bob_sauve28

At some point the talent on this team can/will jell into the chemistry of a good team. They have talent

But there were a lot of fancy passes on those goals. None of them were shoot and crash the net goals really. Fancy pass goals

Sports is just like that. Wouldn't surprise me too much if this talented group goes on a nice run and threatens for a playoff spot, but that is a tall order

Dahlin's back might be tight or hurting

Listen to that crowd!

Ya Dylan!!!!! 🤩

Detroit losing, we can pick up two points on them tonight! @playoff_hopes

And another apple for Dylan, who has also been really good.

When Quinn is on, he is scary good! His shot is elite

These announcers are wacked! Palm trees? Lol,

Quinn! These guys are good, s... well hold on

Tuch

yes, Rasmus with the pretty apple

Yes!!! Benson just keeps coming on!

Then gives puck away, lol

Oh!!!

Um, no, his foot WAS in the crease

I'm not, just recognized the name and did a search and that's what I found. I looked up the show, looks cool

Before dropping the ceremonial puck, the man of the evening first removed his fedora. Thirty years old with a receding hairline, sporting a striped tie, overcoat and round-rimmed glasses, he looked fittingly distinguished for the occasion. Much better, for sure, than the blanched hospital gown he needed for more than a month. To his left at center ice stood all 16 members of the visiting team, wearing white jerseys with “NHL” embroidered across the chest. For their participation tonight, they would later receive medals that had been donated by the Montreal Canadiens’ organization; indeed, creating this event on short notice had required much charity and collaboration from the league’s nine clubs, eight of which were represented on this star-studded exhibition roster. On the other side were the man’s Toronto teammates, watching proudly. All of them had been outfitted in Maple Leafs sweaters, standard blue with white trim. Except these had also been custom-stitched on the front with three giant letters: “ACE.” He might’ve been named Irvine Wallace Bailey at birth, but that’s what everyone called him. And now, on Valentine’s Day 1934, 14,000-plus fans rose and roared for Ace. Two months and two days earlier, Dec. 12, 1933, Bailey was sprawled on the ice at the Boston Garden, unconscious and twitching. He had been injured late during a 4-1 win over the host Bruins, when rugged defenseman Eddie Shore upended Bailey from behind, causing Bailey to fall backwards and land on his head. According to specialists who later treated him, the blithe left-winger from Ontario had suffered “a bruised and torn brain, fractured skull and an extra-dural clot on the brain.” Immediate diagnoses were bleak. At Boston City Hospital, Bailey’s condition was listed as “highly critical,” and within 24 hours he had already undergone two spinal taps to relieve intracranial pressure. The next day, an area homicide inspector visited Shore’s home. According to the Montreal Gazette, the inspector told Shore that an arrest warrant had already been written in the event that Bailey didn’t survive. The intended charge: manslaughter. What followed is not merely the story of the original NHL All-Star Game. To this day, it also remains an incredible tale of physical survival and mental anguish, fights and forgiveness, blood and sacrifice. Secondary characters include a father with a gun; a general manager in jail; and an altruistic sports editor at the paper. The two main characters, meanwhile, have since been inducted into Hockey Hall of Fame. Both lived into their 80s. And yet, Ace Bailey and Eddie Shore will forever be remembered for the moment they collided.https://www.si.com/nhl/2017/01/27/first-nhl-all-star-game-ace-bailey-eddie-shore

Games is not on MSG, its on ESPN2

https://fieldlevelmedia.com/news/sabres-riding-rare-momentum-into-battle-with-blackhawks/After ending a 13-game winless drought, the Buffalo Sabres will look to start stringing some victories together when they host the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night. Buffalo’s nightmarish 0-10-3 streak was snapped in emphatic fashion in Monday’s 7-1 win over the New York Islanders. All of the Sabres’ frustration over the previous four weeks seemed to be channeled into Monday’s rout, sending the team into the Christmas break on a high note. “Great morale in the room right now heading into … a much-needed break for us,” forward Tage Thompson said. “Mentally, physically (we will) just now regroup … and reset for the second half of the season with a win under our belt and some good mojo.” The 13-game slide dropped the Sabres almost to the bottom of the league standings. With 28 points, they are ahead of only the 26-point Blackhawks in the overall NHL table. Chicago is on a two-game losing streak, including a 4-3 setback to the Minnesota Wild on Monday. The Blackhawks gave up a lead in each of the first two periods, then fell behind in the third frame in another late breakdown. The Blackhawks have been outscored 49-32 in third periods, and they share the NHL lead for most goals conceded in third periods this season. “I thought it was (a) little bit the same story,” Chicago interim coach Anders Sorensen said. “The biggest thing I think is when the game is on the line. … (We’ve) got to be willing to go and play offensively at the same time. I thought we got sat back a little bit too much there.” As much as the Blackhawks have struggled in most facets of the game, killing penalties is a clear strength. Chicago’s 85.3 penalty-kill percentage is the fourth-best in the NHL, and opponents are just 1-for-37 on power plays in the Blackhawks’ last 13 games. By contrast, the Sabres have scored on just 14.7 percent of their power plays, the fourth-lowest clip in the league. The power-play unit has shown some signs of life, however, by going 1-for-3 in each of the Sabres’ last two games. Thompson leads Buffalo with 26 points (17 goals, nine assists). Forward JJ Peterka has seven points (two goals, five assists) over a five-game points streak. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was 0-7-2 with an .864 save percentage in nine games before stopping 27 of 28 shots against New York. He probably will start again for Buffalo on Friday now that he seemingly has broken out of his slump. Chicago’s Petr Mrazek missed two weeks with a groin injury before facing the Calgary Flames on Dec. 21. Arvid Soderblom started against the Wild on Monday because the team is easing Mrazek back into action, but Mrazek probably is the more likely candidate to start after the three-day Christmas break. Connor Bedard leads the Blackhawks with 30 points (nine goals, 21 assists). After something of a slow start to his second NHL season, Bedard has started to heat up, tallying four goals and seven assists over his last nine games. Buffalo is 6-0-1 against the Blackhawks since the start of the 2021-22 season. The seven-game points streak includes the Sabres’ 4-2 win in Chicago on Oct. 19 in the first meeting this season. –Field Level Media

Trade rumor talk https://thehockeywriters.com/5-players-the-sabres-should-trade-for/

Most young NHL players will struggle for 2 or 3 seasons earlier in their career. Even if they have strong rookie or second year success. It is a real trend. For whatever reason, many players take a step back for a few seasons before eventually taking off again. Look no further than Washington Capitals leading scorer Dylan Strome. The 27 year old has 38 points in 33 games this year. He put up 67 points last season and 65 the year before. He is playing his best hockey after age 25. Before that, he struggled through 3 straight years of under performing. His only strong season early on was his first full year with Chicago after Arizona moved him. Strome carried a “bust” label for a while there after 3 seasons of struggling but just look at him now. Time, experience and determination has finally made him a strong NHL player. Many years after being selected 3rd overall in his draft. Another example, J.T. Miller for Vancouver. He had 56 points in his 4th NHL season, his highest total to that point. He then went 3 straight seasons not coming close to that number before suddenly breaking out with 72 points. He has since gone on to score more than 80 points a year in 3 of the next 4 seasons. He too did not become dominant until after he was over 25 years old. Now let’s look at superstar Nathan MacKinnon. He scored 63 points in his rookie year and he looked to be unstoppable. Yet he went the next 3 seasons in the league not matching or eclipsing that point total. Then suddenly in year 5 he scored 97 points and has never looked back. MacKinnon was so talented he took off well before age 25. But he still managed that 3 year “setback” that so many seem to do.