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He is -1, after the first period. 1 SOG, 3 hits.

At the B&GI's back 6 or so weeks ago, Ruff said, what at the time seemed to be a very controversial statement - that several players were not the level of conditioning that he'd expected them to be and that it was a major problem and this coming off-season the Sabres were going to work more closely with individual player's off-season trainers to make sure young guys were developing the way they should. And personally read that comment as not just an indictment of the players but the staff here - how could they have no idea that the players weren't going to be where they expected them to be. Seeing "conditioning" being the buzzword du jour coming back, figured that Ruff must've made a comment to that effect elsewhere. The other thing that was beyond frustrating to hear on that evening was Ruff actually defended that stupid dropback pass they use to enter the zone on the PP. "We're actually in the top 3 in zone entries; the problem is we don't maintain that control." Well, if you don't maintain that control because not one single player other than the guy who carried the puck in has ANY speed at all as the other 4 players are all within 10' of the blue line as he's finally carrying the puck not just over the red line, but the blue line as well; then MAYBE just MAYBE you aren't ACTUALLY top 3 on entries and you should do something different. Yes, most all teams drop the puck back (on rare occassions significantly back, but that is on RARE occassions), but they typically drop it about 12' back, not 80' back, and it gives then 4 players coming in with pace (2 REALLY flying) and the puck carrier has several option upon crossing the red line - he can dump it to a corner, he can work a give and go with any of 3 teammates, he can skate it in himself, or he can pass it to the guy flying up with him who now has the same options he had just had prior to passing it. The other thing that was interesting about that night is, the questions for the most part were more pointed than the ones that the media asked at the end of season press conference. Didn't submit a Q myself as didn't expect they'd take "hard" questions via presubmission, and couldn't come up with anything to ask that they'd've wanted to answer. But they in fact did take hard Q's. Adams pretty well punted them but Ruff seemed very honest. When he was asked what he could've done better/different during the losing streak; he said that whenever you get into that situation (losing that many in a row) you pretty much always fire the coach. He also talked a fair amount about getting more veterans into the lineup. Really do expect to see them not be the youngest roster in the league this coming year.

Didn’t Botts fire Bylsma in Buffalo? Not often you get to fire a guy twice.

You forgot, he's short. But yea, that about covers it.

Jeff Skinner with his first shift in the playoffs. Good for him.

So let me get this straight: Benson, who earned a spot in the NHL as hard as it's possible to earn it (they absolutely wanted him to go back to the WHL but he gave them no choice but to put and keep him on the roster) needs to be sent to Rochester to send a message he needs to "earn his spot"? And the fact that his metrics on both ends of the ice are off the charts and that if other players played the game the way he does we would be playing playoff games right now should be ignored because puck luck has led to point production not matching the metrics? Do I have this right?

I've had two games going all night; sound down, tunes cranked. Glad to see it's still going.

Now I know why his controller looked disconnected the shift before. He was saving it.

Just watched Winnipeg and St Louis. Jets took 2-0 lead in the series, but #8 is giving #1 a good fight. Scott Arneil is the Jets HC. A former Sabres player, a good player, his coaching career started as an assistant coach for the Sabres in 02-03. https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=110

Ha, go Ovi, man looks possessed... Or hammered

ESPN totally gooched the Habs. As soon as they showed the graphic of OV's OT playoff count (45games, 0 GWGs) you just knew it was over. Unreal.

The bold should not and cannot be overlooked as the best reason why he should be in the NHL. The best way for Benson to learn how to beat NHL opponents is to continue playing against NHL opponents. The argument of putting him in the AHL works if he's showing he cannot succeed against NHL talent. By all measures, that's simply not the case.

When you are the single worst organization in the entire history of your sport doing nothing but hiring from within is a mind-blowingly stupid idea.

Yes, he does have more to learn and improve upon; everyone on the roster does. Benson needs to learn how to create space against NHL D-men and to avoid taking as many tripping penalties. He'll learn those in the NHL more quickly than he will being in the AHL. The strength will come with time, the speed and skating can be worked on as we've seen with other prospects. I'm guessing he has the will to put in the work for it. At this point, he'll get better against competition that's going to push him. The cost aspect is in response to your claim to just go find someone to replace him. Benson led the Sabres in Corsi (on-ice shot attempt %). Relative to his teammates, only Dahlin was better. This wasn't a fluke, either, as he as 5th on the team last year (4th if you remove Brett Murray and his 2 GP). This wasn't TNT carrying Benson all season. They didn't give Benson top line minutes until March; early in the season he was on a line with Cozens and Quinn. Paying a forward to give you that sort of puck control is going be expensive. Per MoneyPuck, sorting Forwards by Corsi + 1000 minutes played to get rid of the noise and show Benson's durability. This leaves Benson 57th in the League - just ahead of TNT. Here are the players near him in range 50th-65th: Jason Robertson, Rakell, Crosby, Strome, Raymond, Anders Lee, Kyrou, Benson, TNT, Brayden Point, Kent Johnson, Byfield, Bjorkstrand, Hischier, Caulfield, Marchessault. With the exception of Bjorkstrand, who in Tampa's top 6, that's a $7M UFA acquisition or a massive trade payment to acquire. This ownership won't pay for another top line forward after handling their RFAs. He's young, but he's a NHLer.

Watching the playoffs. Thinking about how I took this for granted for most of the Sabres first 40 years. Now I’m older, the kids are raised, grandkids coming in, and the hockey team is dead.

EICHEL was injured and the Sabres wanted to trade him. Different situation. NJ has no desire to trade their young franchise player and young offensive dman brother. EP40 isn’t even a starter. Just trade Quinn to NJ and get something for him instead of losing him for nothing.

Nice no call on the Wilson knockdown after the whistle line change Bettman! Oh, the score is 2-1 late for Caps. It's why fans boo you every chance they get .

I was expecting see and hear a lot more on conditioning here after reading this site the past few days. Certainly not getting the vibe that they're leaning in to that as an excuse. Dahlin's comment made it seem like it was a point of emphasis in terms of a way the players can get better, but it wasn't a point of emphasis here. I saw a GM who looked bruised and uncertain. He looks like a guy who feels something hanging over his head. He's expecting to be pushed — either into some moves that he may not want to do, or simply aside. I did hear confirmation that 'culture' is the buzzword for puck management and game management, and got a sense that any moves they make will be made with that in mind. That fits with Cozens for Norris, and to a lesser extent Joki for Docker. The problem, as they've identified it is "hero ball" and "stat-padding": players making high-risk plays when they are up because they want to go Globetrotters, or when they're down because they want to score now. And I got the sense they blame the defence most. That's why I would suspect the next guys to go will be Byram and Samuelsson despite the positive words said about them.I didn't hear the gushing or absolute faith Adams gets when he's touting his guys. (It was still there for Levi). It's pretty easy to read Mule instead of Byram with Dahlin as a deliberate choice for GM reasons, rather than coach reasons. Clifton fits as well, as do Quinn and Peterka up-front. Not sure they were being transparent about UPL though. I got a similar vibe as when Adams talked about Mittelstadt: "We have faith in this player and are not shopping him (but would have no problem moving him if we get the right offer.) I do think they were sincere about Kulich, and are OK with him and McLeod as their middle Cs, behind Norris, with Tage as their ace in the hole, with the caveat of "depending on what else happens in the top 6.

I agree that the player mix needs to be better. But also, and I don’t think it should need to be said, some coaches are better than others.

An executive that has actually been a leader and knows many phases of the business? Great idea!

And yet we haven’t had one in 14 years and our GMs have been *****. I don’t see GMs under a POHO as *****, just lacking experience. It’s a mentoring relationship - most successful people have had a great mentor. It’s either that or you hire the guy once he has bounced around the league a bit and has learned (or not) from his mistakes. Call it Senior Advisor or POHO. Same thing. The ***** GM of the Panthers has this guy: https://www.nhl.com/panthers/info/rick-dudley

Personally see the PoHO role as far more of a schmoozer than actually determining who is going to be on the ice. Ruff has ties to Hockey Canada so he's one of the insiders. Could Bettman possibly still be mad about Ruff's calling him out on No Goal? If not, could see it being a net positive having him in that role when the top brass get together and could see him getting involved on leaguewide competition committee at the ownership/operations level. Keeping owners out of the GM's hair on a day to day basis. Reining in the worst impulses of both ownerhsip and the GM. And helping to sell suites and convincing whatever local state power brokers that'd get involved in allowing the Sabres to mess up the MMArena even more than it currently is. (Some of the ideas on how to renovate the barn were whacked and personally can't see them working in this market. But we shall see.) And, yeah, until he came back to Buffalo, never saw him in that sort of a role. Saw him as more of an advisor to whomever was running the hockey department rather than being the ostensible boss. Darn shame they never reached out to Dudley back when the new owners took over. Alas, not meant to be. Neither. The owner. But, when there's a united front and a compelling reason why the pocketbook should be opened ...

So, of 6 head coaches between Lindy Ruff stints, at present, not one single one of them is coaching in the NHL. Im-forking-press-ive.