Pimlach

Uh, wait, is this a real thread?

Solid guy. Would love to see him cleanly run people over more often too. Make other team’s defense less comfy.

I’m heading out of town for a week. But will try to catch some of it. Benson, VO, Jost, Rousek, and Biro are all fighting for a spot. There are one or two still there depending on other factors.

It could have been prior to that, and I recall DG talking about it, but I would think there were games in that same stretch when they were down in the 9-11 minute range. Not every night of course.

Dahlin is probably the grittiest Sabre, other than Clifton. He just got tired of being pushed around and hit late.

There was a pretty good stretch last season where they both had their minutes sheltered and Cozens played with players from other lines. Granato did it for a reason.

I just think back to last year and seeing how teams took advantage of our rookies, leading DG to limit the minutes of Peterka and Quinn about halfway through a game. Benson may be better all around than these guys but he is 18, still kind of small, and he has no pro hockey experience. If he has to protect Bensons minutes then we disrupt two lines, including Line 1. Lets see how it plays out. In general, I am not a fan of absorbing 3 or more rookies (such as Levi, Benson and maybe Savoie or some of the others) and then expecting to make the playoffs. Levi is a given, he is the #1. Adding Benson to the top 9 - ok, looks like he is earning his way. Adding Benson to the top 3 this year - I need to see this work and then I will happily shut up about it. This is not supposed to be another development year.

I did. Glad you clarified that you were joking. I am looking out for the Core - Dahlin, Tommer, Cozens, Power, etc - get them the help then need to win. I am still not sure that Adams has done that. Need to see the last years team with Clifton and EJ to know. We will be surprising no one. Teams will do everything they can to shut down Thompson and putting a rookie on his line might not be the best thing, especially when that line, even with Tuch on it, still needed a better 200 foot game.

Eh, no. This is the year we try to win. Rotating in 6 or 7 young players every 9 games does not build any continuity on the team. The object is to win and make the playoff. Unless we have a lot of injuries I do not want to see all these guys. The 9 games are significant for the two Junior eligible, non AHL eligible players - Benson and Savoie. Benson earned this. Savoie was looking good before the injury and is at risk of wasting a year in Juniors. If either of them stick then it gets that much harder for Biro and Rousek. If the kids don't make the team better then they should go to Juniors again, there is no other choice. Kulich and Rosen do not have to forced in on some rotation scheme. While they looked good in preseason against non NHL rosters they are both getting development benefits in Rochester, more so than Savoie would get in the WHL again. If Kulich or Rosen tear up the AHL then lets talk about it later in the season. Jost should be spelling the 4th and 3rd line to get his ice time. He is a vet that knows how to get NHL ready and how to be available. Kyle should be platooned on back-to-backs so either Jost or Rousek or Biro could help there - whoever earns it and makes us better. I trust Granato to figure that out. The mindset needs to stay on making the playoffs, not setting up a season long tryout. A team with a rookie goaltender, and no proven 1B or 2, should not be forcing more rookies into the lineup just to see what Adams, Granato, and Appert already know.

I don't like 3 goalies but not for your reasons. The best young prospects (Kulich, Rosen, and R Johnson ) are much better off playing everyday in Rochester and they can be called up without waiver risk if needed.

Two rookie forwards in the line up - like last year. Taking Tuch off of the top line is an experiment, Benson will see the opponents top shut down lines. I have no problem giving him 9 to see what he does, he earned that. Hard to give a spot to Savoie with no practice but maybe he starts off in 13 forward spot, platoon him with VO, ease him into the season and eventually he plays somewhere in the top 9? I think Savoie gets less development on another return to Jr's than Benson would get. We have not seen what E Johnson and Clifton additions are going to do. Really looking forward to that, especially PK help. Joker with Power is a surprise. To my eyes Stillman has played better than Bryson but I am not sure KA and DG agree. While the GM, Coach, and the core players are saying the right things - this is the year they go for it - there is still a lot of experimentation and forward, defense, and goalie.

The preseason games were my first real look at Kulich. I agree with your assessment in that he is not nearly as present as Benson, who is around a the puck a lot. Benson looks better in our D-zone too. He seems to know his job is get the puck out and down the ice and the kid is driven all the time. Kulich has work to do and should go back to Rochester and work on playing that 200 foot game. The fact that Kulich is getting stronger and sporting a solid frame man body is great, now he needs to figure out how to use it across the whole ice surface and take the game to the opponent. The AHL is the place for him right now and perhaps he gets a mid to late season call up. Rosen has surprised me more, especially since there was so much unwarranted discussion on his size. Rosen is essentially even with Kulich right now, he was not at the beginning of last year. Savoie - what will we do with him, were should play?

His issue is he is a lazy two way player. He avoids contact and his hockey sense is not great. Nice shot, quick release, but does not drive the play either. A finisher with a limited game. You can’t put him on a checking line either. A real checking line has to have all three players committed to two way, 200 foot hockey.

The defense did even better than I thought for sure. Add in that Allen played patient and in complete control. Add in that we were home and the crowd was nutso. Love this team.

Great game. Always love to beat Miami. McD taking the DC role is making what looks like a significant difference. That, and a patient Josh Allen.

We saw Quinn and JJP get knocked down a lot last year, especially in the first half of the season. Ditto with Reinhart in his rookie season. Benson looks scrappier and more responsible defensively, but I will wait until he gets his 9 games before I make any judgement on his readiness since these preseason games are not real NHL games.

Big game today. Bills - 38 Dolfs - 27 GO Bills !!!

Liquid cooled home computer? Never seen that. We use liquid cooling in fighter aircraft when we have to. Forced air is preferred if it can do the job but it often cannot on complex sensing equipment. It must be a very powerful processor.

I hope he plays the majority of the games in Rochester with at least one good taste of the NHL. Things will slow down for him and decisions will improve.

Least successful in the past 12 years is true. Longest playoff drought in league history is true. Prior to Pegula, the Sabres had the fourth highest winning percentage from the start of their existence. So least successful team in the history of the NHL - NO!

Tuch probably needs to knock a little rust off and take a few shifts at game speed Murray is not using his body (its preseason so most are not) but he looks pretty slow to me.

Personally that order is Johnson, Stillman, Metsa (ik), clague, 300 level stale beer, cold and dried out LA nova arena pizza, Bryson

No Clague?

I think the OP is spot on. My additional thoughts: Comrie looked better than UPL but there are a few games left and I think KA likes UPL. Devon is going to be asked to do a lot. We have not seen our real defense yet. Stillman is looking like the 7. Bryson or Clague are 8 and one gets waived. Johnson and Novikov impress me. Give them time in Rochester. Benson should get his 9 games, he looks the best of the forward prospects, lets see what he does. Kulich, Rosen, are knocking on the door but they will benefit from more AHL time. Could be up at some point. Biro shows more than Rousek so far - if one makes it, it might be Biro. Kozak get noticed occasionally but he goes back to AHL for experience. Murray is not fast enough. The Russians need time in the AHL. Jost could be in trouble if Benson sticks. We have lots of talent 60 miles away that does not have to clear waivers to fill in. Savoie injured and not allowed to play in the AHL is an awful situation for him.