomas'. Five iron, huh? You're fired. Bye-bye.

edit. who is his agent, I'm looking for a nice bathtub.

 

[Dubi Doo]

Even when then shots were crazy in our favor during the second- and we went up 3 to 2- I thought they looked incredibly sloppy. Theyre hitting a wall. Too bad. I thought theyd be in contention for a playoff spot until March. Oh well.

 

[Dubi Doo]

Blowing a 3-1 lead to a team that's closer to AHL level than NHL level is simply unacceptable. No excuses whatsoever for this one, none.

Agreed. Be mad, people. This game will be meaningless in the long-term, but for tonight (or this AM)...we riot!

 

[Macbanan]

G: team played reasonably well overall
Mittelstadt line plays good
Tuch is the most consistantly good and a line driver
Power
B:
First line is underwhelming and has always been bad defensively
Kid line is weak and Quinn misses the net or shoots the logo.

U:
Dahlin. If anyone else did played like that they'd want him off the team. Caused multiple 2 on 1s, breakaways from bad pinches and blatant giveaways. Was out of position and kept missing his man in front of the net. Terrible game and only luck and Anderson saved him from being the scapegoat.

 

[TageGod]

Every game we give up 3+ no matter how well the team plays. Unless we get a goalie that becomes top 5, this team needs to score 4+ every single game. It's not going to happen.

 

[DustyZ]

G: team played reasonably well overall
Mittelstadt line plays good
Tuch is the most consistantly good and a line driver
Power
B:
First line is underwhelming and has always been bad defensively
Kid line is weak and Quinn misses the net or shoots the logo.

U:
Dahlin. If anyone else did played like that they'd want him off the team. Caused multiple 2 on 1s, breakaways from bad pinches and blatant giveaways. Was out of position and kept missing his man in front of the net. Terrible game and only luck and Anderson saved him from being the scapegoat.

I keep saying it and it keeps getting refuted for some reason.

He's seriously compromised with fatigue. He's not prepared to play the minutes Granato is forcing him to play. Physical exhaustion leads to mental exhaustion.

You don't go from playing like he did the first 30 games, to this, unless there's underlying reasons.

It's not going to get better for this team in the 2nd half.

 

[elchud]

I said it a few weeks ago. As long as we score 4 goals a game we are good.

 

[Duddy]

They stopped progressing. And for a "development" year, that's pretty bad. But oh well, magic will change everything next season.

 

[BFLO]

Posting this chart is on par with some of the ridiculous arguments you made in the debates about Tage’s extension. Like Tage didn’t deserve a contract like Thomas, etc because his average goals per season was too low by comparison. As if that had anything to do with why any those guys got paid.

Clague better than Joker? In what world would that be?

Power/Joker - 245mins
CF% —-> 48%
xGF% —> 48%
GF ——> 14
GA ——> 13
SV% —-> .913
SH%——> 11.5%
OZS% —> 43%

Power/Clague - 156mins
CF% —> 57%
xGF% -> 48%
GF —--> 6
GA ——> 9
SV% —> .875
SH% —> 7.6%
OZS% -> 69%


Joker plays much tougher deployment with Power and has better overall stats with him. Joker also plays about 2-3mins a night more with Power than Clague did and 1:30-2mins more a night 5v5.

But sure Clague is better.

Clauge has better stats in every category here aside from HDCF where they are 0.5% apart.

Re: Tage
Players with longer track records of production are safer bets than player with shorter records of production. How is that a ridiculous argument?

 

[debaser66]

stop those cute cross ice passes through 3 opposing players and get it onto the net.

 

[oldgoalie]

The play or the takes?

both.

 

[DustyZ]

Re: Tage
Players with longer track records of production are safer bets than player with shorter records of production. How is that a ridiculous argument?

So we're back to blaming Tage for our woes?

 

[truthbluth]

WTF guys? Can we stop overreacting please? The Sabres are struggling. This season has been one of ups and downs. They are cold, at the moment, and soon they will get hot again. Please chill. Sabres are the youngest team in the league and growing into themselves. By the end of the season, we should be seeing what this team is. Losses provide teachable moments. They've made great progress but they aren't fully cooked yet.


That said, a move for Chychrun still makes too much sense and would force one of our very poor defensemen out of the lineup while hopefully solidifying that 3rd pair and giving Samuelsson, Power and Dahlin a more manageable workload.

 

[old kummelweck]

It is good this is happening now. This informs Adams on what he should be doing around roster composition and planning more longer-term. Listening to the After the Whistle yesterday, I once again agree with Vanek that if he was going to push for playoffs, he should have made a move already to help the roster. Probalby not much available, though. Teams still seem to entertain they aren't completely out until the deadline.

That said, if Thompson/Skinner start to get on a heater, things can change quickly.

 

[Bendium]

I said it a few weeks ago. As long as we score 4 goals a game we are good.

Except we are giving up 4 or more....so not so good.