DarthEbriate

We're on a powerplay? Hulu has totally let me down. I'm still saying: Time to wake up, gents! The second period has not been anything like the first. Go get after it.

Now that's a film I've not seen in a long time. A long time. (I wonder if it's aged well at all.)

Better movement on the PP than we've seen since the blizzard. Practice is helpful. Would've loved to get out of the first 2-0, but there's no denying which team was superior through 20.

Nice step-up by Boushh there to force the offside. His skating looks to be back to pre-injury status.

Tuch almost. Nice counter and a beautiful stretch pass.

All too easy. You know where Victor will be waiting. (And nice clear from the zone by VO to start it.)

And he had an excellent early shift as well (unsure if it was his first, though). Outmuscled Foligno for a puck.

The Sabres look like they finally had a practice or two.

Jost (team that waived him) and Mitts (home state team) are motivated on that first shift.

^ This is good. Gustavsson has been playing recent-Luukkonen-level for them and has earned their home game tomorrow night. The Wild have a really odd scheduling quirk this week --- today at BUF, tomorrow home STL, then right back east at NYR and NYI. The STL doesn't appear to be a make-up game, but it is an oddity. Zuccarello is day-to-day. If he's out or slowed significantly that's an enormous plus for the Sabres. The Wild are just as hot as the Sabres. 15-5 in their last 20. This should be a ton of fun. Keep playing fast -- don't let Krebs get into any theatrics with Foligno, Reaves, Dumba, or Middleton. Just skate around them.

It's the offense. The 8-game losing streak was an aberration from defensive injuries and the lessened ability to transition and counter. They still scored 3 or more goals in 4 of those losses. During the current 7-1 stretch, they've scored fewer than 3 goals 1 time (the Ottawa loss), and that is with the Kid Line completely disappearing off the scoresheet (1G, 3A from Quinn & JJP). They're still almost at 4 gpg, almost 0.2 gpg ahead of Boston. The sample size is large enough that one-game explosions aren't changing things. Stay healthy, keep the goaltending average, and this offense will guide them to 7-3 out of every 10.

This 13 game in 21 day stretch starts with MIN and WPG at home concludes at WPG and at MIN to close out January. In between are a ton of winnable games based on how the Sabres have been playing. (And Seattle, which has proven so far to be a horrible matchup for the Sabres... but the Kraken have never faced Samuelsson.) Split with MIN and WPG at worst, and keep skating fast every night. Get the JJP-Cozens-Quinn line going again. Keep the goaltending average to above and this could be really fun in February.

Decent night thus far for the Sabres. The Predators beat the Caps in regulation, the Panthers-Red Wings doesn't go to overtime, and Calgary is up 2 on the Islanders (still early).

I was referring more to last season's 13 goals with a few very good shots that beat unscreened goalies cleanly, which I've not really seen from Asplund. Hino only has 17 shots on goal this season, so the sample size isn't there.

The reason to keep Hinostroza is the same reason he was re-signed. He's the veteran off the bench with speed (and a sneakily decent shot) that can play on any wing in the lineup without disrupting the other lines in the event of a 2-3 game injury. The only guys he can't fully replace (in the very short term) are Tuch or Girgs because although he has the speed, he doesn't have their size to move people off pucks or outmuscle folks on the boards. Asplund doesn't provide that same flexibility and everyone in Rochester is an unknown at this point except Murray who doesn't have the wheels.

I agree. But the only GMs who'd trade anything for Asplund are folks who love his defensive metrics (like Seattle or Carolina) and they already have several guys who fit that bill because they've drafted them already or they have a player with higher offensive upside. Maybe you luck into a GMTM-must-have-rage where you get an on-the-cusp top-4 D (McNabb) and two 2nds for the pair of them, but that seems a bit of a reach. Players like Jost go through waivers; there's no need for anyone to offer anything over a 6th round pick for a Hino.

And now... Counterpoint... of madness! If you want to keep 3 goalies for a bit... JJP and Quinn have combined for 1 goal in the last 11 games (22 combined gp) turning the team into a 1-line team. If the top line is off or the opponent has line to match them (see Ottawa), the team loses. The Kid Line is currently taking a nap, positive Corsi or not. Give Asplund and Hinostroza each a game before Comrie returns as a showcase. If you can get someone to give up a 4th for Asplund or maybe a 5th for Hino go for it. But if a slight reshuffle gives the bottom 9 a spark (particularly VO on the powerplay), JJP and Quinn are both waivers exempt and can immediately jump right back up to Buffalo if an injury hits, if someone is moved, or if UPL cools down. Note 1: Having nearly every forward healthy all season is a good thing. Note 2: Waive Bryson when Joker returns. Jokiharju does everything Bryson does, but better. Clague has supplanted Bryson in the lineup and Bryson's 1.8M salary is much more likely to clear waivers. And Fitz is a better replacement for the Boushh/Muel role than Bryson, in the event either of them blocks a shot and misses a spell.

Wait... so defensemen can't be All-Stars anymore?

Going into Wednesday's semis, Czechia goalie Tomas Suchanek (also Sabres 2022 Prospects Challenge goalie) is tied for 12th in the tourney with 4 assists. An assist with the right results could get him into the top 10. ....he probably can't catch Bedard. Kulich v. Rosen and Östlund. And only one of USA-Canada gets to play for gold. Should be fun, although ESPN+ is not carrying this round which is maddening.

Currently at 19-15-2. If they play at "Muel-Pace" (Samuelsson in the lineup) for the remainder of the season, they're on track for 110 points.

Big win tonight because all the wild card hunters in the East got points. And no, it's not too early to start minding the standings: it's 2023 now.

They even name-dropped Jokiharju as a big piece coming back for their top 4.

The Sabres (again) joined the long ranks of NHL teams that squandered two-goal leads this season. But I think the only one that they've lost was against Tampa. Resilience is good. And UPL saved their bacon along the way in the 3rd.

I see it now. They wanted to improve their +/-

Yes. Yes, yes, yes on Tuch's forecheck. Great shot, kid. Don't get cocky.