JohnC

Whether the Sabres are up or down in a game I remain in a state of anxiety until the horn goes off. One can review the games we have lost and believe that the Sabres could have won at least three of those games. On the other hand, you can review the games we have won and conclude that we could have easily lost three of those games. So, it shouldn't be surprising that in following the Sabres this year I'm in a constant state of agitation! The one positive thing about this team compared to the previous years' teams is that this team can compete with even the top tier teams in the league. That couldn't be said before. So with all the fluctuation the trend is upward, even when we don't see it. It's better than giving 2 points to a divisional rival and not getting any points for yourself.

The back and forth scoring in games is a reflection of this era of hockey. Yzerman was interviewed on the broadcast and was asked why there so many come from behind games where teams were up or down by two goals or more. In his dour style he pointed out that hockey is faster, less defensive structure and overall, a lack of high-end goaltenders. He noted that most teams, with the exception of the few teams with elite netminders, are looking for better goalies. He said that there is simply a lack of them. He also pointed out in this era the emphasis is on coaching the offense more than the defense. For those who are more fixated on the flucuation of scoring they are not understanding that the game of today is not the game of yesterday. There is less clamping down on teams because it is simply too fast and oriented toward offensive play. As you stated enjoy a win instead of sneering at it. A win is a win.

That's exactly what Granato has said on WGR on multiple occasions. And he also said that he was confident that his goal scoring will materialize because he has had a number of pipe missus. The coach knows his players.

He was a solid pickup. He fits in well with Okposo and Girgs.

A win's a win. My first sensation after Quinn's shootout goal is relief. We were fortunate that Detroit had two shootout shots hit metal. The first star for me in this game was Anderson. If anyone says Cozens deserves the first star, I'm not going to say you are wrong. The Cozens's line is emerging. It's only going to get better. And that's an exciting proposition. The Mitts line has become invisible and inconsequential. And I don't consider myself a Mitts basher.

Your banishment order got caught up in the encrusted bureaucracy. Be patient, it is slowly and steadily working its way up the rusted pipeline. When you get the special delivery mail you shouldn't be surprised when you open the envelop and the letter has the catch phrase "your services were appreciated but ------ ☠️

As you point out without even discussing Peterson's play, his salary and remaining term make it unlikely that KA would have any interest in him. However, an interesting discussion can be made about whether acquiring him would improve our goaltending, at least for the short term.

I'm sure that he's been in the league long enough to understand that it is a business. If he gets picked up by team where he will be play, he should be happy with that outcome. I'm not sure that our GM would be interested in him because it is likely that Comrie will return to play in a week or so. I would be receptive to getting him and sending UPL back down to Rochester. How much better would our record be with solid to good goaltending?

I thought I was being ostracized because I was unable to respond to posts. Thanks to @SDSor whoever was able to quickly fix the problem. This is a well-run site. 🍺

That was one of the reports coming out prior to the game when the Bears' qb got hurt in warmups. As it turned out Mike White was able to play and have a good game with 3 TD passes. Their spoiled brat qb, Zak Wilson, didn't suit up for this game.

I'm not sure who it was but didn't someone on this board say that he was having a house built in Minnesota where some family members still reside?

The value that Arizona has in Chychrun is that he is a good young NHL player playing at a valued position and is contractually bound for the next few years. Why wouldn't they want a high end prospect like Savoie, another young player, such as Joki, who is playing in the league, plus prospects. I would love to acquire Chychrun. He would solidify or two top pairings and make our three pairings one of the better blue line groups in the league. It just seems to me that KA doesn't seem to be the type of GM who would make such a bold move. at least not just yet.

I'm not slighting or diminishing him as a coach. He is a good coach and is respected within his ranks. Time moves on and situations change. It appears that he's got thinks clicking in Jersey after that franchise went through some tough times. The unfinished business that Ruff has now is in Jersey, and not in Buffalo.

For the Sabres it would be.

Ruff is a good coach. No one is saying otherwise. It's a fanciful notion that Ruff would be back in Buffalo to coach the Sabres. Granato is the right coach for this assemblage of young players and where this team is in its rebuilding process. Nostalgia is not a solution to what the Sabres are going through. The era of Ruff in Buffalo is over with. He's moved on and the franchise has moved on.

The quantity of shots don't always reflect the balance of play. Without question the Devils dominated the play. I thought after that the game evened out.

The Ruff era in Buffalo is over with. Our roster is loaded with young players. What it needs is a coach who leans toward the development side of coaching. There is a time and a place. In Buffalo it's over with. Nostalgia is nice but what is in the past is in the past. Looking backwards for solutions is not the right road to take.

Other than much of the first period when Jersey was dominating, I thought that the Sabres played them evenly. This was a good measuring stick game where both teams played with a lot of energy and at a high level in a meaningful game. It's fair to say that Jersey is a little more advanced as a team. But the difference isn't much considering I believe that the Sabres have more players with upside. Although the outcome was disappointing, this was not only a good game to watch but it was also encouraging as a Sabre fan.

In this game their #3 goalie played exceptionally well. And in this game Anderson also did play well. He wasn't the reason why we lost. I was really impressed by Jersey's tight defensive style of play. All their players appeared to have been bought into Ruff's philosophy of two-way hockey. I thought the Devils kept our first line in check better than any team so far. They had little room to work with. I'm disappointed that the Sabres lost. The Sabres were certainly overmatched for much of the first period. But once they figured out how to play them, this was an even matchup. The difference between being a serious or non-serious contending team can be small. I don't think that we are that far away from crossing over that border. We just have to hang in there a little longer and have the fortitude to stick to the course that has been set.

Hockey is not the same as football with respect to player movement and one's ability to bring in players each year. The difference between the Bills and the Sabres at this current stage is that the Bills already have a stable roster and core to add to. In contrast to the Sabres who are at an earlier stage where the roster is still being rebuilt and developed. There is a time and place to bring in players. The emphasis right now is to provide playing time and work with the youngsters. While immersed in this process of player development the organization is bringing in support players such as Lyubuskin and Comrie. I also liked the Yost pickup. He's certainly not a primary player, but he is a good support player who fills a needed role of playing a hard and tough style of game. Make no mistake what I'm saying here. I agreed with you that a couple of more players could have been added in the offseason to provide more depth. It didn't happen to the extent I would have liked. However, in general I agree with the direction of the team and organization that this front office has established.

I can't say that he is a great coach because you need to have sustained success over a long period of time to earn that moniker. What I can comfortably say is that he is a very good coach who is very tuned into his players. His most impressive feat was taking over a team and then quickly shuffling out the players he felt that didn't fit his profile of player he wanted and keeping a core to build around. His mini-rebuild was done in a relatively short time span. I thought he and Beane were masterful in assembling a roster in short order that could compete with anyone. And without question their greatest and most impactful decision was identifying the qb to build around, and then maneuvering in the draft to acquire him. That decision will have positive reverberations for more than a decade.

He's really tuned into his players. His talents go beyond strategy and game day decisions. He and Beane are in sync as to how to build a roster. It's not simply about talent. It is getting the right character people who are bought in to the team. When you have a collection of the right kind of people there is an internal dynamic where leadership comes from within. Kevin Adams has noted on WGR that he has talked to Beane and McDermott on more than a few occasions about the conceptual aspect of building a team/roster. That is heartening to hear.

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What a lot of people don't account for is that he is still very young. There's more growth potential than many are willing to acknowledge. I don't consider him to be a first pairing caliber of defenseman. But I do see him as a capable #2 player in the second pairing. And it appears that coach Don G. does also. If a better defenseman is brought in and he gets bumped down to the third pairing then that would indicate a high quality player was added to the roster. I would celebrate that addition.

It won't be long before players in the system will be vying with him for his roster spot. But the one advantage he has as a player is that he is also capable of playing on the wing. So even if a player, such as Krebs, eventually supplants him at center, he can still move to the wing and get playing time. In addition, he has value as a player on the second PP unit.