PerreaultForever

As I said much earlier he looks "weak". Is a strong, physical Quinn who drives the net and plays through traffic ideal? Of course it is. BUT, since he's not that (at least not that now) you either get him out of the line up or you try to build a line with him on it that will open up ice for him and allow him to use his other skills. To the Tuch point, I am always about making lines that function as units, with complimentary pieces. Not just all skill or speed. You need players that bring out the best in each other based on what they individually do best (or don't do). Few players are the whole package. Tuch is a complimentary piece for sure, and so it works. What I see in Ruff's current line juggle seems to echo this idea as well. He's trying, but he's really one player short and if you can believe twitter Adams is apparently out there trying to add a piece.

Unlike you I can admit I am wrong when I am. You'll never admit when I was right though, that's obvious. This is tiresome, you just won't admit that this time you were wrong about Quinn when we "argued" before. So whatever. I hope Ruff can fix him eventually.

Well I don't really want to keeping beating this to death, but the things you are talking about are not new to me. I saw those things in Quinn's game before. They were tendencies and, although his play was inconsistent and sometimes better (sometimes worse), those issues are not suddenly new. I think you and others just missed seeing them because he'd pop in a goal or two or make a nice shot when he had open ice or was set up well, His skill blinded you to the detailed flaws. He's struggling with the more detailed and disciplined play Ruff demands. It's just that simple. To me he's a perfect example of why we do Rochester wrong. Down there they should be playing a tight defensively oriented 2 way style that stresses defense and details so that when they come up they are ready to have their skill unleashed and the good habits are ingrained. We always do it backwards and say be free, run wild, we will teach you defense later. Ruff is now teaching "later" and a few of them are confused so to speak.

A center would work as well. I think Cozens would be better on the wing but a big winger would open up space for him as well. Either way but I don't see that guy on the roster.

My own view is that if Karmanos was a Pegula consideration for GM he'd already be GM. I think Pegula has placed Forton in the go to successor spot if Adams fails by whatever deadline Terry has in his mind. Speculatively - I firmly believe that Pegula will always want a yes man in that role and will always meddle as a de facto GM and Karmanos isn't as much of a yes man and thus has a quieter back room role where he analyzes and makes recommendations and so forth. Talking more to the GM then the owner. That's just a guess though.

No, and if you'd paid attention to what I'd said back then instead of mocking it I told you there were flaws in his game that needed work. That's why going in to this season I said it was a question mark and I had to see what he was on the ice. Now you see it too. There's no question he has speed and skill like many young players and high draft picks but he needed to get stronger and he needed to learn to go into traffic (to put it in simplest terms). Lots of players can come in and score a bunch of goals. Doesn't mean it'll last or make them complete players. VO scored a ton of goals too. Quinn only succeeds in open ice games. So far. It's always possible Ruff can still fix him but he needs a lot of fixing.

Don't say "we". I got a lot of flack, laughter and eye rolls saying I just didn't see what you were all saying about Quinn. The line imo needs a really big physical presence on it to open up the ice for Cozens and Quinn and also create havoc in front so they can shoot more effectively and play bigger. I think Ruff sees it that way too which is why he wanted to try Aube-kubel with them. That's my only thought on sticking with it. If that doesn't work it won't work so he sits, but Kulich isn't ready to be a savior yet either. Because Quinn is sucking (and weak) we are most definitely one winger short from being a much better team.

I definitely think it's the right moment for a trade. Not a roster subtraction trade, but a prospects for a veteran winger trade for sure. There is a moment to be seized here but we have to find a way to be a little better than we are. In this division, only Florida is a dominant team. Everybody else has issues or is not that much better than us. Tampa and Toronto are arguably better but can be beat. Boston is horrible, Montreal is still in transition, Detroit and Ottawa are different to us but not better right now. A second line fix and this team can make the playoffs. We need a rugged winger to open up space for Cozens and Quinn.

We used to say he's "dead weight" with those connotations.

I've been saying Byram's been bad for quite a while but I still think Quinn is worst (at this time). Unfortunately a bad D man impacts your game more than a bad forward does.

The good news for making the playoffs. Unless things change drastically I do not see the current Bruins team even getting close to making the playoffs this year. The bad news for making the playoffs. Ottawa looks like they are putting it together. Unlike ours, their PP is deadly. They play fast AND physical. They want to be Florida, that seems to be their design.

I remember that so I guess we take it as truth but these days I don't believe much from agents and/or managers in these type of things. The bottom line for me is although Mitts is no superstar, the trade was bad for this team and what it needed/needs.

There's logic to that, but you can't win too many hockey games with only 2 lines. You can get away with 3 working and limit the ice time of the 4th but 2 good lines and 2 bad ones isn't a winning formula. Cozens plays smaller than he is. Quinn can't seem to play through traffic at all. That line desperately needs a rugged physical winger. We don't really have that guy though so Lindy tinkers around.

I remember reading that too, but it's had zero impact. I've noticed several times in games he's been in the right spot and he puts a "hit" on the opposing player but with no effect. The opponent doesn't even budge. Cozens "hit" was nothing. So he might have put on weight or muscle but he's certainly not playing like he's any stronger.

"Byrum" might be very good, I haven't seen him play, but Byram is a defensive liability. He's our worst or 2nd worst D man. The Mitts trade was a mistake (unless he wasn't going to sign for reasonable money and Adams knew and we don't). It's funny though how differently people can see some players.

Unlikely. If Adams makes a deal for a top 6 winger maybe.

Well they lost to a very good hockey team, took some dumb penalties and lost too many one on one puck battles but overall they had some good moments. Florida is fearless and passes the puck very well in traffic. They're physical, they're balanced, they are a cup winner. We are nowhere near that yet. However, I will say that the 2nd period was probably the most entertaining period of Sabres hockey I've seen in I don't know how long, maybe a decade. That's how they have to bring it all the time.

Fess up. Which one of you is this guy?

So the real Panthers this time. We can see if the Sabres can compete with that or not. The Florida weak spot is their D so I firmly believe the best way to beat them is at their own game and that's a heavy and relentless forecheck. Not sure we can do that, but I'd like to see it. More than a win (which of course would be great) I want to see us compete and not back down from this team. Show us that the Sabres are a real hockey team this year and not to be taken lightly. I hope that happens.

Definitely. Greasy net front guy. A good compliment to McJesus doing everything else, but also a necessary ingredient. You always need a mixture of players and player types on a successful roster. We all know this.

That's a fair point. SOMETIMES they are cheap points but they can be the main driver of the play as well that's true.

I can't agree with that logic. Many times the primary assist has more impact on the goal being scored than the actual shot. Getting the puck to the stick of the open scorer is just as important as scoring the goal. To make the point obvious. Perreault picks up the puck behind his own net moves around the first forechecker, evades the second and then beats the third man down the wall so both D men move towards him and he hits a perfect pass onto a wide open Martin's stick who taps it in and you want to give Perreault half a point? Really? Secondary assists can be garbage points but that's the way it is. It's a team game.

They're not. Kreuger had a big win streak too. What matters to me right now is signs of playing the right way which we haven't seen in a long long time. But every point matters.

Sample size is small but I saw hesitation in his game that wasn't there last year. That is what happens even with good players when they are being told to do something different to what they are used to and/or do instinctively. Sample size is small though for him and it might just be due to the injury.

I kind of expected at least one if not more of them to have trouble understanding how to play properly in a structured system. Quinn is that guy. This also applies to Cozens (although maybe not quite as much) and although I know he's hampered by injury I think it holds for Benson as well. Zucker up onto line 2 was a good move and should help them.