JohnC

You hit on the central issue why he is receiving some criticism for his play in your last sentence. He's a young player who is going to get better with more experience. Let's remember that Dahlin wasn't instantly a good defenseman. It took time for him to mature both physically and as a player. He's a tall and lanky player. It's going to take time for him to fill out. Let's not forget that took time for Dahlin, Tage, Mitts etc. to both physically and evolve as players. I'm glad that we took him with our first pick in that draft year.

Whether his injury was a board hit or a fluke injury it happens in hockey, and in all sports for that matter. Is he a difference maker? He's a legitimate first or second-line talent. It's not so much an issue of him leading him us to the playoffs as it is having a good enough team/players around him to get this team into the playoffs. Just ask Dahlin what it takes to get to the playoffs. He's a sterling player who needs more help to get this team over the hump.

I don't understand why there is such a chorus of criticism for his lack of physicality because that's how he played in college. (As you point out.) When the Sabres drafted him with the first pick in that draft year, they, like all teams scouting him, were well aware of the type of player he was in college and would be in the NHL. He still was considered the consensus (not unanimous) first pick in that draft. I'm happy we drafted him.

To be fair to Quinn on the issue of durability, he tore his Achilles while training in the offseason, and the injury that he suffered on a hit along the boards would have injured anyone who took a similar hit. It's not so much the frequency of his injuries as it is the severity of them when they have occurred to him. I have high expectations of him as a player for this team.

Peterka has had an excellent season. If I were given the choice of having JJ or Quinn, I would take Quinn. As you keenly note, Quinn's hockey IQ is at the top of the chart. And on top of Quinn's high skill level he is also a tough and gritty player . It's going to be intriguing to see how much better Benson is going to be in his second year with an offseason to better physically prepare for next season.

What you just stated is the mercurial nature of hockey. Washington hit the pipes at least half a dozen times. If a few of those shots would have instead ricocheted in, this would have been a more closely contested game. We were fortunate. But overall, we were the better team. As others have stated, that's what has been so frustrating about this season. We are better than many of the teams vying for the playoffs. The Sabres made some exquisite passes that resulted in scores. The pass to Tuch and Tage were examples of that. Our first line with Tuck/Tage/JJ dominated this game. As you point out UPL was a difference maker. He's playing like a good #1 NHL goalie. One of the main deficiencies in this team all season long was the lack of net presence on offense. It was better in this game. Girg's goal was an example of what can happen when you are willing to position yourself in that tough turf. Since his return, I thought Quinn was moving very well. His injury before the season and during the season was very damaging. It had a cascading negative effect to more than one line. There are those that argue that the remaining games are meaningless. What are they arguing for? To give up and not play hard and not play with pride and integrity? I just don't understand that odd line of reasoning!

LGR said 70%. WGR estimated 70% plus.

Are you at the game? If so, what percentage are Toronto fans?

I'm listening to WGR. Try another browser. Try this link. https://www.audacy.com/wgr550

When it gets to the point that people are so angered over something that they choose to get involved with, then it's time to pause and step away for a spell. It's like going to a fish restaurant and then complain that you hate fish. It's not the singular venting that's problematic. It's the spleen splitting vitriol that repeats itself over and over, regardless of what the topic is. The Sabres won in a come from behind game. Yet for a significant segment of the population the game responses are full of intense negativity over a positive result. When it gets to that point it's time to step away and compose and refresh oneself. We're talking sports here. We're not dealing with serious life issues. It's supposed to be a distraction. Give me a freaking break!

Assuming that the players in question didn't raise their sticks after a game because they believed their coach was unfairly criticized, my response again is what's the big deal? Are they not allowed to have their own thoughts and express them? You don't think that players sometimes get peeved with media and fan responses? You may reasonably disagree with their stance but why are they not entitled to not participate in a meaningless postgame gesture (due to over-use). You may think that this is a worthy issue but I don't. It's a trivial and distracting issue that has absolutely nothing to do with play. In this game, Tuch was one of our best performers. And in general, he consistently plays hard. And Greenwood's season-long play has been solid. That's where my focus in on. This has been a disappointing season. My attention is on the play and not some half-hearted stick salute that most of the player do after a game.

@inkman has never left. Just stay out of his way because he is on a rampage. You don't want to get trampled! 😀

What happens in the barn stays in the barn! Just can't quit them!

How do you know that the two players you mentioned who didn't participate in that meaningless stick salute were being petty and spiteful (your words)? I don't give a dam whether player "salutes" or not or even why player chooses to salute or not. What I care about is how the players played. And especially for Tuch who played well in this game. That's all I ask. My main problem with this "stick-salute" is that it is overused and has become meaningless. There are plenty of valid things about this team and players to criticize. At least for me, this isn't a worthy issue to be bothered about.

I can't speak about Canadian laws but in the US you can't make a law and retroactively apply it. That's illegal.

Why do you even watch the games or use your time to comment on them any longer? If you are so apoplectic about the Sabres before they even play a game, then why bother watching them? What's the point? Are you a masochist? The Sabres won a come from behind game in which Tage scored 4 goals, one of which was an empty net goal. Our young goalie was superb. There was a large crowd that was very engaged. It was an entertaining game. We won. And the result is that you have become even more enraged. I say this with no malice: Seek therapeutic care. Most insurance companies cover the cost. This self-induced insanity and anger by many over a sport is weird and not normal.

I agree with you that Tage is unquestionably a #1C. What I would like to see more from him is a little more jam both on offense and defense. He does it intermittently but not enough for me. Tuch is a big and fast guy who seems more willing to play a more muscular game. An interesting issue is who is best suited to play the other wing on that line? Is Skinner definitely out of the mix? I'm not sure. Is Benson a good option? That would be interesting.

I live in Maryland. It is not unusual for construction companies involved in projects that have an effect on traffic to hire off-duty police who use their marked cars and are in uniform to be at the site for traffic control. Churches with large Sunday congregations and funerals similarly hire police for this type of traffic control. I suspect that the same type of presence was at the bridge when the boat communicated that it lost control.

The boat communicated that it lost control. So there was some time to stop cars from getting on the bridge before the crash.

I'm an unabashed Benson fan. For a young player who is far from being physically developed, he has a tough and gritty style of play. In a couple of years when he's more physically mature, he's going to be a top two-line player for us. (My opinion.) However, I disagree that there was nothing he could have learned in the AHL. He would have gotten a lot more playing time with a lot more roles than he has now. As it turned out, it worked out well for him and for the team. There's no question that this has been a disappointing season. And there's no question that he has been a pleasant surprise. Ultimately, he got an opportunity, and he seized it. Good for him!

He's that already. At no point in the season have I felt that he is a liability on the ice. On the contrary, a lot of players can learn from his play on how to position themselves in front of the opposing team's net. He and Greenway are our best players in that aspect of the game. Benson already is one of our better back checkers. It's exciting to consider how good he is going to be when he gets more physically developed. This was a terrific draft pick.

Under the current system which doesn't allow him to start off in Rochester I agree with you that he should be on the big club roster. Playing in the juniors would not have served much value for him from a developmental standpoint. This is just my opinion but I believe that if the Sabres had their preference they would have started him off in Rochester if that option was available to him.

Attached is a WGR link from the Sabres Live Show with Kris Baker talking about the prospects in the system. This is a 19 minute segment. https://www.audacy.com/podcast/sabres-live-340e9/episodes/kris-baker-talks-on-sabres-prospects-in-action-in-college-a156d

The issue with Benson that separates him from other prospects is the quirky age and junior rule that wouldn't allow him to play in the AHL this year. I believe most people would agree that if that AHL option was available to the organization, that is where he would have started off this season. I'm in the camp who believes that this youngster is going to be a good player for us for a long time.

On this player we mostly agree. However, I don't see him fading as much as you do. From an offensive production standpoint, he hasn't been much of a factor. But his tenacity and responsible two-way play has been good. What no one can fairly say about him is that he is a liability on the ice. It is more likely than not that from a developmental standpoint playing in Rochester would have been better for him. But because of the quirk in the rules that wasn't possible. You may disagree but playing in the NHL is better for him than being relegated to the juniors and dazzling down there. As it turned out, he earned his roster spot in camp. As you note, he has taken a number of foolish stick penalties. But it should also be acknowledged that many of them are marginal calls that don't get called against veteran players. This guy is going to be a good player for us for a long time. I'm confident that in hindsight playing this season in Buffalo will have benefited him and the team in the long run.