GDT: #29 – Islanders at Sabres – Fri Dec 16, 7:00PM ET – MSG-B

[Aladyyn]

Franchise Defenceman (not his best game though)

He looked good to me outside of those brutal turnovers.

 

[kirby11]

Not ristos best game but still love what the kid brings. Props to RoR for skating hard to catch up with okposo to drive the lane, nice job of okposo recognizing risto was the best option for the pass, nice finish by the finn.

 

[Mattilaus]

He's definitely well on his way to being a second pairing defenseman...

Hey now don't sell him short. Second pairing power play specialist.

 

[littletonhockeycoach]

Not ristos best game but still love what the kid brings. Props to RoR for skating hard to catch up with okposo to drive the lane, nice job of okposo recognizing risto was the best option for the pass, nice finish by the finn.

From the replay it looks like Risto was calling for the puck (tapping stick on the ice) way back at the red line!

(How much you want to bet that if Okposo was Kane on that play, Kane would have taken the shot....? )

 

[Vito_81]

This is a "Good team" win

They were terrible most of the night. Yet battled, came back and won the game.

These are the kinds of wins that separate good teams from non-contenders. The Sabres of the past however many years would have surely lost this game.

They're certainly not there yet. But showing the team strength to win these games is a big step to becoming a good team.

 

[kirby11]

From the replay it looks like Risto was calling for the puck (tapping stick on the ice) way back at the red line!

Yeah, he started booking it after he crossed the sabres blue line to become a viable option in the play. Good shot placement on the finish.

 

[Intermission]

Damn right he wanted that puck.

Good interview.

 

[Ralonzo]

Yeah, he started booking it after he crossed the sabres blue line to become a viable option in the play. Good shot placement on the finish.

I can't believe he didn't break his stick as much as he was slapping the ice with it.

Must be that old model he went back to.

 

[La Cosa Nostra]

This is the time we need to rip off 6 straight wins if we want a chance at the playoffs. We are almost at full strength if Bogo comes back and Ennis will be back soon. A big if but if Ennis can even play at a .5 ppg pace like he has for almost all of his career it will do wonders for our offense.

 

[sabrebuild]

Bailey almost blocked that with his face. Yikes.

Was that the isle? I thought his face almost got shredded.

 

[Ace]

Ristolainen apparently only capable of scoring goals in OT this year.


Nice set-up by Okposo.

0 goals in regulation lol.

 

[Aladyyn]

0 goals in regulation lol.

terrible at 5on5

 

[Ace]

Last season I did a big comparison piece on Ekblad and Ristolainen because of how odd I found it that a guy used against the hardest competition and played top PK who started in his own zone the second most often in the league (to Chara) could outscore a guy who had easy usage, overwhelming offensive zone starts who never had to PK. Especially given Ristos team never had the puck and Ekblads did. Basically positing that Ekblad was unproven doing any of the work Risto had been put through and saying that as Buffalo improved around him Risto was going to take off...and it was plausible Ekblad would take a step back when more was put on his plate.

I stand by my findings on both counts