PerreaultForever

Well, losing the shootout sucks, BUT I think that was the most I've been entertained by a Sabres game in................ idk a decade? More? That was just plain FUN. Sloppy sloppy game with a ton of turnovers that won't cut it against a better team but the energy level, the engagement, the emotion, the pushback. A little too much pushy shovey, I wish more of them would drop them like Cliffy did but the hitting, the physicality and simply not backing down just feels like the dawn of a new era to me. If they bring this EVERY NIGHT this team can truly become something good. I don't want to jump on the bandwagon, I've fallen off too many times before, but this game just felt different. Real hockey. Aside from the shootout, I absolutely loved this game. Not going to dissect a single thing as that'll just spoil the fun of it. Sabres, GIVE ME MORE LIKE THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Beatable team. It is a "MUST WIN" if you want to try to make the playoffs like it or not. A lot of things shake out equal here but ultimately at this time Sabres have more skill, Habs have more grit. If we let them go to the front of the net we might get into trouble. Should be a good game to watch. Hate the Habs.

To the bold, while I didn't and generally don't follow the AHL this speaks to what I was talking about. Stats people and some of the younger fans don't understand or respect some of the subtle character and determination aspects you can see with the eye test even when a player makes mistakes or fails to score (didn't have his stick on the ice maybe like you say) and you can see the work ethic and the effort at key moments. These things matter a lot and are aspects far too often missing with recent Sabres players. idk what Quinn will be but I am becoming confidant that Peterka will be a consistent and reliable performer for years to come. Probably a regular 20+ goal scorer and a 30+ if he has a good/lucky year. On a very good team he'd be a stalwart 3rd liner. On a competitive average team a solid 2nd liner. He will be a player who makes few mistakes, gives a consistent effort, is sometimes not noticed as much as he should be, but will be able to be relied on in good times and bad. I think he has what it takes to be a solid 2 way NHL player.

Cozens had his breakout year because of Quinn? Somebody better memo KA on that. Guess he gave that big contract to the wrong guy. You guys are not remembering last season very accurately at all imo but whatever. Whatever last year was doesn't matter. It's what he does this year when he comes back that matters.

I'm wondering if you mean offensively, scoring, or in his complete game? I was referring to the latter, while I know many of the Quinn fans here are looking primarily at his point total. Peterka last year showed me signs of grit and fortitude, determination, drive, and even a little 2 way ability. All of that matters to me and is why I had him above Quinn and still do. Was Quinn a better complete player in your opinion? It's quite possible Quinn will put up bigger scoring numbers than Peterka in the future, but I'm not convinced he will be a better hockey player.

Dude, the "agent" comment was a joke. Do I have to put a smiley after every joke? Other people don't, but I will try to in the future. In any event, it's not that serious of an issue.

I don't see a whole lot of "lesser" in January aside from the Sharks games. Have to beat Ottawa and Montreal in both months and most of all can't allow any loser points to the competition. I think it's a stretch to think they have a real chance. Not impossible, but very very unlikely.

Are you his agent? idk where you get this from. I never saw it. imo he was nowhere near Benson (even after a year in Rochester) than where Benson already is at a younger age. I see very little comparison at all. I also thought last year (and said it) that Peterka looked like the one with more potential on that Quinn Cozens Peterka line. Now I'm not saying Quinn won't eventually be good. He could be. I just don't remember this big impact you and some others seem to feel he had last year. Just another kid with a lot to learn imo. We will see how he is post injury. It's not any easy injury to bounce back from in a sport that involves a lot of stress and strain on ankles but time will tell.

I can't think of anything, unfortunately it kind of works for when he's not good (i.e. when the Levi breaks have no place to run.....) I predicted the Bruins might come out flat and they did. Combine that with one of the Sabres better games at a team level and there's your result. We actually played a little team defense tonight so that was quite the switch. It's funny but that seems to happen sometimes with teams when their big offensive star goes out, young goalie comes back up, coach then stresses the absolute need for team D and this time they delivered. Have to hope that will continue and keep continuing when Dahlin returns. You can tell the new guy was developed in a different system. He goes to the net. Unfortunately doesn't seem to have a lot of skill or finish, but he might be a reasonable 4th liner. Seems to try to do things the right way in any event. Now to make this effort and work ethic an every night thing and not rest on a one game performance.

Nobody should be considered "untouchable" on a losing franchise. Look at Arizona, they moved out a very good player in Chychrun and they got better. Now I know he wanted out, but the point is you can move out talent and improve if you do things right. It's the toys that you play with that are useful to you, not the shiny new ones still in their packaging.

I have a hard time believing that. Tanev is a fan favourite.

It's funny there's an "is it time" sort of thread and also this "it is time" thread. Next comes the it's "way past time" one.

I think the Bruins will come out flat and over confidant in this one so if the Sabres come out hungry to turn the skid around they can catch them napping and win this. Flu bug also making it's way through Boston. Swayman sick so I think we get Ullmark.

I was listening to some Boston reporters on a podcast and Buffalo briefly came up as a team that was supposed to pass the Bruins this year (along with Ottawa and Detroit) and the comment from them was, "there's some talented guys there but they don't know how to play hockey. Nobody teaches them how to play properly." and that's pretty much how I see it too. I've said this before but it is the thing. The talk from Granato was it's harder to learn offense, learn that first (which is backwards but whatever) but now we still don't seem to be learning defense and I see very little evidence that they are being taught defense at all. I cannot figure out if there is a defensive system. There does not appear to be one at all. Quick zone exit is not a proper system. As to the identity, they do have one. Soft team, loser culture, hence nobody wants to come here. That is the identity until they change it.

EJ maybe, not so sure about Girgs. If Girgs was "in demand" he'd probably have already left here a few times as a free agent.

Why? What do you honestly think a guy who couldn't stay in the Columbus line up will bring us? Ridiculous. Well that's true, team is chock full of babies.

Ya, that would be a difference. I played hockey and love hockey. If Buffalo disappeared tomorrow I could move on. I've stuck with the team since the French Connection days as my number one team but I've managed to stay sane rooting for Boston and others over this time period as well. Managed to have some enjoyable highs that way along with the constant lows. Local residents who cheer local obviously have a harder time with things. I get that. I'd still have a B or C team though, even if I did live in Buffalo.

But you didn't answer the question as to why trade for him? What need does he fill? We could have (for example) just as easily have claimed Anton Blidh on waivers from NY the other day for nothing and had him occupy a bottom roster spot instead of Biro and at half the salary of this guy. He's a low skill high energy guy who occasionally hits people. I see no value in this trade at all.

Which is why I need 2nd, 3rd, even 4th teams to root for. I cannot imagine what it must be like for someone who only likes the Sabres over this last decade. That has to be absolutely brutal.

How? What does he give us that we did not have? What need did he fill?

Yes absolutely. I'm not 100% sure who else they added vs. what they already had but just take Dumba and Durzi vs. Clifton and Johnson and do the math right there.

Size only matters if you use it.

I haven't seen them play much but I think it might have more to do with the D they picked up than the goalie on his own. Consider, for example, how much Minnesota's goaltending has dropped without Dumba and vice versa. He's not the only part of that obviously, they have several D men new to that team, but I do think it's part of it. Ullmark won a Vezina in Boston. Do you think he'd have put up the same save numbers if he'd stayed in Buffalo? Or do you think Aidin Hill would have put up his numbers without their D and Cassidy's system? Everything is connected, and it is most certainly not just "luck".

imo it's not just a slump, he's (comparatively) weak. He needs weight and muscle. Strength training. He's fine in open ice but he is completely incapable of doing anything around the net if opponents assert their physicality. He also is incapable of forcing a player outside if said player uses his body to shield the puck. idk what he did in the off season, but he should have been adding muscle instead. He's a boy in a man's game right now.

me thinks you might be right.