GASabresIUFAN

I heard they call RK “Mando”

Is there any debate left as to what kind of line Skinner needs to succeed?

The should be a 5 minute pp and a game misconduct.

Jack’s been terrible but has two assists.

Staal gets his first assist of the year. Another new guy making an impact.

Lol. Worst giveaway of the year. Mark it down.

In Greenland

I’m not sure who is a worse coach, IU’s Archie Miller or the Sabres Ralph Krueger. IU is 3 for 13 from 3 tonight. Typical shooting night for Miller’s squad.

In Europe.

The most important player on the PK is the goaltender. Everybody knows that except the Sabres management. Our guys had 830 save % last year. No reason to think they’ll be better this year.

This is painful to watch. I’d like to congratulate our motivational expert coach for getting the guys ready to play.

Well he looked good in camp. To bad he doesn’t have the speed to play with them.

No, the Cap flobbed the brakeaway and another Cap missed an open net just before the 3rd goal.

Only thing Hutton is stealing is a pay check.

Rinse, wash and repeat. Should be 5-1 caps right now.

Just saw the replay. You are correct.

He did have a good chance real early, but yes it’s pretty clear it was a stupid line combo from our coach.

They did, Risto screwed up in front of the net, but still not a positive matchup at home.

Really nice play by Miller on D that helped create the 2 on 1

Just thinking the same thing. We look slow and timid.

So much for the improved PK. Why was the Skinner line on the ice against Ovie’s line on home ice on the 1st goal?

Skinner had 30+ goals and 60+ points as a rookie for the Canes. He was their 2nd leading scorer behind Staal. He was very impactful. Reinhart is a better proxy. He has 20+ goals and 40+ points. I don’t think will play as high in the lineup and therefore will probably have less scoring opportunities, but i can see him moving up in the lineup (and Thompson go down) as the season’s progresses.

I was just looking at how Joel Farabee (14th overall in 2018) did last year for the Flyers. He had 8g 13a for 21 points in 52 games. Joel had a great game yesterday (1g 3a) to start the season. I really like Joel, but think Cozens is the better player. Looking at Joel's numbers makes me think that Cozens will grow as the seasons progresses. Can we see 10g and 15a this season if he plays everyday? Will RK let him play everyday?

Just to add some fuel to this Skinner debate, I went at looked at OZone starts. In his 40 goal season with us, Housley deployed him 67% in the Ozone. RK dropped that to 52% last year and his production cratered (although it that was mostly from lack of a real center to play with). Skinner is 60% O zone starts for his career. The reason I bring this up, is I think it supports the idea of utilizing Skinner and a couple of skilled kids in a heavy Ozone rotation, especially at home when he controls the match ups. Just a thought. It also lends supports to the idea of making sure that at least one linemate is defensively responsible on the road. So Road - Skinner Lazar Cozens Home - Skinner Mitts Cozens

@Taro T It’s great we aren’t debating the top 2 lines for a change. I also don’t thinking anyone is mad that TT is getting a shot with Jack and Hall, although I worry that he isn’t fast enough to play with them long-term. I also don’t think anyone, including myself is miffed that RK is deploying a strong checking line. We have seen, when done well, that it can make a positive difference for our team. I think ultimately it comes down to what to do with our extra forwards. In theory and when healthy we have the following guys to choose from; Asplund, Skinner, Mitts, Cozens, Quinn, Lazar, and Sheahan. Skinner seems to be playing no matter what. If that is the case, it’s up to the coaching staff to figure out how best to use his talents, otherwise why play him at all? It looks like RK’s choice is to play him with 2 guys who are barely in the NHL and who are defensive specialists. On what planet is that “balance” or helpful to the team? All it does is make sure we get zero production from Skinner in the handful of minutes they play against Caps and insures that 50% of our forward lines are offensively challenged, even if they only play 1/3 of the game. Sure the plan can change as soon as the puck drops, but with RK as coach it’s unlikely until we have significant injuries. I hope I’m wrong and we see Cozens lining up with Lazar and Skinner, but I’m not optimistic.