mjd1001

It appears picks 1-4 are a step up from anyone in the draft. Then after that, 5-8 are close and then another step down. You certainly want 1-4 in this draft, but they aren't 4 superstart level players. If we are worried bout a draft pick, I'd WANT top 4, but just don't fall past pick #8.

Going to the supermarket. I normally use the self checkout, but when I have a coupons or vouchers for something free, I'll go the express line. So, approaching the express line from one direction, making eye contact with the 'little old lady' coming from the other direction. She is going to get there before me, she probably moves faster than she has in the last 20 years to get there. Then once she gets there, she has more than the 12 items they allow. She pulls them out of the cart as slow as possible. Talks to the cashier when she is scanning. Seemingly every other item asks to make sure she is getting the right price (Are those bananas really that expensive?) Then when the girl is done checking her out and tells here the amount....she brings her purse up on the little ledge, unzips it, starts digging through it...pulls out a wallet...opens the wallet....asks the cashier again how much it is....then opens the wallet and pulls out cash...then opens up the change purse...starts counting out dimes, nickels, and pennies...gives the money to the cashier....the cashier tells her she didn't give her the right amount....so the little old lady asks again ( for the 3rd or 4th time what the amount is), after hearing it there is 5 seconds of silence, she then counts out the correct amount of change. The cashier gives her the receipt..but the little old lady doesn't move so my order of 4 things can start, she stares at the receipt....asking another question about it, questions the price of something AFTER she has finished the checkout (if there is a mistake at this point, please move along to the customer service desk the cashier cannot help you with it)....then proceeds to again not get out of the way...puts her purse back up on the ledge, carefully folds the receipt...places it in some deep dark area of her purse that takes here 20 seconds to find....and then FINALLY moves along. So yeah, make SURE you get to that checkout line before me....heaven forbid you have to wait an extra 30-45 seconds for me to complete my entire transaction.....but once you get there first, make sure you show you have NO CONCERN at all for anyone other than yourself while I wait 5-10 minutes for you to buy your veggies, candy bars, and 5 different types of cat treats. Then on the way out, 1 spot away from me the retired-looking guy thinks his pickup truck is so important and so valuable that he parks it sideways across 3 spots, seeing him get out notice a spot on it and starts rubbing it with his thumb to make sure not only does everyone notice how wonderful and special his pickup truck it, but he has to make sure no one see is with even a spec of dirt on it. Its frustrating how a simple trip the the grocery store can get me frustrated with other people so much.

If you took out that one game vs detroit and pretended it didn't exist, they'd still be 5th in terms of PIM per game. Take out the last 3 and they are still 5th in PIM per game. I didn't realize they were ranked that highly though. The most interesting is in how many misconducts they have, amost double the 2nd place team. Sabres with 12 misconducts....Chicago and Winnipeg tied for 2nd with 7 each. There are 5 teams that have none...and 19 of the 32 teams have 2 or less.

The tought of Tavares enterered my mind but I didn't think much of him. He would be 'interesting'. He was never really fast, but when I watch him now, well, he just doesn't play a fast game. But his skills are still mostly there. I would not be upset with a 3 year deal, no longer. The problem is, there are probabably teams that want him and can offer more of a recent history of winning/being a contender that would do the same. The Sabres don't have a ton of cap space like they did in the past, but they aren't up against the cap (yet) either. Maybe you offer him $1-$2m more per year on a 3 year deal than anyone else...and see if he bites? Its tough, he is going to be 35 when next season starts...and about 1200 games played.

Providing they don't do the near-impossible and make the playoffs...... The team plays well, about .500 hockey while outscoring their opponents along the way. They would be even better except for a few awful calls by the refs and some minor injury issues along the way, but the team looks really good and plays well overall. But, Nashville, Seattle, Philly and Pittsburgh play just well enough that the Sabres finishin 3rd last, assuring them of a top 4 pick. Tuch gets to 30. Tage gets to 45, maybe gets hot and has a look at 50.

I agree with you. I hardly ever watch a game, especially a high scoring game or a win and think "That game was OK but it really needed a few fights." Since fighting is still part of the game, I do wish the Sabres had someone a bit better at it as more of a way to deter it though.

He is not a difference maker, but Krebs is one of the biggest surprises (positive) for me this year. He looks like a useful NHL player for the team. Last year, I think I complained about his play more than Cozens, and that is saying a lot. I didn't want him signed in the offseason, and if it was I was hoping it would be a one year deal for the minimum. Again, he's not 'great', but I was wrong about how I felt about him coming into the year.

I'd imagine if he was traded, the most likely/logical trade would be for a very good future (1st rounder, mid-to-high prospect) and an overpriced-but-still-decent veteran that another team wants to move on from because they have cap issues worse than what the Sabres face (even with a Peterka Extension) or a team desperate to get younger but not wanting to wait 2-3 years for a first round pick to develop. yeah, I know, that is a really narrow window.

I'm assuming those are in order (first line on the top, 2nd below, etc.) The only thing I would change is I would swap Stutzle for Jack Hughes. Hughes has terrible luck with injuries, but when he is healthy, and I know that hasn't been a lot recently, he is a superstar-level player.

I thought 3 of the 4 forward lines were pretty good. The Krebs-Murray-Quinn line was abit 'iffy', but not terrible. Krebs was noticable at least. McLeod continues to just play really really consistent.

That last goal looked to be a result of a messy line change. It looked at one point the Sabres had a bunch of guys on the ice not too far from the bench. Bad timing / reaction on that change. I know some were in the process of changing so they don't call the stuff, but at one point, there were the 2 goalies, 7 Bruin skaters and 9 Sabres players with their skates on the ice at the same time. Even though it wasn't near the puck, Sabres should have been called. This visualizer shows that 6 guys were on the ice at least 15 feet from the bench, and the actual replay confirms that.

Krebs Quinn and Benson givith, Krebs, Quinn, and Benson taketh away. Edit, it looks like Benson wasn't out there for the first goal allowed, but the other 2 were.

Much better than what happened for most of the past...oh...years. Now they just need to actually win a few fights. If at best the fights are a draw...or more often than not the Sabres are practice punching bags for the other team, its not much of a detriment.

No one comes to mind so not really anyone is 'good'. I could make a small case for some players though.... I think Tuch is a very good forchecker, which means he plays one part of his game well without the puck. Its basically defense in a different zone. I also know a lot of people disagree, but I think Tage causes so many problems in the neutral zone for other teams, he prevents some things from happening (zone entries are altered). McLeod is not mistake free, but he doesn't make many glaring mistakes and his speed aids in backchecking. I see some good individual play out of Malenstyn defensively, but his numbers don't back that up. So honestly I don't think anyone is 'good' but there are some guys who, when you take their entire game into account, aren't 'bad'. Peterka is one one of them though. All season lone I personally have thought that by far and away Cozens and Quinn were the worst forwards in this respect (Cozens #1, Quinn #2). I don't think Peterka has been in the same class as those 2, but he might be #3 on my list. Statistically, Peterka benefits from having a guy like Tuch on his other wing. For the season, he has played a bit more without Tuch than with him, but Tuch still has been one of his primary linemates on the other wing. With Tuch, on the ice with him, the team allows a goal every 32.3 minutes of ice time, and 26.3 shots against per 60. When he has anyone else on the opposite wing besides Tuch....its a goal every 13.9 minutes of ice time, and 32.3 shots against per 60 minutes.

Rumors were they had an offer for a 1st round pick (probably mid first) and a current roster player. https://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/insider_reveals_the_shocking_package_the_new_york_rangers_offered_to_get_a_young_star/s1_17636_41904897 One of those has now officially been reported by Frank Seravalli, who has revealed that the New York Rangers offered a significant package to the Buffalo Sabres for JJ Peterka, but unfortunately for GM Chris Drury, it just wasn't near good enough to land the talented winger. According to Seravalli, the Rangers offered a first-round pick and a roster player (unknown at this point) for Peterka, but given the prices we saw players going for, it makes sense that the Sabres turned this one down. Over the summer, Peterka will officially become a restricted free agent in Buffalo, meaning that the team will have a big decision to make on his future, and if they can't work out a deal, don't be shocked to see New York and other teams look to pry him away from the Sabres.

On the ice this isn't the same Boston team of course. Don't be afraid of pasts ghosts of the uniform or the city...because the roster you are facing is beatable.

I haven't really put much thought into the list of who is available, But Marner is the only one that I think I'd really 'pay up' for. Of course the team could use some toughness and fiestyness in the form of Bennett. I wouldn't go there though if it turns into a bidding war, I don't think he really is all that good of a player positionally, and that is an area the Sabres need to get much better in, especially from their forwards.

Yeah. I just think Greenway is a very good 3rd liner, I really didn't like him on the Tuch and Thompson line last game. I just thought that is the worst Tuch and Thompson played overall throughout the entire game that they have since the few games they played with Cozens. The line didn't 'flow' well. Maybe they'll be better tonight. I do remember Greenway looking good with those 2 in a game earlier in the year though..so maybe it was just one game. I get what you say about the 2nd line though.

I don't really like Greenway on that Thompson-Tuch line, but with Norris and Peterka still out, what do you do? It looks like for the time being, Thompson is back at center. I like Benson-McLeod-Zucker a lot, but ideally that is a 3rd line, not a 2nd line. Murray's weakness is skating, at least with Quinn and Krebs, you aren't asking him to keep up with 2 speedsters. Krebs is OK skating, but that isn't a lighting fast line. Kozak on the 4th line, I'm not sure exactly how good he is, but I do know when I watch him he doesn't look out of place.

He might just 'dig in his heels' so to speak and become more defiant. Appologies to anyone over 70 on this forum (I'm not there yet but like everone getting older, our daughter certainly likes to remind me I sometimes act 'old'), but as the saying goes....with most older people..... tell them they aren't doing something well or they can't do someting without help and see their reaction. Most of the time, its not productive or good. Honestly, I don't think a survey like this gets much attention from him, and if he did see it I don't think he does anything different. But i DO think in the rare instance where it would impact him, it might be more of a reaction of "I'll show them! I'm going to do things my way and no one can tell me what to do" rather than "wow, I didn't know things were so bad, maybe I should change course."

Maybe the game will be boring. The Bruins aren't as good as usual. The Sabres are riding out the rest of the schedule. No more Marchand, Charra, Bergeron. For me personally it doesn't hurt that I lived in New England for 5+ years and my job is headquartered there, and most of my co-workers are from the suburbs of Boston. But again, its Buffalo vs Boston. Something about the way those 2 uniforms on the ice look playing together, something about the way "Buffalo vs Boston" sounds to many Sabres fans. Its Boston, I'll be watching tonight.

Ok, I disagree with you on the fact that its always the last goals of the game. He is allowing some softies in, particularly in the 2nd period when the games are close. What I will agree with you is...in those games where the team is falling apart, he should be switched out. All these guys are human, and allowing goal after goal when the game is out of hand becauese your team has quit in front of you isn't good for anyone. The season is over in terms of them making the playoffs. I know you STILL want UPL playing most games, but working in Reimer for an extra game or two wouldn't be a bad thing.

Ok, you are simply ignoring that he is letting in goals this year that he was making stops on last year. You can use stats, or you can use the eye test. And you keep coming back at me with its a team game, its about the entire play of everyone on their own zone. I never said it wasn't. I AGREE with that. My only point is he is not playing as well as he did last year. He is allowing more soft goals than last year. To me from what I actually see, that is 100% true.

I know you and I go back and forth on this...and yes, I do agree the shots and quality of shots he has faced are been difficult. But I also think he has not played well. Again, I have stopped personally posting in GTD's about this, but there are WAY too many times a shooter is 20 feet out, UPL is set, facing the shooter, and he simply gets beat. Yes, these guys are NHL players and they can pick corners, so you aren't going to stop all those shots. But he is letting them in at a much higher rate than last year.