triumph_communes

Not a single play driver in the line up leads to an extremely boring game. Perimeter uninspired play. At least Krueger got to see it first hand. Worried about every forward who played tonight

Even in preseason Sobotka is awful

I thought the trade in concept was a good one. I just havent gotten a good good vibe from his on ice play yet. Higher expectations for a guy making the money he does than a rookie

Only players like Eichel demand his agent foregoes money and signs a season in advance. Reinhart is going to squeeze every penny he can.

Already can’t stand Vesey. His puck fumbling would fit well with Rodrigues- on a 3rd or 4th line with Sheary Thompson is a beast among AHLers, just like last year. Will it translate this time? He was more aggressive than last year Joki is like Dahlin- for every 5 awesomes there’s a dunce moment. -4 Dahlin tonight? Eek. I like what I saw in Cozens. Going to be a rough wait for him as he brings an element this team needs now. Plays smart yet physical. Good balance and not always tied up Miller seems safe. Scandella slow on his feet and his head. Gilmour wants to play, it’ll be an interesting camp watch for him. Nelson sucks, team is in trouble if he is the 7D I hope Skinner and Eichel are reunited for the real games. Eichel obviously on cruise control out there. Trying to force things through a lot of sticks. Whole team played aggressive and held the lines for two periods. Took their feet off the gas and looked like tank teams again. Glad Krueger got to see it first hand. No no comment on the goalies.

Is our PP going to be tons of shots from the point? They’re doing a lot of that

If catching a pass on a break out and handing it off to your defenseman who is somehow skating four times faster than you is a positive, I think you’re attributing too much to highlight reels

Cozens likes to stick handle. He likes to engage physically too and that’s refreshing as a lot of our guys don’t. Tage controlling the ice out there. He did this in the AHL last year though and looked a different player in NHL. We’ll see. Dahlin is so good. Looks bigger for sure. Vesey invisible out there so far.

Tage gonna make the team and make people cry

Sheary was a fast break-out guy on a team that couldn't make a break-out pass. He's always been miscast here, unless our system will utilize his zone breakout speed correctly. Our new defenders and coach gives us hope in this regard. He has a nice shot on the breakaway, but never dekes, and his production is highly dependent on his shooting % for the month. Despite his size, he's never been much of a forechecker or turnover machine, and this is why his role is vastly limited to top-6 or bust, and requires better linemates to maintain consistent results. He also gets a fair amount of points on the PP2, and without him there he isn't contributing to his salary. Vesey is a volume shooting player who likes to drive to the net. He has some size, though doesn't necessarily use it. Total contrast to the perimeter type players Buffalo has now. May not be the most skilled, but he's the type of ying to fit this team's yang. I think his success relies largely on his teammates, and either he becomes a finisher for Eichel, or the offensive spark to the endless Larsson/Girgensons cycle; he can find a place anywhere in the line-up. Botterill has mentioned he is a 'Top-9' player, so we probably won't see the latter scenario. He doesn't need the PP to get points, which is good for a Buffalo team who has enough talented players who are better deserving of those minutes.

Defense against the run still scares me - the Pats game will surely test it. Our own run game is hit or miss, but isn't a total disaster like it was with last year's O-line. Our short-yardage runs haven't been consistent as a team would want to rely upon, and that will matter in close games down the stretch. Allen reminds me so much of Favre - both the good and the bad. Either way, he is exciting to watch and I feel hope whenever he has the ball in his hands to get the ball somewhere, instead of hoplessness I've felt with all our QBs since Flutie. Brown and Beasley have been a huge help, and Allen's short game has noticeably improved. I feel like there's fewer penalties this season and that helps - do the stats share this feeling? Coach plays conservative, relying on the defense, which is a good defense and its understandable. I hope this team gets to the point where they can rely upon Allen to close-out games though and not play so conservative all the time.

Lots of vets for the first game.

GMs seem afraid to commit long term to defenseman whereas the forwards are he opposite

They were having a rough two minutes there and got lucky. I understand the sentiment tho I share it often

Krueger is notoriously and self-admittedly stubborn with lines, as he believes players learn more hashing out problems and learning how to play with each other than swing dancing at the disco joint like our last two coaches would. I wouldn't expect a whole lot of juggling, at least once the season starts.

Just because he put away Eichel's trash doesn't mean it's actually his strength. He was just the player tasked to do it. He's too weak on his legs for this role and he will be moved.

Assists is his game. He actually sucks at netfront and Krueger will get him away from that.

WRONG

Eichel 40 Skinner 36 Oloffson 28 (one line team baby yeah) Johansson 25 Vesey 21 Reinhart 15 Mittelstadt 15 Okposo 16 Rodrigues 15 Sheary 8 Girgenson 8 Thompson 4 Larsson 4 Wilson 2 Cozens 2 Dahlin 22 Montour 12 Ristolainen 4 Miller 7 Pilut 7 McCabe 6 Bogosian 1 Nelson 0 Scandella 0 Hutton 1 Ullmark 0 306 TOP SCORERS IN THE LEAGUE YEAHHHHHHHH

I was a huge 'anyone but Sobotka' guy, but they were just as bad at the end of the season when Sobotka was out. The team throughout struggled.

It just makes it easier to prosecute. Rapes are typically he said she said affairs that end up nowhere.

Talent is on this team. There is depth to the point no bad player needs to be gifted anything. It all comes down to Krueger.

That would take Anaheim out and leave WPG and DET left with no other options other than the offers for Risto that Botterill sets.

Please be a three way trade.

The better team won today, though the Mosley injury sure helped. Those bad bounces really worked against them, but some stellar defense kept them in it. At no point did the offense make me feel hopeless like Tyrod or even Allen in some of last years games ever did. They have real receivers now and a line that can let the QB play. Allen can still improve and Beasley needs to catch those balls. Offense still has room to get comfortable it’s still all new. Entertaining at least. Refs were awful as always, but at least it was equally so. I don’t think Jets even get an offensive TD without the refs gifting them it.