JohnC

If you didn't watch the game and don't care about the team then why are you commenting on it?

I'm taking the position that Rob Ray took. If you have a different position then so be it. We won the game. You may be disappointed about the outcome but I'm not.

I care and am happy that they won. If you are not then wallow in your sadness. I'm looking forward to the Columbus game and hoping this team makes it four games in a row. The whining and lamenting over a win is startling to me.

I'm also not a gambler. However, I'm expecting the Sabres to beat Columbus Tuesday and break the three game barrier.

Ray stated his opinion that the priority was to not disadvantage your team after the hit. How do you know he feels the exact opposite of what he said? Ray is not a wall flower. He typically expresses his opinion of the need to "address" (as he often describes it) issues when they arise. In this case, the tide was starting to turn against the Sabres in a game that was close. We got the freaking win, and now the chorus is all about not retaliating even when a response at that time may have hurt our chances of winning. As @PromoTheRobot pointed out the referee quickly intervened and called the major. A subsequent retaliation would have not helped us to win. The Sabres did not play a soft game. There were some noticeable lulls but much of it can be attributed to a talented offensive team that is very good offensively. Some quick thoughts on this game: The first star should go to UPL. He had a number of big time stops. My second star would go to Tage who made a couple of nifty passes in close range to Zucker and Peterka for scores. Dahlin is our best player and drives the play as much as anyone does. I thought Tuck played well. We need to re-sign Zucker. I have been critical of the GM but this was a terrific pickup. The McLeod acquisition was a solid pickup. There are many people who are harshly critical of Power. What they are seeing is not what I am seeing. I thought he had a very good game. Three wins in a row is a step in the right direction. It's still unlikely that we will qualify for the playoffs but I hope that at the minimum we can get back into the playoff picture even if it ends up being another futile attempt.

On the tv replay it was definitely over the line.

Playing too loose. Need to tighten up

It was the right call.

If the information you received is true, then that is a good sign. (My opinion.) Both of these players add an element of ruggedness that this roster definitely needs. If the GM can re-sign Zucker and Greenway, then there are fewer issues to address in the offseason. Wouldn't it be terrific to acquire another Zucker like player and add a veteran defenseman to the blueline unit?

We may be disagreeing around the margins and nibbling around the edges. The point that I and others are making is that his passing skills were not as recognized as his skating and shooting skills here because collectively the players he played with weren't good enough to convert them. In Vegas, he is surrounded by better players. And that has made a difference with respect to his passing ability which are converted into assists with greater frequency. I don't want to over state something where in general we are more in agreement.

In addition, Reinhart was exceptional at tipping in shots around the net. The Sabres are starting to add shooters such as Tage, Quinn, Tuch, Kulich, Peterka etc. Right now, Zucker and to a lesser extent, Benson, are our best net presence when shots are directed toward the net. If we still would have had Reinhart, the conversion rate on rebounds and tips would be much higher. This confused organization squandered elite talent that was already on our roster. Utterly stupid and sinful that has squashed this franchise.

I understand why you wouldn't consider Eichel a world-class playmaker here but I disagree with that assessment. He simply didn't have the players to convert his passes that he does in Vegas. (I believe @Thorner made that point.) Eichel had elite attributes when it came to skating, shooting and passing. In Buffalo, what always stood out to me were his passes to players who couldn't convert them. He was a special talent that was way beyond the players he played with in Buffalo. And that frustrated him and was one of the factors why he wanted out of the dismal situation that he felt he was stuck in.

I suspect that eventually Kulich and Cozens will both end up on wing. As far as Kulich, as you stated, this young fellow can certainly shoot!

On TV, the camera showed Terry and Kim in their club box. I wish Kim the best. She is facing a major health challenge. It was nice to see her at the Razor event.

Sometimes it's difficult to measure but the eye test tells you that a player is playing with confidence or tentatively, without confidence. It appears to me that he is less tentative and willing to hold the pluck more and move to open space to get his sniper shot off. The one player that the confidence issue has been evident is Quinn. For much of the season, he was a shell of what he has previously played. It seems now that after going through a lull period that he is steadily playing up to his old form. He's still not there yet but he is moving in the right direction with respect to playing with confidence. You can also see the confidence level growing for Power who is much more inclined to get involved offensively.

There was not a scintilla of chance that the Sabres were a destination that Stamkos was interesting in coming to. Were there people here who were clamoring to get him? Sure there were. But they weren't the sober ones who already knew that a snowball had a better chance surviving in hell than he choosing to come here. Let's get real!

I would rather KA sit on his hands right now than have him make a boondoggle deal that sets this franchise back. However, this offseason (assuming he still is the GM) he needs to make some roster moves to improve this roster.

I'm realistic to recognize that it's unlikely (duh) that the Sabres will make the playoffs. But this team (I believe) is talented enough to make a futile run and get into the playoff race. It's also important that this team seriously compete to demonstrate to themselves and other players in the league that this isn't a lost cause franchise that players will prefer to avoid. Systemic losing is corrosive to players who by nature are competitive. We have gotten to the point where not only outside players don't want to come here but also our best players already here want out of this cesspool situation. (Eichel, Reinhart, Ullmark etc.) The difference between being a competitive team and a team that goes by the wayside is not always large. I believe that is the case with this team/roster. As I have stated ad nauseum here, to the annoyance of many who hate repetition, that if our GM would have been more intelligent in assessing his roster and addressing its deficiencies and imbalances this past offseason, we would now be in a much better situation this season. So what do we end up? Another freaking throw away season! It didn't need to be this way! Our silent owner made an outlandish hire for the GM position so that he would have an unfettered ability to tinker with his toy franchise. We are where we are because of him. Ownership matters!

Not having enough veterans to complement the young core is my point that goes beyond one particular player. Injuries are inevitable. No team can avoid dealing with that issue because it affects every team in this crash sport. Our roster needed to be thickened and better balanced. It wasn't and isn't. That's a GM responsibility. When the owner hired an unqualified GM he ended up getting the work product of an unqualified GM. I blame the silent and inscrutable owner for this self-sabotaging hiring mistake.

I doubt that would be the case. And it should be noted that I am a Greenway fan. If we had another Zucker and Greenway type players on this roster, then I would agree with your "winning record" comment.

You made an observation that really stuck out to me. If the Sabres would have the right mix between veteran and young players as the Amerks do, the Sabres would be in a much better position. It's more important to have the right mix of players than simply having a collection of players that don't balance out well. That basic responsibility falls to the GM.

The Sabres didn't need to pursue costly free agents to be a winner. What they needed to do is bring in another Zucker or two like players to strengthen the forward lines and provide more support for the young core that was already here. And if our clueless GM would have added another experienced blueline defensive oriented player or two that unit would be more balanced and effective. The Sabres were in the same strata as Ottawa, Columbus, Detroit, NYI and Montreal. Most of them are around at least 10 pts higher in the standings than where we are. The attainable additions could have been made this offseason. Our Howdy Doody GM misjudged our roster and failed to provide the right support players to make this team better. This has been a self-sabotaging season when it didn't need to be this way. You don't have to point out the failings of other organizations when you have a generational failure right in front of you.

Some quick thoughts on this game: Game was somewhat choppy and didn't have much of a flow. I attribute that to both teams played tight when the other team had the puck. Not much open space for either team to maneuver. Although Kulich scored two goals I would give my first star to Zucker. He's a bulldog. Another Zucker like player added to this roster would be very beneficial. Kulich would get my second star. He's a sniper. Right now he has moved ahead of JJP and Quinn as developing players. Dahlin played really well. The play of the game for me was Tuch's pass to Zucker who deflected the puck into the net. I thought our team defense that included our forwards was very good. UPL played solidly. He was screened on the goals he let in. He made a game saving stop on a play when he was sprawled on the ice and stopped the puck with his foot while sprawled on the ice. It seems to me that the players are not as confused and scrambling with their defensive assignments in their zone. Our face off performance was lacking. ROR is superb at taking the draws. This game was not very aesthetically pleasing and didn't have much flow to it but I'll gladly take it. The effort was there throughout. A good home win on a special night for Razor. KA's heart is not as self-aware as you think.

This is Rob Ray's day. If the owner is booed because of his presence, it will become the storyline for the event. Going beyond Rob Ray as a hockey player and his post career involvement with the team, he has also been every involved in community activities that help people who need it. There is plenty of time to criticize the owner and the organization. There is a time and place. Expressing one's venom toward the incompetent owner at that particular event is not the right time to do so. And it should be noted that I am one of the harshest critics of the owner and his personally selected ill-equipped GM.

If the owner is involved in the induction I hope the fans don't boo. Not because the owner doesn't deserve to be booed but because it would be unfair to Razor on his special day.