dudacek

I think you can’t overlook the fact that over the 113 games since Ralph Krueger was fired Tage has yet to plateau - the arrow has continued to go up. In his 25 games from when Ralph was canned until the end of the season: 7 goals, 12 points In his 1st 30 games at centre: 10 goals, 18 points In his 2nd 30 games at centre: 17 goals, 30 points In the 28 games since: 18 goals, 34 points

Not really disagreeing, but at it's heart, this is a "when do you believe" question. Down the stretch last year he put up 15/8/23 in 23 games against Vegas, Colorado, St. Louis, Boston Toronto, Tampa, Florida, Carolina, the Rangers, Nashville, Washington Pittsburgh, Calgary, Edmonton, Minnesota and Dallas. If he gets just a goal and an assist in the next 5 games, does that mean he's not there yet? How many times do we have to see something before it's real?

It doesn't get nastier than what we saw in the AHL playoffs last year. Certainly didn't slow Krebs and Peterka. (I'd add Tuch to your list as someone who's proven in that environment and Okposo and Girgs will be there)

Here's a question we were all scared to broach even a few weeks ago: "What if Tage Thompson can actually fill the role of legit 1st line centre every team needs to be a contender?" Is it something we can talk about yet? The sample size continues to grow. In the calendar year of 2022 Tage now has 33 goals and 62 points in 56 games. In Eichel's best year he had 36 goals and 78 points in 68 games.

People will talk about the team needing to get bigger off and on, which usually devolves into discussions about how important size really is or isn’t. This thread was inspired more though by me realizing how exceptionally big the Sabres core is and what a weapon that can be, and how no one ever really talks about that.

It’s not really about violence though. The crucial factor here is how our best players are huge and are starting to take advantage of that. The complaint from other team’s is going to be “we can’t penetrate past those octopi when they defend and we can’t take the puck away from those redwoods when they attack.”

I think this is overly focused on the mistake of conflating size with beating people up. Mule, Tage, Dahlin, Power, Tuch - every single player uses his size to physically dominate a majority of opponents. I’m talking about forcing turnovers, protecting pucks, winning battles and making plays. Their size is making them hockey players who are very hard to play against. 1-on-1 they are creating difficult matchups for opposing coaches.

Seems to me there is still a perception out there (and by that, I mean on Sabrespace) that the Sabres aren’t big enough. I think people need to look a bit closer at the trees. Our best centre is 6’7 225 pounds Our best winger is 6’4 220 Our best defenceman is 6’3 210 Our 2nd best is 6’6 220 Our shutdown blueliner is 6’4 230 I defy you to find another team with a core that physically imposing. And they all can skate. Add Lyubushkin Cozens Okposo and Girgensons on the next tier, couple it with the roster’s speed, 4-line depth and attacking style and this is a team that is built wear you down. I don’t think their 3rd period success so far this year is a coincidence.

So one of Quinn/Krebs/Asplund/Peterka/Hinostroza is so significantly less effective than the others that a rotation is going to cost the team points in the standings? Not buying it. Also not buying the concept that whoever "played the worst in the last game" is the one who should be be sitting out. Never mind how that is impossible to quantify (for exhibit A, I give you the reviews of Krebs' game versus Detroit), it's also completely myopic. I am very happy our team chooses to focus on the big picture. And this is coming from a fan who never wants to see Asplund in the press box.

Skates definitely. Shins guards and elbow pads. A jock strap for sure.

Team we got schooled by last year, twice, so definitely a measuring stick. Not overly worried about Pilut/Fitzy as a 3rd pair against this particular lineup. Hope we can say the same about Bryson and Boosh in the top 4. Kinda expecting Tage and Skinner to break out a bit. Tage is certainly looking the part the past 2 games.

How many NHL players can match Tuch’s combination of speed and strength? Asking a serious question here. His physical dominance versus the Canucks battered blueline was something to behold. We still get posters worrying about the Sabres size, but it was an eye-opener watching Thompson Tuch Power Samuelsson and Dahlin live and seeing how there was no one Vancouver had capable of physically cancelling out any of them on a purely athletic level. Like you are getting down to our 6th guy before they could literally find a match, and I am including Tyler Myers in that.

Private MRIs are available in B.C. I would be stunned if the Leafs and Senators do not have access to quick MRIs

Donnie likes to talk about Power’s ability to process and adapt. The adjustment from game 1 (where he tried to do too much) to game 5 (where he does what will work) has been remarkable IMO. I suspect we’ll see what he was trying to do in game 1 again, but working, as the season progresses, as he keeps figuring out what works. Power is going to be really good and a lot faster than you think.

Levi clearly with the most intriguing stat line of all the players in the system. Ryan Johnson with 5 assists in 6 games for the Gophers. Topias Leinonen with a terrible .840 sv% in 8 Liiga games. Lots of interesting early season numbers here: https://www.eliteprospects.com/team/53/buffalo-sabres/in-the-system

I suspect the proper lens for the next few weeks will be how they survive without Mule and Jokiharju. There’s going to be a heavy load on the shoulders of Bryson and Power.

This is from a regular Hockey Night in Canada feature called "After Hours" which runs every Saturday night after the regular NHL double-header. It usually features a live, in-depth chat with a player or executive tied to the games of the evening, whose appearance is scheduled well in advance. They just happened to hit the jackpot with Rutherford at this particular point of the season. It's all the media out here is talking about this morning. Related, the feeling in the building was people crazy fed up with their franchise Saturday. It got nasty in the third. We had Canuck players arguing loudly with each other on the ice, the fans booing the in-house media team for trying to get them to start a singalong, and two guys in my section tearing off their jerseys and tossing them on the ice to the cheers of everyone else around them. Never experienced anything like it.

Another sabre drops: Alex Mogilny, fittingly at 89. https://theathletic.com/3666529/2022/10/24/nhl-99-alexander-mogilny/

Just met Dylan Cozens parents

Other than you know it’s coming, it’s just a matter of when. Look, I know you’re right if you break it down to physics. Doesn’t change the fact that the Sabres (and many other mediocre teams) tend to lose in this scenario.

Regardless of a 2-week sample, the Sabres are probably not better than the Canucks. Vancouver should be properly motivated, and playing in their home opener. Buffalo is young this year and likely to have a lot of ups and downs. The bounces that are so common in the NHL are due to go in the other direction for each team. Hopefully the Canucks are fragile enough and the Sabres resilient enough to overcome that, but there are enough factors to favour the Canucks and justify this, IMO.

I will be there. My record in person is not good. Apologies in advance.

Isn’t it pretty much common knowledge by now that Jack requested a trade because he wasn’t going to put up with any more sucking, Krueger told him and Terry that the team wasn’t that far away, and Kevyn’s marching orders from the owner was to do what he could to get Jack and Ralph what they wanted for one last kick at making things work? I have no idea how much of the actual strategy and tactics of what he executed that summer actually came from Kevyn, but the overall vision was something handed to him to execute, rather than what he walked into the job preaching. What we are seeing now is his actual vision - shaped in part by his view of the failures of the Eichel era - which he pitched that spring to Pegula, and was accepted.

Quinn doesn’t need to play in the American League to get better. But he does need to play. It could become an issue. It’s not an issue yet.

Unlike Stanley cup favourites Edmonton and Calgary whose counterparts are: Tyler Benson, Raphael Lavoie and Carter Savoie, and Adam Ruzicka, Radim Zahorna and Jakob Pelletier, respectively? Very few teams have players as good as Quinn and Hinostroza occupying their 12/13 slots.