PerreaultForever

You might have to rethink that "just outside the playoffs" belief. Although the points are still close and almost anything can happen, they are currently dead last in the east.

I was done with Kevyn 2 years ago. Heck, I was sort of done with him when he was hired.

That was pathetic.

I'm not going to argue the position could use an upgrade, I'm just arguing the philosophical stance and idea of having the tough guy and what it can bring, Well they lost to a garbage team without him in the line up too so it simply proves they are quite capable of losing no matter who is in the line up.

What does "real" mean? Do they look more like a real hockey team this year? yes. Do they look like a real playoff contender? no. At least not yet.

Well I would have played Ellis, just because, but whatever. Blues are sucking this year so pounce on them early. The Montgomery magic seems to be gone. Unless it's a trade pending that's some serious message sending. Sabres should do that with Quinn.

I won't disagree with that but he brings a different dynamic. Lots of 4th liners in the league have foot speed issues. That's why they are 4th liners. They bring something else though and he does. Nobody will argue against upgrading these sort of guys but for the time being they are the best you have. I'm never going to agree with the idea that we need 4 skilled speed lines (not saying you do, but some people push for this at times). As a GM I'd always be looking for Tom Wilson types for my team but they are hard to find and when teams do they don't want to give them up. Right now I think Dunne makes the 4th line look better. Malentstyn for example is hitting more playing with him. I think that's not a coincidence. One guy brings it out in other guys.

So your assertion is because Geertson was in the line up they lost. Is that it? The other night I watched Philly beat Montreal. DesLauriers was in the line up. He got about 4 minutes (if that) (but he did have a fight with jackhole). So I guess they didn't get the memo.

The way he pronounces I kept thinking he was saying No Östlund taking the draw as if he wasn't there.

I understand that, but sometimes just having the guy there can make a difference. It's kind of like how big and tough a little kid will act on the playground if his big brother is there beside within earshot. That might seem a silly example, but if you think about it, hockey really isn't that different from kids on a playground.

I just want to show some more love for Dunne. I do not want him out of the line up if/when injury guys return. He has added a more physical dynamic and brought out physicality in others since being added. This has been missing for years. Utah game was the first time in I can't remember how long that the Sabres were the physically dominant team. Maybe they play bigger with Geertson around too and maybe Greenway and Doan have changed things. Samuelsson clearly plays bigger this year. All positive signs, but I see Dunne as a catalyst and he has earned his spot.

No Tuch gets criticism but my original post looks at the last man who could stop the play and that was Quinn. You want to dig deeper I laid it out including Tuch. Now I'm not going to say the goal is Tuch's fault because he missed a scoring chance, it doesn't work that way, but he did miss his man in the D zone. BUT, I'm going to add this. If you look closely Tuch is the victim of a near pic by Utah. I'm wondering if this is a designed play for them in OT. They cross on purpose and the other Utah player coming across leads to Tuch taking a step back. Is that just a congestion thing or is it on purpose? I'd have to watch Utah more to see if they try that a lot or not but it's a good play if it's intentional. So yes, Tuch misses his guy but Quinn is still in position to stop the charge to the net. You want to blame both of them I'm fine with that, but it most definitely could have been stopped by Quinn if he plays the man and not the puck (which is what I assume the stick waive was for).

You can say "bottom line" all you want but you are blatantly wrong. I already acknowledged Tuch missed his man, that doesn't pardon Quinn for his play. He was in position and another player would have moved up and used his body. Quinn just tried a feeble stick check and got walked past. Look, it's a TEAM game with interconnected responsibility. If there was a breakaway and you were across the ice you don't say "Oh, not my man, I can go to the bench" you hustle across the ice in desperation and try to cover for the guy who missed his check. This wasn't a breakaway but I hope that illustrates the point for you with a blatantly obvious example. So it's fair to say if Tuch gets his man Quinn doesn't have to make the play but it's not fair to say it's not also Quinn's fault. They aren't desperate enough and aggressive enough in OT. They love open ice and think they can just take turns at possession and make nice plays. They need to use their speed and attack the other team's puck carriers more. Create puck battles and then win them.

You might want to put this narrative forward and it might be Tuch's man, but go ahead and explain what Quinn is doing there. If he steps up and plays the body the play doesn't happen but since he's soft, he waives his stick and does nothing. When a player loses his man (like Tuch did) it's incumbent on the next guy to step into that gap and take him. Quinn was right there.

You were correct here. Sabres being the physical team was a new thing in this era. Aside from the OT, this is not the same Sabres team as last year. Much much better. The OT, well, that looked like the same old Sabres. Quinn just waiving his stick in the guy's direction and letting him go right to the net. You just have to play the man and the body there. But lots of things to like in the game as a whole. The Swedish kids have some chemistry too. Quinn is the weakest link.

I don't hate Peterka. I always liked him more than Quinn but I hope he gets booed hard and there is a little heat to this game. Hats off to any Sabre who runs him hard. Doubt Sabres can win though. When you compare top lines at the moment they look so much better. Going to need a big game from Lyon.

They were obsessed with replacing someone for the whole Guentzel Necas Rantanen debacles. The guy they might really be missing though is Brent Burns. That old dude keeps chugging along. They are still good but I can't see them being any better than before and likely they don't get out of the division. Florida is interesting because with their injuries a little bad luck and they could miss the playoffs. If they make the playoffs though they could win the cup. If one or two teams in the division get hot they will have trouble though. The door is open for the Sabres (or someone else) to seize the moment but I doubt Adams will do anything to make sure that happens.

I don't disagree but I'd get a little worried if he started trying to be an offensive D man. We have enough of those. Likely too many. We just need stable reliable defenders to pair with the offensively gifted. I doubt Timmons is good enough to do both things well.

Some of the additions/changes have made a positive difference. So far there are still some of the previous players who haven't been dragged into the fight by the new guys but hopefully over time that will happen. Most people are talking about Doan for obvious reasons but biggest surprise to me is Timmons. I didn't think he was very good in Toronto and not much in Pittsburgh but he's been really solid and seems to fit their system perfectly. It's made a huge difference.

I never said I hadn't seen it. I said Sabres want to be a possession team. The problem is what they do when they don't have that possession.

Where did Ruff say what @Brawndo said? He was less than specific in his words. An ear thing is a physical thing. It is caused by an illness. Why not just say that right away?

It is weird. Mittlestadt has had issues too. They sat him one game but since that he's actually started to look good. Jokiharju is bad, but so was Lohrei. Aspirot has been a surprise. He's playing similar to Timmons for the Sabres. Zadorov McAvoy really seems to work this year though. lol, they aren't a good team and if injuries keep hitting (Elias Lindholm is a big loss) they can fall fast but I watched Calgary Philly yesterday and I'd say they have a much better chance of being dead last. That was likely the dullest and most inept game I've seen in a few years. Just bad.

That was a weird way of talking about Kulich. I mean if he's sick, like Zucker, wouldn't they just say they are both ill? Why is Zucker ill but Kulich is dealing with something not physical and not an injury? wtf does that mean? Hurt feelings? Teams are getting weirder and weirder about injuries and players out of the line up.

No. I don't see that much. Maybe a minute or even two but if both teams are battling for the puck you get changes of possession after shots. Sabres don't want to play that way though. They just want possession and if they don't have it they don't pursue hard onto the puck carriers. It's a passive approach and I think it's dumb. Others may disagree, and there are different views on how to play OT and how to play hockey in general, but imo the teams that are aggressive and battle for the puck are the teams that win the most.

It's also about goalies being able to see pucks and defending the net front area. Timmons and Samuelsson have been very good on the PK.