JohnC

KA's timeline was out of whack. I'm not declaring that Reinhart would have been a savior player for us because the roster needed a lot more bolstering. But there is no doubt that Reinhart would have been potentially a big factor in more success then and now. In my opinion, KA miscalculated. Nothing new.

You have to consider that the rosters are significantly larger.

There is much more player movement in hockey than in football. There are more options to pursue talent than in football. Florida Panthers are an example of that.

For much of the game, we kept up with the Panthers. It's indisputable that they are a fuller and better team. They won the Cup last year and should be serious contenders this year. Eventually, there fulsome talent prevailed. What irritated me most about this game was watching Reinhart. He was an instrumental player in their Cup run but also is an upper echelon talent in the league. Can someone explain the logic of not signing him to a long-term contract when he was willing to sign a deal when he was with the Sabres? His talent and production was evident for all to see. It's it the accumulation of bad hockey decisions that has chained this franchise to the house of mediocre. It pisssses me off!

I disagree. It's easier to make player moves in hockey than in football. The Sabres are simply a product of their historical mismanagement. One example is that we had Reinhart in the system. For some inexplicable reason, the GM refused to sign him to an extension that he was willing to sign. Instead, he became a UFA and was dealt. Reinhart ended up being an instrumental player on Cup team, and without question he is one of the upper echelon players in the league. The accumulation of bad decisions has kept this franchise mired in the muck of mediocrity.

If you were wearing a tailor-made tuxedo and had a Hollywood hairdresser coif your hair you would still look raggedy compared to him. Let's not get delusional. Do you know what the first thing the hairdresser would say to you? Get that dam chicken off of your head before entering my exclusive salon!

You are only listening to what you want to hear. I said ass-tutes, with the accent on the first sylable.

I am a political junkie. Like you, I'm exhausted. I voted early so I can tune out as the noise gets louder with more desperation added to it. You will be in our thoughts and prayers.

Terry Pegula has been a poor hockey owner. Check the record if you don't believe me. If he handled the hockey operation in the same manner that he did with the football franchise, this franchise would have had an immensely more successful record in our recent history.

You are so very much off the mark. I live in the DC/MD area. The previous owner was a morally deficient fool who significantly meddled in the football operation and surrounded himself with yes men. As long as this shyster continued to own this franchise it would never be able to become the relevant franchise that it once was. It not only lost its fanbase, and even the minority partners were determined to disassociate themselves from this stenchful character. This was a conniving owner who bought outdated airline peanuts in bulk and then sold them at the stadium. He also cheated his fellow owners by manipulating the revenue figures on game days. This despicable human also paid out money to settle with women for inappropriate conduct. Of course he had non-disclosure clauses in the settlements. So when it comes to that former owner you know little compared to what I know about him. You may not be aware of the obvious but good ownership is a factor in the success of a franchise; and conversely bad ownership is a factor in a systemically unsuccessful franchise.

I was listening to a couple of sports radio stations commenting on the Hail Mary pass. In those separate forums they made the same point that the critical play that set up the game winning pass was the previous pass that you referred to. You may not be aware of it but at times you are astute and perspicacious. 👋

I wholeheartedly agree with you that the two man rush in that scenario makes no sense. When will they learn!!!???? The Commanders are a good example of what a downtrodden franchise can do when a wretched owner is replaced with a competent owner. The former owner, Dan Snyder, was an incompetent and meddling owner who was also a despicable person.

Has this happened? I haven't seen it.

The McDermott/Beane tandem is a strong pairing that has kept this team in contention for most of their tenure with the Bills. sidenote: I don't know if you caught the Hail Mary play in the Chicago/Washington game. https://www.si.com/nfl/commanders/news/watch-jayden-daniels-hail-mary-lifts-washington-commanders-vs-bears-highlights

He needs to comb his hair. 😀

I agree with your assessment after that dispiriting trip. I didn't relate your response to only that trip. I thought it also applied after our recent games. My bad for jumping to conclusions without understanding the context.

I don't consider you to be a pessimist. On the contrary, I consider you to be fair-minded, especially considering the deflating history of this recent franchise's performance. What I find encouraging (not conclusive) is there seems to be a greater attempt to play a tighter and tougher brand of hockey compared to the free-floating style of recent years. As they say: TBD.

I don't understand your response in judging their play. They both are playing well since the European excursion. I'm simply perplexed by your opinion of these two first line players, especially during this short period of success. Will their productive play be maintained? I can't say. Let's just see how these players and team play in a longer time frame when an opinion can be better supported. Right now, I'm more positive than negative.

Let's put aside the minimal winning streak and where we are in the standings. What's encouraging is the more structured and responsible two-way play. Compared to the past number of years, there is more effort in putting bodies in front of the net in the offensive zone. What is also noticeable is less perimeter play and more emphasis on getting the puck down low and battling. At least for me, I can see the influence of Lindy as a coach and the type of play he is promoting. And without question, with the added players from the offseason, the lower half of our roster is demonstrably better. As you point out it is still very early in the season to confidently prognosticate anything. But based on what I have seen, this is a better and more well-rounded team than what we have had in the past number of years.

Are you watching the games? Tuch and Thompson are both playing well, at least from what I have observed. Tuch may not be garnering a lot of offensive stats but on both sides of the ice he is one of our most aggressive players. He and Greenway are two of our best penalty killers. Our top line is playing well. He's a factor in that.

Does anyone know what the attendance was? recap: https://www.nhl.com/gamecenter/buf-vs-det/2024/10/26/2024020122

Just a few impressions about this game: The Tage line is playing like a good NHL first line. Tage is cooking. I thought the play of the game was JJP's pass to Tage for a score near the net. JJP is playing really well. Cozens and Quinn appear to be playing better. I'm not going to overrate their play, but they are not as invisible when on the ice as they have previously been. When Byram scored his goal that bounced off a defender it was because the defender was tangled up with Quinn near the goal mouth. The additions that KA made in the offseason are not flashy players but they have made this a better and more mature team. What I liked about this team is that even after dealing with adversity, as they did having a shorthanded goal against them, they didn't let the adversity affect their play. Dahlin got too cute and tried to pass to Tage instead of shooting it. UPL was solid. If we continue to get consistent sold to good goaltending, we should be in the playoff fray all season long. Greenway is not a flashy player but he is playing well. I have made this point before so I apologize for the repetition: The difference between this team and previous teams is that our lower lines are so much better and our lower pairing (third pairing) with Clfifton and Samuelsson are playing well. The bottom has been significantly raised making this a much more balanced team. A good home win and streak that is starting to establish a Lindy coached identity.

I agree with you that exercising patience is the best approach to take with the Cozen's line. As you point out, the frustrated center is generating quality chances. He's pressing to hard and is missing the mark. As you and others have already pointed out, the fading Quinn is baffling. He's the young player that I thought would take an exponential leap this year. Something's off for a player of his talent to become an invisible and inconsequential player. So far, Kulich has by far outshined him.

You make a keen point that his efficiency in making the right play is not as noticeable as a player whose style is more physically combative. As you point out, quickly getting the puck out of your zone isn't as eye popping of tangling with the opposition in your own zone. This young guy is quietly good and doesn't catch the eye of many of the viewers who favor body contact. I'm a Power fan. He is playing well now, and in the not-too-distant future he will be rated as an upper tier defenseman in this league. I already consider him to be an anchor player for us.

That's what is so perplexing about this discussion: He's playing well. His last game against Dallas was very good. The basis of the criticisms of him relate to his style of play that lacks aggression and pugnacity. And to my surprise, I very like much like the Byram and Power combo.