SabresBaltimore

I personally like ERod a lot. He's a bottom 6 guy with good wheels who is responsible defensively and capable of filling in on a top 6 line due to injuries, etc. I think he's been a great addition to the team, but is often asked to do too much because we're lacking enough solid talent in our top 6 to field 2 quality lines.

The team needs to step it up if they hope to salvage the great start we had last year and at least make the wild card. That starts tonight. MUST Win! I hope we can get some secondary scoring going. Interesting to see eRod with Sheary and Mitts. Maybe he can get them going by shaming them with his effort..

The man of the hour.. https://www.facebook.com/BuffaloSabres/videos/790895781268165/ https://twitter.com/BuffaloSabres/status/1083803248069394433

This. I've been voting 10 times every day, but I never expected him to win. Hopefully this helps (even a little) with the contract negotiations. He's got to know the fans want him here at least. Either way it's well deserved. Part of me likes that every team gets to send someone, but it leaves guys who truly deserve it out.

Man. I'm starting to remember why I stopped posting here a few years ago..

Yeah, that's not how it should work though. Hence my hope that's not still the case.

Yeah, but he doesn't (I hope) get final say on if he's healthy enough to play. I know Housley said he looked good after yesterday's practice. I hope he plays tonight, but not unless he's good. I'd don't want him to come back tonight and then end up missing tomorrow..

Do we know for sure Eichel is going tonight? Reports sounded good, but it was sounding like a Game Time decision? I'd still prefer we play CJ Smith over one of the guys.. I'm hoping the emotion of Skinner's first game back carries us to a glorious win. We have Tampa Bay tomorrow and I want to come out of this weekend with 4 points (though I'd settle for 3 if I'm being honest). MUST WIN!

I like Tage on the top line. At least see how it works out. I'll be curious to see what Reinhardt does with Sobotka instead of ERod too. I'd almost rather have left ERod there. I have no faith in Sobotka at this point. I wish there was a way to keep Smith up. Maybe it can't happen for tomorrow night, but could we: 1) Send Smith down today 2) Waive Ellie today 3) Call Smith back up for Saturday's game?

I certainly don't think ERod is a hack. I think he's essential part of the team. I don't think he's good enough to be a permanent fixture on the top 6 though. You need guys like him in your bottom 6 though.

Mitts should be our #2 guy eventually, but this season he's not that. Personally, I think he's been asked to do too much too soon. If we were a deeper team I'd have liked to see him start the year in Rochester with big minutes and earn a callup rather than starting in Buffalo. Maybe playing with Reinhardt as a catalyst, he can show more of what we saw last night though. I think he should be playing as our #3 guy though. I think the plan had been for Berglund to be our #2 and Mitts #3, but that didn't work out either. Really Reinhardt should be playing as our #2 center, but I don't see that working out either. He's shown he's more of a support guy than someone who can carry a line to me. That keeps him on the wing along side someone who can make plays. If not Eichel and Skinner, who on this team would that be?

Man after that early NJ goal I was annoyed, but otherwise it was a great effort all around. We had much more rounded scoring too. When Eichel comes back, we have to put him and Skinner back together though right? Not just for the goal scoring they bring, but to keep Skinner happy/wanting to re-sign with the team too. This seems like a good start. I worry about that second line though. I'm not sure Samson can anchor his own line. He seemed noticeable last night, but without Eichel or Skinner he still got no points. Of course it's just 1 game. However if you look at his point production before being added to the top line it was garbage. I worry it will garbage again. Maybe Erod can fix that. I don't recall if they played together earlier this season. I don't really think Erod is a top 6 guy though. He's a bottom 6 guy who can play top 6 minutes in a pinch/during injuries. He has great energy/speed, but very little finish most nights. Of course I say that after that pretty fake shot/pass to Mccabe for the shorty last night. But more often than not it's a burst of speed leading to a scoring chance that falls short. I think others have said we'd have to send Smith back down though, so we can't keep him on the roster with Eichel back too? That's a bummer because right now I'd play him over your 3 leftovers for sure. Assuming that's right my lines would be: Tage - Eichel - Skins Samson - ERod - Sheary OK - Mitts - Sobotka Pommers - Zemgus - Larson Looking ahead to next season, I still wouldn't mind keeping Pommers if we can sign him for cheap, but it not I won't be upset if we don't/he retires. I want to get rid of Sheary, OK, Sobotka. I doubt we're going to get anyone to take Okposo's contract though, so we're probably stuck hoping he finds his game again., so Sheary has another year on his contract. 3m cap hit isn't awful, but for his production so far it is. I'd rather have another young guy on an ELC or something. Sobotka is even worse at 3.5m. Move Smith up for next year in his place.

I'm confused about this thread. It's a discussion about timezones? I didn't get to watch the Boston game until Sunday and it was not great. It sounds like Jack is close to returning, but maybe not tonight? I don't want him to rush back, but we're close to being out of a playoff spot for the first time in since like October/November and I'm now spoiled and find that unacceptable, even for a young team missing their captain that I didn't expect to make the playoffs this year before the season started. I know Sam was out this weekend because he was "sick" but do we know for sure he's playing tonight? Either way, No excuses. This team must make the playoffs. Therefore they MUST WIN.

Yeah, there was a lot of drinking at Clarkson. Although at that point in my life I was more of a Vodka drinker than a Beer drinker. All the beer I was able to get in college was terrible. Natty Ice ftl...

Maybe. Clarkson was a very small school. I thought I knew most of the Buffalo folks up there when I went, but maybe it was just the guys from my High School. Then again I haven't talked to any of those guys in like 15 years, so maybe he's one of them ?

2000-04.

Make that 5-0..

Hopefully the Sabres can get inspired by the Beauts who are now up 4-0 over the Boston Pride, including a goal from my fellow Clarkson Alumni Savannah Harmon. Let's go for a double Boston defeat tonight!

I like the decision to stick with Ullmark. I still don't think Hutton is the reason we've been losing, but the team seems to play better in front of him. Maybe because Hutton carried us through so many games early in the season the players are expecting him to do it every night for us? I agree with the crossroads vibe. A win on the road against a division rival that's now passed us in the standings without Eichel would be HUGE. Eichel always seems to step up his game in Boston too. Not having him tonight is a huge bummer. Hopefully we can ride some momentum from Thursday.

I think votes reset at 11:59PM EST regardless of when you voted last.

This was a tougher call than the other poll for me, despite being expected, it was a damn pretty goal. Not quite as pretty as Risto though. Plus that goal celebration again. lol.

Yeah, I'm going for Risto too. Both goals were impressive, but a defenseman on the breakaway slapshot for an OT win against a division rival? Not to mention that ridiculous goal celebration. Easy choice for me.

I totally endorse this decision. For whatever that's worth..MUST WIN

I don't get how the #2 Goal scorer in the league isn't in the all-star game. I don't think he should have been in over Jack, but the 2 of them really deserve it the way this year has been. Last night showed Skinner can (at least for 1 game) carry the team without Eichel. I voted my 10 yesterday, and I'll try to remember to vote every day, but this is yet another reason why I don't care that much about the all-star stuff. Ovechkin is apparently skipping the all-stars this year, so the Met division will need a new captain. With Jack's injury I kind of hope he skips too, even if he's back to playing for us by then. Skinner should go in his place.

Personally, I don't blame the losing on Hutton, although I'd be in favor of seeing if we do better in front of Ullmark.