GDT: Stars @ Sabres 10/22/24, 7:00 PM EDT; MSG, ESPN+, WGR

[Doohicksie]

40 minutes ago, JohnC said:

Tage is playing really well. 

I would say Tage is finding the attitude/mojo he had at the end of his 47 goal season.  He's using his size and reach to make plays and take over a shift, but he's smarter than he used to be; when he draws opponents toward him he's ready to dish to a linemate.  He's starting to be that "top 15 center" that other thread questions that he can be.

[PromoTheRobot]

3-1-1 in the last 5 games. Keep it up.

[7+6=13]

5 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

McLoed led all Sabres centers in ice time tonight.  

I'm not saying the Sabres are anything or that I know a darn thing about what we are - but it's nice to have you posting positive things. 

Winning is a heck of a thing.  Obviously so is losing, but I think they're at least showing the team is worth giving some time before we condemn it.

[LabattBlue]

Two games in a row I didn’t watch.  Should I chance it next game? 😂

[Dr. Who]

2 minutes ago, 7+6=13 said:

I'm not saying the Sabres are anything or that I know a darn thing about what we are - but it's nice to have you posting positive things. 

Winning is a heck of a thing.  Obviously so is losing, but I think they're at least showing the team is worth giving some time before we condemn it.

I'm not sure which, but I'm pretty sure they are making me bi-polar or schizophrenic. No they're not, how could you say such a thing?

[Sabres73]

1 minute ago, LabattBlue said:

Two games in a row I didn’t watch.  Should I chance it next game? 😂

Now is the time for you to really get into curling.

[mjd1001]

The team has been so fun to watch since they have been scoring goals...now i'm kinda bummed out we have to wait 4 more days until the next game.

They didn't really 'miss' Benson...maybe another game off to try to get whatever his injury is truly to 100%?

Edited October 23 by mjd1001

[LGR4GM]

50 minutes ago, JohninMinn. said:

I disagree Benson is a small guy. Ruff knows the psychology of the game. Early season calls for psychological dominance. Finess comes later.

Disagree with me? Never really said Benson was small. 

[Crusader1969]

52 minutes ago, JohninMinn. said:

I disagree Benson is a small guy. Ruff knows the psychology of the game. Early season calls for psychological dominance. Finess comes later.

He's not 100%.  

[PromoTheRobot]

24 minutes ago, LabattBlue said:

Two games in a row I didn’t watch.  Should I chance it next game? 😂

I'm sorry but ..

Edited October 23 by PromoTheRobot

[LGR4GM]

Just so disappointed in Quinn right now. He doesn't even look like a shell of his former self, just no confidence at all. Really hope he gets going because whatever this is, ain't working. 

[Doohicksie]

27 minutes ago, LabattBlue said:

Two games in a row I didn’t watch.  Should I chance it next game? 😂

26 minutes ago, Sabres73 said:

Now is the time for you to really get into curling.

[Doohicksie]

3 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Just so disappointed in Quinn right now. He doesn't even look like a shell of his former self, just no confidence at all. Really hope he gets going because whatever this is, ain't working. 

He'll come around.  I think it might be time for Lindy to mix deployments.  Give the Cozens line O zone starts and limited minutes and let them work it out while the McLeod line gets second (or like tonight... first?) line minutes.

I personally don't have a problem with McLeod getting more minutes than Tage's line; I kind of like the idea of keeping Tuch-Tage-JJP fresh for later in the game.

[Stoner]

Sure it's been discussed but the Krebs goal was brilliant. Heady and, uh, handy.

[Getpucksdeep]

13 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Just so disappointed in Quinn right now. He doesn't even look like a shell of his former self, just no confidence at all. Really hope he gets going because whatever this is, ain't working. 

It is perplexing.  Maybe he didn't work out in the off season?  Something is very off.

That said, great game! They earned the W for sure and full team effort.  Stars missed on some high quality chances but them the breaks.  More of that effort please.

[Doohicksie]

Just now, Stoner said:

Sure it's been discussed but the Krebs goal was brilliant. Heady and, uh, handy.

Several people including myself noted that he smartly waited until it was clearly below the bar before swinging at it.

Just now, Getpucksdeep said:

It is perplexing.  Maybe he didn't work out in the off season?  Something is very off.

That said, great game! They earned the W for sure and full team effort.  Stars missed on some high quality chances but them the breaks.  More of that effort please.

Jack Quinn, Dylan Cozens, Jiri Kulich and Zach Benson will all be fine.  All players go through ups and downs.  They'll find the magic again.  If the other three lines are holding them up, it will give them time to work things out.

[HoosierDaddy]

I know there are 82 games and that there were a lot of negatives, but if you can’t enjoy the wins I don’t know why you watch.I’m  pretty happy tonight. 

[nfreeman]

Great win - best one I can remember since beating Boston right around New Year’s in 2022-23 to get to DeLuca .500 on a long ricochet pass from Dahlin to Tuch to tie it at the end of regulation and then I think Cozens made a great play to set someone up for the GWG in OT.

UPL was great.  I think Lindy will start him again vs Detroit.

I thought Power and Byram, especially Power, were great, and especially in the D-zone.

Signs of life from Cozens, Dahlin and the PP.  

The PK was also very good, although Dallas’ PP is about as bad as the Sabres’.

Nothing from Quinn though.  He seems to have lost his mojo.  I think he’s only had 1 good game all season.

TT is looking like he did 2 years ago — a no-BS star #1 center.  And he got to shoot the big gun tonight on the great feed from Power, who made another one on McLeod’s goal.

McLeod is looking like a great pickup.

That’s 3 strong showings in 3 home games under Lindy.  Keep it up and the fans will return.  In the meantime, if they beat Detroit they’ll be 1 under DeLuca .500 with some solid momentum.

Go Sabres!

 

[Wyldnwoody44]

Caught some of the game, that was the best they've looked in some time.....little scary at the end there though 😬😬

The PP is doing some down low into a middle bumper between the dots and that is the look they need to keep, the best chances they have had all season on the PP was with this setup.... Even though they still do the stupid drop pass thing. 

UPL was in the zone, felt bad he didn't get a shutout. But a w is a w and it looked good. 

Let's see if the boys learn some consistency, if they played this way every night, we wouldn't be too upset with a close loss out of it 

[...]

52 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Just so disappointed in Quinn right now. He doesn't even look like a shell of his former self, just no confidence at all. Really hope he gets going because whatever this is, ain't working. 

Quinn was out most of last season so never really went through a slump. I recognize that there is debate over whether a "sophomore slump" is a real phenomenon, but my opinion is that it could indeed affect young adults adjusting to a more mature, regimented yet high-pressure life. It's an inner journey that obviously is different in intensity for each person. I think we're seeing this with Cozens, too, albeit prolonged. 

 

[PerreaultForever]

Well they almost blew it but there were some real good things in this game. Real positive signs. Good attention to details, good team structure, energetic skating, lots of sticks in lanes and even some blocked shots. Little things that add up. You can definitely build off this win.

I thought that was perhaps Jokiharju's best game as a Sabre. 

Perhaps a turnaround is still possible this year after all and maybe even the overdue Boston/Buffalo flip, as the Bruins look dreadful.

Edited October 23 by PerreaultForever

[Broken Ankles]

9 hours ago, LabattBlue said:

Two games in a row I didn’t watch.  Should I chance it next game? 😂

8 hours ago, nfreeman said:

Great win - best one I can remember since beating Boston right around New Year’s in 2022-23 to get to DeLuca .500 on a long ricochet pass from Dahlin to Tuch to tie it at the end of regulation and then I think Cozens made a great play to set someone up for the GWG in OT.

UPL was great.  I think Lindy will start him again vs Detroit.

I thought Power and Byram, especially Power, were great, and especially in the D-zone.

Signs of life from Cozens, Dahlin and the PP.  

The PK was also very good, although Dallas’ PP is about as bad as the Sabres’.

Nothing from Quinn though.  He seems to have lost his mojo.  I think he’s only had 1 good game all season.

TT is looking like he did 2 years ago — a no-BS star #1 center.  And he got to shoot the big gun tonight on the great feed from Power, who made another one on McLeod’s goal.

McLeod is looking like a great pickup.

That’s 3 strong showings in 3 home games under Lindy.  Keep it up and the fans will return.  In the meantime, if they beat Detroit they’ll be 1 under DeLuca .500 with some solid momentum.

Go Sabres!

 

  I agree with almost all of this except Cozens.  Maybe I’m looking for his faults.  I just don’t see too many positives. Missing an ENG, not finishing multiple checks, losing face offs at a furious rate, more shots to the pads, etc.  Corsi numbers were OK but again Ruff played McLeod and third line more in 5v5 than Cozens and the second line.  

Edited October 23 by Broken Ankles

[triumph_communes]

They finally looked in sync and competent until the empty net. Hope this isn’t a fluke and is a trend of the new coaching. 
 

the veteran line got the most minutes. And they deserved it. Folks need to start calling them the second line. Maybe less paranoia if we think of Cozens as a really expensive 3C

 

surprised how little the 4th line got

Edited October 23 by triumph_communes

[Idemo Buffalo]

8 hours ago, nfreeman said:

Your hockey posts are good but you need to stop mocking other posters if you want to be here.

I will stick to hockey from now on, but that isn't mocking anyone. That was about the general "loser" mentality that people have about the Buffalo Sabres. Same thing happened with the Bills after 17 years of the drought.  There are certain people that are constantly negative about the Sabres, and it is a habit that was created over 13 years. Habits are not easy to break. Especially 13 year old habits. I get negativity in April if they miss the playoffs, but this early season negativity is nonsense. Especially the criticism of guys like Dahlin and Cozens. 

[mjd1001]

7 hours ago, HoosierDaddy said:

I know there are 82 games and that there were a lot of negatives, but if you can’t enjoy the wins I don’t know why you watch.I’m  pretty happy tonight. 

There are some people that...how can I say this....I do not want to say root for losses, but they aren't all that happy with wins because the team isn't doing it the way THEY want it to be done. 

Some people have made up their mind that Kevin Adams is awful and needs to be gone and so does Ruff...and if they win, that won't happen.  Same goes with players like Tage (not a top center, its a mirage), Dahlin (WAY overrated), Power (needs to be traded now).  Either the team turns into a cup contender right now for those fan,s or it needs to be broken down.

Again, I do not want to say some fans, some board members even, are openly rooting for this team to lose.  But we have seen where sometimes we get a narrative in our own head that we want the team run differently, and these 'nagging wins' are causing the changes we want to be made to not be made soon enough.

If there are people like that, you'll see....they won't say much during a win, but even after a winning streak the team will have that first bad game and they'll be back here to say "everything is awful"  "**** is a bum" and "I told you so"

Edited October 23 by mjd1001