Owen Power Being Evaluated, Erik Johnson Back In Lineup | Buffalo Sabres Coach Don Granato
Uh Eric is ready Owen will he needs to be cleared and we’ll find out right now um but he’s very very close if not tonight so I wouldn’t rule him out yet but uh we’ll see will tonight you said he’s ready will yeah
Yeah for Eric do I do I try to trick you like that Paul I always just want to didn’t realize that my my wordage but yes good good follow-up question kale come out yes and he’s played well as far as Jacob goes I mean he’s he might be in his best
Groove since you know maybe the beginning of 2122 just what stood out about how Jacob’s played over the last couple weeks uh a lot has stood out um I guess I can’t think of um everything stood out I mean he’s he’s just a he’s a better player he’s
Worked very hard to become a better player using uh hindsight from last year experience from last year uh whether that be training different over the summer preparing different um and then staying very prepared uh waiting for opportunity and that’s a that’s a skill in itself to to be ready uh when
Opportunity calls he had to play uh he went played games in the American League to stay in it um stay in game condition uh but it was all in preparation for his next opportunity which he has done very very well when give an opportunity is
There a danger when it comes to facing a team that’s got such a quick turnaround to play against tonight you’re waiting for them on the other side with Carolina and having them play so I guess late on the East Coast last night yeah I mean I don’t know dangers uh danger the word
But but you do I mean I mean you can on the negative side for for a team that’s played back to back there could be some fatigue on the positive side you’re you are in a rhythm I mean you are you you you feel like you’re coming off the game
Um and that’s that can go you know that’s what’s it’s unpredictable to that regard sometimes you’re in a Groove and you feel great playing it back toback and other times maybe fatigue hits you so um you know who who knows what that’ll be but uh there’s positives potentially or negatives potentially to
It uh we just have to you know obviously focus on what we need to do um and uh you may tweak something here or there or emphasize something that opposed to tweak emphasize something if you’re playing a team on a back toback but uh you still have to play your game You’
Been able to Prevail recently in some one goal games and win those games is that attributed to some of the maturity you’ve been talking about recently uh I there’s no question we’re we’re much more uh you know mature as we go we’re seeing sign more and more signs
Of maturity uh one goal games and specifically I know Paul leading after the second period if you look at our data for two years it’s been really good really really good so that’s not a new you know uh if we’re talking specifically that holding third period leads or or leading after the second
We’ve been one of the best in the league for two years now and um but there are many other areas of our game that are definitely you know you’re definitely seeing a more mature or more maturity out of the group uh a greater sense of objective um you know even an increased
Level compete in the targeted areas that you need to you know netfront or dzone battles or entries against those sorts of things which is uh you know what we want it’s the areas we’ve been targeting to make improvements and I think guys are taken that have taken that to heart
What’s been the key for you guys to be getting out of your out of your own Zone pretty quick I it seems like the last several games especially you guys have just been able to get the offense and a lot of one andone possessions for the
Other team again I think um you know I think the the group Bryson is is very good at that uh Ryan Johnson’s very good at that so I think you know Personnel uh and I think they’re just getting better uh they’re getting more comfortable maybe more support on exit and then
There’s not on exit reading that you know you’re going to have to do what you know almost every team does just next Zone mental mentality is uh you know aerial it out send it out um you know Advance it you know to the next zoner Beyond pressure but I think we’ve broken
Pressure as a group better than uh than maybe we have in the past keeping KBS on a younger line I don’t want to just call it a scoring line because we’ve seen gurgenson in posto score but what are you liking out of Krebs with Benson uh speed quickness uh the pace that that
Those three play at is is what I really like and like most sure you guys acquired Eric Robinson you got a report on him but what have you learned about him since he arrived that’s made him you know a nice fit and has helped him contribute to
That group especially I would say you know aside from his physical attributes the consistency with which he plays a very consistent player um so as a as a coach you want to know you know the situation is going to be different any moment within a game uh the context of
The score time left those sorts of things matchups uh so when you put guys in the ice obviously L you want to know what they do and and the more consistent they do it the more comfortable you feel and Eric is very consistent as a as a
Person and very consistent as a hockey player he he he plays uh the way he plays he plays more consistently than you know the next guy say uh he does what he does and does it more often than not and and that predictability means
You can put him in uh you know you feel comfortable as a coach okay I know I know what I’m going to get out of this player uh and this particular situation as you make decisions what’s made that line effective obviously three I guess straight ahead players you could say but
What’s made them effective when you look at it effort energy uh and the style of play um just pucks continually moving forward where they can pressure them staying on pressure uh being physical wherever they can uh and just simp simple and direct simple direct and hard are three things that you know teams
Talk about a lot um and and we’ve talked a lot in the last month about pucks to the net body people to the net um and they’re they’re getting results as uh with that as their MO there’s a kind of calmness that that there’s been in these
Last two games and closing these games out where is that is it confidence is it just being calm in the moment and understanding hey we just we do our job we can win this game where’s that kind of come from for this group to just to
Be that cool yeah like like I said if you look at our our numbers leading after the second I mean we’ve always been that way um we just haven’t leted after the second enough I guess or scored first enough for um would be would be the real uh thing for me um but
I do uh you know there the more than sense you see the group you know player after player after player in our roster gaining experience that then uh manifests a maturity they’re they’re more mature they’ve seen this situation more times uh and they’re more confident and comfortable with what needs to be done
To resolve any stressors or you know so they’re they’re reading the situation they’re more comfortable in the situation they’re reading it together as a unit of five I mean to tie in what what you know a bunch of questions that were here already exiting your Zone you
Need Five Guys you need Five Guys to read it are we are we ready to go do we still have to break pressure does what type of support does a player need um so we’re reading situations as a group of five much better that’s obviously a sign
Of maturity uh or or signs of maturing um and and uh situational awareness we’ve been in the situation more and more and more now uh as a as a group and I think those those little uh nuances are are getting more and more familiar um and they’re executing at a higher
Level of proficiency as a result
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