I get the injury concern, but there has to be a more consistent commitment to winning from him. I know these don't matter but at least make it look like you care.
Re the slashing: They probably got complaints about Cindy slashing her way to a cup. They acted by punishing everyone except the one person who should have been suspended. Now everything is cool. Nothing to see here.
I think his natural instinct was turn it up ice asap. When he sees the Leafs stacked up inside center ice, his next instinct is to skate it, but the Leafs were pressuring in a half ice triangle. The third option is to the weak side and his partner and he were not on the same page. I think a lineup of regulars opens up the neutral zone more for options one and two. It was also a pretty fast pace and the Sabres as a whole were struggling to hang on to the puck. Creates more pressure on the d to not get caught cheating up. He get caught a few times.
For a moment then ...no. These guys, Griffith, Moses, Erod, Teenyson, Fedun, Falk are what they are, AHL players. That we have borderline NHL players in Pouilliot and Josefson is more disturbing.