JohnC

It wasn't that long ago that Cozens deliberately got into a fight (instigated it) in order to energize his teammates. He got his face punched in and got injured. His play after that faded. How would you have felt if he ended up with a serious concussion that cost him the season or even his career? Thankfully, the hooligan era of fighting has been severely curtailed. There is no need for it at all. My recommendation would be to play harder and tougher. Dropping the gloves accomplishes nothing good. And when it happens it raises the risks of injuries. It's unnecessary.

I don't accept fighting. It should be completely banned. It's archaic and creates a safety risk for the pugilists. There are already enough inherent health risks for the players when playing. The best way to retaliate against another player is to legally body check the opposition. Playing hard and tough have nothing to do with fighting. I enjoy watching hockey; I don't like hooliganism. Fighting is not allowed in college hockey and in the Olympics. Ask yourself why?

I have repeatedly said this before during the Ullmark contract saga so I don't want to get into a "what if" sad song reciting. But "what if" KA would had shown more flexibility and signed Ullmark to the contract that the player wanted? We would have been a playoff team last year, and our season this year would certainly be better. We had a good NHL netminder in our system, and we allowed him to walk. It was a foolish mistake that has had major repercussions.

Echoing what @Sabres Fan in NS regarding the HC and his response to EJ's play you are way off the mark. There is simply no basis for your conclusion.

The Ranger goalie is a top tier goalie. He was the difference in the game. The Sabres had more than enough chances to win. We had a number of breakaways that we didn't capitalize on. Their goalie stymied those chances. On the positive side, the Sabres showed character after they got behind 2-0. They kept playing hard and pushed the play. They got back into the game. The biggest plus for me was the play of Quinn. He seems to have regained his speed and quickness. Another positive thing about this game is the play of Ryan Johnson. Although he's young and inexperienced he is very composed on the ice. He plays like he belongs. I thought Mitts played well in this game. I also liked the play of Greenway. There is little flash or speed to his game. He simply adds some beef and strength to the lineup. His muscle play behind the net where he got the puck to Mitts for a score was impressive. He's also a valuable penalty killer. No question that I'm disappointed at the outcome but we at least got a point out of this game. If the Sabres would have played with this effort throughout the season, we would have at least 6 more points. The injured players are returning to health so the lines should be stabilized. The team dug a hole for itself. They need to continue playing the way it did last night to get back into playoff contention. There is little margin for error. Just keep playing hard.

I'm not going to disagree with you that our goaltending is not consistently at a high level. That's a roster reality that is not going to change this season. But that isn't the biggest reason why this team has not met our expectations. Last year, mostly when Levi joined the team at the end of the season, this team played at a high level in their playoff push. For nearly a third of a season the team played at a level that upper tier teams play at. And during that end of season push there was a consistently in team play. That's not the case this year. We have beaten upper tier teams such as the Rangers, Boston, Vegas and Colorado. In those games, the team played as if they were Stanley Cup contenders. However, this year, the level of play has been too erratic especially against lesser talented teams, regardless of the caliber of our goalies. That's the main problem. Entering this season our roster is better than last year. The younger players should be getting better and the roster has been stable enough where there should be more cohesion. What happened? Who would have been satisfied prior to the season knowing that Detroit, Montreal, Phil, and others, would be ahead of us in the standings at this point? The Sabres have some roster flaws. So what! Most teams do. The difference this year has been the level of effort and a fragility that is evident when dealing with adversity. This team has to toughen up both mentally and physically. They have demonstrated that episodically that they can do so. That's not good enough. I disagree with you in your belief that our playoff aspiration already has been squelched. I still believe that there is enough time to turn it around and get back into the playoff race. There's no question that the team has dug itself into a deep hole. The solution is to play harder and do it with greater consistency. A generation of excuse making is long enough. No more excuses!

To show you how obtuse I am I thought the whiner line was a about wine. If you are looking for a HOF candidate for gullibility I should be on the ballot. https://www.google.com/search?q=bottle+of+wine&oq=bottle+of+wine&aqs=chrome.0.0i131i355i433i512j46i131i433i512j0i512l8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

I agree that my descriptive word doesn't apply to last night's game. And I agree that your descriptive word, effort, applied last night. However, I am freaking mad that it has applied to too many games in this season.

I, like you, don't believe that the HC has lost the room. However, what I can say is that there isn't a HC in the league whose team entered the season with such high expectations wouldn't be in a precarious job situation. That's the way it works in this bottom-line business. If the players are upset that there were calls for their coach to be fired, it is because of their desultory play. The Sabres already are in a desperate catch-up mode because of their lackluster and up and down play. In a long season with 82 regular season games you are always going to have games that are clunkers. That's normal. But when a team has been out of the playoffs for nearly a generation it shouldn't be surprising that the abused fans would expect to see greater urgency from the players. There simply is no excuse for this hideous pattern of up and down play. I'm hoping that the Toronto game was a pivotal game for this team.

Just some quick thoughts on this game. Toronto's goaltending was one of the worst I have seen this season. The Sabres took advantage by shooting the puck on net. We didn't do that enough against Columbus. I would give Okposo the first star. Our first line with Tuch/Tompson/Skinner was terrific. Tuch did the intangibles that made this line click. This was Clifton's best game. I don't know what Mitts stats were but I thought he played well. He was nifty with the puck. Quinn seemed to move a little better with more quickness. JJP made a terrific pass to Quinn for his goal. JJP is getting better and better. This game means little if there isn't a follow-up. Elevating its play against the better teams while lowering its play against lesser teams is an exasperating flaw that has sabotaged this season. Skinner's value to this team beyond his goal scoring is that he adds a spark to the team. This team needs to string some wins together to get back into the playoff hunt. I hope it's not too late. There are so many teams that we need to jump ahead of. I know there were a lot of Toronto fans in the building. But regardless which fans are in the seats there is a tremendous amount of energy when the building is full.

If Snoop Dogg buys the team it will go up in smoke.

The decrepit reputation of this franchise has been known for more than a dozen years. You don't have to be a NHL insider to know what every casual hockey fan has known for a long time.

You identified the issue that is plaguing this team: Effort. What is exasperating and even more inexcusable is that against some of the best teams in the league this team has shown that it has the capacity to play hard and tough against throughout the game. The Colorado, Boston, Ranger and Vegas games are examples where this team has shown what it is capable of when it is determined to do so. What does these episodic examples of playing the right way mean? It means that there is a team character and roster flaw. When you can't maintain an acceptable level of effort on a regular basis, then the mix in the roster and coaching staff have to be altered. Buffalo plays Toronto tomorrow. The house will be filled with a lot of Toronto fans. I won't be surprised if the Sabres play well and win. A win tomorrow won't impress me. They have to play the right way on a consistent basis. That's the problem! For whatever reason/s they can't do that.

There is no one established grooming formula that is suitable for every player. The route that Levi and Power took in their NHL journey isn't necessarily appropriate for every prospect. Benson went to this year's training camp and demonstrated that he can play at a level that earned him an NHL roster spot. And his play so far has earned him the right to get playing time on top lines. Everyone has their own evaluations when watching the games. Speaking for myself, he has not only been one of our better players but he has also been one of the grittier players on this team. He might be one of the least physically developed players on the roster, yet he has given us as much, if not the most, net presence in the games played so far. He's good, smart and tough. He's playing where he should be and where he would want to be. Some decisions regarding prospects are difficult to make. This isn't one of them.

I don't understand your reasoning from Benson's perspective. The Benson case is an example that should be celebrated. He outperformed expectations for such a young player/prospect in camp and earned a roster spot. And as you point out he has demonstrated by his play that up to now he is actually one of our better players on this team. I doubt that if Benson was given a choice to play in the Worlds or to stay with the Sabres that he would prefer to play in the Worlds. From a developmental standpoint, it is better that he played in the NHL right now than it would be to dominate at a lower-level competition. If he were a marginal player with limited playing time, I would agree with your stance. But the reality is that he has become a positive outcome in a season that so far has been a major disappointment. In this very disappointing season I'm not going sneer or be dismissive with this pleasant and unexpected outcome.

It appears, as you suggest, that an injury is inhibiting his play. But as you astutely observe the effort is there. That's all you can ask for. When this team collectively demonstrates full effort, the results follow. Last night, was a good example of that. Tage is one of the best shooters in the league. It's noticeable that the injury to his wrist is still a lingering problem. He's not the same dynamic shooter that he was prior to the injury. But to his credit he is working through it and giving his all. That's what character and leadership is all about.

Before I go to bed just some quick thoughts about this game. Levi is the first star by far. Benson played really well. He is as good as anyone on this team to get to the right spots. For a youngster who is not fully physically developed, he plays tough and is a gritty kid. Don't be fooled by his baby face. Cozens looked good in this game. So did Mitts. I thought that Cozens and Mitts fed off of each other. Vegas is one of the best teams in the league. They are physically tough. Although Vegas dominated the play in the beginning of the game, after that sequence the Sabres went toe to toe with them. I thought the Sabres played as hard throughout this game than they have all season. I don't recall any lull in their play in this game. In order to make this win meaningful the Sabres need to win against the Coyotes.

I strenuously disagree with your take on Okposo. He's not playing out the string (your words). There is no question that he is a diminished player who is at the end of his career. Where he is as a player has nothing to do with his lack of leadership. The notion that because he is the designated captain that he is blocking someone else from assuming leadership doesn't resonate with me. Just because he wears the C doesn't mean that players such as Tuch or Dahline or Thompson or even Mitts can't be influential in the room or on the ice. Your frustration with this team is making you chase an irrelevant bogeyman. With respecting to who has the responsibility to holding players accountable for their play, it is the coaches, primarily the HC. He asserts his authority by distributing playing time and also by not suiting up players at all if that is what is required to motivate the problematic players. I'm not panicking just yet over how the season has unfolded. That is not to say that my patience with this inconsistent team isn't close to being exhausted. Something is missing with this team. It may relate more to the roster mix than to the talent in general. I just think that the issue you are focusing on regarding who wears the letters is misguided. Again, whether one wears a letter or not has little to do with who exerts leadership.

There were some other factors that made Kane prefer Detroit. He and DeBrincat had an association from their Chicago days. Kane also played in the juniors in Michigan so he had some ties to the area. Like you, I wasn't bothered by not being able to sign Kane because this team had other needs. I thought that the Robinson signing met a greater need.

I would love to see a Quinn/Cozens/JJ line.

Not getting Kane shouldn't be much of an issue assuming that Quinn can return to form in the near future. As you noted, it's clear that Buffalo isn't an appealing destination for a lot of players. That's the sad reality of that is a result of long-term franchise dysfunction and failure. Tuch should be back for the road trip and Greenway should be back soon. I'm not bothered by Kane going to Detroit. It is a good spot for him.

It's not surprising that people watch games and come away with diametrically different views. I'm not saying that your view on Casey is wrong. However, my view on Mitts is much different. Regardless what his stats are, in my mind he has been one of our better players so far. He plays as hard as anyone, and I consider him to be one of our better wall papers. One of the bonuses of having Mitts on the team is that he can be moved up and down the lines and still be a good player. I think you are undervaluing the value of his versatility. What it comes down to is: Different eyes have different views.

Last year, especially in the last third of the season, you could see him emerging. There were nuances to his game that indicated that he was more advanced as a player/prospect than JJ P was. Although he isn't the biggest player on the ice, he had a snarl to his game that showed that he was more than a perimeter player. Before he got hurt, he was one of the more intriguing players to follow this upcoming season. It's obvious that after the world tournament that JJP took a leap forward. I'm hoping that Quinn can do the same and continue on his upper trajectory that he exhibited before getting hurt. I'm hoping that by Jan 1, he will be back in rhythm and give this team a jolt for its second half of the season playoff run.

I'm not over-rating him as a player. There is no question that he is a fourth-line player. This team was in need for more tougher lower line players. His attributes as a player are what this team needs. Not a major pickup but a good pickup.

Just like with the Greenway pickup it was a good addition. More toughness and less perimeter style players. Not major additions but good pickups.