JohnC

The only line that is not going to get touched is the top line, for obvious reasons. Sometimes lines get stale in their play. So changing the mix can invigorate the fading line and give the jumbled players a fresh/different landscape in how they play with different players. DG is good at juggling lines and giving players different roles just to re-energize them. I don't want to overstate the placing of Krebs on the line with older players, but it resulted in altering how he played. He went from being a young player who was often watching the games in the team suite to becoming a more focused player who played a tighter and tougher game.

I've heard Granato talk about Mitts on a number of occasions on WGR. My impression is that he has a belief that Mitts has talent, and as a coach it his responsibility to unlock that talent where can translate it into production. Is the coach chasing fool's gold? I'm not sure? On more than a few occasions he has stated that Mitts was one of the best players in training camp two years ago. Then he got hurt and never got back on that upward trajectory that he appeared to be on. When DG put Krebs on the Girgs and Okposo line I thought that was an odd decision and line fit. It turned out to be an insightful move that altered how Krebs played for the better. I'm hoping that this very open-minded coach, who is constantly experimenting to put players in a position to succeed, can find the right formula to get Mitts on the right track. With a player such as Mitts I have not made any conclusive judgments about him. My sense is that the organization is going to allow the player to play and give them opportunity to prove whether they should be in the organization's plans or not. My position about the player is that I just don't know?????

You are putting too much effort into commenting on someone else's lack of apprehension of someone's sarcasm. I was fooled by someone's sarcastic comments. Big freaking deal!

Goalies are an odd lot. Even when they are so-called developed, they can thrive and then fall off a cliff. A change of scenery (teams) will sometimes get them to return to the higher form, only to go through that downward cycle again. There are a few elite netminders such as Vasilevski, Lundquist and Shesterkin who consistently play at a high level. They are more of the exception than the rule.

I stink because I'm constantly stepping on it https://www.shutterstock.com/search/pile-of-poop

You make an astute observation about UPL being vulnerable to the top part of the net. Marty Biron has often talked about that same vulnerability when discussing UPL's prospects as a NHL goalie. It bothered Marty a lot.

I agree with you that it is still an open question on how good the big goalie be. I'm simply not sure? It should be remembered that it took Ullmark 6 years in the system before he became a NHL caliber goalie.

Without question he is getting better coaching in the NHL. And as you noted Anderson certainly is a good mentor and example to follow. But there is a lot more discipled and structured play in the big league than there is in the lower league. Players respond differently while they are developing. He may be the aberrant prospect who plays up to the talent that he is facing. I'm not getting carried away in making declarations about him as a player. He has played well in the last three games while he has struggled or been inconsistent in his prior games. What is evident is that he has played better over the last few games in the NHL than he has in the AHL.

I have been gotten! We need a sarcasm emoje so gullible people like me don't get bitten.

There is simply more structure in play both offensively and defensively in the NHL. In the AHL it is more helter-skelter and free-wheeling. Some players thrive when there is a lot of free-lancing, while others don't. Qualitatively, it is a much different game between the two leagues. The one advantage that UPL had in the lower league is that he could get more playing time. For a relatively inexperienced player that should help in his development.

Your so called "true story" is false. Where do you and @PerreaultForevercome up with this hooligan mentality BS? Anyone who watches a lot of Sabre games knows very well that they hold up well and adequately respond to the physical play of other teams. The reality is that the Sabres give as much as they receive. You are responding to a myth of your own creation. It is utter nonsense!

In hockey, and football, as you noted, the reality is that the team that is behind loosens their defensive responsibilities in order to go full throttle on offense. So it shouldn't be surprising that the team that is dealing with the onslaught has to have a more defensive posture. They have no choice. They are adjusting to the situation. If, in this case, the Sabres took a more offensive response, they risk giving up quick goals in a short duration. I have no problem with taking the safer approach to prevent a score as opposed taking a risk to score additional goals. The coach and the team played it right. We got a win against a good team on the road.

The biggest takeaway from this game is the play of UPL. If he can sustain the play he has shown over the past few games, our expectations for the season should be elevated. At least for me, my expectation goes beyond merely staying in the playoff race until the end of the season to actually making the playoffs. There is still a long way to go. But if one looks back a week or so ago, and consider what the perception of UPL was then, and then seeing what it is now, that's a dramatic swing for the most important position on the ice. It's amazing how perceptions can change in a short period of time. The remedy is to have patience.

The comeback was Lyubushkin getting follow up penalties trying to pay back that hit. That hurt the cause. The best way to inflict punishment is to score more goals and win. We did. We won!

I agree with you that the extended minutes for this top pair is not sustainable over a grinding season. However, when you are in the survival mode present moment you don't worry about the long-term. Power should be back soon, and then Joki should return in another couple of weeks. And after another game or two Lybushkin should get back into the swing of things. I watched the first period and thought that Vegas dominated it. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that we won and that UPL played a sterling game. If he continues to play at his current level, this is going to be an exciting season up to the end.

If Johnson is looking for the best situation for him after his college career is over, Buffalo should be at the top of his list of considerations. The Sabres need more defensemen, and within our current system there is a dearth of prospects who are ready to move up to the NHL.

Is Power going to play? I suspect he won't out of an abundance of caution. He's become an important player for us. I predict someone on the Mitts line will score a goal.

That was a terrific read. I suspect that he won't be able to go back home because of the Putin war. If he does, he might get stuck there and not be able to get back to North America. As you noted he is a smart kid. Being a chess wizard demonstrates that he has an ability to think strategically. It might take more than a few years but a guy like him has the drive to succeed in whatever endeavor he chooses to pursue.

He reminds me of Curtis Lazar, another first round draft pick. Both Jost and Lazar were former first round picks who didn't become the players commensurate with their draft status. Each player had to modify their game and accept their more specialty role in order to stay in the league.

How good is Mitts? What's his upside? What's his role on this team now and in the future? I just don't know??? This is why this is such an important season for him, and why the organization is going to make a determination about him and his role in the organization. Beyond winning as many games as possible, assessing players is an important task for this front office. And I am on record that I'm higher on Mitts than most are here. In my opinion he's got more to give. It's just a question of the best way to unlocking the door to his talents. The coach has done an excellent job in putting Krebs in a good position to succeed; I'm hoping he can do it with Mitts.

You can include the Samuelsson signing in the category of the GM having foresight.

That pisser performs with great accuracy. He didn't waste a drop. If Olofsson could hit the net instead of the pipes with such accuracy he would be a 40 goal scorer.

What @PerreaultForeveris looking for are palooka players whose utility in this era of NHL hockey is minimal at best, and almost a generation outdated. The method to get better is to add talent. Looking back for a solution such as bringing in fighters in an era where there are few fights is not relevant to today's game. The reality is that he won't acknowledge is that the Sabres don't get pushed around. They have more than enough tough players to hold their own against any team. Adding talent to the lower half of the roster and buttressing the goalie position are what is needed to move up the ranks. We're getting there. It's just going to take a little more patience to see this process through.

Without any hesitation I am praising the GM for acquiring Jost on waivers. The GM got him for nothing! No assets for given up for him. He adds an element of grit that this roster can use. He's versatile and can play cohesively with different players and lines. And he is solid on the PK. As far as the D unit is constituted, I agree with you that the lower pairings are insufficient. Depending where this team stands as the season progresses and the trade deadline approaches, you can't preclude a deal to upgrade the lower half of the pairings. But it is more likely that the issue will be addressed in the offseason than during this season.

I made it clear that I only watched snippets of this game. So I don't want to draw any firm conclusions from that small sample size for Mitts. What I can say is that for the few games that Mitts played with the top line, while Skinner was shelved, his style of play was altered somewhat. As with Krebs, Mitts in these recent games seems to have simplified his game and become more quick reacting with the puck. I'm hoping that the coach finds the right line mates and formula for Mitts so that he can up his game like he did with Krebs.