GDT: #21: FLYERS at Sabres, Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2018, 7:30 p.m. ET

[BernieParent]

Buffalo's a weird team, they have some young talent but they're clearly playing over their head, being carried by their goalies.

Hutton has started well, but has never carried the load. Up to age 30, he was a marginal NHL goaltender, then two decent seasons and a breakout last year (.931) in 32 starts. At age 33 he's a miracle or a fluke.

Ullmark is a 26 year old backup, 6th rd pick, who's had an up and down career, good year then bad year in the SHL, decent rookie showing in Buffalo after a meh year in the AHL, then back to the AHL for another meh season, finally broke out last year, .922, and is playing well this year so far.

Skinner - Eichel - Reinhart has potential, Eichel is the key, Skinner is off to a hot start (11 ES goals) but 21% shooting is not sustainable.
Sheary - Middlestadt - Okposo, 3rd line at best on most teams, Middlestadt hasn't done much so far
Thompson - Sobotka - Pominville, Pominville at 36 is playing well, the other two, ecch.
Berglun - Larsson - Girgensons, meh

Dahlin is already their best defensemen in terms of metrics, but is getting sheltered minutes (5th at ES), the top four all struggle with possession. They could eventually pair him with Ristolainen for a heck of a 1st pair.

They're 17 in xGF%. A team playing over its head who should regress to the mean at some point this year, but dangerous at home.

I generally agree with your overall assessment, particularly about thr goaltending; however, saying that the Eichel line "has potential" is damning with faint praise.

 

[Curufinwe]

No prob let me lay it out for you.

Provy started the OT with g and Jake. Not ghost. Provy went on to screw up a few chances in OT.

What were you watching? To start OT - PHI On Ice: 11 14 9

Play By Play

OT shifts
9 Provorov 0:00 to 0:56
11 Konecny 0:00 to 0:40
14 Couturier 0:00 to 0:47

17 Simmonds 1:37 to 1:47 G

28 Giroux 0:47 to 1:47 G
53 Ghost 0:56 to 1:47 G
93 Voracek 0:40 to 1:37

Time On Ice Report Home Team

There's plenty of actual things wrong with this team to complain about. We don't need to invent extra ones.

 

[TheKingPin]

What were you watching? To start OT - PHI On Ice: 11 14 9

Play By Play

OT shifts
9 Provorov 0:00 to 0:56
11 Konecny 0:00 to 0:40
14 Couturier 0:00 to 0:47

17 Simmonds 1:37 to 1:47 G

28 Giroux 0:47 to 1:47 G
53 Ghost 0:56 to 1:47 G
93 Voracek 0:40 to 1:37

Time On Ice Report Home Team

There's plenty of actual things wrong with this team to complain about. We don't need to invent extra ones.

Yea error on that one point. The others? You don’t think amac is an issue? How about benching Lindblom for Dale Weise? No comments on that? Just want to point out prob the least insignificant point. Cool.

 

[Rebels57]

What were you watching? To start OT - PHI On Ice: 11 14 9

Play By Play

OT shifts
9 Provorov 0:00 to 0:56
11 Konecny 0:00 to 0:40
14 Couturier 0:00 to 0:47

17 Simmonds 1:37 to 1:47 G

28 Giroux 0:47 to 1:47 G
53 Ghost 0:56 to 1:47 G
93 Voracek 0:40 to 1:37

Time On Ice Report Home Team

There's plenty of actual things wrong with this team to complain about. We don't need to invent extra ones.

Pretty impressive that Simmonds managed to hop on the ice for Voracek and then within 10 seconds get completely owned in the corner by scrawny Cirelli and watch the puck go into the back of his net.

 

[deadhead]

Yea error on that one point. The others? You don’t think amac is an issue? How about benching Lindblom for Dale Weise? No comments on that? Just want to point out prob the least insignificant point. Cool.

Weise 13:02, Lindblom 12:37
AMac played 14:16, 3 minutes less than Sanheim.

 

[Captain Dave Poulin]

 

[tytech]

He's worse than Mrazek. Terrible playing the puck too. He had like 3 misplays with the puck that led directly to scoring chances yesterday.

3???? Every time he plays the puck out of the crease it's cringe worthy and a mistake is made.

 

[FLYguy3911]

3???? Every time he plays the puck out of the crease it's cringe worthy and a mistake is made.

Well I think he only touched it 3 times with his stick. Not much more with his gear tbh.

 

[JXC]

big game for the boys LETS GO

 

[Curufinwe]

Yea error on that one point. The others? You don’t think amac is an issue? How about benching Lindblom for Dale Weise? No comments on that? Just want to point out prob the least insignificant point. Cool.

No I don't think MacDonald coming in for Folin and getting the least minutes on the defense was an issue or why they lost the game.

Lindblom and Weise got almost identical minutes, and that wasn't why they lost the game either.

It all comes back to the PK being the worst in the league.

 

[Rebels57]

No I don't think MacDonald coming in for Folin and getting the least minutes on the defense was an issue or why they lost the game.

Lindblom and Weise got almost identical minutes, and that wasn't why they lost the game either.

It all comes back to the PK being the worst in the league.

I mean, MacDonald was partially responsible for 3 goals against though (1, 2, 5). Sometimes, a move as simple as benching your worst defensemen and dressing one that has been playing relatively decent is enough to change the complexion of the game.

 

[Tripod]

Weise 13:02, Lindblom 12:37
AMac played 14:16, 3 minutes less than Sanheim.

Why are you ignoring what has been posted before?

AMac played more that Sanheim thru 2 periods.
AMac had 5 shifts in the 3rd period up to 10:52 left in the game...Sanheim had 4 up to that point

AT THAT POINT WE WERE LOSING 5-1

Sanheim then got 8 more shifts the rest of the game.
Meanwhile AMac got benched and only had 1 shift until the 18 second mark

The Flyers score 4 goals to tie the game

Hak THEN puts old reliable AMac back on the ice to solidify the single point.


Hak only began to play Travis way more when we were losing 5-1 AND after AMac committed another one of his starfish defensive plays that led to another goal. So please don't pretend that Hak was playing Sanheim way more all along. He wasn't.

 

[tictactoe]

Provorov is soft around the net. Other than that he’s been good defensively. Ghost is just kinda soft all around defensively. He has good coverage skills along with a good stick, but when it comes to the battles, he’s usually outmatched, so far this year. Quite frankly, all of our Dmen, besides Gudas, have been outmatched in areas like the crease and boards.

Ranking our best Dmen so far:

1) Gudas 2) Provorov 3) Sanheim/Ghost 4) Ghost/Sanheim 5) Folin 6) Hagg 7) Amac

lol seriously? Provorov after both Gudas and Gost??? ha ha

Provorov plays 25 min a night against NHL best forwards...

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

Flyers fans right now...

 

[FLYguy3911]

Depending on what numbers you want to look at, there is a case that Provorov, with his usage, has been the worst player on the team.

 

[onlylordsvsmorebp]

Flyers fans right now...

THERES NO AVOIDING THIS CONCLUSION....OUR TEAM IS TURNING INTO ****.

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

THERES NO AVOIDING THIS CONCLUSION....OUR TEAM IS TURNING INTO ****.

Hakstol is Gabby Johnson.

 

[CapnZin]

lol seriously? Provorov after both Gudas and Gost??? ha ha

Provorov plays 25 min a night against NHL best forwards...

I have Provorov second... don’t know where Ghost (in my list he’s right around 4 with sanheim maybe taking the edge for 3) came into question. I truly think that our best Dman, so far this year, has been Gudas.


Gudas:
CF% (54.49 ... 6.38 rel) | FF% (54 ... 3.9 rel) | xG+/- 2.87 | iP+\- 0 | PDO ~100.61 | P/60 .94 | 35 BLK | -9 TO

Provorov:
CF% (47.86 ... -4.21 rel) | FF% (49.9 ... -3.3 rel) | xG+/- -1.45 | iP+/- -3 | PDO 97.28 | P/60 .82 | BLK 40 | TO -17

EDIT: I didn’t add this above. Provorov s CF%QoC is above 50 while Gudas is below 50.

To your point, Provorov is 2nd, to me, through quality of play. It may help Gudas that he faces B6 (although Gudas does take shifts with Provorov at the end of games) and Provorov has a much greater TOI, but Gudas is having a really effective year. No one is talking about him. He’s done a good job. Look at my rankings again and you’ll see that I have:

1) Gudas 2) Provorov 3) Sanheim/Ghost 4)Ghost/Sanheim 5) Folin 6) Hagg 7) Amac

Sources: HockeyViz, Corsica, and Hockey-Reference

 

[bennysflyers16]

Sabres going for 7 in a row, maybe we can be involved in yet another 10 game win streak.

 

[Rebels57]

Sabres going for 7 in a row, maybe we can be involved in yet another 10 game win streak.

Expecting to get steamrolled.

 

[sabremike]

Getting our 7th straight victory and helping send braindead Haxstool to the unemployment line where he belongs is what I call a win/win.

 

[Striiker]

Getting our 7th straight victory and helping send braindead Haxstool to the unemployment line where he belongs is what I call a win/win.

Toss in a Giroux hat trick and you’ve got a deal.

 

[KrazyKat]

Please tell me Lyon is playing. Pickard sucks.

 

[deadhead]

Lyon is slated to start, hopefully he can take the job, share it with Elliott when he returns, and be the starter next year with Stolarz so Hart doesn't have to be rushed (when Hart is ready, I think it'll be obvious).

Why can't we get one of those "goalies out of nowhere," that is, the 25-26 year old who emerges as a legitimate NHL goalie, which is the MO for about half the better starters in the league. We've had enough bad goalie luck, we're due a little good luck.

 

[TheKingPin]

Lyon is slated to start, hopefully he can take the job, share it with Elliott when he returns, and be the starter next year with Stolarz so Hart doesn't have to be rushed (when Hart is ready, I think it'll be obvious).

Why can't we get one of those "goalies out of nowhere," that is, the 25-26 year old who emerges as a legitimate NHL goalie, which is the MO for about half the better starters in the league. We've had enough bad goalie luck, we're due a little good luck.

You mean like Bob?