DarthEbriate

Their stretch to make up ground on the teams they were immediately trailing and the teams also in the basement is half-over. Once that first Penguins game hits, the season is mathematically over because the teams to leapfrog have crushed us. Unless we sweep the Pens and Bruins, I suppose. But we needed to gain points on the Flyers, we didn't. We needed to beat the Devils and Rangers, we didn't. Unless we sweep the Islanders, the math won't add up unless we do some Hamburgler 20-2 garbage that this goaltending (sans Ullmark) is incapable of. So... sell it off and plan for next season. It's a shorter season so the pain won't last as long.

^ But next time, do it in the 1st period so it can take effect.

Do. Or do not. But yes -- at least they were engaged all game. Rocky start... but they looked better than their home games, regardless of opponent. Sometimes you win sometimes you lose. At least they didn't look listless and like garbage. Edit: And don't get me wrong. They didn't look *good*. They just weren't the trainwreck they were this last week.

Good job, Okposo!

Now if this team responds to Cozens... that's a turning point. It shouldn't save Krueger (Pegulas, pay attention!) but it could save the players.

Wow... NYR replay... Cozens destroyed him.

Cozens battling, scrapping, turns into a fisticuffs, and he wins it. Ladies and gents, your future captain of the Buffalo Sabres. It's too bad we have to kick an elite goal-scorer to the curb to make it happen. And it's a shame the only player on this team willing to stick up for himself (not yet proven with teammates) is a rookie.

Nothing. There is absolutely no historical precedent for a top line Sabre being lost before July 1st, or in handing out $7M+ signing bonuses on July 1st that must be circumvented.

How about a soft goal early, and then a PP goal to get back to within one... followed by a Rangers empty-netter. It's all good though, because we've scored 5-on-5 tonight.

I hope we don't ruin Cozens or Rieder.

Nifty Bryson. In a row? Edit!!!! I totally missed the word "consecutive". I'll go look it up in the dictionary now.

We're super fast! (We just don't play fast.) It's like we're combine fast, but put the pads on in game action and... not so much. I think that's coaching. Because I've seen Hall be fast. And I've seen Eichel be effortlessly/deceptively fast.

Schaller, Blackwell... there's a couple effort guys who have either carved out... How the hell did Hutton drop that? ... or could carve out 5-10 year NHL careers simply because they're savvy and put in the effort.

We're skating faster tonight, a bit more desperation/effort than any of the games in the last 2 weeks. (To the untutored, visored eye.) Although the lower camera angle vs. Marine Midland makes it look faster. Still... they're more engaged. Shestyorkin with a great positioning. Skinner had nothing (Edit: on the first shot). The second... too far wide.

Buchnevich is unstoppable... against us.

Well then stick around and hang out with us! It's an older troll, sir, but it checks out. I was about to clear it. Dahlin does have muscle against Kreider. Although... 'twas the horizontal stick caught against the glass that did the damage.

Hey, Colin Blackwell is the intermission interview on NYR broadcast. Living the dream each day, 27 about to turn 28, and he's just trying to make it. Thus he skates with passion, energy, and Eichel probably isn't the only top-line opposition that he drives bonkers simply with hustle and will. We don't have any of these players. We don't have a single player who is forcing his way onto the roster via effort and the coach can't keep him off of it.

The Rangers broadcast has been very... apologetic for the Sabres. COVID, injury to McCabe, and poor puck luck. I'm minutes behind... Eichel just took down his arch-nemesis... former Amerk Colin Blackwell. Will catch up to live over the commercials/intermission.

Except for teammate Taylor Hall, who was 26 when he won the Hart and made the playoffs for his first time (and with the help of MoJo and Drew Stafford and... Matthew Kinkaid??? in goal). Also after being traded.

We must prepare the ice for the third period --- Remove the supports!

Bloodsport ran at 12:05 AM CST on TBS along with fellow stalwarts The Beastmaster, Gymkata, and The Delta Force. These are all bad movies. They are all great fun to watch at 1205 AM and I did so frequently. I may even unashamedly have copies of said films to rewatch at later times. (But they're still bad movies.) To the Kumite!

It sure feels like we're driving a jawa sandcrawler to the playoffs. Except of course the playoffs are offworld and require a ship with an operational hyperdrive.

Bloodsport is an objectively bad movie, just as we are a subjectively bad NHL hockey team. But Bloodsport is really fun to watch if you happen to be a fan. The Sabres are not fun to watch.

They'll use the opportunity to give their taxi squad guys some time to stay fresh. We'll still get crushed if we keep on like this.

Dahlin backed down. It's 0-3. Just suck it up and start throwing punches. Backed down just like the rest of this team.