Post-Game Talk (GBU): 1 down 81 to go

[1point21Gigawatts]

G: Myers looked pretty good for the most part. Enroth played very well. The Stewart-Girgs-Foligno line was on all night.

B: This team is still bad, especially possession-wise. They look better than last season (small sample size, as well as it's not saying much) and they'll win a few games, but they are still gonna be hard to watch on a lot of nights.

U: Everyone who is all over Reinhardt's nuts for being "unseen" or whatever. Cut the kid some slack. It's his first regular season NHL game, he made a few really good plays and didn't seem horribly lost out there. He is gonna be really good when he adapts his game for the NHL

 

[OkimLom]

WARNING - I'm a pro-tanker, so some of the comments might make some posters angry

I was scared during the preseason as they showed multiple games that they had breakout plays and were successful. Thankfully, they didn't use them.

The same problems we saw last year surfaced again last night. For someone that is pro-tanking that's great, but for someone who also wants to see them competitive and improve, that's not a good sign. We are waaaaaay too weak on the puck, we are constantly being out muscled for the puck or easily knocked down.

Good: Stewart, Myers for the most part(Had way more positive plays than negative), Weber(simple easy plays; stuck up for Reinhart)

Bad: Everyone else. Every line had issues, you really can't say any lines SHOULD stay together. Very underwhelmed with 1st Line of MES, 2nd Line had no jam, easily pushed off the puck in offensive zone to kill any time in their zone, 3rd line was best, not saying much as outside certain shifts where Stewart was the catalyst they really did nothing with cycling and possessing the puck 4th line needs to be blown up with Nick was the only bright spot.

Ugly: Them throwing everything positive they did in preseason away for the first game. Also, their faceoff ability. Wow, I've never seen a team so bad at faceoffs. It seems the only way we win faceoffs is if the centerman wins it clean.

I was a little worried about how their effort would improve the team, but after watching last night, IF it's a sign of things to come, I shouldn't worry as if you combine last year's team with a decline in goaltending abilities, and add a defense that is trying to learn to play with one another, as I don't think theres a defense pairing that played together last year, then we should be in the hunt for #1 or #2 overall.

 

[BowieSabresFan]

Standards. Watch around the league. Good defensemen don't make a quarter of the goofs that he does. Again, I'm not talking about the big, glaring gaffes. I'm talking about the little things, tape to tape passes, holding the puck in, making a subtle play to jeep the play alive. Myers misses on these plays a lot.

I'll hold with my original observation on your player analytical skills.

 

[Wisent42]

The bads and uglys are pretty obvious so I'm going with the good.

Enroth was really good. The goals aren't on him and he stopped a lot of attempts.
Myers. He still needs to work on things but what I liked about his game last night and where he was last year before the injury is his style. He plays with such authority. That's the sign of a true elite d-man with some rough edges.
Weber. I think he did a good job. Kept it simple and played to his strength. Stepped in for Reinhart. There's a lot of Weber bashing going around, and some of it is deserved, but he's a good soldier with limited talent and as long as plays within his ability, he's a good teammate to have around.
Girgensons goal. That was just sick. And there's another possible elite player in the making. With his combination of skills, size and determination, he's going to strike fear into his opponents for years to come. When he shifts into gear and gets on track for the net like that... That's got to be terrifying for the goalie.

 

[TheMistyStranger]

Holy crap some of you guys are acting like you didn't get the memo. This is not a playoff team. Signings were made to mentor youth in what it takes to be a pro on and off the ice, not to be leading the team to the postseason. Ripping on an 18 year old, overreacting at a loss. Just chill out. Look at the turnover in the roster. This is a team in flux. Benoit and mez will get trade. Stewart and Stafford might too. A lot of guys won't be here when it is time to be competing. Reinhart has his games so that he will know what he needs to work on this season in juniors. I don't expect hodg, foligno, weber, Stafford, Stewart, mez, Benoit, neuewirth, to be here in 2 seasons, amongst others. This is a team aiming at rebuilding quickly through the draft.

 

[stokes84]

I'll hold with my original observation on your player analytical skills.

And I'll hold mine of yours.

 

[ZZamboni]

The comments about Reinhart are very telling. It shows the rest of the fans here who has reasonable expectations. Who has optimistic expectations. Who has unreasonable expectations. And who has fantasyland expectations.

Not to mention the fans who are holding it against him because Murray wants to see him play a few NHL games. I would think the negative comments would be directed at Murray instead of Reinhart. It's odd.

For an 18 yr. old, playing his first game, he did fine. Didn't suck. Didn't hurt his line. Didn't stand out. He'll develop at a nice pace for most. He'll develop too slow for the vast minority due to obnoxious expectations.

 

[B U F F A L O]

Its only 1 game into the season and GBU is already entertaining

 

[La Cosa Nostra]

Standards. Watch around the league. Good defensemen don't make a quarter of the goofs that he does. Again, I'm not talking about the big, glaring gaffes. I'm talking about the little things, tape to tape passes, holding the puck in, making a subtle play to jeep the play alive. Myers misses on these plays a lot.

Don't bother. When you hear things like Myers isn't done developing (yes he is, he turns 25 in two months and he's in his sixth ****ing season) or people who think that him being paid 5.5 per to score 25 points a season while dragging down the pp and providing slightly above average defense they usually respond in their snide remarks. Myers is a joke, everyone on this site BUT 90% of Sabre fans know it. He is not a #1. He's not a #2. He's a lanky goofball on skates who never uses his size, takes way too many dumb penalties, can't keep the puck in (Myers is the king of letting the puck jump over his blade at the blue line) and has zero offensive talent anymore. In essence he is paid 5.5 mil per to be a #3/4 dman at best. Please trade him Murray. The guy is not that good, will never anchor a D and peaked at age 20.

 

[Crazy Tasty]

Don't bother. When you hear things like Myers isn't done developing (yes he is, he turns 25 in two months and he's in his sixth ****ing season) or people who think that him being paid 5.5 per to score 25 points a season while dragging down the pp and providing slightly above average defense they usually respond in their snide remarks. Myers is a joke, everyone on this site BUT 90% of Sabre fans know it. He is not a #1. He's not a #2. He's a lanky goofball on skates who never uses his size, takes way too many dumb penalties, can't keep the puck in (Myers is the king of letting the puck jump over his blade at the blue line) and has zero offensive talent anymore. In essence he is paid 5.5 mil per to be a #3/4 dman at best. Please trade him Murray. The guy is not that good, will never anchor a D and peaked at age 20.

If he's that overpaid and washed up like you state, why is there interest from Detroit and Anaheim?

 

[truthbluth]

The comments about Reinhart are very telling. It shows the rest of the fans here who has reasonable expectations. Who has optimistic expectations. Who has unreasonable expectations. And who has fantasyland expectations.

Not to mention the fans who are holding it against him because Murray wants to see him play a few NHL games. I would think the negative comments would be directed at Murray instead of Reinhart. It's odd.

For an 18 yr. old, playing his first game, he did fine. Didn't suck. Didn't hurt his line. Didn't stand out. He'll develop at a nice pace for most. He'll develop too slow for the vast minority due to obnoxious expectations.

Look. I hated Reinhart's game last night. Not because of what he did on the ice, or his lack of physical play. I hated it because he skated 13 minutes and played the puck only a handful of times. I want him back in Kootenay where he can play 20+ minutes every night and be involved in 30-40 plays. Period. He's the best prospect the Sabres have had in over 20 years and I think this 9 game audition is dumb. Greater chance of injury, less ice time. There is no upside. Ok, I guess he might learn a little about what it takes in the NHL, but doesn't he have that already? I'm done. This point is dead. But I didn't see anything last night (usage not performance) that contradicts what I (and the rest of the pro Grigo posters) have been saying for two weeks.

 

[hizzoner]

I think fans see what they need to see to fulfil their own expectations. For example-Myers. He will never be Bobby Orr or Scott Stevens. He can be a good lane filling, puck carrying rushing defenceman and will be better with complementary players-like every one else. He is neither the second coming nor trash but can be a very good defenceman. Next Reinhart. Everyone who wanted him picked by the Sabres sees what they want to support the position they had before the draft. I liked him but have never thought he was elite nor that he was a lock as a number one centre. He will be a good centre when he gets the size and strength and experience-he is NOT NHL ready and I hope he does not get hurt like Bennett did or Ekblad...

 

[joshjull]

No he wasn't. I know the number changed. But he wasn't introduced and every other scratch was there in a suit.

I was at the game and saw him come out on the jumbotron. Not sure if his name was said or not but I did see him.

 

[BowieSabresFan]

Don't bother. When you hear things like Myers isn't done developing (yes he is, he turns 25 in two months and he's in his sixth ****ing season) or people who think that him being paid 5.5 per to score 25 points a season while dragging down the pp and providing slightly above average defense they usually respond in their snide remarks. Myers is a joke, everyone on this site BUT 90% of Sabre fans know it. He is not a #1. He's not a #2. He's a lanky goofball on skates who never uses his size, takes way too many dumb penalties, can't keep the puck in (Myers is the king of letting the puck jump over his blade at the blue line) and has zero offensive talent anymore. In essence he is paid 5.5 mil per to be a #3/4 dman at best. Please trade him Murray. The guy is not that good, will never anchor a D and peaked at age 20.

He apologizes for kicking your puppy the other day.

Seriously, this is so far off-base it's hard to know where to start.

 

[joshjull]

Foligno is really frustrating. It seems that the more time and space he has with the puck, the worse his decision making becomes. He's best when he gets the puck when there's not a lot of options or space and just needs to rush it through.

Zadorov was also introduced.

Dare I say giving Foligno time to think is not a good thing.

 

[BowieSabresFan]

I think fans see what they need to see to fulfil their own expectations. For example-Myers. He will never be Bobby Orr or Scott Stevens. He can be a good lane filling, puck carrying rushing defenceman and will be better with complementary players-like every one else. He is neither the second coming nor trash but can be a very good defenceman. Next Reinhart. Everyone who wanted him picked by the Sabres sees what they want to support the position they had before the draft. I liked him but have never thought he was elite nor that he was a lock as a number one centre. He will be a good centre when he gets the size and strength and experience-he is NOT NHL ready and I hope he does not get hurt like Bennett did or Ekblad...

Pretty much this, though I have no issues giving Reinhart the 9 game tryout both for the experience, and to see what he might do with the time in the NHL.

 

[imyourhuckleberry]

Quite frankly there was no cohesion amongst anyone.

I saw Gionta running into teamates and vice versa. Passes missed, Not shooting (Foligno). General hesitations.

Typical stuff for bad teams and teams with new players getting acclimated.

I like giving Reinhart the 9 games but I think he should be sent down after that with the taste of NHL and what he needs to work on.

 

[old kummelweck]

I always felt Myers would be a Rafalski with maybe a little more physicality to his game due to his size. What I saw from him last night is exactly what I expect. He's not a #1, though - more of a guy you pair with a #1.

 

[LaFontaineToMogilny]

Great: Zemgus' goal

Good: Not much, Enroth played a great game, I really liked how Stewart look dearly, the first line managed to maintain some zone pressure one or two times?

Bad: Almost everything. But mostly that my hope and expectations for Reinhart is now that he will come out of his 9 game trail unhurt.

Ugly: The team looks just as bad as last seasons team, against one of our fellow tank candidates none the less. The game was played at preseason speed, yet the Hurricanes did whatever they wanted to us.

Final thoughts on Reinhart. I see a lot of people complaining about him not being strong enough, but that is a red herring to me. If his play so far was a function of physical strength, he would have never been kept up.

Sure, he will need to become stronger so he can be effective in protecting the puck, but the problem right now is much more related to the speed he plays the game at. Even though the game was not a fast paced game by any means, he has obviously not adjusted mentally to the pace. That is why he gets caught with the puck, why he got lit up by Skille, and why he ends up floating around waiting for the puck to come to him. When he makes good plays, it's in situations where he has up to a couple of seconds to read the play and make the right decision.

The good news is that if the talent is there, adjusting to the speed is one of the easiest things to do. The bad news is that he still looked completely unprepared for the speed he needs to play at last night, and it is not likely to get any easier in any other games we are playing any time soon.

I see why the Sabres want to keep him up, adjusting to NHL game speed can only be done in the NHL. When he goes back to juniors he will in essence be put on a one year development hiatus. Sure, he gets to work out and get strong and can get tips from the Sabres skating coach, but the thing that is keeping him back the most right now he won't be able to develop in juniors.

 

[Jim Bob]

That picture is sweet.

 

[MacOfNiagara]

Myers is 19th in terms of cap hit for defensemen.

He is not a top 20 D, yet he is certainly preferable to lots of guys in the 20-50 range for cap hits. Complaining about his salary is so 2012.

Yup. Thought was once of the best Sabres last night. Confident, great possession play, skating very well, head up looking for plays, didnt get suspended and end Calverts career but took the puck and made a play, etc. etc. One bad pinch and it was covered well by the forward (pinching D will occasionally get beat, nature of the strategy)

As for being paid in the top 20 but not performing as a top 20: When locking up young core pieces part of what you are paying for is potential and continued growth, not strictly current production. Hence why it can be a gamble. Although in Myers case I think it is a solid bet.

 

[MacOfNiagara]

Zads was definitely introduced. He threw up like a 3 handed peace sign to the crowd.

What is that?

 

[MacOfNiagara]

God help us if you ever become GM of the Sabres.

One of if not the best Sabre last night at keeping possession and tilting the ice to the Jackets end.

 

[MacOfNiagara]

The time difference and going to school made me miss the game.

From this thread, safe to assume that Benoit/Meszaros as this year's McBain/Sulzer?

Sure took a nice first step in that direction.

 

[MacOfNiagara]

I always felt Myers would be a Rafalski with maybe a little more physicality to his game due to his size. What I saw from him last night is exactly what I expect. He's not a #1, though - more of a guy you pair with a #1.

I'd be perfectly happy with that outcome, and think it is a reasonable assessment of Myers. A solid #2 that also has some very unique tools.