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He is a bust only due to health. When healthy he is a really good player. The problem is he is never healthy for long stretches.

Depends on whether playing him is likely to raise or lower the interest in said player. 😉 Remember, Jacksonville never played Rob Johnson after he got that 1 start against Detroit (pretty sure it was Detroit, maybe it was somebody else, but pretty sure). There was limited tape on him, but it was great. His playing more could only lower his value. And they played Butler to a tee.

And you of all people, the guy that nearly constantly rails about how the Sabres don't follow analytics anywhere nearly often enough, often with more than adequate cause; are now going to argue that had Savoie been playing in the Q, or anywhere that his path wouldn't have crossed Benson's, that the Sabres still would've taken Benson when they did? Will have to agree to disagree. Expect they don't put nearly enough weight on analytics to have been willing to overlook the size/speed (or more specifically the combined lack of each) when he was on the board and they were on the clock if they didn't already know him intimately.

What you saw in this game is not what I saw. That’s okay. As you point out, how they play in the next 4-6 games will be more telling than one game.

No, they don't have a size bias. That is beyond obvious. BUT except for Benson, they have a HUGE speed bias when it comes to smallish/undersized players. Heck, they have a bit of a speed bias for larger guys too typically. Have a very hard time believing if they didn't have the inside track on getting to know Benson before drafting him that they would've been willing to step outside that bias for speed when he was on the board. I really doesn't matter either way; they DID draft him. But again, expect that without having drafted Savoie, Benson wouldn't have been that high on their draft board. The reaches they make are almost always burners.

The team is in last for their conference and got wanna take a victory lap after beating a bad Chicago team? Ok I guess

The thing that has changed, and it's very arguable whether it's changed enough and whether it won't revert back to where it's been much of the last decade +, is they are generally getting NHL level goaltending so that even in games where they've given up more than 2 shots in the 1st 15 minutes they aren't automatically trailing and they aren't getting those motivation killing bad goals when the score is still 0-0 or 1-1. They also are, again with 2 glaring blaring exceptions, playing very well at home since the Otter game. They were better at home last year than on the road though still nowhere nearly as good at home as they needed to be. This year, they're generally very good at home. Can that carry over to the road? It hasn't so far, but they've also been missing a lot of important players for a significant portion of those games which makes it much easier for opponents to get the matchups they want. IF they get tougher to outmatch lines when they get healthier, maybe they can get to a point where they're winning about 1/2 of their road games (or getting enough OTLs that they pick up about 1/2 of their available road game points).

This reply makes 0 sense. I don't agree. Analytics showed there were high end underlying numbers for Benson.

Well yes, I think they were lucky in both cases. I don't think watching Savoie mattered though. I think that's just your conjecture. Sabres do not have a size bias like some teams (eg. Philly). Adams should have known their were goaltenders going to be waived. DiPietro was another candidate if not Ellis. The question now is what is he doing and why isn't he doing it? Decide already. If he's set on UPL then trade Lyon. Can't see Edmonton not taking a shot at him. Just make a decision. What is Adams doing anyway? Just lunching and golfing with Staal (who does what as well?)?

It means, if they hadn't had significantly more exposure to Benson because of their relationship with Savoie, they wouldn't have drafted Benson. They'd've followed the same logic the teams before them used to convince themselves that though he was incredible in Junior his lack of worldclass skating would, when combined with his lack of size, keep him from having the sort of success you hope for in a pick taken towards the top of the draft. For once, luck was on the Sabres side, and they'd lucked into him being a teammate of their previous year's #1 pick, so they got a much better look at him than others did and they knew (or had a great expectation) that the intangibles he brings would outweigh the issue of being short without all-world skating. It's OK and it's actually a good thing. They may have lucked out with Ellis being available right when UPL was broken and Georgiev was proving he's no longer an NHLer too. If UPL hadn't injured himself in the off-season, there's no way Ellis is a Sabre today.

Well ya, because I think the Hawks were flat and floating. They felt screwed over by the refs the other night and I think they came in ill prepared and unmotivated. The fragility of youth if you like. So it didn't take much and Sabres had been yelled at so they came with their speed and there it is. Look, I have said this before. If you give the Sabres open ice they are as good as ANYBODY. They would be a cup finalist if the whole league played that way, but the reality is there's more to hockey than that and most teams don't play that way. This is where it falls apart. Calgary might be a garbage team but they are a grind team who play along the boards. Sabres lost to a crap Philly team last year exact same way. This movie is a rerun. I see the article on the top page how "Zucker drags them into the fight" and yes, that's true, but it also exemplifies the flaw in the whole plan. The lack of veteran leadership as a whole in the entire rebuild. It's a fundamental and fatal flaw in the Adams plan. Zucker isn't enough. I don't think things have changed here. I could be wrong, but it all looks the same to me.

Can you send me texts? I don't want to deal with circling that corner for parking after Mass if you all have left for the giveaway. (And I would leave for it!)

I don't know what this means because every team makes their list of BPA and he would have been ranked as such on everybody's list. When the time comes teams deviate from that when they have guys who value size or grit or something they specifically want on their staff. I am sure Sabres had him ranked around 5 or 6 like many of the scouting people on the internet. They likely had another guy expected at their spot but when he fell they couldn't resist. It seems simple to me. If Östlund and Rosen become something I think you can say their drafting has been decent. Good even. Far from perfect, but good all the same. I'd have to look over every year's lists to see who they missed on (if anybody). I would rather have Beniers then Power at the moment but I can't fault them. I got that wrong too. I haven't given up on Power totally but I thought he would be better. He still just seems like a guy who doesn't care about hockey at all.

Was anyone fired for the Blackhawks debacle? Why not?

If you are trying to trade a player, wouldn't you play them some to showcase them?

They played harder than the Blackhawks.

I don't think they played hard. I think it came easy and they enjoyed it. It's good they took advantage of the moment but it didn't require a whole lot of effort. Win the next 3 or 4 and you might be able to say something real about them.

Norris is a bust. Said it from Game 1 when he went down. He can prove me wrong by coming back next week, staying healthy and playing the remaining regular season games, and scoring 25+ goals. Will be happy to apologize to him as I have to Samuelson.

Exactly. This is what they do every year. A big scoring outburst game after a crap effort and then they sink back into their normal soft lethargy. They might win a few but the cycle will repeat because the team is built on a flawed idea and culture. I see nothing different here.

There's a reason some of these giveaways are via voucher redeemable AFTER the game. 😉 Minibat give aways at ball games are handled that way too just for that particular reason.

Per Ruff, he put in a lot of work this off-season and came into camp in excellent condition. Remember, he's one of the ones that Ruff essentially called out for coming into camp out of shape last year. Didn't understand why they didn't take the A away from him to start this year based on the way last season played out. But, it looks like Ruff let him keep it for having done things the right way this off-season. Good to see. And IF they find a way to sneak back into this thing, he will have been a huge part of that reason for that happening.

I was there for the gravy boats. They were pretty cool. Got one, my friends who came with me expressly for that purpose also got them. I gave mine away a few minutes after the game to a couple who really wanted one; I have no need for ephemera at this point of my life and they really wanted it.

Fun game to be at. Was quite nervous when hearing on the drive in that UPL would be getting the start. Was even more nervous when the Sabres were outshooting them about 8-2 and dominating play and the score was still 0-0. THAT was the setup for the Sabres to give up a single odd-man rush and suddenly be outshooting them 10-3 but down 1-0. But on this night, that wasn't to happen. That shift that Doan got the Sabres on the board was just electric. It started good, but then Tuch hit what must be his 12th post on the season, but instead of the Hawks getting the rebound and the easy clear of the zone, the Sabres outworked them for the puck kept the pressure on and Doan got Thompson's rebound and was not going to be denied. Then Dahlin with the breakup of the clearing pass that Quinn was able to get to the loose puck on, take it low and then find Zucker doing the right thing at the right time for the right reasons. 2-0. Zucker is such an important part of this team - he's the vet that just gets it and does stuff the right way. His being back is so important. And, watching the begining of the broadcast after getting home, have no idea how Ray and Dunleavy are raving about what Quinn did on that play but TOTALLY ignoring that subtle but HUGE play from Dahlin breaking up the zone exit and leaving the puck where Quinn could get it. "Quinn broke up the exit." Bull-forking Schlitz he did. He made a GREAT play gettting the puck low and then finding Zucker, but HE was not the one that broke the play up. Great look by Tuch to see Byram breaking in low on the PP goal. Even better finish by Byram. Bedard was fun to watch. He's already a great one, he's going to be special. But it was also fun to see every Sabre that had a chance to hit him legally do so. That's something they weren't doing in the past and it was picking up from where they were on Monday against McDavid. On the Hawks goal, yes the D-man, pretty sure it was Samuelsson needs to do a better job of tying Bertuzzi up, but UPL can't just sit there sprawled hoping a rebound will hit it. He had time to get back square and didn't. And then the next goal he gave up. Yeah, it probably brushed off Tuch, but he was 10' about the circle, plenty of time for UPL to figure out the tracking had he not been out of position initially getting distracted by the jostling in front of him. So suddenly it's hold your breath time again, we've seen this movie before. But the top line wouldn't let the script get flipped like happens far too often in that spot. Doan's 2nd goal was huge and then Muel following up so quickly gave us the breathing room again. Thought with calling the TO that the Hawks were going to switch goalies, but no, they just were trying to get a breather. Going back to the 1st shift of the game, still not sure why they stopped play with no call either way for when Bertuzzi got hit by Thompson. That was weird. Good to see McLeod and Thompson with goals too. Would be good to have them going again. But you know that when Quinn and Bryson are scoring, the other team is having an off-day. Also interesting that Quinn was trying hard for the 10th goal as time was expiring. You don't see that too often. Personally was hoping he'd get it. Was there in the building when Dallas put the 10 spot up on Comrie; would be nice to have seen Soderblom give up 10 too. They played very well last night, but Chicago coming in off playing the night before might've been the perfect opponent for them. Except for Murphy, didn't see any Hawks playing physical. Except for Berard, none of the Hawks had a jump. Though was expecting Bertuzzi to get the hatty the way UPL had played the 1st half of the game. Would say that was a combo, no the Sabres aren't THAT good but the Hawks aren't THAT bad either. The breakaway stop by UPL was very big. Gave the Sabres a chance to get up by 4 a few minutes later. But even on that, he seemed more lucky than good. Had a real nice 2 save combo early in the 3rd while it was still 6-3 but the 2nd save was of the "look what I found" variety more than the "you will get nothing and like it." He still is scary. Except for the 2 befuddling losses in the past week plus (Blues, Flames) the Sabres have played very well at home since beating the Otters. Expecting a good game tomorrow, and hopefully Benson plays and gives them that little extra they need to get the W. Am expecting Lyon gets the start, but wtf knows. Fun win, get the next W vs the Canes.

I think he's finally healthy this year. Seems like he was always some level of "banged up" the last few years. Hopefully he can finally stay healthy and continues to live up to the promise he showed early on.