Pimlach

JJP. Nice work by Thompson. Very nice to see this kind of play.

Time to score a power play goal.

Nice job rookie. Kulich draws a penalty.

Ray tries to call them out and his voice fades to a mumble. Can’t piss off the big guy.

Would like to see the McLeod line step up next. Of course any Sabres goal is welcomed.

Clifton played that perfect. Took on two guys.

Ok, I see Tage scored. Great. We need that. Beck Malenstyn. Nice. Win the next period.

Duffer quoting the Tragically Hip ?

I had the opposite. I thought I’d catch one period, but gonna see 2 periods and just saw 4 minutes of the first - and did the “quality time”. Which is critically important. I feel a win coming. Gonna tap into the Woodford Reserve.

Good evening Teammates, Punch checking in, late again. Had to take the Mrs out for a nice Autumn walk and dinner. 2-0 Sabres. UPL looking good. MUSCLE WEIGHT.

We had a great crowd for the home opener. Sold tickets were 19,000+, but not quite that many made it to the game. The fans want to come back, they deserve better. From what I observed many on the edge of booing the team, because they want things fixed and they want to be heard.

Even though he just potted 60, he has the hands to be the playmaking creative winger that could help Tage. He is like a high level swiss army knife - hands, skills, shot, smarts, ability to be in the right place - and he grew into a man body and can handle himself.

My positive is the weather is perfect and I have a tee time.

It was definitely a silly public charade. Hard to say if Lindy was the right guy since we don't know what the other candidates could bring. We will never know. I find it incredible that a GM would not formally interview at least 3 or 4 people, just to get to know them, to get ideas, to hear what is going on out there, to fill a rolodex (dated term), to acquire information and possible connections for the future. Back in the day I did some recruiting for my company - so many times I was looking for "A", and along the way I also found "B" and "C". I can say Lindy was the comfortable choice and the easy choice.

Well I have no interest in trading Helenius, or even Östlund since he could be the playmaker that we need. But for the right player(s) anything is possible. I have said enough about Mitts/Byram, hated the trade, and not because of Byram but mostly because Mitts was the best all around center on our roster. At least Byram is playing decent hockey right now. He looks ok, so does Joker, and Clifton fills his role adequately. We need much more from Dahlin and Samuelsson. Power is what he is. He is an overpaid kid and still developing. He will reach his peak at 27-29, and probably for another team. I am not giving up on the season though, but I see the warts very clearly now. I will stick with Lindy and give him a fair chance. As for Adams, this season is on him. He says time and again that he and his team do not own the 13 year drought, but he owns 5 years, which is more than enough.

He did not lose touch in NJ. His young NJ team set the franchise all time record for points just two years ago. Last season he had many injuries, and nothing in net. Hard to blame him alone for that, but NJ is run like a real NHL organization so when you don't produce you go. In Buffalo we may be finding out that our Core of "best players" have reached a plateau. Dahlin, Tage, Cozens, Power, and Samuelsson were all paid. Will they get better? Can Lindy help them get better? That is the question here today.

Spin it any way you want. We used 6 prime picks on centers in the past 4 years. Maybe Östlund and Helenius will hit? We have waited 14 years, what’s a few more.

This is a good theory on Thompson, but I’m not sure that it’s true any more. His inability to carry a puck and distribute is a first line liability. Every team knows how to defend him so the goals and assists have slowed way down. Someone else on his line has to create. And what happens on the power play? He doesn’t set anyone up. He works near the wall, sets up for one timers. Again, the league knows how to defend this. They need first line help, then we will have good players trickling down to help other lines. Either a wing that creates, or a playmaking center. I say get a center, try Tage at wing, then you can move Tuch to where he really fits. Or you move Tage to 2C. The Top 6 has to improve and 1C/2C are just not strong enough.

No. It’s Golisano rubbing it in.

The actual replacement for Skinner is Peterka, and the replacement for Peterka is Benson. The replacement for Benson on the 3rd line is probably Zucker. If you want to play games compare Skinner and Zucker I guess? Saying that Olofsson (7 goals last year) is better than Peterka and Benson is a loss of credibility for you. Is this the hill you want to die on?

I have to give you a “like” for digging this out. I’ll keep watching them, no doubt. I’ll keep complaining when they lose, no doubt

Yup. That same doddering guy that had to trade O’Rielly. He sure showed him.

Yes. Peterka is his replacement on the first line. Is Benson a better replacement for Peterka on the 2nd line is the real question.

How many big wingers should I name that were highly effective scorers? I can come up with about 20 if you would like. You are just spouting out Granato's theory when he got Thompson to emerge. Tage is a decent center, not an ideal 1C. Finding a playmaking winger is harder than finding a playmaking center but we at least agree that he needs someone that can create and feed him. Perhaps Reinhart would be one but wait, we didn't sign him. I think the power play is telling us something. Dahlin is the quarterback, but because we don't have a playmaking center we toss the puck around the perimeter and take forced one timers that are usually blocked.

Buddy I was at the Kings game and they did not play great, or even very good. Five days after a Euro trip was plenty of time to rest and be ready for their home opener and they came out flat against a tired Kings team that was on the road. They played "ok" for two periods but they could not score and they looked like a team that doesn't even know each other. They never gave the crowd any feeling that they were dominating either. Fans were booing at the slightest mistakes. The Sabres folded in the 3rd period at the first sign of adversity. Literally their best players gave that game away. Zucker broke a stick in the penalty box and got tossed, and Cozens broke two more after the empty netter. They showed no character. People were walking out of the arena very frustrated. The comments were brutal. Next home game was better but keep in mind they beat Florida's backup goalie while Florida played without Barkov and Tkachuk, their two best players. Even in the Pittsburgh game, they got lucky that Jarry was off. The TNT announcers told the viewers that Pittsburgh looked better in the first period, even being down 3-1, and they were right. Sure enough Pittsburgh won. Last night they lost to a poor team. They were never in it. That was the second night of a B2B, but that is an excuse. Its great to be a loyal fan but look at the big picture here.