2023-2024 Buffalo Sabres gameday thread !!

[OpIv37]

Re: 2023-2024 Buffalo Sabres gameday thread !!

Quinn’s goal was sweet. Glad to get the W and keep ovechkin off the score sheet.

[DetoxTent]

Re: 2023-2024 Buffalo Sabres gameday thread !!

Goals scored last night by 4 guys that have to be keys to next season: Benson, Quinn, Tuch & Cozens.

[DetoxTent]

Re: 2023-2024 Buffalo Sabres gameday thread !!

Both the Sabres & the Devils are 38-37-5 for 81 points. Not good enough for the Devils ownership who fired their coach mid-season. But perfectly fine for Terry Pegula.

[Novacane]

Re: 2023-2024 Buffalo Sabres gameday thread !!

Goals scored last night by 4 guys that have to be keys to next season: Benson, Quinn, Tuch & Cozens.

Cozens needed there to be no goalie to score. He's been the biggest disappointment this season. Everyone else has at least had some good spurts. He's been pretty much invisible all year. Got paid and then disappears. I don't like guys who do that. I'd still trade him for the right deal.

I expect a big leap from Quinn next season.

[JATMtheJATM]

Re: 2023-2024 Buffalo Sabres gameday thread !!

Both the Sabres & the Devils are 38-37-5 for 81 points. Not good enough for the Devils ownership who fired their coach mid-season. But perfectly fine for Terry Pegula.

I mean. I get it. But the Sabres turn around the second half I think may have saved him as well. It wasn't a dramatic mad dash, but the fact that they were playing a 72 point pace till Jan 1 and somehow crawled back into the playoffs discussion despite a very difficult schedule definitely didn't hurt him. I'm not saying that's the right move, just that the Sabres clearly improved.

Really, it's the power play left holding the bag. If the PP is even average, season ticket holders are buying playoff tickets as we speak. And Adams has to ask Granato why the PP continued to be abysmal. Ellis is fine if coaching the PK. But the PP? What's next? Rhett Warrener coaching shootouts?

[JATMtheJATM]

Re: 2023-2024 Buffalo Sabres gameday thread !!

Cozens needed there to be no goalie to score. He's been the biggest disappointment this season. Everyone else has at least had some good spurts. He's been pretty much invisible all year. Got paid and then disappears. I don't like guys who do that. I'd still trade him for the right deal.

I expect a big leap from Quinn next season.

I'm not comparing Yzerman to Cozens, but Im using it as context.

The maintenance day guys talked about cozens improving his defense and how he hasn't looked comfortable trying to round out his game. He doesn't look natural at it.

Here's where Yzerman comes in. Bowman famously told Yzerman that if he wanted to win in the league, he would need to commit to defense. As a result, Yzermans offensive numbers, which at one time, he had 155 points in a season and almost 140 another. But they dipped considerably.. still an offensive threat, but he wasn't like Gretzky, Mario, and like Hull putting out gaudy numbers anymore.

I'm not saying it's exactly that. I'm just using it as context to drive consideration when evaluating Cozens.

The reality is probably that cozens focused more on the defensive aspects of the game, and the coaching staff didn't do a good job of prepping him for that and he never got comfortable expanding his game. Couple that with the injury early in the year, and probably just a bad season (by his standards) and you get this.

As far as trading him goes, I dont think ANYONE is untouchable.... if the right deal comes along. But Cozens will bounce back. He's young. The Sabres already have to fill the 3C spot..no reason to make things difficult by adding a 2C to the shipping list.

[DetoxTent]

Re: 2023-2024 Buffalo Sabres gameday thread !!

Cozens needed there to be no goalie to score. He's been the biggest disappointment this season. Everyone else has at least had some good spurts. He's been pretty much invisible all year. Got paid and then disappears. I don't like guys who do that. I'd still trade him for the right deal.
I expect a big leap from Quinn next season.

I don't disagree with any of that. He admitted in an interview that he has a lot to improve on this offseason. My take is that he was ready to go into this season with Peterka and Quinn as his wingers. When Quinn got hurt, it really seemed to affect him. But they did shake up the lines at various points and Cozens did not improve at any point. I still have hope for him. But a short leash. He has the heart that many of the others do not.

[DetoxTent]

Re: 2023-2024 Buffalo Sabres gameday thread !!

Today's opponent, the Florida Panthers, lead the lead (tied with Carolina) at +64. The Sabres are +1. Last opponent, believe it or not, the Washington Capitals were a whopping -42. Rob Ray alluded to that unbelievable stat during the game. The Panthers lead the Atlantic Division with 50 wins (although the Bruins have 107 vs 106 pts). The Panthers have won 3 of last 4 games by shut-outs:

Win v Blue Jackets 4-0
Win v Senators 2-0
Loss v Bruins 2-3
Win v Senators 6-0

Their final game is next Tuesday at home v the Maple Leafs.

Sam Reinhart now leads the team with 54 goals/91 points and is +26.

Kevyn Adams made a mistake not letting Eichel get his surgery and staying a Sabre.

Kevyn Adams made a mistake letting Reinhart walk.

Kevyn Adams made a mistake letting Montour get away.

Maybe Kevyn Adams should have kept Mittelstadt.

Kevyn Adams made a mistake signing Comrie. What for did he do that?

Kevyn Adams needs a top-4 right-handed defenseman veteran.

Kevyn Adams needs a veteran scorer from outside of the current locker room group.

Kevyn Adams has to stop drafting little forwards who cannot plant themselves in front of the net.

[JATMtheJATM]

Re: 2023-2024 Buffalo Sabres gameday thread !!

Today's opponent, the Florida Panthers, lead the lead (tied with Carolina) at +64. The Sabres are +1. Last opponent, believe it or not, the Washington Capitals were a whopping -42. Rob Ray alluded to that unbelievable stat during the game. The Panthers lead the Atlantic Division with 50 wins (although the Bruins have 107 vs 106 pts). The Panthers have won 3 of last 4 games by shut-outs:Win v Blue Jackets 4-0Win v Senators 2-0Loss v Bruins 2-3Win v Senators 6-0Their final game is next Tuesday at home v the Maple Leafs.Sam Reinhart now leads the team with 54 goals/91 points and is +26. Kevyn Adams made a mistake not letting Eichel get his surgery and staying a Sabre.Kevyn Adams made a mistake letting Reinhart walk.Kevyn Adams made a mistake letting Montour get away. Maybe Kevyn Adams should have kept Mittelstadt.Kevyn Adams made a mistake signing Comrie. What for did he do that?Kevyn Adams needs a top-4 right-handed defenseman veteran. Kevyn Adams needs a veteran scorer from outside of the current locker room group. Kevyn Adams has to stop drafting little forwards who cannot plant themselves in front of the net.

Reinhart and Eichel were essentially done as sabres. Legend has it Eichel asked for a trade, and to get and fix the situation, they brought in Hall. Reinhart was annoyed that the Sabres wouldn't commit to him long term. The Comrie deal was because Comrie looked like a potential starter in backup minutes and he was blocked by good goalies ahead of him. I'm fine with swings and misses like Comrie. It's not ideal, but they saw something and gave it a shot. It, clearly, didn't work. I'm fine with the Reinhart trade because now the Sabres have a great goalie prospect and a great wing prospect. Yes, it hurts seeing sam so what he is doing in Florida, but the return looks good. Eichel is where Adams truly ****ed up. Truly. They had a franchise forward as a trade piece with an unknown injury. But they refused to leg him get his elected surgery (funny how Eichel was right all along there) and as a result, got a small return for him. While he plays legit points per game hockey in Vegas.Don't get me wrong, I like Tuch and Ostlund looks really solid as a prospect. But come on. I get that ultimately Eichel and Reinhart were gone. And I'm fine with the Reinhart trades return. But Eichel? My god

[Novacane]

Re: 2023-2024 Buffalo Sabres gameday thread !!

It's unbelievable that Reinhart is a 50+ goal scorer. I'd never have expected that. Never!

[JATMtheJATM]

Re: 2023-2024 Buffalo Sabres gameday thread !!

It's unbelievable that Reinhart is a 50+ goal scorer. I'd never have expected that. Never!

I didn't either, but so many people here pegged him as a third line C so I feel pretty vindicated defending him.

And my post (I edited it and the format got killed) isn't in defense of Adam. Because he has been hyper conservative with moves. But he did the.best he could with Sam. I can't fault him for that.

[DetoxTent]

Re: 2023-2024 Buffalo Sabres gameday thread !!

It's unbelievable that Reinhart is a 50+ goal scorer. I'd never have expected that. Never!

You and Kevyn Adams.

At what point does Terry "I shouldn't own a sports team" Pegula realize that Adams is not the right guy for the job?

[Woodman]

Re: 2023-2024 Buffalo Sabres gameday thread !!

Goals scored last night by 4 guys that have to be keys to next season: Benson, Quinn, Tuch & Cozens.

yes sir.

[Woodman]

Re: 2023-2024 Buffalo Sabres gameday thread !!

You and Kevyn Adams.

At what point does Terry "I shouldn't own a sports team" Pegula realize that Adams is not the right guy for the job?

when it's too late.

[ckg927]

Re: 2023-2024 Buffalo Sabres gameday thread !!

For the record, the Amerks ARE in the AHL Calder Cup Playoffs. Despite losing to Belleville 6-3 yesterday, they got in thanks to Utica's 5-4 OT loss to Providence. The Amerks are back in action at 5:05pm against the same Senators. As of now, the Amerks would be facing the Cleveland Monsters in the playoffs.