Post-Game Talk (GBU): They won?!?!?!

[Jame]

Like Kotalik, Pardy was a throw in on a trade. I believe the plan from the time of the trade was that they would not make the roster.

Pretty stupid plan... TJ brennan was clearly a better choice

 

[Butt Ox]

C'mon Ron, hecht is never gonna get a chance to dot lecavaliers other eye with no ice time.

Been five long years. Unleash the manos de piedra- in a good way.

 

[SabreBlood]

I assume you're trying to spin an inference that the PK was below average because of Hecht. Yet, as I stated earlier, of the regular penalty-killing forwards, only Kaleta had a better GA/60 at 4-on-5. That's not an argument. That's an objective fact. You try to poke holes in that because it doesn't jibe with your belief that Hecht has no usefulness to this team. Meanwhile, guys like Pominville and Hodgson get lit up like a Christmas tree on the PK, and you're only too happy to see them continue to be sent out there. (Nevermind the fact that we often waste a Vanek shift after a PK because he's not out there with Hodgson-Poms because they have to rest after the PK.)

You keep using advanced stats as if it's the only thing that matters. There are so many more variables to this sport. Variables that aren't necessarily measured by a mathmatical equation. There are differences in the philosophies of the two head coaches this team has had. Ron Rolston recognizes much of what you have problems with. Ruff didn't. For instance, last night, he didn't waste Pominville and Hodgson on the PK, unless he absolutely had to. The mini-parade to the penalty box was well under-way before he used them to penalty kill. And what's really interesting about that, is that Hecht STILL wasn't utilized there, regardless of what the advanced stat sheet ever said about it, which Ron Rolston is undoubtedly aware of.

Did you notice that Rolston's top penalty killing forwards are now Porter, Kaleta, Ott, and Stafford? In that order, might I add. Hodgson and Pominville are forward PK line 3 for Ron Rolston. Hecht was no where to be found, and the PK was simply better. Even with a player that you scoffed at when I mentioned bringing him up, playing more PK minutes than any other forward on the team.

Again, sample size: 1. If we give up a goal or two on the PK to Florida on Thursday night, and Hecht doesn't play the PK, are people correct to assert that the PK desperately missed Hecht?

Let's see where the new and improved PK ranks after 17 more games. It will continue to improve.

I love how you keep citing TB's PP rank. I'm sure the fact that their division rivals are ranked 23rd (WSH), 25th (CAR), 29th (FLA), and 30th (WPG) on the PK has little to do with their high PP rank?

I'm sure that has something to do with it. You know what else has to do with it? The ridiculous amount of offensively talented players they have on the ice during any given PP.

Hecht played the PK against NYI (omg, 6th ranked!) and the team didn't surrender a goal until Ott-Stafford were on the ice in the final minute for a meaningless goal. Frankly, I'm shocked you've yet to attribute that PPGA to Hecht having played on the PK earlier in the game.

This is irrelevant. The point of the conversation revolves around Hecht's usefullness and importance to the team. Every day that Rolston has been here, Hecht has been pushed further and further down the depth chart. Eventually, he'll be out. If/when Leino comes back, who's the odd man out? Hecht is far more likely to be that than Porter. Why is that? Because this coach recognizes what Ruff clearly couldn't.

Also, if Stamkos converts a shot that almost everyone would agree he usually cashes, nobody, including you, is talking about the "great PK" tonight. Fortunately--for the Sabres, for Kevin Porter who was watching helplessly, and for you to come in here and spin this opportunistic garbage--he did miss.

A drop in the bucket of the much larger picture of last night's penalty kill. You can focus on that if it makes you feel better about your position.

Sure, if you like the poor performance that Poms and Hodgson have exhibited thus far on the PK. But according to objective numbers, Kaleta is the only forward who seems to be on the ice for fewer goals than Hecht. He should be utilized there.

As mentioned above, Rolston knows what's up; and Kaleta is being used heavily on Ron's PK. His #1 unit is Porter, Kaleta, Regehr, and Weber.

Hecht has also done a good job of goal prevention at ES. He's also paid $1m and is a 4th liner. Yet he is the problem? Your campaign is absurd.

He is absolutely a problem. For you to continue to argue that he some how makes this team better is pure entertainment.

 

[Der Jaeger]

I'd send him to Rochester for a few games. He's scoring less at ES than Jochen Hecht, FFS. He's not PK'ing. He adds nothing to the PP. And worse yet, he's forgotten how to play the game that made him such a success in the second half last year, and the early portion of this year. There used to be a time where a second-year, waiver-exempt player would get sent to the AHL for this crap. Apparently, those days are gone.

Agree. I'd send Grigorenko back to the Q and Foligno back to Rochester. Get both of them away from this mess. Bring Ellis and McCormick back up. Ride out the season like this:

Vanek - Hodgson - Pominville
Ott - Ennis - Stafford
Gerbe - Porter - Kaleta
Scott - Hecht - Ellis/McCormick

Bring Foligno back when he finds his hitting game. Let Grigorenko give it another shot next season.

 

[ZZamboni]

Sorry to break this to the Hecht bashers ...


(Barring injury) Hecht will not be sat, waived, or cut or otherwise not play for the remainder of this season. Yesterday was game #20. Only 28 more to go over roughly two months. Hecht isn't going anywhere this season. Stomp your feet, fold your arms, make your mad face, but this is reality. Awe too bad, so sad.

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

Sorry to break this to the Hecht bashers ...


(Barring injury) Hecht will not be sat, waived, or cut or otherwise not play for the remainder of this season. Yesterday was game #20. Only 28 more to go over roughly two months. Hecht isn't going anywhere this season. Stomp your feet, fold your arms, make your mad face, but this is reality. Awe too bad, so sad.

I don't know about that. Five minutes of ice time is telling. Depends if Leino comes back. Hecht problem is he plays scared or not to get hit now. I get it, doesn't want his brains scrambled. I was happy when they signed him. Good pickup, I thought. But he just seems too soft now in both ends. Little use. Two games in, Porter looks a little better.

 

[vcv]

Adam Pardy is another example of Ruff never giving any outsiders a chance... He looks like he belongs in the NHL.

I don't know if that was Ruff's call. They would have had to make a roster spot for him. Weber is still young enough, Brennan *may* not have made it through waivers back then (he would now) and they wanted to see what they had in him.

 

[SabreBlood]

Sorry to break this to the Hecht bashers ...


(Barring injury) Hecht will not be sat, waived, or cut or otherwise not play for the remainder of this season. Yesterday was game #20. Only 28 more to go over roughly two months. Hecht isn't going anywhere this season. Stomp your feet, fold your arms, make your mad face, but this is reality. Awe too bad, so sad.

That's cool. 13th forward is a decent consolation prize.

 

[SabreBlood]

I don't know if that was Ruff's call. They would have had to make a roster spot for him. Weber is still young enough, Brennan *may* not have made it through waivers back then (he would now) and they wanted to see what they had in him.

They (Regier and Ruff) should have made room for Pardy via trade or waivers. That was very apparent in Pardy's first game with the big club.

Leopold should have been dealt during last season. But he was a Ruff favorite, over-utilized and over-valued. And now It appears as though he wasn't a healthy-scratch in Ruff's last game...He was injured.

 

[Chainshot]

I was all for sending Foligno down earlier in the season when the team needed a collective kick in the pants during their initial losing streak. At this point, he could use the wake-up call. They're giving him the Stafford treatment if one recalls how they dealt with Stafford in his second full season -- pencilled in based on a small production sample from the previous year. He struggled like one could expect a second year player to do and right now, Foligno is doing the same. Perhaps the place to look (again) is at the top of the hockey department food chain, at the man in charge.

 

[VaporTrail]

Foligno blows this year....Send him down to Racha until he learns/wants to play

 

[joshjull]

Adam Pardy is another example of Ruff never giving any outsiders a chance... He looks like he belongs in the NHL.

How do you figure?

He's no different than Sulzer, as in a 6/7 dman thrown into a trade. Sulzer not only got a chance but played minutes well beyond his abilities.

They (Regier and Ruff) should have made room for Pardy via trade or waivers. That was very apparent in Pardy's first game with the big club.

Leopold should have been dealt during last season. But he was a Ruff favorite, over-utilized and over-valued. And now It appears as though he wasn't a healthy-scratch in Ruff's last game...He was injured.

Why on earth would they waive or trade people to make sure Pardy was on the roster? He's a bottom pairing dman. Thats not said as a slight btw.

Our top 6 going into the season was set as was our #7 dman. The only add was Brennan as the #8 dman. If we had a regular training camp and pre-season Pardy may have been able to earn a spot. But with the truncated training camp and no preseason, the Sabres went with the known.

I agree Leo has sucked this year. I've been hammering him for awhile, so I'm no fan. But I don't think any fair minded person thought his play would tail off this much. He has been brutal.


I think Pardy was very good yesterday. A large reason for that was he played the minutes a bottom pairing dman should play at ES (as did Weber). Lets not get carried away with what he is.

 

[vcv]

They (Regier and Ruff) should have made room for Pardy via trade or waivers. That was very apparent in Pardy's first game with the big club.

Leopold should have been dealt during last season. But he was a Ruff favorite, over-utilized and over-valued. And now It appears as though he wasn't a healthy-scratch in Ruff's last game...He was injured.

Leopold was fine last year. He didn't truly suck until this year. So I don't blame them for not getting rid of him before the season.

 

[joshjull]

Is it too soon to say Weber has his game back?

 

[vcv]

Is it too soon to say Weber has his game back?

He's at his best when he plays a simple game and can trust and rely on his teammates to do their jobs. If his partner of a forward isn't where they should be, that's when his play breaks down.

 

[joshjull]

So we have 3 of the 4 defensive train wrecks out of the lineup and we have a solid to good defensive performance.

Any chance Leo, Sulzer and Brennan can stay out? It would be as easy as waiving one of them.

 

[joshjull]

He's at his best when he plays a simple game and can trust and rely on his teammates to do their jobs. If his partner or a forward isn't where they should be, that's when his play breaks down.

Thats the other players fault not his.

Weber on his game is a 5/6 defensive dman thats got a physical edge and is a very good PKer.

 

[tsujimoto74]

Leopold was fine last year. He didn't truly suck until this year. So I don't blame them for not getting rid of him before the season.

Leopold kind of sucked last year too. Ruff just hid/sheltered him better.
He was a -11 on the road and a +15 at home, which pretty much says to me that when Ruff wasn't able to dictate the match-ups, other teams didn't have a hard time taking advantage of him.

 

[vcv]

Actually thats the other players fault not his.

I know, but other defensemen, better ones, can recover better and/or not let it ruin their whole game.

 

[joshjull]

I know, but other defensemen, better ones, can recover better and/or not let it ruin their whole game.

The edit in my previous post is what I think Weber is on his game. I don't really expect that guy to consistently bail out teammates not doing their job defensively.

 

[SabreBlood]

Why on earth would they waive or trade people to make sure Pardy was on the roster? He's a bottom pairing dman. Thats not said as a slight btw.

To upgrade the bottom pairing. Both Leo and Brennan really need to go. McNabb has rediscovered his game in Rochester, and is a fine call-up replacement due to injury.

Our top 6 going into the season was set as was our #7 dman. The only add was Brennan as the #8 dman. If we had a regular training camp and pre-season Pardy may have been able to earn a spot. But with the truncated training camp and no preseason, the Sabres went with the known.

I agree Leo has sucked this year. I've been hammering him for awhile, so I'm no fan. But I don't think any fair minded person thought his play would tail off this much. He has been brutal.

No, I don't know how anyone could have expected him to be this brutal. But the time to trade him was last season, and I feel entirely comfortable saying that because I was hammering that point for the entirety of last season. His play and Brennan's play, and dare I say even Myers' play, has been so bad, that a move (not Myers) has been sorely needed.

I think Pardy was very good yesterday. A large reason for that was he played the minutes a bottom pairing dman should play at ES (as did Weber). Lets not get carried away with what he is.

How is wanting Pardy on the bottom pairing rather than Brennan or Leopold getting carried away with anything? It's a no-brainer.

 

[beerme1]

B:
Gerbe....all hustle, no finish

Easy now. He has taken over the Matt Ellis role

 

[joshjull]

To upgrade the bottom pairing. Both Leo and Brennan really need to go. McNabb has rediscovered his game in Rochester, and is a fine call-up replacement due to injury.

No, I don't know how anyone could have expected him to be this brutal. But the time to trade him was last season, and I feel entirely comfortable saying that because I was hammering that point for the entirety of last season. His play and Brennan's play, and dare I say even Myers' play, has been so bad, that a move (not Myers) has been sorely needed.

How is wanting Pardy on the bottom pairing rather than Brennan or Leopold getting carried away with anything? It's a no-brainer.

My point was expecting the team prior to the season to waive or trade players to open up a spot for a 6/7dman like Pardy is a bit much. Now is a different story.

 

[Jame]

How do you figure?

He's no different than Sulzer, as in a 6/7 dman thrown into a trade. Sulzer not only got a chance but played minutes well beyond his abilities.

Completely different players
Completely different situations/timing
Completely different resumes

... but please, take my comments and launch into your own agenda... by all means.

 

[Jame]

Is it too soon to say Weber has his game back?

nope