Taro T

The expansion fee is a big part of it, but it also could be a way to increase the value of the national TV contract without negatively affecting the Canadian TV rights deal with Rogers and TSN. The NFL is at a point where they don't really care what they do to the fans attending games in person because the TV deals are so ridiculously huge. The NHL has to see that and say, if we could just expand our footprint, we'd be that too. (They'd be wrong, but that wouldn't be the 1st thing they were wrong about.)

6-0 final. Anderson's 1st shutout of the year. Tampa only got 14 shots the entire game. Don't care how much people say Tampa is a lock for the playoffs, if they don't get their heads out of their bippies, they arent't. They're only 11 up on the Sabres and Otters. Buffalo has 42 points left to try for, Otterland has 40 left. 11-16 more by TB won't be enough to keep ahead of both of them.

Was saying yesterday that the Bolts were 1-3-2 since that game the Sabres played down in TB. It's now 1-4-2 and the only win they got was courtesy of a 50+ save shutout by Vaselivskiy. If they play their final 19 games as poorly as their last 7, they'll only have 88 points. Even if they get back to an NHL 0.400 for their final 20 (including today, they'll only end up with 93. They are very catchable, especially if Hedman is hampered by the back injury or if he actually misses time. IMHO, it's a 3 team race for the right to play the Loafs and an 8 team race for the 2 WC slots (well, 7 when 1 of those 1st 3 escape the WC chase). Yes, but it was 2 weeks ago that it happened. ;)

Houston couldn't fill the Astrodome for the state's national sport. Randall's Food Markets was responsible for almost all of the sellouts for games against teams not from Pittsburgh, Cleveland, or Dallas. And that was for a team that had made the playoffs 6 or 7 years in a row. They didn't support the Aeros after the Howes left. Don't put a team in Houston. That city only supports frontrunners (and even that is reluctantly).

Please do not expand beyond 32 teams. There is something very right about having 2^5 teams in the league. The regular season knocks out 1/2 of them out and then 4 rounds of playoffs trims down to the winner.

Yeah, the tea leaves keep portending that this is the captain's last season as an active Sabre. If he wants to move on, he's earned that right. He's done well by this team.

While you joke, and personally don't expect he sabotaged his play the last couple of weeks to stay a Sabre, do believe it was weighing heavily on his mind. He played much better yesterday than he had the previous 2-3 games. The puck wasn't hopping over his stick constantly and though he did do a bit of a driveby before the puck moved to the shooter on the 2nd goal against, his backchecking was better than what it had been recently. He also had 2 grade A scoring chances. Something that hadn't been happening recently.

Hinostroza won't be back. Would put it as being 50-50 whether Olofsson is back. Depends on what kind of offers Adams gets at the draft.

Depends on whether that D-man comes via trade or FA. If they go the FA route again, it likely is another Lyubushkin level player. If they make a trade, would expect to see more of a true 4 coming back. But really espect to see them bring their top 8 back from right now plus Johnson and another vet with them all duking it out for the 8 that make the opening day roster. And Johnson almost definitely starts the year in Ra-cha-cha. It'll be interesting to see if Clague or Bryson is the guy joining him there.

The ironic thing about Olofsson is now that the team has enough talent at the other F slots they could afford a PP specialist on the 3rd or 4th line, with the addition of Greenway they have 12 other options that are better even with Tuch out with the injury. Still don't expect him to sit - Granato loves him some VO.

They certainly have. When they've won 4 more games they'll have eclipsed last year's points total. They have 21 games left to the season. This season has been fun so far. Hopefully they can keep it up and find the points they need to pass the Aisles and the Pens (and the m'f'n Bolts, too) while staving off the Otters and Swamp Cats. (Can't honestly see the Wings nor Caps passing them, though anything is possible.)

Fun game to be at. The game had a bit of a playoff pace and feel to it and the Sabres rose to the occassion. Comrie played very well in the 1st and well the rest of the game too. He didn't have a chance on the 1st or 3rd. Originally thought he was just screened by Jokiharju on the 2nd goal and that he should've had it, but watching the replay on TV it looked like it did change direction on him. So maybe that was a legit goal too. Now the big question is, can he fopointsllow this solid game up with another one? The only start he's lost since coming back from injury was the Seattle game that he wasn't supposed to get the start until UPL was scratched with an illness. He didn't look "good" in any of those next 3 starts, but he won them all. This was his 1st good game since the Euler game way back in October before the D all broke and then he all broke. Stillman, like in his last game, was hitting about anything that moved. Really hope his injury heals quickly and he can go against the Eulers. Lyubushkin has been playing well for the last month or so, but this game he looked like the player the Sabres thought they were getting when they signed him to a 2 year deal. Very pleased with his game. He played physically and he seemed to be in the right spot most all night. Power played much better today than he did the previous 2 games, but he really needs to be willing to shoot the puck. He has absolutely no confidence in his shot and it is painfully telling. He'll be so much better next season after he's gotten stronger and gets a bit of confidence in the lumber. Great to have Dahlin back. Samuelsson is so much better when he gets to be paired with him. And Ras is just so smooth in so many areas of the game. Really enjoy watching him play. Really liking the way the new Cozens line is starting to jell. They just got the 1 goal, but could've had a few. Thompson really is turning into a star player. Must be so much fun for Skinner to be on that line every night. Quinn is not looking out of place there. While Olofsson didn't score and still is what he is, he looked a lot more comfortable out there. Thought his 2 previous games were by far his worst of the season and expect that was due to being afraid that he was getting traded. Guess that will have to wait until the summer at the earliest. Liked Peterka's game and thought he could've had 1 or 2. Jost might've had his best game as a Sabre. As to the kids handling their jobs. Believe the 3 that were noticed (the announcer, the singer, and the reporter) did their jobs as they'd been asked to do. Not a fan of the ultra slow anthem pace but the girl has a very nice voice; not a fan of the WWF announcing style, it's hokey when the Canes announcer does it and it was hokey when this kid did it. He was much more subdued interviewing one of the skaters in the intermission youth game, so the guess is he was asked/told to be excited in his announcing. The girl that interviewed Skinner did a very good job. Hopefully all 3 had a blast doing it and have some great memories for long lifetimes. Now keep it going on Monday vs the Eulers. As Jim Mora used to say "plaaaaayyyyy-offfs?!?!?!?!?"

The Rags don't matter as they aren't in the Adams division. Though still believe that the Bolts can blow their lead over Buffalo or the Otters, if they stay 3rd in the division they will play the division's 2nd seed which in almost all those realities that Dr. Strange checked will be the Loafs. In the other division, it will almost definitely be the Rags finishing 3rd and playing Joisey in the 1st round. It's the final 2 playoff slots in each conference that could be any of the remaining squads. So, Buffalo is battling the Pens, Aisles, Otters, and Swamp Cats, and technically the Caps and Wings are still alive but would be surprised if either end up in the playoffs. The team with the most points of those 7 will almost definitely play Carolina, and the last team to sneak in will face the Bruins.

Darn shame Jost's stick broke on that one. (Not positive it was broken, maybe he just lost it, but it looked weird when the equipment guy was handed it after the goal.)

They're only 11 points ahead of the Sabres. They legitimately might fall out of the playoff picture if they don't start playing hockey. Since playing the Sabres down in TB, they are 1-3-2 including that game. And that one win was due to a 50+ save shutout by Vasilevskiy in Detroit. They got spanked by the Swamp Cats, the Pens, and the Sabres and lost in OT to the Sabres and Pens. They have been awful the past 2 weeks. Hopefully it keeps up.

Tried getting a "how much did they pay you" chant going, but guess it was too long.

Peterka has been getting chances for about 5 games now. He's actually played pretty well in general in 2 of the past 3 games. Realize Granato will be reluctant to sit him but he's also NEVER benched Olofsson and Hinostroza is scoring goals since being brought back up (that will likely not be long lived, but as long as it is it's tough to sit him too.) Greenway will be in the lineup. Something has to give Monday. And sitting Petera for a game or 2 will not be considered a demotion by management, they'll consider it a teaching moment. That Krebs and Quinn came back much better after sitting a short bit will be used as justification should it happen. And truly doubt they'd consider that "blocking" JJ.

Don't believe the refs were calling it differently for each team, but bot refs were calling VERY different games. 30, the older ref, was calling the game the way refs typically do. He tended to make most of the calls against the Bolts, but called a couple against the Sabres too. His calls, you could at least say "yeah, that was a penalty." 46, the one who got to ref because it was "Kids Day" at the rink, was calling anytime a player fell down a trip on the opponent. Worked against te Sabres for at least 2 imaginary tirps, but it worked in the Sabres favor once. He was truly awful.

Probably correct. But when the Thompson line took to the ice at the end of the 1st looking to sneak a lead before the period ended, Granato put Olofsson out on the ice with the 2 regulars from that line. Expect it's goning to be mainly either just Vinnie sitting or him and Peterka rotating shoulc everybody be healthy. Granato loves him some VO.

Hoping he succeeds at that part of his plan. (The rest, not so much.)

Sabres have been 31st for a while. Was curious who was worse. As others have said, get good goaltending & the PK will become adequate.

Lyubushkin is back on the bench.

Lyubushkin's hand still being looked at in the tunnel but he hasn't gone to the dressing room. So hopefully just a bruise.

Which is why he almost certainly ends up an Amerk next year and gets only a handful of games at the NHL level unless he simply forces his way onto the Sabres.

That was sooooooooo last century. ;)