DarthEbriate

Boushh needs to start facing up to shooters when attempting his shot blocks. He's missed multiple games on 2 occasions now after blocking shots with the side of his foot/ankle/leg. Or... start wearing shin guards facing in all directions.

Follow-up but in the shorter-term: How is Rousek's board battling and speed/forechecking looking? In preseason I thought he looked the closest to getting a bottom-6 injury call-up. Would that still be the case or is someone else more deserving?

Certainly. The silver lining is that if the offense keeps this up, they'll storm through SJ, CLB, the PIT home and home, and LA before a rematch with Colorado. Beat the bads, try to stay even with the goods. That's where we're at.

Arizona is trying to lose, but they're not running away with it. Would they move Vejmelka for a 2nd + ... Mitts?

I... I fail to see the penalty there. What was the call?

Colorado is going to blow a 2-goal lead against us. I can feel it.

Phew. Thanks, UPL.

Certainly a bit, but he wasn't chopped liver. And although it wasn't a GMTM pick, it's the old "draft a big Swedish Scandinavian guy" and give him 5 years and see what you get. Sometimes it's an Ullmark, sometimes it's a Johansson, sometimes it's Lehner, or a UPL.

I mean... the Sabres have been the better team 5-on-5 by far. If we can just avoid any more trips to the box, we'll be able to get out this. Ok --- I jinxed Power on that one. My bad. mistake. He's an old friend of mine.

Use the Force, Tuch!

Yes. 2018-19 -- he was excellent in Sudbury, made a stellar Amerks debut, and did really well for Finland in the World Juniors. There's a reason he was a top goalie prospect. It's just not panned out thus far.

Two. Portillo and Levi next year for the Sabres if Comrie get injured in the off/preseason.

Yes. No. Subban made one amazing save last season -- otherwise, he's no better than UPL. It's Anderson and Comrie. We're on year 5 since investing in a #1, even though Lehner was unproven one at the time.

Technically, he can now make money off his likeness in the NCAA. So if you set it up correctly, yes.

Dang, rebound to the slot, which is why you shoot for the pad from time-to-time instead of always trying to go top corner and miss the net entirely.

Tuch... our resident Imperial Stormtrooper.

They scored one... but so little down low to high, everything was a shot from the circles with slow passes side-to-side. Sluggish, but back within one.

He has as much confidence in his shot as we do.

All too easy.

@LGR4GM Don't look now, but Quinn is ahead of Jarvis in scoring this season (with 5 games played in hand). I've been especially impressed by his vision and transitions -- he forces defenders to give him space.

Not at all. Exempting the McDavids/Makars of the world, you probably know all you need to know after 150 games played regardless of age (to account for adjustments to sophomore slumps and adjusting to opponents who have fully scouted you and are attacking you in specific ways) + 1 round of playoff games. This is where Tage is unique because of the position switch + filling out his frame. I still think he'll get much better defensively as a center and he'll also learn to use his strength in faceoffs with another year or two honing that craft. But 2 years ago, he was a joke of a winger with only a curl-and-drag that didn't go on net and the inability to win a board battle. For the 4-5 years, I think this is league-wide. All those players who missed much of 2 seasons' worth of development are behind where they could have been. (Bonus: the elder trio also got the bonus of being Kruegered.) And I agree, I think we all know what each of those players is already: a complimentary one-dimensional piece that can contribute in a meaningful way if they're on a line with two players who excel at their deficiencies. The NHL is filled with them. The trouble is when you put them all on a line together and none of them happen to the be "other two who excel at their deficiencies", which is what we're seeing. The good news out of that is we have 3 good lines at the moment (again, too soon to judge Jost who may finally get it after being found expendable by Colorado, then outright dumped by Minnesota). Holy crap! Ristolainen is still only 28 years old. One of these days... when that light goes on... 😇

I wanted to check the 4-5 years because with the exception of VO they're all still under 25 years old so I was intrigued. With COVID shortening one season and crashing another, plus injuries, they're a bit under 4-5 years of experience in terms of games played. For normal seasons, the low end 4*76gp AHL = 304 games, and the top end would be 5*82 (NHL) = 410 games. Career AHL/NHL = total gp: Krebs 25/78 = 103 gp Asplund 111/155 = 266 gp Mitts 36/218 = 254 gp VO 66/211 = 277 gp (1/3 of the way into his 4th season by available games to play) I agree they're being evaluated in exactly the manner you've stated, but they're more between 2-4 years of experience in NA pro games played vs. their how their contracts have played out (Mitts burned a year, etc.).

Georgiev is fine, but I'd be much more worried if the Sabres were facing some AHL call-up making his first appearance of the season. Sabres will score at least 3 on Georgiev (and possibly a couple empty-netters for kicks).

But the wheel only has one wing... it shouldn't be plural.

++He could be worse. --He's worse. ==There isn't a good goalie in here. --That's your imagination.