[The Athletic Hockey Show] Chris Pronger à propos de Dahlin :
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seeldoger47
@Sabres de Buffalo
[The Athletic Hockey Show] Chris Pronger à propos de Dahlin :
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seeldoger47
1 Comment
conversation starts around 35:27 (text was automatically generated)
>I want to ask about Dahlin specifically, too, because I know you’ve been a huge fan of his in the past. We’re seeing better play from Mattias Samuelsson, I think, on his on his side. And that’s something that he certainly hasn’t gotten over the last couple of years.
>So I’m just wondering if that’s, you know, when does he how much does that matter that he looks better by comparison because he’s playing with a guy who looks like he has a clue relative to where he was in the last couple of seasons.
>But that is huge. I think I think number one, that’s how he gets into this conversation. He’s not having to clean up the mess on aisle two.
>He’s you know, he’s doing his job. Mattias has had an excellent year. He’s doing his job and supplementing and helping Dahlin.
>So Dahlin doesn’t have to do everything on the ice. And I think at times, when he was, that was posing a problem and really, you know, he was really turning the puck over, trying to do too much, trying to do the work of two defensemen back there when Samuelson was struggling last year. I think having a steady, big physical, mobile defenseman beside him allows him to free up and kind of do what he does best.
>And in that regard, I think that’s where, I think why we’re seeing the type of year we’ve had out of Dahlin, I think the Buffalo Sabres period, when you look at Samuelson, you look at Byrom and Power and Kesselring, and now you bring in these other guys. You know, I think they’re now slotting in appropriately, and they’ve now gotten the experience and they’re understanding the game within the game and how to play the game in a manner with which they can win hockey games and close games and learn how to close out games and learn how to defend and protect the middle and all the rest of the stuff we hear all the time from from the pundits. But, you know, it’s so important to defend in and around, you know, five feet in around your net, late in games and pushing people away from your goaltenders so that they can cover either loose rebounds or see seepox through bodies and whatnot.
>I think what’s really interesting about Dahlin, too, he’s always been a competitive player, but I think people are taking more notice. And maybe it’s because guys are responding to it on the ice. Like he’s taken big wax from Malkin.
>He’s taken punches from Brandon Hagel. They’re clearly upset with him. I think more edge is showing in Dahlin’s game now than I remember seeing the first three, four years of his career.
>Yeah, I think, well, it’s it’s a process and, you know, he’s gaining more comfort in how he plays the game, how he leads. I think he’s got more support from a leadership perspective on that team, as these young players have now gained more experience in the NHL and they’re coming into their own and they’re starting to really figure out their games. So in that respect, it’s not only a load off his shoulders, but he can now be free to play with that grit and jam that he does have.
>And as you said, pisses off a lot of top end players. And when you’re able to defend like that and hard and get under the skin of your opponent, it really opens up a lot of things for you offensively because they’re aware of where you are and they’re trying to get you and it gets them off their game. And they’re not focused on creating offense and playing their games to the best of their abilities. They’re focusing on you.
From The Athletic Hockey Show: Can John Tortorella spark the Golden Knights? – With Chris Pronger, Mar 30, 2026
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