Maintenance Day

Today, Lance and Joe decided to send valentines out to all of you in the form of a normal length episode of the show. You're welcome!

This week, the guys discuss Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen seizing the day and highlighting how doing goalie development on the right timeline CAN work!

They also get into:

Kyle Okposo on the first line with Tage Thompson and Jeff Skinner and why it continues to be a thing.

Casey Mittelstadt's future and if it's even a good idea to consider trading him.

How the Sabres will approach the trade deadline and what sorts of deals should they be looking at as well as how to improve the roster in the current situation given all the prospects on the way and the needs they have to address. 

Thanks for listening and thanks for letting us know you're enjoying the pod.

Follow Lance and Joe on Twitter!
Read Lance's work at The Buffalo News
Read Joe's work at Noted Hockey and Bleacher Report

Big thanks to our musician friends --
Intro: MerlinBerlin -- "Orbit" - Find them on Bandcamp
Outro: Chips 'N Cellos -- Boss Fight (Sabre Dance, Khachaturian) - Find them on Bandcamp

Why yes, Lance and Joe are still doing the podcast! With Joe away and ill-prepared to produce a show with his laptop, the guys get right to business discussing Jack Quinn's injury, how the Buffalo Sabres will go about replacing him in the lineup, and all the options available to GM Kevyn Adams to make it work for the next eight weeks.

They'll also dig in about the players who are impressing, how they'll go about handling the stretch run and if they're actually as bad as some fans seem to believe they are.  

Thanks for listening and thanks for letting us know you're enjoying the pod. Even more so, thank you all for your patience while Lance and Joe each sorted through an assortment of issues to tend to between episodes. 

Follow Lance and Joe on Twitter!
Read Lance's work at The Buffalo News
Read Joe's work at Noted Hockey and Bleacher Report

Lance and Joe are back again this week and breaking down why it's OK the Buffalo Sabres didn't sign Patrick Kane even though it may have addressed some issues in the lineup.

They'll break down the Sabres past few games including a stinker in Jersey and a big win against the Rangers while analyzing how they've needed Alex Tuch, gotten great play from other forwards, and also talk about Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen taking hold of the No. 1 job in goal.

And while UPL is owning it, they'll talk about what to do next about Devon Levi and whether sending him to Rochester is for the best and how doing that could affect him and how Don Granato sets the lineup.

Thanks for listening and thanks for letting us know you're enjoying the pod.

Follow Lance and Joe on Twitter!
Read Lance's work at The Buffalo News
Read Joe's work at Noted Hockey and Bleacher Report

Big thanks to our musician friends --
Intro: MerlinBerlin -- "Orbit" - Find them on Bandcamp
Outro: Chips 'N Cellos -- Boss Fight (Sabre Dance, Khachaturian) - Find them on Bandcamp

Lance and Joe are back this week and unfortunately the Sabres won't have Tage Thompson around for nearly the next two months. How do the Sabres make up for his absence? The guys talk about what Dylan Cozens and Casey Mittelstadt mean to the lineup to help that out. The Sabres will get Alex Tuch back in the lineup and boy have they missed him recently.

One thing the Sabres aren't doing enough right now? Scoring goals. What do Isak Rosen and Jiri Kulich do well in Rochester? Score goals. So where are they? Also... do they need Patrick Kane to help boost this offense?

The guys also discuss Ryan Johnson's play making it really difficult to consider sending him back to the AHL and what the heck they're going to do about the logjam on defense. 

Thanks for listening and thanks for letting us know you're enjoying the pod.

Follow Lance and Joe on Twitter!
Read Lance's work at The Buffalo News
Read Joe's work at Noted Hockey and Bleacher Report

Big thanks to our musician friends --
Intro: MerlinBerlin -- "Orbit" - Find them on Bandcamp
Outro: Chips 'N Cellos -- Boss Fight (Sabre Dance, Khachaturian) - Find them on Bandcamp

This week, Lance and Joe discuss how the injuries to Devon Levi and Eric Comrie brought Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen back into the fold and how he's started strong early on.

The guys discuss the Sabres' 4-0 win against Colorado, the line shuffles in search of trios that can work all the time, JJ Peterka's great play of late, the return of Alex Tuch's game, Connor Clifton's suspension and Jacob Bryson's return to the lineup, what's next for Zach Benson, and who might be the next guy up from Rochester to help the lineup.

Thanks for listening and thanks for letting us know you're enjoying the pod.

Follow Lance and Joe on Twitter!
Read Lance's work at The Buffalo News
Read Joe's work at Noted Hockey and Bleacher Report

Big thanks to our musician friends --
Intro: MerlinBerlin -- "Orbit" - Find them on Bandcamp
Outro: Chips 'N Cellos -- Boss Fight (Sabre Dance, Khachaturian) - Find them on Bandcamp

This week, Lance and Joe get into the Sabres' 1-3-0 start and if there are big reasons to worry so early on into the season.

They'll also discuss Devon Levi's early workload (and injury) and how that affects the three-man setup they're rolling with. Zach Benson is also a little banged up which brings Victor Olofsson back into the lineup and boy there's a lot to sort out there, too. And with a slow start comes new line changes to break down. 

Thanks for listening and thanks for letting us know you're enjoying the pod.

Follow Lance and Joe on Twitter!
Read Lance's work at The Buffalo News
Read Joe's work at Noted Hockey and Bleacher Report

Big thanks to our musician friends --
Intro: MerlinBerlin -- "Orbit" - Find them on Bandcamp
Outro: Chips 'N Cellos -- Boss Fight (Sabre Dance, Khachaturian) - Find them on Bandcamp

It's time, at last. The Sabres season opens on Thursday and to celebrate they got Rasmus Dahlin locked up for an 8-year, $88 million extension for Lance and Joe to discuss.

They'll get into that as well as 18-year-old Zach Benson making the team, Matt Savoie's recovery from injury and what's next for him, and a tour through the lineup (especially goaltending...) to look ahead to what should be a big season in Buffalo.

Thanks for listening and thanks for letting us know you're enjoying the pod.

Follow Lance and Joe on Twitter!
Read Lance's work at The Buffalo News
Read Joe's work at Noted Hockey and Bleacher Report

Big thanks to our musician friends --
Intro: MerlinBerlin -- "Orbit" - Find them on Bandcamp
Outro: Chips 'N Cellos -- Boss Fight (Sabre Dance, Khachaturian) - Find them on Bandcamp

Lance and Joe are back and so are the Buffalo Sabres. The guys lead off the show discussing what's going on with the lack of extensions signed by Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power and whether or not it's actually a big deal.

Training camp is underway and there are battles to be had, but one player who won't be duking it out just yet is prospect Matt Savoie whose shoulder injury is keeping him on the sidelines and possibly off the Sabres roster this season.

There are plenty of guys worthy of discussing to take the spot vacated by Jack Quinn thanks to injury, however, and Lance and Joe will mention each of them in great detail, of course. They'll also go over their initial impressions of the first couple days of camp.  

Thanks for listening and thanks for letting us know you're enjoying the pod.

Follow Lance and Joe on Twitter!
Read Lance's work at The Buffalo News
Read Joe's work at Noted Hockey and Bleacher Report

Big thanks to our musician friends --
Intro: MerlinBerlin -- "Orbit" - Find them on Bandcamp
Outro: Chips 'N Cellos -- Boss Fight (Sabre Dance, Khachaturian) - Find them on Bandcamp

This week, Lance and Joe decided to play the part of Fun Police about the upcoming long-term extension Rasmus Dahlin will (eventually) sign with the Sabres. Yes, we know the money and the years - big whoop, wanna fight about it?

They'll also look ahead to the Prospects Challenge in Buffalo and who among the not-usual players they're looking forward to seeing the most. They'll also get into it the same way about Sabres training camp that will follow a week later. We know everyone wants to see Devon Levi, but who ELSE?!

They'll also dig in on some of the Sabres Atlantic Division foes starting with Boston, Tampa Bay, and Toronto and breaking them down. They'll hit the other four teams next week, so don't sweat it. 

Thanks for listening and thanks for letting us know you're enjoying the pod.

Follow Lance and Joe on Twitter!
Read Lance's work at The Buffalo News
Read Joe's work at Noted Hockey and Bleacher Report

Big thanks to our musician friends --
Intro: MerlinBerlin -- "Orbit" - Find them on Bandcamp
Outro: Chips 'N Cellos -- Boss Fight (Sabre Dance, Khachaturian) - Find them on Bandcamp

Lance and Joe are back this week and they're talking about Rick Jeanneret's passing and how the best way to honor him was to bring back everyone to share their great stories about him.

They'll also dig in about the executive shuffling atop Pegula ownership, dissolving PSE, and what this could all mean for the Sabres in the meantime.

Ilya Lyubushkin was traded to Anaheim recently and it doesn't exactly clear things up too well on defense. But that's OK, because competition is going to be the name of the game all across the roster when training camp takes off in a few weeks.

Thanks for listening and thanks for letting us know you're enjoying the pod.

Follow Lance and Joe on Twitter!
Read Lance's work at The Buffalo News
Read Joe's work at Noted Hockey and Bleacher Report

Big thanks to our musician friends --
Intro: MerlinBerlin -- "Orbit" - Find them on Bandcamp
Outro: Chips 'N Cellos -- Boss Fight (Sabre Dance, Khachaturian) - Find them on Bandcamp