nfreeman

Different players, but Connolly definitely had a few beauties rushing up the left side and then shooting in tight from his (right) forehand that looked like Cozens' goal today. True, but a huge factor in this is that Connolly couldn't stay healthy. But I think you're right that Cozens will do his part. I agree with most of this, and there are certainly shades of Bergeron and Marchand in Cozens and Krebs. Cozens is more fiery and a bit faster than Bergeron, and more mistake-prone, although that will improve with experience. The comparable/ceiling I like for Krebs is Jonathan Toews, although Krebs' hands aren't as good as Toews' or Marchand's. Krebs is also plenty fiery and edgy as you point out. I also agree that TT has been in a bit of a funk, but not that it's due to floating/lack of desire. I think he gets a ton of attention from the opposition, is trying to figure out how to overcome it, and is over-stickhandling and perhaps overthinking his play generally. I agree that Quinn needs to get stronger, like pretty much all players his age, but I don't see him shying away from traffic. I see him playing a very forceful, direct game that frequently takes him into traffic where he can't quite push his way past the defender. Don't forget this beauty from a couple of weeks ago! Separately: that was an enjoyable win, but there was certainly a dropoff in intensity relative to the Islanders game the other night. Anaheim really stinks. Zegras looked pretty good. I expected more from McTavish. Also, the idea of trading VO is officially nuts. He's going to get at least 35 this year and next year if he stays healthy.

I'll be the first to admit that Mitts has turned things around in the last 7-8 games, and that GA accordingly is, at least at present, somewhat vindicated for his unflagging support of Mitts (despite it being largely based on fiction and delusion for most of Mitts' career). Mitts-Jost-VO are no longer getting caved in on every shift and in fact are usually getting the better of play. It's a great development for the Sabres, especially since Quinn and JJP have fallen off the table in terms of scoring. However, I can't agree with Hecht as a comparable. Their skill sets and styles of play have pretty much nothing in common. Hecht was a tough 2-way Swiss army knife player with decent but limited hands and skill who was a pretty good skater. Mitts has very good hands and scoring touch, but is an average skater, doesn't play a 200-foot game and isn't tough or versatile.

I can't agree with this. Everyone knew (except Thorny, evidently) that they had 1 chance in 5 to get McD. TP would never have signed off on those odds. The plan had to be Eichel, and if it ended up being McD, that would be a bonus. I agree with just about all of this, with the critical exception that it was a 20% chance, not 25% (although that makes your underlying argument stronger anyway). The NHL changed the odds the year before the Eichel tank, which made it an even stupider plan.

Even with that gross 5-out-of-6 losing streak, they are still at Deluca .500. If they can rip off 3 or 4 wins in a row, they will be very much on the bubble. But they can't have another 6-game stretch like that one we just cleared. It's there for them if they can play hard every night. And BTW, they are getting pretty good goaltending from UPL.

There are plenty of legit reasons to be interested in Eichel drama: - It bears on whether KA made the right call in moving on from him -- and thus on whether KA has the right stuff to make important decisions for the franchise. - It bears on how good Eichel actually is -- not just how skilled, but actually how much he actually contributes to the team winning -- and thus whether the return we got for him in trade was a good return -- and thus how good KA is at obtaining good returns in trades. - It bears on the wisdom of betting the franchise on one guy, which is what the Sabres decided to do when they burned everything to the ground to get him. - It bears on how important character, as opposed to skill, is when evaluating a player -- although admittedly this assumes that Eichel's character isn't as good as his skill, which could be wrong. - As noted upthread by @Getpucksdeep, it bears on fantasy hockey, which is really important.

I'm not bitter -- I'm just interested.

Are you saying that @Doohickie should consolidate his posts so he doesn’t take over 90% of the thread? I generally agree but would point out that TT did exactly this and made a great pass to Skinner, setting him up all alone in the slot with about 3 minutes left for what could’ve been the GWG. Unfortunately Skinner missed but it was a great draw-the-D-and-dish by TT. Separately: every now and then this team does something wonderful, like coming back for a thrilling win on Ryan Miller night. It reminds us why we’re here and why we care. Go Sabres.

This, this, a thousand times this. Von was what the Bills were dying for last year and what they still need desperately.

I loved Miller, but I gotta say that this recent losing streak has taken the wind out of my sails. Come on boys. Show up and play with passion.

This is a pretty complex issue. Ultimately I think @That Aud Smell has valid concerns that are ultimately trumped by the cold realities of supply and demand. I would guess that there is no such thing as an ironclad lease for an NFL team -- i.e. any NFL team negotiating for a new stadium in any city will have a buyout right that allows the team to leave, and that the buyout price will decline after some period of years. If the city doesn't want to grant the buyout right in the lease? Then the team won't sign and will find another city that will give the team what it wants. Given that set of facts, it's still not unreasonable for WNY taxpayers to say "If the team can bail on us after 15 years, I'd at least like to know something about the current owners' health, so I can evaluate the risk of them not being around in 15 years and the team being sold to Jon Bon Jovi/other out of town grifter who would move the team" -- which I think is what @That Aud Smell and the writer of that article are saying. But it's also not unreasonable for the Pegulas to say, in response, "we are going to have the buyout right either way, and no one knows what will happen over the next 15 years, and the buyout right is there to allow for the possibility of moving the team if that is what is best for the Pegula family in 15 or 20 years, either as continuing owners or as sellers, and that is the deal we are willing to agree to, which is pretty much the same as what every other NFL team would agree to, and those facts aren't changed by Kim's health status, and her status is a private matter, and we aren't going to disclose it, and WNY taxpayers can take it or leave it." So I guess I think that if we want to keep the team, we have to write them a huge check for the stadium and hope that they don't want to leave in 15-20 years, and there's no way around it, and pushing for info on Kim's health is ultimately pointless.

I think it's the way the team plays, which is lousy, not the number of butts in the seats.

Indeed. I was assuming that UPL would start tomorrow, but it's quite possible that one of the other guys will go.

So one of the waiver-exempt guys will need to be "sent down" again before the game tomorrow, right? (Unless they want to waive someone like Vinnie.) And that will most likely be Krebs again, since Quinn and JJP looked pretty good yesterday?

Thanks gents. Can't say I'm surprised -- Krebs' game seemed to slip a bit this week (along with others' games, TBF, but still). I saw a number of not-strong-on-the-puck plays in the offensive zone from him.

...by the team that won the President's trophy last season! Sabres stink might just be starting to morph into Sabres glow.

So, do we know whether Krebs' paper demotion means a healthy scratch tonight?

OK boys. We were feeling great a week ago, when our guys had won 6 in a row to get to 3 over Deluca .500 and the rest of the East was starting to get scared. Now they've lost 3 in a row, all at home, the world-wrecking offense is sputtering and the goaltending is still shaky. The good news: - Even with this losing streak, they are still at Deluca .500, so if they rip off a few wins in a row now they will be right back in the playoff picture. - The VO-Jost-Mitts line has, shockingly, figured out the forecheck/puck possession game and now seems to get the better of the play on most of their shifts. - The top line is still a major force. - They are reasonably healthy. - They aren't going to quit. Nashville is 19-6-6 overall and 9-6-3 at home. They've lost their last 2 but went 5-0-1 in the 6 games before that. It looks like Zemgus is out tonight. Maybe Quinn and JJP return to Cozens' line and Aspy dresses instead of Zemgus? Let's get a W. Go Sabres.

You're not going anywhere. And when I checked the board, you had the latest post in the top 6 threads. Well played.

So Clague is officially ahead of Bryson. Good for him.

I do not agree that Mitts has been playing well for a while now. His line has still been getting dominated in most of the recent games. Having said that, his line was terrific vs Minny, he made a number of very nice plays and skated much more purposefully and effectively in the O-zone. As others have noted, the next few weeks will be busy and we’ll learn more about Mitts’ progress. If his line can replicate its play vs Minny, we might not lose any more games. And holy mackerel that was a great win.

Awesome.

Long-term house guests finally gone!

Fantastic.

This is another thing you keep saying to support a narrative that isn’t grounded in fact. DG said, one time and several weeks ago, in response to a question about Mitts’ undeniable and obviously terrible play, that his line frequently plays with the 3rd-pairing D. DG was clearly trying to help a struggling player by being supportive in the media. If you’ve got any data to support this particular excuse for Mitts’ breathtaking 5-on-5 suckitude, please post it. In the meantime, here’s some data: Mitts’ line gets by far the most O-zone faceoffs, at nearly 72%.

That was an excellent article about Power IMHO. I read it last week and since then have been watching the way Power moves to create space and passing lanes and generally "bend the ice" in the Sabres' favor. He's terrific at doing so and the article does an great job describing it.