JohnC

What’s that going to do? You have two phones. 😇

No it's not. I don't know if the Sabres will get into the playoffs. No one does. But at the minimum, for the sake of the fans, it's important to stay in a realistic playoff race for most of the season. Falling by the wayside before the halfway point will ensure even more fans to fade away.

The Sabres need to mathematically stay in the playoff race by the team they reach mid-season. They simply can't have extended losing streaks that take essentially take us out of the race. What's been encouraging so far at this early stage of the season is that our goaltending has been pretty good. I'm hoping that it will continue. I won't be able to watch this game because it isn't available to me. As a consolation, I won't have to watch a game when Toronto fans take over the building. I just hate that embarrassing spectacle! The best way to contain that scene is to score early and win.

With respect to this particular trade, it was a fair-value trade for the respective clubs. I respectfully disagree on how you are considering this trade by going beyond the specific deal by framing the assessment of it in “tribalism” evaluation terms. I’m not part of any “anti” club. Our GM made a good deal in this case. On the other hand, even with this transaction in the fold I consider KA to be a less than mediocre GM. That’s not an evaluation based on “tribalism”—-it’s an evaluation based on his extended overall record.

I believe it was a good trade for each team. Each team was in a different situation and each team acted in what they perceived to be in their best interest.

Maybe a younger Zucker????

Tage appears to be pressing. As you well know, his goals usually come in spurts. Very often when you try to do too much, you end up doing less.

No. It was part of a package. If either one of the two former Utah players were not part of the trade proposal, I don’t believe that the deal would have been made.

Is Norris expected to come back this season? I'm aware that he has been injured prone but that was a big loss, especially for Tage. It seemed that last night Tage was playing a lot of solo hockey untethered to the line he was on.

I agree with you that to get a full picture on a play it goes beyond the end result. The general point that was made by the analyst is the importance of the attention to detail. And the clip he showed demonstrated that point. It began with an advantageous situation in our zone to losing the puck, resulting in the play going the other way. The too often haphazard play shouldn't be a surprise because for the past number of years the Sabres have been a very young team not sufficiently instilled with how to play a more mature and responsible game. As time goes on the younger players are getting more experience and the roster is being steadily reshaped/augmented with more experienced players. Hopefully, that augurs a better future.

The analysis backed up by the clip was fair. In close games the attention to details is the difference between winning and losing, especially playoff hockey. I thought that Tage’s game was too much a singular game and not enough in sync with his linemates. He seemed to be pressing to score and forcing play instead of letting the game come to him.

When evaluating a trade like this sometimes the stats don’t tell the full story. The added value that Doan adds go beyond the offensive stats. In my view, the Sabres are better and more balanced team with him. And if Kesserling plays up to expectations, this will become a terrific deal for us. And that is not to say that it won’t be a good deal for Utah.

I didn’t watch him play before he came to Buffalo. It seems to me that he was a young developing player with them who is now crossing the threshold to being a regular and established NHL player. What I like about him is that in Buffalo he recognized that he had an opportunity to play, and he has seized that opportunity. Another thing I like about him is that he knows what type of player he is (physical and net presence) and stays true to his game. He’s not a floater but rather a hard charger. He was a terrific addition. I’ve been a harsh critic of KA, but in this case he made a team improving hockey deal.

TNT postgame interview of Ellis. Great Kid!

My stars: #1 Ellis Quinn Tuch because of his net presence on two goals. Doan is a terrific addition. Play of game was Ellis’s stop of Debrincat.

Great pass by Quinn. Showed grit by sticking with the play.

Doan and JJP are two different players with different abilities and attributes. From a talent standpoint, JJP is more talented, especially offensively. But from a roster building standpoint, Doan adds something that was desperately needed. I’m sure Peterka will do well in Utah. And from a Utah perspective it was a good deal for them. On the other hand, from a Sabre standpoint, it addressed a big need for us. If you factor in the addition of Kesserling in the deal, then it was a beneficial deal for us. In general, this was a fair deal for both franchises.

Never apologize for being crazy, embrace it. It’s better than be placid and boring. 😀

For the sake of the discussion, what would happen if the GM, coach and much of the staffing in the organization were replaced? What would be the mindset of an empowered GM taking over the players on the team and in the system. Would there be a major clearing house and major blowup of the roster or would there be some astute tweaks to the roster that would make a consequential difference? I lean toward some tweaks rather than going through another excruciating rebuild. I live in the MD/DC area and saw the dramatic change with the Washington Commanders with the departure of the former owner and a complete remake of the organization staffed by sycophants. Putting aside the ownership issue, could an organizational remake quickly get this meandering franchise on track, or would it be another situation where you have to go through another laborious rebuild process while the disillusioned fan base continues to erode?

A factor in any discussion about making deals to improve the team is underpinned by who is making the deals. Judging the cumulative performance of dealer is a fair consideration. If you went to a surgeon who botched a hemorrhoid surgery by mistakenly plugging the hole, would you go back to the same surgeon to correct the butchery?

You are overrating Bryam. If you trade Power, you are creating another big hole for an already incomplete team. Makes even less sense if KA is executing the transaction. It would be like going back to the same inept surgeon who botched your surgery. So did Tuck and Tage.

Power didn't play a bad game last night. Why is he being singled out? I'm not saying he was superb but it wasn't at a negative level where he should be highlighted. In this game, Montreal was the better team. They were the faster and quicker team while we were the lagging team. (That's how I saw it. Others might have seen it differently.) If it weren't for the play of Lyon, the Sabres would have been overwhelmed.) He wasn't the only player who at times was out of place.

As you well know I have been a consistent advocate for him in contrast to a lot of his critics. The source of much of the criticisms of him relate to his style of play. For the most part, his style of play is not going to change. He's not a thumper, and never will be. That is not to say that there isn't a need for that type of blueliner, but he will not fit that role because that isn't who he is as a player. I'm hoping that when Kesserling returns that it will enhance Power's play even more. TBD.

It certainly is premature. As you yourself stated, he has a lot of value around the league. If that is the case, then why get rid of a talent that will shine for another team and leave a big hole that will need to be filled. Don't get me wrong, I'm not arguing that we don't need more Doan and Benson type players on this roster. But it makes little sense to deal off a hard to replace defenseman whose return will not come close to the value sent packing. And why do it now when his probable partner is ready to return to the lineup? And as you and others have stated on many occasions: Why would you have our shallow GM making any deal, especially when he is in a position of weakness? Hard no for me.

Benson is playing well. Lyons is playing well. I consider him to be our #1 goalie right now. I also like the play of Samuelsson.