GBU Levi Flames Out - Loss 4-3 at Home to Calgary 10/19/23

[Deep Blue Metallic]

Adams claimed he has 3 NHL goalies. I'm concerned that we might have none.

 

[Deep Blue Metallic]

I think he was so bad he needs another chance immediately and then a rest. Don't leave him with the feeling of letting the team down.

Two guys that might have to carry the load haven't even played yet. I have little confidence in either, but games can't be squandered catering to Levi's development.

I'd alternate UPL and Comrie for the next 4 games or so, and see if either steps up, and hopefully sparks the rest of the team as well.

 

[Fjordy]

Two guys that might have to carry the load haven't even played yet. I have little confidence in either, but games can't be squandered catering to Levi's development.

I'd alternate UPL and Comrie for the next 4 games or so, and see if either steps up, and hopefully sparks the rest of the team as well.

Then they'll just show that their plan with Levi didn't work, but our other two goalies don't inspire confidence. I don't think they will do that. They will let Levi rest for 1-2 games. But I don't think this team's problem is in these games in Levi, he has had good games and not so good games this season, but he has also helped out where neither Comrie nor UPL did last season.

I would have preferred Levi to either spend a season in Rochester or be a guy who would play 30-35 games a season, but that would require acquiring a goalie for at least the last two seasons, Adams didn't do that and here we are. Keeping three goalies makes no sense, especially if they have already given Levi the keys to the net in advance, and the other two goalies are not even playin.

 

[Dubi Doo]

Levi with the back breaking softie was hard to witness. The too many men penalty was especially frustrating. This team does a damn good job ensuring the fans won't want to come back to the stadium. Geez.

 

[TageGod]

I meant just in blue and gold. Their record was great in the goatheads last year. Anecdotally, it feels like they suck in the royal blues.

They went like 10-2 or something in the goat heads so the answer is 7 give or take one.

 

[sabresfan129103]

I wonder how much leash they're going to give Levi as far as sinking or swimming goes. I love the guy and hope he succeeds, but there's a reason so many goalies play 50-100 AHL games before they become NHL regulars.

 

[Jim Bob]

NHL Goalie Statistics

NHL Goalie Analytics, Expected Goals, Expected Rebounds

www.moneypuck.com

46th out of 59 in goals saved above expected is not going to get it done.

 

[TehDoak]

I only caught the 3rd again:

Good:

Eh. Not much. The quick answer on the 1st calgary goal against in the 3rd?

Bad:

Lots of passengers tonight.

Levi went between great breakaway saves to ugly rebounds (and probably a terrible goal that should have counted by didn't). As to be expected from a 22 year old goalie out of college. If only there was a league between the NCAA and NHL he could get used to the pro game in.

Ugly:

I go back to the offseason where Adams gave everyone a big participation trophy and told them they everyone needed to be 1% better next year to be in the playoffs. It appears that several members of the team took that as an excuse to come into the season pretty flat.

 

[lecherous]

I do think the 3 goalie system is the best we can do right now, but it doesn't work if 2 guys are superglued to the bench. If you really expect Levi to start 50 games this year and be our playoff goalie, you can't burn him out so quickly - what's the point of having Comrie here if not for picking up a start in a game like last night?

I'm not ready to make any huge changes this early in the season but we obviously have some unreal depth at forward and I think can afford to shift some assets if a goalie hits the market.

 

[TageGod]

I only caught the 3rd again:

Good:

Eh. Not much. The quick answer on the 1st calgary goal against in the 3rd?

Bad:

Lots of passengers tonight.

Levi went between great breakaway saves to ugly rebounds (and probably a terrible goal that should have counted by didn't). As to be expected from a 22 year old goalie out of college. If only there was a league between the NCAA and NHL he could get used to the pro game in.

Ugly:

I go back to the offseason where Adams gave everyone a big participation trophy and told them they everyone needed to be 1% better next year to be in the playoffs. It appears that several members of the team took that as an excuse to come into the season pretty flat.

I don't think any player is using it as an excuse. They are pressing for sure.

 

[old kummelweck]

We see the same things over and over and over again. So easy for teams to confuse the Sabres dzone scheme and find huge holes in the coverage. Until Granato recognizes this is not a personnel issue but a coaching issue, this will continue.

I listened to his post-game presser, and he focused on how they need to play in the other teams end. It's a cliche of it being a copy-cat league, but the league is changing to a defensive focus and shutting down the high-powered attack teams. I call this Brind'amourization.

 

[debaser66]

Not sure if more successful veteran infusion a la EJ could help them gettin prepared.
I think although many of our young guys are "vets" they dont seem to have what it takes to bring that effort consistently (Cozens,..)
I am sure they will swing together some win streaks and get above the bad start, but if they re not prepared to bring it over longer period constistently they wont make the playoffs in a division like this.
The future looks still bright but they need to get their shit together if they wanna make it this year.

 

[Skinnyjimmy08]

G:
-Greenway
-Mitts
-EJ
-Clifton

B:
-Our best players not realizing the season has started already.. Tage, Tuch, Skinner and Cozens have been disappointing to start the season
-Officials per usual
-Dahlin retaliating to Mangiapane.. yeah it was a weak call but its not new that NHL refs suck. You're down a goal late in the 3rd and about to go on the PP. Don't give them a reason to put you in the box.
-Power needs to man up a little... Dude loses the battles along the boards to much smaller guys

U:
-Levi.. The goaltending situation in general.. Hard to believe we're going to the playoffs with not just 1, not 2 but 3 question mark goalies on this roster!!!



I know its still early into the season but right now we don't look like properly built playoff team at all

I realize he is young and also playing physical isn't his thing but it's crazy to me how soft he is for a massive kid. Doesn't use his body at all. It's crazy to see the fact he hasn't hit someone this season yet and only has a total of 28 hits in 91 career games.

It's just a bizzare stat to see. I played defense at a high level and wasn't too physical of a dman at all but there are still those shifts you have to finish your check and land a hit

 

[OkimLom]

One thing that I noticed in other games, that for some reason just pissed me off, but Granato and his way to start games. That is the quickness that he feels that he needs to get lines on the ice to start the game.

I get he wants to have guys engaged in the game quickly, but sometimes it's too much too soon. In 1:08 seconds into the game last night, Donny had deployed 3 different lines. How do you expect guys to start the game in a rhythm?

These are young guys, and they should be prepared to play. If you need to change lines this often this early, you are preparing wrong.

 

[oldgoalie]

One thing that I noticed in other games, that for some reason just pissed me off, but Granato and his way to start games. That is the quickness that he feels that he needs to get lines on the ice to start the game.

I get he wants to have guys engaged in the game quickly, but sometimes it's too much too soon. In 1:08 seconds into the game last night, Donny had deployed 3 different lines. How do you expect guys to start the game in a rhythm?

These are young guys, and they should be prepared to play. If you need to change lines this often this early, you are preparing wrong.

This, and is whole “no plan regarding starting goalies more than a game in advance”. His stubbornness on not tweaking lines and not “planning” his starting goalie is just stupidity in this day and age.

 

[Zip15]

I do think the 3 goalie system is the best we can do right now, but it doesn't work if 2 guys are superglued to the bench. If you really expect Levi to start 50 games this year and be our playoff goalie, you can't burn him out so quickly - what's the point of having Comrie here if not for picking up a start in a game like last night?

I'm not ready to make any huge changes this early in the season but we obviously have some unreal depth at forward and I think can afford to shift some assets if a goalie hits the market.

The 3-goalie system may be the best we can do now, but there was 5-month offseason that just ended. That was the time to address this situation. Anyone who saw Granato's handling of the goaltenders during the stretch run knew that Levi was the only goaltender he trusted, postseason platitudes from Adams re: UPL and Comrie notwithstanding. [Sidenote: I'd really love to know who in this organization still believes in UPL.]

And you can see Granato's distrust with the other goaltenders already manifesting. He wanted to avoid using one of UPL/Comrie until the first B2B of the season, and avoid having to play one or both twice in 4-game span (i.e., last night and then in one of the B2B games). Whether Levi was tired or just had a bad night, none of us will know. Now, Granato's probably going to depart from his plan, play one of UPL/Comrie on Saturday night and then play a backup in the Ottawa game. Maybe it works, maybe it doesn't. (If the plan was really to give the backups two of these four games, virtually every NHL team would've used its backup in the only out-of-conference game in that stretch.)

But the bigger issue is the clear distrust Granato has for the other two guys. If one of UPL or Comrie don't come out of the gate fast, I am anticipating 60+ starts from Levi -- which I don't think was or should have been the plan in his rookie season. I'm not one to pile on Adams, but he took a huge risk with the goaltender position when he did nothing there this offseason.

 

[sabremike]

The 3-goalie system may be the best we can do now, but there was 5-month offseason that just ended. That was the time to address this situation. Anyone who saw Granato's handling of the goaltenders during the stretch run knew that Levi was the only goaltender he trusted, postseason platitudes from Adams re: UPL and Comrie notwithstanding. [Sidenote: I'd really love to know who in this organization still believes in UPL.]

And you can see Granato's distrust with the other goaltenders already manifesting. He wanted to avoid using one of UPL/Comrie until the first B2B of the season, and avoid having to play one or both twice in 4-game span (i.e., last night and then in one of the B2B games). Whether Levi was tired or just had a bad night, none of us will know. Now, Granato's probably going to depart from his plan, play one of UPL/Comrie on Saturday night and then play a backup in the Ottawa game. Maybe it works, maybe it doesn't. (If the plan was really to give the backups two of these four games, virtually every NHL team would've used its backup in the only out-of-conference game in that stretch.)

But the bigger issue is the clear distrust Granato has for the other two guys. If one of UPL or Comrie don't come out of the gate fast, I am anticipating 60+ starts from Levi -- which I don't think was or should have been the plan in his rookie season. I'm not one to pile on Adams, but he took a huge risk with the goaltender position when he did nothing there this offseason.

When someone does something where everyone can see the result ahead of time and that result in fact happens they deserve all the pile on they get.

 

[Jim Bob]

 

[DapperCam]

The 3-goalie system may be the best we can do now, but there was 5-month offseason that just ended. That was the time to address this situation. Anyone who saw Granato's handling of the goaltenders during the stretch run knew that Levi was the only goaltender he trusted, postseason platitudes from Adams re: UPL and Comrie notwithstanding. [Sidenote: I'd really love to know who in this organization still believes in UPL.]

And you can see Granato's distrust with the other goaltenders already manifesting. He wanted to avoid using one of UPL/Comrie until the first B2B of the season, and avoid having to play one or both twice in 4-game span (i.e., last night and then in one of the B2B games). Whether Levi was tired or just had a bad night, none of us will know. Now, Granato's probably going to depart from his plan, play one of UPL/Comrie on Saturday night and then play a backup in the Ottawa game. Maybe it works, maybe it doesn't. (If the plan was really to give the backups two of these four games, virtually every NHL team would've used its backup in the only out-of-conference game in that stretch.)

But the bigger issue is the clear distrust Granato has for the other two guys. If one of UPL or Comrie don't come out of the gate fast, I am anticipating 60+ starts from Levi -- which I don't think was or should have been the plan in his rookie season. I'm not one to pile on Adams, but he took a huge risk with the goaltender position when he did nothing there this offseason.

It is clear how much he distrusts UPL and Comrie based on the end of last year when the playoffs were on the line. Levi got almost all of the starts including a back-to-back. It really sticks out when you look at the schedule.

 

[HaNotsri]

Two guys that might have to carry the load haven't even played yet. I have little confidence in either, but games can't be squandered catering to Levi's development.

I'd alternate UPL and Comrie for the next 4 games or so, and see if either steps up, and hopefully sparks the rest of the team as well.

If this was a playoff year we would have added a more meaningful defenseman, upgraded our bottom 6, waived Olofsson and traded for a goalie.

I think this season should focus on development and then a retool in summer. Our coaches need a chance to try new things and develop as well. We overperformed the last two seasons. Right now Levi us our best option as starter 24/25 so I'd do whatever it takes to get him ready.

Pre-season+the first games indicate that we have the same holes to fill as before while our division has improved significantly. We should overtake Montreal at least but it will be hard to reach 5th place in our division.

 

[1point21Gigawatts]

So far 5v5, they've actually been better defensively.

SCA/60
Last year - 29.73
This year - 24.09

HDCA/60
Last year - 13.32
This year - 9.96

xGA/60
Last year - 2.74
This year - 2.47

But worse at generating chances/offense.

SCF/60
Last year - 30.33
This year - 22.49

HDCF/60
Last season - 11.85
This season - 9.03

xGF/60
Last season - 2.83
This season - 1.89


Our 5v5 offense hasn't shown up.

Get your facts and tangible evidence out of here. We are bad defensively. Levi is a bust. Adams is the worst GM in Sabres history. Granato is a bum. Am i missing anything?

- just in case it wasn't obvious.

 

[Sabre Dance]

I have to say I don’t think there’s a more miserable sporting event to attend then a Sabres home game.

It has to rub off on the players.

 

[CaliSabresfan24]

I realize he is young and also playing physical isn't his thing but it's crazy to me how soft he is for a massive kid. Doesn't use his body at all. It's crazy to see the fact he hasn't hit someone this season yet and only has a total of 28 hits in 91 career games.

It's just a bizzare stat to see. I played defense at a high level and wasn't too physical of a dman at all but there are still those shifts you have to finish your check and land a hit

its not even finishing his checks to me, just stop getting bummed off the puck so easily to guys who are like 5'9 180 when you're 6'6 218..

 

[ValJamesDuex]

Adams claimed he has 3 NHL goalies. I'm concerned that we might have none.

4 straight years of it, pushing Levi was another mistake to a LONG list.

 

[start winnin]

I have to say I don’t think there’s a more miserable sporting event to attend then a Sabres home game.

It has to rub off on the players.

They are the ones causing the misery so...