Taro T

They played a great game and really did play well enough to win in regulation. Thought all 18 skaters came to play today (even Mr. Hard Luck tonight Olofsson) and UPL had his best game in a while. They actually backchecked hard and did a good job of limiting the Rags chances. Never can understand why they can only play that way in their own end once every 5 or so games (if that). Play like this 14 or so times out of these last 17 and they have a shot. Hope Levi gets a game this week.

The 1st goal against, he overplayed a Friar taking the puck wide of the net and couldn't get back across to stop a wrap around. The winner was tipped wide off the end boards and the puck bounced right back to the guy that had tipped it and Levi couldn't get across in time. He came close, but the play was bang bang. Welcome to Buffalo!!!!!! They credited him with 33 saves but Providence only had 34 shots. Pretty sure he only had 32 saves. (Unless they aren't counting the 1st goal as a shot because it deflected off a Husky defenseman on the wraparound. Which makes no sense.)

Great game by Levi. But fortunately he gave up the goal in OT. Welcome to Buffalo Mr. Blue Jeans.

And expect a modicum of restraint from the forwards before bolting the zone when the other team has the puck. Not saying abandon the high scoring high pace style of play they've adopted; It won't take much more focus on playing sound defensively to see significant improvements in goals given up once those upgrades are made. And they have on rare occassion shown glimpses of playing sound in their own end. But they almost never do it 2 games in a row. Am really curious as to why they occassionally do play sound defensively? Is it coaching or is it simply their years of having played hockey that sometimes playing the way they'd been coached to play until getting here just comes bubbling to the surface?

Considering it's been over a decade since the Sabres have had more than 1 good goalie at any time and even getting to 1 has been a struggle; that'd be a good problem to have.

And we are in agreement there. But there is room for more than 6 goalies in the system and pointing that out was the purpose of the post you're responding to.

Could be wrong, but don't believe just getting Wallstadt alone would've necessarily chased Portillo away being a couple of years younger. But to have brought in both Wallstadt and Levi in the same year (when UPL was also in the system) would've been a big reg flag saying they don't trust Portillo's skills. There is also the possibility that they philosophically don't believe in grabbing more than 1 prospect goalie in any 1 year. Which also would keep them from bringing in both Wallstadt and Levi in the same year.

The organization can have more than 6 goalies playing professionally. Back in the day Kolzig was loaned to the Amerks because the Caps didn't have room for him in the AHL but they wanted him getting action. Much more recently, Binnington was loaned to San Antonio. Get a solid G pipeline rolling and then start converting some of those 5-7th rounders into 3rd rounders or better and keep the cream of the crop in house.

Pretty sure that yes they knew they were grabbing Levi from the Swamp Cats so that was the '21 "drafted" goalie. Still wouldl like to have seen them grab Wallstadt instead of Rosen and hoped that was the selection back then. Really believe that having Portillo in the pipeline foiled that plan as they still thought Eric might become a Sabre and didn't want to scare him off.

Rumors are Adams was close to landing Gibson in the past but he refused to waive his NTC/NMC to come to Buffalo. Considering how much Adams stresses only bringing in guys that want to be in Buffalo, pretty sure that ship has sailed.

Would like to see them take 1 every year and about once every 3-4 years try to grab one of the top 2 or 3 guys in the entire draft. (Would likely require using a 2nd or 3rd rounder, which isn't a terribly high cost when you consider what the chances are a skater picked there becomes even an NHLer much less a difference maker are fairly slim.)

In fairness to @K-9, believe he meant no other NHL teams. ;)

He did. Considering he doesn't throw his players under the bus, what else was there to say? "Well, heard that we might get a bit of snow tomorrow." Sabres can and should win this.

Make that 2.

Bandits don't believe in doing anything the easy way. Hosted Halifax tonight. Got Byrne back after missing 3 games and Cloutier back for the 1st time since the 2nd game of the year. In the 1st they were getting dominated by Halifax, but Vinc was a wall. If not for being down 2 men, Vinc likely would've gotten through the 1st with a shutout like the Thunderbird's Keeper Hill did. 1-0 bad guys after 1. Bandits woke up in the 2nd with both Byrne and Cloutier picking up a pair and came out of the 1st half with a 5-3 lead. They added another 18 seconds into the 3rd and it looked like a rout might be on. But the Bandits can't do anything easily. They let Halifax go on a 6-0 run and found themselves down 9-6 into the 4th. But then the Bandits decided they dug a big enough hole and took over in the 4th. Both Byrne and Cloutier got their hatties and Buchanan tied it late at 9. It appeared the Bandits had tied it at 9 earlier in the quarter as Cloutier dove from behind the net and beat Hill over the shoulder but it was just after the shot clock expired. In OT, both teams had 2 possessions and after a timeout they got the ball to Cloutier and this time he got the shot off with 2 ticks left on the shot clock and the Bandits won 10-9. Bandits are now 10-2 and will stay at least a game ahead of both Toronto and Rochester who sit at 8-3.

Well not in the last 30+ years it hasn't.

Realize that. As discussed with Thorny, the 3rd guy was Grier. Who IS the GM of the team he played for between stints with the Sabres. (San Jose.) It was mentioned upthread that there were 3 GM's from the '05-'06 team. Hadn't realized that Grier's name hadn't been mentioned upthread nor that anybody thought of Miro when discussing that team because at Drury's request, he wasn't a part of that team. He was released free and clear and the Sabres were better for it. Totally got that you were referring to the devil in your statement. And as mentioned, never considered Miro when reading it.

No, have said elsewhere that my expectation is they get a 4D. He'll probably be what people consider a budget signing similar to grabbing Lydman but expecting he'll be useful also like Lydman. Expect there'll be something else on D brought in. Hoping that guy is a 5/6 but it could be another Clague. Didn't look that closely at the goalie projection. Have no idea what Adams does there. But until he fixes goaltending, he hasn't fixed it.

Grier.

Expect he's eligible for the WJCs as he'll be in his D+2 year, but those that follow Junior would know that better. Doubt they'd want to do a 9 game stint over a large chunk of the season planning to bring him back after his Junior team's season is complete for 2 reasons. 1. If they bring him back for a 10th game after the 9 game "tryout" he still burns a year of the ELC. And, 2. If he's on the Sabres 23 man (or extended post trade deadline) roster for 40 games, he accrues a year of service in the NHL (aka moves a year closer to having UFA status) which is an even bigger deal than the possible burning of an ELC year.

Interestingly, all 3 of those guys ended up GMing the team they went to after being on that magical Sabres team.

Why do anything with Comrie? Unless they make a trade for a goalie and the other team wants a backup as a piece of the return, don't do anything with him. If he gets waived with the intention of sending him to Ra-cha-cha because they have brought in someone better to tandem (and ideally be the 1 on the tandem) then either they have cheap depth and really solid depth with presumably Levi and Comrie in Ra-cha-cha or if he gets claimed, oh well. And if by some miracle he ends up looking the part of a true #1 in training camp, then figure out what to do with the new guy when we come to that bridge.

EVERYBODY here needs to be a Providence fan tomorrow night. Go Friars! Send Levi home to Buffalo where he belongs. (At least for this season. Probably belongs in Ra-cha-cha next year.)

Just remember 5 of those golden ticket winners ended up dinner for the Oompa-Loompas.

Would've gone with the 5th. But yes, he should've been pulled. For his sake and the team's.