JohnC

Some quick thoughts. It has to be remembered that this intensely played game by the Sabres was the second game on a back to back. It's aggravating that this team struggles to play a similar tough brand of two-way hockey at home. Levi is our #1 goalie. He kept us in the game against a potent Toronto team. JJ is getting better and better. I thought he played really well. Mitts also played well. I thought the key play for us was Tage scoring a short-handed goal. It seemed that every time Toronto scored, we quickly came back and answered with a goal. I don't think that Ryan Johnson got a lot of minutes but he was effective. He kept it simple. He's young but he has a mature game. I like him a lot. The pass of the game was his release pass to Skinner who scored. How can you not be happy for Tuch. He's a good player and a tough player. In general, great effort with the players playing for one another. The Philly loss in front of the home fans still rankles me.

My thoughts and prayers are with your wife, you and family. Sports are fun and a diversion. Sometimes we lose perspective over a game. I'm sure you haven't. Real life is real life. 🙏

We didn't play well. That's obvious. However, we won. Winning when not expected and losing when not expected are part of the vagaries of a long and grinding season. When the season concludes, what counts is how many points your team earned. We got two points out of this game. There were occasions last season when we outplayed the opposition and lost because of the stellar play of the other team's goalie. In this game, we were the recipient of quality netminding when the opponent outplayed us. I'll take it.

Your scenario is possible. But my sense from the reports on Levi is that it is likely that he will play the next game. We shall see.

Last year, the Sabres had three different 8 game non-winning streaks. If we can avoid those types of losing streaks, the Sabres will not have to put so much effort digging themselves out of the hole like last year.

Minimal. Levi is likely to be in net.

His goal and pass back to Power for a score were critical plays. @Pimlach had him as our second star in this game. His judgment was sound. What's impressive about TNT is that for a big man he can maneuver in tight spaces, as those two plays demonstrated.

Some quick thoughts on this game. UPL was the first star and won the game for us. In general, the Flyers outplayed the Sabres but were stymied by UPL. I thought Joki played well. We had no flow and little ice time in our offensive zone. TNT's goal was nifty. This big man can maneuver in tight spots. I thought his pass back to Power was a critical play. Our performance on faceoffs was atrocious. Biro played hard all game and was rewarded for his efforts. The play of the game was Joki blocking a shot with his hand when the goalie was in a vulnerable position was the biggest play in the game for us. We won a game on the road when we were outplayed. That's a good sign. If we get this caliber of goaltending on a regular basis, we will be in the playoffs. Now let's win on Friday and make it three wins in a row.

What game were you watching? His positioning and rebound control were superb. He was the first star by far. This may have been his best game as a Sabre. He stole this game for the Sabres.

I'm not making an assumption that any of our goalies currently are or will be at an elite level. Although I believe Levi can become that caliber of netminder. The success of our goalies is predicated on the defensive play of the players on the ice, including the forwards. The Sabres played one of their best all-around defensive games against Colorado with strong net presence and tight coverage that helped the goalie in maintaining the shutout. The goalies we got are likely to be the goalies that we will play. So this fantasy hockey search for some savior goalie is unlikely to happen. Vegas won the Cup last year with their fourth goalie option who had little history of success. The primary reason for Vegas to go on its successful run was the play in front of the goalie. That's what needs to happen here. It's going to be difficult to consistently replicate the defensive standard of play that was exhibited in the Colorado game. But that will be the key to this team's success. What we got in net is what we got in net. That's the reality that many people can't accept.

I'm not disagreeing with you that there will come a time when he is likely to be supplanted. I don't think it is now. I prefer seeing the youngsters get a lot of playing time in Rochester before moving up the ranks.

I'm not going to make a conclusive judgment just yet on Krebs. If it gets to the point where he is hurting the team, then of course he should be replaced. Last year, when he played with Okposo and Girgs he contributed to making it a good defensive line. He does have good vision and can set up his line mates. As you well know, there have been a number of players prematurely targeted as lost causes. He's still very young and hopefully there is an upside to tap into. There are a number of young prospects waiting in the wings. They are close to being ready but not there yet. Let's exhibit more patience with him.

It's indisputable that cost cutting was the main factor during this covid period. The cash flow during this extraordinary pandemic era was severely stressed. Ironically, the austerity movement that resulted in Botterill departing because he didn't want to be part of this business restructuring, that included the evisceration of the scouting department, is a reason why this organization has turned things around. Because of the challenging business environment, the owners had the hockey operation comprehensively examined. Apparently, it has resulted in a more analytical approach that has put this franchise on a more positive path. The scouting staff that was eliminated has been replaced with new staff who are more analytically attuned. There is no question that there is now greater coherency throughout the organization with everyone being on the same page. The owners learned that instead of lurching back and forth in their management approach, it made more sense to institute a plan and follow through on it. My sense is that the owners learned from their mistakes and now have a better understanding on how to oversee the franchise.

In the first five minutes of the game all the players were futilely spinning their wheels and chasing the opposition. After that initial sequence, the team collectively found their stride and controlled the game.

I agree with everything you said. Although Mitts can play as a winger it is evident that center is his natural position. I don't think it is a stretch to say that he is a genuine #1 or #2 center. One thing that Coach DG is adept at is playing people in positions that best suit them, even if it is a temporary move to stimulate a struggling player or get a player more playing time. Playing Krebs with Okposo and Girgs and moving Mitts to center last year are examples of that. Our coach is not immune from criticism but without question he knows his roster well and how to manage the players and adjust when needed.

Just some quick and short observations. I haven't completely read the comments so I'm sure that my observations have already been mentioned. UPL was superb. Good positioning and rebound control. What encouraged me about this game was the style of play. Colorado is a talented and good skating team. So on offense you are not going to get a lot of room. The Sabres responded by simplifying their offense playing a north/south game and shot the puck instead of making the extra pass. One of the reasons UPL played well is that the team played good all-around defense that included the work of our forwards. The Sabres had good net presence both on offense and on defense. Our stick work by our big and long guys was exceptional. The style of play in this game was gritty. We didn't play a finesse and freewheeling game. We played a more basic road style of game. That's why we had such a good road record last year. Tuch made a nice pass for the Jost score. As @LGR4GM noted Eric Johnson was a terrific addition. He's tough and a no-frills player. The addition of him and a healthy Greenway improved this team. Greenway is playing well. I thought Bryson played well. Our PK has dramatically improved from last year. Dahlin is our best player. He made a number of subtle moves that few players in this league can replicate. The lines were guggled for this game. What does it mean? It means that we have a lot of versatile players who can be moved around in order to change the dynamic when things start to go stale. In general, the Sabres were tough and smart.

Thanks for the concern. Went to California to see my brother who is in a hospice with cancer. Was told to come as soon as possible because his hospice nurse said there wasn't much time left. I even brought a funeral suit. After three weeks, I returned back to Maryland. He's declining every day. I expect to return to California in the not-too-distant future. Little moments of shaving him were precious moments. Again, thanks for the concern.

Why do you think that coach DG kept him on the roster?

I have no problem with Bryson being a utility defender who gets a limited number of minutes per game. His talent level and skills match his role. I would rather see him being a utility defender than having Ryan Johnson playing that role right now. In the not too distant, after some playing time in Rochester, Johnson will be moving up to the big club and make that unit stronger.

I thought Stillman had a good preseason. However, I'm not getting upset whether Bryson or Stillman get claimed. Both of them are bottom pair defenders who won't get much playing time. They are essentially utility players. Bottom roster players hang on and bottom roster players get dispatched. It's part of the system that all teams have to contend with. The players that we get on waivers, such as Jost, and the players that we do lose make little difference in outcome. As I said to @PerreaultForever, these types of transactions are not worth being bothered over.

Why would you be upset about Bryson being on the roster? He's a fringe player who will get insignificant playing time. His role is as a utility player. I would rather have Ryan Johnson get a lot of playing time in Rochester than replacing Bryson on the roster right now. There's simply too much agitation over a player who will get marginal minutes. He's not worth being bothered about.

I think you are getting too optimistic on the point ceiling at 111. There is just a lot of parity in the league with teams such as Ottawa and Detroit getting better. I believe that 97 points is much more attainable than 111. As you well know, I fall into the optimist camp. If I had to venture a guess I'm expecting a 96 to 97 range. Our road record last year was superb. I don't expect us to match it this year, although I do expect a better home record. The team responds to a near full building. And I expect that to happen with greater frequency this season. However, I really don't believe that the Sabres are going to reach a three digit point total.

When you watch him play there is not a hint that he is a rookie. He belongs.

As far as the right or left hand issue, I don't particular care. After watching Ryan Johnson play in preseason it is apparent that we have a good player waiting in the wings to move up. The trading of Lyubush was the right thing for the player and for the team. To be honest, I thought he was a solid pickup when he was added. In general, he was a disappointment. There is nothing to fret about in the moving of the Russian.

You are correct that there hasn't been much public discussion about a Mitt's contract from the organization in contrast to the Dahlin contract negotiation. I wouldn't make any judgments from the organizational silence. As others have noted, Mitts has gotten better as he has gained more experience. That shouldn't be a surprise. But the biggest revelation and pleasant surprise that happened last year is when he was elevated to the top line when Tage was ailing. Without question, for that short duration, Mitts played like a genuine first line center. And his stats supported that assessment. Was that sample size too small to make a judgment on the caliber of player he is? Maybe. But it was a pleasant surprise that indicated the level of player he is, especially when playing with better talent around him.