Pimlach

Some things I didn't mention after watching the Oilers game: One of the best games of the season, up there with the Florida game. Ellis - keep riding him. There is no reason not too. Right now he is playing the best of the 3. I like they way he comes out and challenges the shooter. He talks about anticipation, he made several big timely saves. Oilers - they did look tired or lazy or something. They are in the middle of a 7 game road trip. Draisaitl seemed to be very pissed at Tage at the end of the game but he never came out for the final shifts. Anyone know what happened? Home games - it is important that the Sabres keep winning and get the home crowd back. They are still last in the conference and they need a big winning streak as they have to pass 8 teams just to get to the last WC spot . They must avoid another Blues like performance against the Flames on Wednesday.

Spooner, you have your own Fire Adams thread.

Byram is playing better than Power IMO. Byram is faster and can log a lot of minutes. Even though he is smaller than Power he is much more fiesty. The illusion of Owen Power is still there though.

I hear you, but Lindy has to know by now that he is not filling this role with Geertsen. Dunne actually plays and contributes.

What I see: Kozak is a 4C and he can be a true shut down center. Being defensively responsible is a natural part of his game. He is one that helps you protect a lead, seal a game, he takes opportunities away from the opponents. Krebs is more like a guy that can't make it as a 2/3C and that is willing to do the dirty work of a 4th line center or wing.

This lineup is fine in a no check league. Otherwise, not enough physical players to sustain a playoff run. Not to mention you killed one of the best PKs in the league by benching both Malenstyn and Greenway. Quinn, Rosen and Östlund are not full time 4th line players. I don’t see them matching up every night in that role. Sure, Östlund scores a goal with the fourth line but that is not his game in the long term. In Östlund first 2-3 games he was just hanging in there playing steady but with no impact, and I could see he was unwilling to possess the puck and get hit. I thought he was headed back down and then the next rash of injuries hit. Once Rosen came up Östlund seemed to get a spark and play with more confidence. Right now I must say Östlund is impressive and is getting comfortable. He has the ability to create offense and make passes like a traditional play-making center, something we need. Still, he needs to get stronger, so more time in Rochester is an easy option. Center candidates are - (1) Thompson, (2) Norris, (3) McLoed , (4) Kozak, (5- spare) Krebs, (6- move to wing) Kulich, and (7- back to Rochester) Östlund. Kulich can certainly move to wing and shows top 6 capabilities. Norris is not dependable, forces you to carry a few C/W type forwards on the 23. Krebs drops to 13/14. Östlund can go back for now but his future is bright. Rosen is a much better now than in his two looks last season. You can see the difference in physical maturity and mental confidence. He is going to play somewhere in the NHL. Note - we also have Danforth on the roster The Sabres have some good problems with roster decisions. This team just might be getting good.

Krebs, Malenstyn, Kozak, and Greenway are all contributing. Kozak being the best of the bunch. Malenstyn cleanly hits everything in sight, Greenway is playing the game he can play. Both help on the PK. Every team needs players like this.

Thompson has been very good lately. Two things I see are much more physical play and better attention to details in his two way game. He is not just getting in the way by waving his stick, he is winning puck battles and physically overpowering opponents. He can be a complete beast if he wants to be. He could be taking another step in the maturation of his game.

Good evening Teammates, I missed the game. It was date night with the Mrs. Happy wife, happy life. No truer words have ever been said. Happy to see this final score. I’ll watch it on demand. Go Sabres!

No. They need a win streak. They have 4 home games on a row. I would think the boys need a more positive energy to get things going.

Winning 3 of 5 (0.600) is the correct pace for a full season, but falling behind is a problem so it will take a nice winning steak right now to get back. Play at 1.000 for 8 games, shock the world, after that be a steady 3 of 5. Otherwise you have to beat 3 of 5 pace.

The Bills may just get it going. I think we saw something with Shavers and Palmer getting more snaps, and Coleman getting less. Allen made a few mistakes, but he shouldn’t have to apologize for 6TDs. Thursday will be tough but winnable. They still have a shot at the division, if not wild card. It’s all about getting hot in December.

Beane's recent drafts have not been great, not good enough to improve the overall team, but the jury is still out on a bunch of players. The chances of getting immediate impact players is not great when you draft in last 4 picks, but he should be able to find some quality starters. Quickie summery: 2025 1. Hairston CB - he could be a shut down CB and looks very good in limited action, a lot to be hopeful about 2. TJ Sanders DT - getting reps, versatile, still way too early to say, was hurt for awhile 4. Deon Walker Dt - looks like a good player. massive size and he has been noticeable in a good way 5. Hawes TE - pretty good player and solid blocking TE 6. Dorian Strong and Jordan Hancock DB - both looked like good and were contributors, but then they both got hurt 2024 1. Coleman WR - looks like a questionable pick right now 2. Bishop SS - looks like he is emerging as a very good player. The rest of this draft is meh 2023 1. Kincaid TE is a very good player and our most reliable receiver 2. Torrence G - Excellent OG, has started every game and solidified the middle of the OL. 3. Dorian LB - looking good and a solid contributor 2022 1. Kiiar Elam CB - a major bust 2. Cook RB - one of the best in the league 3. Bernard LB - had a great start and was a playmaker, lots of injuries have slowed him way down unfortunately, his career may have peaked but hopefully not 5. Shakir WR - a good slot WR. 6. Benford CB - starter since rookie year. very good when healthy

Keon Coleman benched. He was called out by McD several times for lack of effort. He missed a team meeting. He sits.

I think of a leader with the knowledge, swagger, and confidence of Bill Polian, plus the mentorship, teaching ability, patience, and class of Marv Levy. It would be great ti have long term leader that is the positive face of a franchise committed to winning and to excellence. Or they can just find a real hockey guy that has won before, like Knox did with Imlach and Bowman, and they let them figure it out. Terry almost found Zito before Florida did. But would Terry have let Zito be Zito? Two decent guys out there right now. Shanahan - he can lead Hockey Ops DeBoer - he is fine coach, still no cup, but his teams improve and contend.

I had to do a double check on the Lehner history. His career in Buffalo went bad right from the start. In the first game of 2015 Lehner was injured. He eventually became very upset about the medical treatment he received from the Sabres medical staff for a high ankle sprain. Then there were his periods of depression and mental illness that he hid from the team. In March 2018 he had a panic attack during a game. After that game all his mental health issues came out and the Sabres rightfully put him in rehab treatment. He became a free agent that summer and ended up with NYI where he had a major comeback season, only to be shipped to both the Hawks and then to Vegas on the following season. Something tells me these teams were more in tuned to Lehner's mental health issues and they moved him out quickly, even though he was playing well. Later he became publicly supportive of Eichel's neck surgery position, and was publicly critical of he Sabre medical staff, the team, even the fan base - He found the constant negativity and intense pressure from the Buffalo fanbase challenging, stating that the energy in the rink was often negative due to years of losing. So while Lehner hid his demons for a long time, he was not ever happy with the Sabres, especially with the medical staff. He talked about the use of sedatives, pain bills and anxiety pills. His time in Buffalo was largely negative and he pointed to the locker room issues, he stated that players did not respect game plans and not respecting coaches. He is not the only former Sabre from this era to report on the bad locker room - this is knock directed at the core at the time (Eichel, Reinhart, Kane, Bogo, ) whether this is deserved or not is open to debate. The Sabres were known to have locker room factions. So when you think of all the disfunction from LaFontaine quitting abruptly and the team tanking, and then all of this crap that Lehner revealed from 2015 to 2018. Then the ROR trade in summer of 2018. Then Krueger soccer hockey, then the Adams spy trip and his magical accension to GM, the EEE policies, the long list of players that left and found great success, the "extensive coach search" - it is not hard to understand why so many players do not want to play in Buffalo. It is going to take a special person, a special leader, to stop the bleeding and turn this franchise around.

I’m not so sure about this. Didn’t Lehner hide all his issues while in Buffalo and then dump them on the Sabres before he left, only to have them reoccur? As for Ullmark, what could they do? He doesn’t blame them for his relationship with his father.

What makes a seeming full grown, adult woman do that to a crowd of visiting hockey players? Boards and thick glass.

Muel in OT. Nice come from behind win. Tage came up big.

They stole a point. Now get the second one.

Nice. Doan with a heady play.

Nice yo see that. Another shorty.

Ellis big stop

Tage with some moves.