Post-Game Talk (GBU): Pittsburgh Penguins at Buffalo Sabres , 7:00 PM EST, 3/5/2020

[jBuds]

I’m really f***ing exhausted.

 

[PatrikBerglund]

Bring in a foreign coach, Finnish or Swedish.

 

[Dubi Doo]

There's a light at the end of the tunnel. Props to everyone who's still watching. Y'all are true fans. Botts will be gone soon enough.

 

[Chainshot]

Getting to be pretty darn obvious why Ralph was cut loose from Edmonton so quickly.

Ya'd think the Sabres would be watching this pretty closely and compare notes but reality is that the Sabres just don't favor the speed game. On ice nor in the front office.

Oilers didn’t have these problems on special teams.

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

Once again about half of the line up has a lower 5v5 GF/60 than the the powerplay's GA/60. 17 goals off median play from special teams. That's likely puts them near the playoffs.

 

[OkimLom]

Getting to be pretty darn obvious why Ralph was cut loose from Edmonton so quickly.

Ya'd think the Sabres would be watching this pretty closely and compare notes but reality is that the Sabres just don't favor the speed game. On ice nor in the front office.

I remember a time when we WERE the fast team in the league.

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

Funny, I've read that Joe DiMaggio NEVER had that sort of entitlement - what's the point -type of attitude. Must have something to do with the culture and the pay scale...

Oh sorry, that's right... Joe who? (ancient history....)

Joe DiMaggio's teams were in the post season 10 out 13 times. Of course they didn't phone it in, they were always in it.

 

[brian_griffin]

It's why Krueger and the players are always talking about how we have to "work harder" after a loss, and how we need more goal scoring, need to convert our chances, etc.

It's the way they play offensively. Everything goes around a perimeter along the glass and gets funneled back to the point for a long shot through a crowd of people...with the shot usually not being on net in the first place.

That's our offensive scheme. I think a large function of that is the players we have; they are soft Reinhart types who do not want to crash and bang and go the sweet spots on the ice.

There are a few exceptions; Gus has always been willing to attack the net and Simmonds should probably help in that regard, but still....it's not nearly enough.

I had trouble posting in the live thread last night. I think the bolded is why - as others alluded - in the 3rd Ralph swapped Larsson and Eichel. KO and Girgs could do more dirty work down low with Eichel playing through and injury, and Larsson could do the down-low work for Reinhart and Olofsson.

I actually thought the Sabres didn't play badly. I thought the effort and engagement was good, save for not enough urgency when JJ was pulled late. They didn't shy away from physical play. McCabe's backhander was a textbook shootout move. I thought the Sabres had decent chances, but Pens collapsed D always got a stick on the puck at last moments (e.g., MarJo forgoing the high slot shot to move left to the crease before the Pen poked it). Pens PP entries are world class. Both teams had chances they couldn't convert on - Pens hit at least 2 pipes in the 3rd. JJ had a couple pucks get by him through his equipment another 'keeper may have kept out. Oh well, not sure Hutton would have stopped certain other PIT shots which JJ did. I agree with @joshjull - Hammond should have been called up because of his prior NHL experience / mental preparation, and let JJ have the consistency with the Amerks the rest of the way. And that's not knocking JJ's ability nor readiness.

Agree with many of the in-game and post-game comments. Sabres need to be faster, stop defaulting to so much o-zone possession as a "high-to-low" only philosophy, and have a greater number / percentage of players who can play in the low slot / crease area more effectively. Baffled why Kahun didn't play more. Dahlin had a weak clear attempt which led to another minute of PIT O-zone possession.

The officiating was poor. If you don't waive off PIT's first goal, you can't in turn call Larsson, who was similarly pushed backwards at his hip by the PIT defender while unsteadily balanced. Malkin should have gone to the box at least once.

But I watched the whole game, without becoming disinterested with the Sabres lack of effort, or feeling the Sabres were grossly outplayed. I'm not equivocating, because I know that's not "progress", but I've seen many worse efforts and outcomes this season.

 

[Samsonite23]

Really enjoyed not watching this one.

 

[littletonhockeycoach]

Joe DiMaggio's teams were in the post season 10 out 13 times. Of course they didn't phone it in, they were always in it.

It's Joe's mindset and perspective I'm relating, not his team. Too many people quit today and blow off their obligation to perform at their highest level irrespective of the situation.

I have increased respect for Okposo watching how he's played the past couple of months. He's no longer in his prime but he comes ready to play and give his best every night.

 

[joshjull]

I have become disenchanted with him. The little things he used to do well he’s not. At first I thought maybe it was getting the letter, but where some players rise to the occasion and contract year, he has slipped. At this point I wonder if he is playing his way out of town.

I agree he’s stopped doing a lot of of the little things he used to do. It’s been annoying me as well.

To me it seems like a product of playing with Jack more so than checking out or being lazy. As in most of the work of that line is done by Jack. Sam just fell into bad habits. He spends too much of his time trying to get the puck back to Jack as quickly as possible.


I really wish he would get on another line. I think he would work his way back to the well rounded game he has. He would also be more likely to assert himself during shifts. Instead of deferring to Jack constantly. Olofsson has to do that. Sam doesn’t.

 

[Royisgone]

I agree he’s stopped doing a lot of of the little things he used to do. It’s been annoying me as well.

To me it seems like a product of playing with Jack more so than checking out or being lazy. As in most of the work of that line is done by Jack. Sam just fell into bad habits. He spends too much of his time trying to get the puck back to Jack as quickly as possible.


I really wish he would get on another line. I think he would work his way back to the well rounded game he has. He would also be more likely to assert himself during shifts. Instead of deferring to Jack constantly. Olofsson has to do that. Sam doesn’t.

Sam is incapable of driving his own line, which he should be doing, seeing as he was the first forward taken in an entire draft class.

If he could do that, a lot of our problems would be solved. It could free up Skinner to combine with Eichel again, and suddenly your 40 goal man is back on the team. Current second line guys become third line guys, third line becomes 4 and so on.

This GM blew up the construct of the entire forward 4 lines when he gave away ROR. That was a while ago now and he has done nothing to solve the problem since.

Reinhart is not going to go through a brick wall to win a playoff series, ever. Not that kind of guy, not that kind of player. We have a team of guys like that. But that's sort of a conversation for another day.

 

[OkimLom]

Sam is incapable of driving his own line, which he should be doing, seeing as he was the first forward taken in an entire draft class.

If he could do that, a lot of our problems would be solved. It could free up Skinner to combine with Eichel again, and suddenly your 40 goal man is back on the team. Current second line guys become third line guys, third line becomes 4 and so on.

This GM blew up the construct of the entire forward 4 lines when he gave away ROR. That was a while ago now and he has done nothing to solve the problem since.

Reinhart is not going to go through a brick wall to win a playoff series, ever. Not that kind of guy, not that kind of player. We have a team of guys like that. But that's sort of a conversation for another day.

How often has he been given that opportunity?