Gionta led all fwds in ice time last night!!!


hes our craig adams from Pitt. old plug that disco dan falls in love with and over plays.

other than that ive really liked what Bylsma has done thus far (although no Eichel in the SO last night was a head scratcher).
- battelmt

http://sabres.nhl.com/gam.../icetracker?id=2015020286

Eichel, ROR had more

wheeler, okposo,
- homiedclown

http://sabres.nhl.com/gamecenter/en/icetracker?id=2015020286

Eichel, ROR had more
- Stripes77

hmm. MSG had up a graphic during post game, made a big deal of it.

21+ minutes is still too much...

hmm. MSG had up a graphic during post game, made a big deal of it.

21+ minutes is still too much...
- battelmt

When they signed Gionta last year I was afraid of this exact scenario. We picked him up last year to have a real captain and lend legitimacy to our tank. But this year with a massively upgraded roster and his declining skills, it's hard to see where he fits in. Yet is the captain. Do you throw your captain on the 4th line? Can he even fill a 4th line role and play with those guys? Bench him? No good answers.

ennis, foligno, colaiacovo, ruhwedel and picks (not sure what is needed there) for fowler and ritchie
- homiedclown

It'd have to be our first rounder this year.

Nobody wants those two

Gionta led all fwds in ice time last night!!!


hes our craig adams from Pitt. old plug that disco dan falls in love with and over plays.

other than that ive really liked what Bylsma has done thus far (although no Eichel in the SO last night was a head scratcher).
- battelmt

No, he didn't. ROR and Eichel both had more.

It'd have to be our first rounder this year.

Nobody wants those two
- Sabresfan-365

people under-value our own

they are fine for 7th d men in nhl (see staff infection vs canes)

No, he didn't. ROR and Eichel both had more.
- HonkFortheGoose

I thought that was common knowledge this morning

When they signed Gionta last year I was afraid of this exact scenario. We picked him up last year to have a real captain and lend legitimacy to our tank. But this year with a massively upgraded roster and his declining skills, it's hard to see where he fits in. Yet is the captain. Do you throw your captain on the 4th line? Can he even fill a 4th line role and play with those guys? Bench him? No good answers.
- Buffalo--Sabres

he should be on the 3rd line.. getting 15-18 min per game

people under-value our own

they are fine for 7th d men in nhl (see staff infection vs canes)
- homiedclown

No, we don't.

Fine 7th d-men are a dime a dozen, carry no real trade value. No GM ever said "well i was on the fence for this deal until team x offered up [insert random 7th dman/4th liner herer] thats what really pushed it over"

see mitchell, torrey and Flynn, Brian

hmm. MSG had up a graphic during post game, made a big deal of it.

21+ minutes is still too much...
- battelmt

Even strength ice time, the others surpassed him because of PP time.
edit:
And I think was before the OT when the stat was shown. So maybe OT time played into it as well.

people under-value our own

they are fine for 7th d men in nhl (see staff infection vs canes)
- homiedclown

Even strength ice time, the others surpassed him because of PP time.
- SabresPanacea

ugh, that just makes it worse!

Eberle as a trade target? Zero interest in that.

So Ennis is not playing well the first quarter of the season and he all of the sudden should be traded for defensive help when the defense has been fine?

We sure do live in a knee jerk society.

I have complete confidence that Ennis will figure it out, and having a fully healthy team will let him do that.

I completely agree with those saying Zemgus should be a top 6 winger.

Let Larsson anchor the 3rd line C duties with guys like Gionta and Moulson.

If not that, Larsson would be perfect as a 4th line center if you actually roll 4 lines at least somewhat evenly.

Eberle as a trade target? Zero interest in that.

So Ennis is not playing well the first quarter of the season and he all of the sudden should be traded for defensive help when the defense has been fine?

We sure do live in a knee jerk society.

I have complete confidence that Ennis will figure it out, and having a fully healthy team will let him do that.

I completely agree with those saying Zemgus should be a top 6 winger.

Let Larsson anchor the 3rd line C duties with guys like Gionta and Moulson.

If not that, Larsson would be perfect as a 4th line center if you actually roll 4 lines at least somewhat evenly.
- kingcong39

Desperate to make playoffs this year. The thing is it might be there for the taking given the way some of the playoff teams from last year are playing.

IMO Eichel has been good. Better all around than I expected, not as good offensively as I hoped for, but I think that is due to the constancy of swapping linemates.

If you look at what Reinhart has done in his limited ice time, I would argue he has been our most effective forward offensively.

Eberle as a trade target? Zero interest in that.

So Ennis is not playing well the first quarter of the season and he all of the sudden should be traded for defensive help when the defense has been fine?

We sure do live in a knee jerk society.

I have complete confidence that Ennis will figure it out, and having a fully healthy team will let him do that.

I completely agree with those saying Zemgus should be a top 6 winger.

Let Larsson anchor the 3rd line C duties with guys like Gionta and Moulson.

If not that, Larsson would be perfect as a 4th line center if you actually roll 4 lines at least somewhat evenly.
- kingcong39

The two players from last season that actually played well for us in Ennis and Girgensons have been struggling this season. We are almost 20 games in. Almost 1/4 of the way through. I wouldn't say its a knee jerk reaction. Ennis has had one really good game a few average games and a bunch of stinkers. The same with Girgensons. Forget the blue line get a true top 6 RWer with some size and speed and go from there.

IMO Eichel has been good. Better all around than I expected, not as good offensively as I hoped for, but I think that is due to the constancy of swapping linemates.

If you look at what Reinhart has done in his limited ice time, I would argue he has been our most effective forward offensively.
- SabresPanacea

Agreed. Reinhart has shown a lot with what he was given. He has earned the shot to play more.

God I wish we could somehow convince Marleau to come here...

Agreed. Reinhart has shown a lot with what he was given. He has earned the shot to play more.
- Stripes77

I think the concern would be can he do more against tougher competition?

So who has been the most disappointing to date ... Kane or Ennis?
Both had high expectations placed on them for this season as major contributors to the rebuild..slotted in top 3 for some. Both have underwhelmed to date.

For me, it is Kane - good hustle, battles well along the boards, flies on the ice. Puck hog and taking low-chance shots are definately hurting his game...and he hasn't shown a tremendous ability to finish (yet, hopefully).

All of the same can be said of Ennis, perhaps it is because I have seen him play well in a Sabres jersey that I tend to give him a slight edge.

None the less, neither is pulling their weight especially in the goal scoring department.

I think the concern would be can he do more against tougher competition?
- Sabresfan-365

He battles in the corners and in front of the net. Let him get those minutes and see how he does.

Even strength ice time, the others surpassed him because of PP time.
edit:
And I think was before the OT when the stat was shown. So maybe OT time played into it as well.
- SabresPanacea

I don't think ROR had 4 mins of Ice time in OT so this cannot be right either....

He battles in the corners and in front of the net. Let him get those minutes and see how he does.
- Stripes77

Id certainly play him in the top 6 over Gionta.

I think the concern would be can he do more against tougher competition?
- Sabresfan-365

Reinhart and Moulson are the only two player with a positive +/-