PickaPecaPickles
-
Posts
211 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Posts posted by PickaPecaPickles
-
-
4 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:
Sabres need to outscore UPL.
Sad but true.
-
Great work by Benson. They need a couple more guys like him, and maybe a little bigger.
-
1
-
-
Yeah, I think this is more of a frustration thread/post (warranted of course). I appreciate watching the Sabres play when it's a nationally televised game like TNT, as you get a totally different perspective on the discussion, not all negative.
-
18 minutes ago, Doohickie said:
I'm not saying he is; I'm saying I predict that down the road he will be.
Are the Sabres the only team in the league with 4 first round picks on their D (2 picked #1 overall)?
[One might also consider Samuelson a R1 pick too since he was taken at #32.]
-
Was it the Detroit thread where someone posted, "why is Ruff pulling the goal here?" ?? I remember thinking, because they need the practice regardless of the outcome. It paid off today.
-
Great, another "missive of doom" thread.
-
1
-
-
6 hours ago, dudacek said:
I’ve been thinking that lost in this painful season has been the fact that Tage Thompson has been having a fine year.
Apparently it’s been better than I thought.
The Athletic has published a piece ranking the NHL’s best first lines based on 5-on-5 goals for and against differential over 60.
As the thread says, Buffalo ranks 6th.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6160282/2025/02/27/nhl-top-lines-2024-2025-analysis/
Buffalo Sabres
It is almost hard to believe the Sabres rank this high and are still nowhere close to the playoff race.
Buffalo’s first line has piled up 3.91 goals for per 60, which is the second-highest rate among all top lines. Tage Thompson’s huge bounce-back has been the main driver — he leads the NHL with 22 five-on-five goals despite having played several fewer games than the players right behind him.
Thompson’s linemates have fluctuated — Alex Tuch, JJ Peterka, Jason Zucker and Jiri Kulich have all gotten looks — but most have supported him well.
The Sabres’ underwhelming second line (Dylan Cozens and Jack Quinn have had miserable years), woeful 27th-ranked power play, poor defensive play, subpar goaltending and below-average penalty kill are some of the reasons the club is so far out of the playoff conversation despite its top line clicking at a strong level.
I mentioned in a game thread some weeks ago that I was impressed with his all-around game now--he's becoming a complete player.
-
1
-
-
Thompson has really upped his game, at both ends of the ice.
-
1
-
-
7 hours ago, JohnC said:
He's the guy on the roof.
Great, they can bring him up to play while the team burns.
-
Who is this Fiddler? He's been tearing it up recently.
-
On 1/1/2025 at 6:08 PM, ska-T Palmtown said:
I don't know why The Myth Of Jack Quinn's Recovery persists. The numbers and the fabled 'eye test' from last year - the time most immediate to his two recoveries contradicts this sentiment in every way.
**Tears Achilles Tendon, owwie! comes back at the early end of the recovery window**
Dec 19 - Jan 27: 17 gams, 12 points, or ~58 points/82 pace (better than his rookie year of ~40 pts/82gms)
**Breaks leg, ouch! misses ~8 weeks**
Mar 27 - April 15: 10 games, 7 points, or ~ 57 point pace (again, better than his rookie year)
So TWICE last season he came back from injury and both times he was outplaying his rookie year numbers.
The 👏 injuries 👏 are 👏 not 👏 his 👏 problem 👏 this 👏 year 👏.
@PickaPecaPickles might be on to something about the style of play or trying to play responsibly.
Looks like Ruff has had enough of those three playing together as practice lines in Vegas are the same: Cozens up to first line; Tuch to second with Quinn and Kulich; and JJP with Krebs and Benson.
-
I don’t worry about him scoring or not, he’s got a great shot and it will come. I think he’s having difficulty or lacks the desire to play a game that requires defensive responsibility. I think the once prolific kid line is great in a wide open game, but their preferred style of play is currently killing the team: Quinn -13, Cozens, -8, and peterka -7.
-
1
-
-
7 hours ago, Sidc3000 said:
I’m sure he is begging his agent to get the hell out of Buffalo
He's got the best of both worlds. On the one hand, this may be the only place he will get significant time on the first line, boosting his stat line to one of his best (he won't reach his "Cozens year" of 2017/18), which also makes him much more valuable($$) next year; on the other, he will certainly be a strong candidate to trade in the spring, and I'm sure he'd be very happy if he got the Okopso treatment since he's never won a cup.
-
1 hour ago, Big Guava said:
After the coach when asked what Skinner could do to earn more ice team said "Play good hockey", he is now being healthy scratched for Derek Ryan, which marks the first time a healthy scratch has occured to a player under this coach...
Skinner appears to be done-zo with the Oilers.
First Buffalo and now Edmonton. His career seems to be "between two stalls".
-
1
-
3
-
-
-
Wahlberg with 2G and 2A in Sweden's 8-1 win over Kazakhstan.
-
Just now, Slack_in_MA said:
Oh, did I miss your prediction? What was it?
Said in jest, but 4-1
-
3 minutes ago, Slack_in_MA said:
You were closest. Your prizes are in the mail.
Congrats!
I protest!
😎 -
14 minutes ago, Slack_in_MA said:
Up 2-0. Final score will be?
Correct answers win two day passes to Fantasy Island and a free drink at the After Dark in Lockport.
4-1. It’s a Festivus miracle!
-
2
-
-
I'm sure the Leafs are looking forward to hosting the Sabres again this Saturday.
-
20 minutes ago, Big Guava said:
Let's see how far they have come. This was a really bad matchup usually under Granato. Some of their worst games came against the Flyers.
I was thinking about this as well. The Flyers typically just flat out-skate the Sabres. They need to match the intensity and get better goal tending to win.
-
28 minutes ago, Pimlach said:
I like this data. Good to see some "real GF and real GA".
The returns for the combined trades for Byram/McLeod have been very good so far. We must acknowledge that.
I might add that although Zucker was not brought in to replace Skinner, it looks like he is doing more for Buffalo than Skinner is doing for Edmonton.
GP G A PTs PIM +/-
Skinner 17 3 3 6 2 -6
Zucker 17 3 8 11 23 +2
Not to mention that Zucker has a two-way physical aspect to his game. He does not float. I can think of at least two times when he screened a goalie to help score a goal, some of his good play is not reflected on the scoresheet.
With the Sabres, Skinner was most productive on the first line with Tage and Tuch. I'm guessing he's not on the line with McDavid...
He's JAG when he's not with some top line players.
On another random stat note, since the Sabres 0-3 start, where they had 1 gpg, they are averaging 4 gpg.
-
1
-
-
48 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:
Projected lineup
Lance Lysowski @llysowski.bsky.social
The Sabres' projected lineup tonight with Tage Thompson out:
Benson-McLeod-Tuch
Peterka-Cozens-Quinn
Greenway-Krebs-Zucker
Malenstyn-Lafferty-NAK
Dahlin-Byram
Power-Bryson
Gilbert-Clifton
Devon Levi in goal.
Nice. I’ve been hoping to see that Cozens line back together again to see if they can reignite their chemistry. I’ve also wanted to see Krebs center some better offensive talent.
-
38 minutes ago, Believer said:
Keep Samuelson and Jokiharju in the press box.
Gilbert looked like a liability at times out there, so I’m guessing 1 of those 2 will dress Monday
Eric Staal hired as a special assistant to Kevyn Adams
in The Aud Club
Posted
I'm surprised it took so long for this to get posted!