dudacek

It was a good topic. i think the point of the Andersons, Pysyks etc. was to surround the Dahlins Thompsons and Cozens with the types of players that would show them the right way and allow them to emerge as leaders. So when the turnover happens, the new guys will be coming in to the right culture and the new core would be ready to maintain that culture. Part of it is also paying attention to the types of guys you're bringing in. Reportedly, Quinn and Power are those types of guys. Presumably any vets targeted would fit the mould, at least if this regime is paying as much attention to this aspect of team building as we think.

Don’t think the info hurts the current Sabres regime in any way. Not sure that it hurts Botterill or his regime either. The Sabres apparently had Krebs ranked highly enough that he was in consideration for at least one of their first rounders. Botterill ruled that his injury was too risky to wager a 1st-rounder on, regardless of if he was the highest-ranked player available there or not. Doubt there is a benefit or grudge behind the leak, it’s just an interesting tidbit that someone passed along to Marek.

Someone posted upthread (maybe tongue-in-cheek, don’t remember) about the Sabres being a sluggish team. A healthy Sabres have actually become a very fast team. Cozens Krebs Hinostroza is ridiculously fast. Against teams who don’t clog and trap, that is a 3rd line that can create mismatches against bottom-six lines, like they did tonight.

We did.

(Plug your eyes @PASabreFan) 4 and 4 so far in the March “murderer’s row” of Stl, Dal, Min, Tor, LA, Fla, VGK and TOR Next up the annual western Canada Edm, Cal, Van trip, then back home for Pit and Was, then @NYR.

Another one of those games that could make fans fall in love with this team again. Two in a row like that haven’t happened very often this dark decade.

Sometimes goalies outright steal games or blow games. But most of that time that isn’t really necessary. Most games are generally close enough that if your goalie stops the pucks he’s supposed to and the other goalie doesn’t you’re going to win. I really think the past 2 games with the Leafs have been good evidence of that. And I think that most games the Sabres played in the first half of the year were evidence of the same thing, except we were on the opposite end of that.

The amount of times Dahlin has separated man from puck today is beautiful to see.

Nice to hear Leaf song and horn at out home game

(@dudacek scratches idea of bringing daughters to Sabrespace meet-up off list)

And the Canadian intermission panel drooling over Dahlin.

My daughter watching with me has been marvelling at his D.

Ice conditions favouring both defences, but the Sabres have had more chances. Need to finish better, shots have been weak and/or in the crest.

Damn, the American broadcast is pro-Leaf? I’m watching the always-excellent Chris Cuthbert on Sportsnet. Im sure the intermission might be Leaf-heavy, but the play-by-play has been good.

Agreed. That looks sharp. Disagree. Not special on a league-wide basis. As a a Sabre fan this is special. Looking forward to it.

Portillo has played just 98 games over the past 4 years. “Need” might be too strong a word, but he definitely could benefit from more development, especially if Michigan has a talent drain and he is forced to be more of a difference-maker as a result.

There’s only 2 nets to develop 3 prospects. Each of them and UPL needs to play. This is the way to go, IMO, assuming there are no flight risks.

Did anyone catch Ray Ferraro’s segment on the Instigators yesterday? It was one of the most positive, yet well-informed takes on the state of the Sabres I have heard from a national analyst in a long time. (Full disclosure, he’s Donnie’s brother-in-law) They asked him if he could name three reasons or players coming that should make fans feel optimistic. He named 7 or 8. Said goalie is the biggest issue and we need to get a veteran bridge because Portillo and Levi have got it coming, and UPL is here too. Said we are going to love Power, and the size and skill with him, Ras and Mule gives us a ridiculous left side. He says Quinn is going to score goals in the NHL, Peterka is an engine, and the top 6 in this draft are difference-makers. Didn’t mention them here, but I’ve also heard him sing the praises of Cozens and Krebs in the past. He said it won’t all come at once, but it is coming and it may be sooner than we think. https://www.audacy.com/wgr550/hosts/the-instigators (3/4 of the way through the 3/10 segment)

And by “win the lottery” they mean “move up”. Im pretty sure if the last-place team ends of picking 1st it’s not considered a “win” for the purposes of the 5-year rule.

This is why I don’t sweat Donnie’s use of Eakin too much now, but I will later. We talk a lot about player development being his priority, but that includes off the ice as well and I like seeing signs that is happening.

Fans are supposed to make life tough on opposing players. Looks like they did.

Thanks for this. It’s really gotten lost in this thread. Anderson played his ass off. His teammates were clearly was so happy for him. I’m struggling to recall the last moment a group of Sabres looked/felt like a team in the way like they did at the end of that game. We’ve spilled so many pixels on here moaning about culture, and about how it needs to change before the results do. Maybe it’s actually happening.

Nights like that can help a city fall in love with its team again.

You know, that's one of the plusses of the Joki/Dahlin combo. In addition to Dahlin becoming elite at beating the pressure, Henri is a no slouch on his own; he can be a good outlet for Ras and doesn't defer, or need to defer, to him.

What are you saying, that the Amerks are empty right now because the Sabres should have more than 14 guys on pro contracts from the 2016-20 drafts? With 4 picks still in college (Costantini, Huglen, Johnson, Portilo) likely to get offers? Who does that? Except for late-signing Euro and college players, pre-2016 players are past their ELC and are generally NHLers or have moved on.