47 replies to this topic

[I am Marcellus]

He's playing like a Ruffian machine.  I think he deserves some serious, non-begrudging praise.  What think you?  On par with Myers atm?

[dudacek]

You could make a case that he has been our best Dman this year, at least our most consistent over 60-plus games.

[TheChimp]

So glad he wasn't traded like I wanted.

[87168]

Sekera has really improved since last season.  He has quite a presence in our zone and theirs to be frank.

[wjag]

That sure was a nice pass on the empty net goal. There are assists and then there are assists...

[deluca67]

Yuri Olesha, on 04 March 2012 - 01:22 AM, said:

He's playing like a Ruffian machine.  I think he deserves some serious, non-begrudging praise.  What think you?  On par with Myers atm?

The Sabres will be a much better team if Sekera continues to play at this level. He looks a lot like Zhitnik and can certainly log the minutes if need to.

[TheMadCap]

Agreed, I always thought he would turn into a pretty well rounded dman, and never wanted him to be traded. I am very happy with his play this year.

[Spndnchz]

He's Sakira.

As in Shakira Shakira...

[North Buffalo]

This thread should just be closed on the above note:

Edited by North Buffalo, 04 March 2012 - 10:57 AM.

[deluca67]

spndnchz, on 04 March 2012 - 10:35 AM, said:

He's Sakira.

As in Shakira Shakira...

He should throw more hip checks.

[North Buffalo]

DeLuca67, on 04 March 2012 - 11:02 AM, said:

He should throw more hip checks.

Yeh, I wouldn't mind getting hit by her hip checks, but I will pass on his.

[DontPatTheGerbe]

I have to admit I was one of the biggest posters in the anti-Sekera camp.  There was a stretch last season (most of it actually) where he just looked afraid to take a hit, play the body, and was coughing up the puck a-la-grangani.  This year he has been wayyy better in all of those ways.  Now if only Myers can click at the same time.  Aside from a few bright games, Myers has looked pretty bad/invisible this year.

[NowDoYouBelieve]

DontPatTheGerbe, on 04 March 2012 - 11:09 AM, said:

I have to admit I was one of the biggest posters in the anti-Sekera camp.  There was a stretch last season (most of it actually) where he just looked afraid to take a hit, play the body, and was coughing up the puck a-la-grangani.  This year he has been wayyy better in all of those ways.  Now if only Myers can click at the same time.  Aside from a few bright games, Myers has looked pretty bad/invisible this year.

Not directly speaking to you, but this post brings up an issue.  How many times have we seen a young player make a crucial mistake and said something along the lines of "I never want to see him in a Sabres jersey ever again" (perhaps a bit extreme, but I have seen those words)?  

Shouldn't developing players in their first couple NHL seasons get the benefit of the doubt?

[TheChimp]

NowDoYouBelieve, on 04 March 2012 - 11:16 AM, said:

Not directly speaking to you, but this post brings up an issue.  How many times have we seen a young player make a crucial mistake and said something along the lines of "I never want to see him in a Sabres jersey ever again" (perhaps a bit extreme, but I have seen those words)?  

Shouldn't developing players in their first couple NHL seasons get the benefit of the doubt?

Yes.  But message boards are for fanatics.  We like to pretend we're logicians, but really, we're mostly emoting here.

[wonderbread]

NowDoYouBelieve, on 04 March 2012 - 11:16 AM, said:

Not directly speaking to you, but this post brings up an issue.  How many times have we seen a young player make a crucial mistake and said something along the lines of "I never want to see him in a Sabres jersey ever again" (perhaps a bit extreme, but I have seen those words)?  

Shouldn't developing players in their first couple NHL seasons get the benefit of the doubt?

I agree in principal but it is a fine line between letting a player develop and understanding when that players play will not live up to the organizations expectations. As fans we want to win right now. Development be damned.

[LTS]

TheChimp, on 04 March 2012 - 03:33 AM, said:

So glad he wasn't traded like I wanted.

Me too.

DeLuca67, on 04 March 2012 - 07:53 AM, said:

The Sabres will be a much better team if Sekera continues to play at this level. He looks a lot like Zhitnik and can certainly log the minutes if need to.

But Sekera hits the net with his shots... well, more than Zhitnik.

[nfreeman]

wjag, on 04 March 2012 - 07:34 AM, said:

That sure was a nice pass on the empty net goal. There are assists and then there are assists...

Yes, although Vancouver made a bonehead play in putting it on Reggie's stick with their net empty.

DeLuca67, on 04 March 2012 - 07:53 AM, said:

The Sabres will be a much better team if Sekera continues to play at this level. He looks a lot like Zhitnik and can certainly log the minutes if need to.

I think he'll be better than Zhitnik.  He's got better offensive instincts and is developing better defensive instincts as well.

[weave]

nfreeman, on 04 March 2012 - 12:07 PM, said:

I think he'll be better than Zhitnik.  He's got better offensive instincts and is developing better defensive instincts as well.

He lacks Zhitnick's physicality though.  I could def see him becoming a minute eater.

[drnkirishone]

I am wary of praising him during the season cause I did it last year and he just disappeared.

[RazielSabre]

His been our most consistent Dman this year, hope we keep on to him for a while. Top 4 of Myers, Ehrhoff, Regehr and Sekera sounds good to me.

[Doohickie]

Sekera is a good defensive Dman, but he is also a lot more effective on the rush than any of our other Dmen.  When he leads the rush, he does it like a forward.  He doesn't just carry it in and look for a forward to dump it off to before going back to the blue line; he carries the puck in intent on making a good offensive play.  One of the most exciting aspects of watching the Sabres currently is the four-man rush led by Reggie ("looks like we got us a CONVOY").

wjag, on 04 March 2012 - 07:34 AM, said:

That sure was a nice pass on the empty net goal. There are assists and then there are assists...

Yep.  The vision there, seeing Staff up the  boards and quickly getting the puck to him, was top notch.

Edited by Doohickie, 05 March 2012 - 09:37 AM.

[I am Marcellus]

TheChimp, on 04 March 2012 - 11:23 AM, said:

Yes.  But message boards are for fanatics.  We like to pretend we're logicians, but really, we're mostly emoting here.

In that way, I think the board serves as a healthy outlet.  Even if I just want to feel like a logician for a while, or want to bust out of the apathy.  It's feels good to get involved in the action, rather than play a passive role, like in life, mostly.

Er, I suspect Sekera would know just what I'm a-talkin' 'bout.

[TheChimp]

Yuri Olesha, on 05 March 2012 - 12:17 PM, said:

In that way, I think the board serves as a healthy outlet.  Even if I just want to feel like a logician for a while, or want to bust out of the apathy.  It's feels good to get involved in the action, rather than play a passive role, like in life, mostly.

Er, I suspect Sekera would know just what I'm a-talkin' 'bout.

It's what I love about him.  

[I am Marcellus]

TheChimp, on 05 March 2012 - 01:02 PM, said:

It's what I love about him.  

It seems like you and I have the makings of a little Abbot and Costello act happening here.

Sekera loves Abbot and Costello!

Sorry, too far?

We don't want to blow peoples minds with how much we know about Sekera.

[nfreeman]

Speaking of improving young defensemen, I think Weber has been playing great on this roadie.  Very steady, good decision-making, playing a tough game in front of Miller and respectable at the offensive blue line as well.  He got over 20 minutes of ice time vs Vancouver and SJ.

I think starting the year on the bench really set him back, but he's found his game at the right time.

[I am Marcellus]

It's really been an emotional roller coaster with our young defenseman, Weber, as you said, and even Gragnini, considering the hype late last year.

[korab rules]

nfreeman, on 05 March 2012 - 01:35 PM, said:

Speaking of improving young defensemen, I think Weber has been playing great on this roadie.  Very steady, good decision-making, playing a tough game in front of Miller and respectable at the offensive blue line as well.  He got over 20 minutes of ice time vs Vancouver and SJ.

I think starting the year on the bench really set him back, but he's found his game at the right time.

Yuri Olesha, on 05 March 2012 - 01:55 PM, said:

It's really been an emotional roller coaster with our young defenseman, Weber, as you said, and even Gragnini, considering the hype late last year.

Like pucks through a goalie's five hole, so are the foibles of a young NHL defenseman.

[I am Marcellus]

Thanks Korab.  I should have tempered my expectations with these dashing young (defense)men.  

If Days of Our Lives has taught me anything, it's that...

[IKnowPhysics]

I never really liked Sekera.  I thought he was unreliable in the defensive zone, often misreading plays and causing turnovers.  But I think since January or so, he has started to find his game.  I think a big reason for this is being paired with rock-solid own-ender Regher as opposed to offensive-minded Ehrhoff.  I like him in this pairing much, much better.

Circumstantially, I think the change in pairing has caused Ehrhoff's game to improve, as he's been away from offensive Sekera and paired with defense-first Weber.  A lot of the Ehrhoff-Weber pairing's improvement has also come from Weber as he's improved radically from the slow start he had when he was called back up.

I think one of the coaching staff's epiphanies this season was that they couldn't stack a team with all offensive defensemen and expect to automatically score five goals a game- breakouts start from forcing turnovers in your defensive end, and you need good defensive players to make that happen.  Staggering offensive defensemen with reliable defensive defensemen helps the team greatly.  Repairing the defense accordingly and forcing the team through a refocusing period on defensive fundamentals I think helped to cause the rejuvenation we're watching now.

Myers (two-way, more offense recently)-Leopold (two-way, more defense recently)
Sekera (offense)-Regher (defense)
Ehrhoff (offense)-Weber (defense)

Perhaps that's why MAGs didn't see much playing time later on in his Sabres tenure and maybe why he was deemed expendable: Weber was proving to be more reliable defensively and we have several offensive defensemen up-and-coming for the future in Pysyk, Scheistel, and Brennan.

Edited by IKnowPhysics, 05 March 2012 - 05:10 PM.

[5th line wingnutt]

IKnowPhysics, on 05 March 2012 - 05:10 PM, said:

I never really liked Sekera.  I thought he was unreliable in the defensive zone, often misreading plays and causing turnovers.  But I think since January or so, he has started to find his game.  I think a big reason for this is being paired with rock-solid own-ender Regher as opposed to offensive-minded Ehrhoff.  I like him in this pairing much, much better.

Circumstantially, I think the change in pairing has caused Ehrhoff's game to improve, as he's been away from offensive Sekera and paired with defense-first Weber.  A lot of the Ehrhoff-Weber pairing's improvement has also come from Weber as he's improved radically from the slow start he had when he was called back up.

I think one of the coaching staff's epiphanies this season was that they couldn't stack a team with all offensive defensemen and expect to automatically score five goals a game- breakouts start from forcing turnovers in your defensive end, and you need good defensive players to make that happen.  Staggering offensive defensemen with reliable defensive defensemen helps the team greatly.  Repairing the defense accordingly and forcing the team through a refocusing period on defensive fundamentals I think helped to cause the rejuvenation we're watching now.

Myers (two-way, more offense recently)-Leopold (two-way, more defense recently)
Sekera (offense)-Regher (defense)
Ehrhoff (offense)-Weber (defense)

Perhaps that's why MAGs didn't see much playing time later on in his Sabres tenure and maybe why he was deemed expendable: Weber was proving to be more reliable defensively and we have several offensive defensemen up-and-coming for the future in Pysyk, Scheistel, and Brennan.

I agree.  A good pairing is a physical stay-at-home guy plus a more offensive guy.  Of course it always helps when both d-men can help out both ways.  I had noticed Sekera getting more engaged physically and liked it.  I think it made MAG more expendable.  I wonder if Vancouver really wanted Sekera.

[thesportsbuff]

Sekera has quietly been one of our most consistent (not necessarily 'best') defensemen for the better part of three seasons. He doesn't always have it in him to make the 'perfect' defensive play, but he makes a lot of nice little plays here and there that prevent scoring opportunities, and he's great at recovering if he makes a mistake. It's not every day you get a defenseman who can generate offense single handedly, and play a pretty solid defensive game.

[I am Marcellus]

Finally he is playing like he played in the Olympics.  I've been waiting for that.

[TheChimp]

Yuri Olesha, on 05 March 2012 - 06:28 PM, said:

Finally he is playing like he played in the Olympics.  I've been waiting for that.

Funny, I was about to bring up the Olympics (it's that mind meld thing you and I got going here), as I remembered that following those games, he really stepped up his game for the Sabres for a while when he came back.  He hasn't been consistent with it, but I have to agree, the word "Liability" hasn't occurred to me to use for Sekera in a very long time.  Now Weber...I guess he really has improved on this road trip, now that I'm forced to really think about it.  Let's see if this means anything long-term.

[I am Marcellus]

I guess he blew it tonight.  I didn't watch the game, but I heard he was culpable on the first goal.

[dudacek]

nfreeman, on 05 March 2012 - 01:35 PM, said:

Speaking of improving young defensemen, I think Weber has been playing great on this roadie.  Very steady, good decision-making, playing a tough game in front of Miller and respectable at the offensive blue line as well.  He got over 20 minutes of ice time vs Vancouver and SJ.

I think starting the year on the bench really set him back, but he's found his game at the right time.

Got a close look at Weber live in Vancouver where he filled the Regehr role. He was a beast in front of the net. Loved his battle.

[korab rules]

Yuri Olesha, on 05 March 2012 - 10:58 PM, said:

I guess he blew it tonight.  I didn't watch the game, but I heard he was culpable on the first goal.

Yup, had his back to the net, Ladd in front of him. Miller kicked a rebound right out to Ladd and shakira was too far away to do anything. Miller was a rebound machine last night. Low shots into the pads may have been their game plan. Hard to absorb those shots.

[I am Marcellus]

Yeah, I finally saw the highlights.  Listened to the game, and Gare gave me the impression the Sekera flaked out on Ladd.  Maybe in slow-motion it looked like he was slow to pickup Ladd, but in real time, the fat rebound was most noticeable.

Regarding Miller, he was handling the low shots beautifully earlier in the trip.  He's like an exotic car, maybe a Lambo, and we know it's been 5,000 miles, but we're waiting to see a performance drop before we change the oil.  

If it were my car, I'd be changing the oil and filter, every 3,000, and giving it a full inspection, even if I meant I had to drive a Corvette, or Mustang, got forbid, until I got 'er back from the shop.  

That analogy sounds like something the Bulldog would come up with, besides the jab at american auto.

Sekera is more like a diesel Audi Quattro.

[weave]

korab rules, on 06 March 2012 - 11:10 AM, said:

Yup, had his back to the net, Ladd in front of him. Miller kicked a rebound right out to Ladd and shakira was too far away to do anything. Miller was a rebound machine last night. Low shots into the pads may have been their game plan. Hard to absorb those shots.

I watched the TSN feed last night.  All game long the announcing team was talking about "shooting with purpose", the idea of shooting for a rebound.  They specifically talked of low pad shots that Miller can't smother.  Winnipeg did a ton of that last night.

[korab rules]

weave, on 06 March 2012 - 12:02 PM, said:

I watched the TSN feed last night.  All game long the announcing team was talking about "shooting with purpose", the idea of shooting for a rebound.  They specifically talked of low pad shots that Miller can't smother.  Winnipeg did a ton of that last night.

They did.  It's certainly not a strange concept - that strategy was introduced to my kids at the Mite age, and it's pretty effective no matter the level.  The Sabres did a good job of tying up sticks on the other opportunities, but Shakira got caught watching.

[weave]

korab rules, on 06 March 2012 - 12:44 PM, said:

They did.  It's certainly not a strange concept - that strategy was introduced to my kids at the Mite age, and it's pretty effective no matter the level.  The Sabres did a good job of tying up sticks on the other opportunities, but Shakira got caught watching.

I know it is not a revolutionary concept, but it can seem strange when you are used to watching a pro team that shoots for a goalie's center mass on a regualr basis.