Post-Game Talk (GBU): Groundhog Day

[sincerity0]

Here's what I think.

There is a big difference between playing a fast game and icing a roster of fast skaters.

On the surface, the Sabres are a faster team. They added fast skaters. But what I think plagued them last night -- and what I think will continue to hold them back -- is their lack of players who process the game at a fast level.

In the o-zone, too many guys on this team can't process where the puck is going to be before it ultimately gets there. It's like they're only making decisions offensively once they have the puck.

We can hardly operate a basic cycle because of it. Hell, there are only a couple players on this team who process the game fast enough to make plays in tight spaces.

Mittelstadt and Dahlin are exceptions. It's no surprise they stood out positively yesterday.

I think you really see the inability by some of our defensemen with regards to your post. Far too often you see guys like McCabe, Beaulieu, Risto, and Scandella not be able to make a transition pass with players moving up the ice with speed. What ends up happening is either

A) the puck gets chipped into the NZ and Buffalo loses possession (or Buffalo retrieves but then cannot enter the OZ with speed)

B) a defenseman either holds on to the puck too long which allows the opposing team to get setup, or the pass is poor and the forward cannot skate onto the OZ with speed.

When in the offensive zone our defensemen panic at the slightest sign of pressure by the defense and take a low percentage shot in the corners of the blue line. Which goes back to your point about being able to create a basic cycle.

Not every player can have a Dahlin-level of coolness under pressure, but an ability to make a crisp, clean pass to a winger leaving the d zone would greatly help. Our defensemen again last night really struggled with getting the puck down deep into the o zone without taking a low percentage shot.

I’m not going to pretend that I’m some sort of expert on NHL level on-ice strategy. It’s pretty obvious, though, that even with Dahlin our other defensemen really struggle with basic zone exits and cycling. The Sabres really are not going to get better until the defensive unit as a whole improves

 

[sabresandcanucks]

Alain Vigneault is out there isn't he? I know he is not the best for nurturing young players but at least he is smart enough to deploy our best players properly and provide some semblance of structure for our breakouts.

 

[Aladyyn]

Alain Vigneault is out there isn't he? I know he is not the best for nurturing young players but at least he is smart enough to deploy our best players properly and provide some semblance of structure for our breakouts.

NO! He's been carried by great talent his whole career. We need a coach that will establish a strong structure. Sutter remains the perfect theoretical candidate.

 

[MacOfNiagara]

I thought he was a turn over machine most of the night.

I wished I did, but I did not. He looked slow, and although he could at times use his body to shield the Puck along the boards, it usually just tied things up for a few seconds and then the Bs player(s) ended up with the Puck anyway. Too slow, not enough battle IMO.

 

[GellMann]

"Jack wasn't able to play the Bruins' top line"

FTR, I"m almost positive it took NHL teams 20 games to score the first goal against that line at ES last year. Bergeron was going to find Jack on change-on-the-fly shifts, but Jack should have been nowhere near them after stoppages, especially with the other 2 offense-generators on this roster.

 

[old kummelweck]

If they fire housley, you get one of his assistants, or John Muckler. I don't ever recall an in-season coaching hire.

They just scrambled the assistant coaches a bit, so perhaps that discussion needs some thought as to who in the org would take over. I doubt they bring up Taylor.

 

[SabresFan26]

If they fire housley, you get one of his assistants, or John Muckler. I don't ever recall an in-season coaching hire.

They just scrambled the assistant coaches a bit, so perhaps that discussion needs some thought as to who in the org would take over. I doubt they bring up Taylor.

It’d probably be Davis Payne. Julien took over mid season tho last year.

 

[Aladyyn]

"Jack wasn't able to play the Bruins' top line"

FTR, I"m almost positive it took NHL teams 20 games to score the first goal against that line at ES last year. Bergeron was going to find Jack on change-on-the-fly shifts, but Jack should have been nowhere near them after stoppages, especially with the other 2 offense-generators on this roster.

Which is why you don't go power-on-power against the Bruins. The Bergeron line is going to win their matchup, just try to do damage control.

 

[SabresFan26]

Which is why you don't go power-on-power against the Bruins. The Bergeron line is going to win their matchup, just try to do damage control.

Berglund should have been matched up with Bergeron.

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

Berglund should have been matched up with Bergeron.

That would require the communication between the FO and coaching staff to identify Berglund as the best defensive forward and closest thing to an O’Reilly replacement from that deal.

He got one defensive zone start while Sobotka was second in 5v5 TOI. ERod/Girgensons were our other high usage defensive forwards.

The people running this team are f***ing dumb.

 

[SabresFan26]

Would’ve been interesting to hear Phil’s answer to line matching and why he matched jack vs Bergeron

 

[old kummelweck]

That would require the communication between the FO and coaching staff to identify Berglund as the best defensive forward and closest thing to an O’Reilly replacement from that deal.

He got one defensive zone start while Sobotka was second in 5v5 TOI. ERod/Girgensons were our other high usage defensive forwards.

The people running this team are ****ing dumb.

Do the defensive zone starts stats account for icing? You can hardly call a dzone start under that scenario dumb.

 

[SabresFan26]

That would require the communication between the FO and coaching staff to identify Berglund as the best defensive forward and closest thing to an O’Reilly replacement from that deal.

He got one defensive zone start while Sobotka was second in 5v5 TOI. ERod/Girgensons were our other high usage defensive forwards.

The people running this team are ****ing dumb.

Like what Botterill is doing. Housley I gave a year and now need to see improvement. Most organizations fire that first coach once they take that next step. Pens, Hawks, Kings, etc.

 

[K8fool]

Here's what I think.

There is a big difference between playing a fast game and icing a roster of fast skaters.

On the surface, the Sabres are a faster team. They added fast skaters. But what I think plagued them last night -- and what I think will continue to hold them back -- is their lack of players who process the game at a fast level.

In the o-zone, too many guys on this team can't process where the puck is going to be before it ultimately gets there. It's like they're only making decisions offensively once they have the puck.

We can hardly operate a basic cycle because of it. Hell, there are only a couple players on this team who process the game fast enough to make plays in tight spaces.

Mittelstadt and Dahlin are exceptions. It's no surprise they stood out positively yesterday.

this is much closer to the truth, the question remains is the hesitation iq or unfamiliarity w each other, hoping the latter.. if its iqw the the focus must be the coach not placing high iq players on lines the lift play and complement... i hope its not apathy that is like a warm blanket of comfort protection that exists in losing culture at first sign of adversity

 

[joshjull]

Can I add to the ugly......

Twitter’s obsession with “in case you missed it”. It’s extra awesome when trying to catch up on tweets from a just finished game. Then old tweets get dropped into the middle. Twitter can suck it.

 

[Fezzy126]

Can I add to the ugly......

Twitter’s obsession with “in case you missed it”. It’s extra awesome when trying to catch up on tweets from a just finished game. Then old tweets get dropped into the middle. Twitter can suck it.

I don't know why it's so hard for them to accept that people just want to see things in chronological order

 

[K8fool]

I don't know why it's so hard for them to accept that people just want to see things in chronological order

that might actually lead to group understanding and proper perspective that they actively 'seem' to manipulate

 

[sabremike]

"Jack wasn't able to play the Bruins' top line"

FTR, I"m almost positive it took NHL teams 20 games to score the first goal against that line at ES last year. Bergeron was going to find Jack on change-on-the-fly shifts, but Jack should have been nowhere near them after stoppages, especially with the other 2 offense-generators on this roster.

You know that guy, the one who was the biggest free agent in history who singlehandedly demolished his old team by leaving and has the ghastly Leafs fans planning a parade? Yeah, Bergeron always ate him up for breakfast so bad fans of his old team always joked that a game vs Boston was an automatic loss.

 

[Sabre the Win]

McCabe was better tonight than everyone but Dahlin and Risto...Nelson, Scandella and Beaulieu were much worse.

What is this based on, opinion or stats? I am open to hearing why McCabe wasnt the worst defensemen tonight.

I agree Scandella and Nelson were bad too but how is McCabe even good tonight? I need to know.

 

[Sabre the Win]

Halak played a great game IMO, it seemed like every shot was sticking to him and he wasnt giving up some rebounds with traffic around him when they were getting pucks to him.

Did he really? We hardly even challenged him.

 

[SabresFan26]

Good

Dahlin
Rodrigues
Pominville
Mittelstadt
Hutton
Sheary and that he finally ended up on Jacks wing

Bad

Sobotka
So many passes in the offensive zone that never got a shot or high % opportunity
Berglund line
Eichel line - both Sam and Jack had some bad turnovers
Phil’s lines and matching

Ugly

4-0 loss to start the year. More pressure on the locker room. Screw us as fans booing. All that matters is that locker room and that they have more belief than other teams and make it an identity. They must make a commitment to showing up daily in a high quality way, that dedicates every resource to being the best they can be and in time good things will happen.

 

[sabremike]

Good

Dahlin
Rodrigues
Pominville
Mittelstadt
Hutton
Sheary and that he finally ended up on Jacks wing

Bad

Sobotka
So many passes in the offensive zone that never got a shot or high % opportunity
Berglund line
Eichel line - both Sam and Jack had some bad turnovers
Phil’s lines and matching

Ugly

4-0 loss to start the year. More pressure on the locker room. Screw us as fans booing. All that matters is that locker room and that they have more belief than other teams and make it an identity. They must make a commitment to showing up daily in a high quality way, that dedicates every resource to being the best they can be and in time good things will happen.

Wait a minute, did I read that right and you are criticizing the fans who paid lots of money to get in for booing the team for such an embarrassing lifeless phoned in performance that should cause any professional player utter shame and humiliation?

 

[Aladyyn]

Can I add to the ugly......

Twitter’s obsession with “in case you missed it”. It’s extra awesome when trying to catch up on tweets from a just finished game. Then old tweets get dropped into the middle. Twitter can suck it.

Tweetdeck changed my life.

 

[SabresFan26]

Wait a minute, did I read that right and you are criticizing the fans who paid lots of money to get in for booing the team for such an embarrassing lifeless phoned in performance that should cause any professional plauer utter shame and humiliation?

Didn’t think it was lifeless and not upset the fans are upset. I’m upset and I married a Penguins fan! Just saying that players shouldn’t care and need to buy into that locker room and that they hold each other to the standard and them vs the world to get this team back on track. Housley should almost be irrelevant.

 

[sabrebuild]

If they fire housley, you get one of his assistants, or John Muckler. I don't ever recall an in-season coaching hire.

They just scrambled the assistant coaches a bit, so perhaps that discussion needs some thought as to who in the org would take over. I doubt they bring up Taylor.

It happens enough. Bylsma took over mid season for the Pens first cup win.

I think Sullivan did the same. Quenville did in Chicago.