PerreaultForever

I think we should sign a veteran FA to back up Levi but I don't think they will. I think you are absolutely right. Levi and UPL will be it.

Glad to see there are other people who feel the same way I do. KA imo underestimated the potential of this team. A number of things came together at once and we could have made the playoffs if he'd believed that was possible and made those key moves we all know needed to be made. There's absolutely no question he did a great job with the necessary subtraction part of things. Three great trades and a fresh new locker room vibe. I wanted that subtraction 3 years ago but he finally made it happen and he made great deals in all 3 cases. Kudos. But that doesn't mean he walks on water. He has totally botched goaltending. Perhaps wanting a high draft pick this year for one more draft as he waited for Levi, perhaps just blowing his negotiation with Ullmark as a rookie GM, perhaps missing out on trade options, whatever the reason we've had no decent goalie for far too long and it cost us. I mentioned this in another thread but if you take Vanacek away from the Devils and give him to us do we have over 100 points and they are on the outside of a wild card? I'd say that's a distinct possibility. and the holes in the D were there and are still there. Will he fill them this off season? he better or next year might be just the same as this one. But sure, the team has a brighter future in all likelihood. It's more of a team and I agree, easier to like and cheer for. Better personalities on it too. Lots to like. There just could have been so much more.

To the first paragraph. I think KA did a very good job with the necessary deconstruction. 3 good trades and the necessary removal of star egos from the locker room. I think on the other hand he has botched goaltending and done a poor job filling gaping holes on the current roster. To the second paragraph, yes, the team is more fun to watch now than in past years since the tank. Yes, they have true potential. It does feel like the beginnings of a true TEAM is taking place. The future may be bright. I simply disagree with KA's longer timeline/plan. I think it could be stepped up a little without compromising the future. I hope they see that this off season.

Disappointing. Good effort, but ultimately disappointing, and even more disappointing with Pittsburgh losing to Chicago at home. Dare I say New Jersey is better coached than us? They are not that different from us in terms of talent, but they play a more structured and disciplined game, better team D, block more shots, intercept more passes, just better team structure. I guess they are in fact a good year or so ahead of us. Maybe we get their point total next year if we fix our holes. Owen Power is quietly becoming very very good. Looking at his progress and development this year I think he will eventually be more important to this team than Dahlin. Maybe not as dynamic offensively, but more important in terms of an all around game. He also seems to elevate his game under pressure and the bigger the game the better he plays. On the other hand, we need to upgrade Jokiharju and Bryson/Stillman. I don't think anyone will disagree that Bryson is terrible and Stillman is a bottom end sub at best but Jokiharju is also terrible. Sure, he has some good nights and occasional good offensive plays but he is simply a bad defenseman. Power deserves a better partner . Really hope management makes the necessary moves this off season.

I know, spell check is hilarious sometimes. (If Peterka becomes a soft player - which I do not in any way think will actually happen - we can start calling him Patricia regularly :))

NOPE. What I have said (repeatedly) is I had a more optimistic view of this team and their potential than KA did. If you go back you will see I talked about this long before this late season charge with Levi. Go back to the Reinhart trade thread. When lots of people were saying bad trade and brushing him off as some 7th round pick I said it was a great trade and it wasn't a question of IF Levi would be a star goalie it was only a question of WHEN. Look at what I've said about Cozens since he was first drafted. I could list off a lot of "I told you so's" but the main point is before this season started I saw and talked about playoff potential but it required a few moves to fill gaping holes but if filled we could win NOW. KA didn't see that likelihood so this was a "development year" and so we sit on a cusp rather than fighting for 2nd place with the leafs and that lost moment irritates me, but whatever, I'm the negative guy for you. Carry on.

I watched NJ play the Bruins the other day and they are very very similar to the Sabres and I don't really think they are any better. Only reason they have more points is because they had solid goaltending. They have good and fast young talent but so do we. Can Levi go again? idk, that's asking a lot but maybe he's young and spry enough to continue. Pace like this is a lot to ask but there's no other option really. Winnable game if they skate and keep moving for a full 60.

I make a joke about you spelling Peterka as Patricia and you give me a lecture instead of having a laugh. I wonder who's adding nothing to the converstation. Once again, lighten up.

What makes you think I have a contaminated sour disposition? I merely feel that discussion of the flaws, weaknesses and problems with the team (and the solutions to these problems) is far more interesting than a lot of attaboy fan back slapping. That's boring. The bar I set for this team is high. I want to win the cup, not just not suck. Everything I talk about in terms of criticism is forward thinking on what we need to get there. So spare me the personal attacks okay.

It's not that exceptional. If it was, he'd have a greater offensive role.

He didn't have to be Devon Levi. Don't be silly. He just had to be better than the old man, the career back up and the hot and cold big but flawed kid. The comparison is obvious. The team we play next New Jersey. Would our positions be switched if we'd gotten Vanacek? We could have made a deal with Washington and protected him. We could have offered a 2nd to Seattle to get him. We could have offered 2 2nds and a 3rd to Washington to get him that time. and we could have made a better offer in both cases. Just one example, but where would NJ be WITHOUT Vanacek? Imagine what we'd look like right now with Vanacek signed and Levi coming in to play with him. We'd be solid for years.

Of course the other way of looking at this is - if only KA had signed a proper goalie after he lost Ullmark...................

I think you see Lazar as a much lesser player than I do. After we threw him into the Hall trade he was a solid 4th line player for the Bruins and they were a pretty good team. He hit people all over the ice and played solid D. Just couldn't score so they let him go and he signed for more money elsewhere. Not that different from Krebs (as Krebs is right now).

Lighten up. It's funny when someone on a fan site spells their team wrong. Have a laugh at it yourself and relax. "Patricia" was pretty good tonight.

I think it makes him an adequate 4th liner. He might still get better, but for now that's it. I do like his attitude though, but Lazar had that too. He was also an adequate 4th liner.

Not the most exciting game to watch as the Rangers were playing that tight shutdown style we hate but they found a way and the shoot out was incredible. Boy are we asking a lot from Levi and he's delivering. Amazing. I really thought we blew our chance when we didn't score 4 on 3 in OT. Chances like that are huge and when I saw Panarin's 80% scoring stat in shoot outs this year I figured maybe that was it, but first star to Levi all the way. Is Mitts truly having his break out moment? He just might be. So JBot not as big an idiot as some people thought after all. Not dead yet. Gotta love that.

Top two lines are not in place, as you saw last game with the moves of Mitts and Thompson. Quinn and Peterka had their development year playing primarily with a young center coming into his own but both will have to be better to be "in place" on a top line. Without arguing about it here, we're also going to disagree on the value of the so called 4th line. imo neither Girgs or Kyle should be re-signed and Krebs hasn't shown himself to be anything more than Curtis Lazar. He's fine, but nothing special.

You are going off on a tangent. My point was simply that we have 3 lines of NHL caliber hockey . We need 4+ next year. We have no depth and if we run into a batch of injuries at any time (as we did this year on D) we will falter and miss the playoffs again next year. We have forward prospects coming but I doubt many of them are ready and another development year will be a big mistake imo and as a fan will feel like another betrayal. We need to add several players to truly compete next year. No need to go into that now, we will be at this in the free agency period at length I am sure.

Well this is why the Leafs got ROR and Acciari at the deadline, because they did not have a checking line either, but now they do. These lines can have scoring potential, but they still exist.

I find it strange that you can't spell Sabres or come anywhere close to Peterka.

Umm, just to remind you guys arguing about Johnson and calling each other trolls, this is the NHL regular season thread and not the prospect thread. Go argue about Johnson's value there if you want. Figured Pittsburgh would beat Detroit but all 3 won so it seems unlikely that we can catch anybody. It's just so irritating. I wish KA had seen the potential and not just considered this a "development year". So many ways we could have been just a little bit better.

Oh that's absolutely true, but it's also because we don't have a true checking or shut down line.

Yes, they are a 3 line team right now with a complete lack of depth. This is why Granato did not use an equal time on ice 4 line rotation. His best players got more ice time. Doesn't take a genius to realize that's the best plan if you're trying to win right now.

who?

Well that may have been the best game of the year. It was certainly one of the most satisfying. Dahlin definitely came to play today and the team as a whole gave it their best effort. A LOT of things to like, some usual flaws, thankfully the good outweighed the bad today. No need to go into the negatives today. Just enjoy this moment.