mjd1001

Maybe this wont make this team a Stanley cup winner, but right now, I think McLeod and Krebs as your #2 and #3 centers (in either order) makes this a better team. They won't produce that much offensively, but...well...where are we now? They play 'smarter' hockey.

As much as I hate his play currently, and I think he is hurting the team, I wouldn't trade him (yet) either. Unless you get a really good offer. But I think his game isn't evolving, its not growing. He plays 'dumb' hockey. Putting him out there over and over, making him your #2 center and never taking that away from him no matter how poorly he plays....that doesn't really give him any incentive to change his play. The only thing I can think of is he is a "Pegula guy". Pegula sees the aggressive play and says "I like that kid". Pegula saw the 30 goal season, and, like a fan, assumes that is the norm, not the exception. Not to take Adams off the hook totally, but I can see Pegula as one that wanted to 'lock him up' to a long term deal so early and encouraged the team to get it done. It might be the reason that he isn't ever taken out of the lineup. I mean, maybe not, but there doesn't seem like any other reason that makes sense. He's played bad defensively for his entire career, he hasn't scored for a year and a half, and now 2 different head coaches keep putting him out there and giving him every opportunity in every single situation. Granato and Ruff aren't common denominators. Adams and Pegula are, and I think it might be a tad bit more Pegula.

Only 23, but he will be 24 this year. 285 career games played, will be ove 350 by the end of the year. Yeah, it takes some guys years to 'get it', but supposedly he already 'got it' 2 seasons ago. I'm just so frustrated with his play and honestly its not even his lack of production. Its is overall play. Its that he makes dumb mistakes and hurts this team, yet he is used on the PP, PK, all the time. Under no coach has he ever had any accountability, no matter how bad he plays. I said earlier he plays like the 'anti-Crosby' but I think he might be more of an 'anti-Patrice Bergeron'. Bergeron was ALL about positioning. He knew where to be before anyone else on the ice did. He knew when to follow through on a hit, and when to back off to get himself back in the play quicker. He didn't have a great shot but he was very sneaky and got himself into scoring position. He never looked like he was working super hard, just 'hard enough' while thinking a great game. That is pretty much the exact opposite of Cozens. Well, this night was a close game, a back and forth game, and he had a 'kinda benching' toward the end. He played a bit in the 3rd period, but it was only a couple shifts. Maybe that is the first sign of Lindy having enough of his play.

No idea, I took a quick look and couldn't find that info. I am pretty sure with the exception of possibly Tuch, he scores goals that are just as important/timely as anyone else who is currently on this team. Now maybe that isn't good enough, but hes a $7m dollar player, not a $12m guy. I don't think Tage contributes more to wins than he does to losses...overall. I understand wanting even more from him, but the low hanging fruit on this team to change is not Tage, there are other places to look first.

He is tied for most overtime goals over the past 3 years on the team (yeah, I know its only 2 but no one else has more than 2) And in terms of Game winning goals (however the NHL defines that now), only Tuch has more over the same time period. Tuch 16, Tage, 14, Olofsson 12, Skinner 10. Cozens, another way he is 'not clutch', in the last 3+ seasons, even including his 30+ goal season, he is credited with a total of 3 game winning goals in 244 games played.

I agree with you with the 6 on 5. You don't want a free-for-all, but with less space on the ice you can be a bit more aggressive. As far as the regular, 5 on 4 penalty Kill, the Sabres kill penalties best when they do play passive. From watching the replays of just about every shorthanded goal they have allowed over the past 2 seasons, I would say the majority of them happen when they start chasing and get out of position.

Lindy on the radio this morning (maybe it was yesterday). Said he sees problems with the Powerplay. He said they have a lot to work on and sounded like the coaching staff knows what the issue is, just have to get something through the players heads (my words, not his.) I'd like to know exactly what they THINK the problem is.

Dahlin is just not himself. Quinn is practically invisible. At least they aren't HURTING you.....Cozens, he is.

VERY small sample size, but Peterka is scoring about 4 goals per 60. League leaders average about 1.5 Of course he won't keep it up, but he LOOKS like he could keep it up.

Yeah, I don't have a problem with Clifton. Honestly, I don't have a major problem with the Defense in general. Dahlin isn't playing at a 'high' level, and there have been a handful of bad mistakes, but 90% of the time the whole unit is where they should be, including Clifton.

Quinn with just over 12 minutes of ice time. Benson only 10.5 minutes. Cozens didn't play much the last 10-12 minutes of the game. Thompson, Peterka, Tuch, and Greenway led all with over 18 minutes among forwards. As far as Defense, everyone got their shifts. Clifton was at the bottom of the ice time sheet, but still had over 17.5 minutes.

Special teams, well we know they are the worst on the Power play in the league (A few other teams at 0% but with less chances/less games played). After tonight, they are probably in the bottom 5-7 also in the penalty kill.

Cozens only had a 2, maybe 3 shifts in the 2nd half of the 3rd and into overtime. Dahlin. He didn't play BAD, but wow, he seems like a shadow of what he was the last 2 years. He just doesn't look like a difference maker. Almost 25 minutes of ice time but he looks like just a 'slightly above average' 2nd pair guy right now.

I haven't seen the replay other than the quick ones on TV, but I think I wanted Zucker to take the goal scorer there.

I think he has played slightly above average. Its hard to rate his game. Not like he let in 4 bad goals, but he hasn't stood on his head.

Right before they scored, I was going to type...I'm not rooting for a Pitt goal, but the way this game is going, this is the EXACT time I would expect one. Just a crazy game.

Jokiharju...I haven't really noticed him but... So far... 1 assist, +3, 20 minute of ice time so far, 26 shifts (more than anyone but Dahlin) , a blocked shot and a takeaway.

Yeah, I agree with that, but this is going to a national audience....Do you think the fans, and casual fans that might be watching this want to hear about Crosby, Letang, and Malkin (scoring his 500th)? Or about Thompson, Cozens, and Dahlin? If I were the producers at TNT, I'd be yelling if they didn't talk about the Penguins players at least 75% of the time.

Benson isn't making mistakes that I can see, but he does seem to be a half-step behind the play (he wasn't playing that way earlier). Its almost like something injury related is still bothering him slightly. Right now he looks like the talented guy who isn't quite ready for the speed of the NHL. We know thats not true, but that is how he is playing now. Maybe? MAYBE??

I don't want the Sabres on the PK. I don't want them on the PP. Best chance to win this game is go even strength the rest of the way, sadly.

Lack of a sniper on this team.. MAYBE Peterka? Of the top 50 goal scorers the last season-and-a-half, 23 of the 50 have a shooting percentage over 15%. Matthews 18%. Reinhart almost 25% Brayden Point 21%. Boeser 20%. JT Miller 18.8%. Seth Jarvis 19%. Lucas Raymond 18.2%. But yeah, its not uncommon for stars (not even even SUPERSTARS, but stars) to shoot 15-20% or more for entire seasons. Who is the Sabres Sniper since the start of last season until now? Thompson is at 12%, Peterka at 12.2% Quinn was at 15% but that is with limited Sample size and its dropping fast. Tuch 11.9%. Cozens 8.2% I'm not sure where you get a 'sniper', but this team needs one, maybe more than they need anything else. Gotta hope its Thompson and JJ at this point.

Dahlin should be worth his deal, and he played that way for the most part the last 2 years, but something is up. He is not an impact player at all in any of the games this year. Thompson is giving you what a $7m forward should be giving you. He's not a $12m forward though. Cozens, $7M? Really? And you have cap space that could/should be filled with another quality player.

Yeah, I mean, they shouldn't be out of this. They are facing a guy in net who was supposed to start in the AHL. Pittsburgh wasn't a playoff team last year and they are one year older and one year slower. Sabres had a couple days off so they are well rested. No reason they should be down by 1 now...but also no reason they can't come back.

Ok, THAT was a 20-30 second shift by Cozens that was good. -He didn't get out of position in the defensive zone. As a matter of fact, when the D went to the boards, Cozens did a great job of sliding over slightly to cover the D-mans' zone without leaving his zone totally. -As soon as the puck came off the boards, he didn't chase the puck, he went right back to where his spot on the ice was. -By doing that, he ended up high near the blue line, chasing the puck out and got his chance. See what happens when you do what you are supposed to do?

Please don't put Cozens out on the PK. Last thing I need now is to see them playing positionally sound on the PK, then Cozens goes out there and wanders around and allows pitt a good chance.