JohnC

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.

You highlight the aspect of his game that gives him great value i.e. he can be paired with anyone and enhance the player he is playing with. What I noticed about his game this year is that he is more willing to shoot the puck and be part of the offense. As you noted, he is more of a subordinate player with the player he is playing with, but that is the role that he plays very well. In addition, he is still very young and has more potential upside to his game.

I have a little different view on Power. There is no question that he has added potential in the offensive side of his game. But his biggest asset, now and in the future, is as a defender. He has great instincts in his own end and is able to efficiently move the puck out of his own zone. Power has some similar traits to Samuelsson in that his positioning and instincts are superlative. Of course there is more upside to Power than Samuelsson because he has more potential as an offensive player. I thought that Power's game against Nashville was one of his best games. As it currently stands I have no problem with Joki being paired with Power. (This is a minority opinion.) Joki is willing to accept his role in supporting his defensive partner by backing him up so that Power can at times carry the puck and go deep in the offensive zone. I agree with you that the Sabres can add another big defender whose forte is as a defender to the unit.

The Sabres didn't look awful in the Seattle and Winnipeg games. Although they lost those games, the outcome could have easily gone the other way in each game. It certainly is for a number of our youngsters who are too good for the AHL and getting better in the NHL. These players not only are where they should but also are contributing to the team's success.

Yes. I thought that the penalty should not have been called on the Predator. It was UPL who got in the way of the player. The goalie sold it and the referee bought it.

The physical maturity will come as it did with Dahlin and Tage. Although with Tage because of his lanky build it took some time. Peterka already has a fuller build but in time he also will become more maturely strong. It's exciting to consider the upside for Quinn and JJ playing between the emerging Cozens.

One impressive attribute that Quinn has is that he can shoot/snipe in tight quarters. Although he's not the biggest guy on the roster, he plays tough. How much better is he going to be in another year or two as he physically matures!

I thought this was Power's best game. He lost the puck behind his goal that resulted in a score but other than that he was a stud. As mentioned on the broadcast the Sabres were by far the faster team. UPL was good in net. I thought the only bad goal was the long shot that he missed. In the last couple of minutes he was exceptional. The sit down for Quinn and JJ served them well. They were moving well and were active in creating scoring chances. The Mitts/Jost/Olofsson line played solidly. Mitts has played consistently well for the past number of games. As mentioned in a prior post, the Okposo between the legs goal was nifty. His teammates on the bench reacted crazily after that. The players on this team love that oldster. Sabre hockey is entertaining hockey!

No question that there are differences in their situations. But where they are similar is that both players, who are in high paying professions with short lifespans, squandered much of their high earnings. They will never get back the money that they recklessly handled. If each of these players handled their finances in a more responsible manner, it could have provided them and their families a comfortable financial situation for the rest of their lives.

The Philly game was a dud game. It happens in a long pro hockey and basketball season. If you believe that I am seeking "moral victories" then you are misinterpreting my comments. My general point in my previous post is that from an overview standpoint this team is in a much better position than it was a couple of years ago. I simply have no doubt that even being subjected to a turbulent season the trajectory is upward.

Let's take a look at the last two games of the homestand against Seattle and Winnipeg. As reflected by their respective records, both are good teams. The Sabres obviously fell short in those loses. But in those games against quality teams the games could have easily gone the other way. In the Winnipeg game, the difference was the exceptional play of their world class goalie. This was an evenly played game. The point I'm making here is that it would be wrong to over interpret these losses. The homestand losses were certainly disappointing. But the situation can't be described as dire as many are making it out to be. Most fair-minded people acknowledge that the Sabres are not a complete team. That's obvious. But that doesn't mean that this team has such a dearth of talent that it can't competitively compete against the best teams in the league. Prior to the season, I felt that this was a 90 point team that should be contending for a playoff spot right up to the end of the season. I still hold to that belief.

I don't think his demons were involved with his slithery hobby and investment. He did what a lot of immature people do who come upon wealth: They foolishly blow their money. Evander Kane is another example of not knowing how to maturely manage his money. Lehner made some incredibly bad financial decisions regarding his fascination with snakes. It ended up biting him in the pocketbook.

It crawled away. It was a poisonous hobby and investment that bit him in the pocketbook. In America and Canada it is not a crime to be stupid. ☠️

You captured the essence of this game. Their elite goalie needed to play at that level for his team to get the win. From an overall view of this game the Sabres weren't outplayed. There certainly were ebbs and flows for each team but this was an evenly played game.

Did you watch this game while blindfolded? The pass he made to Olofsson for a goal was divine. Middlestadt played a good game and so did his line.