thewookie1

While not perfect, the Sabres outplayed the Canadiens and got goalied. It seems like the puck is refusing to behave for Tuch and Thompson and Dahlin can't buy a break. @PerreaultForever is somewhat right though with the oddity of changes between the black jerseys and blue jerseys. They oddly do play much more assertive when in the Goat head. They seem far more willing to work the puck into the crease. That being said I can't fault their effort, shots on goal, faceoffs and their PK was solid. They fully deserved to win that game and we just don't seem to get any of the breaks. Onto tomorrow, grit out a win boys.

Pasta + Marchand shouldn't be enough. Their centers are average at best.

Team sold its collective soul to the devil or something. Their roster is is weak aside from their defense and goalies yet they keep winning regardless just to spite everyone else

They are role players and leaders in their own right. Not all leaders fill the exact same role. Okposo is the team Dad, the players look to him for support Girgensons is the longest tenured player and the hard working 4th liner. Sort of like the cool uncle. Johnson is that older gentleman in your office who has oodles of experience and has truly achieved what you dream of already. He's your Dad's friend but isn't going to coddle you like he might.

Great game, after a mostly even first the Isles were slowly just overran by our speed. If this can continue with these lines, does that mean Cozens is better used as a high pressure winger like he did in the WJC for Canada? He’s a solid center typically but he seems to play a bit looser as a winger. Poor Comrie lost his shutout on another own goal. Clifton played a solid game and still gets whammied by the own goal at the end. At least 2 players brought up stuff related to EJs conference so I’d harbor a guess it at very least got their attention. Good job old man. Greenway this year is probably what Adams wanted last year; he’s a solid PKer and definitely plays tough. Dahlin destroyed Pageau, I believe he did it to him last year as well Mitts honestly took off from where he was last year immediately. Go earn that 6mil or so

My favorite play is on the PK when his stick broke his first reaction was not to abandon the Isle with the puck but rather run him into the boards

He’s been rough so far this year but it’s good to see it us nothing to do with effort

Wasn't saying they aren't good; just not perfect like you seemed to insinuate.

Boston isn’t exactly a great example of perfect management. They swing and miss just like anyone else and are likely in trouble next year in regards to Swayman.

In hindsight I'd certainly agree but at the time I firmly understood why we let him walk. Ullmark was an often injured goalie who was ok to good most games but ran into issues every year. Not exactly a great choice for a 5x6mil contract. Adams misinterpreted Ullmark's desires and then tried and failed multiple times to replace his level of play with other goalies. Not entirely due to negligence but still a failure overall. Let's quickly run through a few goaltending seasons 18-19 Hutton 48 GS, Ullmark 34 GS (Hutton was actually better statistically) 19-20 Ullmark 34 GS, Hutton 30 GS, Johansson 5 GS (Ullmark was the better goalie by a serious margin however missed time again) 20-21 Ullmark 20 GS, Hutton 12 GS, Tokarski 10 GS, Johansson 6 GS, UPL 4 GS, Houser 4 GS (Ullmark was very good again but failed to even be available for half of a 56 game season) 21-22 Anderson 31 GS, Tokarski 28 GS, Dell 9 GS, UPL 9 GS, Subban 3 GS, Houser 2 GS (Injuries plagued almost the entire goaltending unit 22-23 UPL 32 GS, Anderson 24 GS, Comrie 19 GS, Levi 7 GS (Turns out UPLs great appearance in the previous season was a mirage aside from a month of high end play) 23-24 Levi 4 GS, UPL 0 GS, Comrie 0 GS (So far Levi looks average) Ullmark as a starter maxed out at 34 starts for the Sabres which he did twice. Always put up great stats but got hurt with high frequency. In Boston he has thus far started 39 and 48 games which easily tops his previous highs.

In Ullmark's case I think it was more his demands coupled with his injury frequency.

Why does CGY have our number in Buffalo? Yet we play well against them in Calgary?

He certainly looks like a guy who's playing sore. (By sore I mean legit issue not a minor ache lol) Still shows flashes of himself but seems awkward simultaneously which could easily point to pain causing him to tense up in spots he wouldn't normally. Less of the reckless abandon we are used to.

My best guess is they didn't want a roster issue for Quinn's return. Seems to be a trend for the Sabres; essentially once you earn a spot you can't lose it barring absurdity akin to Olofsson's fall from grace

Frankly, I would of pestered Nashville about Saros and had my analytics guys do a deep dive on Gibson to see if there's any hope he can turn it around. For all we know Adams did something akin to this but we are in the dark. For all we know the league as a whole is playing screw the Sabres with goaltenders and we'd be none the wiser.

I understand, I'm honestly just extremely risk adverse and have a difficult time believing any move would work to begin with. The most likely outcome is us getting garbage goaltending and trading superstars because that is the Buffalo way in regards to luck. So at this point I'm just too beaten down to really feel anything about hunting down better goaltending since I don't see it likely improving regardless of the move in question. On a side note I want a new goalie coach, we've seen far too many goalies struggle here to keep the same guy around every year.

Well Thorny said everyone else solved their goaltending issues and I'm retorting few if any did much of anything in terms of goaltending this offseason. There wasn't some massive game of musical chairs we refused to take part in. How many backups are better than our starter, while also available for offers?

So in effect your idea would be to effectively just bring in every UFA goalie imaginable. How do you do it when goalies want 2 year contracts as well as young goalies need to play? I'm not saying he shouldn't have targeted a Reimer or something in the offseason but there isn't exactly much out there better than what Levi can give us and UPL and Comrie still exist.

Who exactly addressed goaltending this offseason? Ottawa signed a big contract with Korpisalo, LAK are running with Talbot and Copley, Carolina and the Isles retained their goalies.

Well sorry but reality is far different from going out there and buying a goalie. No team in their right mind, regardless of need, is going to pay obscene assets for a goalie. We can't just go, "hey Nashville, give us Saros for a 1st and UPL" and then force them to comply. They're going to look to gouge us due to our need at the position and ask for Savoie, UPL and a 1st and probably more.

Frankly the only year he could of was 3/4 years ago. The last two weren't exactly conducive for it based on the market available. All the good UFAs re-signed with their former team such as Andersen, Raanta, and Varlymov and no goalie trades actually occurred this offseason despite massive rumors. When the only NHL goalie dealt is Casey DeSmith (with some old baggage) you know there's little to pick from.

Rough night overall, everyone seems to have issues off and on. I think partially its on the fact they are trying to play better defensively and thus its causing issues in figuring out that balance they need between offense and defense. You're reading far to much into it here; he's certainly saying they need to commit to playing team defense not that they don't know how. One theory of mine is that some players are more D committed than others and that is part of the disjointedness we are seeing. And that is what Johnson is putting out there. Also I think Tuch is rusty after missing almost every preseason game and some of camp with general soreness.

Any interest in an olofsson - leblanc swap

I'm unsure what he was doing but he needs to stop unless playing the Sabres lol Oh Gorges, if only you had been on this team instead of the tire fires of the 2010's

Felt while we let off the pedal midway through the 2nd; they deserved the win seeing as they more or less played ok the whole game and did well on defense for the most part. Lightning always seem to get bounces and PPs against us though. I honestly feel bad for them at the end of the 3rd since they played that perfectly for 2 minutes only for one slight bounce to give the Lightning that ray of light to score through. As for Dahlin's play, he reached out to chip the puck away, by the time he had re-stabilized the puck was already coming back to Hagel.