nfreeman

Well, they've looked freaking terrible for the last 2 games and no one could really be surprised if they are at the beginning of another stretch of, say, 10 losses in 12 games -- which, if it happens, will effectively end the season. What have we learned about JB in the last few weeks? - The first guy he drafted -- Mitts -- has fallen off the table and is looking more like a complete bust than a future NHL #2 center. - The first goalie he brought in -- Hutton -- has also fallen off the table, has lost his last 11 starts and has given up 5 or more goals in 5 of his last 7 starts. This is no surprise, as Hutton was terrible in the 2nd half of last season and has never been a starter, but no goalie was brought in over the summer. - The first big contract he gave out -- Skinner -- hasn't quite fallen off the table but certainly hasn't produced much lately, with 1 goal and 2 assists in his last 10 games. - The only respectable forward he brought in from outside the organization -- Johansson -- has fallen off the table after a good start and has been completely ineffective, with 1 goal in his last 20 games. - The concerns virtually everyone raised going into the season -- i.e. too many NHL defensemen and not enough NHL forwards -- have proven out, with the Sabres getting very little 2ndary scoring, dressing 11 forwards and 7 defensemen many nights, good NHL defensemen being healthy-scratched every night, and one of those healthy scratches demanding a trade. I continue to think that TP needs to bring in an experienced hockey czar with a real track record and no ties to JB or the Penguins to oversee and evaluate JB.

4 games under DeLuca .500 and fading fast. They are still in the playoffs if the season ended today, but only 1 pt ahead of TB and Toronto and 2 ahead of Florida for #3 in the Atlantic. If any of those 3 passes them -- which is almost certain to occur -- then they would need a WC spot, and they are currently 4 pts behind Philly for the last WC. And THAT is why no one should feel comfortable about going, say, 3-3-3 in a 9-game stretch because it's a ".500" pace, or about "getting points in 7 out of 9 games" or other similarly useless achievement.

Sweeeeeeeet!

Yes -- it's a good perk. (I also get center ice via Verizon.) If you have a roku or other streaming device, you can get all the games via the NHL app. Alternatively, you can just watch them on a computer. You have to dig around a bit for the "link to cable provider" page (or something like that), but it's there.

If you get it through Verizon, you get the online package free -- and the online package usually has both feeds available for previous games.

What were the #s before this year — ie the period I was referring to, in multiple posts?

No one is going to take KO unless the Sabres either pay through the nose in picks/prospects/other sweeteners, or take back an equally bad contract in the deal, or some combination of both.

I mostly agree, although I think Johansson has been greatly diminished since his injury. I think there is something wrong with MoJo's shoulder or ribs or something that is impairing his puck control. In any case he hasn't been nearly as good at setting up Skinner as he was pre-injury. But Skinner needs to be better in any case.

Settle down young fella. I've watched the games just like (presumably) you have -- so I don't think anyone should start throwing around words like "dishonest" and "just glanced at the box scores." As for what seems to be your core point -- you are right that since the original assertion related to "every time Jack has played the Leafs," it is correct to include the games from Jack's rookie year. I don't expect that anyone would really be interested in debating whether Jack was best before Matthews arrived, but if one wants to be a stickler, there you go. IMHO the real issue is whether Jack has been better than Matthews, which is how I interpreted the original assertion. And while I agree that you unleashed a torrent of verbiage in support of your position, I don't think you "unequivocally" demonstrated anything other than an unwillingness to face the reality that Matthews has been better -- as he was again last night.

Fantastic.

The Leafs clearly have more talent at forward (and I sure hope no one is going to point to last night’s game as an example of Eichel outplaying Matthews) and in net. But the Sabres can beat the Leafs when the Sabres bring their A game. Unfortunately, that’s not what the Sabres brought last night. Not even close, and highly disappointing.

It wasn’t just which guy got to play on McD’s line. Matthews has a much bigger role, and played much better, than Eichel in that tournament.

So I guess Mitts' 1st game in Rochester is tomorrow night (Wed).

Until this season, Matthews was the better player. Last year, Matthews had 37 goals and 73 pts in 67 games and was the best player on a playoff team, while Eichel had 28 goals and 82 pts in 77 games, and captained his team to yet another terrible and underachieving season. At least 26 NHL GMs would've taken Matthews over Eichel. They are both outstanding skaters. Eichel is a better playmaker and passer, but Matthews has until this year, and probably still is, a better goalscorer, which is the most important skill there is. Eichel is also a better 2-way player, but that wasn't the case until this year, and there is no reason Matthews can't catch up there. Including Barkov and Draisaitl in your list above is nuts IMHO. That is indeed what I was thinking of. An objective coaching staff trying to win games (with a bunch of big-name NHL coaches -- Todd McLellan, Jon Cooper, Peter DeBoer and Dave Tippett) preferred Matthews to Eichel. Does it really matter? No, but it's another data point as to which guy was considered better in prior years.

Well, until this year, Mathews has been a better goalscorer. He's also played better at best-on-best tournaments. Right now, Jack is ahead, but there are quite a few chapters to be written. Hopefully, these 2 stars and teams will be blood rivals and cup contenders for the next 10 years.

Throwing a million words at a dispute is not equivalent to curb-stomping the other side. I appreciate @Randall Flagg's passion on this, but breaking down his latest opus reveals: - He omitted the fact that Matthews didn't play in Eichel's 1st year -- so the warm recollections of Jack's rookie year games vs the Leafs are neither here nor there. - He omitted, in almost all of his reminisces about Jack's performances, the deets of Matthews' performances in those games -- a highly relevant matter since the whole question here is whether Matthews has been better although Jack has been good. - His glossing over the fact that in the year before last, there were 2 games in which Matthews and Eichel both played, both of which occurred in garbage time, and which were split in both wins and the Eichel-Matthews showdown. As for the games last year, while randall is certainly entitled to his opinions, blithe assertions that Eichel was better is not the same as his actually being better. In any case, the first game between the 2 teams, a 4-3 OT loss in early December, was IMHO the best game between the 2 teams since the 2 stars arrived. Both guys were awesome and dangerous and scored 2 goals (although as randall notes, Matthews closed his hand on the puck and carried it around the net before scoring it on a play that should've been penalized), and Eichel rose to the occasion -- but Matthews also had an assist and the GWG in OT. Again, Randall may think Jack was better than Matthews in that game, but I thought Matthews was better by a hair. In the 2nd game last year, a 5-3 loss in late February, when the Sabres were dropping like a stone but still only 2 games under DeLuca .500, the Sabres took a 1-0 lead on Eichel's PPG -- but then gave up 4 in the 2nd period (the 2nd of which was by Matthews) and the game was effectively over. Eichel had 2 goals but was on the ice for 2 goals against, while Matthews had 1 goal and was on the ice for zero goals against. That is far from "Jack dominated" -- no matter how much we'd like it to be the case. As randall quickly mentions, Matthews and the Leafs clearly were better in the 3rd and 4th games last year. Now, I agree that Jack has been better this year, and I sho 'nuff hope that continues. But we need to deal in facts around here.

Say what? The Sabres were 0-4 vs the Leafs last year, and 2-2 the prior year (with those 2 wins occurring in true garbage time -- March 5 and March 26). In the Sabres' four losses to the Leafs last year, Matthews had better #s in 3 of them. In the prior year, Matthews missed 2 of the 4 games. In the 2 that he played, each of them had better #s in 1 of the games (and the teams split the 2).

I'd much prefer Larsson to ERod for that slot on Skinner's line.

Except that this has never been the case prior to this year. This is a credibility-destroying assertion.

Eichel usually gets especially fired up to play Matthews. I'd like to see: - Linus locked in from the get-go - Skinner to re-assert himself - Some secondary scoring - Bogo in the lineup and plaing like he owes his dudes a major effort after his temper tantrum and he's got something to prove - Unless Sheary and ERod have both looked alive in practice, I'd like to see 11 F and 7 D again. It was working. Go Sabres.

Yes. It is wrong to call someone a turd, a POS, and a cancer. Selfish? Immature? Reacted badly? Sure. But what marchand said was way over the top.

Pittsburgh's QB: better or worse than Peterman?

That's 2 overthrows by Allen to Beasley.

White came back! And when they showed each of the D starters introducing himself and giving his alma mater, White said "Tre White Goalie Academy." Awesome.

Perhaps, but failing to do so would be a very good indicator that he can't cut the mustard as an NHL scoring forward. Do you have examples of scoring forwards who performed poorly in extensive AHL action but nevertheless became good at the NHL level? There are plenty of very good NHL players who spent a good amount of time in the A. Briere bounced back and forth from the A to the NHL before finding his game and becoming a great NHL center. Marchand played 1.5 seasons in the A before becoming an NHL regular at age 22. JT Miller was #15 overall and bounced back and forth for 2 seasons before sticking. Pacioretty bounced back and forth for 3 seasons. Your last sentence, and IIRC some prior posts, indicate that you think the AHL is essentially useless as a developmental tool. That may be true for some guys but I don't think it's true for most.