mjd1001

I have not liked Krebs since he started playing with this team. Slower than I thought, not able to win puck battles, very little offense. I STILL am not sold on him, but last game he looked like a different player. He controlled the puck? When he had it and even was under a bit of pressure it looked like he had composure and waited and watched the ice before making a play. So, I still am not sure he is a legit top 9 guy in the NHL, but yesterday his play gave me hope in that for the first time in a while. As for the team's overall play, on both ends of the ice but especially the D-zone....well, the more Cozens plays on the wing and the less he is a center, it seems the better things get. Power-ish forward, 2nd line winger, good forechecker, physical, fighting for the puck on the boards...to me he is just so much better suited on the wing.

Very few D-men become great right away, it seems to take longer than forwards. Sure you have guys like Makar, but it seems Power's development is not that fast. I'd say next year he should 'bounce back' and start to play better, but MAYBE he might break that 'top 100 D-men in the league' next year, that is about it. You want a top 50 D-man in the league guy? I'd say 2-3 more years. Of course, I expect he will take gradual steps and going forward, get a little better each year.

What would you need to get this deal done. I don't know, on the radio someone was saying Savoie, Mitts, and next years first. If, IF that is what it would take to get the deal done....rather than just do that I would take that package to the rest of the league and take offers...Adams would basically say...Savoie, Mitts, and next years first...what is the best anyone has to offer?

I think they pedegree and the hype might influence some of our voting. I'm not saying McDavid ISN'T the best player, but sometimes I think he gets the benefit of the doubt over everyone else because we all heard he was generational. McKinnon, while VERY highly respected coming into the draft, I remember was the 'semi-generational guy' while we really wall waited a couple years for McDavid.

I'm part of the way there with you. Some want him gone yesterday. And yes, he is pretty much a no-show in his own end. But you are still able to rely on him for about 30 goal seasons (the 'coaching' change to a more defensive style hasn't seemed to impact him that much), and he is one of the FEW players how is willing to head to the front of the net pretty much all the time. Is he a perfect player? Nope. Is he overpaid...maybe, probably. Is he a cause for this team being bad though....I don't think so.

If he goes to arbitration, I think the might get more than that, and that would only be for 1 year. If his agent is looking for 3 or 4 years at 5 mil per year, do you say no?

So, I know that things can change..but...those people who, just a month ago... wanted to sign him/offer him 2-3 years at close to $2m per year....that might not be possible anymore.

Certainly this was a closer game...more edge-of-your seat....but I still think its hard to be a game where you blow out the Maple Leafs for 'the best of the year. This one was probably the best one in terms of competitiveness though.

Oh for Kotalik right now...

I know this comment may not go over well with some, but Dunleavy is calling the game pretty well and has a good deal of emotion to me.

As much as we can complain about Skinner's overall game...the might be the Sabre who goes to the net and hangs around there more than anyone.

Power isn't physical. Power makes mistakes (he is still learning the game). He is tentative. But that is a glimpse of what he can/should turn into, given enough time and patience.

I frequently am the one to say stop complaining about bad calls, they go both ways. But that one, after seeing the replay...that was bad.

Dahlin is going to have 30 minutes of ice time again. I know E. Johnson was hurt and they want to ease him back in, but what does he have, like 8 minutes so far?

Not sure if this was posted yet as a reminder but....since 2016-2017 season...Buffalo Vs Carolina... Buffalo 2 wins(46 goals scored). Carolina 16 wins (76 goals scored).

One thing I never really thought too much about with Gretzky/Lemieux and many others from that era. Might they have been ever BETTER if the nature of the NHL was closer to what it is now than it was back then....meaning Gretzky had to have someone like Dave Semenko on his line...often small star playes would have their own 'bodyguard'. I think in a lot of Gretzky's high stat seasons, he was on the ice a lot (not all the time but a lot) with Semenko or McSorely. Even strenght it was Gretzky, Kurri, and one of them. What if you moved Glenn Anderson up to Gretkzy's line in place of them...or maybe Tikkanen on a more regular basis. Would his numbers have been ever better?

I really want this year to be the 'reset' year for the Bills regarding the cap. I don't know all the ins and outs of it, but play out the Miller deal (dont' extend or push money into the future.) If Diggs isn't long for this team, do what you need to do to minimize the Cap hit starting in 2025. Make moves for the replacements for anyone over 30 on this roster (not EVERYONE over 30 but many of them). With Josh Allen, Cook, 2 decent-good tight ends, your entire offensive line....your offense should still be competitive-to-good at least. Your Defense? It may not look good on paper with some moves/cuts...BUT even if you load up on young guys (and Milano is back) it just might be as good, if not BETTER than what you finished with last year. I'd even look to see if you can get some extra late round picks this year...load up on young guys...competition. With everything I said above, this team still should compete for a playoff spot, and then starting in 2025 (phase 2 of Josh Allens's career with Buffalo) you can start to compete in the 'cap wars' again. Plus I'd honestly LIKE a season with lower expectations...but with enough talent still here where they have a chance of beating those expectations.

Interesting a lot of the poll results currently have McDavid as #1, but yet a lot of the comments are for MacKinnon. For those who vote McDavid, what are the reasons to choose him over MacKinnon? Right now he has double the votes.

I thought about D-men or goalies, but no one really comes to mind to even come close to the to forwards right now.

I can't totally disagree on McDavid as having the most talent ever....but as someone in my late 40's, I watched a lot of hockey as a Kid...Gretzky, Messier, Lemieux, Hasek, Brett Hull are some I saw.....I really, really have a hard time not thinking Mario Lemieux wasn't the most talented player ever. Sure, goalies were awful back then.....but more than anyone (Gretzky included), there were plays were Lemiuex simply could not be stopped. 1 on 3 and he would walk through the other team and just score. Too bad his career was cut short by his illness at such a young age. If someone says McDavid in terms of talent though over Lemiuex...its tough to compare players a few decades apart, so I could go either way.

Easy. Goals above expected doesn't win games. Goals win games. Tage and Cozens are scoring less goals than last year...and in terms of goals, they are accounting for the vast majority of the dropoff. Again, what the fancy stats say they SHOULD score is good and all, but the team is not making the playoff because of actual goals. More goals were scored last year. A lot more. Where is that production missing, from where? Goals above expected, just this year..might tell us something about who is playing well or not well this year, but I'm talking about production this year vs last. And asking me about Benson, you are barking up the wrong tree there. I have said many times, even earlier in the year, that I would rather have him not on the roster (or not as a regular at least), but I am just "OK" with it without him having many options. Also in terms of ice time, and just as important, usage, ice time and usage on the PP and expections for production, I dont' consider Benson a replacement for VO. For me it is closer to Peterka is taking VO's role/PP time/expectations, and Benson is taking what Peterka had last year.

Who is the best player in hockey right now? -Austin Matthews. 52 goals, 24 assists, 76 points right now. On pace for over 70 goals. Led the league 2 years ago in goals, last year 'only' reached 40 playing through a wrist injury. Scoring goals is said to be the hardest thing to do in hockey, and he is the best at it over the last few years. On pace for 77 goals and 113 points this year. -Connor McDavid. 21 goals, 66 assists, 87 points, after a very slow start. 5 time Art Ross Trophy winner, 3 time MVP, currently reigning champion in both. 27 years old and 6 times 100+ points. -Nathan MacKinnon. 34 goals, 59 assists, 93 points. Only he and Kucherov on this list is a cup winner. 2nd in league in points, 5 out of leading. 7 years in a row being a double digit + in the plus-minus column. 2nd only to Kucherov in playoff points over the past 5 years, but 1st in playoff goals scored (33 goals in 52 playoff games, scoring goals at a 52 goal per 82 game pace in the playoffs vs playoff competition) Probably the closest we have to a modern day Mark Messier...intense, fast, clutch performer who will 'will' his way to success once he pushed his talent to the limit. -David Pastrnak. 36 goals, 46 asissts, 82 points. Best player on the best team (overall wins) over the last couple of years. 3rd in the league in goals and 5th in points over the last 5 years. 61 goals last year. In the past decade only McDavid had a single season with more goals (64.) When I personally watch the Bruins, he rarely makes a mistake in any zone on the ice. -Nikita Kucherov. 37 goals, 61 assists, 98 points this year through 58 games to lead the league (on pace for 52g, 86a, 138 points). Multiple time 100+ point guy...multiple time Cup winner. Leads league in playoff points over the past 5 seasons...28 more than 2nd place. Just curious to see what everyone thinks as of right now....

I agree with your first 2. Dahlin is getting way too much ice time. And VO? yeah, put him out there and see how it goes. Its not like what they have is working.

Let say they go on a 5 game winning streak from here. Making it 7 in a row. Even if they did that, they would be at .532 point percentage. Where would that get them? 13th in the conference. Where are they now? 13th in the conference. So yeah, not looking good, but we all know that already. And those next 5 games? Carolina, Florida, Tampa, Vegas, Winnipeg. Their record so far against those teams this year? 2-6

As of yesterday, he passed Thompson for 5th on the team in goals per 60 (by a fraction) and is only .03 goal per game behind Skinner for 4th.