GDT: Los Angeles Kings @ Buffalo Sabres, Oct 10, 7 pm ET, TV: MSG-B, BSW, Radio: WGR 550 AM

[Archie Lee]

11 hours ago, thewookie1 said:

The fact they called that penalty on Zucker after he was pile drived earlier in the game as well as Lafferty was hit from behind is straight absurd.

The fact that we can’t seem to get one ***** game where the opposing goalie doesn’t make at least 4 marquee saves is plain aggravating. 
 

We completely outplayed them nearly the entire game and yet their goalie stood on his head and the Sabres PP can’t score to save their lives.

There should have been a penalty called when Zucker was driven into the ice.  I suspect his anger at the end was about the inconsistency. 

My opinion, separating the earlier non-call from the discussion, is that the penalty on Zucker was correct.  You can generally get away with a reverse hit if you are actually about to be hit and you stand your ground; you can even lean back into the hit and get away with it. In this case, Clarke was not really about to body check Zucker. In my view, watching at regular speed, Clarke was applying pretty routine puck pressure. Interference or roughing, take your pick. It was the right call. Also, I actually think it was a lazy play by Zucker; rather than work to create leverage and move the puck towards the net or to a teammate, or start a cycle, he opted for the quicker route and launched himself into Clarke.  There is a reason we don't see this type of play very often, that being because it is a penalty.  

[Carmel Corn]

55 minutes ago, CallawaySabres said:

The contracts on this team? Yup, they are SCREWED for plenty years to com

Samuelsson

Cozens

Dahlin

SCREWED

Don’t forget Power and Thompson.  Those aren’t looking like bargains either

[GASabresIUFAN]

1 hour ago, CallawaySabres said:

The contracts on this team? Yup, they are SCREWED for plenty years to com

Samuelsson

Cozens

Dahlin

SCREWED

What about 8 mill for Power?  Has to be one of the worst contracts in hockey.  

[Ctaeth]

Pretty crazy how fast this appears to be going off the rails.  Lose again on Saturday and we might see near empty arenas really early in the season.  Hopefully Lindy can right the ship...

 

edit:  I will say that there is solace to be taken in at least playing better than they did in prague.  it's at least a step in the right direction.  hopefully they are still in the race when/if they actually figure it out under lindy.  

Edited October 11 by Ctaeth

[CallawaySabres]

1 hour ago, Carmel Corn said:

Don’t forget Power and Thompson.  Those aren’t looking like bargains either

I think Tage will eventually be worth it, Power, not so much. I have ZERO clue how Adams still has a job. At least he got booed last night when announced because he deserved every one of those.

[inkman]

2 hours ago, LETSTUCHINGO said:

I was glad to see the arena so filled, I was worried when I first arrived that it wouldn't be as full as it was. I thought the Sabres played an excellent game, but it is evident that we have a problem in our top 6. Nobody is scared of us. I don't know if we are snake bit as Lindy eluded to or we are lacking talent. All I hear is how much talent we have, yet nothing proves that in regards to results. I have seen Kulich play with the big club a number of times now and for someone who is supposed to be untouchable in trade talks, he's done nothing! Where's Quinn, TNT, Cozens. JJ, or Tuch? Hell, the goal Tuch scored was plan luck. He shot it directly into Kuemper's glove and got lucky it popped straight back out and there was nobody within 5 feet of him! I thought Dahlin played an excellent game except for a 5 second brain fart. I was settling back  into my seat when Kopitar scored his 2nd goal, so I didn't see the ridiculous give away in our own end. That is what needs to change in his game, from time to time he gets lackadaisical with the puck. Besides that, Dahls was our best player by far shutting down drives, initiating drives with excellent long outlet passes, dropping down into the zone offensively to extend plays, and man handling the Kings with his physicality. Give away excluded (I understand he does this from time to time and it is inexcusable), what the hell else is the guy supposed to do! If the top 6 can't score, we will continue to lose! And people are saying to bench Dahlin?? Why do we constantly blame our best players? It was ROR when he was here, then Eichel, now Dahlin! Unreal! The one to be benched is freaking Samuelsson! Sammy is an absolute waste and cost us the game and at the very least a loser's point! He plays like a cotton ball, bringing nothing offensively, and that disgusting slashing penalty when were already down a man just cannot happen. Hockey suicide as Lindy so eloquently put it. What does he bring to this team besides being an injury risk? NOTHING! Our bottom 6 is drastically improved and has looked the part. The fact that Adams didn't capitalize on this teams success 2 years ago in the summer, when FA's actually wanted to come here, is inexcusable and now the organization is paying the price! FRUSTRATED BEYOND BELIEF! 

I’ll never read this or any post like. The return key is your friend or at least should be. 

[Mr Peabody]

5 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

What about 8 mill for Power?  Has to be one of the worst contracts in hockey.  

All of the above and we are  still well below the cap are reasons I’d rather KA not spend any more money. 

Edited October 11 by Mr Peabody

[Crusader1969]

1 hour ago, Archie Lee said:

The surprising part of that stat to me is that on average less than 2 teams per season start 0-3.  Would have thought that would be higher. 

Still hope.  Need JJP badly  

 

[nfreeman]

Well, our 2 local teams are now 0-5 in their last 5 games.  Awesome.

Having said that, I thought the Sabres were much better last night than they were in Prague -- although the Kings are not nearly at the Devils' level.  Still, they played hard and created a lot of chances.  The PP was terrible again though and that was the difference in the game.

I'll ask again:  has Dahlin made a single play this year befitting a $12MM per year player?  Has he played better than, say, Jokiharju?  Has he remotely resembled a captain of a real team?  I don't think he's mailing it in, but I think he's shrinking from the moment and showing zero mental toughness and is perhaps overwhelmed.

Glass half full:  if they keep producing efforts like that, I think they'll win their fair share.  Lindy needs to help them get their confidence back.  Once they find their mojo, they'll start finishing chances and games.

[LETSTUCHINGO]

28 minutes ago, inkman said:

I’ll never read this or any post like. The return key is your friend or at least should be. 

Oh no, the horror!

 

 

Then why quote it? 

 

 

Why not ignore it?

 

 

 

Do you even have friends?

 

 

Probably responding in a dark room in your underwear!

[nfreeman]

Just now, LETSTUCHINGO said:

Oh no, the horror!

Then why quote it? 

Why not ignore it?

Do you even have friends?

Probably responding in a dark room in your underwear!

This is obnoxious.  Do not communicate like this here.

[LETSTUCHINGO]

5 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

This is obnoxious.  Do not communicate like this here.

Actually, what I was responding to was obnoxious and uncalled for.

[Stoner]

8 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

This is obnoxious.  Do not communicate like this here.

Correct. Everyone knows ink goes commando.

[inkman]

24 minutes ago, LETSTUCHINGO said:

Oh no, the horror!

 

 

Then why quote it? 

 

 

Why not ignore it?

 

 

 

Do you even have friends?

 

 

Probably responding in a dark room in your underwear!

I was actually on the shitter at work.  Where I do my finest work. 

[Weave]

10 minutes ago, inkman said:

I was actually on the shitter at work.  Where I do my finest work. 

But were the lights off?

[LETSTUCHINGO]

[mjd1001]

16 hours ago, Pimlach said:

 

Who played good?   Clifton and Malenstyn stood out.  Clifton set up Thompson, who hit a post.  He set up McLeod.  Clifton was solid on the PK and he got involved.  Malenstyn has bad hands but he hits and is very fast.  

UPL was not heavily tested but made sone good stops. Tuch was hustling and scored on the PK.  Benson and Greenway were noticed.  

Who was disappointing?  Thompson had chances but missed and missed and missed. Quinn failed to shoot the puck on several open opportunities which disappointed me and the crowd.  They need goals, not fancy plays.  

Who was bad?   Samuelsson cost us the game with a terrible penalty. Cozens is not a 2C   Cozens was terrible, has a bad shot, and he acted like a child.   

Byram.  I don’t get it.  He jumps into the offense a lot but so far has not produced.  I am not impressed with any part of his game so far   

We stink up the middle   Thompson is not a 1C.    Cozens is not a 2C.  The Mittelstadt trade is looking worse with each passing game.  Zucker didn’t do much, $5M for what?   That was Mittelstadt’s money.  Adam’s worked on the bottom 6, but he will learn that it’s the top 6 that is not performing.  Our top 6 is struggling big time.  
 

 

 

I like most of what you said, not all, but most, a few notes:

-Clifton.  I like him a lot.  Many of our thoughts on him were colored by a bad first 20 or so games last year.  Is he a top pairing guy? Nope, but the last 60% of last year and the couple games this year, I think he is a VERY good 3rd pair guy and can play 2nd pair minutes if needed for a short time.

-Tuch.  He CAN get you 30+ goals per year, but its best when you don't expect it.  View him what he is..a $5.5m guy, 20-25 goal scorer (with potential for more), great forchecker, energy guy, and he is very good at all those things.

-Thompson.  Is he an Elite #1 guy? It looks like no at this moment. But he is skating, he is shooting, he is getting chances. He's just not finishing.  If 10 games into the season he has 3-4 goals, I'll admit its an issue, but I think he is going to come around and be a 'good' #1 center. I'm holding out hope.

-Quinn?  I have no idea what is up. He's invisible, he's not taking shots.  No idea what is up with him. Looks like a different (worse) player than last year.

-Cozens.  He's bad. The best example of "looks like a hockey player in the uniform" or "looks like a hockey player in practice" but on the ice he's just bad.  The BEST you can hope is he doesn't do a boneheaded play in his own zone.  And he can't score.  Well, he's a 15-20 goal guy, but you don't pay $7m+ for a guy who is bad in his own end and gets you 15-20 goals per year.  Move him to the 3rd line already, preferably on wing.

-Byram.  I think he and Power have been the best pairing for this team so far.  To me I see him as on the edge of 'breaking out', but I agree we haven't actually SEEN it yet, but like Thompson, I'm hopeful with the signs, but he has to actually produce in the next few weeks. 

HOWEVER, even if Bryam is good and does 'break out', Mitts on this team would be so much more valuable at this point. $5.75 million he is getting from Colorado would look great on this roster right now.

The only thing that makes sense with Mitts is that they think Mitts hit a ceiling and Helenius or Östlund will be better for the majority of the next 5 years (that doesn't help them right NOW though)

If by the 20 game mark Cozens is at or under 4-5 goals or is shooting well under 10%, and one of the young guys in Rochester has even a decent start, I'm calling them up and giving them a taste of C at the NHL level.  I'm even at the point of swapping McLeod up to play with Quinn and Peterka/Benson...and moving Cozens between Lafferty and Malenstyn to see what happens.

This team is in DESPERATE need for a legit top-2 center.

Edited October 11 by mjd1001

[LabattBlue]

Saw this posted on Facebook.  Can’t possibly be true, can it?

 

[Stoner]

Planet based?

[shrader]

11 minutes ago, Stoner said:

Planet based?

Everyone knows that is supposed to be hyphenated. 😁

[Thorner]

4 hours ago, Archie Lee said:

The surprising part of that stat to me is that on average less than 2 teams per season start 0-3.  Would have thought that would be higher. 

Agree, honestly still surprised by 5 of the 19 making it, though. Leaves room for some hope I suppose 

Edited October 11 by Thorner

[Thorner]

5 hours ago, #freejame said:

Another guy who can’t take the pressure of expectations I guess. 

His legend was built on a misreading re: correlation and causation 

[thewookie1]

29 minutes ago, Thorner said:

His legend was built on a misreading re: correlation and causation 

Frankly he played and looked the part aside from his injuries. Then last year it seemed like he suddenly decided he wanted to be offensively competent and he spiraled rapidly.

[Thorner]

5 minutes ago, thewookie1 said:

Frankly he played and looked the part aside from his injuries. Then last year it seemed like he suddenly decided he wanted to be offensively competent and he spiraled rapidly.

Ya I mean he can definitely be a reasonable player. My issue was always with the misreading of his value to the tune of suggesting he was the team’s mvp, which happened a crazy amount, and that absurd contract. It’s not even that expensive: it was just ridiculous to sign him up for the term we did when we did. No upside only downside. I was almost the only person torpedoing that deal at the time so you’ll have to forgive me for reiterating that point 

What would he cost now? Assuredly not any more than we already paid. Probably less. We aren’t gaining anything but the handcuff of a locked in term 

At the end of the day the deal was exactly what I said it was: part of a messaging offseason where we wanted to show everyone he and others “wanted to be here” 

Edited October 11 by Thorner

[thewookie1]

I had thought he was slightly overpaid but would save us a bit on the back end; sadly barring a turn around it looks like a complete failure. I can't remember exactly my original stance on it however.