Pimlach

So much for hoping Levi can go. Poor Comrie. He was doing ok. Hope the Sabres have learned enough “team defense” by game 9 to support UPL. (sarcasm intended)

I liked Clifton but he really looks like a 3rd pair at best, a 6/7, just like in Boston. The notion he could be top 4 is wrong. I liked the toughness. I liked that he moved people out off of the screen. I though he was solid on PK. I liked the fact that opposing forwards were getting hit. Some of those deflected goals off of him are just bad luck, as was the uncalled trip. Now we go back to Bryson doing stick checks but with no reach at all. Pick your poison. Pray that EJ can cover for him. Why? Preseason play is over. Let him work and get good in the AHL.

Good to see Benson back, maybe he can break out with Tage and Greenway. Don’t like VO with Cozens but it has to be for now I guess. Assuming Clifton gets suspended, If Muel can’t go we are already tapping Rochester by game 9.

Yes and no. You need to have a real NHL #1 goalie to compete in this league. You play that goalie while you are developing others. You develop them in the AHL and bring them up for looks here and there. You watch to see that goalie excel in the AHL first. See: Ryan Miller. You don’t rely on a 21 year old rookie with 7 games if professional experience to take you to the playoff. If that works you are probably lucky. You don’t purposely “not block” a prospect and force him in before he is ready. Make him beat out a NHL player to earn a NHL slot. Again, look at New Jersey, last season they hired a reasonably capable NHL vet at an affordable contract for three years while their two top goalie prospects develop. He didn’t block anything, he actually helped them win last year.

It’s still early and they are starting slow. I am not throwing in the towel. I said it before, we need to see what we have have by about Christmas time. I do feel KA took a huge risk going with Levi/Comrie/UPL. I also do not give him points for trying. He gets graded on results. I see some on ice improvement in team defense, especially the PK, and also from certain players such as JJP, Greenway, the addition of E Johnson, even Clifton has brought some good attributes (ducks while saying Clifton). I read the fancy stats and they are all down from last year. Looking only at the W/L it looks like they are not improved. Look at the home game performances, nothing improved there either. So yes, it’s hard to see much improvement. The current angst comes from Levi hurt, Comrie hurt, and UPL left standing. Maybe Levi is ready to get back? Last night was a game that an improved Sabres team would have taken to OT once Cozens tied it up, they would have got at least 1 point on the road. Look at the Huala GWG and how long he stood on the crease line in front of UPL. Maybe Clifton clears him out, it’s one attribute he does bring that we need, and we needed at that specific moment. Instead he camps out there and gets a flukey redirect and UPL is the bad guy.

Good stuff here. Improving the overall team defense, as in how they play, is the first and easiest problem to solve. Without that it makes it hard for any goalie to look good. I think back to the Columbus game on National TV, the one were Tage potted 5 goals. Every single person on the broadcast said it’s time for the Sabres to focus on team defense and goaltending. Did they do enough in the offseason and has a team defensive system been installed? That is what we will learn this season.

It is heartbreaking. We disagree here. If they survive a playoff run and make the playoffs the place will be packed, including opposing fans, but Sabres fan interest will be rekindled.

That cast off is playing well too. 28 years old and finally may become a solid NHL goalie.

It’s not. The idea of teaching offense for two years and then teaching defense the third is unusual. Most coaches teach a system, it contains everything in it, players learn it as they go and it becomes second nature.

Uhh, It’s the same actor.

There was a time when most local Buffalo Bills fans were also Sabres fans and vice versa. You know the younger fans that call themselves Bills Mafia have never seen a competitive Sabres team. An entire generation not involved with the Sabres. Of course there are some fans who only really support one or the other, but they used to be a huge minority in WNY. Kim Pegula was the first person I heard that even discussed the differences in the fan base. It was never a thing for 40 years. Now it is. The Sabres are going to stay irrelevant until they get fans back, and they won’t get fans back until the compete every night and win at home. They are so close right now. Just a goalie and a few role players away from being a good hockey team.

I thought the plan was to start winning and make the playoffs? I never heard of teaching hockey systems in separate segments over 3 or 4 years. A system is a closed loop with defense, breakouts, transition, and offense all working and learned together.

Because the people running this thing when Miller was traded were incompetent. They were followed by more incompetence. I do not put Adams in that class, but I think he botched Ulmark and I think he was told to stay under the cap until they are “good”.

Well, New Jersey has 3 on their roster right now. Two are home grown prospects, both Schmid and Daws are their future and have looked very good in the AHL. Something Levi has not experienced and UPL was maybe mediocre in. Venacek is the vet that they picked up for the price of a Conner Clifton contract. Vanecek signed a 3 year deal when KA was messing with guys like Tokarski and Dell. Vanecek is not viewed as a blocker, he is an enabler. As for your passionate defense of Adams trying. Trying means nothing without results. Trying is good for school kids, but not good enough for executives in this business. Adam’s job is to find players to help us win RIGHT NOW. As for injuries, they can and will happen. They happened yesterday. Injuries are why you make moves to get veteran depth. We have none. New Jersey does though.

Off season acquisitions to help last years team: E Johnson - 1 yr at $3.25M; note 1 year will not block R Johnson Clifton - 3 years at $10M = $3.33M per year cap hit = $ 6.55M this year. Specifically spent to upgrade this season over the last. You are referring to Dahlin and Power, they were already on the team, already factor into his cap usage plan, he already had them on contract and he chose to not bridge Power - one of his draft picks and designated core. Dahlin - 8 yrs at $88M = $11M yr (next year) Power - 7 yrs at $50.45M = $8.35M ( next year) Cap hit $19.35M (next year). This was allocated in his long term plan to pay the core, and it is not money designated to improve our team this year.

Can’t have a “blocker” for his prospects , remember? We have to wait for Levi. He probably is not allowed to spend cap money- see Terry’s “efficient, effective, economic model” for hockey GMs. Tokarski is in Rochester.

He has Toker in Rochester. That is his contingency plan

Terry is the worst owner in the history of the NHL based on his W/L and playoff performances over any equivalent window in time. He probably is also the worst based on his hiring and organizational management but that is subjective. We agree on the football side for the same reason. No faith in Terry to get it right. They won’t be tearing down. They have the core starting long term deals and a good pipeline behind them. If they don’t make the playoffs again they will have a new story on how and when their master plan works.

UPL is not who I’m blaming although I don’t think he is an NHL goalie. The team did not do enough in the 3rd. They could not convert enough when they had their chances. Seems like they work but they still don’t play team defense, the structure in their own end is not good enough Comrie was ok. He can backup a good #1. UPL is scary. Maybe Levi is ready for Sunday? That is our goaltending Triumvirate.

Yup. I have my “Thanks Terry for putting us in Hockey Hell” moments.

Definitely can see after 8 games that goaltending will be the problem again, as many could predict. Looks like UPL at home Sunday. We did not keep up in the 3rd period, we had some strong moments but Vanecek did enough to hold up, we didn’t test him enough. Bryson on Sunday is very possible and the hits keep coming.

EJ gassed by the extra shifts

How about someone clear out the slot. He was practically in the crease. Blame the team defense. Could have used Clifton on that shift.

Haula left alone in front of UPL forever. That was way too easy. Power bad tripping. Gotta kill this and go get the tie. Big task but they can get it done.