Pimlach

I want better. In addition to 4D ... Bring in a 3C and make Krebs battle for the 3C or 4C slot. Nothing I see tells me he is a 3C. Maybe the fancy stats show something but goals and assists do not. Bring in another power forward. Trade Skinner (dreaming) Redo the 4th line and bring in a tough guy that can also play.

No doubt the defense is better than last year and the year prior. I expected a big improvement considering how bad it once was. One nice result of adding Byram is that he pushes 3 other guys down. Next step is a big body, a tough stay at home top 4 guy. A guy that will clear the front of the net and make people pay for touching our goalie. Get that guy and watch Power flourish. Because Power is not a physical player, and Byram is not that guy, and Dahlin should not have to be that guy, we need the #4 defenseman to be that guy. Did you see Detroit getting chippy with UPL? When this team gets better this will happen even more if they don’t address it. Get that kind of guy at D4, and now look at 5,6,7,8 - pick from Samuelsson, Clifton, Johnson, Joker, and Bryson. Good teams have depth. I know it’s not easy to find these players, especially for a perennial bottom feeder, but that is what Adams is paid to do. So yes, the defense is better. But it’s not there yet, there are too many players that have the same skill set. We are missing a key ingredient. The Sabres are 3 or 4 players away from being a very good team. I don’t think we have to wait for all these prospects to develop to get there. Adam’s 5th off season is coming. For most teams his time would be up. Considering where Buffalo was when he got there he gets another year.

It would have been easier to make the playoffs by adding a goalie in the summer, and putting Levi in Rochester to get the reps he needs.

I’m glad I missed this one. The tone on this board is so different than the last few games. I guess when you get down to your last few losses that happens. West coast, here we come.

I think Tage can be a dominant force but he has to play stronger and smarter. He wants to be fed, he still plays like a winger.

I am in Buffalo right now and I don’t see many happy fans. Even on this board, there are only about 3 or 5 members that just won’t criticize Adams, DG, the rebuild pace, or Pegula … but that’s it.

I get it. Shop class is on break. Feed me before I hang that door.

The main reason for the turn around is the play of UPL. A secondary reason is they got healthier.

I missed the game. I had to be Mr Fix it for a young 35 year old guy that can’t use tools, can’t work to a schedule, and lacks confidence. I’m teaching him a lot. I caught some of the first and second period on radio. Sounded like we caved and made some mistakes under pressure. Well, it’s a tough league and Detroit had their backs to the wall. Have not read the thread. I have to go back to the hardware store. Plumbing, electrical, carpentry awaits - I’m getting too old for this stuff. Bring Industrial Arts back to the dam high schools.

This is good since we have Ryan Johnson too and I like have to 7 or 8 good defenders but as it stands right now we lack the big tough one and I see that as a hole. Especially for playoff style hockey, which starts in February.

I am expecting the Wings to come out playing hard and tough. They see their season about to go down the drain and at home. They remember the last game. I expect the Sabres to be ready for it and hopefully their special teams come through. I think PP and PK will be the key. MUSCLE WEIGHT

My thought with Joki is that he is a good player, but very similar to the others. I would like one of the 6 to inflict a little fear into opposing forwards. Diversity of skills are good. Give me one big tough guy back there.

Very narrow assessment. EJ was past his prime and his game tailed off in the end, but the Sabres players themselves have said they learned a lot from him. Same things were said about Anderson regarding leadership. You also take cheap shots at Okposo and Mitts because the Sabres are on a small win streak since the trades. Ryan Johnson isn’t playing either. Is he also a problem? Adam’s has rightfully turned the leadership over to the Core players that are coming into their prime. The players are responding and stepping up. Adams does not have to shop for leaders anymore, but that doesn’t mean he won’t bring in vets or any other player that is a strong leader.

Yup, I agree there were posters who lost patience with all the players you mention, and more. I’m still not a fan of of Bryson, and I’m only Luke warm on Joki -mostly because he is very similar to what we have. There are many posts covering which goalies were available and when. I’m too lazy to look. There are also posts stating Adams tried but could not get some of them. I stand by my position that goaltending has been mishandled and now, Im happy that UPL is working out. Good fortune had to happen at some time. I’m not gonna spend time looking back. The next step is improving the forwards lines, adding more diverse playing styles and skills, and making the playoffs. That is what I will focus on. That, and cap a management, and improving the coaching staff.

Once we lost Ulmark, I was firmly on the camp of bringing in a NHL starting goalie to help the team compete while UPL stayed in Rochester and Levi was in NCAA. Nothing that happened makes that strategy wrong. Adam’s started talking about blockers about the time Ulmark left IMHO - Tokarski, Dell, Comrie and a very aged Anderson was not adequate GM work by Adams, especially given his asset stockpile and his cap situation. Everyone in the NHL circles raised eyebrows at the process Adams took. He was subtly criticized on ESPN and TNT. Even Kevin Weekes made comments this season and did an eye roll on the Sabres goaltending situation prior to January. The ESPN panel questioned this in between periods. Adams can get credit for developing UPL. He can equally get blame for missing playoff last year, and probably this year. This team was better than were they finished in each of these seasons. If I had to do this again, I would still start by bringing in a goalie that can help your core players compete and buy time to bring up your goalie prospects from the lower leagues until they are ready This season a vet and UPL was the logical way to go. Levi was promised something I hear. We have to get past that. Once this team stops sucking they will have leverage when dealing with 20 year old prospects. Comrie was promised another look too. A vet and UPL could have done the job and kept us in the race all season. UPL would have probably emerged either way. Congrats to Adams for developing UPL. Now, moving forward, he MUST make the moves to get us out of hockey hell.

I keep looking at it but I’m missing something on how to interpret this data. Can you please add some notes and comments?

@Hank and @Thorny after guitar lessons, singing a song with jangly guitar rhythms. @Sabres73 is off the prairie, and on the drum kit.

It harder just to run practice too.

Just like jelly rolls.

I watched it out tonight. Really good game. They came out strong at home and although they didn’t score in the first they stayed at it and outplayed the Isles. They stayed patient and intense and the goals came. UPL was excellent, great to see the fans treated to a shutout. Lots of contributors tonight. Cozens and Greenway stood out to me. Benson too. Clifton gives up 4 inches and 37 pounds to Anders Lee but holds his own. Big one on the road Saturday in De-Troy-it. Keep it going boys.

KO was not the problem but pushing the leadership down to the Core players and making them be accountable is the right next step. We need to give Byram more than 4 games before we anoint him anything. He sure plays a style of hockey that is a breath of fresh air. Colorado has a program that Adams should be looking at closely. As for next Captain, Dahlin is probably it.