JohnC

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.

Sitting Asplund down for one game in order to allow another young player ice time is not going to hurt the team's ability to win this game. The coach is expressly doing what he said he was going to do. Relax.

For the coach and the organization there is a big-picture aspect to this rotation related to player development. He had made a decision before the season started on how he was going to handle the young players. He's determined to not having players such as Quinn, JJ and Krebs sit out a number of consecutive games. And that's exactly what he is doing.

The coach is exactly doing what he said he is going to do as far as rotating players. The issue for him is not having young players out for an extended period of time. And that's exactly what he is doing. As I stated to @webster guyAsplund is one of my favorite players. This one game sit-down will not hurt him or the team.

The coach feels that it is important that the youngsters (Krebs, Quinn and JJ) don't sit for consecutive games. Casey certainly blundered on that particular play, but for the most part his effort and contribution has been positive. As for the play of Vinny it has also been more than satisfactory. He gives you a veteran presence on a team laden with youngsters. (It should be noted that Vinny has done some time upstairs.) Even before the season started the HC was upfront on how he was going to handle the excess in forwards: He was going to rotate players. And that's exactly what he is doing. You are simply exaggerating the meaning and impact of a one game sit-down. And it should be known that I am a fan of Asplund. His assignment in the company box for this game will not hurt him or the team.

Don Granato on WGR talked about sitting players down because he doesn't want any player to sit for an extended period of time. He stressed that this is not a punishment due to poor play or sending a message to anyone in particular. It's simply rotating players in and out because currently there is a surplus of players. I wouldn't read too much into who is watching the game from the box.

I have no hesitation in crediting Botterill for some of his transactions. If he was responsible for hiring Granato, then he certainly deserves credit for it. As you well know it was KA who elevated Granato as the interim HC when Krueger was fired, and then gave him a contract to be the HC. And as you noted KA reworked the roster Botts brought in and refashioned much of it. No new GM can do a complete reconstruction of his predecessor's roster because of contracts on the books and cap issues. And as I stated in prior posts KA deserves credit for dispatching the old core and getting a reasonable return for them, and then replacing them with players already on the roster. He was judicious and prudent in making the roster transition.

You've made this point before that although these young players were added to the roster, the players they replaced were merely JAGS. Veteran JAGS will in the short run be more consistent making fewer glaring mistakes. But as JJ has already demonstrated he is capable of making an impressive play that a JAG has no ability to make.

Most of us are excited by this successful start. However, assuming that this team isn't undercut with an accumulation of injuries, it is going to be interesting to see where this team and players such as JJ and Quinn are at the halfway point, and near the end of the regular season. Both Quinn and JJ proved that their level of play is past the AHL level of play. One of the most enjoyable parts of this season will be tracking the development of these two players during this season. I'm confident that as this season advances this team will get better (assuming the goaltending remains at its current level).

Granato was on WGR a couple of weeks ago and said it must be understood that with the addition of Quinn and JJ to the roster this team is younger than last year's team. He made the point that you have to give them playing time recognizing that their play is going to be inconsistent. He also added that these talented young players will undoubtedly get better as the season advances. As a coach he trusts the process knowing that being patient not only benefits these inexperienced players but that it will also pay dividends for the team in the near future.

I'm hoping that after a very successful west coast trip that the Sabres draw a big crowd for the Montreal game, the next home game. The players deserve it.