dudacek

The PK went into today at 83 per cent, having allowed just one goal all year. Had Ullmark not let a goal from behind the net tonight, they would be at 78 per cent right now, 15th overall. Right now Buffalo is 3rd best in shots for 6th best in shots against 7th in FO per centage 10th in PP 16th in GF 14th in GA Terrible. Absolutely terrible.

I thought the Sabres were better Friday than today. Both games were tense nail-biters that forced both teams to fight. Neither was pretty, both were tense and entertaining and hard-fought. (I’m not sure what skill you saw from the Caps, today.)

Rasmus bounces back with nearly 23 minutes, 6 shots, 2 blocks and easily his most impressive performance of the year. He needs to play with authority and today he did.

A lot of guys were starting to press on our team. And the Caps made it their mission to pound the snot out of us. Hopefully the W will relax a few of our snipers. I thought we got better as the game progressed, so have to credit the perseverence.

So happy for Linus. Two weak goals in regulation but he battled back so hard to be unbelievable in OT and ice in the shootout. And maybe the shootout will take the monkey off Jack’s back.

That Sam to Victor from down low needs to be a greater emphasis.

You can’t cry for a more aggressive PK and get real upset about what they did there.

Presenting himself as a passing option.

The Sabres scoring chances climbing. The goals are not. come on let’s make this PP work.

Reinhart would have got crucified on the backcheck if they scored, but because he hustled and took his man...

The Staal line has no one to go get the puck.

Didn’t like our offensive chemistry at all, despite the shots. Did the Caps get a good scoring chance that period? Id break up Jack and Hall in the second. They’ve gone from looking for each other too much to doing it themselves too much, and actually got in each other’s way a few times. Kyle is playing the right way and improves our team. And obviously Dahlin’s best offensive showcase of the season.

Caps bringing some heavy, heavy hockey and seeing the benefits. I would really like to see the top line simplify.

I suspect the plan was to rest him this game all along, but this raises a very good point. Would they have sat him if he had won the game in the shootout? I'm assuming Kyle goes in for Cozens. Should,we also assume Casey gets his first action in place of Tage?

I’ve long been an advocate of a 19-year-old draft. 18-year-olds can opt in, but are only eligible for top-10 or lottery picks. If skipping the draft this year, or limiting it to the first round is a way to make that happen, then do it.

Yeah, I tend see a lot of the same things you do, but that’s not what I saw. I saw Sam at the post bracing for the back checker with his stick in the air, not on the ice, with an “oh S—t!” look on his face as he was surprised by the pass. I will re-watch.

I’m not OK with bad results. And I am not just seeing effort, I’m seeing a team that is creating chances and limiting chances. I believe that Skinner Eichel and Hall are probably going to combine for more than 1 goal in most five game stretches, and when that happens we will go 3-1-1 instead of 1-3-1. I don’t know if this team is going to make the playoffs, but so far they have looked to me like they are capable of making the playoffs. Yesterday they didn’t lose because they were soft, or listless, or the same old Sabres, or any other tiresome BS that dominated the game day thread. they lost because of two god-awful defensive plays by Dahlin, a couple posts, and a terrible penalty call on Risto heading into OT. The PK looks better, the breakout looks better, the secondary scoring looks better, the rush defence looks better and the offensive cycle looks better. I will take Cozens, Reider, Eakin and Sheahan over Sheary, Vesey, ERod and Frolik any day of the week. The top scorers haven’t started scoring, the PP has looked good once it gets set up, but has struggled to get set up, and the goaltending is still questionable. These are things that can be fixed. ***** the long-term, the Sabres can be fixed right now.

I have not watched the replay, but live I yelled at Taylor for not shooting. I was surprised that Ray of all people (simplify, shoot, simplify) took a shot at Sam for that and even more surprised that it has been echoed on here.

Do we need to rebuild every time a team plays decent hockey over a five-game stretch but only gets 3 points?

I so hope the first night of the NHL playoffs finds you in an easy chair enjoying a glass of fine scotch with a smug smile.

Yes. More than any other Sabres media figure, if memory serves. Erod deal at the trade deadline last year was one, if I remember correctly. I think there was at least one other. Which tells me the Sabres may have upped what they are willing to spend on some of the discussions you alluded to earlier. And that the current Hutton/Ullmark situations have them concerned.

It was a reference to ROR and the fact that Terry slapped a deadline on that trade, meaning we took what was available, instead of maximizing the asset like the Jets did by sitting on a discontented Laine for months.

Well, there’s the bigger stage Dubois wanted. 😜 Good on the Jets for waiting to move Laine until the right opportunity opened up. I hope Terry Pegula can tear himself away from the Bills long enough to kick himself at least once.

I particularly noticed this with Hall last night.

The Dubois trade talk brings back very painful O’Reilly memories for me. They are very much comparables and should net similar returns. We all know that’s not going to happen.