JohnC

I'm wishing you the best. Did you go to the doctor and get any treatments or are you just riding it out and letting the infection run its course?

Attached is the standings after yesterday's game. Link taken from NHL.com. NHL Hockey Standings | NHL.com

Paul Hamilton talked about the Ranger game on WGR. This is a 16 min. segment. His observations correspond to the posted observations. He noted that the play of Hall has declined. He made an interesting observation that teams are starting to keep Eichel from carrying the puck in on the PP and forcing Hall to handle the puck because he has a tendency to give the puck up. Howard And Jeremy | RADIO.COM

After this passionless game I understand your run them to the ground sentiment. But in this type of season with a compressed schedule with the less recovery time you are more likely to get more sluggish performances and an increase of injuries. Especially in this altered season you have to be smart and more scientific about how you approach handling your team. RK has a different and more potent way of handling poor play: He apportions playing time and sits players who are not meeting his expectation.

The Rangers dominated this game. They were a desperate team, and they played like it. The Sabres squeaked out a point that they didn't deserve. As others have noted the most positive takeaway was the exceptional play of Ullmark. The score could have been 6-2 without his many sterling stops. If the score would have been predicated on domination it could have been 8-2. What was disappointing about this game beyond the not winning is that there seemed to be no spark on the Sabre side. In comparison the Rangers had it in spades. If the team didn't have energy in the front side of the season how much energy is there going to be in the later stages of a compressed scheduled season when the injuries, bruises and fatigue will be more evident? The consolation is that the Sabres garnered a point. In a loaded division the Sabres don't have much of margin of error to earn a playoff spot. Again, this game was disappointing.

As @Curt and you point out it was widely reported that Vegas was aggressively trying to trade him this past offseason with the primary motivation being financial/cap considerations. I'm just pointing out that the circumstance has changed due to their team standing and also due to MAF playing so well. In my opinion it would be a mistake for them to take the risk of trading him this season because he is outplaying the #1 goalie, Lehner, and also Lehner is injury prone so there is a need for a high quality backup that would be able to keep them in the cup hunt.

Why would a serious cup contending team like Vegas trade one of their goalies and put themselves in a vulnerable position if their #1 goalie, Lehner, gets hurt? And it should be noted that MAF is outperforming the #1 goalie. (As you noted.) With the compressed schedule it is important to have two high functioning goalies. If Vegas wasn't a serious team I could see them doing what they needed to do to move him. However, being in the competitive position that they are in it wouldn't make sense to deal him off. Vegas Golden Knights Stats | 2020-2021 | Vegas Golden Knights (nhl.com)

Contract and cap considerations are important considerations for deciding whether to retain or dispatch a player. Carolina knew that in the not too distant that they weren't going to pay him the prevailing rate for his talent and scoring prowess. You are oversimplifying the situation. I disagree with you that he is not coachable. He has a style of play that is difficult to mesh in a regimented system. I'm not criticizing the team or the player. He is what he is. And when the Sabres acquired him they got who and what he was. The former GM signed him to a rich and long term contract that is nearly impossible to shed. This is a case where both the player and the coach need to bend a little to utilize his scoring talents.

Attach is a link from NHL.com from a article by Dan Rosen. He put together a power ranking from a number of hockey writers. What's notable about it is that the cumulative rankings place 6 teams from our division in the top 16. The Sabres have a challenge but not insurmountable to qualify for the playoffs. Super 16: Golden Knights take over No. 1 in NHL.com power rankings

Many have been clamoring for a goalie upgrade mostly directed toward the backup position. I don't see it happening. That disappoints a lot of people here.

Marty Biron was on WGR for a 15 min segment. He gave fast paced responses to Howard and Jeremy's questions. He talked about Cozens, Risto etc and concluded with a brief summary of how he thought the other divisions would play out. Marty is a good nature fellow that belies his detailed knowledge of the NHL. And in my view he has a good insight into the Sabres. Howard And Jeremy | RADIO.COM

Not completely misused but handled with a little more flexibility. When you have an asset that doesn't quite fit your preferred mold a little more forbearance might be appropriate.

There isn't a player who is more willing to go to the net (dirty area) and absorb a pummeling than Reinhart. One of the noticeable deficiencies last year was the lack of net presence. It's a little better this year but there is still a need for more of it. As a general observation Reinhart is one of our tougher and grittier players. It's not as noticeable as some of the bigger more open ice hitters but it is very much there.

You eloquently captured the essence of of what I'm attempting to say on this issue. Thank you. 🍺

The highlighted area is my point. The point I'm making is that being more flexible in how Skinner is used benefits the team. I would like to see him on the second line and periodically moved to the first line in order to alter the dynamics of a stalled line. When you have an asset you should use it even if in doing so you are bending your philosophy a tad. As I stated in a prior post Skinner is putting in the effort and is taming his roaming game, somewhat. I just think that the other side of the of the equation needs to yield a little more.

I have never heard anyone say that Skinner is a malcontent or is defiant toward the coach and what he is espousing. There is no question that Skinner doesn't fit the Krueger model of the type of two way player he prefers. Skinner is an offensive player who roams and doesn't strictly play within the coach's tighter lanes. Not only is he's not that type of player but never has been. I agree that Skinner is not a fit within the Krueger system. But because of his contract it is unlikely that he can be dealt. I see Skinner putting in the effort to better conform to what the coach wants. I also believe that the coach should be a little more flexible in utilizing this former scoring dynamo. When you have an asset why not try to find a way to take advantage of it?

She is astute and perspicacious. 🤡

The issue isn't pampering a particular player. The issue is putting the player in a position to succeed. There are things that Skinner does well and things that he doesn't do well. The coach's job is to accentuate the player's assets and do his best to minimize his liabilities. If you have a player who previously scored 40 goals in a season and is now in a drought that measures zero there needs to be an adjustment made. Skinner is a player who is not slacking off or sulking at his role. If you watched him it is evident that he is putting in the effort. The coach needs to be more flexible and change the way he has handled Skinner. It's not working!

If your psychologist daughter says to you: "daddy you are acting crazy" ----do you consider it a typical daughter comment or a professional judgment? 😛

I'm a minimalist with a less than delusionary expectation to be great. What I'm looking for is to steadily get better and move up the ranks. My theory why the Sabres for the past recent years have started off like of ball of fire and then predictably flamed out is that the roster was thin to begin with not having much margin of error to work with. As the season would advance and the rigors of it took its toll from injuries and players not playing to expectation there wasn't a reservoir of talent to draw from. Hopefully, the difference this season is that the talent base has increased and credible replacements are more available.

Ullmark has had a consistent pattern where whatever level he starts off at he at first struggles and then once he gets acclimated he solidifies his position and then moves up to the next rank. He then repeats the same struggle to getting better pattern. The point is that there an expectation that he does get better.

It's a fair description to consider it being hard headed about this issue. 😛 Bighorn Rams Head Butting - Bing video

If you look at the other contracts given out such as to Reinhart and the other players that were brought on in general they were for short term deals. Ullmark is still in a show-me status for the big long-term deal as with Reinhart. That's not to suggest that they don't like these players but they are not going to be caught up with a Skinner type deal for players that they are not sure are good to very good. The point I was emphasizing with Ullmark is that the organization is comfortable with him as their #1 goalie this year and the near future. But when you are investing in a longer and richer term deal then prudence is the way to go. And on the Ullmark side of the equation he doing well in an interim deal makes him more appealing on the market when it gets to that point.

It's the money issue as much as the talent issue that will have the organization seek alternative options, assuming that they are seriously looking for options for our #2, and not our #1 goalie. My opinion is that the organization is more than satisfied with Ullmark as their #1 and heavy dute goalie.