Hank Balling: Storylines To Watch As The Season Winds Down

This is a gem.

https://mobile.twitter.co...mp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Nice Read Hank! I think one storyline should be top 2-3 Dman. Just don't know if you can trust Samuelsson with the injury issues so far.

I'm still on the hope train, looking at the remaining schedule I think we have a better run of games than the isles and play Florida to go ahead of them (games in hand wise)

I'm realistic that it is a long shot but until we're mathematically out I'm rooting for the wins, even if just to be sweeped :D

Any sign of Samuelsson? Haven't heard any updates on him returning recently?

Rochester won 5-2
Kulich 2 goals
Rosen 1g 1a

Two must watch storylines:

1. Can they get 8 more wins in 10 games. No one is running away with these 2 spots. I beieve 8 wins would do it. Highly unlikely, but a win over Montreal means 7, and that's just one win easier.

2. Levi. Not much more to be said here. Welcome to being the hope of a city, kid.

My must watch down the stretch:

Tage 50 goals, 100 points. Still within reach.

Cozens 30 goals, giving us 4 players with 30+ goals since???

Casey 50 points - he's an absolute dog on the puck and I hope we keep him here longterm.

Levi first game. Obviously.

Dahlin 70 points.

A fight with one of the Tkachuk brothers.

Excellent reed baller.

8 - 1 -1
I bet the Sabres players feel like they can pull it off.

If goaltending gets hot, the islanders also seem ripe for a slide down the standings. They lost to us at home 😀

Mitts = keeper
Girgs = keeper

Tage for 100 will be fun. Although he's injured not hurt.
Showing some real leadership

My must watch down the stretch:

Tage 50 goals, 100 points. Still within reach.

Cozens 30 goals, giving us 4 players with 30+ goals since???

Casey 50 points - he's an absolute dog on the puck and I hope we keep him here longterm.

Levi first game. Obviously.

Dahlin 70 points.

A fight with one of the Tkachuk brothers.
- The_Inkwell

Most of that would fantastic for individual stats and showed some nice growth, but sucks as a team to have that many have great years and maybe miss the playoffs. Hopefully they can keep growing and fighting, definitely have made it interesting.

Most of that would fantastic for individual stats and showed some nice growth, but sucks as a team to have that many have great years and maybe miss the playoffs
- Buff36

Almost like we have a high octane offense, young defenseman and bad goaltending.

Do you fear any of these guys falling off offensively?

Tage > over a point per game is interesting moving forward. He could flirt with 100 annually?

Almost like we have a high octane offense, young defenseman and bad goaltending.

Do you fear any of these guys falling off offensively?

Tage > over a point per game is interesting moving forward. He could flirt with 100 annually?
- Boss34

Think are offense will be fine moving forward, will probably even better as some of the younger players are intergrated. Really like to see Adams work on the Defense, actually think are goaltending can hold up when there not facing 30 High Danger chances a game. Yes the goaltending needs to be better, but they can play a decent system when they choose to.

Think are offense will be fine moving forward, will probably even better as some of the younger players are intergrated. Really like to see Adams work on the Defense, actually think are goaltending can hold up when there not facing 30 High Danger chances a game. Yes the goaltending needs to be better, but they can play a decent system when they choose to.
- Buff36

👍

Kinda feel the same way.

Quinn and cozens seem like they could get much better still. Peterka too...

👍

Kinda feel the same way.

Quinn and cozens seem like they could get much better still. Peterka too...
- Boss34

Yeah I am excited for the future, got a lot of talent here and coming up. Gonna be a fun ending

Think are offense will be fine moving forward, will probably even better as some of the younger players are intergrated. Really like to see Adams work on the Defense, actually think are goaltending can hold up when there not facing 30 High Danger chances a game. Yes the goaltending needs to be better, but they can play a decent system when they choose to.
- Buff36

Nice post, agree too. UPL can hold down the fort if there is an actual defensive system in place. The amount of high danger chances are just way too high. Would still like to see Adams bring in vet goalie like Varlamov(Probably no chance)

Nice post, agree too. UPL can hold down the fort if there is an actual defensive system in place. The amount of high danger chances are just way too high. Would still like to see Adams bring in vet goalie like Varlamov(Probably no chance)
- sabresfan69

Yeah I wouldn't mind another goalie option. Next 7 months will be intriguing.

Two must watch storylines:

1. Can they get 8 more wins in 10 games. No one is running away with these 2 spots. I beieve 8 wins would do it. Highly unlikely, but a win over Montreal means 7, and that's just one win easier.

2. Levi. Not much more to be said here. Welcome to being the hope of a city, kid.
- lacaprup

92 points would give them approx a 50% chance of getting in. They haven't had a 10-2 stretch all season. It's a big ask, especially without a G playing well enough to be the #1.

Yeah I wouldn't mind another goalie option. Next 7 months will be intriguing.
- Buff36

I'd be open to moving UPL. Levi + UPL is getting tougher to see, even a year or two out. UPL's consistency has been a problem his entire pro career and it's a big issue if you want to pair two young goalies.

Signing a starter/1A, with UPL no longer exempt, blocks Levi. Pairing someone with Comrie leaves the door wide open.

Time to start acting on all these evaluations.

I'd be open to moving UPL. Levi + UPL is getting tougher to see, even a year or two out. UPL's consistency has been a problem his entire pro career and it's a big issue if you want to pair two young goalies.

Signing a starter/1A, with UPL no longer exempt, blocks Levi. Pairing someone with Comrie leaves the door wide open.

Time to start acting on all these evaluations.
- Lunaion

Agreed

From Lance's article in the snooze:

“I think, personally, maybe I got caught up a little too much in wanting to make the playoffs,” said Cozens. “We all kind of did in trying to win every single game and if we lose, getting too down on ourselves instead of just moving on. We put too much pressure on ourselves. And it cost us over those few weeks. So, we've kind of switched the mindset here to just getting back to playing our game, having fun and taking it a day at a time.”

The drop in Cozens’ play was brief and coincided with most of the Sabres’ roster struggling in all situations. He had one goal and two points with a minus-8 rating in a six-game span that ended with the 7-0 loss at home to Boston. It didn’t put a blemish on his breakout season.

Hmph... Cozens, and everyone else, went into a funk after the allstar break. Why don't they just admit they had no legs because of the WAGs? They finally got them back. Paul in Buffalo right again.

No goalies
Pretty ladies
Island sunsets

Put 'em all together and you get a bunch of losses.

Personally, I've checked out. No interest in watching them miss the playoffs again.

Tonight is no gimmie.

Chicago, Arizona, Columbus, Philly multiple times, Vancouver, and Montreal earlier this year. So many losses to bottom feeders.
13 fùcking points given up to absolute trash (one overtime loss).

Tonight is no gimmie.

Chicago, Arizona, Columbus, Philly multiple times, Vancouver, and Montreal earlier this year. So many losses to bottom feeders.
13 fùcking points given up to absolute trash (one overtime loss).
- lacaprup

On a positive note, several breakout seasons, several young players acclimating to the NHL game to bet better going forward, evaluations defined the needs in the future and who they should retain versus dumping, and clear that the so called veteran leadership did very little therefore the team s/b comfortable in walking away from them and turning it over to the new core.

On a positive note, several breakout seasons, several young players acclimating to the NHL game to bet better going forward, evaluations defined the needs in the future and who they should retain versus dumping, and clear that the so called veteran leadership did very little therefore the team s/b comfortable in walking away from them and turning it over to the new core.
- IonSabres

Good Post!! Definitely see the areas that need improvement. And I agree with the Leadership, after reading the Cozens article and what he said, don't think Leadership stepped up when it was needed the most.

Think are offense will be fine moving forward, will probably even better as some of the younger players are intergrated. Really like to see Adams work on the Defense, actually think are goaltending can hold up when there not facing 30 High Danger chances a game. Yes the goaltending needs to be better, but they can play a decent system when they choose to.
- Buff36

It’s proven it can’t though.

Buffalo goaltending however you slice and dice it is some of the worst in the entire league.

For every Comrie shutout there is 10 stinkers.

Buffalo ranks 19th in high danger shots against per money puck.

The goaltending is extremely flawed and flat out needs to be better.

It’s proven it can’t though.

Buffalo goaltending however you slice and dice it is some of the worst in the entire league.

For every Comrie shutout there is 10 stinkers.

Buffalo ranks 19th in high danger shots against per money puck.

The goaltending is extremely flawed and flat out needs to be better.
- ImThatGuy

Comrie went 7/7 in HD shots the other day. A good goalie can do that every few games.

Ours have done it maybe three times.