Our biggest problem is that our overall passing as a team, whether it's forwards or defense, is HORRIBLE. If they actually learn how to make a tape to tape pass the turnovers will be far less than they are now.
- HonkFortheGoose

And the only forward capable of making a zone entry on the PP is O'Reilly.

Risto loves that drop-pass at the blue line just as much as Myers did

Absolutely, but he's close to elite in other areas. No one on our team besides Risto is.
- sbroads24

Really, really would love to get a guy like him on this team.

I seriously think he might be the most underrated defenseman in the league. Even if he did try and kill Pominville that one time....

Patrick Wiercioch. 6'5. Left-handed D. 5 points in 5 games. 800K cap hit.

Man, if only Murray knew about him somehow.

Our biggest problem is that our overall passing as a team, whether it's forwards or defense, is HORRIBLE. If they actually learn how to make a tape to tape pass the turnovers will be far less than they are now.
- HonkFortheGoose

there is no exucse for that

it's not like rookies are playing

aside from okposo, grant and kulikov

they have all been here a bit

nothin wrong with kuli in my book...I think it was a bad decision breaking up bogo/McCabe...those two are (were?) a rock-solid pairing
- Michael Pachla

No, they really weren't. Like at all.

And the only forward capable of making a zone entry on the PP is O'Reilly.

Risto loves that drop-pass at the blue line just as much as Myers did
- CaptainRivet

The reason our possession stats are so bad is because they can't pass. The transition game sucks because they don't know how to do more than just throw it in the direction of one another and hope they manage to reel it in and charge up the ice.

In essence: Bad passing leads to a bad transition game which leads to poor possession numbers.

Really, really would love to get a guy like him on this team.

I seriously think he might be the most underrated defenseman in the league. Even if he did try and kill Pominville that one time....
- HonkFortheGoose

He might as well be. He's better than Seabrook now IMO.

I think Mattias Ekholm would be a star on other teams too. Very under rated

Absolutely, but he's close to elite in other areas. No one on our team besides Risto is.
- sbroads24

Ive changed my tune and come around to the split pairings thing you mentioned in the off season. If you go after another righty (of that caliber) you could go

McCabe-Risto

Kulikov-New guy


spread the ice time, give one pair the extra o-zone time and the other the heavy d minutes against top lines?

He might as well be. He's better than Seabrook now IMO.

I think Mattia Ekholm would be a star on other teams too. Very under rated
- sbroads24

Best contract in the nhl

64 games as a Sabre with 4 goals, and earlier you complained that there's no scoring from the blue line.

Edit: 5.5 seasons worth of games (464) and he only has 39 goals. That's about 7 per 82 game season. Know who else scored that many last year? Your pal Bagosian.
- stashu

Statistics only have merit when they are "advanced" or, if simple, when they advance a particular narrative.

Otherwise you count on the "eye test" or blanket statements to support the particular narrative.

The reason our possession stats are so bad is because they can't pass. The transition game sucks because they don't know how to do more than just throw it in the direction of one another and hope they manage to reel it in and charge up the ice.

In essence: Bad passing leads to a bad transition game which leads to poor possession numbers.
- HonkFortheGoose

Summed up: This team is bad.

Ive changed my tune and come around to the split pairings thing you mentioned in the off season. If you go after another righty (of that caliber) you could go

McCabe-Risto

Kulikov-New guy


spread the ice time, give one pair the extra o-zone time and the other the heavy d minutes against top lines?
- Sabresfan-365

Yep, just get 2 guys that can really push play at both ends.

It's telling that Risto is playing even more when they wanted to reduce his minutes

there is no exucse for that

it's not like rookies are playing

aside from okposo, grant and kulikov

they have all been here a bit
- homiedclown

They need to address it. That's for sure.

Yep, just get 2 guys that can really push play at both ends.

It's telling that Risto is playing even more when they wanted to reduce his minutes
- sbroads24

That lasted for literally one period. They saw one period of Bogosian in those minutes and that was it

I don't think our D is that bad

gorges is playing more than I like
mccabe playing less


bigger problem IMO is the guys up front are not coming back quick enough and making way too many turnovers
- homiedclown

Simple stats yesterday said we are pretty good, ie top half of the league, in several defensive departments. DOn't know how bad that got nicked yesterday.

Statistics only have merit when they are "advanced" or, if simple, when they advance a particular narrative.

Otherwise you count on the "eye test" or blanket statements to support the particular narrative.
- Der Kaiser

There is nothing advanced about it.

Zach Bogosian played 7 more minutes a game than Cody Franson. Over 60 games that equals close to 30 games (Franson averaged 15 min a night) than Franson, yet had only 3 more goals.

If Franson was deployed as much as Bogo, there is no doubt he'd score more.

Simple stats yesterday said we are pretty good, ie top half of the league, in several defensive departments. DOn't know how bad that got nicked yesterday.
- Der Kaiser

Considering that the 3 goals all came on the PP, I wouldn't think it would put too much of a ding in the overall stats since they tend to be based on 5v5 typically. I could be wrong though.

There is nothing advanced about it.

Zach Bogosian played 7 more minutes a game than Cody Franson. Over 60 games that equals close to 30 games (Franson averaged 15 min a night) than Franson, yet had only 3 more goals.

If Franson was deployed as much as Bogo, there is no doubt he'd score more.
- sbroads24

Except his defensive liabilities and utter lack of speed would likely contribute to more goals scored against and therefore make wins just as unlikely.

Your move

There is nothing advanced about it.

Zach Bogosian played 7 more minutes a game than Cody Franson. Over 60 games that equals close to 30 games (Franson averaged 15 min a night) than Franson, yet had only 3 more goals.

If Franson was deployed as much as Bogo, there is no doubt he'd score more.
- sbroads24

If Franson wasn't such a liability because of how poor of a skater he is, we'd have a lot more options of what to do. But I can't picture them putting Gorges with him because that pair just seems like it would be a mess. So they moved Kulikov up to get him more ice time, which ended up reducing McCabe's ice time. Not really the best idea, but they don't have a ton of options.

Except his defensive liabilities and utter lack of speed would likely contribute to more goals scored against and therefore make wins just as unlikely.

Your move
- Der Kaiser

In theory yes, in reality no

Goals against per 60 minutes last year

Franson -1.76
Bogo - 2.89

Quality of competition sways this. But Franson had the lowest total for any regular

Even Hillary wouldn't have played Bogo in the OT.

In theory yes, in reality no

Goals against per 60 minutes last year

Franson -1.76
Bogo - 2.89

Quality of competition sways this. But Franson had the lowest total for any regular
- sbroads24

Tanev or Braun would look good in his place.

There is nothing advanced about it.

Zach Bogosian played 7 more minutes a game than Cody Franson. Over 60 games that equals close to 30 games (Franson averaged 15 min a night) than Franson, yet had only 3 more goals.

If Franson was deployed as much as Bogo, there is no doubt he'd score more.
- sbroads24

Cept if he was expected to skate that much he'd huff and puff and die somewhere around xmas

Summed up: This team is bad.
- CaptainRivet

Even Hillary wouldn't have played Bogo in the OT.
- Pairo11