JohnC

Krueger mentioned that Botterill would like a Canadian music group. He is a Edmonton native.

What is obvious to me is that the young qb has not mastered running this offense whether it is considered complex or simple . I like Josh Allen. But it is clearly evident (at least to me) that he is not adept at going through his progressions and finding the secondary targets. And it is evident to me that as a young qb he is too often making mistakes associated with not valuing the ball. I'm confident the more experience he gains the better he will play. But I don't believe it is unfair to say that the still has a long way to go to be considered a proficient qb.

He also pointed out that Botterill should be a fan because this group is from his neck of the woods.

You have misinterpreted my comments on this subject. Nothing I have said suggest that Hamilton shouldn't be held accountable for his actions. The point that Augie and I are making is that mental illness and addiction are complicated issues. Expressing a degree of empathy for a person who has had a lifelong battle with these demons isn't making an argument to excuse his horrific actions.

A lot of people don't understand that his mental illness and drug addiction is a lifelong battle that will always plague him. Some people who have this mental health problem are fortunate to get the necessary help and be able to live a reasonable life. There are people who have had medical help but still are overwhelmed with this everlasting disease. It's a complicated problem that for those unfortunate to have this problem are never fully relieved of the problem. If you had a family member who had this problem maybe you would have more empathy and compassion for those who suffer from this tormenting illness.

The below link is an article by Paul Hamilton for WGR about Montour returning to action. It appears that he will be paired with Dahlin. And he will probably play only one of the next two consecutive games. Based on practice it seems that Gilmore is the odd man out. https://wgr550.radio.com/articles/news/sabres-montour-should-return-weekend

I do have something to base it on why Washington should be favored to win the game: More talent! That is not to say that we can't be competitive against this superb squad but in reality that Capital team is a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. They have all the ingredients with their well rounded roster including one of the best goal scorers in the history of the game. Another team that I am impressed with is Boston. They are also tough. If the Sabres can win one of the two games in their upcoming back to back I will be more than happy.

I respectfully disagree with your more limited view of the football coach's offensive approach. The biggest issue on how you run your offense and the expansiveness of it is what is the capability of your qb at this particular time? When your qb is still in the infantile stage of development you can't expect him to handle a more mature and complex offense. The more the young qb demonstrates that he can handle a more complex offense the more expansive the offense will be. You start simple and add to your offensive repertoire as the qb gains more experience.

In the WGR link that I listed in my prior post Krueger talks about the importance of off ice workouts to upgrade and maintain conditioning. He is a man driven by the science of psychology and biology. He is a holistic and modern day coach who believes that player and team development is a continuous process. He and McDermott are birds of a feather!

The attached link is a 15 min. segment with Krueger on WGR. He talks about adjusting his practice schedule and regimen to the so far compressed schedule. He talks about Dahlin and Jokiharju and their development. He made the interesting observation that because Joki has more NHL experience than Dahlin that it is factor where each is currently at as a player. When he was asked where he believed his team was he stated that he would be able to make a better assessment after 25 games or so. But he emphasized that he was happy with the team's commitment and buy-in into what he was promoting. He's terrific to listen to. https://wgr550.radio.com/articles/news/krueger-october-was-confirmation-how-we-want-play

He's unavailable. He's In jail for maiming someone who didn't pay his gambling debt.

On the WGR Instigator show it was pointed out that in the five minute overtime there was no play stoppage. I think they said that it was a first.

As the games start to add up I'm becoming more convinced that Olofsson is a drag on the Jack line when on 5x5. Olofsson is dynamite on the PP but his production and performance as a first line player isn't acceptable. I don't see an option in the system other than moving Skinner back to the top line. But making that move will affect the second line which is making a good contribution right now.

The attached link is nearly a 9 minute segment with Brian Duff on WGR. His comments at the end of the segment about Johansson stuck out. https://wgr550.radio.com/media/audio-channel/10-29-brian-duff-howard-and-jeremy

That was a fluke goal. The odds of that puck finding that small gap is miniscule. You can blame Hutton for that goal but you have to give him credit for a lot of other good stops. He kept the team in the game. Arizona has been a teetering franchise on and off the ice for quite a while. Now the franchise is stable and the team is upcoming. Mittelstadt was in a good golden position to score at least three times at the end of the game. He either hit the crossbar or shot it over the net. Eventually, he is going to convert those opportunities with a greater frequency This was an entertaining game against evenly matched teams. I thought both teams gave good effort. I would like to see the Sabres be more inclined to shoot rather than pass when there are opportunities. On the play that Jack scored that was the type of situation where he would usually pass. Instead he shot and scored.

The link is Ralph Krueger post game comments on WGR. It is a five plus minute segment. https://wgr550.radio.com/media/audio-channel/10-28-ralph-krueger-post-game

The attached link is a Paul Hamilton WGR article about John Gilmour being ready when called on. According to Paul H. Scandella is going to be between 2 to 3 weeks. The team having depth is not a problem to worry about as it is a situation to be happy about. The article also points out that Arizona is playing well with exceptional goaltending. https://wgr550.radio.com/articles/news/sabres-gilmour-kept-himself-ready-his-opportunity

The biggest mistake that Housley made was his failure to adjust. He was hardheaded and unyielding about his philosophy and system. If the players aren't grasping or are incapable of executing your system then you have to adjust to what the players can do. The biggest difference between Krueger and Housley is that Krueger has been brilliant in assessing the talent he has and adapting to what their strengths are and minimizing their liabilities. He has also been smart in putting together lines and pairings that fit well. The distinction on how each of these coaches handled Risto, their workhorse defenseman, says it all. Risto is a physical player but he is not the greatest thinker on the ice. While Housley devised a defensive scheme that cluttered Risto's hard head Krueger devised a more simplistic scheme where he just had to play a more basic game. I'm not as harsh a critic of Housley as some of the lynching crowd here. According to the link there were teams that wanted to bring him on board as an assistant coach. So he isn't seen as a lost cause. I hope that from his struggles in Buffalo he has learned the basic tenet about teaching: the emphasis is on the players and not on the strategy. Players have to adapt and so do coaches.

Belichick is one of the best coaches in the history of the game with a specialty on defense. There was a reason why he signed him for a very large contract. What you don't see is obvious to most people who have a reasonable degree of objectivity. Not only did Belichick recognize his talent but so did Buffalo because they used a top of the draft pick for him.

Buffalo's former CB Stephon Gilmore, now with the Patriots, is arguably the best DB in the game. In my opinion TW isn't as good as Gilmore but he is in the same elite echelon. Where I would give Tre the advantage is his ability to tackle. Gilmore is less willing to mix it up. As good as Gilmore is Tre White is more suited to a McDermott defense because he is more willing to come up and make a tackle. Gilmore was inclined to shy away from that form of physicality. There are some nice people (NYC Bill) who don't value the DB position as much as they should. When you have an elite CB you have a prized possession. They also can be costly.

Oloffsson was a factor in both of our scores. In the McCabe goal Olofsson was standing in front of the Detroit net screening the goalie. And with the Reinhart goal on the PP he looked like he was going to shoot but instead made a pass to Reinhart in front of the net who directed the puck into the net. I thought that Olofsson moved around the ice more than he has in the previous games. I don't know the nature of Scandella's injury so I'll put that issue aside. Because the schedule is so compressed I wouldn't be surprised if Miller, Scandella and maybe even Gilmour (who I thought played well) will be rotated. If I had to guess I would think that Montour would be paired with Dahlin.

The attached link is a quick summarization of the game by WGR's Paul Hamilton. Risto who is our workhorse defenseman is not going anywhere. https://wgr550.radio.com/articles/news/sabres-linus-ullmark-earns-41-save-shutout-detroit

Ullmark played a terrific game. Although there were times where he is under duress he always was in position to efficiently make the save. Even though there were plenty of times when the net area was congested and there was a scrambling of players in front of him he was always able to track the puck. This was one of the best games I have seen him play. I thought Gilmour played well and performed as if he was a regular. I was surprised at the Joki and Dahlin pairing. Dahlin seemed a little shaky at times but overall this pairing was okay. I thought McCabe was our best defenseman in this game. The Sabres played a tighter game than against the Rangers. A win is a win. This compressed schedule is punishing and crazy!

I'm rooting for the Nats. I hope you don't jinx them. ?

The attached link is a 9 minute segment with Paul Hamilton on WGR talking about the struggles of some players. He specifically mentioned Dahlin, Miller and Olofsson. He pointed out that Miller's play of late has declined and suggested that maybe he will be replaced when Montour returns. He also stated the obvious that Olofsson is invisible when on 5X5. Maybe a change on first the first line? As it has been pointed out here by others Dahlin has seemed to have lost his confidence. I would not sit him out but I would curtail his minutes. This compressed schedule is brutal! I'm hoping that the team will get back to form in Detroit. The defensive effort in NYC was inconsistent and too often left Hutton exposed. Krueger is a lot less tolerant with lacking defensive effort and mistakes than he is on the offensive side of the ice. https://wgr550.radio.com/media/audio-channel/10-25-hr-1-howard-and-jeremy-show-0 You are a jinx. Stop watching the games. If you don't watch the Detroit game I'm confident that they will win. ?