PerreaultForever

Fess up. Which one of you is this guy?

So the real Panthers this time. We can see if the Sabres can compete with that or not. The Florida weak spot is their D so I firmly believe the best way to beat them is at their own game and that's a heavy and relentless forecheck. Not sure we can do that, but I'd like to see it. More than a win (which of course would be great) I want to see us compete and not back down from this team. Show us that the Sabres are a real hockey team this year and not to be taken lightly. I hope that happens.

Definitely. Greasy net front guy. A good compliment to McJesus doing everything else, but also a necessary ingredient. You always need a mixture of players and player types on a successful roster. We all know this.

That's a fair point. SOMETIMES they are cheap points but they can be the main driver of the play as well that's true.

I can't agree with that logic. Many times the primary assist has more impact on the goal being scored than the actual shot. Getting the puck to the stick of the open scorer is just as important as scoring the goal. To make the point obvious. Perreault picks up the puck behind his own net moves around the first forechecker, evades the second and then beats the third man down the wall so both D men move towards him and he hits a perfect pass onto a wide open Martin's stick who taps it in and you want to give Perreault half a point? Really? Secondary assists can be garbage points but that's the way it is. It's a team game.

They're not. Kreuger had a big win streak too. What matters to me right now is signs of playing the right way which we haven't seen in a long long time. But every point matters.

Sample size is small but I saw hesitation in his game that wasn't there last year. That is what happens even with good players when they are being told to do something different to what they are used to and/or do instinctively. Sample size is small though for him and it might just be due to the injury.

I kind of expected at least one if not more of them to have trouble understanding how to play properly in a structured system. Quinn is that guy. This also applies to Cozens (although maybe not quite as much) and although I know he's hampered by injury I think it holds for Benson as well. Zucker up onto line 2 was a good move and should help them.

I agree but for now Zucker is looking better and better to me. He's not flashy and won't get us lots of goals at this stage in his career but he plays a responsible game and knows how to play properly. He should be a good influence on the younger players and I liked him up with Cozens if they are going to stick with Cozens as center.

Good win and most important of all we didn't give them a loser point despite Cozens icing it because.....scared of contact/stupid/idk but it needs attention. PP finally scored and maybe the empty netter will kick start Quinn. Stranger things have happened to get guys out of slumps. A continuation of what we saw with Dallas, lots of good things, my biggest concern right now is the D is still weak on the back wall and they lose too many puck battles. We will need more forward help there if that keeps happening. Good way to start the day though (10 am hockey out here).

Ideally trade prospects/picks for a rugged veteran winger who can score. Quinn can go sit in the press box until he earns a spot back. otherwise I would try Cozens on the wing with McLeod as 2C. Bump Quinn down to line 3 with Krebs at center.

I like the idea of a third goalie. Goalie injuries can kill ya. I think each team should be allowed to have one special exemption where an under age player could go to the AHL (like Benson for us). Just one max though. Biggest thing, I'd like to see the salary cap kept in the playoffs. No Stones or Kucherovs coming off of injury lists to playoff rosters. The issue of an injured player coming back with no trade options seems a no brainer to me. The cap in the playoffs would apply to the roster you dress for the game. So if you wanted your superstar back legitimately you could go 11 forwards or whatever but your total cap number would have to be within the same cap.

Ottawa caved on a late Vegas push and lost the game but they looked pretty good. We should have some good important games with them this year.

Ruff doesn't see this as a development team. He's going to go veteran over rookie every time unless the rookie is absolutely sensational or the team is struggling and he wants to take a gamble. Kulich has played well. Better than Quinn or Benson (the latter due to injury presumably) but Ruff will want to bring him along properly and develop his full game not just his offensive skill. That's not what we are used to seeing in Buffalo but I'd get used to it if I were you as long as Ruff is here. If there's an injury on D you'll likely see Gilbert before Johnson.

Stubbornness ? Or just too much patience? Either way Adams perhaps insisting that since he paid him to be the 2C he will be the 2C.

I firmly believe that Cozens does not have good on ice vision. He tends to only see one side of the ice and thus is not well suited to be a center. He would be better on the wing. As a center he tends to only look to one side and in this case it's generally towards Quinn who is playing incredibly soft and won't go through traffic so there's nothing there. If you won't move Cozens to the wing, get him a more physical winger.

I know Aube-Kubel likely won't play and we will see Kulich against Detroit but that potential grouping is interesting. Personally I would switch Quinn and Aube-Kubel. Not because he's a better player but for line chemistry and maybe down a notch against lesser third line competition can get Quinn going. Maybe. They are also set on Cozens as 2C but if I was coach I'd try Peterka-Thompson-Tuch Zucker-McLeod-Cozens Greenway-Krebs-Quinn Malentsyn-Lafferty-Aube-Kubel

There's no reason we can't be better than Detroit or Ottawa but we have to be better if that makes sense. We have the talent on the roster, we just have to play proper hockey. The signs are there. We might be getting there but it's early. Detroit has been outshot but they look balanced and competitive. I saw that Jersey game and yes, they were outshot badly, but they also maximized their moments. They are a dangerous team. It's a big game coming up if we want to be legit. Ottawa idk. I haven't seen much and that Ullmark injury might hamper them. I heard they might be looking to sign Tokarski due to goalie injuries but that's just a rumor. I might watch that Vegas game today to see what Ottawa's really got. Sanderson is supposedly playing very well, which does not surprise me.

They're slow. Really slow. Marchand looking over the hill. They can't score. They will fall this year. Just a question of how far. It's there for the taking but this looks like the year maybe Ottawa and Detroit also make moves upwards.

True. Who has time to make a bed when you've got to spend all that time on your hair.

Which exactly illustrated what we were saying and you were arguing against. Thanks for posting it.

I agree. I think you need a mix and if you've gone heavy on speed and skill in a previous year you need to shift to look for what you don't have as much of in the system. Keep building all types. That's my view anyway. This also brings to mind something I remember from years ago. I think it was Rick Dudley who said when it came to these young teenagers he always wanted to meet the fathers to see what these kids would grow into. It's one of those old school things that you need scouts going out there to see. You can use all these fancy computer models and statistical projections but you should also get out there and talk to them and see everything up close for yourself. I'm not sure the Sabres do enough of that stuff. Maybe they do and I'm just not aware of it, but I don't think so.

Specialty teams are definitely a concern and the lack of a PP hampers them for sure. The PK has shown signs of being an aggressive counter attack unit but they still need to be better and stronger around the net. The PP is too predictable, too reliant on the point. It doesn't have enough bodies in front obviously but it also doesn't move the puck around fast enough across ice. It's pretty much high shot or drop puck back to Dahlin at the point and let him decide. We don't use the bumper well or mix things up well so PK units can cheat on us and shutdown the predictable elements (Dahlin at the point and Tage's high slot shot). It needs work. Structure, layers, and a commitment to details will take us further than we have gone before though that's for sure. They might be learning to play the right way finally.

As usual you are twisting my words to push your own points. I did not equate size and character. I listed them as TWO things we don't seem to focus on in drafts. I also DID NOT say that skill guys cannot have character. Benson most definitely does have character. I like Benson and have said so repeatedly. He fell to us because of his size as you know. Ziemer I also like. I said that after the draft. At the time I said he went against our usual and frequent choices and I was very happy with that pick. I think I said he might be a sleeper steal where he was picked or something like that. Helenius I am undecided on yet. Time will tell. He was not my first round choice. You know the discussion we were having was on Östlund and Rosen too. Please don't twist words to make your points. It's not worth the time or effort.

It might work. But you have to make the right deals. McLeod for Savoie might be good but I think he needed to make one more like that. In general though grit guys certainly have less value on the market than skill guys. Just don't hold on to those so called skill guys too long where people have time to see flaws in their game.