LGR4GM

On Benson, I would be surprised if he leveled off at a middle 6er but it is possible. He lacks elite speed and his shot is currently just above average. I think though with his motor, puck skills, and smarts that he most likely turns into a very good to borderline elite top line guy. He is going to be a nightmare at 5'11" 190lbs if he gets there. I will add that one thing Benson has that Reinhart never did was grit. Benson is a pain in the ass, he stick lifts like a all star and his is IMPO smarter than Reinhart.

The only downside for Buffalo is that Jeff Skinner has 4 years left on his deal. If you slide Benson's ELC that means Skinner's 9mil is off the books when Benson hits his post ELC deal. That said, I don't worry about it. If he helps us win, keep him.

Had a person above absolutely unload on me after I questioned my lack of invite to a planning meeting. We don't speak any longer. So I suppose them doing that wasn't really effective considering I make sure I no longer am on projects they are remotely involved with. I think what Don Granato says on WGR and what he says in the lockerroom are not always the same. Also, he just benched Olofsson so clearly there is a message being sent to the team.

Olofsson confirmed out and Jost in

2nd pp unit is now the following Krebs Mitts-Benson-JJP Power

Sabres’ lines at morning skate suggest Olofsson will be scratched tonight: Skinner-Thompson-Tuch Peterka-Cozens-Krebs Greenway-Mittelstadt-Benson Girgensons-Jost-Okposo Olofsson filled in on a defense pair during rushes.

Devon Levi in the starters net this morning

You aren't. I don't think the sky is falling. I think they played a bad game against the Rangers and got unlucky against the Islanders but were the better team. I think some guys need to get going obviously but if we lost 2 games like we just did in January, there would be grumbling but not like this. Sidenote. Granato talked about splitting Tuch up from Tage and Skinner as a way to make it harder for teams to line match. Not sure how you do that with the way things are now. No one should count the preseason because it has 0 bearing on the actual season point totals.

Listening to Granato, I think they are looking to move olofsson off that line with Cozens. He talked a lot about Quinn and how him being out has impacted Cozens. Talked glowingly about jjp and didn't mention olofsson at all. I put this in the gdt because I think it's something to watch this game. They can't keep rolling a line that's being caved in like that if they want playoffs.

What's Craig Anderson up to.

Depends what we would have gotten for the pick. But, I do have a special place in my heart for how Benson plays. He's better than I thought though.

You think the offense looks bad because the guy with... checks notes... 8 receptions for 121yrds and 10 receptions for 100yrds in the last two games is getting thrown too? That is a take. I think it is a terrible take but it is a take. Davis was 3 of 4 for 21yrds and 6 of 8 for 100yrds in the last 2 games btw. So in at least 1 of those games, Allen was not simply looking for Diggs. Knox has the EXACT same stats for both games, 3 of 6 for 17yrds... because Knox is mid.

True, I do think however that Russia is currently overextended in Ukraine and will find it difficult to offer much support. That said however, I am sure they can supply arms shipments to the middle east which might be all the support some actors need. If other Muslim majority countries decide Israel's response is too much, then it gets escalated. Egypt, Syria, and Iran are the big ones I am thinking of with Saudi Arabia another name to watch. All of them could stand by though and I know Egypt at least has tried to open a humanitarian corridor to Gaza with US help. The question I see in all this is China. China is not overextended in another conflict. Who's side they ultimately want to support and how they show that support is of great interest. As a global power, China has the means and ability to change the game so to speak in the region. That said, they may not find it in their interest to interfere openly but they could tie up US assets through subtle supplies to enemies and then use this conflict to take the long awaited steps for reunification with Taiwan. That said, my understanding of the Taiwan situation is that China would not be ready to invade until the early 2030's and would prefer a more peaceful solution (like getting a pro China government elected and then just absorbing Taiwan). Board is set and the pieces are moving.

Looks like Coup planner Jim Jordan is going to be the next speaker of the house. He has never passed a bill in his entire time in congress. He refused a congressional subpoena and is not the brightest bulb. The GOP is no longer a functional political party. I thought that when they ousted Liz Cheney but sadly this is where we are at.

I think Hamas needs to be dealt with for what they did, I however do not believe carpet bombing the entire Gaza strip is the way to do it. A Palestinian American child was killed in Chicago because of the hate towards all Palestinians that is being amplified basically everywhere. There has to be some middle ground between Israel can do whatever they want and Palestinians wanting some sort of real country makes them antisemitic. What Hamas did was evil but if the solution to that is genocide of an entire ppl, the solution is wrong. Sadly I think the ground invasion of Gaza is all but guaranteed at this point.

Trump slapped with a gag order in the DC case for his attempted coup.

It makes almost no sense to me

JJ Peterka right now...

Grantao already reduced the top 2 lines minutes.

At this point they need to jettison VO to save themselves from themselves. My biggest fear right now is that Adams is going to overvalue the guys all being buds and friends and forget that sometimes friends need to be sent away. Looking at this, I think that comes down to the lines getting more playing time over anything. Still, not great.

Benson does so much on the first goal by Greenway. When he gets the sticks lifts on the back check he immediately taps the puck into space for himself. The defender (A) who lost the puck turns towards that way and Benson is already pushing the puck under him the opposite way. This results in that defender finishing his turn to find Benson a full stick length away while the defenders momentum pulls him further away. Benson continues on the angle he has because it cuts the hands of the nearest islander who is in a full sprint backwards (the trailer), this gives Benson the body position he needs. After he has the step he continues towards the defender (B) who is facing him, at this point Benson has neutralized 2 islanders. Once that B defender drifts out wide enough for Benson, he cuts hard back towards the center of the ice and for a 2nd time cuts the hands of the trailing defender. At this point the only defender in a position to do much is the B defender who steps into Benson and allows the trailer to also get to Benson. However Benson has created space. The B defender has to slide to the middle and trailer is also in the middle. The A defender he turned around is still out of the play but has to slide out as Benson slides into the middle. Again we now have 2 players Benson pulled to the middle of the ice and the A defender he beat has to keep moving further outside to maintain his gap as Benson goes east west while being engaged. Once Benson fights through the double check he knows that there is space where he cut from and lays the puck into it. This forces that A defender to come all the way across the ice but there is no one to take the space he vacates except, Greenway. Greenway takes the pass from Mitts and again you see him cut the hands of the trailing defender and we get a goal. It all happens because Benson gets 1 guy turned around, then attacks towards the B defender while cutting the hands of the trailer, once engaged with the other defender he cuts hard towards the middle and using his size, slips through the double check to lay the puck back across into space. When I talk about manipulation this is what I mean. His route is planned to move people and give him options. By turning the A defender, cutting the hands of the trailer and driving at an angle towards the B defender, Benson is forcing those players to react to him.

Diggs is getting the ball so much because he is the only receiver who consistently gets open. The Bills offense isn't good because Knox is average, Gabe Davis should be a 3wr, and the Bills truly do not have a legit #2 wr anyone needs to consistently worry about. What you wrote here is total bullcrap and is typical Buffalo "blame the good players" mentality.

According to almost everyone on this website, the JJP - Cozens - Olofsson line is the 2nd line and therefore he is in the top 6. I think the time to trade him is long past and teams know what he is now.