JohnC

I didn't think that Mitts had the gritty style of play to fit in with Cozens and Okie. I was wrong. I think playing with Cozens and Okie has helped round out his game even more. The coach is good at assembling lines. I'm sure when more talent is added the lines will be altered. But the three lines he has put together work well together. How Krueger went about putting together lines in comparison to Granato is ridiculous. I'm sure Skinner has some scathing thoughts on that subject!

Some instant impressions about the game: Mitts is regaining his offensive instincts. He made a number of impressive offensive moves in tight spaces. On top of that he is adding a lot of grit to his game. His battling behind the net to keep the puck in play was a consequential sequence in this win. Skinner's tenacity in getting his shot off inspires his linemates. Tuch made a lot of plays for his linemates because he is drawing a lot of attention. I thought our top three lines all played well. Krebs has incredible vision and playmaking ability. Olofsson is playing so much looser and isn't reluctant to shoot as he had been. I thought that line played well. How can one not be happy for Okposo? He is playing with so much more quickness compared to prior years. He is playing up to his contract. Minn plays a rugged game. There are few long rushes on offense. Their offensive game is mostly playing hard behind the net. Considering that they played a tough game yesterday, you have to give them credit for maintaining that hard style of play on consecutive nights. Their goalie made some exceptional stops. The stop on Krebs was a highlight stop. The Sabres of late are playing a tougher brand of hockey that is reflected by the number of shots they are blocking. You can see more unity by the way players stick up for one another. I'm not one who likes fighting but unquestionably the Fitz fights pumped up his teammates. The MVP in this game was Skinner. The most important takeaway and encouraging thing in this game was the play of Mitts. This was an entertaining game to watch.

Is Reiger Lorenz the grandson of former Sabre and announcer Jim Lorenz?

Nuclear option is still on the table. For Putin that is a very long table. ☠️ https://www.google.com/search?q=putin+long+table&rlz=1C1SQJL_enUS802US802&oq=Putin+long&aqs=chrome.0.0i131i433i512l2j69i57j0i512l3j0i3l2j0i512l2.2818j1j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Periodically I ask you similar questions and appreciate your thoughts: Give me a couple of prospects you would be ecstatic to see when our draft turn comes up at the bottom of the first round? I would love to have a similar outcome as we had when KA moved up to get Peterka at the area in which he was drafted.

Then her prerogatives are allowable. Some people would say she is being arbitrary and capricious. She would say: Shut up--I'm the boss. The next response is : Yes mam you are correct as usual.

Tell the rule enforcers that you posted from Japan where the day started sooner. So technically you are still adhering to the rule. 😄

No player with their particular contract is a hinderance for this team to add talent to this roster this offseason. That applies to Skinner and Okposo. This organization is so under the cap that it assumed a contract of a player that it wasn't going to keep for the sole person of meeting the cap floor. Is Skinner overpaid relative to his production? It really doesn't matter as long as he is scoring goals. Is Okposo overpaid relative to his production? It doesn't matter. This organization, if it so desires, will have the ability to add talent this offseason if it wants to upgrade the roster. The most important issue regarding contracts relates to term more than it does to annual pay. The Sabres may be in the best position of almost all teams to bring in players in a cost responsible manner. It comes down to the willingness to do so.

Assuming Jack returns to pre-injury form Vegas will benefit more from the trade. As @dudaceknoted he has not played in more than a year. So undoubtably he is going to get better. He's a special talent that isn't available in every draft. And it should be remembered that if the Sabres would have allowed him to have the surgery when he wanted to have it, maybe the return would have been even better? But at this point that is a meaningless issue. As far as the impact on the rebuilding Sabres one advantage in this deal is that this team got back two contributing players for one. (I'm not including the future draft picks in this discussion.) One of the major weaknesses in the Jack and Reinhart era is they didn't have enough support surrounding them that would have made them and the team even more effective. Tuch is a good player and Krebs should also in time be a good second-line player. Jack is an exceptional/elite player that most good teams don't have access to because of where they are usually positioned in the draft. I'm hoping this regime learns its lesson from the mistakes of the past.

I want to put out a public request: Please continue with the GIFs! Some of them are pee inducingly funny. So please continue on with the gifs that are sometimes piercingly funny responses. Oldsters like to laugh and giggle. 🤣

Those weak goals that our goalies have a tendency to give up have been crushing. When you have a team that has less margin of error to work with those soft goals can be deflating. I would estimate that the Sabres could have 10-12 more points in the standing if some of those weak goals were eliminated. The game where it was evident was in the Colorado game at home. I thought that was our best played game of the season. Overall, Tokarski played reasonably well in that game. He made some big stops that kept us in the game. But in the end we couldn't overcome the scourge of those killer soft goals.

Thanks for the kind words. However, I'm still sticking with Okposo as far as consistency at both ends of the ice. One part of the game that Tage still has to work on is to do a little less dazzling with the puck and make quicker plays. I would like to see him play a tighter game without stifling his creativity with the puck. It's a delicate balance. What's exciting about Tage is that teams are making him a focal point in game planning and yet he still is producing. And on top of that he's got more to give!

What is apparent is that any partner playing with Dahlin is going to have a lot of room because Dahlin draws so much attention. That was evident with how much space Bryson had with he was rushing up the ice when Dahlin was on the other side. An intriguing question is who will Granato eventually pair with Dahlin when Power joins the roster? I try to be fair-minded when watching the Sabres and not get carried away making judgments. What I am seeing is even against the top tier teams and competing against the best players Dahlin is playing at an elite level. And what is even more exciting is that you can see that he still has more talent to tap into. Just think a couple of months ago some of the panic followers were calling for him to be sent to Rochester to regain his game!

As you noted each of them read each other well and on the fly adjusted to each other. I can't remember an occasion where they didn't cover for one another. That's pretty good cohesion for not playing together very much.

I was aware that he can skate. But I thought in this game and paired with Dahlin that his speed was a factor.

Just a few quick impressions on this game. A word that describes how the the Sabres played in this game is dogged. Their stickwork was excellent. And this is the best I have seen them blocking shots. Olofsson is starting to play with more confidence. If he can get his game back it is like adding another good player to the roster. I liked the play of Cozens. He has a bulldog style of game with little flash to it. Finesse is one word that doesn't apply to his game. I thought all the defensive pairings played well. Bryson played better than I expected. He can motor. Under Granato Skinner has been resuscitated. He can skate, shows grit, shoot, pass and more than anyone else exhibit passion. We have a genuine first line. I'm going to be patient with Mitts because he has been out so much. If he can get back to the form that he had when Granato took over last year it would be big boost for this team. The most consistent player on this team is Okposo. He is admirable. Anderson is not a workhorse goalie. When he is not overused, he plays well. In the first two periods you can see the offensive potency of the Leafs. The brand of play is not going to work in the playoffs where it is a tighter and tougher game. I enjoyed this game. In the grand scheme of things does it mean much. Not really. But after watching a game like this you do get a glimmer of hope.

Sandy Duncan may be a little more cutesy but this oldster prefers the genuine original. 🥰

Once the football stadium financing issues are decided the arena issues should then be addressed. According to the Buff News there should be announcement on the football stadium very soon.

Mary Martin in Peter Pan struck a chord with me. I guess you can call it youthful indiscretion. 😁

The answer would be useful if asked where is the nearest bathroom.

Is that an unattractive guy or girl? 🥰

I don't know what is true or not about an outside buyer. What I do know for sure is that Golisano at the press conference to announce the sale said he was offered more money for the Sabres but declined it because he wanted assurances the team would stay in Buffalo. I distinctly remember that Hamilton was most frequently where the team would have been relocated if Golisano accepted the highest offer. As I said in a prior post the commissioner was against the move. And there were reports that Toronto was against a relocation to Hamilton because they considered it an encroachment on its territory. Whatever the real story is the person who should be thanked is Golisano. He made money on the sale but he could have made more. He made a good profit but he wasn't rapacious in his dealings.

You are greedy. If the Sabres added one Tuch- like player I would be thrilled. That one addition could solidify another line. If we added two Tuch-like players I would be in a state of ecstasy.

I have researched the price that Pegula paid. There are different accounts. The figure that is repeated is $175 M plus the debt of $14 M for a total of $189 M. That is less than what Balsillie offered. Golisano should be thanked for being the person most responsible for keeping the franchise in Buffalo. And it should be noted that the often vilified commissioner was insistent that the franchise stayed in Buffalo.

When Golisano sold the franchise to Pegula he made the claim that he was offered more money from someone who was likely to move the franchise. The rumor was that it was someone who wanted to move the team to Hamilton. I don't know if the rumors that are starting to swirl have any merit to them. I hope not. I don't have much regard for how the Pegulas have run the franchise. However, I really don't want them to sell. As @GASabresIUFANnoted it's way past time to stick with a plan and ride it out.