DarthEbriate

Keep playing at Muel-in-the-lineup pace and the Sabres will be right around 108 points on the season.* *This has been ongoing since March of last season when Anderson/Tokarski both got healthy again and this season the 4th line in terms of EV minutes will be VO-Jost-Mitts instead of some combination with Bjork-Eakin-Hayden.

And today we'll see how other GMs value the Sabres' defensive depth of 7/8s vs. their own current lineup.

HATPOSO!

Ate dinner... what the hell is going on out there?

That's two solid periods.

It would have been lovely for JJP to score out of the box to add embellishment to the scoreboard.

They're rested for sure, but Detroit is on the 2nd of the back-to-back and their legs gave out even before the third period started. Finish them!

Feed KO the entire 3rd period. Both PP units. Etc.

Fire all forward batteries!

But the second chance, Okposo buries it! Great forechecks by Krebs and Girgs there.

Oh. I so wanted Okposo to go for a drive and deke there instead.

Mitts is getting the dirty ones tonight. Sometimes trying to make the extra pass works.

The Wings had their first sustained pressure, but UPL makes a save and then the rest was snuffed out. Guess which Sabres forward line got caught in its own zone? (Note: If that line can get the occasional big save from the Sabres' 'tenders it'll all work out.

Very good period. If there's any rust its on accuracy on shots and a couple rushes... but... that's normal for this team.

The 4-on-4 play showed the lack of games and practice time. But Clague to the rescue.

Mitts with soft mitts there. Catches the deflection clean and deposits it. +1 too

Östlund tips the puck at center to himself across the blue line, then feeds Ohgren in the slot for a nice assist. 7-0 Sweden. And I've seen enough. I'm going to go do some chores and such.

PP to start the second, and 1 tick after it ended, Rosen wrists one past the goalie's shoulder/head. 2G, 1A thus far.

Östlund is LW on a line with Ohgren and Lysell and they've looked good but haven't scored. And I didn't see it live, only on a replay, but Östlund got in alone and made a solid deke to the forehand but the goalie got his pad down for it. He's on right circle on the PP, with Lekkerimaki as the extra forward on the blue line. (I assume that's PP1) Rosen is skating with Carlsson and LA's pick Bystedt. Rosen corralled a turnover, then patiently buried it. His assist was a wheel from behind the net, shot off the goalie and Bystedt was there for the easy rebound goal. Both Östlund and Rosen are quick, but very tiny.

Rosen with a goal and an assist after 1 over an outmatched Austrian squad.

Clague 6' 190#, Pilut 5'11 194#, Bryson 5'9" 176#. Power forwards can and should drive on them. They're all quick-to-fast, and classified in their drafts/prospects as the "puck-moving D" which has become shorthand for not so great in their own end, especially if the other team gets a cycle going. When one of those guys is #6 and paired with a Boushh or Power or Joker, (or even Dahlin or Muel as a double-shift for the top pair guy) they'll probably be fine. You can deploy them properly and manage their minutes. When all 3 are in the lineup (and Muel/Boussh are out) that's where we've seen it become an issue. Clague is 24 with fewer than 82 NHL games played. The NHL game is still slowing down for him. He can be a #6 guy with the right #5 partner, but is best served as the #7-8. He's also a 1st round pick so the skill level is likely there. Who do we want Clague to maybe become? Probably Joker. Jokiharju has shown some fantastic breakout passes, some smooth low-event play, and is a PMD with the same susceptibilities as these lighter guys: he'll get overpowered. Give Joker the right partner and maybe someday he goes from a 5/6 to a 3/4 with veteran savvy and a bit more mass as he fills out (I still think he can be a Lydman-type when he hits age 27). Clague could be the same, although already probably closer to his max playing weight/strength. Next season, if Joker is your 5/6 and Clague is a 7/8, that's fine. You just want your other 7/8 guy to be of the more defensive variety with shot blocking and reach and board battling as key attributes.

Yup. Just as we keep having threads about how Kane is coming home to Buffalo. Levi will sign with the Sabres and he'll look a lot better behind Dahlin-Muel-Power-Joker-Boushh in his April debut than he does behind a Northeastern lineup. Besides, Levi and Tuch are the direct offspring of the trades of Jackikin Eichwalker and Reino Samidala. It's pretty much his destiny to save the Sabres and restore freedom to the galaxy.

Legwand definitely was a sniper (in the 15-20 goals/season variety). Coincidental timing... until tonight, he was the Nashville Predators franchise scoring leader. Roman Josi passed him this evening by netting 2 points.

It's a party in the USA!

Perhaps in-game the lines were adjusted (and maybe the season-ending one vs. Detroit), but from my nightly lineups, he was on the ERod line for 3/31, 4/2, and 4/4. I did a little digging for the last 6 games: 4/6 v. DET 2 goals - unassisted, Dahlin; 4/4 v. OTT 0G, 0A; 4/2 v. NSH 1G (Montour, ERod); 3/31 v. CMB 0G,0A; 3/30 v. NYI 0G,0A; 3/28 v. DET 1A (on a Mitts goal; and then Eichel scored 41 seconds later from VO's 1st assist and Reino). I can't find the stats to show he got back on the top line.