nfreeman

This is a great hockey game.

BTW, 2 guys from the chainsmokers are here. And Levi was awesome in the last 5 min of that period.

It’s go time.

Which kinds do you favor? Separately: great 1st period. Very exciting. I’m in the corner where the Sabres were shooting and there was a lot of good action on O. Next period I’ll get a good look at Levi.

Congrats!

OK, but if you're here, you hopefully knew then and you know now that the Bills in that era were never in the hunt, and, more importantly, that the current Sabres situation is utterly unlike that Bills situation. You are free to not think they are a real contender until they are one, but no one is pretending otherwise and no one is peddling you anything. Most Sabres fans, here and elsewhere, are excited because it looks like they have finally rebuilt the right way. They aren't a contender yet but a lot of the pieces are in place, and those pieces are all young (other than Skinner, who is not close to old yet either) and under contract or team control. They also play an exciting brand of hockey and seem really passionate and likable. In any case, even though you are skeptical, I hope you're enjoying some of these games, because they are really freaking fun.

I can understand and agree with much of this, but the bolded is way off IMHO. The Bills stopped trying to be a real NFL team during the drought and were focused solely on squeezing as much cash out as possible. Say what you will about TP, but that has never been his approach with either team.

Section 101 — in the corner on the end where the Sabres shoot twice. How bout you?

I think assuming that Johnson will play next season in the NHL and will improve their top 6 is a pretty big leap. He’s a good prospect who’s had a good college career, but he’s far from a can’t-miss. I expect that he’ll need at least one full season in Rochester before he’s ready to be an NHL regular.

I kinda agree with both sides here. I think Krebsie understands the game well and makes good decisions about where to go with the puck, but his hands haven't caught up with his brain, so his passes are often off target (as are his shots). It's still unclear IMHO whether he can develop into a productive offensive player like Mitts has, or whether he'll stay closer to Larsson in terms of production.

Respectfully, don’t you mean “every GD season since 2012?”

Not many comparable home wins, to be sure. Probably the recent rangers game and the TB game in early March. And here we are after 78 games and deluca .500 is still highly relevant! Speaking only for myself: yes indeedly. That’s what I needed to see to think this team with this core and this coach could really be something. And now that’s what I think. I’m wearing my Miller jersey to game 79.

OK, I went back and watched Detroit's sixth (!) goal again. You guys are kinda right, although Perron wasn't at the dot -- he was much closer to the top of the circle. In any case, I had thought he was further out and that there wasn't as much side-to-side. It was a great shot, too. So I'll withdraw my criticism on that one. However... I also went back and watched the first Detroit goal, which was the one where it wasn't clear whether it was deflected. Having watched it a few times, I don't think it was -- so maybe not a great goal to have given up by Levi, although TBF Czarnik was allowed to stroll freely to the dot and unload a wrister, which also found the top corner. https://www.nhl.com/redwings/video/czarnik-ties-it-up/t-277443710/c-16439901

My shorthand summary of Levi’s goals allowed last night: - 3 deflections, of which only the first was maybe stoppable - 2 unstoppable bang-bang offensive plays by Detroit - 1 really bad goal allowed to tie the game with a minute left that harkened back to Lehner, Hutton, UPL and the ghosts of goalies past I completely agree that he got vintage 2022-23 poor Sabres D play in front of him.

I agree with both of these but would also point out that TT has been operating at significantly reduced effectiveness for the last month-plus, which IMHO has taken a big bite out of the Sabres' offense.

I think it will be Levi again, and that the boys won't quit and will come out and play hard. And Levi will excel again. We just need to bury a few more chances. BTW, there's been a fair amount of talk that Detroit has packed it in for the season, and that the Sabres' build strategy has proven better than Detroit's -- but the Sabres are only 2 pts ahead of them! They are still very much alive if they win tonight and get some help in the other games. The Islanders and the Penguins are both playing good opponents tonight (TB and Minny, respectively), and Florida is playing Ottawa, who is also still in it.

He was joking you hoser.

Did the VPN work for you for the Florida game?

IMHO something is definitely going on with Tage. He has 3 goals in his last 14 games and does not seem to be moving well. BTW, that whiff on the one-timer was maybe their last good scoring chance of the game IIRC.

Well, despite the enormous disappointment they gave us last night, Levi was outstanding again. I’m pretty close to anointing him as the starter next year.

Let’s chill out in here please. There are bigger fish to fry tonight.