JohnC

Meier would be a terrific addition. But the issue that would make a deal for him challenging is the near term cap implications. In the not too distant future, Dahlin is going to get maximum money. And Cozens will also get a sizeable deal when his contract comes up. Based on Power's projected play he will eventually be in the gilded contract category. I just don't see a Meier deal materializing for Buffalo. I haven't heard about the McCabe rumors. But if there is substance to those whispers, he would be an excellent addition that would solidify that unit. Pairing him with Lybushkin would make a lot of sense. That would be our rugged pair. And if need be he would also be able to move up and be a good partner for Power.

Just curious, do players have their own rooms on the road or do they double up?

Within this link is a 20 min interview with Don Granato on WGR. Very often when he talks hockey it is shows a broader perspective on how he approaches the game. In this segment he talks about his emphasis on offense when he took over from the prior coach. At the end of the segment he talks about Power vis a vis with Dahlin. He's terrific to listen to. There are few cliche responses. Most of his responses are very thoughful and insightful. https://www.audacy.com/wgr550/authors/howard-and-jeremy-show

Before and during the game Rob Ray said that St. Louis was going to goad the Sabres into scrums and retaliations. He repeatedly said that the Sabres shouldn't fall into the trap. The Blues are a demonstrably slower team that wanted to break the flow of the faster and quicker team. Rob Ray is old school and has no problems with hitting back. But in this game he recognized even before the puck was dropped that it would be a mistake to fall for cheap tactics. Playing tough and smart is the best response.

Great write up. Are you aware that you have that Sean Penn bad boy look? 🍺 Buffalo's road record is astounding. Paul Hamilton was asked on WGR why is that the case. He was conjecturing but felt that the mostly youthful Sabres get aroused when playing in front of a full and energized house. He also noted that Buffalo's home record in front of full or near full house was also excellent.

Why do the people of Buffalo deserve to know what her health situation is if she doesn't want to release that information? She and her family consider this to be a private and family matter. I understand the curiosity. But it's simply none of your business.

Not this season or the next.

Your perception is your perception. I don't get the same vibes with Duff. However, sometimes when people are paired with someone so different in presentation and personality it becomes an odd/unique mixture that gives different vibes to the audience.

The trading of Nylander for Joki has turned out to be one of the best deals in the Pegula era. Coach Don G has repeatedly stated that Joki is still young and has more upside to tap into. I, like you, thought Joki played well last night. And it should be noted that he has more recently been willing to be more active offensively in our zone.

Marty Biron does have dream boat eyes. And his effervescent personality is pleasant to watch and listen to. But in my mind he is also a terrific analyst who not only fairly assesses the players on the Sabres but also the players in the league. He's very fair-minded in his assessments. He can be critical but do it in such a way that is not personal or demeaning. I'm a Marty fan!

Getting Jost to play with Mitts just as putting Krebs on a line with Okposo/Girgs made the individual players and line better. The coaching put the struggling players in a position to succeed. It worked wonderfully. Coaching matters!

The narrative on a number of players has recently gotten better. Joki, Mitts, Olofsson, UPL and Krebs are in that recently elevated category. As the team has gotten better and players gained experience their profiles have become more positive. Mitts playing with Jost as his center has been an important factor in his upgraded play, just as Krebs playing with Okposo and Girgs influenced how Krebs has played. And it shouldn't be a surprise that UPL's improved level of play took a positive turn when the defense in front of him got healthy and was stabilized. The rebuild plan that the GM and coach laid out was to primarily build from within. Draft and develop was the mantra. I don't want to get carried away with this recent surge because the tide can quickly change, but having the fortitude to adhere to the plan, even when the team seem to be backsliding, is not only changing the narrative on individual players but also the team in general.

After this win we are in the thick of a playoff race and are jockeying for position. https://www.nhl.com/standings/2022/division

One possible weak goal and a half dozen exceptional stops to secure a win. I'll take that ratio any day of the week.

How can wins not be a goalie stat? That's a number/analytic that trumps every other number. That's what the game is about. UPL made some big stops that were a significant factor in the win. In this win I don't recall UPL allowing in a weak goal. There was one goal where the shooter put in a laser shot that was high on his glove side. On that shot I credit the shooter more than criticize the goalie .

Lyubushkin was a free agent signing. I consider him more of a third pairing defenseman. Both he and Jost were terrific pickups that cost us no assets. The GM did well with those acquisitions. Both of them fill needed roles and blend in well with their teammates. Instead of the Chyrchrun trade speculation that would be costly, and in the not-too-distant future squeeze the cap, more attention should be given to acquiring another Lyubushkin caliber player who would help to round out the unit.

Another player on that line who has demonstrated that he is more than a goal scorer is Skinner. He already has 27 assists. He made the quick pass to Olof who jumped into the open space when he scored. And as you noted it was Tage who made the pass from tight quarters to Power to end the game. It's not much of a surprise that our prolific top line is going to be the center of attention of the opposition. When option A isn't available, they are able to go to option B to contribute. In this game the two players on that line got the primary assists in this win.

I think that the negative perception of Mitts has lessened a lot because of his consistently good play for the past dozen games or so. Jost deserves a lot of credit for the elevation of the Mitts/Olof line.

As everyone else stated Anderson was our first star. The Stars could have had five goals during the first half of the first period. Our defense was scrambling and acted confused while Dallas was bombing away with great chances that our goalie magnificently stopped. The winning goal by Power was neatly set up by Tage. Ottinger was focused on TT and didn't account for Power who then seized on his opportunity. The smile on Power's face after his first goal of the season was beyond being radiant. I thought Tuch played a good game. He was relentless and all over the ice. Krebs is getting better and better. Quinn and JJ seem lost. Their play is inconsequential. If I hear any more trade Olofsson talk I'm going to have a conniption. Just stop it! He's a sniper who scores goals. Dallas is a top tier and a big and rugged team. With the exception of the first half of the first period, the Sabres, the road team, matched them. Tremendous effort and great win!

Comrie was hurt and out for an extensive period of time. It's difficult to assess a player, especially a goalie, if he rarely plays. Stats and analytics for a goalie can be deceptive when trying to make a judgment on a player when there is an insufficient body of work to judge from. We know for sure that Anderson won't be back next year. The organization needs to find out what he is capable of before entering next season.

Absolutely not! The rebuild strategy that the GM has constantly repeated since he took over the hockey operation is that he wants to broaden the talent base, not deplete it. Again, no!

I agree with you that the Sabres have the ability to go on another winning streak. However, the margin of error is small. Losing to teams that they should win, and having a bad spell that lasts for more than 5 games or so, will make their task even more challenging, if not out of reach. Prior to the season, I predicted that the Sabres would earn 90 pts and stay in the playoff race up to the end of the season. I'm hoping that I will be proven wrong but they appear to be in the vicinity of where I thought they would be. Taking a broader perspective it is safe to say that this team is on an upward trajectory.

As @dudacekhas pointed out Florida is starting to get settled and are stringing wins together. I don't see us finishing ahead of them. However, the Sabres are capable of passing the other teams you mentioned. Sometime soon, the Sabres need to get a winning streak together to better position us for an end of the season serious playoff run.

I ain't messing with this Texan, transplant or native born. You have a commanding presence. Those dagger eyes are menacing. 🤠

You and I are riding the same bus. Although the ride sometimes get bumpy, the destination is within view. The journey sometimes is enjoyable and sometimes exasperating but without a doubt there is an entertainment value in watching this version of the Sabres. The best move this organization made is getting rid of Krueger and replacing him with Don G. Krueger's version of hockey was simply soul crushing.