DarthEbriate

Quinn passed to a fallen JJP, but thankfully redeems himself. Just shoot, kids!

Nice to see Tuch and Greenway out on different PK pairs.

The Sabres are super-talented. It's the a matter of their players getting to NHL speed up and down the lineup, especially defensively. The passes are still a split second slow, the dump-ins and clears a bit too soft, the removal of time and space not as crisp as Toronto's. As an example, someday Krebs will make Kampf look sluggish, but Krebs isn't there yet.

Leafs still winning every footrace to a puck against any line not featuring Tuch.

As much as I want Levi to sign quickly, I don't want him to abandon his team to do it. The Frozen Four selection show is Sunday. I want him ready with pen to paper the instant Northeastern is not selected. However, it should be fairly easy to suss out whether they're an actual bubble team beforehand or not. Is ESPN going to list you on the bubble and ask for a camera feed to your team gathered in room? No? Then I want Levi signing immediately.

Good point. Down the stretch last season Bryson played several solid (and high-profile games like TOR and VGK) with Dahlin and Samuelsson as his partner. It likely looks quite a bit different if he's playing solely with Hagg or Pysyk or Butcher during the March-to-end stretch.

Won’t see this one, but I hope the Sabres find their game again. Possession, skating fast, and aggressive forecheck. And maybe show up for all 3 periods and not get outshot 2:1.

I’d have liked to see Montour say “I can be a top 4 guy on this Granato-style team” and keep Joker on the third pair. But at the same time, Montour is not the defensive defenseman this team needed last season or this or next season. He had been in Buffalo through the worst and he was right to say “I don’t want to be here.” It’s worked out for him the past 2 seasons. But it goes back to the spending of draft capital on D. They traded a 1st and Guhle (who was gone anyway) for Montour and got only 2 seasons out of him. That’s not good spending of D draft capital.

And the result is: trade him for a 3rd. Next up: use that 3rd on a goalie. 😇

Yup. Hasek would have this team in the playoffs… but he wouldn’t have his gaudy numbers with the defensive structure and awareness they play with. And even back in the day Hasek got shelled on occasion.

Unfortunately, it appears Portillo was going to be scared off by either Wallstedt or then-WJC-hero (to silver anyway) Levi. The question could’ve been: does Wallstedt scare away Levi? Which is a fascinating question and a fantastic looking duo if both were signed. Addendum: and then in the 2022 draft it frees you up to take a D in round two instead of Leinonen because Wallstedt is already slotted for the AHL. (And you can use one of the last picks on a college or European goalie as a long-term developmental flier).

Agreed. If they plummet from here I’ll be disappointed. But they’re so streaky I don’t see it happening. One day this year they’re going to wake up and not feel any pressure and rattle off 6 of 7 again, even against this schedule of tough matchups. Granted, it’d be a lot easier with Tuch in the lineup and the forwards playing well in their own end.

I don’t know that you need a goalie every draft, but I am staunchly in the camp that you can never go two drafts in a row without drafting one. The Sabres did just that in 2020 and 2021. I thought for sure Rosen was going to be Wallstedt (or Cossa I guess but I’d have taken Wallstedt). But it can easily be argued that Levi was the goalie taken during that 2021 draft as the trade took place on day 2 of the draft.

Whenever Anderson isn’t in the lineup, this is by far the youngest team in the league. This season has been excellent. I’ve seen growth from all the players I need to see growth in. Entertaining and proving that they have talent and scoring capabilities. They won’t forget those skills. Next up is the maturation of defense and strength to win those battles. I’d love for them to get a playoff series and have to work through that level of aggression but games against the Isles are showing them how suffocating it will be when it matters of win or you’re done games. I wanted the Sabres to be where they are now 5 years ago but alas they changed GMs a couple times and every time you do that you reset the franchise. I look at Toronto. They can score. But in three of the last 4 years they’re top 10 in defense. These Sabres have that same potential. And once you’re there (playoffs every year) then it’s just a matter of goaltending, staying healthy, puck luck, getting someone or something hot for a series, or getting the breaks when an opponent has a critical injury. Get to the dance and enjoy the crapshoot. This team is learning how to dance quite well. And go back to any preseason prognostications… the Sabres are on track. They’re young and getting better and better. And that’s good.

"Not out!" yells RJ, but now you can hear the alarmed strain in his voice. You can see the hand gripping the mic and the eyes starting to just bulge ever so slightly. This time it was a wimp backhand on a rolling puck that just sent the puck dribbling up past the dots right to the pinching D-man who has whipped it 'cross-ice to his partner who has an open lane to move in toward the goal -- primed to shoot again or pass. The defense is collapsing back toward the net as the shift surpasses 70 seconds.

I’m out of it for a little while and everyone gets delusions of goaltending? Why why why do you not pull Comrie? It wasn’t like the backup was injured or had played last night. Just give him the hook and say “go get ‘em next time.” And Portillo thought he wouldn’t get a shot with this roster??? But VO scored so maybe that ignites an 8-2 streak and they’re right back in it.

Gotta go fly on a plane. Hopefully when I land, the Sabres are just about to, or have just closed out, a 4-goal victory. Enjoy the game, 'Spacers!

Goatheads v. Mooterus. Make it happen. The League will fine you... so what? Entertain us!

1. I'm glad Muel is back in the lineup. 2. If Quinn is on the 2nd line with Cozens and anyone not named Tuch is on the top line with Skinner/TNT... I'm pretty convinced I'm already seeing the 2023-24 squad and Cozens/Quinn is the highest TOI at 5-on-5 and is the 1st line.

The lack of ELC defensemen in Rochester is mostly on JBott at this time. Adams could have drafted a top European D instead of Savoie/Kulich/Rosen but they're in ROC as an underager which might be less likely than as a forward. His real lack of ROC contribution was his first draft in 2020 which had only 5 picks -- and 7th round Lyckasen is still in Europe. That's the draft we can argue should have a CHLer who is now in ROC. Adams could have traded for another team's top D prospect(s) in the Eichel or Reinhart deal, but opted for Krebs and Levi. He's also is very reluctant to give up draft capital and prospects at the moment. For JBott, you've got the 2019 and 2018 drafts that would primarily be stocking ROC with ELCs, but a 1 was traded for Montour, a 1 is still in the NCAA (Johnson), a 1 and 2 are on the Sabres top pair (Yay!) and a 3 was traded for Scandella who was later moved. Then... you get the bottom of 2018 draft with 3 European D-men. The issue there is JBott's refusal to draft in the CHL and diversify the stock. They might not be great but one of those picks might still be under team control in ROC. The bottom round European players may washout just as a CHLer/NCAAer might, but they also may simply elect not to come over and be an AHL-level player when they can stay home and play in SHL or Liiga. If JBott makes another pick for D in 2019 and a D CHLer in 2018 and sure, they're just JAGs, but they're Sabres JAGs who can be sent up and down without waivers. Unlike Fitz, Bryson, Pilut who can get plucked if another team is in an injury crisis. They may also provide diverse skill sets and sizes.

Just a note that in the screenplay that has yet to be written, with Tuch Icewalker being the trade-son of Jackikin Eichwalker, TNT is currently some "Concept of" Tagebacca. It is TBD whether Skinner or Quinner is the Solo of the power trio.

Fairly detailed article on The Athletic that uses GSVA (game score value add) to rank the top Norris contenders. https://theathletic.com/4289690/2023/03/09/nhl-norris-trophy-breakdown/ Firewall? Top 5 are all bunched together and covered in the article: Fox 3.8, Lindholm 3.8, Burns 3.8, Karlsson 3.7, Dahlin 3.7 Note the absentees who will garner some conversation: Hamilton (6th 3.4); Josi (7th 3.3); Makar (8th 3.2); McAvoy; Slavin; Morrissey Dahlin's case for: " Relative to teammates, it’s actually Dahlin who has had the largest impact of the five, allowing 0.35 fewer expected goals against per 60 and 0.4 fewer actual goals against per 60. His impact on goal differential is the closest to Karlsson’s (0.82 per 60 compared to Karlsson’s 0.96), but he does it at both ends of the ice. Dahlin has been on the ice for 57.8 percent of the goals, which isn’t completely far off from Fox or Burns. Dahlin’s expected goals percentage is 52.4 percent, the lowest of the five, but that may have more to do with the team around him than him. He also faces the toughest usage of anyone on this list." Dahlin's case against: PP/PK "Dahlin being part of an elite power play is a plus, but it also makes him a bit of a power-play merchant. That’s where 44 percent of his points come from... "...Dahlin has been on the ice for 11.9 goals-per-60 on the power play, but only 7.6 expected goals-per-60 which suggests he has some luck on his side in that regard, too. Dahlin also allows more chances while penalty killing than the other Norris contenders here. 5 on 5 D "... He has the best relative numbers, sure, but that’s compared to a very weak defensive team. Dahlin’s results are strong overall, but they’re not on the same level as the field here. Dahlin is not particularly strong defending the rush. He allows a carry on 62 percent of his targets, denies seven percent of entries and allows a scoring chance on 18 percent of his targets — all below league average. He’s also still a little risky when it comes to exiting the zone. Dahlin has a heavy workload there, but his 8.9 botched puck retrievals or failed exits per 60 is one of the lesser marks in the league."

I want Levi to succeed. But I want that success to start with a 1-0 loss in which the puck that gets past him is deflected off his defenseman's skate. Northeastern is not invited to the Frozen Four tourney. He signs with Buffalo the next day. Buffalo sends UPL down to Rochester for "one day" to give Levi a game. Levi posts a shutout. Granato can't keep him out of the lineup. Levi goes 10-1-1 down the stretch with the Sabres and leads them into the playoffs. Then, I don't want to get too greedy after that. 16-3 in the playoffs. Maybe?

I was hoping Quinn was going to start to look like this in the 2nd half of the season and become the Sabres ROY leader. Keep it going, Quinn!

The Fasching goal was a kick. It's why the on-ice official waved it off instantly and emphatically. In real time, he saw the leg move forward. That's the kick. He doesn't have to swing at the puck or corral it and dribble it and then kick or do a Charlie Brown run-up. Fasching had to lift his blade off the ice and extend the leg forward in order to make contact with the puck. That's the distinct kicking motion. If he leaves his leg as is and just has it carom off him, the puck angles wide of the net. The only way you can overturn it is through slow motion replay and convince yourself that the movement wasn't enough, which is not how the rule is written. You could argue that in slow motion it's even more egregious because it become premeditated. Fasching sees the puck come off the ice and frees his hand from his stick to catch it. Then, he sees that the puck is dipping again and he won't be able to play it with his hand. And he has to move his leg independently of his slide in order to make contact with the puck. It's disappointing. And all that said... the Islanders were the vastly superior (and rested) team last night and earned their 2 points in the standings. It was a very bad trade. The Kings took Cernak with one of those picks (2015). The Sabres selected Brendan Guhle a handful of picks later. Roope Hintz and Jordan Greenway were picked in between them. In 2014 I'd have liked to be able to say the Sabres could've made a great pick had they kept it... but they took Jonas Johansson with the very next pick so that's who'd they'd have taken anyway. Merzlikins and Sorokin were the next goalies taken. GMTM liked his Swedish goalies.