mjd1001

New Jersey I can't figure out. I see no reason why they shouldn't be a 110+ point team if healthy like they were 2 seasons ago. Last year they were decimated by injuries and bad goaltending. This team, has the young guys who are 2 years better/more experienced than they were 2 years ago yet I'm a bit let down by their play. They are on pace for 97 points..in most years that would be borderline wildcard only. They have been virtually 100% healthy and are getting good goaltending on of it. The there is the Toronto factor with them. They are traditionally the exact type of team that gives Toronto fits in the regular season...young, fast, hard skating. Yet Every time Toronto plays them, they seem to handle NJ pretty well. NJ is one of the teams I really can't figure out there most.

I'm less excited about this upcoming trade deadline than i have been in a while. -They had holes early in the season, in a season they kinda stated "playoffs or bust" and didn't do anything. -When they started, were in the middle of, or even at the end of the losing streak, they were SCREAMING for a change, and they didn't do anything. -Before the game against Montreal, it was obvious to many of us they needed SOME kind of shake up..and Pegula shows up to SAY they won't do anything. -The Rumored Cozens Trade that was almost done before the december trade freeze....they didn't do anything. -And if the trade was close but couldn't get done in time, well the trade freeze is over, why wasn't it finished after? they didn't do anything. They made one very very minor minor league deal this year. At this point, they put themselves in a 'no win' situation with their fans. Don't do anything...and we'll be shaking our heads how this team can even exist its like they are playing in a different league with different rules than the rest of the NHL. But do SOMETHING and we'll be like...so NOW you do it when it really doesn't matter anymore.

As of this moment early Sunday evening, 6 teams still alive in the Playoffs, Bills the only franchise without a Superbowl Victory. If there is to be a first time winner this year, its Buffalo or nothing.

Totally, 100% disagree.

I'm not saying they have no use at all, but xga shots, its only from the location on the ice, it doesn't account for other factors? If you are a good defensive team, you may allow one xga shot just like a bad defenisve team does, but the good team will make sure that shot is rushed, or they kept their assignments and aren't causing a screen in front of the goalie. Also, the Caliber of the shooter. A full healthy Tage Thompson (or at the highest end Draisaitl) has the same XGA contributing value as a poor shooter.

I agree. I don't think he is bad, or it was a 'mistake' to make him the #1 going into the year. I think he's still potentially a good #1 guy, but his play this year is one of the top 3 reasons for the failures of this team. The "eye test", watching the games and not even looking at the stats tells me he is letting in a lot more soft goals this year than last. Sure, this year he has had some good games too, but his ratio of good games to bad games was better last year than this year. So if the 'eye' test tells us he isn't playing as well, what do the simple stats tell us? If he matched is GAA from last year, he would allow about 15 less goals this year so far than last year. Save percentage? 13 less goals so far. When you look deeper into the advanced stats, like high danger save percentage, shots faced and where they are coming from...they pretty much all point to the same thing. Now, one might say that the defense in front of him, the positions he is put into have not been good this year. True, but it wasn't good last year either. My impression of his play is that he is letting in more soft goals this year than last, and the numbers back that up. So problems with the Sabres this year....there are many....but his play has been a let-down at times. UPL playing exactly has he played last year and this team allows 10-15 less goals this year. Enough to give them a few more wins. Not the 'biggest' problem, but I'd put it 3rd on the list: Problem #1: Cozens play/lack of a quality 2nd line Problem #2: Lack of a GOOD veteran D-man who can play top 4 minutes Problem #3: Below average goaltending.

I know people point at Adams and the entire front office....there is validity to that. He employs people who 'coddle him', let him have is say, and make him feel like he is 'being heard' on many levels rather than quality people. Oh, and people who are cheap. Now one could say Pegula is not cheap, how many people has he paid for years after they were fired, but that can be viewed as WHY he is cheap. If I have to pay "Guy A" because I fired him with time left on his contract, then I'm not going to pay "Guy B" a lot. But beyond that, I also THINK he has not only input (bad most of the time) on players (he wanted Leino and Erhoff when he took over), but I think he has heavy input into contracts. Not negotiating the terms, but the direction. Now, I have VERY little proof, but this is my feeling: When Eichel wanted the different surgery and there was a little 'back and forth' between him and the team, Pegula didn't like that, so that is a large part why things ended with the team and him. I think Reinhart would have stayed here if initially offered a long term deal, but Pegula didn't think highly enough of him, and with Covid, he wasn't going to get one. I DO think Pegula not only signed off on, but he may have pushed a bit to lock up Tage and Cozens long term. Power. Again, no reason other than a 'feeling' based on reading between the lines of some articles, but I think Power and Dahlin were not 'pushed' for by Pegula, I think those happened the 'traditional' way (Hockey Dept/Adams told Terry why they wanted them locked up and Pegula signed off on it). But with Cozens I am pretty confident. Nothing else to me makes sense why coach after coach puts him out there and he fails to produce and hurts the team, why he hasn't been moved, why he won't get benched. Why when Tage is hurt Cozens gets PROMOTED to the first line. He has to be a favorite of Pegula. Nothing else makes sense to me.

I agree. So when people ask why the Bills are not bad while the Sabres are bad under Pegula, what you said is the best answer. He doesn't view the Bills, for WHATEVER reason', as his 'toy' to play with as much as he does the Sabres. The big issue is...if that is true there are no signs of it changing. The trip to Montreal, the meeting with the players to say basically "nothing is going to change" was as strange as it is disturbing (for fans).

Some people dig in their heels even deeper. When you think you know something, and you start to get outside criticism (fans, fans booing, media), you could either change your ways, or you can do what it appears he is doing....and that is he is saying this will get fixed "his" way with "his" ideas and he's not going to admit he was wrong.

Not impossible. Pegula has always thought he knows a lot more about hockey than he does about Football. When he bought the Bills, he had comments about how he was almost awestruck at how much the coaches know when he sat in meetings (implying he kinda admitted he didn't know a fraction of what they knew). So he lets those guys do their thing. On the other hand, he THINKS he knows a lot more about hockey so he is way more hands on. Remember him saying how much he loved Erhoff and Ville Leino...his personal opinion...and then they go out and get them. The Sabres are a lot less well run simply because Pegula is more actively involved, much more deeper in the decision making. Hes playing hurt. Whatever the injury is (wrist, arm, shoulder), there were a few games he couldn't even take faceoffs it was so bad. He shouldn't even be playing. If you physically can't take faceoffs, you need some games off.

I still think there are 3 things keeping this team out of the playoffs this year. UPL's disappointing play this year compared to last year is one of those 3 things.

The reason having more teams to leapfrog matters is in the conference, those teams are going to play each other, so you KNOW that some of them are likely to get more points than others. The you have a night like last night where many of the teams ahead of the Sabres were involved in 3 point games. So yeah, they aren't 'out' of it totaly, and I always like to say...if you can still get back into it..that means you aren't out of it. But realistically, they are out of it for most of us. Why do I say that? Eigth place in the east right now is at .545 point percentage. In most years, it is higher than that, and there is a chance it will be in the east this year. For the Sabres to match that, they need to play the rest of the year at a 110+ pace. This team right now is playing at a 73 point pace. Last year they had 84. Before that 91. Before that 75. The 2nd half of the season last year we all remember how well they played, well as well as they played last year when UPL got hot, from game 45 last year (where they are now) they played at a 91 point pace...and most on this board were happy with the 2nd half of last year.

To me....what you said is what is just SO frustrating about this season. Not that a GOOD veteran defensman is easy to get but.....I think this team is much, MUCH better (playoffs probably) if you just found a way to get 1 legit 2nd pair quality vet D-man for Power...and if you found a way to move Cozens for a DECENT middle 6 center (give me a guy like McLeod with 5% more talent).

Not related to the thread, but there are times I have trouble on this board figuring out what is, and what isn't sarcasm. It is sometimes easier with the 'spoken' vs the 'typed' word. Plus there are some WIDELY varied opinions on this forum. There was more than one occasion in the past few years where someone said something that was so outrageous (to me) that I thought it was sarcasm and it turned out the poster was serious. So yeah, I guess most of the time I can figure it out, but I miss sarcasm more often than I want to admit.

So, win some, lose some. Kinda ends up even-steven.

Yep, once you got him away from Cozens. Notice how you move Cozens to Center the top line because Tage can't take Faceoffs, and then without Cozens Quinn scores 3 goals in his first 2 games not playing with Dylan?

Mostly what you would expect from line #2 (your 4th-6th best guys). The failing of forward group is not only the production, but the overall play of Quinn and Cozens. Tage has been injured, Tuch is Tuch (2nd line guy that is playing first line) Peterka is up and down but overall producing for the year. Zucker is better than we all thought Benson is very young. They ALL could be somewhat better, but you aren't getting considerably worse play from those guys that expections. Quinn and Cozens are the shortcoming of this forward group.

At least at recently, thing don't look all that good for Players drafted in the 7, 8, or 9 overall position by the Sabres in recent memory: -Ristolainen #8: turned out to be a pretty bad defender. -Alex Nylander #8: Bust -Mitts #8: demoted for now, maybe less than what Colorodo expected, 2 goals in his last 36 games. -Cozens #7: Overrated based on goal totals for one season. A pretty bad 2 way player. -Quinn #8: I guess maybe coming around this year, but an awful year so far up until the last week. -Savoie #9: Jury's still out, but hasn't take any steps up in camp or in his limited NHL chances so far. If you could choose only one of the following to have on the Sabres right now and not the other: Mitts or Cozens?

OK, not that it is likely to happen. But lets suppose its possible: Why are they unhappy with him? what is it about his play that caused them to demote of the 2nd line, and that they are willing to trade him (meaning they must not think his play is immediatly 'fixable'). I haven't really followed him a lot recently, and haven't watched a lot of Colorado games. So to those that have, what is wrong with his play or just why do the want to move him?

That was my impression. When the Sabres are up by a goal, and the other team pulls the goalie. When the Sabres are 5v6 (other team pulls their goalie), they have allowed 6 goales (Toronto is the worst with allowing 9, Vancouver and C-bus at 7....Buffalo is tied for 4th worst with 6). On the other side of the spectrum, when the Sabres pull their goalie because they are behind, (6v5), the Sabres are 4th worse also by allowing 12 empty netters against. Here is the 'net' of it. When a goalie is pulled, either on, in a game the Sabres are involved in, they have allowed 18 goals scored against them. In the same situations, they have scored 12. So when either team pulls a goalie, Buffalo is a net -6 on the year. Not good, but not as dismal as I thought.

I'm thinking McLeod is fine long term as a #3 guy. The problem is the lack of a #2 guy. The immediate short term solution to the center issue to me is to have Krebs and McLeod be your middle 6 centers. Cozens should be moved out or moved to wing on the 3rd line. McLeod and Krebs will give you less 'goals' than Cozens, but will more than make up for that with much better play without the puck and Krebs has the POTENTIAL to help line makes score more. That is not the long term solution though. Medium term solution would be to aquire a veteran Center that is decent in the middle 6. Good luck with that though....75% of the rest of the league wants a middle-6 center. I was listening to 590 out of Toronto the last few days, and they are so desperate for a center talk is they would be willing to move their 1st AND one of their top prospects. Other teams would be willing to do the same, and even if you can match that or beat it, the guy you have has to want to come here instead of to a playoff contender. Long term I'm still fine with McLeod and/or Krebs in the #3 center spot, but you have to hope one of your prospects steps up to be a possible #2 guy, or you move heaven-and-earth in the offseason to trade for/sign one. You might need to identify the "Zucker" version of a Center on the offseason and basically overpay him to the tune of $2m per year than what anyone else is willing to (Would Pegula be willing to do that though?) I don't think you are 'fixing' the #2 center spot right now, too much competition for guys (unless you make a HUGE move for Pettersson). So I think the only 'fix' for now is to have Krebs and McLeod as your middle 2 guys with Cozens moving to wing or out the door.

My anti-Cozens comment of the day incoming. But before I say that, I will say even though I missed more than half the game last night, Cozens did score and I did NOT see any obvious mental mistakes by him. So unless I missed something, Cozens had an above-average game. Back to my Cozens-bashing. That xGF list, especially for forwards, doens't seem to include a players shooting percentage as a factor. So if someone is lower on the list, they may have more of a positive impact on the team if they have a higher shooting percentage (Thompson, Zucker, and Tuch are all in the 14%+ range). Cozens on the other hand, has the lowest shooting percentage of any forward on the team who has taken more than 25 shots for the entire year. So his low spot on this list is actually worse than it appears because he doesn't convert on as many of his chances, even his 'high danger' chances. As far as McLeod goes, Ilike him. He went really cold for a while, going over 20 games without scoring a goal. But he is what he is, a guy that can score 16-22 goals for you. To me thats pretty good for him, and when a guy scores in that range, it isn't terribly uncommon to have very long stretches without a goal.

I would imagine it might be the #1 used one (at least a version of it) across all forums for all teams in all leagues. I can't think of anything that might/could be used more.

I was thinking of this very thing this morning. I went to the NHL web site to see how many goals they allowed when the other team brought on the extra skater. I was sure they would be leading the league. They actually aren't. It still seems like they are really bad at defending it, but there are a few teams worse.

Getting emails from companies or political organizations that I never signed up for Yeah, I know sometimes you'll answer a survey online, make a purchase from someplace new, and deep in their fine print there might be something about selling your info, or sharing it with their partners. But I'm usually very careful about that. And in the past couple months, I have not signed up for any new social media sites or apps...not downloaded any new games or apps to my phone,....not given my email or phone number at all to anyone to 'get a coupon code for my first purchase'. Nothing like that. Yet over the past 30 days, my email is getting flooded...mostly from companies I never heard of, but as I said above from politial groups. I unsubscribe, day after day, email after email, yet they keep coming. Today was the worst morning of all of them. Worst offenders are companies trying to sell me medical equipment or drugs (for ailments I have never had), or telling me about benefits I can receive as a Senior Citizen (I'm not one), or for some reason sites and blogs about Tesla...Sign a petition to defend Elon musk from his evil enemies! Come to our site to read why Tesla is going to be the biggest company in the world in 6 months! Enough. Stop. And another minor complaing...when I do unsubscribe, the web page usually confirms that. The reason I am unsubscribing is I want my email inbox to be CLEAN of stuff I don't want. Yet every one in a while, I'll unsubscribe from a email, and then IMMEDIATELY get another email from them telling me that I unsubscribed. You already confirmed it on your page...the very thing I am doing is tryhing to NOT get another single email from you and yet you send me an email to tell me I won't get any more emails.