GBU The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly - Tuch'd 'em to Bed Sabres 6 - Philthy 3

[debaser66]

There is something to be said this team is winning critical games without their #1 center and leading scorer.

I have to think Tage is back Tuesday.

I am happy they climbed back into the race, even if they don't make it in the end

 

[Sabresbyswords104]

So think this is just the start if he really get a chance he could even do more next season. Looks promising. Only want a good top 9 player replacing Olofsson . Trade upl and get a keeper that Can help Levi . And get a top 4 d and this team Will be scary good again

 

[Dingo44]

Yes, this i would consider a breakout season also but i think he can explode next season like getting between 20-30 goals and 40-50 assist . Would like to see him between Skinner and Tuch . And make a new line with Kulich Tage and someone else having 3 very strong lines

Then have Peterka cozens quinn intact also

I don't know if I'd break up that top line but I agree that Mitts can hit even another level next year. He's a great guy to have where you can start to move him around the lineup due to injury or to get another line going. Him playing most of the year with Olofsson really didn't help him much.

 

[Chainshot]

Agreed. I literally have to turn my speaker volume on my laptop as high as it will go and/or hold my laptop up to my ear to hear reporter questions, then quickly reduce the volume to hear the answer at a non ear damaging level.

I remember emailing Ted Black about this issue when he had was here and he responded that the team knew it was an issue and they were working to resolve it. Still waiting.....

Maybe it's like the million dollar projection system they installed that no one knows how to use...

 

[debaser66]

If that's the case, it is only because you are letting your Dahlin Crush blind you.

I disagree; one could say you re blinded by local flavor and outgoing heart and soul guy. since Dahlin has already an A, is here longer, wants to be a leader and is also the best player when healthy. Since his injury his impact has diminished a bit.
we cannot look behind the scenes but my bet is on Dahlin.
that being said having a choice of the 2 is a great dilemma to be had

 

[Ralonzo]

That ship sailed. Send UPL to Roch next year after 30+ NHL games this year, and you break him. Permanently.

Not sure about that. It was certainly the plan for this year till Plan A of Comrie/Anderson just plain didn't work, and Anderson showed unable to handle even a backup's workload. From listening to his interviews he knows he's got plenty to work on and should have been doing that at a lower level, but being the least worst option at times shouldn't have him feeling entitled to anything. If they send him down with a plan and he pouts about it, then the heck with him.

 

[Dex]

Keep in mind that any plans to send UPL to Rochester next year require him to pass though waivers.

 

[beerme1]

UPL has had moments, but overall has not looked NHL ready to me. Even last night, there were two goals that looked like he just wasn't ready and expecting the shot. He does have the athleticism to make a great save every now and then, but he is not there with the mental side of the game yet. Like KA said, he just needs to play as many games as possible, regardless of the level, because that the only way he MIGHT eventually start getting ahead of the play.

I would have rather we had gotten a legit starter for this year and had left UPL in the AHL. There is no question now that he will be one of the two goalies next year, but there needs to be a legit starter in front of him.

There will be. His name is Devon Levi. And he shall be Devon.

 

[Dex]

I am happy they climbed back into the race, even if they don't make it in the end

I have said right along that to me, this team has all of the fun and excitement of the earliest Sabres teams. You could see that year over year those team were getting better and at the same time, you could see and feel that they were winning over the fans and community. This team and this time has very much the same vibe. It started when Adams fired Kreuger for me and has been moving steadily upward since then. I love how the players are embracing the the area and vice versa.

I don't think that anyone thought at the outset of this season that this team would be playing games with playoff implications in April. I'll bet many would have settled for meaningful games in February given recent history. But here we are in April, they're still in it, and I have not been engaged with all of hockey this much since the 04-05 lockout. It's been fun checking the standings every day, the schedule, the games in progress, and watching this team come back from a tailspin to still be in it. Icing on the cake.

 

[SundherDome]

Two things:

Mitts needs to work on receiving passes in the off-season. He constantly has to multiple touch passes. He nails that, sky's the limit

Florida and especially Carolina are huge games this week. Win both.

 

[Ralonzo]

Keep in mind that any plans to send UPL to Rochester next year require him to pass though waivers.

Oh. Right. Well, that either dooms the Sabres to lesser goaltending while Levi plays in Rochester, or UPL is one of the odd men out. Maybe Levi gets shelled from here on out and shows he needs a season down there.

 

[Chainshot]

Reviewing the first since I could only listen to it while driving and it seems like the ceremony might be part of why they were so flat to start. They weren't terrible but they weren't crisp.

 

[Chainshot]

Didn't realize just what an amazing setup Greenway's pass to Vic was about 12 minutes into the first. That should be a slam dunk goal.

And then Power fumbling at the offensive blueline leads almost immediately after to a breakaway the other way and the way Dan called it, I thought that turnover was on Greenway.

 

[RefsIdeas]

Two things:

Mitts needs to work on receiving passes in the off-season. He constantly has to multiple touch passes. He nails that, sky's the limit

Florida and especially Carolina are huge games this week. Win both.

That mitts thing has been a problem since day one, never understood it, seems like an odd thing to struggle with (I like him overall fwiw)