nfreeman

From the Athletic today, regarding the Zemgus-Krebs-KO line: “Okposo and Girgensons were brought back for their ability to play a reliable and direct game as part of Buffalo’s fourth line. That line has leaked chances against in both games, though. On Saturday, the Islanders had more than 94 percent of the expected goals when that line was on the ice at five-on-five. In two games, that line has generated only one high-danger chance and allowed eight against at even strength.”

Good stuff and welcome. Keep it coming! Separately: they played much better and with much more intensity last night than in game 1. The top line had a number of chances. Those will start to go in. Greenway-Mitts-Benson is a good, effective line. Greenway looks reborn compared to last season. Cozens' line is struggling. I'm inclined to put more blame on Cozens than on VO, but I wouldn't be disappointed to see Krebsie moved up to that line in place of VO as others have suggested. If they keep bringing the intensity like they did last night I think they will be fine.

What switch? They are both playing. If you're saying that Benson should play with Cozens and JJP -- I'd like to see that too -- but that leaves VO with Mitts and Greenway, which sounds crappy.

The Islanders are one of the teams the Sabres will hopefully be competing for a playoff spot with. I'd like to see their A game tonight, not the C game we got in the opener. That includes the top line.

This is great news. It’s not certain that he’ll be worth it but it sure seems likely. He showed a lot last year as a rookie. And he seems to have a great attitude and very good to great physical tools.

Good stuff here. Thanks. But he’s practicing now, innit? Doesn’t that mean he has to leave IR? More preseason games may or may not have helped, but it sure looks like he’s not ready yet. I do think for most guys joining a new team it takes a good chunk of the season to find the groove. And Montour most of all! And DM was here for the Krueger era too, so…

Unbelievable. Still, not sure I can blame TP for this one. Men and women gonna do what they do. And canning them was the right move. Even so, another change in senior management can't help but seem bush league.

I think AI has infiltrated Sabrespace.

I think the bolded is correct and would just add that I think Adams concluded that the other goalies who were available were either not worth the price they would've cost (in trade assets and/or contract), not likely to provide an upgrade, or both.

I agree with the bolded, but not with your shocked reaction. Giving him 9 games is not a commitment -- it's an extended tryout at a higher level of competition. I also disagree about 3rd line minutes (maybe 11-12 min per night) not being better for him than going back to juniors. I think that amount of NHL ice time would definitely be better for his development than the WHL would be.

I guessed Richie Dunn but wasn't sure.

He was great at the presser. "I love Buffalo. My family loves Buffalo. My brother wants to move here." "I only wanted to be here. I told my agent to get the longest term possible."

Unfortunately while I think Quinn is going to be a great Sabre, I don’t think he’ll be effective enough this year so as to be better than Benson or a healed Kane.

KA repeated today what he’s said a number of times in the past: that there is a plan and a process they are going through with contract extensions. He described it as putting a puzzle together. I think they definitely have a preferred sequence in mind for the guys they’d like to sign, and that their top priority right now is getting Power signed. I wouldn’t be surprised though if one of the other guys got a contract first. Still, I voted for Power.

IMHO there is room for both Benson and a fully healed Kane in our top 9, no matter what.

I agree with the important thing, but I also think 8 years is important and I’m quite happy about that part of it. That would be amazing but we are miles away from there just now.

I think there is zero possibility of this happening.

Good. He doesn’t turn 24 until April.

https://twitter.com/cover1/status/1711107014649135475?s=46&t=7IpQiWJHjSkbNZDsf0-S_A

My order of concerns: #1 with a bullet: team defense — both coaching and focus/determination on the part of the players. 2 - goaltending. For some reason I am kinda confident that they are going to get good starting goaltending from Levi and adequate #2 goaltending from UPL/Comrie. Still, there is a significant likelihood that it doesn’t play out that way. 3 - defensive personnel. I am reasonably comfortable with the top 6 — they just need to learn and execute a team D system much better than we’ve seen this far. I certainly would’ve preferred a Pesce or Greaves, but either of those would’ve required a fat multi-year deal at a time when they are trying to sign Dahlin and Power. I think the net result would’ve been losing someone good like Quinn or JJP in a couple of years.

Debacle.

Watching this game is an ordeal.

No one is disputing that right now UPL doesn’t look like a good NHL goalie. The reason losing him on waivers would be lousy asset management is we are starting his age 24 season, his career record is 20-19-6 on a series of crappy teams, and a number of injuries, and there is still a very reasonable likelihood that he gets there in the next couple of years.

In fairness: - Bryson did look better in camp than he did last year. He’s 25. Soupy didn’t become half-decent in the D zone until he was 26ish. - Like many of us, I thought Stillman earned the spot over Bryson, but IMHO it was like comparing a C to a C-plus. I think very few of us want either of them playing much this year. - Bryson definitely has higher offensive upside than Stillman does. - I think it’s pretty likely that UPL would be claimed if waived and losing him in that manner would be lousy asset management. We’ll see.

Wow. So that means they are keeping 3 goalies, innit? Don't love that decision, but I get it. Keeping Bryson over Stillman also seems questionable.