DarthEbriate

Avalanche booing when Benson touches the puck. Nice.

Well...they are still winning by a goal.

Now we can see if the Sabres can rise to the occasion of a team that his hopping mad and on the all-out attack. Cozens says no....

Two goals, a challenge, a penalty, and there's still 17 minutes remaining in the period.

If Kelly isn't there and checking Benson, there's no way he hits the goalie. He's already spinning to follow the puck. Good to let it stand.

Kelly forced Benson into the goalie, so I'm guessing there's no chance to challenge it with interference and win the challenge. The Avs are going to need to trade for another goalie.

Benson needs to score on a breakaway coming out of the box.

I hope that was offside... about 2 minutes ago.

Woohoo!

Bad penalty on Colton. Perfectly fine hit and it wasn't even that hard, it simply knocked him over. Another powerplay like that first one would be pretty.

Phew.

A competent GM with this much cap space would do just that. He's not going to fall apart or completely lose his wheels in 2 seasons, and the shifty smarts and puck battles are something that carry over year to year. He's a good role model for how to play... an Okposo as originally intended.

BB-4!

You can get a 4-goal lead, you just want to be sure you get the 4-up goal with less than 2 minutes to play in the game.

Was that an... an effective powerplay? With a couple good chances, a won puck battle, and a good keep in at the blue line? Zucker! Sweet.

Rantanen with a quality backcheck; knows where TNT is at all times.

Four hours? Please. The Sabres haven’t played a double OT game in 15 years.

For the Strbak info it was just watching the game highlights. He's playing 23+ minutes/game and 25+ when the games are close. (And it's deflated in WJC since they get to dress a 7th d-man.)

And they'd have 13 games in hand to make up the difference. 😇 Which is what is so infuriating about the construction and age/psyche of the team (essentially only Zucker and Reimer exempted). What is the likelihood they only pick up 3 out of 26 available points in that stretch? If they had simply been underwhelming like 5-8, they'd be a point out of a Wild Card spot today and it could be written off as scuffling without Dahlin in the lineup.

Slovakia had a 5-minute power play and a 2-goal lead against Kazakhstan with less than 4 minutes to play. Kazakhstan gets two shorties to tie it, with the tying goal coming off Strbak being unable to keep the puck in at the blue line. (He wasn't on the ice for the first shorty against.) But, Strbak gets the redemption OT winner. 3-on-3, helps win a puck battle in his own corner, then sprints up ice and gets a breakaway feed as he's left unmarked.

Good call on Määttä. I'd forgotten he'd been in Detroit, too. Crafty veteran who is a LHD but has consistently played on the right side throughout his career. Traded for a 3rd with 2/3 of a season remaining.

We like a good story with good vs. evil. The story feels better when the good side wins. Of course, "Good is a point of view." What we're left with is the question, is our choice of team the side of good or the side of evil? Or the third side of moral victory?

GM Sheevyn will make it legal.

Hronek was a UFA I believe, so at least they got something (1st = Axel Sandin Pellikka). The Wings should've probably just tried harder to extend Hronek though, given he wouldn't break the bank and would be great on Edvinsson's right side (just as he's doing for Hughes). Walman is a weird cap dump. He's not great, certainly. Just a 4-6, but he scores some goals and blocks a lot of shots. (Sabres fans wouldn't love him because he throws fewer hits than Jokiharju, but more than Power.) But to have to move a 2nd and him and receive "future considerations" for it, is goofy, especially since they still have $3M in cap space even with Husso's salary counting as dead cap because he's in Grand Rapids. Their 3D pair isn't any better with Gustafsson on it than it would be with Walman. 2nd = Leo Sahlin Wallenius who is another LHD.