Pimlach

We have 10 points after 10 games. An 80 point pace won’t stop the drought. Starting with 3 losses in a row is a problem. I think this team can be better. The slow starts. Still a lack of urgency and know how. The last two games they had the win at hand and failed to finish. Kids like Kulich, and especially Östlund, are not ready for the roles they are in. But we have no choice Kesselring gets a thumbs up rating tonight in his debut. He had some rust but he got better as the game went on. Looks promising.

I’ve never seen these reports.

Didn’t we just see this movie?

Dunne really working hard tonight.

Hmmm. Sabres playing in their own end too much as usual. Way too late in the game for that.

Ray you’re wrong.

Dunne gets rewarded.

Bad calls are bad calls. The Sabres just need to move on from it and win the period.

Terrible way to end the period. Gift of a power play and they score.

Kapow McLeod

Thank you. Sometimes you have to pound at it.

Sabres “hunting” on the perimeter, no one going to the net.

Wow. Very reluctant to shoot on the power play Poor first period in all aspects except the goaltending.

Maley draws a penalty. Let’s score boys.

Rayzor being graphic. Snot Bubbles.

7 minutes left in the period and we finally get a shot.

Let’s see if Kesselring is a top 4 first. That makes it easier to do.

Nine minutes into the period and no shots on goal. The slow starts have to stop happening Lindy, especially at home.

Good evening Teammates. Looks like a slow start. Let’s get the legs moving Sabres.

Peterka has 3 goals, 9 points, and is +9 in his first 10 games. That’s a 24 goal pace, and he isn’t getting much PP time.

This is how the DoD looks at metrics: big stacks good, little stacks bad red bad, yellow caution, green meets the spec, blue even better

I am going to say something that will not be popular. UPL is going to get a fair look and he will get every benefit of the doubt. They have invested in him and he has a big contract. That one day conditioning assignment tells us something about the kid glove treatment he is getting. This 3 man goalie thing could take awhile. Ellis is pretty much an unknown as an NHL goalie and his path could be similar to Levi's - good games mixed with bad, with ups and downs. Ellis is going to have to really be promising to take over the #2. Unless there is a GM out there that wants UPL in trade, he is not going anywhere soon. I would think more GMs would gamble on Ellis before taking UPL and his contract.

For one thing we don’t know if Ellis is better. Maybe the coaches see it in practice but games will tell us more. I think they need more looks at Ellis before moving UPL.

It has to be this. Like it or not, due diligence requires that they look at all of them to decide on the 1/2 goalies. So let’s try to still achieve the playoffs while also conducting tryouts during real games.

I get it. That isn’t what I was saying either. Ok - They need to play with a win rate that gets them 95+ points to be in playoff contention, not rocket science. But your example misses the nuance that there is a point in the season where you are watching other teams, so winning division games is the highest priority at any time during the season, and conference games the next highest priority, because those wins deny a potential playoff competitor.