Another day goes by, and yet another embarrassing loss for the Buffalo Sabres. They now sit at 9-10-2 after getting slapped around in every way by the New Jersey Devils in a 7-2 loss on Saturday (Nov. 25). The game was poised to be an exciting offensive showing, and on top of that, was the debut of top prospects Jiri Kulich and Isak Rosen. Instead, the night was marred with poor defensive play, poor goaltending, and a derelict offense that could only muster a pathetic 12 shots on goal.
After a huge comeback win against the Pittsburgh Penguins Friday evening (Nov. 24), they couldn’t keep any of the momentum up, and that lies on the shoulders of head coach Don Granato. There were shades of this issue last season, but it has become supremely evident as of late, that some of his coaching choices are suspect and poor. Whether it is his deployment of an 11-7 forward-to-defender split, his choice to play a three-goalie rotation, or his baffling misuse of top prospects, it is time to finally question the decision-making of this coach.
Granato’s Ice Time Allocation Choices Leave a Lot to Be Desired
Too many times I look back at the ice time of some players when the Sabres lose games, and I scratch my head. More often than not this season, top-end players like JJ Peterka, Dylan Cozens, Tage Thompson, Jeff Skinner, and even Alex Tuch play in a lessened role in games where Buffalo needs more scoring. These players sometimes end up finishing a key game with 13-16 minutes of ice time while bottom-six forwards like Kyle Okposo, Peyton Krebs, and Zemgus Girgensons are pushing the 14-15-minute playing mark in those same games. Players like Tuch, Thompson, Peterka, and the rest of the aforementioned group are the best chance Buffalo has to score goals, yet in a season where they are not scoring as much, Granato refuses to up their ice time as he instead increases that of the bottom six.
The logic just does not line up as to why they would be deployed like this. Meanwhile, their top young players get almost no opportunity to get in a rhythm to make an impact. I already spoke about how Matt Savoie needed to get a bigger chance than the 3:55 of ice time that he got in his “debut”, but that is an extreme example. In their most recent loss against the Devils, Kulich was on the ice for around 15 minutes, which was not bad, but Rosen only got 13 minutes. Neither was given any power-play time, and both looked fairly average having to try and mesh in the ofJifensively starved bottom-six forward group. While their ice time was not horrible, it was their deployment that was the biggest cause for questioning Granato’s choices.
Roster Choices and Player Deployment Make Little Sense
Speaking of the call-up of Kulich and Rosen, it was beyond puzzling to see how they were both used against the Devils. In Rochester, they have been a dynamic duo of sorts and have been at their best when playing together. Then, having had no practice with the Sabres were separated into two different lines rather than being paired up and given a linemate like Okposo or Krebs to round them out. Instead, Rosen was put alongside Victor Olofsson and Tyson Jost on the fourth line, and Kulich was put next to Krebs and Okposo. It makes no sense why two young players who have shown so much chemistry together were not given a chance to show what they could do as a pair in the NHL.
On top of misusing their called-up players, the refusal to ice their best defensive roster is getting a bit tiring. Ryan Johnson has been one of their best defensive players every single night since his recall, and he has proven that he never should have been sent down in the first place. Normally, this would result in a mainstay defender like Connor Clifton, Erik Johnson, or Henri Jokiharju being rotated out, but no. Granato instead has favored the use of an 11-forward and seven-defensemen roster scheme to make sure Ryan Johnson got his playing time. At this point, I would even be in favor of sitting Owen Power for a game or two in order to get his head right. His decision-making recently has been horrendous, and Ryan Johnson is more than capable of playing Power’s role for the time being.
The Three Goalie Rotation Needs To End
Putting the forwards and defenders aside, the choice to continue running a three-goalie rotation is ridiculous at this point. At the start of the season, I will admit that Devon Levi was the favorite to be the starter, but since his comeback from injury, he has not looked the same. Eric Comrie has been average, but he is in the same boat as Levi. The only goalie that has played well since his first game is Ukko Pekka Luukkonen. He has absolutely earned the right to be called the starting goaltender at this point, and yet Granato continues to use the other two. Goaltending is a position that needs reps. When a goaltender can get into a rhythm, they can be more consistent with their play, and using this ridiculous three-goalie rotation does not allow for any of them to get up to speed.
Comrie cannot be sent down to Rochester without needing to clear waivers, so it makes more sense to send Levi down to the minors in order to get some more consistent playing time and boost his confidence. Right now, he looks defeated after each goal that goes in, and that is not the upstart, infinitely confident young stud that helped the Sabres fight for a playoff spot last season. It is time to admit that he needs a little more time to develop, and to let him play as much in Rochester as possible. Then, once his confidence is noticeably up, bring him back to the big club, and watch the magic happen all over again.
Granato’s Systems Need To Be Adjusted
After nearly every press conference where the Sabres lose a game, Granato’s favorite word is “simple”. While that can mean a lot of things, the problem is, that I do not think his version of “simple” is working anymore. When in a development year like last season, learning from situations and mistakes is expected, but in a playoff or bust season like this one, they need to be doing more. The power play is one-dimensional at best, the offensive entry is boring and predictable, their defensive breakout is chaotic and also predictable, and their defensive strategy of constantly puck-watching is getting them torn apart. Granato’s system does not work well enough to be used all the time, and he needs to adjust before they get shot down to the bottom of the standings.
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The offense could add just a few things to get them going: Utilizing a dump-and-chase method while clogging up the far board and slot would allow them to use their speed and hand skills to get possession of the puck in the offensive zone more. Having a man or two in front of the net, and crashing towards it more regularly would give a new dimension to their offensive zone possession, and would create more chances. Having more forwards back and transitioning up ice out of the defensive zone, rather than looking for a stretch pass constantly will help them with their defensive turnover problem as well.
Simple adjustments across the board would make such a difference if Granato would just try something else than what he has been trying to force all season long. It is time for the coach to adjust, or for general manager Kevyn Adams to start looking for his replacement, because this season is slipping away.
