JohnC

I've always liked Asplund. Even now he is one of our better two way players. I know you and most others disagree with me but I don't see this rotation hurting him and the team.

Clearly, Tage was the first star. That's obvious. Over the past few games Skinner has been a more rounded player. Skinner has shown that beyond his shooting ability he has become a real nifty passer. And this season he has been a bulldog in digging out puck in his zone and keeping the play in the offensive zone. Okposo has changed the dynamic of the first line for the better. You can see the young players steadily getting better and gaining confidence. Quinn is the best example of that. One of the big differences between last season and this season so far is the consistent solid play of our goalies. Hockey is a tough sport. All teams have to deal with injuries. Considering that our blue line unit has been decimated and this unit currently filled with replacements has been plucky and solid. Power is a rookie. However, he doesn't play scared and is willing to be active in the offensive zone. Confidence on this team is growing. The near future is bright. I'm excited.

I thought that this was Krebs best game. As was said on the broadcast he was battling all game long and not floating.

I predicted that Skinner would score a goal in the Chicago game. He did not score although he did play well. I will again predict that Skinner will score a goal in the Detroit game.

The Sabres have a number of good young players whose contracts will significantly rise when their next contract comes up. So the payroll should go up. And if you desire the Sabres to be a serious cup contending team their payroll will certainly have to go up. The ownership could keep the payroll down for the next number of years but if they do (don't expect they will) the fan base will wither even more. I have never argued that the organization should give away tickets at a penny on the dollar going out of business price. All that I have argued for is more price flexibility to induce fans to fill the copious amount of empty seats. The marketing strategy of inducing people to attend your games in the short-term will pay dividends in the longer term with an expanded paying audience.

You are missing my point. Having more flexibility in the pricing of tickets when the arena is often half filled isn't a bad thing. It can bring more fans into the arena in the short-term and result in a larger customer base in the not too distant longer-term. In addition, what you are losing sight of is that the franchise will increase its revenue take. How is that a bad thing? Marketing rigidity is not a solution to a clear attendance problem as much as it is an obstacle to getting this franchise back on a more stable financial footing.

I was referring to this game. In this particular game Mitts was more of a factor than Cozens.

As you also observed Kyle was the change agent on that line. An in-game coaching decision that was a major factor in the win. I thought that Skinner to his credit worked hard on a couple of goals to retrieve the puck and keep it in the offensive zone.

How does the organization benefit when there is a persistent abundance of empty seats? That empty seat is not going to have anyone pay cash at the concession stand. Even with a discounted ticket that is added revenue. It's not unusual for students to get significant discounts. And it's not unusual for military or police and safety personnel get discounted tickets. My point is that price flexibility is a standard practice when marketing a product. Providing discount tickets is a standard marketing tool to get your targeted audience to try your product with the hope that you will get return visits. It's more likely that an attendee, even with a discounted ticket, will return for additional games with family and friends if they have an enjoyable experience at a game. I don't totally dismiss the fairness issue to the loyal season ticket holder. But there is a way to handle that issue: Provide more benefits to the loyal season ticket customers by providing greater discounts for concessions and store products. You can also have more player meet and greets and locker room tours. Some of those tactics are already happening but it can be done on a greater scale. As others have repeatedly stated the best way to increase attendance is to have a winning and entertaining team. I believe the organization is moving in the right direction in that area. But having more marketing creativity will also help to increase attendance and hopefully soon get to the point where you won't have to work so hard to get people to attend the games because the product will sell itself. The reality is that we are not there yet.

DG replaced Tuch on the first line with Okposo in order to change the dynamic of that line. It worked. The coach felt that the line wasn't clicking with Tuch. This was a case where the coach demonstrated his willingness to shake things up in-game when he thinks things are getting too stagnant. Good coaching and understanding of his team and players.

Mitts was the player in front of the goalie when Olofsson got off his game winner. I thought he played a solid game last night. I like Cozens a lot. I thought Mitts was the better player against Chicago.

You make an astute observation about Marty Biron: As an analyst he has a keen eye on players and their responsibilities. He's really good at what he does. He doesn't have a caustic/harsh style of commenting on the play of players that would draw more attention to what he is saying. Although he has a congenial and somewhat understated approach to his presentation, if one listens to what he is saying one will become more knowledgeable about the game and have a fair representation of where this team is at relative to other teams in the league.

Okposo is the type of player whose value goes beyond individual stats. He has a presence about him that adds to the group. He's been in this league for quite a while so it would be a challenge to always go full throttle. But when needed he's timely turning it on.

Granato knows how to juggle lines to suit the situation. He has a great feel for the game and his players.

Is there wiggle room in the pricing if it is a group purchase?

I thought Okposo was driving the play at the end of the third period. He's a character guy and player. The epitome of leadership!

Both of Tage's goals were down low in the tough area. He's strong on his gates and is capable of battling with the puck while getting battered. A few years ago he was a "skinny" player who was being outmuscled. Now that he's gotten more physically mature he knows how to use his strength and leverage to his advantage.

What was the price they were requiring? And do you know if the marketing people are willing to negotiate or is it a set price?

Skinner is going to score tonight!

Last year, there were two games that celebrated RJ. In both of those games the arena was closed to being filled or filled. The fans showed up because they appreciated him and his service to this franchise. There is enough of a fanbase to draw from in Western NY and Canada for the arena to get back to being alive and rocking. As you and others have said the biggest factor in regenerating interest is for this franchise/team to demonstrate that they can compete enough to be considered a serious team in this league. Gimmicks are not going to be a significant factor in the return of the fans. Playing meaningful hockey is the obvious antidote to this franchise's malaise. Without question this year's team is entertaining to watch. The next step is to regularly win. I sincerely don't believe that this franchise is far away to regaining back the fans that they lost in their recent ignominious journey. I want to emphasize that I don't have any criticism for the skeptics. It's the organization's responsibility to win them back. The fans didn't fail the franchise; the franchise failed the fans. It's now their responsibility to win their trust back.

Is the food that bad and costly? How much is a beer? Is it watered-downed light beer? Does Sports Service still have the concession contract? As you smartly point out there are deficiencies about the arena that you can't quickly fix. Quality service is something that you can quickly upgrade if you have the desire to! Even if there is a dearth of paying customers that doesn't mean that you can't properly service the ones who do show up.

You are absolutely right. The GM recognized the talent and ended you with (we expect) a good value contract. One of the most appealing traits about Samuelsson is his hockey intelligence. His positioning and decision-making are already at the level of a good veteran defenseman. Because of his already mature and understated game (not an ostentatious banger) he can be undervalued until he is not on the ice. And then you notice the difference. Can you imagine what kind of player Risto would be if he had Samuelsson's smarts?

Everyone has their own perception when watching a game. On balance, I thought the Sabres had an overall edge. Was it a decisive difference? I thought it was but if another observer comes to a different conclusion, I can't say they were wrong. The Sabres had more scoring chances. They just couldn't capitalize on them. I thought both goalies played well. The difference in this game for me was that there were not enough players in the low (dirty) area when the puck was being scrambled for around the other team's net. The goal that went off Power was a quirky goal. The goalie made the stop, and it then ricocheted off of the defenseman who was in a good position to support his goalie. That's simply hockey! There were some positive takeaways in this game. The main one is the solid play of Comrie, and the second was the obvious value of Samuelsson. Not having him made a big difference.

Absolutely! Dahlin, Tuch, for this game Power with injuries in the unit etc. etc.

I'm re-stating the coach's position because I understand what his approach is to this roster and player development. I have no problem with it. From a broader roster development standpoint it makes sense to me. I'm as much of an Asplund supporter as anyone else here. I just don't see him sitting in one game in order for another young player to get playing time as a significant detriment for this one game.