SABRES-BILLS MLK DAY EXTRAVAGANZA (1-15-2024) GDT: San Jose Sharks vs. Buffalo Sabres, 1200 ET/1100 CT (MSG/ESPN+/Radio) // Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Buffalo Bills, 1630 ET/1530 CT (CBS)

[Sabres Super Fan]

Good win by the Buffalo Sabres this afternoon in my opinion. Go Sabres! Let’s Go Buffalo 

[K-9]

Dare I say that Oopie has turned a corner in his career? He’s been playing under control lately without the spazzing, wasted movement around the net. 

[LGR4GM]

7 minutes ago, Flashsabre said:

My God the Sharks are about as bad a hockey team as I have seen in a long time

They are weenies for celebrini

[ExWNYer]

1 minute ago, LGR4GM said:

They are weenies for celebrini

Is that a little blue pill?

😇

[Thorner]

1 minute ago, LGR4GM said:

They are weenies for celebrini

Gotta catch ‘em all 

[LGR4GM]

Just now, Thorny said:

Gotta catch ‘em all 

[French Collection]

4 minutes ago, Thorny said:

I’m not sure what we should do. What do you do if giving all of your core fair long term contracts will result in a team that sits in 26th place? They seem to all be “good” contracts yet the sum total result…not 

we definitely don’t need to be trading for prospects. But draft, develop, sign LT isn’t working, either. Will keep saying it, the GM has to actually GM and build a team

Cozens, Mule and TNT have disappointed me this year. They all have been hurt but that is not an excuse for this much sub par play.

Maybe Cozens is a 3C while Mitts is the 2C long term. $7M is too much for a 3C who performs like that. I hate to give up on him after one bad year.

Mule may be best on the 3rd pair, $4M is lot for that.

KA has too much patience, is there a trigger?

[Flashsabre]

7 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

They are weenies for celebrini

Celebrini’s dad works for the Warriors and they live in the SJ area so I think he would love to be drafted there.

[Norcal]

4-3 last 7.

Holding out hope for a run. 

 Congrats Upie on his 2nd career shut out.

Saw on X it tied Grant Fuhr in Sabres lore. 

[Huckleberry]

crap did I miss another early game ? ffs

 

[#freejame]

9 minutes ago, Thorny said:

I’m not sure what we should do. What do you do if giving all of your core fair long term contracts will result in a team that sits in 26th place? They seem to all be “good” contracts yet the sum total result…not 

we definitely don’t need to be trading for prospects. But draft, develop, sign LT isn’t working, either. Will keep saying it, the GM has to actually GM and build a team

I think the answer is sign Casey and see what happens when push comes to shove with Cozens and the cap. 

To the bold, I’d say our best draft and developments are already elsewhere. I think a lot of people around here look at a 23-25 year old with 5+ years of NHL experience as a finished product because they have 5+ years of experience. That might be true of the average player coming in at 23, but not with guys coming in at 18-19. Look at almost any player who was in the league in their teens. They end up being a completely different player by the time they are 28 and usually just starting to peak. Because to play in the league at that age, you usually are already pretty exceptional. It’s unusual to have a team so consistently filled with youth like we have. We’ve lost touch with reality. 

 

[Pimlach]

Good afternoon Teammates, Punch checking in.  
 

I missed the game, had other commitments.   Sounds like they did ok.  
 

Muscle Weight 

[JohnC]

Easy call: UPL gets the first star. 

Sometimes, when you play a bad team it is difficult to assess your own play. From a standings standpoint, San Jose has little to play for. So, they are playing relaxed and with little stress. The Sabres played it right by simply playing their game and not forcing the issue. Overall, I thought they played hard and were responsible in their own end. 

I thought Mitts played well and so did Tuch. Tuch may be our best end to end player. (Not saying he is our best player. But he plays hard on both ends of the ice.)

Greenway had a good game. No flash and sizzle to his game. But he is solid. He's a big and tall player who uses his physical assets. DG pushed the GM to get him when he was being shopped by the Wild. This was a good pickup for a reasonable price, 2nd round pick that was acquired in the Jack trade. 

Joki was active offensively, constantly shooting the puck.

It was disappointing to not get wins or earn points in the losses to Seattle and Vancouver. But if you count this game you can see the Sabres playing a more consistent  two-way game. 

When the Sabres get good goaltending, they can match up with any team. (Not saying that they are an upper echelon team. But they are a lower rung caliber playoff team.)

A win is a win. Just finish this homestand strong and don't take any team for granted. 

[ExWNYer]

5 minutes ago, Norcal said:

4-3 last 7.

Holding out hope for a run. 

 Congrats Upie on his 2nd career shut out.

Saw on X it tied Grant Fuhr in Sabres lore. 

4-2 last six.

[Brawndo]

7 minutes ago, Thorny said:

It’s going to be pretty interesting what they do. He’s one of the final pieces of the “core” to lock up, he seemingly deserves individually to be locked up, yet if we do so, we’ll have put the finishing touches on locking up a core, long term, that’s going to be finishing like…bottom 10 likely.

it’s a bit of a puzzle 

I think it comes down between Him and Cozens personally. Adams mentioned they have not engaged in contract extension talks with Mitts though, 

Mitts has been more consistent over the past calendar year, higher career shooting percentage and has a better overall 200 foot game so Cozens is probably the one I move. 
 

Adams should make a trade, I know try to stop laughing, and include Cozens in a package for a Top 4 RHD in the 23-28 age range 

[Norcal]

Just now, ExWNYer said:

4-2 last six.

Even better 

[JohnC]

3 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Good afternoon Teammates, Punch checking in.  
 

I missed the game, had other commitments.   Sounds like they did ok.  
 

Muscle Weight 

The Sabres played soundly. Good effort against a bad team. UPL played really well. Made excellent stops and gave up few rebounds. That's the most important takeaway from this game. The big goalie is starting to string a series of good games together. Right now he is our 1A goalie. 

[Pimlach]

Hoping this good karma carries to Orchard Park.  Go Bills!!! 

[Big Guava]

36 minutes ago, K-9 said:

Dare I say that Oopie has turned a corner in his career? He’s been playing under control lately without the spazzing, wasted movement around the net. 

We've seen good stretches before. Can he start having more good stretches like this and less bad stretches like he has had? Typically it seems to be a 1:1 ration. We need to start seeing it become like 2:1 or 3:1 before I'd say he is making progress.

Save percentage is still only .906 for the year even with the shutout today. GAA looking pretty good at 2.77 tho.

Definitely improving from last year .892 and 3.61 but those are AHL goalie numbers to begin with. Now he is in fringe NHL starting goalie caliber numbers territory at least.

Need to see him replicate a season with the numbers he had from that 9 game stretch a few years ago where he had a .917 save percentage. Now that would be very solid.

Either way he has earned more playing time and Levi will have to be content with the odd game here and there until he shows a decline.

Edited January 15 by Big Guava

[Norcal]

Good for Justin Bailey getting some ice with SJ this year

[Big Guava]

2 minutes ago, Norcal said:

Good for Justin Bailey getting some ice with SJ this year

With their record, just about anyone off the street could get ice time with them. I mean they have 23 points on the season putting them on pace for like 44 for the year...that's worse than many expansion teams were their first year. 

Granted, they hold the record for the worst full season points total in THEIR expansion season with 24, but they shouldn't be trying to recreate that.

[Norcal]

1 minute ago, Big Guava said:

With their record, just about anyone off the street could get ice time with them. I mean they have 23 points on the season putting them on pace for like 44 for the year...that's worse than many expansion teams were their first year. 

Granted, they hold the record for the worst full season points total in THEIR expansion season with 24, but they shouldn't be trying to recreate that.

Right. I thought the same but i'm still happy for a guy who's dream is the NHL. 

I'd bet if you asked him he'd just be happy to be here. 

[Brawndo]

46 minutes ago, Spoonman said:

UPL, albeit v SJS, is looking good again. I am thinking Meatballs is riding hot hand and if UPL can stay consistent, will allow the younger padewan, Levi to continue to work on his game, acclimate to NHL, and  get another 12-15 games this year, to finish with mid 30 something games. 👍

The biggest adjustment for players going from the NCAAs to the NHL is adjusting to the increased number of games, particularly with goalies. 
Proper development in the AHL would have put Him at 55-60 games 
Levi played 32 and 34 games respectively during His Two Seasons at Northeastern, getting only 35 games during His Rookie Season is a year of wasted development IMO. 

[JohninMinn.]

2 hours ago, JohninMinn. said:

I'm going 0ut on a limb and predicting a 6 game winning streak starting today. 3 winnable home games and then 3 out west where the team bonds and gels into a juggernaut. 

Leth's Play!

[Thorner]

43 minutes ago, #freejame said:

I think the answer is sign Casey and see what happens when push comes to shove with Cozens and the cap. 

To the bold, I’d say our best draft and developments are already elsewhere. I think a lot of people around here look at a 23-25 year old with 5+ years of NHL experience as a finished product because they have 5+ years of experience. That might be true of the average player coming in at 23, but not with guys coming in at 18-19. Look at almost any player who was in the league in their teens. They end up being a completely different player by the time they are 28 and usually just starting to peak. Because to play in the league at that age, you usually are already pretty exceptional. It’s unusual to have a team so consistently filled with youth like we have. We’ve lost touch with reality. 

 

Funnily enough, statistical prime nowadays is more so around 23 for forwards