GASabresIUFAN

It's for a good cause, the helmet is a bonus.

Just received my mini helmet. Eric Johnson I believe. I think it's an E J 6. There was nothing in the box to indicate who this is except a "6" written on the bottom.

Those are the two prospects that weren't rushed. Mitts, Levi, even Cozens and Benson, you can make an argument that they were rushed to the NHL. However, JJP and Quinn dominated the AHL, especially given their ages, and then acquitted themselves very well as rookies in the NHL. They were ready. On the hand, Rosen and Kulich are proving they aren't ready. Kulich was sent down and Rosen will follow when we get a healthy body or two back. A fair question. Don't you miss Ullmark level goaltending? 🙂

May I suggest getting a new pair of glasses? While the stats never tell the whole story, given a 25 game sample size, the trends are pretty clear. The Sabres goaltending remains below average again this season. The Sabres are 27th in GA. The are 24th in GA/gp at 3.40. The Sabres have allowed 4 or more goals 12 of 25 games. Their record is 2-9-1 in those games. They have allowed 2 or less in only 9 games. The record in those games is 8-1. (We are 0-3-1 in games where we allow 3 goals). Comrie and Levi have given us only three (3) .900 or better save % starts. Overall the team has only 10 starts where the goaltenders gave us a .900 or better save %. Is it any wonder we only have 10 wins? 10 .900 games of 25 is below average or worse goaltending. UPL has been decent this season. He has given us .900 or better save % in 7 of 12 starts, but he has also given us 2 games with a save % in the 700s. Furthermore, UPL gave us a similar run last year in his first 20 games and then the wheels came off. I'm not ready to anoint him the savior in the net when he isn't consistent and has gone into the tank after a similar start last year. By the way, UPL's save% in his first 20 starts last year was .900 and it's .903 through his first 12 starts this season (.905 if you include his 1 relief appearance).

People keep saying the goaltending has been decent. That simply isn’t supported by the stats. UPL has been ok, but has had 3 horrific games. Overall the goaltending has not been good. Sabres 5 on 5 save % is .904 - league average .919. Sabres overall save % is .886 - league average . 899. We are clearly receiving significantly below average goaltending most nights. In fact, Comrie and Levi have been two of the top 5 worst goalies in the NHL this season. Comrie’s GAA is 3.99 and Save % .864. These are terrible numbers. Of goalies with 5 or more games this season Comrie’s save % is 64th of 65, and his GAA is 63rd of 65. Levi’s GAA is 3.73 and Save % .876. These are also terrible. He ranks 60th in GAA and 61st in save%. Let’s not celebrate UPL either. His .907 save % is 27th of 65 and his 2.81 GAA is 23rd. That’s makes him a below average No.1 goalie.

I doubt CBJ would trade their Capt, but I’d love to have him.

I think that KA thought Tuch might be that guy and it’s hard to fault his effort, but for some reason the team doesn’t give the same effort he does. He obviously doesn’t hold his teammates accountable.

This team needs a real leader. A Chris Drury type player willing to hold the team up to a winning standard. Drury plastered a poster of the Stanley Cup in the locker room when he arrived tells his teammates that was now the standard in Buffalo. Since he left we have had no one, no player, no coach, no GM no owner holding anyone to that standard and that is why we are where we are.

An embarrassment. They lack drive or heart. They are just skating around playing pond hockey and hoping something good happens.

Sadly I think there is some lack of accountability and lack of a willingness to put winning first.

I left coach on my list because TP isn't going to allow KA to fire DG in season. We also know that this team can play winning hockey under DG as they showed against the Rags. If KA can get some goaltending and at least one decent forward, this team still has time to turn things around.

Issues: 1) Continued bad goaltending - 12 goals allowed in the last two games. The combo of Comrie and Levi allowed 7 goals 4 games ago against NJ helping Levi earn his demotion to the AHL. 2) Failing forward group - Yes there are a couple of injuries, but only one relevant one and that's to TNT. The truth is the group with few exceptions (Mitts and Tuch) don't back check. The team, outside of the Rangers game, isn't attacking with speed like they did last year. This team's forward depth is also a problem. The effective 4th line from last year has been awful all year. Jost adds nothing. VO has had 4 good games, the rest not to much. Greenway looks distracted and uninterested. All this has sent the forward depth into the crapper. Adding an undersized and physically lacking 18 year old is not adding quality depth at this point even if he occasionally makes a spectacular play. 3) Coaching - The message has been lost on the players since they aren't executing what they did well last year (Scoring and PP) and aren't improving on what they did poorly last year (Back checking). How do you start to fix this mess? It's going to take at least 3 acquisitions 1) Go get a legit 2 way 3rd line center. 2) Get another physical forward for the energy line 3) Get a real goalie While the goalie need is obvious, the center need is less apparent. TNT and Mitts are the top 2 centers. Cozens is having a terrible time recovering his game after his injury and has become a liability in the middle. Get a center who can win a draw, contribute some offense and allow Cozens to move to wing and we'll be much better off. The lineup could eventually look like with Skinner TNT Quinn JJP Mitts Tuch Benson ???? Cozens Greenway Krebs ???? (KO) Two center ideas - Adam Henrique and Sean Monahan - both are pending UFAs, both are vets, both are good in the PF circle and both can still add some O. Ana would have to eat 40% of Henrique's contract. I also think some like Cal Clutterbuck would be a good depth option. The only goalie options I see aren't great in Reimar and Allen, and both are in division.

So what now? Find a goalie. Bench some forwards who aren't working hard enough. Fire Ellis. Bring in a faceoff and PP coach. Trade for forward help. Or take the KA approach, fake that you are interested in adding any kind of help now. Call this another development season, alienate your fans some more, trade away what you can at the deadline, and add whatever junk is on the waiver wire.

Why limit to 1st rd picks? There have been plenty of 2nd and 3rd rd picks who were just as ready. Why force them to stay? The CHL is unlikely to want to change the rules when the deal with the NHL expires. I think the only workable solution is an exceptional status designation by NHL teams for a limited number of prospects over a period of years; say 2 players over 5 years. Now that NIL has hit the college ranks and the myth of amateur college athletes is gone maybe, it's time for CHL players to be able to move to the NCAA.

The CHL dies without its star players. The rules are there to keep the league viable like it or not. Should there be certain exceptions? Of course, but if you take every player like Savoie and move them at 18 or 19 to the AHL it would destroy the CHL and also send many veteran AHLers out of hockey or to Europe. Many of these vets are important to the development of young AHLers.

KA is going to do nothing until the deadline at the earliest. He floated the rumor to make it sound like he is doing something now but don’t be fooled.

What makes it worse is that they battled back to tie the game at 3 and then let Stl score 2 more times.

Maybe if the organization was interested in having real goaltenders then the results might be different.

How bad was UPL tonight?

I asked the question because if this is considered a violation of the "morals" clause in the contract, I'd assume we could void the deal, but I'm honestly not sure.

Can we void Miller’s contract?

That’s always the question isn’t it. Fire McD and you could end up with Hank Bullock (RIP).

No ROR no TNT, the game won’t feel the same. Sabres need to win and show the dominate effort at NY wasn’t a fluke. Time for this team to step up.

This is my 4th year. Mitts and Tage on helmets and then Asplund on a baseball cap. I like that they use the younger players. I’d be happy with Quinn. JJP or Devon would be great as well.

Z has 2 goals this season and zero assists in 20 games. That’s an 8 pt pace for a full season and half his normal production. That’s not even close to adequate production from any NHL forward even a 4th liner.