GASabresIUFAN

Is this investigation why he is still an RFA?

It depends. If he isn't effective and we are chasing a playoff spot, then no he won't be getting much PT. That's why you send him down.

I'm not sure that's true. Practicing with the big boys is great, but it will never replace in game experience. Think back to when they returned Reinhart to Juniors after his 9 game tryout. He went back and focused on what they asked him to work on and came back a better player the following year.

It’s why Greenway, Johnson, and Clifton were acquired. They have made PK much more aggressive. Add TNT's size and stick length and you have a recipe for a significant improvement. Now if we can get better play from Clifton 5on5.

This is something they need to try. It can create miss-matches in front as the D have to try to dislodge the guy behind the net. I’d also like to see some E-W passing that doesn’t first go back to the point.

I hate to say this but unless they are sure he’s an NHL player now, they should send him back. If they don’t and Benson continues to be unproductive then they are wasting a year of his ELC with nothing to show for it. If they send him back, he’ll have a year to work on his strength and any other issues they wise him to address and gain more international experience with team Canada. Also if they send him back, it will be his 4th CHL season and therefore he could start in Rochester in 2024/25 if necessary even though he still won’t be 20. One other thought on Benson and Savoie. Team Canada’s selection camp is in mid December for the World Jrs. Could the Sabres try to keep both hanging around until then?

Just watched the highlights on YouTube. Cooley let in a couple right over his shoulders. The Rosen goal proves that good things can happen when you put pucks on net.

Did they pull Knight and not put in a replacement? Game Center says Knight played 38 minutes and his backup 0. The game track said we were shooting on an empty net.

Is there really a debate on whether Dahlin is elite? Seriously? Last season he was 5th in pts by a D, 9th in goals. He was 3rd in TOI and finished 7th on NHL Networks top 20 D for this season (Karlsson was 8th). He is currently tied for 4th in points by a D with 7 (in 7 games) and leads the NHL D with 7 assists. The most amazing thing about his journey to this point is that he became elite despite the Sabres f’ing up his coaching and team for years.

I just watched a breakdown of the NJ PP. They rarely give the PKers the same look. I think we have the talent to try different looks but I’d like to try Mitts in the bumper on the first PP. He is our best playmaker why don’t we give him a shot at distributing on the PP.

This is something that I’ve felt has been the case since last year. Simply passing along the perimeter waiting for a TNT one timer is no longer a surprise. Goalies and the PK are overplaying that move. Time to give them something else to think about. I’d like to see a little less structure and more creativity. I’d like to see faster puck movement.

That was going to be my next question.

The internet site says $65 home and away for the season.

do you do the single team or the whole package?

From ESPN on the firing of Savard https://www.espn.com/nhl/news/story?id=3646685 That does sound familiar, but DG's seat is safe for at least this season unless they go on a long losing streak again. I believe TP sees KA/DG as partners like Beane and McDermott. He is going to give both men the chance to finish what they started.

Does anyone have AHLTV package?

I honestly don't see either Savoie or Benson sticking with the Sabres at this point. The Sabres are in a fight for the playoffs and this is a time for more NHL experience not less. If this were 2 years ago or last season, I'd say why not keep both, but winning is now the objective and unless they make us clearly better, go back to the CHL work on 200-foot hockey and get stronger.

Although I do like that he is willing to mix it up along the boards. I also liked that he gave an Ott player a "love tap" on the back of the leg after a cross-check in front of the net.

What’s an honest assessment of his game tonight? He looked fine through 2 periods but he also got good support. He and the team struggled in the final 10 minutes. To my eye, I don’t see anything to convince me that he is an NHL goalie. It’s true he may become one. Johansson is even TB credible goaltending each night. However at some point soon KA is going to have to make a decision.

How did Joseph (Ott) avoid a penalty for jumping on the Sabre which caused the whole late-game scrum? The Sabres need to set the tone next game between the two teams by physically pounding the Sens. Clifton, Johnson, Cozens, Tuch, Greenway, Z and KO need to pound the Sen into submission. No more Chris Neil cheapshots allowed.

Outside the first terrible game, the Sabres are now 3-3 with 18 GF and 17 GA. No breaks however. The next 5 games Colo (6-0-0) NJ (3-1-1) Philly (2) (3-1-1) Tor (4-2) on the back half of a back to back. Brutal!

It's also nice playing with arguably the 2 best playmakers on the team in Tuch and Mitts.

Just finished watching the game. Skinner looks great playing with Mitts. Best TNT game of the year. He could have scored 5 with a little luck. I liked Greenway. He looks like a different player. Thought Skinner back checked well. I thought they looked tired in the 2nd half of the 3rd. Still not sold on UPL. Made some nice saves, but ….. Huge win. This is going to be a heated rivalry. Sabres were the better team tonight and are the better team if we get even decent goaltending.

So we have scored on an odd man rush (in transition) and on a tip because we had someone in front of the net. Two things absent from yesterday.

Dorsey will be the fall guy and frankly should be let go now. Make Brady the interim OC and McD needs to tell him to get Cook more involved in the offense. He also needs to get Josh to get the ball out quicker and design plays to help him do that.