JohnC

That's not necessarily the case. The GM is going to first and foremost act in the organization's best interest. If the Sabres are in a serious playoff race and the GM determines that he doesn't want to risk playing him here this season, he won't. It would still be in the player's interest to turn pro sooner rather than later, even if he starts off in the AHL.

If Levi signs as soon as his college season is over, can he immediately be assigned to Rochester? Another interesting issue relating to Levi is whether the Sabres would play him in Buffalo, for an introductory stint, if the team is in playoff contention? I'm not bothered by the Portillo situation. At this point he would be a fool if he didn't examine the market and make a decision that was in his best interest. The player I am more interested in Michigan is defenseman Johnson. Even if he scans the hockey market it wouldn't be surprising that Buffalo would be a good situation for him as a player i.e. upcoming team with a positional need.

I consider Casey M more of a third line player than a second line player. But that isn't a knock on him. It's a reflection that this team has more talent to work with when putting together lines. Having a quality third line (and multiple lines) is what top tier teams have. Tampa would be an example of that where all the lines are meaningful contributors to their team's success. The one aspect of Mitts's game that irritates me is that there are times when instead of shooting he will make the low percentage pass instead of shooting. He's not the only one who is resistant to shooting when the opportunities exist. Just shoot the dam puck!

Great points. The goalie they played against was exceptional. Yet, this team continued to push hard and press. The Sabres of the previous few years would be deflated when faced with adversity. This team didn't falter. It kept pushing forward all game long. That's a good indication that there is internal leadership that keeps the unit mentally strong.

No, you are not! I am.

There is another aspect to Mitts's game that should be recognized: His versatility. When needed, he can move to the center position. When Skinner was suspended Mitts played with the first line. For the short term, there wasn't a major drop-off. He also plays on the second PP unit. My point is that even with the recognition that he is more of a third than a second line player, there is value in his versatility that can be utilized.

For some, the narrative on Mitts is written on indelible ink. Over the past dozen games or so Mitts has played at a consistently good level. Yesterday, against the Islanders, he was instrumental in the win. There is nothing wrong with having a view on a player. But when that player ups his game and plays beyond one's expectation of him, then it should be acknowledged. When evaluating players there certainly are elements of subjectivity and objectivity. Too often that balance is skewed and becomes an imbalance.

Jost has solidified that line. And as you aptly described made that line play a simpler game. After the extraordinary Dahlin pass in OT, I thought the Mitt's pass to Olofsson for a score was the second-best pass in the game. Jost was a terrific pickup. The cost was zero. Good GM move.

Dahlin made a great pass to Cozens. What added to the play to make it even more spectacular is the way Cozens was able to corral the pass and then shoot it in. Cozens is definitely emerging as a player. Another player who seems to get better every game is Power. He's good now and will soon be a special player. UPL deserves the first star in this game. His stop as time was expiring was exquisite. I'm so happy that a full house was able to enjoy this win. Good play-tension-and a win!

Don't misinterpret what I am going to say: Having a team loaded with young players can be exasperating because of their tendency to be inconsistent. Beating good teams and then being unfocused and undisciplined against lesser teams drives me crazy. But that mercurial personality shouldn't be a surprise considering the youthful composition of this roster. It wasn't that long ago that many of us (including me) thought that the Cozens's line with Quinn and JJ were an emerging second line for us. Then the two wingers seemed to vanish on ice. It's maddening but is part of the growing up process. I'm confident that in the not too distant future those two youthful fingers are going to become impactful NHL players. You, I and most of the followers here recognize that this roster still isn't a full roster. It has its holes. The good news is that it it's fuller and more robust than it was than last year, and the year prior. We're getting there. But it's going to take a little more time. As I said in a prior post the increase in expectations is more of a good thing than a negative thing.

One positive reason why there is more grumbling is that expectations have increased. That's a good thing. That in itself is an acknowledgement that this team has enough talent to compete in every game, even against the stud teams. As you have pointed out there is a sense of exasperation when the Sabres beat top tier teams, only soon after to falter against the lower tiered teams.

In some states the Taliban approach toward women would be favored.

On WGR's Sabres Live Show it was announced that this game was a sell-out. I hope the Sabres play at a worthy level for the honored former player and for those in attendance. There have been too many listless games at home. Because of the Chicago game, I'm confident that the team will play with passion.

I wasn't making an equivalent argument. I was pointing out a difference between the rights of a private citizen in comparison to the president, a public figure. If the president has surgery and is put under, the 25 amendment is invoked where the authority of his office is temporarily given to the VP until he is able to resume his responsibilities. That is made public. The medical information for a private citizen is not given out unless the person allows it. I was just drawing the contrast.

It certainly is a relevant argument. The president's annual physical is usually made public because there is a public interest to know that the president is healthy enough to uphold his responsibilities.

There is no question that information has been withheld when it shouldn't have been. The results of a president's physical is usually made public. Whether it is codified or not doesn't mean that it shouldn't be made public because there is a public interest. I didn't say she was. Why would you think that?

The public would have a right to know if the president of the US had a health issue that would prevent him from fulfilling his duties.

Most people know me for my positive assessment of this team and the upward trajectory of this franchise. This team with its current roster has demonstrated that it is capable of beating the upper tier teams. What has aggravated me the most is its proclivity of losing to lower ranked teams (as you have noted in a prior post), as demonstrated by yesterday's Chicago game and stinkers on its recent homestand. It isn't a surprise that a youth laden team has a tendency to be inconsistent. But I believe that although this roster clearly has growth potential, there is nothing wrong with reacting critically when this team inexplicably has lapses that set this team back vying for a playoff position. Overall, I'm still upbeat about this team and season. However, there are still too many games where the players seem unfocused and lack urgency to compete. When you have a team with less margin of error than many other teams, those repeated lapses deserved to be harshly derided.

It's just you.

As you noted what was most disappointing about this uneventful game was that you got the sense that the crowd, made up of youngsters, wanted to burst with enthusiasm. However, there were few opportunities to do so. As a Sabre fan this was a tough game to watch, let alone being a paying $$$ customer in the subdued building. As the season advances, teams adjust to what you do. This was a good example where Florida was not going to allow the Sabres to freely skate the puck in or have space to work with once they got the puck . The solution is to shoot the puck in and chase it. The Sabres were stymied in this game and had no answer on how to counter the other team's tight style of play. As the season advances and games become more meaningful from a playoff standpoint, this is a type of game that they will regularly face.

I'm not challenging your assessment on Mitts and/or his line. Just curious if you have upgraded your view of him and his line based on the recent play?

As you point out expectations on players are constantly changing based on performances. And in my view UPL has been a pleasant surprise in a position of great importance. A good discussion topic can be made on which players are the most pleasant and which players are the most disappointing surprise? I'm not sure who I would put in the negative category, although I know a number of people would want to include Mitts or Olofsson in that category. I'm not one of them.

I have been saying all along that what this unit needs is another Lyubushkin type player added to the defensive mix. Some posters advocate for the pursuit of Chychrun. I'm not one of them because of the cost. The additions to this unit are more likely come are in the offseason.

There is no question that Samuelsson is better than Joki as a #2 pairing partner with the first or second pairing. He's simply a better player. No one would argue otherwise. That's not the issue here. In my view Joki is a good/solid second pairing partner for Power. And that is evident by the emerging play of Power. If the organization brings in a player comparable to Samuelsson, then Joki would be bumped down. I would celebrate and not lament that kind of upgrade to the unit.

I agree with you that he is more of a 4 than a 3 defenseman. On a team that accentuates speed over brawn he fits in well on how this roster is constructed. I would also like to see another Lyubushkin rugged type added to the lower pairings to balance out the unit.