mjd1001

If, IF the Sabres finish the season strong (this 2 months of good play runs through the rest of the year), I'd probably be OK with that explanation. At least partially OK. The thing that I wouldn't like and the reason I wouldn't buy into it 100% is that...it seems like another case of 'we heard that before" But, Drop KO and Maybe Robinson....make a trade for an obvious upgrade up front (a forward that is under 30 but you can rely on for at least 20 goals and good 2 way play)....well...I wouldn't be all that upset. I mean, we have been burned before and for me this WOULD rely on them continuing to play well (finish in the 85-90 point range).

Thompson better bouncing back from a wrist injury. Cozens better because he seems to have found 'something' and is playing better lately. Benson and basically the entire D-group as better because they are all young and should get better with expereince. Skinner worse simply becasue he is at that point in his career. Greenway MAYBE worse (didn't select it) because I think he is having 'his' career year (at least career-2-months). I'm hoping UPL not worse, but there is a chance there is a regression-to-the-mean.

He has a wrist injury. Sometimes that injury can heal enough that you can play, but it can impact production big time from scorers. Who else had a wrist injury that he played through? Look 1.5 hours north to Austin Matthews. 2 seasons before his wrist injury: 41 goals in 52 games (65 goal pace per 82) 1 season before his wrist injury: 60 goals in 73 games (67 goal per 82 pace). Year he played through the wrist injury: 40 goals in 74 games (44 goal per 82 pace) Year after his wrist injury: 53 goals in 58 games (75 goal pace) So, a guy who is a big time scorer averaged 66 goals per 82 games without a wrist injury....the season he plays through a wrist injury his goal production drops 33% the season he has the injury....then when he gets a full year off his production goes back up to (and beyond) what it was before the injury. Now Tage... 2 seasons before his wrist injury: 38 goals in 78 games (40 goal pace) 1 season before his wrist injury: 47 goals in 78 games (almost a 50 goal pace) year of his wrist injury (this year) 18 goals in 50 games (30 goal pace) With Tage, a guy who is a big time scorer averaged 45 goals per 82 games without a wrist injury...the season he plays through it his goal production drops 33% the season he has the injury...With a full season off to heal his wrist, AND in his prime at 27 years of age, is there a chance he exceeds is prior production? Maybe. The naysayers will say no...but I like to bring this up as a possible positive. Tage isn't Matthews, but the similarities in their injury, in how it impacts production at the same time and the same point...very similar. Something to think about. I looked into one other things....Matthews shooting percentage those 2 seasons before his wrist injury was 17.7. It went down to 12.2 the year of his injury (5.5 points lower). He took about the same number of shots per game (4.4 vs 4.6), just his percentage was down. Tage's shooting percentage the 2 years before his wrist injury this year was 15.5. It is down to 10.0 this year....(5.5 points lower). He has taken about the same number of shots per game (3.5 vs 3.6) but his percentage is just down.

The team is injury luck, a better powerplay coach, and Tage getting half-way back to where he was the last 2 years away from being a contender.

It would be hard for me to disagree on more of this if I wanted to. Other than them needing to get into the playoffs that is. To me this is a game. Its entertainment. People play this game...not ones I can always relate to their lifestyle, but they are people. I do not want ANYONE's goal to make someone else's life worse, I can't even relate to that thought at all. I do not want to root for a team that only cares about winning at the expense of feelings or safety of other people...really? Again, the sport is entertaiment. Played by people I don't in any world want MORE people in our society to care less for others, to want to hurt others...any of that just for the sake of 'winning' at something that has zero other impact on my life other than a few hours of entertainment per week.

What I don't get is, why don't they change this? It seems like 95% of fans, commentators..just about everyone hates the way they have it. Just make the change so you can't do this. I don't get it.

I'm going to try to take a middle ground here between those who think it means something and those who say it means nothing: Lets see if it continues. -On one hand, not only the stats, but the 'eye test' (to me) shows the forwards are playing MUCH better in their own zone. Yes, they have had a 'lighter' schedule, but this also does apply in the few games against good teams they have played. The Forwards play better in their own zone...thus that helps the defensemen to play better, and backstopped by good goaltending, and you get a team that is OBVIOUSLY improving.....but.. -On the OTHER hand, just about every team has stretches of good and bad play that don't last. Just one example...Arizona. Through the end of the Calendar year, they were 18-14-2, 38 points in 34 games. Since then they only have 5 total wins in 25 games. Look at Florida last year...they barely squeaked into the playoff, but they since then (playoffs and this season) are arguably the best team in the league since. BAD teams have stretches of games, maybe months long, where they look good but ultimately aren't. GOOD teams have stretches of games (again, weeks or months long) where they look bad but ultimately aren't. The Sabres? I'm HOPEFUL they have turned the corner, learned good D-zone play. but.... I need to see it continue. I'm a 'partial' believer it means something, but I need more before I can be sure.

Good team, but not as good as Florida. They can be beat. Might get Eichel back, but they are still 4w-6L in their last 10....10w-12L since the beginning of 2024. This is a definite "Can win" for the Sabres, and if they want the fanbase to keep thinking they have turned the corner into a better team, a 'should win' game.

I guess we all do it...but some people (most, all)) have agendas. We all have what we believe. Fire the coach. Move Cozens to Wing. Get rid of KA. Pegula should sell the team. Anything, ANYTHING we can grasp at to support that point of view....it will be done and posted here. The thing that gets to me more and more is the non-stop negativity. Doesn't matter what happens, a good game, a good week, a great play by a player, a player playing better over a few weeks time. Nope, if it gets in the way of the negative agenda, can't accept it! But again, this is a message board, this exists for people to speak their mind.

I don't care for fighting at all in hockey, and your Nascar comment made me think even more about it. For most of my life...I wanted to Watch Daytona or Talledega (Atlanta now also) to see 'the big one'. If one of those races happened and a huge, 10+ car accident didn't happen, I was a bit disappointed from an entertainment point of view. Now, I'm 100% the other way around. When I watch those races, when I DO see a big crash I'm disappointed because of them. I see who was involved in them and think its too bad that those drivers won't get to finish. I see the wrecked cars and think, thats too bad I'd rather just see them race. I'm like that with fights in hockey. Don't need them, don't even want them. When I see all the hype of Rempe fighting for the Rangers, I just don't see the appeal anymore of watching 'hockey' and having it interupted by a fight. I USED to, but I don't anymore.

Agree 100%. If that top 4 guy is really good, (as I have said before, a legit top 4 guy, not a 5/6 guy you can convice yourself is a top 4 guy) and if they also add a middle 6 guy like you said, I'm pefectly happy going forward.

I agree with you. I don't think the game 'sucks' at all without big hits and fighting. I have seen many, many games that are end to end, high scoring, and I absolutly love them without a hit, without any fights. And for those that say you NEED the players to police each other, hockey is a rough sport so you NEED to allow fighting? That is just wrong. Look at the NFL. Its more physical than hockey, but yet they don't put up with the cheap shots. People still love the NFL, it is still physical. It is as popular as ever, but there aren't pushing and shoving matches multiple times every game. They aren't tons of cheap shots after the whistle. (it happens, but its rare). There are no fights. Why? because if those players did some of the 'cheap stuff' that is allowed in the NHL, they would be fined, and fined heavily.

I never compared them. I was just saying that Skinner DOES come away with some.

Dahlin actually ended up with LESS than 28 minutes, and that was with OT. Practically a day off for him! All 6 D-men did get decent ice time. I think everyone was above 16 minutes....normally you have one guy with 10 minutes or less. Up front, some interesting things with ice time...Peterka and Benson both only around 12 minutes total, Krebs with just over 10 minutes....while Robinson had 15.5 and Girgensons ahd 14.5 minutes.

I've Skinner more than a few times come away with a puck from a battle on the boards. It usually has nothing to do with him being physical, rather coming to an existing battle and using his hands/stickwork to come away with the puck. Its not that impressive, but he does get SOME loose pucks/pucks from battles along the boards.

Ok, Quality starts for a goalie. From what I can tell a goalie is awarded a quality start IF you have a save percentage in a game above league average for the year, OR you allow 2 goals or less. With that game, I beleive UPL now has the best percentage of quality starts this year (passing Hellebuyck tonight), for 1st in the league in QS percentage.

Trying to look positively at how they are playing since January 1 of this year: -22 games. 13 wins. 9 losses. 6 of those 9 losses by one goal or were 1 goal games until an empty net allowed. In 22 games this calendar year, they have only 3 total games where they were down by more than one goal entering the final few minutes.

I think so. OT goals yes, shootout goals no. At least that is what I thought it used to be.

Well, yeah he can be dry at times and he still doesn't show emotion on all goals scored. But the Carolina game, I thought he was really good. Maybe he just needs a good team playing a good game to call.

He doesn't bother me anymore. Some of the last few games, I thought he was really good.

For me its more about keeping Cozens on the wing, where he seems much better. I have complained and lamented all year long about how bad he has played, but he actually looks good on that Mitts/Greenway line, especially when he spends more time on wing when there. Maybe its a matchup thing?

As far as 'thread locking', I don't know how I feel. I think overall I think threads, as long as they are getting posted in, should be allowed to exist. If you have 2 (or more) posters who are going at it really bad, name calling, getting the thread off topic, how about a mod stepping in and saying something like 'lets get this back on topic' (which I have seen done before) and maybe, MAYBE banning the offending parties for 1-2 hours just to cool the topic down? Or maybe not allow those people to post in that particular thread if it gets that bad? I don't now the solution, but I do know in the past there have been threads that I was interested in, WANTED to post in....but because a couple other people got off topic and those few people got out of hand, the entire thread was closed and I wasn't able to post about what the thread was supposed to be about.

I don't like trading top prospects. Yeah, I know MOST don't turn out to be stars, but each of them are lottery tickets. If you trade most or all of your tickets, you aren't going to win. With that said...the Sabres have SO many top pick forwards, if you can spin/turn them into a really good D-man in his mid to late 20's...I'll do it.

Ottawa is very interesting to me. I really thought they would be the team to take the biggest jump between Buffalo, Ottawa and Detroit. -Stutzle has regressed in terms of production (Tage level regression) Was almost a 40 goal, 90 point guy last year in his 3rd season at age 20-21. This year in season 4, he is on pace for high teens/maybe 20 goals. Big drop. -Giroux had 35 for them last year. Is on pace for about 10 less, age might be catching up with him. -Tkachuk is just as productive (more goals, less assists) but why were there rumors of him having an issue with maturity? -Chychrun has been a bit of a disappointment. They are getting 'good' overall play from him but I think they expected 'great' play. -Jake Sanderson. He's playing 'good' from what I can see and what I hear, but I think they were expecting him to take a big jump to being a legit top 30 d-man in the league. He's good, but not that good. -Chabot is a really good D-man, I don't think he gets credit for how good he is, but he has missed a lot of games for them. Ottawa is facing a lot of the same issues Buffalo is....top star regression in terms of goals scored, young D-men not taking as big of a step as you want, and injuries to key player(s). The thing is they don't have a lot of potential high-end talent in the pipeline: -They have had no first round picks the last 2 seasons. Every other first round pick in the past decade is either already on the team, or looks like a bust (Thompson, Boucher) -Add to that they have big time cap issues....this is a team that TRULY needs development from within, even more than the Sabres.

If they want to get rid of fighting AND have the cheap stuff gone, they need to start fining stuff even if penalties are not called. A deliberate slash to the back of the legs behind the play but caught on camera? $1000 fine. A punch to the back of the head even with the gloves on...same thing. If you start fining all of that, guess what, guys will get sick of paying fines and it will go away. BUT, try to get the players association to agree to that much of an increase in fines....not going to happen.