FrenchConnection44

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.

Well, mea culpa. I take this back now that we know that Arizona was not fair minded in seeking a trade and asking more from us than they did Ottawa. 🤬 them!

Would have been amazing to have added Chychrun as well but Ef Arizona. But this is exactly what this team needs. A big Physical intimidator who can skate and play D. On occasion I’d like to see him with Krebs because both add physicality. Krebs in his own gritty way.

I mean, screw those dudes! Hope they crash and burn the next several years. Gives me a lot more confidence in what Adams is trying to do. Greenway deal is a good one, especially given the 2nd rounder was Vegas’ and not ours or the Flyers! 👍

What bothers me about that by Adams is who will be around this summer after these trades? (some of which involved pending free agents that signed long term deals). Second, waiting for a couple of draft picks in 2023 to develop - if they do develop! - will take years. They could have had a proven commodity in Chychrun for next to nothing, relatively speaking, and that’s not just about this season but the next two years on top of that - in which our young guys will be entering their prime. Can you imagine our defensive prowess? And then they could look at a two-way forward in free agency (and they have $72 million in cap space). I get not panicking trying to make a huge run this season. And not trading away prime assets in the system. But when you have a chance to put the team in prime without relinquishing a single player, I don’t get not making that deal. SMH. As Greg Wyshinski notes: The 6-2 defenseman, who turns 25 on March 31, loves to carry the puck and has a terrific shot -- as evidenced by his 18 goals in 56 games in 2020-21, which was his best offensive season. But some pundits have decided that because he generates offense that he does not defend well in his own zone, which is a stereotype that's misapplied to Chychrun. He plays physically along the boards, can defend the net front and has a 70% success rate in zone exits at 5-on-5. One of the reasons he was coveted was because he's a two-way defender. Se la vie

Unconscionable not to match or slightly beat that deal! Guess we are supposed to enjoy 280 goals against the next few years What a joke. I would understand not doing that two-three years ago. But now? When we need a talented defenseman. And he’s there for the taking. When is that 2023 late first rounder going to be a star player for this team? 2026? 27? Is that what Adams is shooting for?

I’d do that given that whomever they pick is not likely to be ready for 2-3 seasons. And we get Chychrun for not only this year but the next two!

That can be a factor for sure; but it just means he gives a list of teams. But they may still think if a team doesn’t give them a deal they want this year they can get a deal next year if teams bid for him. Who knows? But they are asking way above what seems reasonable. Which may mean they are in no hurry since they also have him in we contract for several years. Of course, I would love to have the dude! He’s a helluva player.

I’m not buying that as the reason for a 23 point +/- differential. Hughes plays on power plays and Schenn does not. Hughes is only +12. And both play on a team that is -36. Take Dahlin (+23) and Samuelsson (+7) on the same line. Would Samuelsson be -16 on a different line? And whatever others say, plenty of analysts rate Schenn as a quality fence set the past few years. And more than that, Schenn is a more physical player. Which is exactly what we need. But don’t have.

I don’t know why Arizona would trade Chychrun for less than they want to get - which is a high asking price - unless they are poor and need to get rid of an expensive contract. He still has two more years on his deal. No way would I give up Kulich or Savoie. But we will see. They may just say, “If we don’t get what we want we keep him til next year.”