mjd1001

Just like I said before the game, I'm pretty good with Power's overall game. Hes not going to be physical, I get that. But, interesting stat on Hits: Power on the season: 3 hits while averaging over 22 minutes of ice time Clifton on the season: 22 hits while averaging 14:57 minutes of ice time. In terms of 'hits per 60 minutes', Clifton is outhitting Power 11-to-1.

So Saturday is the next game vs Detroit...do you go with UPL in net again? He will have another 3 days off...but then Levi hasn't played in over a week (by Saturday), do you keep him out of another game?

Greenway led all forwards in ice time at 19:27. McLeod 2nd at 18:35. Defense all getting ice time. Dahlin led at 23:41, Clifton lowest but still nearly 16m (15:42) Everyone else right at or near 19 minutes or more. Clifon had 5 blocked shots (tied with Greenway for the most) and 4 hits (the most on the team) and 4 takeaways (most on team) for the game.

They only had one single powerplay tonight where they didn't score. If you look at it that way, its progress...right? RIGHT??? (Lindy's post game press conference, said he liked the PP tonight and was pretty sure they would get one by the end of the year....at least he has a sense of humor about it)

Cozens got 3 assists tonight? did I miss something? My post was talking about Cozens.

I'm "OK" with his effort in the offensive zone. Also, he hasn't made a dumb play in the defensive zone that I noticed for the last 2 games, so that is good. He NEEDS to score though. He isn't a rookie that is working hard who just made the team where we can give him a thumbs up for effort. He's in his 5th season and is making $7m per year. 10% shooting percentage. I don't need him to shoot 15-16%, I don't even need him to be near 14% like he was 2 years ago. Just get to, and maintain, 10% shooting percentage. That is what a lot of 3rd liners do for you.

Its half way between. He has been getting shots and chances all year. He can't really play 'better' in the offensive zone other than putting the puck in, hes in the right areas and is taking the shots. The question is as it has been...Is he a 14% shooter like he was 2 years ago? Or is he an 8% shooter like he has been just about the rest of his career. He shoots 14% hes scoring 30. He shoots 8% (or less) he's going to struggle to be a 15 goal scorer.

I'd say we have seen enough, McLeod should be getting 2nd line minutes over Cozens...BUT.....its working well right now so just keep things the way they are.

Puck movement, getting to the scoring areas, getting the shots off...he's been decent at that all year. For $7m though, he NEEDS to start converting.

I think some say Dallas plays a 'heavy' game, but to me they are more a blend of skill and size (not much speed). They have a lot of guys who work well together. Hintz is really the only forward the is a great skater (Dadanov maybe, but he doesn't play many minutes), but they have other guys with great hands, other guys who are good along the boards...and it seems on each line they have each player do the thing they are good at. My opinion of them is, not a great transition team, won't outskate you, but when they do get in the offensive zone they are good at keeping the puck there, don't make a lot of mistakes in the neutral zone, and have very good goaltending. The exact type of team that it SEEMS gives Buffalo problems. They wear you down, not with speed or always with size, but they just play a good solid game and when you get frustrated and make a mistake, they pounce on you. Now, I don't know if any advanced stats back that up, but that is my impression of them.

what about a rehab stint?

He was/is injured, so how about the ole "injury rehab stint" in the minors, is that still a thing?

Good question, I'd hope not but he might be too young for Rochester.

For whatever reason, there are some players that I do "like" more than others. Even when they were with the team, and there appears to be no rhyme or reason for it. In the drought era: -Eichel. If COURSE I WANTED him to be a generational level player for the Sabres, but from the time he got here, something about him I didn't 'like' as much as many did. -Reinhart. He, on the other hand, I "Liked" more than Eichel. Guys I 'liked' more: Foligno, Zemgus, Dahlin, Thompson, McCabe, Olofsson, Tuch, Pysyk, Lehner Guys I didn't 'hate' but wasn't as big of a fan of as many others were: O'Rielly, Steve Ott, Cozens, Eichel even Ryan Miller (kinda 'liked' him but thought he wasn't quite as good as made out to be) Again, no really reason I can think of for the list above...just the way it kinda happens with being a fan.

Maybe in some way playing in Rochester might do Benson some good: -Confidence? I'm not a huge believer in it, but in Rochester he is likely to produce more points, thus get his confidence up a bit. -Working on parts of his game. Up in Buffalo, he NEEDS to fit into a system, He is placed not where he is best, but where it is best for the team he is. Now, as good as he might be/is, I'm sure there are parts of his game that can be better. In Rochester he can be placed in situations where he can work on those parts of his game, not be forced into the spot that is best for the team. Not saying they will do it, and my suspicion is they won't, but if Benson was sent down to Rochester, he might come back a somewhat better player for it.

As per above, personally I am fine with Power at the moment (for the reasons listed above). Krebs has improved his play slightly to me from last year...but that slight improvement with the drop in play/production from Cozens make Krebs look more-than-marginally better. Cozens has been my whipping boy for the last 1.5 years, and there are a few others that I think agree with that. Its just the 'whip' is 'cracking' a bit louder now...for me at least until he gets his shooting percentage up to 10% to make up for his bad play without the puck. Dahlin I think is playing poorly, but eventually Lindy may have to give him the 'Benson treatment' and sit him for a game or two to try to let heal on him what is hurting.

Just because you don't want to hear it doesn't make it untrue. I'm not as upset about his play as I would be from a forward his pay/pedigree. I think most of the time D-men mature slower (not all the time, but most of the time). Has he made mistakes? Yep. Is he Physical, No, not at all, he might be the least physical guy on the team. But I'm fine with 'overpaying' him this year when you had cap room that you didn't spend on anyone else. As far as his defensive lapses and not picking up someone in front of the net, I will repeat what I have said in the past and I still believe it (with regard to Power and other D-men): When you watch a replay of a goal scored against, the D-men look like they are standing there, or spinning around like tops and not doing anything. However, watch other angles of the goal, and you will often (not all the time but often) see a different picture. It appears many times the D-men are staying with their guy down low, but the forwards are off in La-La-land with their coverage, often times letting wingers (or even point d-men) rush the Sabres net and not covering them at all. The Sabres D-men have to then either leave THEIR guy/zone wide open to cover for the forward, Let the rushing opposing player be wide open in the slot, or play things 'half way'. Often times they play things 'half way' which means positionally they are sound (playing the 'zone defense') but it looks like they aren't doing anything and are confused. Again, this doesn't happen all the time, but I have seen, and posted on this forum about goals where most people blamed Power, Clifton, and Samuelsson for doing this, and on the replay it APPEARS that is what happened. But go to NHL.com and watch the replay where they show you other angles, and you will see they are caught in that 'middle ground' due to the forwards just hanging out up high. This does happen with Power. Of course he needs to improve his game. He is an NHL D-man that is 21 years old. But overall, I'm not upset with his play. On the list of issues this team has, his current play and his level of Development is down the list form some other things. I think Samuelsson is more of an issue on defense with current play, and if you count forwards, Quinn and Cozens level or production and mistakes are way more of an issue than Power.

I was more referring to the comment that the team may be valuing production over 'potential production' showed by the Goals expected analytics. If the team is valuing ACTUAL production, there really proof of that by how much Cozens is getting out there.

Quinn is mind boggling for me. There has been no mention of an injury with him that I recall. Yes, he had a big injury last year, but he played AFTER it and then had the whole offseason. -With Cozens, he is getting the same ice time, he is getting the same chances. More shots. He looks pretty much the same player as the last couple years but with Cozens, he simply isn't converting any chances. -Quinn is different. He is only getting off 1 shot per game (or less). His skating speed is down. According to NHL edge his 'speed bursts per game' are down. basically, he is skating a LOT worse than last year. Unlike Cozens he isn't getting into good scoring areas. He isn't taking or getting off shots. They have a metric called "Skating distance" and I don't know what it is but he is way higher than last year. Quinn isn't just missing 1 or 2 parts of his game, he really is a totally different player in almost every way and I have zero idea why.

Then how do you explain Cozens leading the team in shots but with no goals and 2 assists (one I think on an empty netter) having the 3rd most ice time among all forwards on the team and being a fixture even strength and on the Power play? If that is the case, sit him for 2-3 games if needed. He's young. The team isn't relying on his production. Better he sit for a few games and get to 100% than to keep playing at 80-90% (or whatever he is)

Ok, thanks. I watched the Star Wars movies but I'm not that deep into them other than just a quick watch.

I'm not up with all of the slang on here... WTH is "Sheevyn" supposed to me?

I was listening to 590 out of Toronto this morning sometime between 6-7am, and they brought up the Sabres. I'm paraphrasing here, but the conversatation between hosts went something like this: -Look at the top of the Atlantic standings, its Florida, Boston, Tampa, Toronto...so much for the changing of the guard -The Sabres are just awful. Sabres fans laugh at Toronto for bringing in old Vets, but look at how the youth are doing there. -its like Lord of the Flies with the Sabres, they left the team to the young guys and you have Dahlin fighting with teammates in practice. Something very close to that. Needless to say, the media, and the fans in Toronto have close to zero respect for Buffalo and don't consider then any kind of threat at all.

So, it helps, in the offensive end, explain who gets better chances or who helps generate better chances. However, for someone like Cozens, it doesn't. We know he is still getting good chances, just over the long run, he is under a 10% shooter. So you kinda have to combine this with how good a shooter is (or how good of shooters their linemates are) to get an accurate picture, at least in the offensive zone how good they are, or will be.

I still don't totally understand how being named a captain should have a major impact on how well someone plays. I think its a bigger thing with the fans than it is with the players. I'm guessing in any locker room in the NHL, the leaders are the leaders, the followers and the followers, the quiet guys are quiet and the outspoken guys are outspoken, no matter who 'officially' has the 'c'. If you were traded to the Maple leafs last year mid season and walked into that room, Tavares had the "C" but it was pretty much Matthew's locker room and his team. I think its always been like that. There are former players who talk about the Oilers in the 80's and say "Gretzky may have worn the 'C', but it was Messier's team and his locker room.' I'm sure it matters to some players, others don't give a ****. But even to the players that it matters, I think its much more of a 'ceremonial' honor they can 'put on their resume' and brag about jokingly to teammates in the offseason. It shouldn't, and I don't think, changes much in practice or on the ice. If Lindy Ruff came in as a new coach an Dahlin was the highest paid and best player on the team and was NOT the captain, I don't think that new coach treats you any differently or gives your more or less responsibility if you did have the "C".