GASabresIUFAN

I’m thrilled with what I’ve seen from McLeod so far. However 7 games does not a season make nor is it adequate to evaluate a trade. So far so good is all we can say and hope it continues all season. I am glad that Lindy is increasing the PT for the “3rd” line as they have earned the PT with their play. Hopefully, their fine play will take the pressure off the Cozens line and allow them to play more relaxed.

Last was probably the best overall game I’ve seen from Krebs as a Sabres. That said, I agree with you that the jury is still out on Krebs and I don’t see the long-term fit.

No. McLeod’s play so far this season has been a huge bonus for the team. The instant chemistry between Greenway Zucker and McLeod has been a huge help to the team so far and has bought time for the failing 2nd line to find their games. If McLeod plays like this all season, the trade will go down as KA’s best trade since the tear down. Of course, McLeod is in a contract year.

He isn’t one of the best D in the league. He’s not even close. I’m not asking him to rip peoples’ heads off. I just need him to use his size to knock people off the puck, clear the crease etc…. Ruff wants this as well. I’m glad he is picking it up offensively, but of he is going to become a top D, he must be better in the D zone (as the Althetic’s Fairburn pointed out today) and be more physical. Truthfully it’s not asking to much of a guy getting paid as a top D to play like one.

A mediocre overpaid defenseman who isn't physical despite his size and is average defensively?

The Good: UPL, Krebs, McLeod The Bad: The 3rd period once Dallas pulled the goalie. The Ugly: The PP, the 2nd line primarily Cozens and Quinn. Serious Dylan, can’t you even hit an open net? Lots of positives in this game, but we serious need new ideas on both special teams. The 6 on 5 play was terrible.

0-22 and counting.

That eliminated most of the Sabres forwards.

Since none of those 3 have been good or even decent so far this season, it’s really telling how bad Dahlin’s been.

0-21 and counting. When will they actually try to fix this mess?

This was UPL best performance of the season. He looked much more comfortable in the crease. 0-4 on PP again. 0-21 for the season. Embarrassing. Showed better resilience after coughing up the lead again. Loved McLeod's effort on the empty net goal. Sabres need to build on this effort, but they need to stop falling asleep as they did for most of the 2nd period. Please note: my attention was divided as I watch Georgia upset No. 1 Texas in Austin 30-15. Also dominating win by the Hoosiers over Nebraska. Hoosiers now 7-0. Crazy!

Besides the last two years where he was a 57 pt guy.

I think Kulich could be a solid NHL center. It is probably too early to put him in as the 2nd line center, but he has the necessary skill set to succeed in the middle. I envision him more as a 3rd line center than 2nd. I see him as a Jochen Hecht type player. I also think Quinn and JJP could play center effectively in the NHL. Both are good with the puck on their sticks (yes, I know Quinn in struggling right now). Disagree on TNT. He is a center, just not a great one. Sadly, KA doesn’t understand that quality center depth is essential to a winning NHL team. If he understood that, Mitts would still be here and he’d have the necessary depth to move Cozens to the wing. I don’t disagree on Krebs, but desperate times..

Peterka. Tuch. We need to station Tage in front of the net. Play Dahlin and Byram on the points, and allow Tuch, JJP and the 2 D to play a quick passing 4 man game with Tage screening the goalies and collecting loose change.

That’s not true. Kulich, McLeod, Krebs and Laferty all play center. I wouldn’t bench Cozens. I’d move him to the wing and let someone else play center. I’d elevate McLeod as a first attempt. However given that the McLeod line is our most effective so far, I can see Lindy being reluctant to make the change. The next options are Krebs or Kulich. Not ideal but worth a shot if it takes some pressure off Cozens.

To bad Reimer isn’t a Sabre any longer.

and you'd trust GM Howdy Doody to make that trade? I wouldn't.

I've got nothing. This is a bad hockey team. The funny thing is after the slow start offensively they have picked things up at least as even strength. Still no PP goals, but a 6 on 5 goal. The Sabres have scored 14 goals in the last 3 games including 12 at even strength. This should be enough to win most games, except due to bad defense and goaltending they are 1-1-1. The team has given up 22 goals in 6 games this season. KA moves to shore up the defense have been an abysmal failure so far and I'm not talking about just this season. PP now 0 for 17 and counting.

We have guys who could take on that role. Greenway comes to mind. Benson would do it.

Scary isn’t it!

The Sabres have 13 goals for this season. 11 5 on 5, 1 short handed and 1 empty net. With 15 PP opportunities the Sabres are actually -1; 0 PP goals scored and 1 short handed goal allowed. They are also 0 for 1 on penalties shots. The PP is so bad, they are struggling to even enter the offensive zone. The team has only had 18 SOG in 15 Power Plays. Seth Appert was partly promoted to fix the PP. So far it’s worse. There is zero flow. The puck doesn’t move quickly and we rarely ever station someone in front of the net to create screens and pick up loose change. Where is Dave Andreychuk when you need him? We also don’t win draws on the PP to gain control of the puck. Cozens, who has taken 16/31 PP draws is 37.5% on those faceoffs. Tuch has taken the 2nd most (6) is 33%. For reasons unknown TNT has taken only 4 draws on the PP winning 3. So can this mess be fixed?

Power hasn’t even been close to good enough. He is paid to be a top 2 D and is soft, adds little offense, continues to make bad mistakes on defense. A FA playing like he is gets 3 mill or less. Samuelsson is supposed to be a shutdown D. He isn’t. He doesn’t add offense and if he doesn’t play shutdown D he is useless. Dahlin’s problem is Joki. Dahlin needs to play the right side. He is more comfortable there and getting the most out of Dahlin should be Ruff’s no 1. priority on D.

Dahlin - $11,000,000 - 0g - 1a Power - $8,350,000 - 1g - 0a Thompson - $7,142,857 - 3g - 0a Cozens - $7,100,000 - 0g - 0a -5 Zucker - $5,000,000 - 0g - 3a Tuch - $4,750,000 - 2g -4a UPL - $4,750,000 - 0-2-1, 3.69 gaa & .874 save % Samuelsson - $4,285,714 - 1g - 0a -2 Besides Tuch and to a lesser extent Zucker, which of our highest paid players are actually playing to their contract level? Sure Tage has 3g, but the 0 assists? He is supposed to be a 1pt a game plus player, not a 48 pt player. The rest have been not garbage this season. UPL is back to where he was two years ago and has been outplayed by Levi by a wide margin (as predicted). The 3 big D have basically not helped at either end of the ice, although Power has been ok defensively. Until most if not all of these guys start playing to their alleged potential, this team is stuck in neutral.

That’s why you take the pressure off him and let him go play as a winger on the 3rd line and start having fun again.

Because he is playing the wrong position. Move him to wing and the 3rd line and tell him to just be aggressive. Go to the net young man. With his current lack of confidence and inaccurate shot, he needs less responsibility not more until his game hopefully rebounds.