mjd1001

I don't really put much faith into what Bissonette says either. He seems more like a guy who likes to scream and yell on the set when he is on TV, he's the attention getter, the token Leafs fan on the broadcast. I didn't listen to the clip yet, but how would HE be the one with this info at all, or at least first, before any of the legit journalists with a lot more connections around the league or even the local guys that travel with the team and talk to the players and Adams on a weekly or daily basis? As others have said about Dahlin if this is true...he doesn't have much leverage in the matter. Is he going to leave and go back to Sweden and leave all that money on the table? Also, if this were true and he were really really frustrated, the person to express that to would be Pegula, not Adams. Tell that to Pegula. If you think Adams is bad, tell him you are frustrated with Adams. Tell Pegula to open up the checkbook and get him some help. As I brought up in another thread,

And he does it on this team without a good playmaker....as brough up before his talent isn't just shooting, but he has the ability to 'create his own shot' better than many players in the league. That is why he is as successful as he is. A playmaker who sees the ice well would help him even more on the PP, where it is more about controlling a 'half court' set. His goal numbers and PP numbers would likely be better if the Sabres had someone line that on the wing or center to help. Not just 4th in goals...Even strength goals per 60...he is best in the league and way out in front. He is the league's dominant goal scorer (he's at 1.95 goals per 60 minutes, 2nd place is 1.57....its not even close) If you get a playmaker...a guy who handles the puck well and can make good passes, you would likely get more PP goals out of Thompson and he would be challenging for the overall league lead in goals. 2 words (or names). Mitch Marner. He might be the best star winger in the league at controlling the puck and distributing from the wing. Marner on the PP and/or Thompsons wing....and next year with a healthy Tage he probably approaches 60 goals. I think with Marner, Tage EASILY gets 1 more PP goal per month and close to 1 more even strength goal per month.

Cozens, from what I saw, actually didn't play that well. As someone else posted, when he was on the ice the opposition had more shots and more chances than his line generated from Ottawa. The other game when he threw a lot of 'hits', some of them were little more than casually bumping a guy that he was given credit for a hit. 2 of them I actually saw were 'same old Cozens', he followed through on a hit well after the puck was gone and took himself out of the play as the puck went back up the ice (maybe that is still the reason why Ottawa was outshot and outchanced so badly when he was on the ice). Like the Eichel and Reinhart deals (and Mitts to a certain extent), I'll check in on how Cozens is doing...because as fans that is what we do....see how the traded player is performing. 2 games is....well....a super small sample size, but in that small sample size.....what I have seen and the stats I have read...he's not really any different there through 2 games overall. You mentioned Ulmark. That is years ago already...but the Sabres would be MUCH better this year having Ulmark back on the roster than Cozens.

Agree on alot of what you said. I do not like fighting in the game anymore. I can live without it as I have said many times. But, it is still part of the game so you need someone, I think, who is better than what you have. I have come around on Krebs a lot. If he isn't playing next year I won't shed too many tears, but for what he is, he is better this year than last year. Quinn, ugh. Something has to change. I posted yesterday he has stopped going to the front of the net almost totally. Other wingers like Tuch and Peterka have something like 45-50 for Tuch and 20-30 shots from the front of the net on the year, Quinn has 5. Some people have said Quinn is hurt. Maybe. But right now no other forward has actually hurt the team as much as Quinn other than Cozens, so Quinn moves to #1. As far as a playmaking center...yeah, it won't hurt. I think part of that is negated by the fact that Tage is your most dangerous forward, and he makes his own plays...he really doesn't need a playmaker to set him up as much as many other scorers, he creates his own high danger chances. As for line 2 or 3..yeah, could probabably use one there. Can it be Kulich? Maybe, but it is WAY too early to tell and you could really use a back-up plan in case it isn't. As I just mentioned above, maybe Quinn is playing hurt and that is why his play is so bad, and with an offseason he improves. But with just how bad he has been, I'd offer him the shortest, cheapest deal you can and tell him to 'prove it'. If he says no, then you aren't missing much if he sits. I mean I don't know if the team wants to push things that far and look more 'player un-friendly' than they do, but you really can't commit to him UNTIL he proves it because he has been so bad.

I posted this earlier or in another thread... I'm not saying the organization is not at fault for a lot of stuff. They are. But to me why this is more on Cozens? -Tage is a 45+ goal per 82 guy. Tuch is closing in on his 2nd 30 goal season in 3 years here while being a plus player. Peterka and Kulich are showing early signs that they are better and/or more complete players than Cozens. If those guys can do it at Forward, why has Cozens game never developed through 5 years away from the puck? And why has his overall game regressed? Yeah, the organization has a lot to do with it...but if Cozens and Quinn were really the ONLY 2 forwards on this team that have regressed and been so bad they are deeply negative players...that has as much, if not more, to do with the players. The failure of the organization is putting him in a role he cannot handle and is not suited for. The actual act of failing is is his. If he succeeds someplace else in a different role, it might very well be that it is because he was placed in that different role.

No, not dogging it. I saw him try, he just wasn't that good in his role here. Here he was put in a position where he was asked to be a 'complete' player. Score, and make your linemates involved, and be on the 1st team power play, and penalty kill, and be responsible on the ice to defend a lead late in the game. He's just not good enough to do all that. Give him less to do/focus on....and/or put him out there with guys who already do those thing and are good at it and he might function better in that role. He just wasn't good enough of a player to do all the things this team asked him. As much as I wanted him gone, that was primarily because SOMEONE in this organization (Pegula? Adams?) insisted he keep being put out there in all those roles. If he would have been taken off the PP and moved to wing, I would rather have had him stay. That wasn't happening here. He tried to succeed in a role he simply wasn't good enough for...or wasn't a 'fit' for, so he failed. So I don't think he wasn't trying. But if he WAS, all the more reason you wanted him gone. Tuch is getting close to 30 goals and is a positive player (AGAIN) on a negative team. Tage is pacing for 45-50 goals per 82. Dahlin is fighting 3 guys at once and carrying the D-unit. That is most of your core leadership group..they aren't dogging it...if Cozens was then he needed to be moved simply for that reason.

Wrong. It may be an idictment of the organiztion, but as I said it wasn't happening here. For 5 years he has been a negative player defensively. For 5 years he has not made his linemates better. For 4 of those 5 years, he has been put in a situation where he has been a regular on the PP and a #2 center and has been one of the absolute worst players in that role in the entire league. Peterka and Kulich are young and while not perfect, early signs are they are better (Peterka) and MUCH better (Kulich) than Cozens ever was away from the puck, and better overall with shooting scoring. They have been in this organization their entire careers so far. Thompson turned into one of the best scorers in the league while here. Tuch blossomed into one of the better clutch players/best forcheckers/30 goal scorer here (and it looks like it may be more than one year.) This organization and the development staff here is bad, they should be turning out more good players than they are. But some players have succeeded here and gotten better. Cozens was never that good and he was getting worse. He needed to go. Cozens was a BAD hockey player here. 2 coaches, 3 'system's in the past 3 years. It was NOT changing here.

Well, Cozens could score 40 next year and it wouldn't matter much to many of us. He wasn't doing it here, he showed no signs he was going to do it here.

Yeah on that call...the Sabres are losing because they have been playing bad. But they are for sure in a stretch where they aren't currently on the right side of some calls.

Just a follow up on this. Quinn wasn't always that way. 2 years ago he had 42 shots on net from the front of the net in 75 games (1 every 1.8 games) Last year he had 12 in 27 games (1 every 2.3 games) And its not like he doesn't do well from there. Like most players, that is his zone with his highest shooting percentage. If you don't go to the areas or take shots form the areas where you shoot the best, you aren't going to score much. This year 1 out of every 11 games...its not only a small sample, its over the entire season. And its not the system, as mentioned above the other wingers are going to those areas. Quinn has, this year, just turned into one of the most 'perimeter' wingers in the league.

Jack Quinn this year: 55 games played Shots from the 'high danger' areas (in front of the net, up to a few feet out). 5. FIVE the entire year. He goes to and gets off a shot from that part of the ice once every 11 games he plays. For comparison, other wingers on the Sabres: Peterka has 26 of them. Tuch has 47. Quinn 5. He is alergic to going to the front of the net.

I know its been brough up Quinn might still be recovering from his surgery (surgeries). That may be true. But when I watch him, its also he isn't make good decisions. He's staying away from the slot. Its more than just physical with him. I did think he was decent in the first period though.

When you watch the replay of Tage's goal....it is impressive for him that basically he got off 2 shots himself where it was basically a 1 on 4. Of course, the 2 Edmonton D-men didn't look like they had any idea what to do on coverage. 1-0. NHL.com is pretty good with putting up replays of the goals just a couple minutes after they happen if you can't watch live.

1st period, no penalties so its all 5 on 5. A few things surprising with ice time: -Benson with 5:20 (on pace for 16 minutes). He has only been getting 10-12 minutes per game lately -Quinn with 5:53 (on pace for almost 18 minutes). He's been in teh 13-15 minute range usually. -4th line (Malenstyn, Lafferty) with only 4 shifts and about 2.5 minutes (on pace for 7.5 for the game) Oilers with 6 blocked shots. Sabres haven't been credited for blocking a single one yet.

Yeah, the post is saving the Sabres now, they are beating UPL, but not the post. Or, if you want to be positive, you can say UPL is playing the shots SO PERFECTLY that is all he is giving them is the post.

I was going to post about the sound. The commercials sound fine, but the broadcast is very 'tinny', like way too much treble? Anyone esle have that issue? Also, the video seems to be a bit behind the broadcast. I'll hear "Quinn takes a shot" and then see him take the shot 1/2 second AFTER they said he took it.

Thompson has scored in 4 of the last 5 games now.

So Bills sign 2 players today and both are Canadian citizens....coincidence or something to it?

I'm giving it a shot, but having a hard time getting into watching this game.

Thanks. I spend more time on Bluesky than Twitter now, but I still find more info on Twitter, I might not be following the right people yet.

Anyone hear what the lines/pairings look like for tonight? Usually I can see that on twitter, but twitter has been down for me most of the day.

Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad has been suspended 20 games for violating the NHL/NHLPA performance-enhancing substances program, the league announced Monday. The suspension is accompanied by a mandatory referral to the NHL/NHLPA program for substance abuse and behavioral health for evaluation and possible treatment, as per the terms of the collective bargaining agreement. With 18 contests remaining in Florida's regular season, Ekblad will be forced to miss the Panthers' first two playoff games. https://www.thescore.com/nhl/news/3238904/ekblad-suspended-20-games-for-performance-enhancing-substance

What would be the most 'Sabres' thing to do? Fall down the standings (or stay where they are) and win the lottery. Draft a D-man #1 overall. Within a year or two, the Forwards drafted after them are making exciting plays, putting up points and goals, while the Sabres have a highly ranked defenseman that 'needs a few more years, defensemen usually take longer to develop, you know"

If you could do that, this is a playoff team. If you want to break it down: Fix the PP, Fix the PK (that takes care of your non-5-on-5 play). The PK has been in the middle of the league. Without some really weak goaltending on it, their PK is probably average. The PP? That is another story. Does making one change (getting rid of statistically the worst PP forward in the league (Cozens) for a pretty good one (Norris) help that long term?) As for making your 5-on-5 defense better. Quinn, Cozens (taken care of), Adding ONE very good D-man, and the 4th line (as I just brought up above).

Just to add to my post above but with some data on the 4th line for those who like analytics. I looked the combo of Malenstyn and Lafferty this year (The most used 4th line guys) vs Zemgus and Okposo's time on the ice together the previous 2 years: Over the last 2 previous seasons, Okposo and Zemgus on the ice together allowed 1 even strength goal every 33.8 minutes. Malenstyn and Lafferty this year are allowing an even strenth goal ever 22 minute. HUGE difference for a 4th line. Zemgus and Okposo playing together on the 4th line had 4 points better Corsi (Corsi for vs against as a percentage 50.4 to 46.4), 3 points better Fenwick%, 1 point better shots for vs against, almost 10 points better goals for (41.2 vs 33.3, probably the most important of all the analytics for comparing), more than 5 points better expected goals ratio, 6 points better scoring chances for vs against, 4 points better high danger, 14 points better high danger goals for vs against... So yeah, those are BIG time numbers. This 4th line has been bad, really really bad. A 4th line doesn't really help you win, you just want them to not help you lose. In the past 2-3 years, the Sabres had a 4th line that didn't really hurt them. This year, the 4th line IS hurting them.