matter2003

I don't think they "needed" to...I think that's what their coach thought they "needed" to do....

Was it really a weakness or was it because of their timid play, defensive mindset and missing Jack Eichel who is obviously their key offensive lynch pin....they have averaged over 3 goals a game since he has been back. So it is pretty much an Eichel-less problem more so than a forward problem...

Not to mention one of the only players who can score 5 on 5... He leads the NHL since December on 5 on 5 goals...who the hell trades THAT player when the rest of the team only scores on PP's?? The dude is 25 years old...he is still young and can be a part of the team's core moving forward...

So far so good....they just need to keep it up Yeah maybe even more than that...they are on a 93 point pace with Eichel in the lineup and a 74 point pace when he wasn't...that was 19 points over 82 games....figure at 59 games that would be worth 4-5 points and this team would be easily in the playoff right now, if not close to leading the division....

Team is on a 93 point pace with Eichel and a 74 point pace without him...

Sabres 1 point out of the playoffs right now.... Didn't see that one coming at the start of the new year... If Eichel wasn't hurt for 20 games they'd BE in a playoff spot right now...

.01 in save percentage away from being tied for 2nd in the NHL...I'd say that is starter material wouldn't you?? Are they crazy??? Terrible save percentage and got benched during last year's playoffs combined with a bloated contract... HELL NO!!!!

I agree...Kane actually is excellent at scoring 5 on 5 unlike every other player on this team...

We have another game against Colorado coming up and 2 against Arizona in the next 6...those should be 3 wins right there...the two worst teams in the NHL...its not out of the question we make a little push...

silently the Sabres creep to within 3 points of the last wildcard spot...albeit the teams in front of them have a few games in hand...

How many times can they leave guys wide open for one timers in the slot with nobody around?? It's a constant, constant issue. How many times will they try and clear it up the boards where it's kept in by the other teams players? Throw it down the middle once in a while or flip it high... This team looks absolutely clueless on killing penalties like if you took a kid off the street and started playing "Pickle in the Middle" with him...it's embarrassing to watch frankly. There is no way professionals should be this bad at that part of the game.

That's when you know you are a superstar if those are the types of things you are working on...

No, this has been an ongoing issue all season...guys overstaying shifts, guys not being aware and taking too many men on the ice penalties, guys coasting back on the backcheck and not picking up the 3rd man in, guys leaving people wide open in the slot on the power play, guys not paying attention to little details that lead to bad things happening three of four plays down the line that never had to happen, guys freelancing and not playing the way they are supposed to... Lehner was pissed, Okposo was pissed and they have every right to be. It's immaturity and youth that's a big cause of it,but the older guys need to reign these youngsters in and make them get it... There is a big disconnect on the team somewhere...whether it's the coaches, the young players not listening, the older vets not getting on the young players, or some of everything, something just isn't right...

Sabers just didn't get it done tonight

How is nothing Vancouver does a penalty but yet we breathe on someone wrong and we go to the box?? This is complete BS

seriously?? We get every freaking call against us and Vancouver gets called for nothing??

Yeah...must be to have scored 17+ goals 8 times in his career...

About freaking time!!

I guess Vancouver is the only team that can get power plays this game?? WTF

and as usual....wide open Vancouver player in the slot ends up in the back of the net... That's on Eichel, he'll learn with experience you just have to dump the puck once he got the puck free...

NHL best PP and NHL Worst(probably after that goal---they momentarily climbed percentage points ahead of Dallas) PK

and that is what happens when you have an easy chance to clear the zone and don't do it...Kane! Ugh...

I was just going by Yahoo sports qualified leaders...not sure if every site is different as to what they consider qualified but usually it's determined by the league and comes from playing in X amount of games or X amount of minutes

That is true as well, but it was ridiculous they played that style without him to begin with. The results clearly show we are a much better team when we play offensively rather than defensively

And couple that with goaltenders usually don't hit their prime until age 28 and he could be a really really good one...