Pimlach

Now do you mean the opposite?

Good Evening Teammates, Punch checking in. Opportunity knocks tonight. I want them to go out and get this game, and get the crowd excited. Hockey fights cancer, an event I love about the NHL. Good Anthems Go Sabres!!! MUSCLE WEIGHT

This keeps coming up. I don’t live there anymore, left when I was 23, but I go there a lot in my middle agedness. Love the place. My only answer is Buffalo supported both the Bills and the Sabres with capacity crowds the norm, plus the Braves and Little 3 basketball, and they did it in the prior century. I would think they are better economically today than in the 70’s.

I prefer to see Tuch play and Savoie take VO's spot.

Ok @PASabreFan, you need some cheering up. AHL Town? Sure, Buffalo is a small market, but Buffalo has the NFL, 13 NHL cities do not, we also had and supported the NBA too. ECHL Hockey arena? The place needs a renovation but its far beyond both ECHL or AHL levels. On top of that Harbor Center adjacent to it is a draw for college, Junior and youth hockey and tournaments. It is a hockey town even without the NHL. JC game presentation? I actually prefer the 60-70-80's style presentation instead of the over the top stuff that teams are doing. They can improved this but I have been to games in other NHL cities with fake piped in noise, Rick Flair Whooooo's, and stupid stuff that is a distraction from hockey. Luke Warm fan support? We were promised Hockey Heaven and instead we got Pegula Purgatory. We are still far from the days of rabid fans and no tickets available, but we can get it back by winning.

It’s an attribute made up of: knowing how to take a hit, and how to give a hit, and having the body type, and being in shape, and sprinkle in having some good luck.

Shoot the puck?

Very True. This is a game were we should be rested and they are not. We have home ice to our “advantage”. They need to come out hungry and beat a team that they should beat. No giving up early goals and having to come back. I want to see our Core step up in front of the home fans. Give them something to cheer about. A win puts us over .500 (@ .500 DeLuca) which is big as we get into mid November. We need to get over .500 and be consistent.

I think we are aligned reasonably. I think what they are going through is growing pains impacting that middle 6 - Quinn on IR, Benson/Savoie under review, Oloffson ineffective, Biro gets a look, Krebs/Jost not breaking out, etc. I would hope this will settle out soon. Ok. I just hope he doesn't play unless he is clear of any concussion effects.

I would say “could be” susceptible, not “will be”. I would think if he plays this weekend the damage is cosmetic and no concussion issue. The tantrum he had afterward was not the response of a concussed person. We don’t know yet, but I hope I’m right.

Not sure it was a disservice, he potted 31 last year. His ability to adapt like that might become a strength some day. The lines, especially the middle 6, will evolve for awhile. Still a young group.

Cozens could start playing better at any time, maybe mid season, maybe later, or he could have an off year and not score as much. He has been shuffled on and off a few of different lines so far. He is a man without a set line - maybe until Quinn gets back and then maybe he reunites with Quinn and JJP. We shall see. Look at the career stats of most good players and they have some years with less production than others. He scored 31 last year and 13 the year prior. He is on a pace for 21 goals this year, but that doesn't mean he can't score 40 someday.

To the bold - I think there is a lot of over reaction on the Cozens fight. Cozens is skill player. He also has size and grit. Prior to Hathaway, he had 4 fights in the NHL and he handled himself fine in every one of them. This time he tangled with the wrong guy. Hathaway is a skilled fighter and one of the few 4th line enforcers types left. It happens. He was frustrated, he probably hated getting booed, probably hated getting checked late in the game, so he retaliated and lost a fight. So what. He cares. Cozens is becoming completed player. He is 22, he is still filling out physically. At 6'3" 195 he will eventually play in the low 200's. I like his game more than most players on this team. Now the separate issue is this - are Top 6 forwards like Cozens and Tuch going to be the guys that defend the honor of the team? That is not ideal.

Maybe Krebs will "click" but so far this year he has not performed. The only good thing about VO playing, and it is minor, is that maybe he gets a few goals and gets his trade value up.

I get the “feel good” feeling of getting a point on the road against a tough team. That feels good, sort of. My emotions we higher than normal because of the mistake. The missed change was not terrible when you are on attack. The goalies failure to cover the puck was hopefully a lesson learned. Moving on to Minny. We need to get above .500

Not with Texas

Who are you to judge that? (bolded) It does not make it any better if another goalie makes that same stupid mistake. Sure, there are 32 teams and 64+ goalies so it probably happens on occasion. That does not make it ok. My point of frustration is more with people who in the second and third period that are just happy and hoping for a regulation tie. As if the Canes are too good to beat in regulation. They beat them last April. They could have done it again. They need to start doing it routinely. I have seen enough hockey to understand that one road point against a strong team is not the worst outcome. OK? I get that. But we lost another game. This team needs a win streak and they will have tough games, against tough teams almost every night. They will not get a win streak if they rationalize in this way. Some fans can do it if it makes them feel better. I want more from this team. I am not happy with a goalie that isn't paying attention to an obvious play. If you don't like it, tough. I don't need your permission to vent about it.

The Texas Rangers were/are a talented team that actually hired one of the best, and most proven, managers in the game today. He won it before in SF - he was a 3 times World Series winner. 'Nuff said. The Sabres and the Rangers are not in the same boat.

I think you know the answer. That does not make it ok.

Never? We beat them last year in April. They won the season series 2-1. They had 113 points and won their division last season, they are really good. I am well aware that they are good. You want the Sabres to get better? Then expect more because they should expect more of themselves. UPL rebounded from what exactly? I'll take the point, but I am not happy, especially under the circumstances on 3v3. Every damm goalie in the league covers the puck to get that change - he has to see the Canes made a change and had fresh legs out there. Paying attention to everything is part of being a goalie. Even the bad ones do it.

^ Easy to quote stats from last year. This year play to win every game. Live in the moment. Don't settle.

Let knock off the "just want one point" $hit. We missed the playoffs by one fu@kin point! The object here is to win. Carolina is a team we need to beat. UPL needs to be aware that they just changed players and we needed a change too. He had the puck, he needed to hold it. Some of our best players never got on the ice dAMMIT. Brind'Amour loved that no doubt.

We never got a change in OT. That is because UPL (6K) did not cover the puck when he had the chance. Dumb.

Yup. Ray thinks Dahlin got our 2nd goal. The Darling/RJ standard is gone.

Ok, one point is good, but we need and deserve two. Lets go boys.