mjd1001

and an ENTERTAIING period. Amazing how good hockey can be to watch when your team puts the puck in the net.

I walked out of the room and missed the goal against...see it was on the PP. I'm waiting for NHL.com to post the replay....usually when the Sabres allow a goal against its when someone starts chasing. anxious to see if that happened or not. Nope, just got back and checked the replay, its 100% on Cozens, the goal allowed. again. 2 best Power play producers over the last 5 years in the NHL...McDavid? Matthews? Kucherov? Pastrnak? McKinnon? Nope, its actually Reinhart and Draisaitl. The 2 guys on the Sabres board when they had that #2 overall pick.

One minute left in the period..just get this to the locker room with a 2 goal lead.

We have another Gilbert sighting. Maybe with Tage it really is a confidence issue. He seems like he is just skating with that attitude that he can do, and will do whatever he wants when he has the puck tonight. I really don't think I have posted a single positive thing about him on this board since sometime in February or March. He is having a good game tonight. He's noticable and not in a bad way.

As good as this game feel and the Sabres ARE playing positionally well, I think the Sabres player-of-the-game so far tonight just might be Spencer Knight.

Ok, the goal is the icing on the cake, but Samuelsson is having a really, REALLY good overall game. Not rushing in the offensive or defensive zone. Calm out there.

Krebs getting more ice time this period it seems. Maybe the coaching staff is realizing he's having a pretty good game and going with him. Either that nor Benson is hurt again, Krebs seems to be taking Benson's spot on that top line the last few shifts. Benson now with the 3rd least ice time among all forwards after having time with the top line.

He has had some good chances this year too. A few point blank shots in the first few games with time. 0-for 14 or 0-for 15 in shots this year...something HAS to be coming soon.

Through 3 games the biggest (positive) surprise for me. I though over the summer he might not be on the opening day roster. Not only was he, Ruff is leaning on him in some critical situations and he is playing well.

Byram with his worst game of the year so far. He's not bad, he actually made a good play on the goal against when he was on the ice...but hes been sloppy with the puck. 2 times now he has had time but had the puck bounce over his stick, and once in the corner he took too long and had a giveaway. Not that he has been awful, but I think the first 3 games he was good...a little 'off' tonight.

Thompson looks to have his game back. Not just the goal, he looks dangerous and in control of the puck in the O-zone most of the game so far.

Cozens leading the team in ice time again. Ruff must see something in his game that many of us, including me, don't. I just want him to produce something, its time, now would be a good game for Cozens or Quinn to score and put this game away. Krebs is playing the best game I can remember from him.

So, 0-for-13 on the year I see....

Gilbert with a total of 4 shifts this game, I don't think I have seen him in the 2nd period.

Samuelsson, Clifton, Greenway, and Krebs are playing very well tonight so far.

What is the Sabres PP percentage for the year now?

Kulich was bothered all the way in, but I'll say what I said last game. Unless you have 'elite' hands (not good, but elite), these guys on breakaways, penalty shots, even 2-on-1's, they are going in too far on the goalie. I think they should shoot earlier or make their final move earlier. They go in so far and there is often no room left. If the goalie isn't 10 feet out of the net, then he is giving you SOMETHING to shoot at, take the 10-12 foot shot.

They didn't get hurt there on the PK and got a stoppage with 2 seconds left in the PK, but I didn't like 3 of the 4 Sabres defenders all on the puck on the boards. If the puck even gets kicked out, Florida now has 3 on 1. It didn't kill them, but someone should have dropped back off the boards on the PK there. Yeah, I get that. Positionally they may have actually played better against LA the first 2 periods than they are now. But the goals they have scored, their good scoring chances, are a result of the Sabres making simple smart plays.

The first 3 games, the Sabres did not respond to pressure well. If the forcheck against them was pressing, they didn't respond well. On the PP if they were pressured, they didn't respond well. It looks like Florida is out of position a lot tonight, but i'm not sure that is what it is. I think Florida scouted the Sabres and figured out, the way to play the Sabres is to press them, even to the point of overpursuit. So far tonight, the Sabres are simply handing that better than they have the first couple games by making the 'smart' play, taking what they are given pass to pass.

Looks like Florida and Buffalo switched Jerseys before the game.

Levi is making me a bit nervous tonight.

Replay of Thompson goal. Again, not great play but simply everyone doing exactly what they should to and not trying to do to much... -Clifton in the D-zone is pressured from behind, instead of just pushing the puck up the boards he flips it back to Samuelsson who is not covered behind the net. -Samuelsson holds the puck, looks over the ice, lets the forcheck draw in farther and then flips it back to a now uncovered Clifton. -Clifton quickly makes an easy, safe pass up to an open Tuch, after drawing the guy on Tuch back to him. -Tuch skates with the puck for a second or two, turns and see Panthers left Tage wide open on the near wing and makes a simple pass to him. -Tage comes in as far as he can and lets off a good shot. Nothing special there. From Samuelsson to Clifton to Tuch, everyone made the easy, smart play and when FLORIDA was out of position, Tage made them pay. Simple, sound hockey.

Looking at the replay of the Greenway goal, Krebs got an assist...but he was really responsible for the goal. Skated hard on the forcheck, forced the defender to lose the puck, then got it out of the corner out front. Nothing SPECTACULAR, but everything he did there is what you want your forwards to do without the puck. There, I said my once-in-6-months nice thing to say about Krebs.

Well, it is hall of FAME, not hall of excellence. So in WNY...yeah

I'm overall happy with the Defense back 6 (OR 7 this game) and their play. They have made a few mistakes the first few games (a few glaring ones) but 95% of the time they are solid, VERY solid. Even when they seem to be out of position, often times they are in that position due to being hung out to dry by the forwards. I don't like Samuelssons penalty last game. I don't like Powers bad pass/giveaway that led to a goal. I think Dahlin isn't himself in the offensive zone. But in the defensive zone, this group looks pretty good too me..not just today but the whole year.