JohnC

I earned penalty points on that issue. Some people with the authority do the judging and others get judged. In life, some people hold the whip while others get whipped. You don't have to like it so you just go with the flow.🍷

I, and most everyone else, agree with you on shelving Anderson. He seems to be spent. But I still wouldn't go with Levi in this game. I didn't watch the game but every report on the game indicated that Comrie played very well. I'm excited with Levi now being in the system. And I expect that he will play before the season concludes. I just think that Comrie deserves another opportunity to play based on his previous performance.

They have played so much tighter the last 2 games. However, I know what you mean. 😉

Not necessarily. He's got issues to attend to. That doesn't mean that he can't resolve them. I wish him the best. When organizations make decisions, they do so with the information they have on hand. Sometimes the situation can unexpectantly, dramatically change. You can't control that. The Panthers had a prospect who hadn't signed a pro deal and was years away from playing in the league. So trading him in a package that brought you back a good NHL player was a good deal for them. You just do the best you can with the information you have on hand.

Maybe it would have been more suitable if he used the word "awkward" or "uncomfortable" for some players instead of "precarious"?

Absolutely not! The Sabres are still in the playoff hunt although it is a long shot. His playing so soon would send a bad message to the team. Comrie had a good game against the Islanders. I would prefer that he started this game. In addition, if Comrie demonstrates that he can be a good goalie in this league, it would be a factor in how the GM addresses that position in the offseason. I'm confident that Levi will play before the season concludes. But not so soon. Let's ride this out until the road ends. Then play this exciting prospect.

If you factor in that Reinhart was not going to sign and become an UFA in the following year, that deal was a marvelous deal for us. Of course, there is an assumption that in the near future Levi is going to be a primary goaltender for us. That isn't a stretch to believe. On the other hand, we shouldn't discount the fact that Reinhart was a terrific pickup at a relatively minimal cost for Florida. Good deal for both sides. Just like the Jack deal.

You need not fear the Sabres becoming a stifling, boring and slumber inducing NY Islander type team. The main reason is the way our roster is constructed. As it is right now, we will have four players who will score more than 30 goals this season. Based on what I have seen of Quinn I wouldn't be surprised if he will be in the 30 plus range next season or soon thereafter. I agree with you that our team defense should improve as our younger players gain experience. But make no mistake about it this team still needs player additions to better balance out our roster so there won't be such a great disparity between our offense and defense. (As you also noted in your comments.)

I haven't done the research but the winning results of keeping the opposition's score down applies to all the teams. It shouldn't be a surprise that for all teams when the opposition scores 4 or more goals, your team is more likely to lose. I agree with you that future success for us is predicated on getting the goals against side of the equation down. The next question is the priority acquiring different goalies, better blueliners or a greater focus on team defensive (including forwards)? Or a combination from each of the categories? This offseason is going to be intriguing. My opinion: If the goalie unit plays better due to better team defensive play in front of them for the rest of the season, the GM will follow his status quo impulses and focus his attention on buttressing the blueline unit. I still lean towards going out and bringing in an upper tier goalie. I'm more confident that it will have the greatest impact on this team.

You make an interesting point that I have been wavering about regarding the goaltending situation. For the sake of argument, if in these last ten games, the Sabres do tighten up defensively resulting in our goalies playing solidly, how does it affect our GM this offseason regarding addressing the position or not this offseason? I'm not sure? Would it be better to use assets to bring in another goalie, or would it be better to use assets to bring in maybe two quality defensemen to buttress that unit and give more support to the goalies we already have? Again, I'm not sure. What I am comfortable in saying is that if the organization decided to use assets to bring in an upper-tier goalie such as Saros, that it would have a noticeable impact on improving this team.

According to a roster listing it had Tage at 6'6" and weighing 220. It also listed Jordan Greenway at 6'6" and weighing 231. I'm confident neither player drives a VW bug.

Don't apologize because your comments are on topic. Your comments are cogent and relevant to the topic. Whether people agree or disagree with your perspective, listening to an intelligent voice on the topic is a good and positive thing. I recognize that there are religious beliefs that influence one's views on this issue. I can respect that. What I find perplexing is the often-stated argument of "promoting a lifestyle" as a basis for a view. That makes no sense to me.

I didn't watch the game but I listened to most of it on the radio. After the game I watched the highlights and coach's postgame comments on a hockey site. In one of the clips, it showed a shot of Tage on the bench obviously hurting and completely spent. He was hunched over trying to recover. There was another clip of Mitts on the sideboards during a stoppage also exhausted and laboring to catch his breath. Especially for Tage, you have to salute his effort in this game playing while impaired and giving his all. That's a leader! And collectively, this team demonstrated a great deal of character and determination in this game.

In the last half dozen games or so and as the season is winding down, Illya has played really well. It can be argued that he has been our most consistent defender. When he joined the team there was an adjustment period, was injured and played through injuries. It took some adjusting to the various players he was paired with and the system. As you stated this was a really good pickup by KA. If the GM could add another one or two Bushkin-like players to the unit this offseason, it would upgrade the depth and quality of the unit. Another appealing aspect about him is that on every team he has been on he has been one of the most liked and respected players on the team.

Attached is a link from Sabres.com that has some highlights and coach's postgame comments. He singled out Mitts in this game. If someone else posted this link I apologize for the redundancy. https://www.nhl.com/sabres/video/don-granato-postgame-32523/t-277822760/c-16191963

Standings taken from NHL.com. https://www.nhl.com/standings/2022/wildcard

I'm listening to the radio broadcast. Both broadcasters were singling out the effort of Mitts.

There was a determined effort to trade ROR before his bonus took effect. If the GM would have waited it is likely that he could have gotten a better deal. Jack was told by the GM to get out of the building and go home. I'm confident that the owner was involved in those decisions. Especially for the Jack trade, I'm sure that our GM, KA, was a prime factor determined to move him. I'm confident that the owner was not only on board but also was a mover.

Another option is to go European and give gentle kisses on each cheek. 🥰

I agree with the gist of what you said. There is another side to this issue that goes beyond money. Terry Pegula is a self-made billionaire. From what I have observed of him is that he is not an ostentatious or a self-promoting ego driven person a la Jerry Jones the owner of the Cowboys. What Terry P doesn't tolerate is players receiving millions of dollars from him and then publicly expressing their disgruntlement, as ROR and Jack did. In those cases his response was clear and simple: Move them out. On that issue and attitude I salute the owner. How many times has the GM said I want players who want to be here? The owner and GM are in sync.

Wouldn't you rather shake the hand of a happy person than an angry person?

Let's look at how this GM, working for this owner, has spent money during his short tenure. Tage got paid. Samuelsson got paid. Cozens got paid. When Dahlin's contract comes up he will get paid. And so will Power and Quinn when their deals come due. The critical issue isn't so much how much you are spending but rather is it being spent wisely. The organization is relying very much on analytics for player evaluations and also using it for contract evaluations. Of course, the owner signs off for big money payoffs. And that is how it is for every franchise. I simply don't see the owner being a hinderance on this issue. With respect to the highlighted section we shall see how judicious he is adding the right players like Jersey did this offseason. I think that KA will make some moves because of the glaring needs. In my view a few good moves can prove to be very consequential for next season. The priority is evident for everyone to see: Get a freaking quality goalie!

Of course, the owner is involved in how the organization is run. That's why the franchise was in a constant state of chaos and turmoil for most of his ownership. However, that has changed. There is no question that the owner selected KA because he agreed to his rebuild plan that not only included the roster but also the structure of the organization and the investment in it. And make no mistake about it, much more is invested in the operation than previously. My response to the stubborn poster I was responding to was his suggestion that the owner could be resistant to what the GM's plan to restore this franchise back to respectability. I strenuously disagree with notion. The GM is executing his rebuild plan. The owner is allowing him to follow through on it. Too many people make the claim that the severe cutting of the payroll is an indication of the lack of seriousness on the part of the owner to compete in this league. That's ridiculous, especially when you consider that he recklessly and foolishly spent money on players when he first bought the team. What isn't mentioned when these false claims are made is that when you deal off your high-cost core players and replace them with younger players, your cap expenditures are going to dramatically decline. That's simply part of the rebuild and cap/cost cycle. Again, I say that the insinuation (not by you) that the owner is a restraining factor in making this franchise a serious factor in this league doesn't resonate with me at all. It's the opposite of that. The owner has learned what to do and not do. And that is for the good.

That makes more sense. I thought he was recently posting and was inebriated when he made that prediction. I realize that he is more sober than I originally thought.

KA had a plan and was determined to stick with it. Of course he wanted to make the playoffs this year. Adhering to the plan and making the playoffs weren't mutually exclusive. But without question his priority was to stick with the rebuilding plan that emphasized playing the youngsters.