It’s only been two games but we are on the verge of Sabres After Dark with Buffalo set to embark on a west coast swing through Canada. We talk about what went well and what went wrong in the first two games and how Don Granato’s line shuffling may shift how the Sabres attack this upcoming trip.
Author: Chris Ostrander
The Instigator Podcast 11.5 – It’s Time for a Sabres Season Preview
The Sabres are set to kick off their 2022-23 campaign and we dig into their lineup ahead of the season opener and how we see them faring this season. We look into each position group, determining where the team’s strengths and weaknesses lie. We also offer up a few thoughts on the rest of the league as the NHL regular season gets rolling.
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The Instigator Podcast 11.4 – The Growing Crisis Surrounding Hockey Canada
The spotlight on Hockey Canada has only gotten brighter in recent days as the investigation into how the organization has handled sexual assault claims continues to reveal deeper and darker issues with their operations. We discuss the nature of the claims against Hockey Canada and how recent revelations and announcements have raised new questions about what’s next for Hockey Canada and whether or not they’re capable of the introspection needed to enact tangible change.
We wrap up the show by digging into the lines the Sabres look set to enter the season with. We touch on the strengths of the lineup and some of the areas where issues may arise. We look at how the roster make up could affect the long and short term roster management through recalls and changes with line combinations.
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The Instigator Podcast 11.3 – Preseason Kicks Off plus Listener Q&A
With preseason underway, we reflect on the Sabres first few games of the preseason and what positives can be gleaned from the early action. We kick things off with a conversation about Jason Robertson and how the Sabres could go about acquiring him should the rumors of the connection between the Sabres and Stars bear fruit. We close this week’s episode with some listener questions covering a number of topics including line predictions, Matt Savoie and our favorite Sabres of all time.
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The Instigator Podcast 11.2 – Sabres Enjoy Promising Prospect Challenge
Sabres training camp is right around the corner, with their first preseason game fewer than five days away. The club wrapped up a 3-0 showing at the Prospects Challenge, driven mostly by the play of Matthew Savoie, Isak Rosen, Alexander Kisakov and Tyson Kozak. It was a strong showing for some of Buffalo’s most vital prospects, many of whom will be suiting up for Rochester this coming season.
We also discuss Nathan MacKinnon’s new contract in Colorado and the retirement announcements for Zdeno Chara and PK Subban.
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The Instigator Podcast 11.1 – Diving into the Prospect Challenge
We kick off another season of the podcast with a conversation about the Prospects Challenge. We run through the highlights of the roster expected to play this coming weekend and even dip into the invites who will be helping to round out the roster for the tournament.
Our conversation touches on some of the expected standouts for the tournament, the unknowns in net and closes with our thoughts on some of the players who could be worth watching for when Sabres training camp opens.
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The Instigator Podcast Featuring Kevin Woodley of InGoal Magazine and NHL.com
Kevin Woodley joins the show this week to share his goaltending expertise and talk about the outlook for the Sabres in net for the coming season. We talk at length about Eric Comrie’s strengths and weaknesses and his ability to take on a larger workload. Kevin also shares his thoughts on Craig Anderson and how both he and Comrie can work in tandem this season.
We touch on Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and, of course, Devon Levi as we wrap up the show. Along the way you’ll catch some terrific anecdotes about Ryan Miller and other goaltenders Kevin has covered and spoken with during his time with InGoal and NHL.com.
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Don’t forget to use code Instigator when you sign up for DraftKings Sportsbook. New users get $200 in free bets when they place a $5 bet on an NFL game this Sunday!
The Instigator Podcast 10.47 – Red and Black is Back in Sabreland
The Sabres, at long last, have announced they will be bringing back their red and black uniforms as an alternate jersey for the 2022-23 season. The team made the announcement on Wednesday, stating that they will wear the jersey 12 times during the year beginning with a November face-off with the St. Louis Blues. We talk about the excitement surrounding the decision and the nostalgia this brings as we reminisce about some of the great memories made while the Sabres wore the Goathead the first time around.
We kick off the show with a discussion on the two contracts the Sabres signed this week as Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Tage Thompson each got a new deal from the club. While the UPL deal wasn’t a huge news item, the Thompson contract is. We break down some key points on the seven-year, $50 million contract for the Sabres center.
Remember to use code Instigator on DraftKings Sportsbook as new customers will get $200 in free bets if they place a $5 bet on any football game in week one.
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The Instigator Podcast – Fantasy Corner with Pete Jensen of NHL.com
Pete Jensen of NHL.com joins the show to offer up a fantasy hockey outlook for the coming season. Pete lends his expertise to discuss which players are candidates to climb up draft boards, players poised for a breakout year in fantasy and which Sabres will carry the most fantasy value this season.
The Instigator Podcast Featuring Noah Ennis of Shell Shock Paint
Noah Ennis, goal mask artist and owner of Shell Shock Paint joins the show for an expansive conversation about goalie mask art and the pro clients Noah works with. New Sabres goalie Eric Comrie is among the roster of pro clients Ennis works with in addition to the Anaheim Ducks’ Lukas Dostal, John Gibson and Anthony Stolarz, Laurent Brossoit of the Vegas Golden Knights and many other NHL and AHL netminders. Our conversation covered some of the finer details of working with NHL goalies on mask designs and the trends and innovations within the wider industry. Noah’s work can be found online at shellshockpaint.com or on Instagram @shellshockco.
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Two in the Box 