JohnC

I'm not arguing against bringing in another defenseman. But I don't see another first or second caliber of defenseman brought in at this stage of the season. KA has repeatedly stressed the importance of building from within the system. I'm sure he is not a rigid ideologue who wouldn't be willing to bring in another blueliner if the cost was reasonable and the player fit within his roster concept. As I have stated to @GASabresIUFANI just don't see that kind of transaction happening right now.

No it isn't. Lyubushkin just came back, and there is a good chance that Dahlin will play in the next game. And shortly after that it is expected that Joki will also be back. If Bryson was struggling I would be on board with your greater sense of urgency than I currently have. In my view he is holding up fairly well. One positive out of this blue line depletion is that it is apparent that Power already is capable of playing an anchor defenseman role. (He's already a gem.) I'm not ruling out additions to the blue line but not right now. Although I'm sure the GM and his pro scouts are putting together a list of players from other teams who may be available when the team gets to near the half-way point into the season. And then it will more likely consider what is on the market.

Who is rationalizing and accepting losing? How about facing the reality that the Sabres, although handicapped with injuries to key players, played well against a Cup contending team that by any measure is better than your team. The Sabres didn't wilt in this ferociously contested game. They were in this game up until the end. If you can't recognize that this team is a step up, not only from a talent standpoint but also from a competitive standpoint from previous years, then you are lacking perspective. Not only is this an emerging team that still has a way to go to be a top tier team, but it is also an entertaining team. If last night's game wasn't an entertaining game played at a high level, then I don't know what high quality NHL games are. Carolina and Tampa are better teams than Buffalo . What these two road games indicate is that top tier teams have to play close to their max in order to beat us. Any fair-minded person would have to acknowledge that the Sabres are getting better. The organization made a lot of mistakes and put this franchise in a deep hole. This team has mostly gotten itself out of it and is presently moving in the right direction. Maybe you can't see it but I do.

You are most likely right. I went on a Directv and Center Ice site and this game was not listed. I'm pissed off.

Does anyone know if this game will be available on Directv with the hockey package, Center Ice?

Fantastic is an exaggeration. But in the # of partial games I have seen him it is clear he is back to form when he was healthy here. The speed, power skating, the shot and eye-popping passing are back at the level when he was healthy. Jack gets vilified by Buffalo fans. (I'm not one of them. I wish him well and hope he thrives in the desert.) He's in a good situation in Vegas. He's playing on a Cup contending team and is playing his home games with a full house in attendance. Whatever one thinks about Jack it turned out that his insisting in having the surgery he eventually got and not the surgery the Sabre organization wanted him to have was the right decision for him. On one broadcast of a Vegas game it was noted after he got his surgery there were two players in the league who got the same surgery. The Jack trade benefited the player and his career, and it benefited the franchise that dealt him by allowing the organization to do a reset and pursue a better course. It was a win/win for all the parties involved.

I think otherwise. I see the rotation continuing. Vinnie won't be lost in the shuffle but that doesn't mean that he won't be in the shuffle. We shall see.

You got it right that the officials called this game evenly, not benefiting either team. I'll take this kind of consistent officiating in any game. What was allowed for one team was allowed for the other team. Players adjust and the game moves on. What drives me crazy in some games are the inexplicable ticky/tack calls that influence the outcome of some games. This was a game where the officials didn't intrude in the game.

Attached are the standings. https://www.nhl.com/standings/2022/division

Krebs didn't get much playing time in this game but in the last couple of games he has exhibited a grittier style of play. There is less floating and a lot more battling for the puck.

Krebs, Quinn, JJ and Power represent young players getting better. As the season advances they will get better and so will the team. Granato knows how to bring them along.

With the number of injuries to our blue line Power is stepping up and becoming an anchor defenseman for us. I just hope neither he or Dahlin gets hurt. I'm not sure how much ice time Krebs got in this game but when out there he has been battling like a bulldog for the puck and floating less.

Girgs racing to get to the puck and battle to keep it on the boards at the end of the game was an inspiring play that symbolized how much heart this team has compared to previous teams. More than any play in this game it got me stoked up!

Do you have any insights into the timeline for when Lybuskin and Joki will return?

My understanding is that Lybushkin and Joki should be back soon. (If anyone has any updated information on the timeline for their return I would appreciate it.) If the injuries were more long term like in the Samuelsson return timeframe, I could understand the need to go out and acquire a middling replacement. But I don't see that situation here. I'm not criticizing you for your impatience for replacements. That actually reflects a good sign that our expectations for this team have increased. If the season was further along I could see more players available to consider on the market. But it's still early in the season. Most teams are trying to figure out which players are in their future plans and which are not. Maybe in a few weeks something will materialize but I don't see it happening right now, especially when the hope is for a couple of the injured players to return soon.

Any team that loses three of their top six blue liners is going to have issues with that particular unit. What did you expect? Samuelsson was obviously a big loss. You just do your best to whether the storm until you get some of your injured players back. I just don't see the GM giving up any assets for temporary pedestrian replacements when the expectation is that all three injured players will be back this season, with two of them, Lybushkin and Joki, coming back in the not-too-distant future.

On this issue I agree with you that Adams followed the rebuild strategy that Beane/McDermott with the football team . That shouldn't be surprising because KA has on more than a few occasions said that he has talked with the football GM about the best approach to building a successful team. The Beane/McDermott approach goes beyond simply acquiring talent. They stressed getting the right people and establishing the right culture where the internal team dynamic/leadership holds everyone together. This concept of getting the right mix of people in the locker room wasn't new to him because he experienced it with his cup teams with Carolina and I believe Calgary? As you point out KA didn't dramatically tear down the roster. He changed the core by replacing the old core with players already on the roster. To his credit he was judicious in deciding who to keep and who to dispatch. And in general he got a fair return for the players that were being dealt.

Does anyone know the percentage of people who use the transit to attend the games?

That is a nonsensical delusional response that fits your "blame the fans" narrative when anyone crticizes the owner and hockey operation. With respect to the hockey situation there isn't an owner in any professional sport who wouldn't be harshly criticized for a decade of futility. You have read my posts for the past number of years. I'm not in the negative camp because I do believe that this franchise is on the right track with an upcoming roster and a strong hockey operation. But your tendency to automatically smear those who are understandably in the skeptical camp is predictable and tiresome.

There's a long way to go. I expect this team to be in the playoff hunt to the end of the season. https://www.nhl.com/standings/2022/division

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.