“He’s a Competitive, Hard-Working Guy” | Don Granato On Zemgus Girgensons

“He’s a Competitive, Hard-Working Guy” | Don Granato On Zemgus Girgensons

Don are you expecting to make another roster move today we are going to have to make a move pretty quick here so it could be as quick as today yes once Z gets back it’ll be the closest you’ve been to full health or I think at full health for the first time

In a while how would you characterize what one what he brings and two what’s the opportunity yeah you know getting Z Zenus back is a he’s a guy that’s at his core he’s a competitive hardworking guy and you know where we’ve been challenged is in that area we we need more

Competitive you know uh high energy working guys and it’ll be big to get him back obviously excuse me when you look at the um the Samuelson dolene pairing a lot of nights where you you watch them when you consider the matchups like they’ve had good games and then but you look at the

Analytics sometimes and it could be ugly um so how do you guys balance it as a staff what do you see from those two working together to to continue to to use them yeah I mean the analy analytics are tough because there just so many analytics and it it’s real hard uh you

Know there’s just so many variables that uh need to you can question some of the Integrity in some of the elins obviously but you know those two guys uh when they’re on their game are imposing and they can definitely handle top players so you know each night you go in and you

Have a top line on another team uh some teams have a little bit more depth but but they’re the tandem that you know when they’re at their best they’re our best for for that reason so um you know it filters down from that point uh but again the big thing is when

They’re on their game they’re they’re a good shutdown pair the three- goalie thing it stopped for a week and I think guys seem to understand it but you know it’s not ideal how have you seen them kind of handle it since it’s become a thing again because you know it’s not easy for

Any of them I guess yeah I mean as far as how what I’ve seen they’ve all handled it as Pros um not not an ideal situation uh for for any of them in the sense of you you as an athlete you want more you want more time and then you

Factor in we haven’t had much practice time I mean today was was the first chance we had had an intense practice since November where what I say is intense we could push the guys hard because we don’t have a game tomorrow so they have tomorrow as a recovery day we haven’t

Had a practice like that since November so when you factor in three goalies yeah it’s a it’s a bit more of a challenge they’re getting shots but um it’s it’s you know with with the goalie coach and with specific Shooters uh just because we haven’t had had a whole lot of

Practice so yeah it’s a challenge um there’s lots of challenges obviously and and lots of grinds and that’s just one of them specifically Eric we’ve talked about in the past how he’s equipped to handle things and last year even when he went a week or two without playing he

Still played well but how you know he hasn’t played in 10 games how have you seen him kind of handle that I think again he’s I mean he’s it’s not ideal for him obviously um him and and he being a competitor you know wants more um as anybody would um I’m certain of

That uh but it’s you’re asking how he’s handled I think he’s handled um as well as you can what’s it like for you to try to get through the schedule and not have that practice time when you know that there are things with the group that need

Needs attention and needs work on that you just don’t have the time for that that’s a challenge I mean historically you know we’ve practices have really helped us find our game get back to our identity um you know re refocus recalibrate whatever you want to say and

Um it’s just it’s just one of those things you you go through with the way the schedules are laid out some months you don’t have much and uh now you know having ability to push and practice today uh and even a bit tomorrow is great uh next week again so there we

Haven’t had two days in between games much um you know again since November and um from from what I looked at so that that’s a big big difference and a big challenge so it’s great to have it and it’s a it’s a necessity for us how you

Break down what things to attend to most and there are things that are going well with the group but there are some things that do need work on but how do you address what what to stress first great great question um because when when lots of things look not good it

Usually points to one thing work harder compete harder and that resolves of a lot of your issues so sometimes you sit and you say we need to work on a b c d as soon as you get to anything more than that you probably didn’t work not

Probably you didn’t work hard enough you didn’t compete hard enough uh because that that resolves and fixes a lot of things you know when you’re you’re you’re winning races winning battles uh willing to shoot because you’re willing to get rebounds your systems all of a sudden

Look great uh as anybody does in this league um when they don’t look so great that edge that Competitive Edge is going to the other group and then you look bad in lots of different categories so Foundation of everything is work and compete and you know our style our game

Is is more Pace more skating obviously with with younger legs and and younger players that uh we need that pace and again that goes ties in with the work and compete we know Jack’s drive and he’s fresh and he’s excited to get back out there is any part of you surprised

Though that he’s been able to play so well this early I mean usually think it’s going to take a little bit of time at least it usually does take a little bit of time but I think that’s evident um you know obviously evident of of his

Work ethic and and off ice work um or or uh rehab work uh but what I’ve said all along this is an extremely talented guy that uh is a key guy for us and you you see him upon entry how effective he is um you know how good he is um that’s

Evidence of of how skilled he is not sure if you could speak to this dog but is Tage an option for Saturday he he’s an option for Saturday I would suspect he’s a he’s an option for Saturday yeah

Buffalo Sabres head coach Don Granato speaks to the media following practice on Thursday, December 28th. Granato gives an update on the return of Zemgus Girgensons and how the team is excited to add him back into the lineup. He also discusses how the team was able to have their first hard practice since November and where the team currently stands in the goaltender situation.

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