nfreeman

So no change in the lines. That’s OK with me. I think Cozens’ line is going to start showing up.

This is the kind of home game where, last season, a respectable crowd would've shown up and been massively disappointed by the Sabres coming out in a coma for the first 30 minutes, ultimately resulting in yet another awful loss where the fans left the arena disgusted with the team and vowing not to waste hundreds of dollars on that crapola again. So far this year the Sabres have played well at home. If they deliver a rousing win today it will help in the standings and in convincing the fans to return. Bring the passion boys.

I think @mjd1001 has it right -- this is going to work itself out. Cozens IMHO has already started to look better, Quinn is too good and too determined to just fall off the table and disappear and Benson is going to get healthy. For that matter, Kulich is a fast, relentless bull who is also going to keep coming. It may take a little while, but they will start producing. Also, I can't believe the OP didn't include a single Mittlestadt recrimination. What is happening here?

Serious question -- and while I'm not a spring chicken, I'm not old enough to know the answer, and I don't know if anyone here is: before this song, was "vibes" a thing? Or did the Beach Boys coin the phrase?

I agree that Kulich has looked pretty good. My point was more that McLeod's line has been quite good, and presumably (although I don't really know) has been drawing quality opposing lines, so replacing Zucker with a rookie, who doesn't have as strong of a 2-way game as Zucker does, could disrupt them.

Fair enough, and I agree that Cozens looked better vs Dallas, but that line has still produced a big fat zero. I'm fine with giving Zucker, who looks like he still has a pretty solid well-rounded game, a chance on that line.

As I said in the GDT, I thought Power was great on both ends vs Dallas. I also think he's been very good all year and that there's a good chance he's in the process of taking a major step up this season.

Interesting. So if Benson and NAK are out, which looks to be the case, Zucker and Kulich are both still in but are essentially trading spots on their respective lines? If so, that maybe shakes things up in a positive way for Cozens and Quinn, by giving them a seasoned pro on their line, but also maybe in a negative way for McLeod and Greenway by giving them a rookie on their line.

Another look at TT's goal last night:

This is pretty much where I am on Cozens. Yes, he's got too many games under his belt to just explain everything with "he's a young player" -- but OTOH he's grown up in a highly dysfunctional environment. He's also 23, has a ton of tools, and is one of the few Sabres who burns to win. That intensity is a really important component in a winning team IMHO. He's finally getting real NHL coaching and I think he'll respond well. I thought he had his best game of the season last night vs Dallas. FWIW, he played over 17 min last night -- 4th-highest among forwards and more than TT or JJP. He also hasn't gotten much help from his linemates -- although I think Quinn will also come around with more time with Lindy. In the meantime, I think McLeod's line will continue to get about as much ice time as Cozens' line, although I'm sure this will fluctuate game to game.

Great win - best one I can remember since beating Boston right around New Year’s in 2022-23 to get to DeLuca .500 on a long ricochet pass from Dahlin to Tuch to tie it at the end of regulation and then I think Cozens made a great play to set someone up for the GWG in OT. UPL was great. I think Lindy will start him again vs Detroit. I thought Power and Byram, especially Power, were great, and especially in the D-zone. Signs of life from Cozens, Dahlin and the PP. The PK was also very good, although Dallas’ PP is about as bad as the Sabres’. Nothing from Quinn though. He seems to have lost his mojo. I think he’s only had 1 good game all season. TT is looking like he did 2 years ago — a no-BS star #1 center. And he got to shoot the big gun tonight on the great feed from Power, who made another one on McLeod’s goal. McLeod is looking like a great pickup. That’s 3 strong showings in 3 home games under Lindy. Keep it up and the fans will return. In the meantime, if they beat Detroit they’ll be 1 under DeLuca .500 with some solid momentum. Go Sabres!

Your hockey posts are good but you need to stop mocking other posters if you want to be here.

Keon Coleman is rapidly becoming one of my favorites:

both of these are obnoxious. Do not communicate like this here.

OK, so there are slumps, and there are injuries, but Dahln is 24 and this stretch of 7 games -- almost 10% of an NHL season -- is by far the worst he's ever played. From the Athletic after the win over Chicago, to which Dahlin contributed zero: He's gone from "the next Bobby Orr" to "15% better than Bryson." WTF is going on?

Dude.

They were getting decent-to-good goaltending but crappy scoring before the last 2 games. Then it flipped to crappy goaltending but good scoring. Time for both factors to show up, and FFS for the special teams, which are a coaching indicator, to get out of the basement.

Bump! The Sabres stink again, but I'm about to deploy some ribeyes on my brand-new grill. And it's Friday night. (And the Sabres are going to start winning some games. They got their goal-scoring going, but lost the goaltending. The scoring will remain and the goaltending will return.)

Now you're just being contrary. Did you watch the game vs Florida? If so, you'd know that Greenie did much more than score a goal.

As I said in the GDT, Greenway was a major force last night vs the Panthers. If he keeps that up I'm going to want the Sabres to re-sign him and if they don't someone will definitely give him a good contract. As for him being a Lindy-type player: I agree with that, but I also think Greenie was one of the guys who were far away from being their best last year under Donnie G, which was really most of the team, with a variety of playing styles. I think Lindy will get more, sometimes much more, from almost all of them. One solid win and I'm very optimistic!

My 2 cents: - That's 2 good efforts in 2 home games so far under Lindy. - Greenway was a force. He's a UFA next summer. If he keeps playing this way, someone will pay him well -- and I'd be happy for it to be the Sabres. - Quinn also played very well -- that was the guy that many here expect to turn into a star this season. - Lindy's shakeup move was, as it turned out, not to bench Samuelsson in favor of Gilbert, but to play Gilbert by dressing 7 D and mostly playing 3 forward lines. It worked quite well. The Sabres were not intimidated by the Panthers, who generally play a very physical game and usually push the Sabres around. - I'd be happy to see the same lineup vs. Pittsburgh on Wednesday. - The Sabres again got good goaltending. - I thought the top 2 lines were both pretty good. Cozens' line didn't score but had a ton of chances, most of which were created by nice little plays by Quinn. Kulich also is looking more comfortable and effective. Cozens hasn't finished yet but he is playing hard and it will come. - The 3rd line was also very effective. They need a bit more finish from Zucker and McLeod. - 3-game-in-4 nights roadie coming up, vs Pittsburgh, CBJ and Chicago. Get 2 wins and we're 1 under DeLuca .500 with some momentum and some promise. Go Sabres.

I agree that it's too early to determine that Lindy has vanquished the home ice malaise -- just trying to post it into existence -- although they did look better vs. LA than they did in 75% of their home games last year. As for the tension and people waiting to boo -- I can certainly believe it, but I think it's just human nature after this many years of suckitude. Definitely agree that winning is the only cure. This, absolutely. Almost all of the people who spend the money and the time to attend the games are there because they love the Sabres. It's the same reason most of the posters here hang out here. Awesome. Also awesome.

Nonono. That is over. Lindy has vanquished it. They delivered a good effort vs the Kings and will do so again tonight. They need Dahlin, TT, Cozens and Quinn to find their mojos and start producing. At least 1 of them is going to do so tonight. I'm kinda hoping Lindy benches Samuelsson for that idiotic penalty that gave the Kings the 5-on-3 and plays Gilbert, who gets in at least 2 fights and fires everyone up. It is ON.

Abso-freakin'-lutely. I am not as down on KA as many others here, but if they poop the bed again this season he needs to go and this time I would like a real GM brought in.

This is pretty much where I am as well. I want them to make the playoffs as much as anyone does, and I fully recognize that they are digging a hole, but realistically it takes time for a new coach to get a team playing the way he wants them to. In the meantime there was a lot to like about the way they played vs. the Kings other than the final result. Of course, it's still possible that they get discouraged and quit. We'll see. I think your criticisms of Cozens are overstated, but I agree with dropping him from the top PP unit -- they need to make a change there. I'd nominate Kulich for that spot on the right half-wall (Olofsson's old spot). I liked what I saw from him against the Kings. OTOH, it's hard to argue with any of this. Or this!