GASabresIUFAN

Give Levi the start against his hometown team. We aren’t making the playoffs without running the table. Might as well make his debut special.

This was the first game the team won all season when scoring only 2 goals. This was only the second shutout of the season. The Sabres are 15-0-1 when allowing 2 or less goals. The Sabres are 7-21-4 when allowing 4 or more.

Just when we thought they would fully implode, they go and win 2 in a row and bam we are out of the Bedard sweepstakes. Make up your mind Sabres. To Bedard or Not to Bedard, that is the question.

I saw an interesting graphic today before the Bruins/TB game. The Bruins have only had 6 players score 50+ in a season in their franchise history Pasta will be the 6th and the 1st in over 30 years and only the 3rd in 40 years. They are Espo (5), Middleton, Hodge, Bucyk, and Neely (3). Pasta needs 1 more goal to get to 50. If Thompson gets to 50, he’ll be the Sabres 5th player to reach 50 and our first in 30 years and only our 3rd in 40 years. He’ll join Gare (2), Martin (2), Patty and Mogilny.

That was about as unexpected victory of the season. Comrie a shutout? Who would have bet on that? KO withhis 10th and the GWG. Lyubuskin with the primary assist. Mitts makes a good D play to launch Cozens who sets up Skinner for the empty net goal. Weird. Now they have won back to back games on back to back nights.

Is Quinn now the 5th best forward on the team?

None of Demko, Hart or Saros have any trade protection. If Buffalo trades for one, they are coming here.

As of this post, we are sitting in the 11th draft slot (72 pts in 70 games) - 2-6-2 in the last 10. Ottawa is in the 12 slots (75 pts in 72 games) Det is 10th with 71 points (71 games) - 3-7-0 in the last 10 Stl is 9th with 70 pts (71 games) - 5-4-1 in the last 10 Van is 8th with 69 pts (71 games) - 8-2-0 in the last 10 Sorry, but the way this team is we are very much in the Bedard sweepstakes.

As annoyed as I am with both Granato and Adams, the firing of either at this point would be a huge mistake. Even if they aren't perfect or even great, they have shown a level of competence that the previous administrations lacked. I don't blame DG for all the problems the roster has had. It's not his fault that the team lacks D depth or any goaltending to speak of. He can only coach what he is given. Considering the growth of the offense under his system and the improvement in guys like Dahlin, Skinner, Jost, Mitts, Cozens, and Tuch, I'm having a hard time wishing he were replaced. His system on the other hand needs to be looked at more closely. I don't like that he doesn't match lines, especially at home, and I am a bit discouraged that he hasn't found a way to stop at least some of these high-danger chances against. My complaints about KA are well-known and don't need to be rehashed here. His job performance in clearing out the old core, drafting well, and creating a more competitive and exciting roster are well documented and enough positive to keep him in his job. I also like the fact that he seems to recognize the defensive issues and is working to start fixing them. One of the things this franchise needs more than anything else is stability. However given the recent collapse by the team once they got into legit playoff contention has significantly warmed the seats both men are sitting on.

It's not like he is ever going to be a Sabre. The more important point is that KA is finally taking our need for defense depth in the organization seriously. Getting Stillman, trying to get Chychrun, and signing a college FA are all part hopefully of a continued trend toward making the team's defense better and making the organizational defensive depth better. Granted this signing and the Stillman trade are baby steps, but they are steps nonetheless.

Those others you ask? Well if you have to ask the price you really can’t afford it. However, we have these two Swedish imports that are very much in your price range. In fact, we are running a special. But one Swedish import and get a lottery ticket or a Russian import free.

Bedard late than never?

I don’t agree. We took Thompson when Stl balked at Thomas or Kyrou. We have Savoie, Kulich, Östlund or Rosen. Giving them Östlund or Rosen should satisfy any team.

We asked for more D depth in the organization and bam LA delivers. I don’t know if this is a good signing or not, but at least it’s recognition that the depth is needed. Hopefully this is another sign that KA actually has a clue what needs to be done to fix the team and help them take the next step.

It depends on my other options. I'd might do one of the top prospects and a 2nd for Saros, but not a top prospect and a first. I'd consider a first (2024) and Rosen however.

If Sabres management had a brain they’d leave him in Rochester for another year. He needs to get stronger as do all the young Sabres. After watching JJP struggle often with the physical nature of the 82 game NHL schedule, I suspect Kulich and Savoie would struggle as well. There also might not even be a spot for him on the forwards next season. If you go with the premise that KA/DG would want him in a top 9 role, where would he play? Even if VO is traded, you still have 10 guys under contract or control pencilled in or fighting for those 9 jobs (Skinner, TNT, Tuch, Quinn, Cozens, JJP, Mitts, Krebs, Jost and Greenway). Another candidate for a top 9 role is Savoie, who because of his lack of AHL eligibility is more likely to make the Sabres next fall. All that said, Kulich is my favorite prospect. This is the one guy in last year’s draft that I desperately wanted KA to draft. Frankly his game reminded me of ROR, as in someone who would contribute all over the ice. I think he potentially he could be a perfect 2 way center for this franchise. PS His contract slides another year if kept to Rochester all season next year.

and refusing to invest in real goaltending. 😎

Of the 21 guys I looked up 13 became NHL starters at 25-27. 2 others at 24. Only 3 didn't play in the A, but all 3 came from Eastern Europe and had considerable pro experience there. So it's still possible UPL becomes a viable starter in the NHL, but he clearly isn't one yet, and had he been playing for a competent franchise, the only NHL experience he'd have is as an occasional injury call-up.

I don't think we even have to look at fancy stats to see that he isn't an NHL goalie right now and probably will never be one. Just compare his AHL numbers to any of his peers in the NHL. His numbers in the A are worse than everyone I've looked up. From Jake Allen to Markstrom to Husso to Binnington to Logan Thompson to Stuart Skinner. Skinner is the closest I've seen to UPL's lousy numbers, but that was only one season, not 4. Skinner's last two AHL campaigns featured save % of .914 and .920. UPL has never come close to those numbers.

Like Demko, Saros and Hart for example.

Pray. If they are, this team can’t make the playoffs unless they magically become good goalies.

Another reason to let KO move on this summer. The following is what I wrote in the thread quoted above.

Every move by Adams on the goaltending front has been awful except trading for Levi and until he is the starter here the jury is still out. Keeping Hutton year 1. - Mistake. Letting Ullmark walk with the lame excuse of not blocking UPL and wanting to create "real" competition. - Mistake. After all how do you get real competition if you don't have real players at the position? Failure to have a plan B when Ullmark walked (as he should have). - Mistake. Scrapping the bottom of the goalie barrel for the last two seasons to find goaltending because UPL stinks. Hiring Anderson, Comrie, Dell, Tokarski, and Subban. All mistakes. Believing that UPL was ready to compete for real minutes in the NHL. - Mistake. Not willing to trade any quality assets to get help at the most vital position. - Mistake. Trying to acquire cap dump goalies with NTCs. - Mistakes. Drafted a goaltender in the 2nd round who doesn't even have a .900 save % in Finland's juniors. - Mistake. Honestly, if UPL and Comrie are in camp next fall, Adams should be fired immediately.

With a mix of VO, KO, Z, Bryson and Clague. Dumping the special teams and D coaches should also be considered.

Our management didn't want to "block" the elite prospect that was UPL while saying competition is important and therefore let Ullmark walk, without bringing in real goaltending to create the stated goal of competition for jobs. Boston management said Ullmark please come here and play with our top prospect Swayman and now they have the best tandem in hockey. Apparently, they weren't actually worried about real competition. Last I looked there are two goaltenders on each team in the NHL (except us, we have 3 bad goalies). Boston said we need two good ones, while Buffalo said screw that we don't care if we have any credible goaltending. Since Ullmark walked, we've had Anderson, Dell, Tokarski, Subban, Houser, Comrie, and UPL. UPL can't even beat out that sorry lot. Talk about bad management and a lack of real competition. One team makes good decisions and competes for a Cup even with one of the older forward groups in the NHL and one group makes terrible decisions and fails to give an emerging team the support it needs and deserves. I don't know if Granato is the answer, but I do know he can only work with the team he is given.