nfreeman

Does anyone know: - how Samuelsson has been playing for the US? - where to find box scores for these games? I'm curious as to how much ice time Sammy and Laaksi have been getting and haven't been able to find them anywhere.

Jerry Seinfeld, who also is not a "push the envelope" guy, has expressed similar sentiments.

I watched "Amazing Spider-Man" (the 1st reboot) on the plane the other day. Pretty mediocre IMHO. I'll give it a C.

Skinner.

Risto.

So, one more f'n fantastic vacation-related item: my family and I, plus my brother-in-law and his GF, were hanging out this evening at a popular local spot and a pretty young girl came up to us out of the blue and gave my 18-year-old son a note with her phone # on it. My son is a reasonably good-looking kid (at least my wife and I think so), but has even less game with the ladies at this age than his father had. So I don't think this is going to turn into anything, but it was still a memorable vacation item.

Nobody knows anything, but the fact that he hasn’t signed anywhere yet is consistent with the theory that he has some serious personal issue.

Hutton hasn’t been lousy, but he hasn’t been great either, and the team is winning consistently with Ullmark. I’m not all the way to demanding a change, but I can understand those who are.

Skinner’s 1st goal last night is also a contender IMHO.

Believe it or not: Medellín, Colombia. (My wife’s brother and his GF live here — she’s Colombian.)

Serious question: who starts in net tomorrow? JJ’s numbers regarding Ullmark and Hutton can’t be ignored.

Vacation in South America! (But still easy to watch Sabres last night via online center ice package.)

Yes. But we need to do something to get out of this four and freaking eleven rut. If it doesn't work, though, the OP is taking up residence in the SabreSpace dungeon with GoDD.

It seems most likely that Elie will sit for CJ, which is fine, although I'd be perfectly happy sitting any of Sheary, Mitts, KO or Pommer, and I could be easily talked into sitting ERod or TT.

Well, McD butchered the QB situation this year, but I'm reasonably happy with Josh Allen, most of the D, #9 overall (where they will most likely get a good receiver or O-lineman) and a ton of cap space. Beane needs to make it count.

I'm on board with ERod moving up to Mitts' line. Not sure about scratching Eichel in favor of Wilson though.

I hate to say it, but that was the kind of loss that a loser team that isn’t going to make the playoffs loses. I thought the call on Risto was the right call, and that it was an idiotic play on his part. They are 4-10 in their last 14 games. It’s time to make some changes in the middle 6. I’d vote for Smith and O’Regan to be called up, but it almost doesn’t matter who it is. They need to do something.

Well, I'm glad we know which temporary housing website JJ favors. But will it be a full apartment, or a room in a shared apartment? Perhaps a bed in a shared room? I was going to express doubt as to whether any more new threads are necessary on this, but now I feel like I need to know how this turns out.

Not surprising but no fun either.

I don’t think he should be sent down yet, but last night was probably the worst Pilut has looked IMHO.

This is pretty obnoxious.

@StuckinFL — i assume you mean a discount of $3.5MM to $4MM in total, right? Not per year? If so, I agree that he might go for that as long as the term is 7 or 8 years. But I also think his per-year number starts with an 8.

A few reality-driven principles are worth emphasizing: - There is NFW that Skinner accepts anything less than a 7-year deal. - Skinner might not hold out for the absolute last dollar if he is happy here, but there is NFW he is taking, say, a 20% discount to stay here, no matter how much he likes playing with Eichel. So if someone offers him $8.5MM x 8 years, for a total of $68MM -- the Sabres are going to need to offer him at least $62MM, even if his center on the $68MM team is Ville Freaking Leino. - Skinner's decision will almost certainly be based on total $$, not average $$ per year.

I noticed that too — that 2nd unit did pretty well — better than the top unit had been doing. I thought it might’ve been Howie sending a message to the top unit. I was hoping he would keep doing that but he went back to the regular rotation.

It sure didn't look that way to me -- more like Getzlaf was telling him exactly what the deal was and Eichel wanted no part of it (which is totally fine, of course, as Getzlaf is much bigger). Separately -- my game notes: - Ullmark was outstanding. I am nowhere near concluding that he's the next #1, but he is definitely keeping the competitive pressure on Hutton, which is great for the Sabres. - Skinner's goal was an elite goal-scorer's goal. The feint to the middle to get Gibson (a very good goalie) off the post, and then going high backhand on the short side? Awesome. - Skinner also had his agitator A-game going last night. - I can see PA's point that some kind of announcement about RJ would've been nice, but I can also understand the decision not to say anything until they had further info. - The D group, top to bottom, was excellent. McCabe had a couple of shaky passes early on but then seemed to find his timing and played very well. - In the 3rd period, when it was 1-0 and the Sabres were killing those penalties, it occurred to me that Bogo, McCabe, Larsson and Zemgus are the guys you call when you have a problem. You don't want to abuse the privilege, but when your car breaks down in a blizzard in the middle of the night, they'll come for you. Solid as a freaking rock. - I think I kinda like Tommer on the checking line with Zemgus and Larry. Those 2 are so good on the forecheck, and keeping the puck in the O-zone, that it inevitably creates more opportunities for Tommer than he gets when he's with one of the other lines. And he's pretty good on the forecheck too. - It's kinda counter-intuitive because they aren't great defenders, but Howie clearly likes having Eichel's line out whenever there's a potential ENG situation. And Reino made another very nice play last night to create the ENG. - It's getting harder and harder to see Pilut getting sent back down. He looks terrific and clearly better than Beaulieu, Nelson and Hunwick. - Ladies and gents: the Sabres are tied for #4 in the entire GD NHL at the xmas break.