PerreaultForever

I'm not sure it's "people" but I think the so called experts or pundits, and the league promoting talking heads want Detroit to be good again. They want the Yzerplan to work, it's in their interest because then they get to talk about the history and legacy. Any team with a history (a positive history) gets them lots of talking points when they do well. original 6 and all that too. If the Sabres ever do well, all we will hear is how they broke the record losing streak.

The good news - Detroit looks like crap. The bad news - Montreal and to a lesser extent Ottawa both look like they are the same if not better than last year. Tampa has a Rempe. Where are all these 6'9" guys coming from?

Injuries will be this year's excuse.

No, as @pastajoe said it harkens back tot he classic days when they were good. I have said before I'd update it to the Dave Edmunds Love Sculpture electric guitar version (which rocks) but even this version is nice to hear. The team however, does not in any way resemble the classic era teams. This team shows more energy and emotion in their opening line up call than they do on the ice. Exactly, and Rob Ray with his usual post game loser talk "lots of good things in this one" . Man that's a tired and stupid refrain when they lose.

Well the little opening thing was cute. Nice to hear the Sabre dance. I guess you can say they are pretty fast. They can skate. Everything else is pretty much the same issues though. I see no change. Dahlin is good. At least most of the time. Krebs on the top line was madness. I'd have moved Zucker up but whatever. Bryson standing beside Rempe looked downright comical. 4 pts. behind the Bruins already with a game in hand. So I guess Saturday is a MUST WIN 🙂

If you say so. Just remember down the road a spell, Mrtka was Forten.

Well it's put up or shut up right? Lots of talk in the preseason about turning it around as usual so it has to be different or it was all just talk.

I'm just curious but how come when you thought they were drafting well you were preaching Karmanos is an analytical genius and now when they miss or draft poorly it's Forten strikes again?

That would be good. Our strategy is always wait for the next one so hopefully the next one arrives before the current ones leave.

They looked solid tonight. Playing a very very tight checking disciplined system that will give teams fits. Very reminiscent of how Germany over achieved at the Worlds under Sturm. Not sure if they can sustain it, but Swayman looks to be back so do not underestimate them either. I suspect a team that will win games they hold even or lead in early so you will want to score early and get a lead on them to make their system collapse.

When Abbotsford won the Cup as the Canucks farm I said we should go after Silovs as the Canucks had to move a goalie. He was the reason they won that cup. He is a gamer. Good old Latvian goalie. The next Arturs Irbe. Penguins didn't pay a lot to get him. Great pick up. Also liked Brazeau when he was on the Bruins. Slow as molasses but around the net he's a force. We are too speed oriented to want guys like that but he's a great complimentary player with the right linemates. I bet he gets at least 20 for them this year. Can Sabres play a tight defensive game???

This explains it. That is a smart move for them.

Rags looked like they either don't grasp Sullivan's system yet or want no part of it. All the experts predicting their resurgence might have it wrong. Too early to say obviously but they looked bad.

Chicago might be fortunate (and Florida might be getting even more injured) but the one thing I'm noticing is Bedard might be coming into his own now. Could be a breakout year. Knight also looks pretty good so maybe no McKenna for Chicago.

Is that not to allow for the late game to start early as well? They want people watching all 3 games. Besides, do you really want to watch Florida raise their banner?

I don't know why they chose Ellis. I guess he has more potential but most "experts" figured DiPietro would be the goalie claimed first and he wasn't. What's the rationale on Ellis over him if you're claiming somebody?

Well I have no idea if Ellis is any good but Georgiev wasn't very good so we shall see. I suspect Georgiev clears. The decision comes when UPL is healthy, then they have to keep 3 or waive the weakest link. Ellis might get claimed back if it's him. Unless UPL has one of these mystery ailments like Risto in Philly and he goes on LTIR and we never know what's wrong with him forever.

4 games for Sabourin as well and 2 games for Moser although I'm not sure either were going to be on the NHL roster so not sure how that plays out. Panthers of course get nothing because they were the poor innocent victims and we all know what a clean and upstanding team they are who never get fined or suspended for anything. Lady Byng candidates up and down that line up.

There were a bunch of goalies that could have been traded for when expansion happened. Ullmark was a free agent so they didn't need to protect him and could easily have added one of them, from teams that had two, cheap. I am sure Adams just assumed Ullmark would take his offer and it was a dumb decision. You're kidding right? No disrespect to Geertsen, I like him, but he's no match for the heavyweights. Personally I want to root AGAINST Edmonton for the next two years as I am sure if he doesn't win McDavid will leave after this good faith extension. I hate to cheer for Montreal. I have historically always hated them, but I simply like the way they are rebuilding. If they can get in and knock out Toronto I'm happy with that. Then they can lose to whichever Florida team survives. We all know however that Los Angeles will go to the final and lose, because they have Perry.

It also means the coach doesn't really have full input into setting the roster. They have to keep guys they traded for and drafted/paid in their spots. The lack of real competition/opportunity will not help in attracting players to want to come here. But it is what it is and that's the roster. If healthy (big IF) it looks slightly better than last year but as always much depends on young players being better than they were and of course the goaltending which is, as always, marginal at best.

You're forgetting that he lost a top 6 goal scorer. Norris has to stay healthy and be much better than Cozens (which is possible) and Quinn has to produce like Peterka did. Without that, your top 6 is substantially worse. I find it hard to hope when we are banking on the goalie Detroit decided was part of their problem and the one nobody wanted after Colorado shipped him out of town desperately. Doesn't exactly scream top level. The D? idk, with all the early injuries who can say. Aside from Dahlin playing well and Mrtka maybe ahead of the predicted development curve there was no real way to evaluate it. We shall see. The bottom 6 is weak. A lot of the competition went arms race on beefing up the bottom. I don't think we can compete but again, we shall see.

The fact that they sent Dunne down after the camp he had tells me everything was in fact predetermined before camp started. Dunne earned a spot in my opinion.

All of that might be true, but you again didn't name the actual mentors. My point is I do not think the Sabres spend much effort bringing in those type of players and thus don't have many of them. I'm really not worried about which path they choose for him. I'm just glad they didn't stick him on the NHL roster already.

You simply do not understand how hockey teams come together and never will. The second game got out of hand, that's fair, but I guarantee you these games galvanized both rosters.

AI Rob Ray would be pretty easy to do. Just make excuses and talk about the next one.