FrenchConnection44

Leaving aside the bad goal, the inability of the Sabres to check inside their own zone is disturbing. In 5 on 5 if the other team gets the puck and all five players in the zone it’s almost as if they have a power play. They seemed not to understand what teams are doing to them or how to defend around the net. The Islanders run a kind of triangle in front of the net and it was as if the Sabres were not prepared to defend it. Or had no clue what to do to stop it at times.

Of course it is inconsistent and sometimes very bad. No doubt. In ev Ty sport. I think the problem here is that it was not just a missed call on the ice but instant replay; and they should be able to get that right. No reason to have replay if they can’t get it correct. He obviously kicked his leg at the puck and sent it into the net. The replay officials at least need to know the rules. One can argue it should not be a rule. But that doesn’t change that it is now.

I agree except I do give him credit for trying to trade for Chychrun. Wasn’t on him but from all appearances on Arizona. Last viable defenseman drafted was 2019 - Rian Johnson. He’s still playing college hockey and who knows that situation. Or how good he will be. Not a huge force imo. It’s a problem he has to solve but won’t happen this year. If he doesn’t land a top 4 defender this off season it’s a problem.

And if they start to get into the question of “what was in the player’s head” that becomes absurd. Every player will then say, “I wasn’t intentionally trying to score, just trying to stop the puck to shoot,” and who is to dispute what is in a player’s mind? No one. If there is movement toward the goal it has to be disallowed as intentional. Unbelievable.

It’s clearly not a goal. From Buffalo News piece. Any nonsense that he was not intentionally redirecting the puck is nonsense. He clearly was kicking his leg out toward the goal.

I just don’t see it enough from Casey. Only on occasion. Not in the consistent way Cozens brings it. But that’s why the next 20 games are more pivotal for him imo, in how we perceive and evaluate his season (not that that means anything but just as fans).

It is a big game. But we have them again and we also have other tough games coming up in which we will need to scrape out points. But it could go a long way to building momentum for a playoff run.

Reading all the comments I think we want to see Casey continue to play alongside Cozens and see what he does the next 20 games. Good points made about his improved play. If he keeps up the recent trend he could be a player for us. I do think he still needs to be more physical. He’s not as weak as he was with contact. But still could add five+ more lbs of muscle/strength (as is the case to varying degrees with several players) and also become a bit more aggressive. Cozens can’t be the only non-finesse-only player on that line. If it’s Cozens-Quinn-Mitts, then Mitts has to be more aggressive with his speed, balance and physical play. It has improved, but still must continue. I want someone with Cozens who doesn’t just pass but creates some degree of physical intimidation. You want times to not be happy when the Cozens line comes on. Dylan is great in that way but he can’t be the only thorn in the side of defenders.

Gotta go with Comrie. Huge game with playoff ramifications. Good to see Jost is coming back. Would be great to get Tillman, and Samuelson back. At least one to get Bryson off. The lineup I’d like to see ASAP (while Tuch is out): Skinner-Thompson-Quinn Mitts-Cozens-Hinostroza Greenway-Krebs-Peterka/VO Girgs-Jost-Okposo Dahlin-Samuelsson Power-Joki Tillman-Lyubushkin I don’t have a lot of confidence in VO. Too much of a liability defensively. But perhaps he could be better if Greenway and Krebs were both out there? The worst thing that happened last night was having Bryson and Olafsson on ice at the same time. They are the only two double digit negatives in plus/minus on the team. And -21, -20 at that! Have to avoid that if possible. But when one considers that Peterka has 21 points with a -9 +/-, Olafsson has 32 points and a -21, the sieve-like defense of Olafsson is even more apparent.

Gotta go with Comrie. Huge game with playoff ramifications. Agree on Greenway with Krebs. Would be great to get Jost, Tillman, and Samuelson back. The lineup I’d like to see ASAP: Skinner-Thompson-Quinn Mitts-Cozens-Hinostroza Greenway-Krebs-Peterka/VO Girgs-Jost-Okposo Dahlin-Samuelsson Power-Joki Tillman-Lyubushkin When Tuch gets back I’d still put him back with Thompson. And drop Quinn back to Cozens. Might swap those two on occasion to mix things up and match up with other teams. I don’t have a lot of confidence in VO. Too much of a liability defensively. But perhaps he could be better if Greenway and Krebs were both out there? The worst thing that happened last night was having Bryson and Olafsson on ice at the same time. They are the only two double digit negatives in plus/minus on the team. And -21, -20 at that! Have to avoid that if possible. Peterka has cooled off a lot and is suffering the rookie funk; but I feel like he’d at least put up more of a fight if he were with Krebs and Greenway and if Granato lit a fire under him. May not get much scoring so I see why VO might be needed. But when one considers that Peterka has 21 points with a -9 +/-, Olafsson has a -21 with 32 points, the sieve-like defense of Olafsson is even more apparent.

Now we learn the true cause of the loss. So now it’s 0-8.

Still wait and see for me. I do appreciate his assists. He has made some really solid passes. And has good speed. But is -9 +/- and only has 10 goals. If the right deal came along I would trade him. But it depends also on who we sign in free agency and who in the farm system seems ready to emerge and make the team. He is not a player I am ready to sign to a long term deal or keep as a key cog in a championship team.

The difference is, the Sabres don’t have the depth of other playoff caliber teams. So injuries do matter for them because the depth of talent level is not there. When Bryson is your option on D (and he was bad on two goals) it’s gonna be a problem. It’s a liability. That said, we did have a lot of chances and didn’t capitalize on them.

Don’t forget Stillman was also out. And that could have been a difference maker had he been able to play in place of Bryson. Bryson played awful defense at times. -2 for the night and just seemed to flounder. Nothing against him personally. Sure he is trying. But he can’t be a regular and Buffalo go anywhere. Terrible season. In 49 games he’s -20 on a team that is +11 in goal differential this year. Last year, when the team was -58 in goal differential, Bryson was -9 in 73 games. Def hurts not having those players. Still it was a tight game and the Sabres had as many good chances if not more than the Oilers. Just couldn’t score on a lot of close opportunities. Several times felt like we went right into the body of Skinner who had a really good game tonight. Great goaltending can win a ton of games.

It's going to be a tough road to the playoffs. But, it should be a fair test. We play the Islanders, with whom we are in the battle, twice. And Ottawa once. Both teams made big upgrades. Nothing I would love more than to see both lose out on the playoffs! Have long hated the Isles and now hate the Sens for that Chychrun deal. if we make it we will surely have earned it. We have a shot at either the 7th or 8th seed. Either one of those seeds will be brutal, imo, as its either Boston or Carolina. But just getting in the playoffs would be a huge deal, imo. Even if we were slammed. It would give us a taste. Let's Go Buffalo!!!!

I've been following his games. He's really been maturing and coming on. So has Savoie. Lots of talent potential in those two.

Tampa are divers. Just don't like them. But also, I must have read 4-5 different posts about Tampa playing and likely losing to Toronto; as if it's a done deal. They are tied in points with the Rangers (who just made several upgrades to their team), though they have a game in hand. Not at all a done deal they will face Toronto.

Good breakdown on Lyubushkin at intermission. Gotta be tough this period. Is there a team that dives more than Tampa? Irritating. That "tripping" call on Stillman was mostly a dive. "Oh you tapped my left skate, I'm going to collapse my right and fall"

Yes. Not quite the "Thank You, Sabres" chant when they lost the Cup to the Flyers 😁😉 ... But great to see them getting behind the team.

Sabres playing tough and not backing down. Love it! Jost playing great. And fantastic shot by Quinn! It also feels like perhaps adding Greenlaw may have made this team become a bit more enthused on being physical. This is also exactly the kind of game where you also want a guy like Greenlaw on ice as well. Just to add more physicality to the game and adding a mentality to the team. Not in a goonish way. But helping to wear them down. As much as the game has become more finesse it is still a physical game. Where toughness is demanded.

Of course there's no stopping that (I'm not referring to that). And it's not merely about deterrence as much as prior to this, teams knew they could be physical with Buffalo and we couldn't handle that well nor would it be returned. And we certainly weren't getting physical with them. But over the course of a game, if you want to play a physical game - not merely taking someone out but checking hard - then Buffalo needs to be able to match that. Adding a player with physical presence was absolutely necessary as it benefits the team's presence on ice.

Good points. He's maturing. He'll have a different coach in a different system (and a coach who has already coached him in the past). Also, as in all sports, quite often a change of scenery can really help a player. No telling how many times, for example, I've seen an NFL player who was a reserve or partial starter on one team get traded and improve. He knows that he was traded because he wasn't playing great. But now he has a young team. He knows he's going to play physical and be a guy you don't want to go against on the ice with your good players, if your team has been trying to rough up Buffalo's players. Not necessarily a fighter - though he can be that - but a tough physical player. That will benefit us against teams that have roughed us up. If a team gets physical and tries to intimidate our players, like Dahlin or Skinner, well, okay then ... get your big boy panties on boys, cause here we come. And if we add another defenseman and forward in free agency with some physicality as well as some of our young players continuing to build out their bodies (Power especially adding 15-20 over the next 2-3 years; even Cozens; and I think Samuelsson can become more physical as he matures a bit), we should be able to weather those games where teams try to do that.

Well right now Tuch is out. I’d say it depends on what they are looking for in a given game. He adds a lot more physicality than anyone there. Including Girgensons who for his size is surprisingly passive as a hitter. I think there are times he could play alongside any of Cousins or Krebs or Jost as his game can fit any of those. Even on rare occasion with Tage if they want someone to be physical and work in the corners to get the puck into the front of the net. Next year, as several others have intimated, Okposo is a free agent and they will likely let him walk. And go after a defenseman. Perhaps a goalie. But they also have a Levi in the wings. And could still resign Anderson. That will be a challenging decision this next year.