DarthEbriate

I had the same thought. Will the Rangers read about the Big, Bad Buffalo coming for them and say, "We've got to call up Rempe from the A because if not, Greenway will check Panarin through the glass." Will the Rangers pull a Dalton Smith? (But then I kind of dismissed the thought. I think the Rangers have confidence in their team's abilities [they've got two games in hand and a 6-point lead in the standings over the Sabres] and aren't intimidated by this team at all.)

It’s really a do it or do it not situation. There is no trying and then saying you did some good things.

Based on their contracts and Ottawa’s expectations for Sanderson to be a top-pairing D and PP 60-point producer, I’m not sure you could convince Ottawa to do Sanderson + a 1st for Dahlin at this point, let alone a top line winger.

++ See, you can do it. -- I call it puck luck. ++ No such thing as puck luck. -- Look, good against the Sens is once thing. Good at the Rangers? That's something else. They played like they needed to play. Now, do it again in NYC.

Sens try to send a message for next time. And Gilbert does just fine.

Good PK boardwork there.

Did it bounce on edge for JJP there?

A pile goal!

A first-minute dribbler!

Lafferty and Zucker with breakaways. Sens with a 2 on 0. Not a goal amongst them.

Like a turtle or a baby chick?

DarthExercise phase complete. I missed a goal. And Ullmark a great save on Lafferty. Just elevate ever slightly more.

TSN broadcast interview, asked about adjustments for period 2, player Jensen says “we have to match [Buffalo’s] intensity.” Huh. So that’s a thing?

Greenway can take their entire top line off the ice.

Muel and Joker out? Perhaps I can find new ways to motivate them.

Intraconference fun To make the playoffs as a #4/#5 Wild Card you want to get a few a wins vs. the good teams (maybe face some backup goalies or get FLA on a night without Barkov/Tkachuk) and then make some hay and be handily over (DeLuca) .500 against the other WC contenders and the bottom feeders. Last year the Caps snuck in with 91 points despite being just under .500 (40-42, with 11 OTL. NYI was also sub.500 but had a whopping 16 OTL!) The Caps were 8-8-4 vs. the top teams in the East (NYR, CAR, FLA, BOS, TOR, and TB). 8-12 is good enough against them. The Caps were 17-10-1 against their competition and weaker Eastern teams (1-2 vs. BUF). --- Sabres The Sabres are off to an OK start against the top team(s): 1-3 v. FLA & NJD. Would've been nice to get a NJD game to OT.... If the Sabres want to make it, then they need to be a cumulative 5+ games over .500 against their primary Eastern competitors. BOS, OTT, DET, MON & WSH, CBJ, PIT, NYI, and PHI. They have started... poorly... in that regard at 1-3-1. --- November This month is Western conference-heavy on the schedule, with only 4 games remaining (and those 2 L in hand!) against the primary teams, so we're unlikely to see the Sabres jump them or have significant movement in the standings barring a massive win streak or getting every other game to OT. But each of tonight 11/5 v. OTT, 11/11 v. MON, 11/16 @ PHI, and 11/30 @ NYI is emphatically a must-win game. Anything less than 3-1 or 2-1-1 will have the Sabres all but eliminated because they'll need to jump everyone in the conference.

Take no penalties; accept no penalties.

The Sabres need to play with the intensity of a gang of four-year olds playing Hungry Hungry Hippos.

Well, that's the real trick, isn't it? And it's going to cost you something extra. 7 years, all in advance. And it's the most damning thing of this entire enterprise. There is no way the Sabres should be outworked, out-hustled to loose pucks, or look sluggish. They've got a new coach to impress, a fanbase that hasn't seen the playoffs in 13 years and is desperate to embrace the team, they're the youngest team in the league but they've got plenty of NHL game experience except Benson, and JJP/Quinn/McLeod/Byram are looking for big paydays. To look flat, to not be flying around, is bordering on incomprehensible. They're off to a bad start record wise, but so was 1/2 of the division so they're no remotely out of it (yet). Now it comes to it -- which team will play with more urgency tomorrow? Ottawa or Buffalo?

Certainly, there's no pity for them. And the other teams in the Central are ecstatic. The question becomes, how long is COL GM McFarland patient with Georgiev? They've already claimed G Kahkonen off waivers. They can still look for a trade but have to deal with Georgiev's salary. And how much patience do they allow for Nichushkin to help solidify the top 6 (he just got cleared to practice with the team, but can't play until at least mid-November) before they get desperate? Nichushkin's reinstatement would push them right up against the cap. Do they still trust him at all or do they look to trade him? It'll be interesting to watch how they handle it.

Based on his team's cap savings and direct EEE message (that has not been rescinded in words/writing by himself yet) the past 5 seasons... he looks very, very cheap. And, per the thread: you don't take away a C after 12 games unless Dahlin were doing conduct detrimental to the team or had been arrested and wasn't ever going to play for the team again.

The Avalanche are getting goaltending malpractice this season. As of 11/4, COL has a team sv% of .834. If the Sabres (who give up more shots/game) had that level of goaltending they'd have 59 goals against right now instead of 42. The Sabres would have given up seventeen more goals -- through only twelve GP, with Colorado's goaltending. Mittelstadt, Makar, and McKinnon's plus/minus will be fine (once injuries abate and COL probably trades for a goaltender). Note: Many holes in COL's lineup (Drouin only 1 gp, Nichushkin suspended though he could return soon and their cap space will disappear, and now Colton and Wood. [Is it even worth mentioning still-captain Landeskog won't play again -- except in playoffs when his salary won't count]?).

Expectations. Zemgus still hasn't scored any points this season, so some things remain the same. Though, he will obviously be on PP1, standing in front of the net, in Tampa's first game in Buffalo this season. He'll tuck in a hat trick.

Second place? It’s too soon to be looking at Tankathon!