Mr Peabody

Our only goal was the result of a power forward ( Greenway) moving the goalie off the puck for Tage’s goal. As long as JJ is out why not try one of our 4th liners with speed to play the power forward on that line? Tage is a shoot first guy anyway so put someone in front of the goalie to create chaos for him.

Donnie’s resume looks a lot better today. He got a year of exciting hockey out of these guys. Snooze fest this weekend.

With our PP playing so bad I’d expect NJ to come out extra chippy in the 3rd and see if our top lines play with hesitation.

You think Dillon will have his head on a swivel for the rest of the game.? Neither do I.

Absolutely Nothing?

Did I hear chants of Fire Lindy in Czech?

Put Benson with TT to put some energy on that line and someone who’s a rat around the net. Wasting JJ’s shot up there. Put him with DC and JQ

Fixing the 4th line was the key to our season.

Have to go to NHL APP to connect, and click on scores. Very intuitive right???

NJ looking like I’d hoped we would. Are they even coach-able?

What a difference a year makes.

Voted no mostly from superstition and “too good to be true vibe”. If they stay healthy and play with the energy the Amerks have in these past exhibition games they should. Amerks have been like wolves attacking the net - we need Sabres top lines to do the same. Ottawa, Philly, Montreal, Detroit can all take a step up so it’ll be a dogfight to get in.

Kyle O on NHL XM was asked what he saw / impressed him when he first got to Florida. He mentioned the seriousness, commitment and hard work of all players when they got to the rink every day. Called out Barkov as an incredibly hard worker they all tried to follow. This is why I think we should start with no C but KA said we’ll have one. Just because you aren’t wearing the C doesn’t mean you can’t be that guy.

Liked the pack mentality of going to the net. Speed and quickness favored the Sabres. Face offs were abysmal but they were so one sided you know they’ll be a focus for improvement.

Not sure where else to put this but listened to Donnie G on NHL Radio XM this morning. He's going to have a regular show on Tuesday mornings - not sure if he's hosting or will be a contributor to the existing morning show in a fixed time slot. Most interesting part of the interview is when he described a typical day in Buffalo as HC. A lot less on ice coaching than I could have imagined. Sounded too much administration to me but he described that as typical of today's NHL. No surprise but he's very much into the soft skills / human relations side of hockey - the Ying to a guy like Tort's Yang. Was preceded on the show by Bill Zito and they're good friends and highly respectful of each other. Lives in Buffalo and won't move until he finds an opportunity elsewhere.

Seen this movie before

If it’s a clean slate could Ruff go with a veteran, former King Clancy award winner on a one year contract and see how the season plays out?

I’ll go with a dark horse - Zucker.

IMO KA’s best press conference since he took the job. Thought he was as open as could be and liked his explanations for his roster moves. Thought he also dispelled the rumor of TP handicapping him with an Internal budget. I never bought into that anyway. Not that it matters but I now understand the Mitts trade and Skinner buyout. Always thought Ralph demoted Skinner based on Eichel’s wishes and now I’d bet Tage felt the same.

If he’s got to have a nickname at least make it Maynard, right?

Good call. He’s signed for 2 more years. Wonder if he could clear waivers at $1.45M and get ice time in Rochester in lieu of splitting time in Buffalo? Especially when both teams have home games.

Would imagine Krebs is having a hard time seeing where he fits in with the additions KA brought in and the young talent in Rochester. Wouldn’t be surprised if they’re working together to find him an opportunity elsewhere. Seems KA really likes him and he’d do good by him.

Soccer officials operating the clock?

Do the Sabres need a captain who can get in the face of a teammate not pulling his weight ( see “accountability”)? Can the names being mentioned in this thread do this? Are the friendships too deep to call out a teammate? I trust Lindy to figure this out.

My guess is 3 A’s to start the season. Tuch, Thompson, Dahlin. The entire team admitted there was no accountability last year so I think Lindy will see which one is able to hold his teammates accountable. Based on exit interviews my money is on Tage.