GBU The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Royal Flushed(Caps-Sabres Game #1) 1.14.2021

[EichHart]

Bad- Eichel and Dahlin look like they forgot how to skate. They both gained 20-25 lbs and are slow as Cody Hodgson.

This team needs some accountability. They need a new NHL PROVEN coach, a good goalie, and a # 1 D.

 

[BFLO]

G: The 3rd and 4th lines look like they can score goals and significantly outplayed Washington's 3rd and 4th lines
Both PP units look decent
Pk almost scored?

Fine: Tage, he made some good plays, but he also held on to the puck too long trying to be a hero a few times too and turned it over in the o-zone. I thought he came out ahead on the good vs bad play count overall.
Cozens looked like he belonged. Nothing outstanding, but a solid 3rd/4th line effort and got his 1st point.

B: Reinhart, more pucks died on his stick than Tage's and his brutal unforced giveaway led to the 6th Washington goal.

U: We looked like an unprepared JV team against a varsity team that's won a state championship for the first 10 minutes. Extremely timid and slow. When we did get the puck no one had the confidence to carry it or make a pass. It was basically just dump it as fast as possible and line change.

Dahlin looks like a left handed, less physical Risto.

Eichel had at least 2, possibly 3 awful giveaways in the D zone that lead to long shifts and extended O-zones for the Caps. Just lazy plays.

The Staal giveaway

Hutton - We'd be fine with a bad NHL caliber goalie. But Hutton is an AHL/ECHL tweener at this point. And he's still better than JJ. We need to use our cap to get a goalie

 

[Jagemon]

I would have thought that being a rusty team they would have kept R2 on the lineup knowing full well he has played alot more this year already.

But to each on their own I guess... could have been beneficial as he would have been up to speed already. This is not NHL level play yet from these teams anyway.

 

[1TuchAnd1NoTuch]

That was ugly. They looked like they weren’t even trying, hoping it’s just rust from all times off. Was hoping Dahlin would take that next step but he looked rough tonight. Hutton shouldn’t be in the NHL. I liked Cozens, Reider and Sheahans play

 

[Montag DP]

The jerseys looked good, but nothing else. This team needs a major shakeup.

 

[La Cosa Nostra]

I also found it amusing that Reider has 25% of his goal output the last 122 games tonight. He is definitely a much better bottom 6 talent then a Sobtoka,Mittelstadt, Sheary or Vesey. Speed kills and outside of a select few the Sabres are a slower team

 

[Fezzy126]

Alright, I'll do a proper GBU...

Good:

• Eichel & Hall getting 2 points each despite being rusty
• Team kept fighting back to keep the game interesting
• McCabe with the Gordie, dude continues to be a heart and soul player on this team
• I was really surprised by the bottom 6, they weren't great but they had some nice shifts in the Caps zone
• Congrats to Hall & Reider for their 1st points as Sabres, and big congrats to Cozens for his 1st NHL point
• I thought Cozens effort and tenacity on the puck was very noticable

Bad:

• Team passing was abysmal; passes in skates, players not able to handle good passes, misjudging the puck coming off the boards. It was a problem all night, lots of rust to shake off
• The Staal line wasn't very good, they looked slow and got outscored 2-0. That line needs a speed element added (Cozens, Skinner, Hall?)
• Defensive coverage was very bad tonight, everyone seemd a little lost at times
• Eichel, Staal, Dahlin, & Montour all looked super RUSTY. I thought Dahlin was way too weak with the puck; weak backhanders, weak dipsy doodles around forecheckers, his gaps were too wide, he needs to be much more assertive.
• I thought Reino played a decent game, but his weak puck play behind the net at the end led directly to the final empty netter.
• Hutton - dude I stuck up for you pregame! I'm not putting Hutts in the Ugly category because I don't think any of the goals were soft, but... Look, I know he's not a good goalie, but even mediocre goalies bail their team out with a save from time to time. During the tank years we gave up 60 shots a game and no name AHL goalies would limit the opposition to 3 goals.
• Caps always had a response for our response - good on them, bad for us.
• PK still looked weak, I don't like that 1-1-2 that they're playing (or is it a 1-2-1?), guys got spread out way too far and the Caps just missed on several chances. I saw Montreal using a similar formation, I just think the nature of the formation is easily exploited. At least we almost scored a shortie!

Ugly:

• (Still) Dowd
• Hockey without fans - for some reason the game presentation seemed more desolate than the bubble tourney (Probably just noticed more because the quality of hockey wasn't great).

The team went 10 months without playing hockey, no offseason shinnie either for a bunch of these guys. So rust was expected, but it doesn't make it any less frustrating. For what it's worth I thought the Caps looked super rusty as well, despite being a very veteran team that has played much more recently than us.

Hopefully we can bounce back tomorrow (despite the loss, I missed Sabres hockey a lot!)

 

[valet]

Lmao some of these takes are off the wall

definitely have to kick off some rust but it honestly wasn’t that bad of a game. Our bottom 6 was solid, top 6 and pp produced goals, just need to clean up the risto goal and that bad Hutton rebound one and we win.

looking forward to this year. Hockey is back! Try not to be so negative

 

[Fezzy126]

Oh, one last bad...

An entire page or two of the GDT was filled with complaints about Risto after this play:



Really, this was Risto's fault?

 

[nickdawg95]

Oh, one last bad...

An entire page or two of the GDT was filled with complaints about Risto after this play:



Really, this was Risto's fault?

Said this in the GDT

i swear some people don't even watch the games they just come in whenever the other teams scores to flame risto

 

[Kyndig]

I see we're in midseason form already. That time of the year I guess?

Did our entire team become couch potatoes? I've never seen any team this slow and we've been a slow team for years. The Caps often just skated right past our whole team as if we were rooted in mud the whole game. I hope this isn't the new Dahlin with extra weight on him because I'm sure someones grandparents could fly past him.

Unforced turnovers, bad passes, just all around ugly.

First game of the year and the team hasn't played in a really long time, hopefully they come out flying tomorrow.

 

[joshjull]

Oh, one last bad...

An entire page or two of the GDT was filled with complaints about Risto after this play:



Really, this was Risto's fault?

Unfortunately many are quick to pounce before analyzing what happened. Especially if one of their whipping boys is on the ice.

 

[tsujimoto74]

Oh, one last bad...

An entire page or two of the GDT was filled with complaints about Risto after this play:



Really, this was Risto's fault?

Happens every time a goal/good chance against occurs with Risto on the ice. People don't care who actually blew their coverage; if Risto was there, he's getting 100% of the blame.

 

[buffalowing88]

I'm so out on this franchise. I honestly am checking out. I like the Bills, I love any Lake Erie-based pro sports team, and the college teams in Buffalo have been fun to watch lately. I'm absolving myself of commitment to this organization, though. It's just not worth it. I went through the prolonged tanks in the early 2000s and this recent bastardization of hockey. I have nothing left to prove. The best case at this point is trading off everyone of value and rebuilding again. I'm just so done. Eichel will win a cup with Boston sometime soon, Dahlin will find a way out in a couple years when the ELC runs out, and Hall is going to be nothing more than trade fodder.

The fact that we couldn't find a way to get a decent goalie, when several were widely available, is ridiculous and the lack of a group of LHD when we knew this would bite us in the ass is reprehensible FO management. Just so done. I'll be on the History of Hockey forums from here on out, I can't do this to my BP anymore. It's not worth it.

 

[Club]

I see we're in midseason form already. That time of the year I guess?

Already? First game of the year with no hockey for most of these guys in 9 months. Not to mention no pre season

G: 3rd/4th line, Olofsson

OK: Eichel, Hall,

B: Tage, Montour, D

U: Dowd, Staal injury (hope he's ok)

 

[GOALOFSSON]

I'm so out on this franchise. I honestly am checking out. I like the Bills, I love any Lake Erie-based pro sports team, and the college teams in Buffalo have been fun to watch lately. I'm absolving myself of commitment to this organization, though. It's just not worth it. I went through the prolonged tanks in the early 2000s and this recent bastardization of hockey. I have nothing left to prove. The best case at this point is trading off everyone of value and rebuilding again. I'm just so done. Eichel will win a cup with Boston sometime soon, Dahlin will find a way out in a couple years when the ELC runs out, and Hall is going to be nothing more than trade fodder.

The fact that we couldn't find a way to get a decent goalie, when several were widely available, is ridiculous and the lack of a group of LHD when we knew this would bite us in the ass is reprehensible FO management. Just so done. I'll be on the History of Hockey forums from here on out, I can't do this to my BP anymore. It's not worth it.

Lol

 

[Paxon]

I also found it amusing that Reider has 25% of his goal output the last 122 games tonight. He is definitely a much better bottom 6 talent then a Sobtoka,Mittelstadt, Sheary or Vesey. Speed kills and outside of a select few the Sabres are a slower team

I like him so far but it's kinda funny to point out that he has 25% of his goal output fromthe last 122 games tonight then say he is much better than those guys. What about the last 122 games?!

 

[toomuchsauce]

G:
the "bottom 6" and especially the REC line
Cozens' overall solid play and first point
Olofsson
Hall - liked his game despite his linemates playing pretty poorly
Risto, McCabe, Miller, Joker - all pretty good tonight

B:
Eichel
Thompson
Staal giveaway
Dahlin
Dowd hit on Staal

U:
Montour
Hutton

 

[Jagemon]

Happens every time a goal/good chance against occurs with Risto on the ice. People don't care who actually blew their coverage; if Risto was there, he's getting 100% of the blame.

Well to be fair Risto should have kicked Hutton out of the net and make a miracle save with no gloves on catching the puck with his teeth.

 

[Old Navy Goat]

Well if they keep playing like this we can spend lots of free time watching U of M games for Beniers (my pref), Johnson and Powers

 

[JThorne]

Its not like we have a lot of cap invested into goalie so I can't be too mad about a performance that we all expected.

With the goaltender position cap hit doesn't equate to success. We've seen countless teams hamstrung by overpaying a "top tier" goalie for too much, too long. Middle of the road is just fine.

 

[Rasmus CacOlainen]

My concerns that may not be fixed:
Staal line disappointed. Expected way more, its not just Staal, also Reinhart and Olofsson. Hopefully they get it together but maybe Staal is passed it? Hopefully not but I dont think we can do anything about it other than hope it changes.
Risto is what he is. Doubt anyone pays something of any value to get him. So we will have to live with him - at this point he is a mediocre second pairing NHL D. He will have occasional good things done offensively and he will have his usual brainfarts defensively. Learn to live with it as there is nothing that can be done about it.

Things that scared me but could be gixed in theory:
Hutton is atrocious. Send his ass to the AHL, we dont need more games to know this. Try your luck on some waiver wire pick up like Forsberg or something. Or get a cheap tradewise goalie like Raanta and hope he can at least match Ullmark so that they can 1A/1B together. Anything is better than giving Hutton 15-20 games this season cause this will literally cost us playoffs.
Skinner shouldn't be on the 4th line and Thompson shouldnt be on the 1st line. Shuffle them...As some suggested maybe even Cozens on top line. But you can do other stuff with Olofsson too. I dont see a reason why Skinner-Staal-Reinhart cant be a line, with Olofsson moving to the top line or going down the lineup with Cozens going to top line while Olofsson goes 4th line and becomes what he is good at - depth piece with PP specialist role.
Dahlin - he must be better, but I f***ing hope he can improve considering his tools despite the organization he plays for.

 

[Fjordy]

Krueger sucks

 

[Dubi Doo]

The good:
GBUs are back. That is all.

 

[Deevo]

- Ralph stinks.
- Risto is insanely bad
- Top 6 was all bad but especially the 2nd line. That line needs some speed badly. Too bad we don't have any good skating 2nd line wingers buried on our 4th line.