...

I'm really enjoying this game.

KO needs a vacation already. I have no other complaints about that period, though. It was good hockey from the Sabres. Actually, I do have an additional complaint: Samson needs to get the same jump in his step the other guys seem to have.

A very X's and O's period of hockey.

Folks in the top of the bowl: "shh...there's a hockey game going on down there..."

That was a really good sequence. Lots of possession time. I think Nelson looks good with Dahlin. There already seems to be some chemistry there.

Even with that definition, this one still doesn't apply.

Thanks for the correction, but Miller would just let in a goal when he was on his way to a shut-out...that's a Ryan Miller Shut Out and he owned it. This wasn't like that, this goal wasn't because because, it happened while a penalty was being served for something the Sabres rarely would do in the past and were constantly criticized for. It is in no way a, or equivalent to a, Ryan Miller Shut Out. I would suggest Bogo's injuries aren't something he can control for the most part. His play, sure, not his injuries.

I would also caution against getting used to the Bogo from this game. I liked this game's Bogo. But we all know this Bogo that we like too frequently disappears from us and the team.

I agree with this assessment of Samson. Not paying much attention last year, I missed what a "good" Samson looks like over a longer period, but he looked good the first 5 games of this season. On Skinner and all of the other good things: I would caution all to neither get too high off the win, or, of course, too low. Today looked like their other wins - I can perceive a specific style of play when they're playing well. I think that's a good thing because it indicates consistency and discipline when they're on their game. This is also a plus 1 for HCPH. If they play his system right, it looks good. What can I say? We need to be sure the Skinner/Eichel combo works longer term. I like the suggestion above that Pommer or a player like him is more ideal to this combo than an additional skill guy. Let's see if this holds true. Ullmark is good, and they play different in front of him. What does that mean? What if Ullmark becomes the "starter" - do they get used to him back there and regress to playing some other way? We need more games to figure out what we have here. And that, to me, says we have turned a corner somewhat, where we go from them being confused and not knowing WTF to do, to legitimately being in the process of "figuring it out".

Hmmmmmmmmmm... I'm going to reject this one and ask you to try again. Might I suggest the "Finally standing up for a team-mate no matter how wussy you looked doing it shut-out"? If memory serves, that point came on KO's penalty after Sheary got shoved into the boards head first.

Hamilton and RR both have mentioned Skinner wasn't happy being taken off of Eichel's line. They also both pointed out that he appeared to have more jump today due to being back on Eichel's line.

And to think I wasn't going to watch this game...because. This is the game that turned me on Skinner a little. Not because of the hat trick, but because of how he handled Phaneuf. Still not a fan of the apparent whiny attitude over who he plays with, but I do like his intensity in game.

I know this is against LA, but, is it that simple? Finally just "getting pucks to the net"?

Yes, it's an approach toward the Sabres I wish they would take to other teams instead of being purely positional.

They were better than them for about three minutes toward the end of that period. They need to realize that is how they need to play all of the time.

Finally, some fire in their bellies.

I like ERod.

Quality post. The more I read your posts, the more I'm coming around to your way of thinking on a lot of this.

Maybe. It's a play they've been using on the PP that has worked this season. I think Sheary got a goal that way.

Right, that's it. However, RR was making the case that KO should have passed it to Samson rather than shoot it, because what they're trying to do is pass it around first to open up the other side of the net.

huh. I guess he would have been to slow to get into position then, if that's the case. Seems probable.

You think Reino messed up his positioning on that one shot where they made a deal out of Okposo's reaction?

When it comes to performing, it's all but impossible to perform at your best "cold". As a musician, I will warm up for as long as possible before a show. To me, the Sabres always look "cold" and unprepared when they start like that.

I'd have to go back and find your assessments on this matter - which I won't, so I hope you can supply a brief brief - but from the two periods I watched last night their ES weakness was very apparent. Our top line does not like to shoot. I almost think that, despite the chemistry (which only works when the line is "on"), the first move HCPH should make when a game is going like it was last night is to swap Skinner and Sheary. At least with Skinner on the top line there would be one player who likes to shoot. I want to know what happened to Thompson - during preseason he was a dipsy-doodle-take-a-shot kind of player which I liked. Other than "he's playing against NHL caliber defenses" I wonder what's going on there. I wonder if these guys get mixed messages about taking shots.