Also a side note, and one that may have me on team call out the coaching, I cannot believe that Housley thought the right decision was to give the defensive assignment to mittelstadt in the VGK game.


Mittelstadt, ellie and thompson had ZERO offensive zone starts. Are you poopting me?

Also a side note, and one that may have me on team call out the coaching, I cannot believe that Housley thought the right decision was to give the defensive assignment to mittelstadt in the VGK game.


Mittelstadt, ellie and thompson had ZERO offensive zone starts. Are you poopting me?
- Sabresfan-365

Yeah, that sounds like the exact opposite of what it should be.

Yeah, that sounds like the exact opposite of what it should be.
- TheHank

yeah i get that he doesn't have many options, but of the ones he has this is probably the worst line to put in that role.

Also a side note, and one that may have me on team call out the coaching, I cannot believe that Housley thought the right decision was to give the defensive assignment to mittelstadt in the VGK game.


Mittelstadt, ellie and thompson had ZERO offensive zone starts. Are you poopting me?
- Sabresfan-365

Really?
Wow, that is surprising

I did notice that he’d put Berglund as the faceoff guy in our own end quite often
In the 3rd,
i even noticed Berglund replacing Sam & taking some DefZone draws on Jack’s line

That may be true
But if u wanna say that Mitts + Berglund equals ROR....
the wouldn’t we be much better off with
Mitts + O’Reilly?!?!
- jdfitz77

Maybe, but again everyone is looking at just this year

This is silly. I understand the mechanics of the evaluation. But I’m paying attention to the results of the process.

You might say in one element of the game Berglund is half the player ROR is. But ROR played all the elements of the game. Berglund doesn’t.

So how does Berglund replace ROR even at half the salary?

Put aside the fact that you want to ignore ROR’s production on the PP, and then admit what a crap PP we had. If he was producing a lot in a crap system, isn’t it safe to say he’d produce even more in a good system.

Berglund does not replace ROR, or even close.
- Der Kaiser

Call it silly if you want. Berglund is currently filling RoR's 5v5 role. That's by far the most important state of the game and something I will continue to pay attention to. We clearly don't view PP's the same way, no big deal. Not going to try to change your mind.

Really?
Wow, that is surprising

I did notice that he’d put Berglund as the faceoff guy in our own end quite often
In the 3rd,
i even noticed Berglund replacing Sam & taking some DefZone draws on Jack’s line
- jdfitz77

yeah as far as volume goes they leaned on Berglund, Girgensons and Rodrigues(why)

pretty heavily but having one of your more offensively creative rookies see no O-Zone starts is just whack. Same with Thompson, seems only right to put them in a position to succeed.

That may be true
But if u wanna say that Mitts + Berglund equals ROR....
the wouldn’t we be much better off with
Mitts + O’Reilly?!?!
- jdfitz77

I think O’Reilly’s production is going to fall off a cliff within the next 2 years and the last 3 years of his deal will be an albatross. 5v5 scoring was not good and foot speed isn’t good. The Sabres will be able to move on from Sobotka and very well could find a taker for Berglund in the next couple of years and get assets. I think getting his cap hit off the books and getting Thompson the 1st and the 2nd was Botts’ goal.

yeah i get that he doesn't have many options, but of the ones he has this is probably the worst line to put in that role.
- Sabresfan-365

I wonder how much of that is just the way things pan out as far as who is fresh/ready/next line up or really on coaching. I would like to think coaching can at least even that stuff out if the chips didn’t fall favorably.

I wonder how much of that is just the way things pan out as far as who is fresh/ready/next line up or really on coaching. I would like to think coaching can at least even that stuff out if the chips didn’t fall favorably.
- TheHank

Good question. It is early in the season so it may just be a one off.

I think O’Reilly’s production is going to fall off a cliff within the next 2 years and the last 3 years of his deal will be an albatross. 5v5 scoring was not good and foot speed isn’t good. The Sabres will be able to move on from Sobotka and very well could find a taker for Berglund in the next couple of years and get assets. I think getting his cap hit off the books and getting Thompson the 1st and the 2nd was Botts’ goal.
- Pegullaville

Yes, getting his cap hit off for the last 3 years of that deal was part of the goal imo.

Good question. It is early in the season so it may just be a one off.
- Sabresfan-365

Let’s hope. Lets hope the coach isn’t that inept.

Maybe, but again everyone is looking at just this year
- sbroads24

Come on... maybe?

As far as down the line goes...
u “maybe” have a point
But that assumes that O’Reilly would have his big drop off at a pretty early age

I think O’Reilly’s production is going to fall off a cliff within the next 2 years and the last 3 years of his deal will be an albatross. 5v5 scoring was not good and foot speed isn’t good. The Sabres will be able to move on from Sobotka and very well could find a taker for Berglund in the next couple of years and get assets. I think getting his cap hit off the books and getting Thompson the 1st and the 2nd was Botts’ goal.
- Pegullaville

Maybe
But right now, O’Reilly is still much better

I still don’t get why u guys think O’Reilly is gonna have a huge drop off at such a relatively young age?
That’s pretty rare

As far as how the trade will grade out...
i guess it depends what becomes of those assets
Won’t know that for a while
Odds are that none of those pieces become as good as ROR though

Come on... maybe?

As far as down the line goes...
u “maybe” have a point
But that assumes that O’Reilly would have his big drop off at a pretty early age
- jdfitz77

Again though, sometimes good players are used incorrectly.

He was used too much here. It hurt our 5 on 5 scoring as a team. There’s little denying that at this point.

Maybe he does better 5 on 5 in St. Louis.

yeah as far as volume goes they leaned on Berglund, Girgensons and Rodrigues(why)

pretty heavily but having one of your more offensively creative rookies see no O-Zone starts is just whack. Same with Thompson, seems only right to put them in a position to succeed.
- Sabresfan-365

I liked E Rod yesterday
Thought he was one of our better players

Again though, sometimes good players are used incorrectly.

He was used too much here. It hurt our 5 on 5 scoring as a team. There’s little denying that at this point.

Maybe he does better 5 on 5 in St. Louis.
- sbroads24

Our team was a mess
Did anyone besides Jack do well 5v5?
Did Jack even?

ROR will have better 5v5 numbers in StL
I’d be shocked if he didn’t

That’ll go to show that it was circumstance,
and NOT bad play by ROR that led to those mediocre numbers you’ve kept pointing to

Our team was a mess
Did anyone besides Jack do well 5v5?
Did Jack even?

ROR will have better 5v5 numbers in StL
I’d be shocked if he didn’t

That’ll go to show that it was circumstance,
and NOT bad play by ROR that led to those mediocre numbers you’ve kept pointing to
- jdfitz77

That’s my problem though and I’ve said it a few times.

It’s his relative numbers to other guys on the same team. They weren’t good offensively.

That’s my problem though and I’ve said it a few times.

It’s his relative numbers to other guys on the same team. They weren’t good offensively.
- sbroads24

Right...
but the PROBLEM wasn’t O’Reilly

You’ll see that when his 5v5 numbers are better in StL

If they aren’t...
then I’ll admit i was wrong about him

yeah as far as volume goes they leaned on Berglund, Girgensons and Rodrigues(why)

pretty heavily but having one of your more offensively creative rookies see no O-Zone starts is just whack. Same with Thompson, seems only right to put them in a position to succeed.
- Sabresfan-365

Maybe I'm missing something, but Rodrigues has continued to looked good when I've watched the games.

Are there any sites that do live in game tracking regarding offensive versus defensive zone starts?

As the head coach, you'd have to be clearly focused on giving Casey's line O zone starts, but if Jack's line or even Erod's line is ready to go in the rotation for an O zone start, I don't know that I pass that up with how both those lines have been playing so far in favor of Casey's line.

Maybe I'm missing something, but Rodrigues has continued to looked good when I've watched the games.

Are there any sites that do live in game tracking regarding offensive versus defensive zone starts?

As the head coach, you'd have to be clearly focused on giving Casey's line O zone starts, but if Jack's line or even Erod's line is ready to go in the rotation for an O zone start, I don't know that I pass that up with how both those lines have been playing so far in favor of Casey's line.
- kingcong39

It’s a little of both. Not only would you like to have 37’s line get ozone starts, you also don’t want them out there for dzone starts as there are/should be better options.

It’s a little of both. Not only would you like to have 37’s line get ozone starts, you also don’t want them out there for dzone starts as there are/should be better options.
- TheHank

Agreed, however, IMO, his line is 3rd best so far when it comes to offensive zone start priority, and it might even be 4th best, based on what I've seen while watching.

Agreed, however, IMO, his line is 3rd best so far when it comes to offensive zone start priority, and it might even be 4th best, based on what I've seen while watching.
- kingcong39

Rock music approaches at a fast speed.

I think O’Reilly’s production is going to fall off a cliff within the next 2 years and the last 3 years of his deal will be an albatross. 5v5 scoring was not good and foot speed isn’t good. The Sabres will be able to move on from Sobotka and very well could find a taker for Berglund in the next couple of years and get assets. I think getting his cap hit off the books and getting Thompson the 1st and the 2nd was Botts’ goal.
- Pegullaville

This was the whole point of the deal. We took the salary back so STL could afford to take on ROR. If we want to get rid of Sobodka, all we have to do is waive him. If he clears, he'll bolt to Russia. If Berglund suddenly declines, his buyout would be much cheaper than ROR's. Thompson and the pics are the gravy. We dumped a 7.5 million dollar contract with some serious term for some picks and a legit prospect. The 2 salary dumps can be dealt with when the time comes.

Agreed, however, IMO, his line is 3rd best so far when it comes to offensive zone start priority, and it might even be 4th best, based on what I've seen while watching.
- kingcong39

I would agree with that too. I think somehow the 6 of skinner, berglund, okposo, Elie/whoever, stats, and Thompson need to be realigned.