JohnC

Just curious what are the prices you can get for a ticket?

Jeremy Roenick was on WGR's Instigator show. This is a 17 minute segment. He had some interesting comments about Jack as a star and how he is handled by the coach and organization. https://wgr550.radio.com/media/audio-channel/10-24-nbc-sports-jeremy-roenick-instigators-0

The current stunning winning rate is predictably going to come back down to a more realistic rate. However, there is a visible difference between last year's team and this year's team. Without even resorting to analytics, which do indicate a difference, you can see the difference in consistent and not intermittent effort. And because of better coaching you can see the unity in play among the lines and defensive pairings. What's not going to happen this year when this team deals with adversity (as it will) is its spirit will not be broken becoming a season long malaise like last year. We have added some talent to the roster and the roster is functioning at its potential because of the wise guidance of the coach. This team will slide down to a more realistic level. What it won't do is become fragile and slump for extended periods of time. Our premier coach will not allow that to happen. This team's makeup is much stronger than last year's team's makeup. The coach sets the tone.

That particular game winning play has gotten a lot of attention. But it should be noted that he has all season long (albeit a small sample size) exhibited a determination to play responsibly without the puck. I also believe that playing on a line with Vesey who is a max effort player without the puck has helped Casey play a more well-rounded game.

Consider the perception entering the season that Sobotka, Okposo, Scandella and to an extent Girgs and Larsson were viewed as dead weight and fading players. Many thought (including me) that more than a few of these players were going to be jettisoned. What Krueger brilliantly did is slot each of these players with the right complementary players and the right roles for each of them to succeed. The Okposo-Larsson-Gergs line is the most consistent line on this team. It would not be unfair to say that they more than any other line or pairing successfully fulfill their roles. Scandella was derided by many. As a third pairing defenseman he and his partner have played to an unexpected level where there is not much of a drop off with the higher pairs. And on top of that he is a sage mentor to Joki, an unexpected (to me) emerging talent. Who among us would have thought that Sobotka would have revived his damaged career as a second line forward? Certainly, not I. The Sabres are a better team due to added talent and more importantly due to internal improvement of the players already on hand. That's what good coaching does. And kudos need to be directed toward the GM who had the conviction and fortitude to stick with the players he already had.

The below link is a WGR interview with Ralph Krueger. He made some positive comments about Mitts and how he is working hard and coming along. This is a 13 min segment. The coach is so illuminating. How many coaches would use the term "harmonizing on and off performances"? https://wgr550.radio.com/articles/news/krueger-have-system-where-we-let-players-genius-execute

You are punctilious. ?

The below NHL.com link shows the team standings. The most impressive stat in the standings is that Buffalo leads the league with a +14. That indicates that our record is not a fluke. I'm not going to get carried away and say that the Sabres are an elite team because of their early record because I don't believe that assessment. However, I do believe that they are a demonstrating that they are not only a good team but an emerging team that because of its youthfulness will get better. https://www.nhl.com/standings/2019/wildcard

The attached link is WGR's Paul Hamilton writing a quick summary of the game. What the crowd is telling Jack is to shoot the freaking puck! https://wgr550.radio.com/articles/news/sabres-eichel-takes-over-game-win-over-san-jose This link is a WGR post game comments by Krueger. It is a little longer than 4 minutes. https://wgr550.radio.com/media/audio-channel/10-22-ralph-krueger-post-game

Johansson, Vesey, Miller and Joki were added to the roster for a minimal cost. Although none of these players fall into the elite category (Joki may eventually be a top tier player) they bolstered and added depth to a thin roster. The first three listed players added maturity and mental toughness to a team that was too fragile dealing with the rough periods. The GM performed exceptionally well this offseason adding talent and most importantly securing the right coach.

I thought Vesey played well on that line. Eventually he is going to break through that goalie wall and score. He had a number of near misses. The scoring may not be there right now but the effort certainly is there.

As you pointed out this was a great game to watch. As with most games there is an ebb and flow but in this game I can't remember where there was a lull in effort from either side. I agree with you that the Sharks are a good and tough team. I thought that although they were the physically stronger team our tenacity helped compensate for that physical deficit. After watching a number of games I have altered my position on a Risto trade. He is a workhorse and rugged defenseman on a team that has mostly finesse defensemen. It's apparent that the coach trusts them more than any other pairing when it needs stops more than offense. The Lehner life issue existed before he got to Buffalo. His lack of emotional on ice and off ice control were known by the hockey world.

Everything you said is astute. But I have a slightly different take. If the draft balls resulted in Toronto getting Laine instead of Matthews I still believe that they would be in the same position as they are in now. I would prefer having Matthews over Laine but the difference between them would not have altered the course that they are on now. The Babcock hire certainly was a franchise altering course just as the Krueger hire has altered our trajectory. But what has allowed these coaches to have their positive/influential effects is the good personnel decisions by the respective front offices that have given them the talent to work with and mold. . You ask the question whether Tavares would have left the Islanders for the Maple Leafs if Babock was the coaching hire. You have to remember that Babock left Detroit for the primary reason that it was simply time for the organization and him to make a change. The coaching lifespan for the coach and the organization ran its extended course. There is nothing unusual about that. Babock selected Toronto because it was a good situation for him. He saw the possibilities working for an organization with unlimited resources. The bottom line is that the organization made a lot of good decisions that accelerated their rebuild even if their rebuild wasn't as dramatic as ours. My basic point in this discourse is that when an organization is smartly run with all the ups and downs and good fortune and bad fortune that it faces eventually things will turn out well. That's what happened with Toronto and more belatedly post Murray that is what is happening in Buffalo.

Murray had a goalie philosophy that favored size as one of the most important attributes for that particular position. So Lehner fit the profile of a goalie that he coveted. He also was a man in a hurry and wanted to make a big splash. He had a lot of chips at his disposal and ended up wastefully throwing them around with little thought and coherency. This franchise was in a pivotal position to take the next step forward. This blustery fool squandered his assets and instead of moving forward he set us back. At that time most hockey analysts believed that Buffalo was ahead of Toronto by a year or so in their development. Toronto made a lot of right decisions and we made a number of blunders. That stark reality was exhibited by their records. In my opinion Krueger and Botterill have meshing philosophies in how to build a successful organization. They don't look at a pro sport franchise as a collection of separate fragments. They envision it as a coherent organism where the pieces have to fit together. Both are analytical and thoughtful. Although they each have strong thoughts based on their backgrounds neither is an old school ideologue. They are open-minded and receptive to new ideas. I am deeply impressed with both of them.

The attached link is an article by Paul Hamilton for WGR based on an interview with the GM. The GM gives a lot of credit to the coach and a variety of other reasons why this year is different from last year. With respect to the often brought up issue of having so many defensemen the GM points out that it isn't a problem as much as it is an asset. https://wgr550.radio.com/articles/news/sabres-botterill-credits-krueger-team-success

I can't speak to their lower first round pick but Cozens is doing well with 4 goals and 4 assists. I think he is going to be with the big club next year, and if not he will be there in two years. He is eventually going to be our second line center. https://www.rotowire.com/hockey/player.php?id=5965 In another year or two we are going to have a strong middle. I do like Mitts but I think that Cozens is eventually going to be our second line center with Mitts as our third center. The expectation is that Johansson will move back to the wing.

The current GM has invested in stocking the system with talent and allowing it to develop. The previous GM, Murray, was more inclined to deal talent for immediate help. Giving up a first round pick for Lehner, a goalie that the Senators were probably not going to keep, was foolish. Lehner had a short stint with the Sabres and the traded pick could have been a forward who would have been ready to play on the second line. The more patient approach is the most proven and sustainable approach for success. You have to be happy with the way Botterill has run the operation.

This link is an article that WGR's Paul Hamilton wrote about the California trip. It points out the coach's belief in the importance in off ice bonding of the players that contribute to team success. https://wgr550.radio.com/articles/news/sabres-got-know-each-other-better-california This link is a WGR 10 minute press conference with Ralph Krueger. He is a pleasure to listen to. When he is at the podium there are few clichés. He gives a lot of genuine analysis with an impressive level of verbal dexterity. He is enjoyable to listen to. https://wgr550.radio.com/media/audio-channel/10-21-ralph-krueger

I have a basic analytic that rarely fails me. I trust my eyes! ? Effort isn't usually a quantifiable metric. However, when you see it (win or lose) you recognize it. So far I have seen plenty of it.

Prior to the season Krueger was asked about what he as a coach emphasized. He was succinct and clear. It was complete buy-in by the players to play the right way not only when they had the puck but more importantly when they didn't have the puck. He pointed out that if one player on the ice faltered in carrying out his responsibility then the system would fail. Essentially, pressing the puck on defense initiates the offense. It's not a complicated strategy but that is not to say that it is an easy strategy to execute. Again, if everyone on the ice is not playing within the system then there will be a vulnerability in the system. Freelancing a bit on offense is tolerable but not when playing your man or in a defensive posture. When all is said and done there is nothing ingenious about his strategy because it is basic hockey. What is ingenious is the ability to get everyone with their different skill sets to buy in to the team concept.

The highlighted area is the issue. Are the physical traits that he demonstrated in college and were assessed by the scouts the same traits that he is going to carry on in his pro career? Or is he steadily going to refine his skills the more he plays? With him the pendulum has a wide radius. He makes some throws that are eye popping, including tight window laser throws. Then he makes some erratic throws and questionable decisions that leave you queasy about whether he can smooth out his game. As you point out he is still a young qb with a lot of room for growth. But the qb position isn't mostly about physical attributes as much as it is about cerebral issues such as mental processing and vision. That's what he is working on. I, like you, see an upward trajectory but not a steady upward trajectory. I'm glad that we are invested in a talented player like him but I'm not at this point going to commit to saying that he will ever be a finished/polished product. Right now I just don't know for sure.

The attached link is a Buffalo News article by Lance Lysowski indicating that because of last year's dramatic fall off after the winning streak this team is very aware that they can't take anything for granted. The signs are that this unit is more resilient. It is also pointed out that Johansson replaced Olafsson on the first PP unit. This coach is basing his playing decisions on performance regardless who you are. Dahlin's playing time was reduced and Olafsson seems to already hit a bump in the road. If Olafsson slides it will interesting to see how RK adjusts the lines. https://buffalonews.com/2019/10/20/buffalo-sabres-san-jose-sharks-jeff-skinner-ralph-krueger-zemgus-girgensons-nhl-news-2019/

I know a number of people who have fallen off the wagon. And they are not from Oklahoma.

Both Hutton and Ullmark are playing well. What is contributing to the good goaltending play is the responsible play of the defenders and forwards. There is a structure to the defense that didn't exist under Housley. And as you suggest Hutton is our #1 goaltender. The coach is smartly utilizing both of his goaltenders because he understands that the compressed schedule this year is going to wear down his primary goaltender if he over uses him.

The attached link is a five minute recap of the San Jose game. This link came from NHL.com. ://www.nhl.com/gamecenter/buf-vs-sjs/2019/10/19/2019020123#game=2019020123,game_state=final