mjd1001

I'd say the way people drive, but its more about just how people don't think rules/laws apply to them. On the way home yesterday, and in the course of about 5 minutes two seperate incidents happened. I get to a 4 way intersection (suburban/country road), I'm ready to go through when a guy in a Miata comes up to the intersection on the road to the right. I got there first so I go first. This guy was going so fast approaching the stop sign I could swear he almost wasn't going to stop at the stop sign. He turns behind me and tailgates me so bad I can't even see the front of his car. The moment there was an opening, he passed across the double yellow line, taking off going probably 60-70 mph (in a 40mph road). He gets to the car in front of us about 1/4 mile up, and looks to tailgate where he can't be more than a few feet behind, and passes the same way (this is a twisting/turning road where there are 'no passing' signs even). You could tell when he passed he was turning the wheel abruptly, when completing the pass cutting me (and the other person) off right at the front fender, no turn signals either. Not even 5 minutes later, the first guy is LONG gone, and I come to another intersection. I arrive the same time as another person (wasn't able to see if it was a guy or a girl...it had dead-black tinted windows) in a farily modern corvette. I was there first so I turned right, this person never came to a stop and wanted to go right through the intersection (coming from the left) and was on the horn the entire way becasue they just wanted to blow through the intersection and how dare I get there first. With them, a brief bit of tailgating and then it was another illegal pass across double yellow lines, within 15 seconds they were so far ahead of me I couldnt see them. It was a country road, but they had to be approaching 80-90 mph or more. (speed limit was 45, it turned to 55 just past the intersection). Driving like this happens more and more, it just...how do people drive like that breaking driving rules and law after law after law with no care or regard?

Levi isn't 6'5" tall and 225 like UPL. This Sabres braintrust really, REALLY like size in goalies. Its like....if you are on the 'smallish' size as a goalie, you need to prove it to them, then prove it again, then put up great numbers again and again and maybe you'll get your shot. But if you are BIG, "just go in the net, its yours to lose" despite your numbers. With that said, very small sample size for Levi, but what I have seen hasn't been all that impressive.

On the ice, to me Buffalo looks slightly better than Toronto does this year so far. Over the weekend, I think Buffalo slightly outplayed Toronto overall. Toronto is ahead in the standings though, they find a way to win in OT or get a goal late in a lot of games, the exact opposite of the Sabres.

Dahlin just is having a rough start to the year. Overall he's been good, but you don't pay him as much as you do to be just 'good'. I don't think he should be on the PK. His positioning is always just slightly off. On the C-bus PP goal he didn't really do much except glide toward the front of the net and self-screen his own goalie. He gets enough ice time as it is, when the Sabres are on the PK, glue him to the bench. The PK is a matter of positioning mostly, any other D-man can do that (from what I have seen, probably better than he does on the PK)

Chicago with 10 points in 9 games going into the night, and leading Ottawa 3-0 in the first. Another team that has QUICKLY passed the Sabres on a rebuild?

Ok, I think Power has played better this year overall, but tonight was not a good night. Simply put, he had costly mistakes tonight probably costing the extra point.

To do the best job of answering the question, at any give time do you have 2 of the 3: -Currently in the top 3 of the division -More points than games played -Postiive goal differential (if you have 2 of them, you likely have the 3rd) They could get there tonight with a win. If they have any 2 of them, they are 'for real' at the moment. If they fall below that threshold, same old drought Sabres. Then there is the extension of that: Are they out of it already? Answer: you are only 'out of it' if there is no chance for you to get'back in'.

This game will be a good test for the Sabres. Columbus doesn't get much attention, but they are a pretty decent team. This year, they have a point per game, just like the Sabres. They are even in goal differential, just like the Sabres. Last year, they just missed the playoffs by 1 win, finishing 10 points ahead of the Sabres. Werenski remains one of the leagues best D-man. Marchenko can fly, is a legit threat to get 40 goals. They lean heavily on their top D-pair, but in terms of the forwards they come at you in waves. I think this could be an interesting game, but for sure not a pushover team.

I like Power's current game just as much as Bryam, and his potential at this point a lot more than Byram. Byram only has worked when playing with Dahlin, and he as to be the '2nd' guy on that pair (in terms of responsibility)

In this case equating Bryam to a slightly better version of Cozens is the BEST comparison I can make. If you don't like that I pointed out Cozens flaws in the past, thats on you. There is no better player for me to make my comparison to. Personally I am pretty sure I make less negative comments about Cozens than many on this board do about Adams and/or Power, people with more influence over this team than Cozens had. The 'kicking your dog' comment is better spent directed other places.

Don't the 1st and 3rd choices mean pretty much the same thing?

Yeah....I was confused by that comment. How does a game between 2 other teams not involving the Sabres, and where the Sabres are slotted in the standings on a single day in October, impact the point total they will get...which is based on the games they play? I mean, you could possibly argue the players look at the standings in mid October and really REALLY care where they are slotted, and that makes them push or stress out in their next game and makes their game worse? But that is some multi-dirivitive thinking there.

I don't care what his shot looks like if it finds a way to go to the net. In the past 3 years, almost 250 players have at least 50 games played at defense, some a lot more. Among all of them, Power is in the to 50 in goals scored.

If Ellis woke up with a sore back, and Lyons is starting to deal with a heavy workload as a 30+ year old goalie, it made sense to go with UPL tonight. IF all those things are true, I'm OK with the decision. But what the result shows you (and what you can see with your eyes) is just one more little piece to add to the pile of reasons UPL maybe should be the odd man out going forward. With almost 4 days off between his games, I would think yes.

Goalies have a tendency to have really bad years and bounce back, and they have really good years that sometimes are just a 'career year'. Overall, you know what you usually are as a goalie? What your long term stats say you are. Not as bad as your worst year, but not as good as your best. So what does that make UPL? He's a guy with a GAA just about 3, and a Save% just below .900. Slightly worse overall career numbers than Alex Lyon.

I'm going to disagree big time on Power being a liability. On this board he often gets blamed (like on the goal yesterday) when in reality a lot of the D-men on this team are 'hung out to dry' and look bad due to the forwards not getting back in time or makign mistakes. Yeah, he has some bad moments, but I think Power has looked a lot better this year than last year. I do agree with your overall point, that it isn't just UPL this game. He wasn't good, but the rest of the team? Not terrible, but not their best game. It was a pretty even game positionally between a banged up Leafs team and a banged up Sabres team, with sloppiness on both sides.

I think if you try to trade him, there are probably a bunch of teams that might look at him 2 years ago, see his size, his 'pedigree' (Draft status) and say they would take a shot with him. But 'taking a shot' means you aren't going to give up much.

A couple days off before a game with Columbus, then 2 days later Boston. Get the injured guys rested up, and hopefully the next 2 games will both be Lyons, or split with Lyons and Ellis.

Its like someone flipped a switch with him. I know this is only 1 game and his first of the season, but it LOOKED like all his games last year.

Agreed. I really don't understand in which way one more game in Rochester would have hurt. Its not as if he got a shutout his first time down there while making 40 saves.

At times they show the goal, and they don't get the assists posted, or correct, until a few minutes after. I have gone to NHL.com right after goals that clearly had 2 assists and often they will actually post them as unassisted. Must be they want to get the goal listed ASAP and add the assists later.

At times I enjoy watching the Leafs. They can be entertaining, and when WGR gets annoying, I live right near the lake so I get 590 out of Toronto pretty clear, so I listen to a lot of hockey talk out of Toronto. I think what bothers a lot of people about the Leafs is the fan base. Most Leafs fans are SURE any free agent would want to come to Toronto before anywhere else because, well, its just Toronto. Many Leaf fans want to tell you they are the hockey center of the world because of the Leafs being an original 6 team and their storied history (I'm sure Montreal would like to have a word). They like to think they have the most passionate, rabid fanbase (again, Montreal would probably like to talk to you about that). According to most Leaf fans, The league is 'out to get them' and every call goes against them because everyone is jealous they are from Toronto. I personally do not have the hatred for the Leafs that many fans on here do....but I can see where it comes from in their eyes.

I need a LOT more from Quinn than a couple of good games before I say that. His anlaytics, possession numbers, defensive numbers are still pretty bad for the year...and its not like he has 5 goals in 8 games. The last couple games were good, but overall this year he has still been below average.

Agreed, He has been productive the last couple of games, but I want to see more of it and for longer stretches.

Its early in the season of course, but based on how things have gone the last 3-4 years, its kinda odd to see the current order of the division standings, pretty much from top to bottom, after these 8-10 games.