mjd1001

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.

Samuelsson listed as a +4. On the ice for all Buffalo goals. As of now also leading the entire team in ice time.

I'm referring to a lot of posters, referenced by the post I was responding to, which do not evaluate things that way. There are posters that do very close to exactly what I described.

Some people become part of a 'club' or 'a team of their own' and can't say anything that goes against that narrative. Its becoming a bigger and bigger part of society. Lets say you are a fan of a particular player in a sport, a member of a certain political party, a fan of a team or a driver...maybe a fan of 'the Sabres will never be good" or "fire Adams and Ruff at all cost". In order to mentally stay in good standing with that 'club' or 'team' you belong to, it is very very hard to say anything against it.

I'd want to see him play at least one or two more NHL games... Plus you have to realize the team is getting a good look at him in practice that we're not. If he plays well in another NHL game... And he looks good in practice and is fitting in... You have to seriously consider not putting him on waivers. Besides put him on waivers and what's the end game? If he doesn't get picked up? Send him to Rochester? Where he is just going to split time with Levi?

OK, Ellis was good enough. Lots of rebounds, he wasn't great. I don't think "can he be great" this year is important. Is he a guy that mentally is good enough to be a decent backup goalie though? A guy you can rely on for 20-30 starts?

Net front presense as mentioned by others...his analytics look good...Lindy is giving him a lot of ice time. Those are all good things. But if he wants $10m per year on a medium-to-long term deal, he needs to do all that AND score.

I said this in the GDT but I'll say it here in the Owen Power thread. He played a good game tonight, he wasn't that bad the last few games either. I think a lot of people are just expecting him to be bad that anytime something bad happens near him they blame him out of instinct. He took a lot of criticism in the GDT for the Detroit goal he was on the ice for, but I think of the 3 Sabres on that side of the ice, he played things the BEST among them. Yeah, he's not perfect yet, but so far I see more positive out of him this year than negative. I think right now he's outplaying Byram for sure as an example.

2 games in a row vs the leafs. Other teams win both games of a back to back right? Other teams go on a 3 game winning streak, right? If the Sabres can do it just this time...not only are they now back in the middle of the standings, but they put the Leafs in pretty big trouble.

I've liked his overall game tonight. I think this game is a good example of how (besides not hitting tons of people) he is maturing, understanding the game in his own zone.

Someone on the Sabres (Adams, the scouting staff, everyone) got obsessed with the size of goalies. They wanted everyone 6'3", 6'4" or more. Well, both Ellis and Lyons are only about 6 feet tall (MAYBE 6'1) and they are outplaying the 'big' guys on the Sabres in net so far.

Watch the replay online if you get a chane where they show it from different angles. For sure looks like a 'set play'. I don't know if thats a good thing or a bad thing. A sign of actual good coaching by the Sabres? Or a bad sign that they can't just put the guys out there because they can't figure it out with their own hockey sense/talent unless there is a play set for them (looking at Dahlin and Thompson here...this year)

On the Quinn PP goal the Sabres set that up by moving around, forcing Detroit to turn their PK "Box" into a "Diamond", giving Quinn that short window of opportunity to shoot from there. I'd have to say that looked like a set play that was actually an example of good PP coaching.

As per my post above, of the 3 Sabres closest to the puck on that last detroit goal, Power, Doan, and McLeod....I think Power played it the best among the 3.

Watching the replay on that last goal, I wouldn't be so hard on Power. If you watch Larkin coming down the near boards, McLeod is stride for stride with him. Just inside the blue line, Larkin does a little move on McLeod and gets some seperation. 2 missed stick checks later, McLeod lays off Larkin as Larkin goes into the corner. At that Point, Power goes into the corner after larkin because McLeod layed off. The goal scorer comes up the middle of the ice, Doan is with him stride for stride but just as Power shades to the corner, Doan lets up just a little bit and lets the guy get a step on him. All 3 guys, Power, Doan, and McLeod are looking around not quite sure where to go. I do not blame Power for going into the corner at all AFTER McLeod held up and let Larkin into the corner. Its just once McLeod lays up there and Power continues on Larkin, McLeod and/or Doan need to make sure they have the trailers going to the front of the net. Power seemed to be the one guy that played it better than either Doan or McLeod. If McLeod follows his guy into the corner, Power is closer to the middle to break up the pass. IF McLeod peals off like he did, that kinda forces Power to go to the corner, so someone else (McLeod himself or Doan) needs to be in the center to cover the guy crashing to the net. If you watch Power, he LOOKS at the goal scorer coming up the center of the ice and at the moment he does, he sees Doan is side by side with him, before deciding to go to the corner. It was the moment power turned to go to the corner that Doan fell a step behind him. The more times I watch the replay of the goal..the more I think Power didn't do anything wrong. He analysed the situation, read what McLeod was doing, reacted to McLeod letting Larkin go, and only left his spot AFTER checking to see if Doan had the slot covered. Only problem is Doan lost his guy. Yep, that is what I saw, he was with him and just let him get that half step on him. (see above)