pi2000

BUF has a -20 team goal differential. ROR is a -1, Grant a -3. Grant has 3 points in 33 games. Therefore, Grant is one of the better defensive forwards on this team.... as is ROR, which we already know. I expect good things from this line. I'll allow it.

so no gameday skate? I'll allow it... in fact, I'm suprised the PA didn't require gameday skates be optional in the latest CBA... or are they actually "optional"?

If a player is a minus, it doesn't mean he sucks. It just means he's not good as good at defending as he is at scoring. It tells you where a player needs to improve. I did all this for the Risto +/- analysis and it was overlooked apparently. Specifically comparing his +/- to the +/- of players on others that similar team goal differentials. BTW, comparing goalie sv% between skaters is flawed.... bad defensive players will give up better scoring chances so you should expect goalie sv% to be worse when poor defensive (minus players) are on the ice. That said, I enjoy reading Flagg's analysis and respect his opinion (even tho he's wrong most of the time, hahah :P )

ullstar team

Not sure if you're being serious but wearing full face protection does create a warrior mentality... you can go into the dirty areas with much more reckless abandon... hands, elbows, sticks flailing in the air. There have discussions about eliminating full face protection in NCAA hockey for this reason since studies show that former NCAA players commit many more high stick infractions than those who come from the CHL or European leagues. same. Eliminate the shootout but extend 3-on-3 or go 2-on-2 for another 5min... winner gets 2 points, loser 0 points. 1 point if it ends in a tie. huh? and when would they play? +/- is just as valuable a statistic as any of the modern analytical stats CF%, PDO, possession numbers... are all impacted by who you're on the ice with and who you're playing against, as is +/-, as is the score... I would even argue that possession numbers are less representative of a players ability than +/-.

When you get to the point where you have a solid core and are contending, that's when you become buyers at the deadline and trade picks for UFAs on expiring contracts for a chance at eternal glory.

Makes sense, I agree.

Marner is a -4 on the season, as much as he scores, he's a liability.

They need a door for goalies and injured players.

I agree with just about all of this, good thoughts jsb.

What about the application of carbon nano-tubes? 100x stronger than steel of the same diameter? Seems like you could make some very strong, very lightweight sticks/equipment.

I think of his name as two parts... Nil son... as in how many goals he will give up... "nil, son!"

As of the 2013-14 season, half-shields are mandatory for any player that played less than 26 or fewer NHL regular-season or playoff games (as of the beginning of the 2013-14 season).

Comparing Lehner to Hasek is laughable.

Nilsson has been good, but he's playing against weaker opponents so his numbers are artificially inflated.

Half-shields should be optional. Remove the instigator rule. OT: 5min of 3-on-3, followed by 5min of 2-on-2, then end in a tie (or goalie fight to determine the winner). Remove the offsides rule in OT. 2 points for a win, 1 point for a tie.. no more loser point. Let the goalies play the puck anywhere on the ice (remove the trapezoid). Reduce goalie equipment size, but only pants, and chest protectors (and jerseys). Increase rink size from 200x85 to 200x90 (Olympic is 200x100). Home teams wear white. Contraction. Carolina, Florida, and Arizona should be removed from the NHL with players immediately becoming UFAs. No more pro hockey players allowed in the Olympics. Pucks that hit the netting and return to the ice surface are still in play. Use an automated Hawkeye type system for signaling a goal or offsides. Goals that are kicked, gloved, or high sticked into the net are allowed. Hand pass? Allowed in all zones. High stick to knock down the puck? Allowed. (all players wear face protection these days) Dan Bylsma is a great coach and will lead this team on a Cup run. The current struggles are simply due to youth and a losing culture in the locker room that will eventually change when the young players become the voice of the team.

I went with the OT goal because of the situation and the whole thing with Jeanneret and Ray in the corner of the screen... was just a great moment in Sabres history.

Last season SJ had 38 points on this date and ended the season with 98. PIT had 40 and ended up with 104. I know, BUF is no PIT or SJ, but there is a lot of hockey left.

There is a losing culture in that lockeroom which has been around for a few seasons. Until they start holding each other accountable, that won't change. It's going to take a group of players to call out their own teammates on the bench, in thr lockerroom, at practice, etc.. whenever the effort level isn't where it needs to be. Currently, they all seem to like each other a little too much. They need to understand they're not here to make friends, they're here to win. At some point they need to put their friendships aside and get pissed off at each other.

http://youtu.be/AHjyugwQzjw

Luke Richardson

until then? gorges, bogo, franson. yeah it sucks, but it is what it is. d isn't the problem tho. it's goal scoring and a culture of losing. i think the goals will come eventually, but it might be a while until the culture changes where losing becomes unacceptable.

I don't blame Bylsma for tonight's poor showing. The Sabres have a culture problem. The players left over from the tank years are dragging this team down. This particular collection of players we call a "team" will suffer no matter who is behind the bench. Bylsma mentioned in his post game presser that he was completely baffled why this team came out so flat at home against a team they're within reach of in the standings. If you read between the lines of the player interviews, there are clues that suggest not everybody is buying in, not doing what they need to do to be successful. Yeah it sucks, but thats what happens, and why rebuilds can take a bit longer than you'd expect. It's not just assembling talent, it's building a culture of winning by having eveybody buy in to going above and beyond what is expected of them.

I don't blame Lehner, Bylsma or defensemen turning pucks over. The more I watch this team, the more I notice there are group of players on this team that seem to be OK with losing. I don't know if it's just psychological damage from the tank years or what... but evidently it's a culture problem. The only way to fix this is to move on from those players, and I think we all know who they are.