Sabres & NHL 2016-17 - Victor Antipin Signs One Year Deal

[shrader]

The Leafs are a good and talented young team. I'm acknowledging the obvious. But they are not a demonstrably better team. As everyone is well aware our defensive unit is lacking and is a major liability. If the the GM can get that reasonably resolved this offseason then the teams will be more closely matched.

 

I'm not making my judgment on this one game. With a better defense this year they should have been in the same point range as the Leafs. But "what if" judgments are meaningless. It's my unschooled judgment that with an upgraded defense the Leafs and Sabress are comparable or near comparable teams.

 

It's interesting to see how thoughts on this evolve over time. I think the whole thing boils down pretty easily. The league has a 4-5 teams at the very top and then a couple of the true bottom feeders. Then there's everyone else. Add a player here or there and you'll get some fluctuations among those middle teams, but like you said, they're not all that far apart. Fortunately though, with the way this game is, someone out of that midsection could wind up winning it all if they catch fire and some things go their way.

[thebug]

The Leafs are a good and talented young team. I'm acknowledging the obvious. But they are not a demonstrably better team. As everyone is well aware our defensive unit is lacking and is a major liability. If the the GM can get that reasonably resolved this offseason then the teams will be more closely matched.

 

I'm not making my judgment on this one game. With a better defense this year they should have been in the same point range as the Leafs. But "what if" judgments are meaningless. It's my unschooled judgment that with an upgraded defense the Leafs and Sabress are comparable or near comparable teams.

Fair enough!

[JohnC]

 

It's interesting to see how thoughts on this evolve over time. I think the whole thing boils down pretty easily. The league has a 4-5 teams at the very top and then a couple of the true bottom feeders. Then there's everyone else. Add a player here or there and you'll get some fluctuations among those middle teams, but like you said, they're not all that far apart. Fortunately though, with the way this game is, someone out of that midsection could wind up winning it all if they catch fire and some things go their way.

In the playoffs, especially as the rounds move on, the play tightens up. A hot goal tender can be the difference against a more talented team. In the playoffs with a stifling brand of defensive play a good goal scorer who is a loose defensive player can be a liability in low scoring games with fewer scoring chances.

 

On the one hand playoff hockey is brutally intense; on the other hand it is not a free flowing and offensive brand of hockey. From an aesthetic standpoint it isn't very pleasing for the casual fan. On the other hand for the more ingrained hockey fan it is a brutal heavy weight battle that is much appreciated.

 

The reality is that playoff hockey is qualitatively much different than regular season hockey. A team built to earn a 100 points in the regular season can just as easily be knocked out of the first round of the playoffs by the lowest seeded team. Playoff hockey is a different brand of hockey compared to the regular season.

[Like A Mofo]

 

It's interesting to see how thoughts on this evolve over time. I think the whole thing boils down pretty easily. The league has a 4-5 teams at the very top and then a couple of the true bottom feeders. Then there's everyone else. Add a player here or there and you'll get some fluctuations among those middle teams, but like you said, they're not all that far apart. Fortunately though, with the way this game is, someone out of that midsection could wind up winning it all if they catch fire and some things go their way.

 

+1

[26CornerBlitz]

@BuffaloSabres

#G1000nta will be the 312th @NHL player to hit 1,000 career games. How does it feel? "It hasn't really sunk in." http://bufsabres.co/kQ6JgE

 

Projected Lineup

63 Tyler Ennis - 90 Ryan O'Reilly - 21 Kyle Okposo
82 Marcus Foligno - 15 Jack Eichel - 23 Sam Reinhart
9 Evander Kane - 71 Evan Rodrigues - 12 Brian Gionta
48 William Carrier - 28 Zemgus Girgensons - 26 Matt Moulson

 

29 Jake McCabe - 77 Dmitry Kulikov
4 Josh Gorges - 41 Justin Falk
67 Brady Austin - 47 Zach Bogosian

 

40 Robin Lehner
31 Anders Nilsson

[plenzmd1]

surprised to see all the rancour over the number of Leafs fans at the game on Saturday. Freaking people sitting on their couch bitching about fans who sold tickets...WTF, go buy them yourself then. I have zero problem with people selling their tickets to whoever they want, and for whatever game they want.

[JohnC]

surprised to see all the rancour over the number of Leafs fans at the game on Saturday. Freaking people sitting on their couch bitching about fans who sold tickets...WTF, go buy them yourself then. I have zero problem with people selling their tickets to whoever they want, and for whatever game they want.

Are you from Canada? Is rancour the Canadian spelling for rancor?

 

I thought having a large number of Canadians in the building made it electric. Also, isn't it a good thing for outsiders to spend money locally?

[ricojes]

Are you from Canada? Is rancour the Canadian spelling for rancor?

 

I thought having a large number of Canadians in the building made it electric. Also, isn't it a good thing for outsiders to spend money locally?

They're always the loudest game's of the season. The Leafs fans are loud as usual and the Sabres fans are louder than usual. Season ticket holders get such a big discount that they pretty much get most of their money back selling the Leaf's games, can't blame them for that. Hopefully that changes as the Sabres improve, but with Canadians paying top dollar, I highly doubt it ever will....

Edited March 27, 2017 by ricojes

[shrader]

It's always the loudest game's of the season. The Leafs fans are loud as usual and the Sabres fans are louder than usual. Season ticket holders get such a big discount that they pretty much get most of their money back selling the Leaf's games, can't blame them for that. Hopefully that changes as the Sabres improve, but with Canadians paying top dollar, I highly doubt it ever will....

 

Both could be the best teams in the world and it would still be too tempting for most to make their money back. It has to be something bigger than even that to stop it and the best I can think of would be both Eichel and Matthews developing into true monsters of the game. It would have to be a Magic vs. Bird type battle of the best to maybe get people to keep their tickets.

[thebandit27]

They're always the loudest game's of the season. The Leafs fans are loud as usual and the Sabres fans are louder than usual. Season ticket holders get such a big discount that they pretty much get most of their money back selling the Leaf's games, can't blame them for that. Hopefully that changes as the Sabres improve, but with Canadians paying top dollar, I highly doubt it ever will....

 

 

 

Both could be the best teams in the world and it would still be too tempting for most to make their money back. It has to be something bigger than even that to stop it and the best I can think of would be both Eichel and Matthews developing into true monsters of the game. It would have to be a Magic vs. Bird type battle of the best to maybe get people to keep their tickets.

 

Back in '99, the Sabres held a decided advantage in fan presence in the arena when it came playoff-time.

 

Not sure that would remain the case again though.

[thebug]

Nice job Sabres beating up the Panthers tonight before the Leafs play them tomorrow. 👍

[JohnC]

Kulikov is playing significantly better than he was previously playing. Getting healthy probably is the reason for this positive transformation. I thought Bogo also played soundly. Our defense is far from being a very good unit but it is now playing competently. If this level of play happened during the season this team would be vying for the playoffs.

 

Kane has finally adjusted his game to conform to the unit. It's taken a while but it seems to me his new more team oriented style of play is now his standard style of play.

 

The Lehner deal is becoming a better deal as the season advances. His stop on the penalty shot got me fired up.

 

The tribute to Gionta was terrific. I'm glad he wasn't traded.

[ChevyVanMiller]

Eichel now Top 10 in ppg scoring in the NHL.

 

Getzlaf, Tavares, Laine, Matthews, etc are eating Jack's dust.

 

https://www.sportingcharts.com/nhl/stats/player-points-per-game-leaders/2016/

[plenzmd1]

Hmm...shots versus way down last two games....hmmm. Stat boys say Risto not all that..I say trade him and Kane now!

 

I do think Disco could learn that Risto is human and got worn down this season....BTW, i did not see last nights game

[26CornerBlitz]

VS.

SABRES (32-32-12) at BLUE JACKETS (48-19-7)

TUE MAR 28, 2017 @ 7:00 PM ET

TV: MSG-B

RADIO: WGR 550

Sabres Digital Press Box Game Preview

CURRENT INJURIES – (Man Games Lost: 376)

Player (injury, first game missed) – total games missed
Cody McCormick (blood clots, Oct. 13; injured reserve) – 76 games
Johan Larsson (wrist, Jan. 3; injured reserve) – 40 games
Cody Franson (undisclosed, March 20) – 4 games
Taylor Fedun (foot, March 20) – 4 games

TRANSACTIONS IN PAST 7 DAYS
3/23: Assigned F Justin Bailey, D Brady Austin and D Casey Nelson to Rochester (AHL)
3/25: Recalled D Brady Austin from Rochester (AHL); Activated F William Carrier from IR; Assigned F Hudson Fasching to Rochester

UPCOMING GAMES
Sunday, April 2: NY Islanders at Buffalo, 3 p.m.
Monday, April 3: Toronto at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, April 5: Montreal at Buffalo, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 8: Buffalo at Florida, 7 p.m.
Sunday, April 9: Buffalo at Tampa Bay, 5 p.m.

TONIGHT’S GAME

SABRES at BLUE JACKETS
This is the third and final meeting between the Sabres and Blue Jackets this season.
Last meeting: Buffalo defeated Columbus 5-3 in Buffalo on March 11
The Sabres are 5-4-1 in their last 10 games vs. the Blue Jackets; 4-5-1 on the road
This is the 26th game all-time between Buffalo and Columbus; Buffalo has a 10-12-2 series record.
The Sabres are 4-5-1 on the road against the Blue Jackets all-time.

Morning Skate: March 28, 2017 at 11:30 am – 12:30 pm at Nationwide Arena

[JohnC]

Hmm...shots versus way down last two games....hmmm. Stat boys say Risto not all that.I say trade him and Kane now!

 

I do think Disco could learn that Risto is human and got worn down this season....BTW, i did not see last nights game

Even in jest I do not allow Kane trade talk. Stop it!

 

If Bylsm had a mule on his farm you can be sure that it would be broken and beaten down by the time the plowing season was over with.

 

I watched the game. Even without Risto the defense played a basic game that overall was solid. Nothing special but nothing damaging. Kulikov and Bogo played well. If this team would have had this type of blue line play all season our late season games would have a lot more meaning.

[plenzmd1]

Even in jest I do not allow Kane trade talk. Stop it!

 

If Bylsm had a mule on his farm you can be sure that it would be broken and beaten down by the time the plowing season was over with.

 

I watched the game. Even without Risto the defense played a basic game that overall was solid. Nothing special but nothing damaging. Kulikov and Bogo played well. If this team would have had this type of blue line play all season our late season games would have a lot more meaning.

the advanced guys will tell you possession numbers with Risto are awful and other team gets way more shots because of it...if Sabres have another strong effort tonight and then lose when Risto comes back, you will strat to hear this more and more.

[26CornerBlitz]

3-28: DAN BYLSMA ON WGR

#Sabres head coach Dan Bylsma joins Jeremy White next on WGR for his weekly Tuesday visit! Tune in:

Bylsma - thought it was a nice night for Gionta & his family. 1,000 games is an accomplishment. He had an important role in the win #Sabres

Bylsma - Gionta is a true professional. A good example of how you want to live your life on and off the rink. Lives it every day #Sabres

Bylsma - it's a compliment to be considered an old guy in today's game. He's still got some jump in him, 15 goals is good for him #Sabres

Bylsma - Risto played at a young age in the NHL and has played 3-4 years now. He's still a young man, still learning and getting better.

Bylsma - Risto is showing his development in his game with his skating & puck handling.

Bylsma - It's a process and he's getting better on both sides of the puck #Sabres

Bylsma - Risto is our hardest working guy. He has a lot on his plate, and we want his work load to be not as much #Sabres

Bylsma - different guys have helped carry the load without Risto. It hasn't been perfect with him out, Lehner has been big for us #Sabres

Bylsma - Will Carrier has stepped into the NHL and proven that he can play with speed and energy #Sabres

Bylsma - Evan Rodrigues has surprised many this year with his play. Has shown he can play well at the NHL level. #Sabres

Bylsma - Even after missing the first 21 games, Jack has shown how much he's progressed since last year. #Sabres

Bylsma - Reinhart has always been a pass first guy. His goal scoring at even strength has been around the net front...

Bylsma - his scoring maybe hasn't been as noticeable as last year, but he's still making plays for us this year #Sabres

Bylsma - it's been quite the improvement for Kulikov since his injury early this season... #Sabres

Bylsma - Kulikov has played some of his best hockey in the last 2 games #Sabres

Bylsma - it was tough for Kulikov to feel comfortable and integrate himself with his injury and his busy summer with World Cup, etc. #Sabres

 

[JohnC]

the advanced guys will tell you possession numbers with Risto are awful and other team gets way more shots because of it...if Sabres have another strong effort tonight and then lose when Risto comes back, you will strat to hear this more and more.

Scotty Bowman was on the Instigator show yesterday and commented on Risto. He felt that he was one of the best young defensemen in the game and believed that he was going to get better.

 

When you have a player like Risto on a team like Buffalo it is not unusual that the player tries to force plays when he should just let the game come to him. Sometimes trying to do too much influences the stat numbers and the interpretation of the stats. Regardless what the stats may indicate the best way to evaluate him is to trust your eyes. The challenge is to find the right player to pair with him. I like McCabe a lot. I consider him to be more of a second pairing type of defenseman where without question Risto is a first pairing player.

[shrader]

Eichel now Top 10 in ppg scoring in the NHL.

 

Getzlaf, Tavares, Laine, Matthews, etc are eating Jack's dust.

 

https://www.sportingcharts.com/nhl/stats/player-points-per-game-leaders/2016/

 

Eichel: 55 games played; 23-32-55

Matthews: 74 games played; 34-27-61

 

He's definitely put to rest that popular idea coming out of Canada that Matthews is well ahead of him already. Hell, if he keeps up with his production over the last two games, he could actually pass Matthews in points even with the 21 missed games. That's probably a stretch, but anything is possible with this kid.