PerreaultForever

Mittlestadt is coming along. Much faster than Reinhart did in his beginning. I agree he's not really a solid second center at this point but he is learning pretty quickly and shows signs. Be patient. It's all trending upwards. I'm also really starting to like Berglund, Larsson, Girgensens as a unit. They fit together well as a solid quick 4th line. The guy who still gets me is Rodrigues. That guy just can't score period. At this point we just hope the 3rd line plays 0-0.

This is an understatement. Don't we actually want players who play all season??? It will be interesting to see if he has a great second half NOT playing with Eichel. To me he is a smart player who positions himself extremely well, but he rarely creates or leads. Very ineffective on his own or in generating much of anything. As the team improves I personally think his role will get smaller and smaller until he is all but irrelevant. Maybe that's wrong, maybe he'll have an incredible second half and be a playoff stud but I really doubt it.

I did say "this may not continue." It's an interesting thing to look at as we are vastly improved without Kane and O'Reilly. St. Louis is way below expectations at this point. See how it unfolds, but it's interesting.

I cannot remember when it was that I enjoyed watching a Sabres game this much. It's been many years. There is nothing to add except that was a sweet feeling and long over due. Skinner? Man, that guy can play at an up tempo at times. The future is looking much brighter.

San Jose is barely in a wild card spot. With Karlsson added they were expected to be a cup contender. This may not continue, but it's interesting to me to see if the "problems" elevate their new teams or not. So far not.

Really have to wonder why we almost always seem to start slow. Coaching? Prep? I dunno, but we never seem ready. Have to like the lack of quit and the top line is a good line, but SO TIRED of the Samson debate every year. Same old same old. I wish we had enough talent to simply be rid of him, but we don't. Not yet. We will lose a lot of games like this.

There are good signs. 1) attitude. we aren't quitting when we get down. 2) stable goaltending and some big stops at key moments. This leads to confidence and belief in the ability to come back. 3) most of all, the D is a LOT better. This has helped the goaltending look better. Last year we were terrible at clearing rebounds and since Lehner was weak on controlling them we got sunk a lot on that. Also, obviously, the D is gaining confidence and joining the rush, creating chances. This is the backbone of the system. Housley's system does not work with a crappy D but now we see it may just all come together. There is definitely hope.

It would definitely be preferable to have a youngster step up into that spot next season. Pominville has points, he's gone to the net well, picked up a rebound here and there, but isn't the driving force of that line. Jack is currently playing the best hockey he's played with us and now that Skinner is playing great whoever is in that spot will get points as long as he can keep up with the pace. Or, sign a free agent like Skinner to take the spot.

Berglund certainly seems more comfortable in this current less demanding role than he did starting on the #2 line. Definitely no reason to break it up at the moment. When injuries hit, as they always do, I hope we have young call ups we can plug in to spots to keep some line continuity. If we have to juggle a lot we may lose chemistry.

Is it too weak to just say maybe? We see signs the culture change may have been accomplished, and that was the essential step one so I'm optimistic, but it's way too early to tell. Also last game was the first one where it looked like they were actually all on the same page playing the system, and that change might be the most important of all. Maybe the guys like Kane weren't cancers but maybe they were uncoachable. Maybe their egos get in the way and they just do their thing their way and sometimes they gets points, but if the team, the kids, see the main guys not buying in, it's harder to get anyone to buy in and systems fall apart when pieces don't fit.

I'm not going to jump on the Skinner bandwagon just yet, but last two games looked good for sure. See how it's going by Jan1. If he keeps scoring at a 30 goal pace, has good chemistry with Jack (or someone else if things change), buys into the system, and most of all WANTS to be here, then sure, pay him and sign him up long term. If there are doubts trade him and get something good for him. I think you have to check all 4 things though before backing up the truck full of cash.

I said this in the game thread but I'll repeat it here. I think Bogo's fight at the end of the game was a turning point. Emotion. Mad about losing. We didn't see that much last year. I think it woke them up.

To my mind, Jack and Bogo are the team leaders at the moment and they are now showing it on the ice. When the captain gives extra effort, it is infectious, and that's what we saw against Anaheim.

Nice. Two things that impressed me. First, puck possession in this game so much better than we have seen in the past. That's the way to succeed in this league now and this is the first game where I think our puck possession was far better than theirs. Second, we worked along the wall really well. Ducks are a big strong team and we outworked them and controlled the puck along the boards many times. Not the Sabres I am used to seeing, and that is a really really good thing. The big thing for me after this road trip is we fell apart a little at first, and in past years the wheels usually came off and the entire trip was a bust. This time we regrouped and came out stronger and seem to have gained confidence by the end of it. Maybe it's just my love of old time hockey, but I really think Bogo's going ballistic at the end of that game had a hand in waking them up and pulling together. Emotion. Caring. Maybe that losing culture has in fact been broken? Coming back from 2-0 in this game, Eichel did what I said was lacking earlier, he did step up and he did lead and now roles are starting to be defined. Big thumbs up.

I wondered. I thought he looks beefed up but I wasn't sure. It shows.

Well it was nice that Skinner finally decided to show up. He continues to play like that and I take back all my earlier doubts/thoughts on the trade. People scoffed at Bogo getting an A, wanted it to go to Sam as I remember. Decision looks pretty good right now imo. I think this win might have been more about how bad they were than how good we were, but I'll take it. Much more fun to watch a win obviously and signs of life were there.

4 years seems to be the popular view. I'd suggest that if things don't start to show real positive steps forward year 3 (likely with coach 2) you have to look at him more seriously. The point about being "entertaining" was good. This team is just hard to watch most nights. Goes back to that question of identity, what are they? I think what I want most right now is something you can focus on and say at least we do that - whatever it is - well. I think back to when Nolan FIRST came and we were an awful team. Almost a dead team. Rebuilt around that lunchbucket work hard tough image. Very entertaining for a while and we built an identity that Ruff was later able to take to the final (with a great goalie's help). Just give me something to be entertained by. Something. Anything. Sometimes I just wonder though as to how so many of our players underachieve, I mean Drew Stafford's in the Jersey lineup and they're 4-1.:)

These line juggles make no sense to me. Desperation moves. Fingers crossed I guess.

There's a how long does Housley get topic, and everybody knows the first panic GM move is fire the coach, but would it really be wrong to start to question JBot a little too? So the positives: Being gifted Sheary in a Penguins salary dump. Awesome gift from his old team. Got rid of Lehner and signed Hutton for what might be a bargain price. Looks like a great move. Won a lottery. Better to be lucky than good? Dahlin will be great. Everybody would have picked him. Seems to be making Rochester into a good team and the depth at the farm level seems to be trending in the right direction. Didn't dump a load of cash at Reinhart. This one might be arguable, but so far it looks smart. Negatives: ROR trade looking really bad. Berglund healthy scratch. Tage AHlLcaliber, Sobodka meh but ok I guess but nobody to fill the PP shoes or take the minutes. Skinner trade. So far a floater who doesn't want to be here. Carolina seems to be doing better without him. Kane trade. Didn't get much out of that either did we? Roster rebuilt but looking at it, the talent level is lower, nobody can score goals aside from Sheary with Jack and most of it is B grade at best. End the losing culture? Doesn't look like it, as they've fallen apart on this road trip already. Hired Housley. ??? Drafting too soon to tell. I'm not seeing a lot of genius, but we shall see in time. At this moment, aside from Arizona, I see a lot of teams rebuilding faster and better than we have. Now some of that is on Murray still but really, Ottawa was gutted and even they're doing better than us not to mention Florida, Jersey, Carolina etc . It's damn frustrating.

I can't honestly think of one that's on the hotseat. Quenneville's the only maybe but I don't think he takes the heat for a depleted team there and he'd be more likely to retire (at least temporarily) before coming here.

I think what they are doing with Ullmark is one of the few good things this organization has actually done in recent years. Goalies take time, and bringing this guy along small step at a time, developing, that is the right way to go. Hutton was signed to be #1 and has played well. Be nice to see how he does in a shootout if we can ever tie a game in regulation. In time, if Ullmark keeps playing great there'll be a goaltending controversy and we can trade Hutton to some goaltending desperate team like Philadelphia. Until then, enjoy the one area of the team that is actually improved.

So many negatives, this is really the only positive at all. That and maybe that Dahlin shows signs of brilliance to come. But ya, otherwise it's a shitshow.

I think sometimes that if we play an outdoor game the wind could blow him over. Big frame, scrawny kid. Long reach and a decent shot but looks awkward with the tall skinny body more than anything else. If he developed some physicality he might become a good player, but as it is, just another scrub destined to become a trivia answer.

I agree. We were certainly given the opportunities, and if we had a decent PP we could have shifted the whole thing even with this effort 5 on 5 but no way, not even close.

I still think Mittlestadt needs a year in Rochester. Help make that team a winning culture that can then carry over. He has a long way to go and needs to win and succeed at this age.