DarthEbriate

Whoops. JJP served it. My feed is way behind anyway. We probably already scored 2 to take the lead.

Florida trying to get cute. Gotta make them pay with a SHG here, or one for Boushh right out of the box. For his goal song.

That's not going to help get that make-up call, Boushh.

Damn what a fantastic save. Edit: gotta elevate just another 3 inches.

Quinn - Krebs - Peterka together after the PK.

They're going to need to gift a make-up call for that one.

Ufffda, that was the call? It was a whiff

It looked worse in replay than in real-time. One thing about getting rid of Huberdeau and bringing in Tkachuk... Florida got a lot nastier.

I agree. I'd reunite last year's top unit and then expand on the 2nd unit (which looked OK in late last year, but now it's got Power instead of Joker). I think we'll see if the game slows down for Quinn and then he can step into the left dot on PP2. If not, he's got to go back to Rochester and you need to rebalance the shooters by bring Okposo back to the right faceoff dot for his shot. Okposo is down low this year and that's a good spot for him, but he was great as the PP2 right shot last year.

Still too many odd-man rushes, but Florida is doing really well to begin their counters quickly. The Sabres definitely settled down sooner than they did against Ottawa. The Tage line still is missing -- the message is out to the league: as soon as Skinner or Tage begins to carry the puck, pressure them immediately. Comrie was solid. Bryson gave up a goal and then made a great stick check to breakup a 2-on-1 after Girgensons tied the game.

They've split out the PP shots (splitting Tage and VO), perhaps to spread out the threats. But Krebs/Mitts aren't owning the puck and distributing yet. I think only one of Krebs/Mitts stays on the wing within a few weeks if this continues.

Ekblad ties up Okposo on the PP. Bryson not strong enough to tie up Tkachuk.

That's a pretty nasty leg clip leading to this.

A nose-goal was almost there! That would've silenced all those critics of giving someone a 7-year extension before scoring a NHL goal.

A stand-up goalie from the 1970s would've had hit in the shoulder.

Between them and all the breakaways against the Sens... this is a good way to start the season and work up to form.

On the goal, Joker with a pretty and hasty decision. And then... the reason Florida could be in trouble. Staal has no legs. Eats it. Tuch then feeds the net further.

Great save!

Nice transition. Quinn Wooohooo! As I was saying, Quinn needs to get to the far side of the net-front on that previous Mitts/Tuch transition. Instead he was too close to Tuch. But then we do it again. Way to Tuch it.

Dahlin -- that's the only garbage turnover allowed today, alright? From here on out, it's on.

Ray said excellent job just before the JJP penalty and... what game was he watching? It's been all Florida and the Sabres dumping it at center ice for a line change.

Photon torpedoes are from that other franchise's universe.

Can you just dress the emergency goalie every game? Your equipment manager/emergency goalie on a cap-free deal? Seems like there'd be some rule prohibiting that.

By the All-Star Game, we'll have threads started for every game through the rest of the season (as well as all 16 postseason games). The Panthers are so solid up front, even losing Marchment and with Duclair on IR. I love Forsling and Ekblad, but the rest of that blue line is unimpressive for a team with Cup aspirations.

At that time it would have been Thompson, Asplund, and Bjork. But then Thompson would have been a 3/4 wing on a defense-first Kraken lineup last year instead of a breakout at center.