R_Dudley

I would agree the last several games have been his best and he does have 5 pts and is +5 for his 14 minutes a game. Though from my eye test him and Nelson still end up running around their end in Alamo mode more than the top 2 allowing too much cycle time to the opposing team.

Yes. Plus I don't want either Nelson or Beaulieu influencing how he learns to play in the NHL, since they are the worse pairing we put out on the ice.

Well I just got my lunch break in time to see that. I think i like it.. Not sure who the "schedule makers" are but they sure seem to have us on some hard back to backs this year if you considered last seasons records. Also looks like we have a lot of them again. Do they even try and balance that across all teams or is it some get lucky with a few and other teams get the short end of the stick ? I hope we have the slump buster coming here and get a regulation win because we got TO tomorrow and watching them play it's going to be a up tempo game. Just glad Nylander isn't going to be in the lineup quite yet. Predators..... Smedators. Let's Go Buff-a-lo, beat em good..

Rather than rank individuals for the 1/3 report card (Not that there is anything wrong with that) I would also like to look at the overall team. I think a few of of us in the last several game threads have expressed some concerns with the eye test and it appears some stats are bearing that out. Note this below is from WGR550 site article https://wgr550.radio.com/articles/opinion/time-turnaround but worth mentioning Let’s take a peak at some of Buffalo’s rankings from naturalstattrick.com: Shot share at 5-on-5 - 21st Shot share 5-on-5 within one goal - 24th High Danger Chances For - 28th High Danger Chance % - 28th High Danger Save % - 4th This team is living on the edge… The Sabres give up an awful lot of high danger chances, and they don’t get too many of their own. Regulation wins are the true testament to how good you are. 3-on-3 overtime and shootouts can get you to the playoffs, but once you’re there… So not trying to be wet blanket and yes I am enjoying the ride and actually being in the conversation just pointing out that the law of averages do catch up with you and things even out over time and come back to a mean, and the team mean for last 2 weeks has not been a sustainable winning model. So Phil get to work and get this train back on the winning track...

To be fair during the winning streak we had an awful lot of puck luck so law of averages and getting regularly outplayed and expecting to pull it out in teh end is not a Stanley cup champion strategy. @PASabreFan nailed it with Phil and this team have a lot of work to do here to get this train back on track..

Well it's possible but lets not go that far.

Uh Oh Flagg alert on the who is better

Are we playing to get this to a SO...

They should be..

Ok looks like we limped it into OT if thast what we were looking for. Although if we think we can play like that and win we are fooling ourselves.

So even there Erod throws it up the boards and loses possession when he had time and space to skate with it...

Maybe too much time chillaxen at the pool or at the beach. ?

The whole team moving as a 5 man unit controlling play style is gone. They are back to rumbling, bumbling and stumbling.

Yep, puck possession seems to be a foreign concept to them these last several games.

More like they think they have do these fantastic finishes and win by 1 goal last minute in OT or SO.

Yeah ok get ready for Alamo mode here

Well that is one area we have a lot of changes in and we have had to shuffle the lines and last Baloo is not somebody i want getting lots of extra ice time because of it.

Wow I could hear that Let's go Buff-a-lo chant there

Especially if that guy can't handle the puck

Ok after that I am agreeing with Flagg on Sobotka

Let's Go Buff-a-lo, lets be ready for the last period alamo mode and make the smart safe plays..

Well there is bit more than that. He has been the guy keeping some of the other teams nasty in check when he is out there and he also is chipping in offensively and last there he is playing vs. recovering...

Shots Fla 26 to 15 for Bflo. I have to agree with @Darksabre's early post about how we have been playing. to many bad decisions tryind to go east to west with fancy plays than North south with the safer play. I would like to get back to the team that was out shooting the opposition not regularly being out shot and losing the puck possession battles..

Yes, that's something i wanted to say the other day w/o sounding negative but of course you said it better.

I love the Sabres too but safety first, you'll get the play by play after if you have to duck out...