Post-Game Talk (GBU): Sabres vs Leafs

[sincerity0]

Reinhart's inclusion in OT is another decision that's starting to become baffling. He's been putrid there all year. It's like he suddenly forgets how to manage the puck and make good decisions once there's all that open ice.

My assumption is that it’s because Reinhart is a smart, positionally sound skater. I do worry that while Sam is a smart player, his skating will prevent him from being a good OT player with all that ice.

Honestly, Housley should roll out Eichel, Dahlin, Skinner, Sheary, Pilut, and maybe Larsson if they need a defensive breather. There’s no reason not to play the top offensive players and skaters in OT. If you give up a 2-1 or 2-2 with a bunch of open ice (like last night) there’s a more than good chance you’re losing anyway. May as well go all offense hoping to score before your opponent.

 

[Chainshot]

I like that our fan base is able to admit this rather than just a sea of "**** Auston Matthews" comments...

Truth be told, my son's comments as the goal was scored were both -- "f*** Auston Matthews, that was an amazing goal." I had to laugh.

 

[Chainshot]

At least someone asked. Mitts has been "a little off" for a bit. That momentum shifting hit was more than a few games ago. He could use a pat on the back from his coach.

 

[debaser66]

Maybe you missed the 9-6 Calgary game last night. Goals are trending way up.
Look at the number of PPG players over the last 10 years and how many are on pace this season.

He has got a point 80pts is a bit lofty.

 

[debaser66]

Like Jordan Sobotka

 

[is the answer jesus]

Housley sucks. There's no reasonable justification for having a plug like Sobotka out there during OT. Rodrigues was having a poor game as well. Their asses should have been stapled to the bench not Mittlestadt.

 

[MayDayMayDay]

G

Dahlin - He'll be the reason this team wins Cups. Plural.
Risto
Pilut
Bogo
Eichel
Reinhart
Ullmark
Girgensons & Larry

B
Only getting one when we played well enough to get two.

U
Matthews

Someone said it earlier. The Leafs don't scare me. We've always had their number, and after last night, I'm not convinced that has changed with this new generation. In a seven game series, I'd take us right now.

The Sabres are nowhere near a finished product. And the Leafs still needed a third period comeback and OT goal from Matthews to squeak out two points.

They better hope they win a Cup this year. Because past that point and once the Sabres are polished, we're not letting them near it.

 

[Reddawg]

Housley sucks. There's no reasonable justification for having a plug like Sobotka out there during OT. Rodrigues was having a poor game as well. Their asses should have been stapled to the bench not Mittlestadt.

There is, actually. Winning the F/O is a much bigger deal in OT and Sobotka's F/O numbers are better at 44.8% than Casey's at 37.2%. Three on three is all about possession...getting it and keeping it.

 

[Beerz]

E-Rod is a 2nd line winger on a mediocre team and a 3rd line winger on a good team.

Where do we come up with that reasoning? Erod is ideally a 4th liner who could fill in 3rd line duties until he proves otherwise. 13 goals in over a 100 plus games 40 points.

 

[tsujimoto74]

There is, actually. Winning the F/O is a much bigger deal in OT and Sobotka's F/O numbers are better at 44.8% than Casey's at 37.2%. Three on three is all about possession...getting it and keeping it.

Then you have him take the faceoff and immediately change, you don't leave him out there.

 

[debaser66]

G: Eichel
Dahlin
Pilut
Risto

B: or scoring depth, not much talent to put it in the net, 4th line is good at keepin possession but nobody can score. Mittelstadt&Thompson need time to develop their ozone game.
Sheary is ok for top9.
Erod is a 3rd/4th liner
Okposo can hustle but not put it in.
I hope some of Olofsson/Smith/Nylander are called up sooner than later.
I hope they buy out Sobotkas last year he is quite useless.

Ullmark was fine

Overall I liked the game and we dominated parts of it.
Or game is good enough for hanging around the playoffs but far away from the contenders in depth.
Sure you pull off a win against them once in a while but you don't survive a best of 7.

 

[Reddawg]

Then you have him take the faceoff and immediately change, you don't leave him out there.

I have no problem with that philosophy at all.

 

[Beerz]

There is, actually. Winning the F/O is a much bigger deal in OT and Sobotka's F/O numbers are better at 44.8% than Casey's at 37.2%. Three on three is all about possession...getting it and keeping it.

Wonder what the numbers are.. to me that difference doesnt seem big enough to justify it but maybe I'm underestimating the difference of 7 percent

 

[tsujimoto74]

Wonder what the numbers are.. to me that difference doesnt seem big enough to justify it but maybe I'm underestimating the difference of 7 percent

No advantage is too slight to be worth making use of if it's available. The problem is that Sobotka shouldn't be doing anything in OT except taking faceoffs.

 

[Reddawg]

Wonder what the numbers are.. to me that difference doesnt seem big enough to justify it but maybe I'm underestimating the difference of 7 percent

108 wins and 133 losses for Sobotka, compared to 70 wins and 118 losses for Casey.

Berglund - 68w/48l = 58.6%
Larsson - 172/171 = 50.1%
Eichel - 212/241 = 46.8%

 

[Moncton man]

Maybe you missed the 9-6 Calgary game last night. Goals are trending way up.
Look at the number of PPG players over the last 10 years and how many are on pace this season.

Well no I don't think I over looked it. And one game doesn't make it so.

I'm comparing the number of seasons defensemen scored 80+ points in the last 20 years. There were exactly two such seasons. The previous 20 years there were 40 such seasons.

For all skaters in the previous 10 years there were 87 times players scored at PPG pace playing at/over 65 games, 192 times in the 10 seasons before that.

 

[littletonhockeycoach]

I actually think the blame is largely on Housley for Sobotka’s inclusion in 3v3, which should never happen.

I think I understand Housley's mentality here...... I don't know what the stats say but Sobatka is becoming Housley's go to guy on face-offs and he see's him as a more of a defensive forward. Erod played aggressive last night and it appeared that he might possibly have a goal in him. So he's out there as backup. Mitts is a rookie and defensively he's no Dahlin. He's not going to play in the waining seconds of an OT. I suspect Housley was trying to ensure that he had some face off security out there. He guessed wrong because the last seconds situation did not go as he anticipated it would. (Face off, win it, grind out the last couple of seconds.)

Its OK to be pissed at Housley. He made a coaching decision and it backfired on him. But ONLY because elite talent came through in the end and it's really tough to compensate for that. (Because that's what we all want on our team's, elite talent who make plays in the quickest and most essential of moments.)

Sobatka got a little too deep initially on the TML rush but recovered enough to cover and line up on the drop pass. He just got beat by Matthews using an outstanding quick lateral step over and a classic snap shot. Just under the cross bar. Talk about a snipe. Wow!

 

[littletonhockeycoach]

Then you have him take the faceoff and immediately change, you don't leave him out there.

Easier said than done sometimes. Esp. in a 3 on 3. I was concerned that the Sabres almost got caught on a couple of substitutions during the 3 on 3. Just too much ice to cover esp. if one player gets in too deep and the back guy decides to change.

 

[Beerz]

I think I understand Housley's mentality here...... I don't know what the stats say but Sobatka is becoming Housley's go to guy on face-offs and he see's him as a more of a defensive forward. Erod played aggressive last night and it appeared that he might possibly have a goal in him. So he's out there as backup. Mitts is a rookie and defensively he's no Dahlin. He's not going to play in the waining seconds of an OT. I suspect Housley was trying to ensure that he had some face off security out there. He guessed wrong because the last seconds situation did not go as he anticipated it would. (Face off, win it, grind out the last couple of seconds.)

Its OK to be pissed at Housley. He made a coaching decision and it backfired on him. But ONLY because elite talent came through in the end and it's really tough to compensate for that. (Because that's what we all want on our team's, elite talent who make plays in the quickest and most essential of moments.)

Sobatka got a little too deep initially on the TML rush but recovered enough to cover and line up on the drop pass. He just got beat by Matthews using an outstanding quick lateral step over and a classic snap shot. Just under the cross bar. Talk about a snipe. Wow!

Meh. We had a timeout... should of took it and put Jack back out there.. Sobotka should not be leaned on for anything defensive

 

[Gabrielor]

I actually agree with him. A lot of the usual suspects shined in that game, which is good. Notably, mitts was grossly outmatched.

He’s young, and super skilled, but I do really want to shore up our center depth anyways.

 

[sufferer]

Can't say I've noticed Casey at all the past few games other than that big hit he threw on Hamhuis behind the net. He'll get to where to needs to be eventually. I'd prefer if Phil took a live or die approach with him and give him a chance in OT.

 

[Sabre the Win]

I think I understand Housley's mentality here...... I don't know what the stats say but Sobatka is becoming Housley's go to guy on face-offs and he see's him as a more of a defensive forward. Erod played aggressive last night and it appeared that he might possibly have a goal in him. So he's out there as backup. Mitts is a rookie and defensively he's no Dahlin. He's not going to play in the waining seconds of an OT. I suspect Housley was trying to ensure that he had some face off security out there. He guessed wrong because the last seconds situation did not go as he anticipated it would. (Face off, win it, grind out the last couple of seconds.)

Its OK to be pissed at Housley. He made a coaching decision and it backfired on him. But ONLY because elite talent came through in the end and it's really tough to compensate for that. (Because that's what we all want on our team's, elite talent who make plays in the quickest and most essential of moments.)

Sobatka got a little too deep initially on the TML rush but recovered enough to cover and line up on the drop pass. He just got beat by Matthews using an outstanding quick lateral step over and a classic snap shot. Just under the cross bar. Talk about a snipe. Wow!

BE-CAREFUL!! If you wander too deep, you may never find your way back out.

 

[sabrebuild]

ERod got the ice time because he is centering their #1 checking line and not because he's their 2C.

Housley has things set up with 2 offensive lines (Eichel and Middlestadt) and 2 checking/energy lines (ERod & JL).

There will be more than a few games where the #1 checking line will get more ice time than the #2 offensive line.

The structure doesn’t seem like his point.

Seems like his point is we only have 2 centers that can win their matchup.

 

[sabrebuild]

Reinhart's inclusion in OT is another decision that's starting to become baffling. He's been putrid there all year. It's like he suddenly forgets how to manage the puck and make good decisions once there's all that open ice.

Particularly bad last night. He wasn’t moving his feet for crap.

Honestly, I’m not impressed with how they run their 3v3 in general, and I don’t know if that’s on the coaches or players, but it seems like we seldom have a real plan to exploit space that is abundant.

I’d like to see Olofsson get called up and go full Swede. Dahlin, Pilut and Olofsson, and let those Euros enjoy their open ice.

 

[sabrebuild]

There is, actually. Winning the F/O is a much bigger deal in OT and Sobotka's F/O numbers are better at 44.8% than Casey's at 37.2%. Three on three is all about possession...getting it and keeping it.

I’m totally good with that logic, as long as it was followed by Sobotka sprinting for the bench, because he is one of our worst possession players during actual play.