Taro T

As stated in a follow-on post, the assistance the Sabres got for Lehner was well after he'd gone a long time without help. Get him help when the issues were 1st arising and maybe we see a different result. As for Ullmark, have seen stuff claiming they did provide him with enough support and stuff claiming they didn't. Thus the use of the words "apparently" & "felt." Do hope that you're correct that they were as supportive as he felt they needed to be and it was simply (not really the right word, but hopefully you get what was intended by its usage) his dad passing while the world was shutdown due to Covid and that alone was why he wanted to move on. But wouldn't be surprised if there was more to it; they made him an offer that the Bruins then beat and they offered to then match that; that didn't sit well with him.

Personally don't like Lehner either. But don't recall his praising the team for getting him any help back when he missed significant time after injuring his ankle in his very 1st game as a Sabre. Also, don't recall many (any?) good things said about how the team handled / related to players during the Murray era. Do agree that Botterill understood the people/human side of players better than Murray did. Then again, the bottle of iced tea sitting on my table understands the human side of players roughly as well as Murray.

OK. Fair enough. They didn't give him support in a timely manner. They left him isolated from the team when he was injured and needed support. By the time they did provide support he needed a new start in a new location.

Yep. But, today is the 1st day of the rest of your (mine, and everybody else's) life. Can't change the road you took to get here, but definitely can control the path you take from here. No reason to keep any of those you mention beyond their contracts and for many of them even before those contracts run out.

And Carolina must be doing well too. Wouldn't be surprised if he plays the best hockey of his life with that weight taken off his shoulders.

Yeah, they didn't give Lehner the support he needed and they apparently didn't give Ullmark the support he felt he needed. Good to see they learned from those experiences and gave Dahlin the support and leeway he needed. Has to also go a long way in inner player circles to dispel the 'wow, they didn't let Eichel get the surgery he wanted, what a horrible place to play' vibes. We can hope at any rate.

Only because he sees this day as moving him one day closer to becoming Frolunda's captain. 😉

OK, now you're just telling us stuff like he's wearing both skates and is carrying a hockey stick. Where's the REAL news, like what time did his plane land in Detroit and what did he have for breakfast. You know, the stuff we don't already know. 😉 (Seriously, thank you for all the updates. 🍺)

This is hilarious. 'They'd've drafted Benson anyhow, they like small players high in the draft.' Yes, they do like small forwards, if they can skate like the wind which Benson doesn't do. 'Well, they listened to their development people and that was a good thing.' Well, yes, they DID listen to their development people and that was a very good thing because as have said previously the Benson pick was a very good one and he's better than anyone else they had been inclined to pick instead of him. Please show us what was critical of them choosing Benson? That was great. But they wouldn't have taken him had they not drafted Savoie and they very likely wouldn't have had McLeod if they hadn't drafted Savoie. So, in a round about way, drafting Savoie was an excellent choice as that pick resulted in them getting the value of McLeod and also the added value of Benson over whomever else was on their radar when they chose Benson over that guy.

How wild is that? This team is more damaged and needs Dahlin more than his fiancee with a brand new (to her) heart does.

Am hoping it means Benson is back or they're going to bring up Johnson and sit Bryson. But don't know what the corresponding roster move is, thus the Q. Or better yet, have it mean Dahlin is back.

If they didn't have their development people watching all of Savoie's games have no doubt they'd've F'd up the pick they used to take Benson too. Yes, they tend to draft small F's (or really big D) with their 1st pick of the draft. But one thing they pretty much all have in common is that they draft guys that skate REALLY well with their top overall picks. Benson doesn't fit that profile.

So who's coming off IR?

Eventually they have to win a game with Dahlin out of the lineup. Might as well make it happen tonight. Go 'bres!

Well, it's consistent. No road win in October either.

4-1-3 (pretty sure) with Benson in the lineup. Which would put them at 1-8-1 with him not in the lineup. And he wouldn't have even been on their radar had they not drafted Savoie. That Matt Savoie pick might end up being the best of the entire Adams era as it netted both Benson and McLeod (who's definitely having an off-year, but still those 2 are likely better than anything else he's drafted; jury's still out on Peterka's final value to the Sabres).

Buff'lo - who needs centers when you've got all the wings. Buff'lo - who needs centers, this is where wings were invented.

Well, you can't rise from the ashes until it's been burnt to the ground. Oh, wait, that's Phoenix. So, what's Buffalo's claim to fame? A drinking town with a hockey problem. Sounds about right. Carry on then.

And though am not a fan of pulling the goalie early when down by only 1 under normal circumstances, would have given VERY serious consideration to pulling UPL when they gained control of the puck on the late PP w/ about 4-1/2 left to go. It gives you a 2 man advantage and you SHOULD be able to win all the loose puck battles as you absolutely can outman the PK on all board battles. Should the PP end with no goals scored, and you get a faceoff, put UPL back in the net until there's about 100 seconds left and try it again.

It wasn't a bad call. Under Granato they almost always followed up a true stinker with a full effort game and also tended to get some puck luck in that next one. They just didn't get the puck luck in this one and they forgot to come out of the gate with the full effort. Expecting a good effort in Detroit, but no idea whether it'll be enough to make up for so much of the regular lineup being out.

That's not why Kozak got caught low. It's because Timmons decided to drop to the ice to keep the pass from going through, and was unsuccessful and took himself out of the play. Kozak covered the man Timmons should've had and Timmons was still in no man's land when Necas got the puck alone in the slot. Truly HATE when D drop to the ice to block a pass EXCEPT when it's a true 2 on 1, the shooters are spread apart well and a successful pass across will just about guarantee a goal.

Nice catch. Don't need your hearing checked anytime soon.

No, but the Sabres gave up a breakaway 58 seconds in, to Necas who did not mess around. The Sabres continued to not skate much the next 5 minutes but also were not having Avs shots hit the net/Lyon. Then they finally got another shot, Lyon made the save, the rebound went to a spot where Timmons or the Av could've got it in the slot and guess which guy skated and which didn't? Ruff called a TO and pulled Lyon so he could chew out the team as UPL got between the pipes.

UPL was playing so well that period. His best of the season and then he lets in such a lousy goal. It really seemed like catching the break at the end of the 1st with the Avs goal getting called back got him back into his happy place. Whatever he did between the 1st and the 2nd, he needs to do again this intermission. And then just be 1 save better than last period.

If YOU had to talk about these bums every weekday from the beginning of October through into early May and again in the evening 75 or so times; you'd want to get hammered once in a while too. 😉 That's what we thought last night too. 😉