dudacek

Lineup decisions are never permanent. But Granato has sung the praises of the Dahlin/Jokiharju pairing in multiple occasions, including recently.

Yes. Botterill confirmed this in the same interview when he said he did not know him prior to the process of hiring him.

I don't think it was a tangent at all. But it was very awesome.

Wouldn't do it for less than a 3rd. However, if we plan to sign both Levi and Portillo now — as seems to be board consensus — we will need to clear space if we want them to play. My ideal deadline would involve trading most of Anderson, Miller, Butcher, Hagg, Eakin, Pysyk and Hinostroza for picks taking on some (hopefully useful) cap dumps for picks and/or prospects. signing Johnson, Power, Levi and a college FA dman acquiring a veteran RHD to partner with Power and an undervalued/blocked abrasive middle six forward for picks or players Not much time left for the non-college moves. Adams doesn't need to make big moves, but he needs to be active. My opinion of him is definitely going to be significantly shaped by what he does. He can't let his cap space go to waste.

Botterill pursued Ralph on the advice of Jim Rutherford. He did not know him prior to hiring him,

Was Dahlin dumb to punish the crap out of the Leafs most dangerous player to the point he snaps and gets suspended? Was Dahlin dumb to inspire Cozens to level Mathews with a clean centre ice check? Was Dahlin dumb to say "(shrug) that's hockey" when prodded by reporters about the cross-checking? I don't think this kid is what some people thought he was.

If we are going to talk about Joki’s “bad” defence, can we talk about what he is “bad” at? Reads? Closing the gap on the rush? Puck battles? Outlet passes? To my eye, he’s pretty smart, pretty safe, pretty mobile and pretty weak physically.

I think everyone in the room is aware of what is happening and what their place is in it. The guys that know they are staying, like Krebs, talk about building something that is going to last for 20 years. Guys who know they are going, like Anderson, talk about helping them get there. It’s possible Asplund/Olofsson/Krebs/Cozens/Mitts/Tage/Skinner/Okposo/Girgensons/Tuch/ Dahlin/Samuelsson/Jokiharju/Bryson/Fitzgerald will crumble without the “glue” of Hayden/Hino/Eakin/Pysyk/Hagg/Anderson. But if they do, they aren’t the players and people Adams thinks they are, or the ones we want.

I thought Joki looked pretty good yesterday by the eye test. Counting stats say nearly 25 minutes, 3 shots on goal, 3 hits, 5 blocks... Coach singled him out as someone who played real well. But charts 🤷‍♂️

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.