pastajoe

Relax, rookies are made to do grunt work on all teams. It's to show them that they have to earn the veteran's respect.

Too bad, they have a nice little arena right in the middle of town with a second ice sheet for youth hockey. I hoped the Sabres would give them more players, but only a few are Sabres. They've been so bad that people stopped going. Along with Worchester, Jacksonville Fla. is getting the idle Evansville team next season.

Perhaps too many veterans, making room for younger players. The Sabres loaned Rochester captain Cal O'Reilly to the Toronto Marlies on Wednesday. O'Reilly has nine goals and 33 assists in 47 games for Rochester, and the Sabres were reportedly close to dealing him at the trade deadline in a minor-league transaction. By loaning him, O'Reilly remains Buffalo property. It's the same situation as Amerks center and South Buffalo native Tim Kennedy, who was loaned to Rochester earlier this season by the Carolina Hurricanes. O'Reilly simply changed dressing rooms Wednesday night as the Marlies were in Rochester The Amerks entered Wednesday last in the AHL's North Division at 23-32-2 while Toronto was third at 30-24-5 and battling to stay in a playoff spot. Greece native Matthew Lane has been recalled from Elmira to Rochester to take O'Reilly's spot. Lane, who had one assist in nine games for the Amerks earlier this season, had 11 goals and 13 assists for Elmira. He's a former Boston University teammate of Eichel and fellow Sabres center Evan Rodrigues.

I had a dream last night that I was chosen to make the first round draft pick for the Sabres, the 3rd pick in round. I was sitting with GMTM, and said let's look at who's the best D available. GMTM handed me a sheet that had a Czech goalie I never heard of on it. He said that was the pick. I said, but we need a D. He said pick the goalie. I did eat pepperoni, cheese, and crackers late last night.

Wear white at home after Christmas. I get why they changed to dark at home, so teams could wear 3rd jerseys and promote sales. But I assume most jersey sales are before Christmas, so after then wear white so we can see the visiting team's colors.

People are unfairly assuming that Peters advocated that type of behavior just because he was an inforcer in the NHL. I've coached U18 and U15 teams. Your dealing with kids who will overreact to a hard check or pushing so they don't look like a wimp, no matter how many times you emphasize that they need to back away and let the other team take the penalties. The only recourse you're left with is suspending the players after the fact. But teenagers don't always think rationally. And Peters was pushing a guy away who was jumping his players on his bench. I'm sure he didn't mean for the guy to fall back, but it happens when you're on ice. But the refs weren't keeping the other team's players away from the bench. Don't let a dislike of Peters commentary or personality cloud the facts.

I get nervous any time Risto-McCabe aren't on the ice. I don't trust any of the other D. Kulikov hangs onto the puck too long, and the others are too slow.

Went to Syr-Roch game which Amerks lost 5-2. The Crunch got a couple of lucky bounces due to the bad ice. It was too warm in there, you could see the ice was bad, the puck was bouncing and some guys were falling untouched. But the Amerks overall lack team speed and size. It would be a mistake to call up Nylander. He looks like a boy among men. He shows some skills but needs to bulk up so he doesn't get knocked around. Even his socks look baggy. Baptiste has the speed to compete for the NHL, but nobody else stood out. Although the new D Mullen looked like he had some skill, but probably too small for the NHL.

Trade and don't bring back. I'd rather get rid of an older player too early than too late, ala Moulson. Deminishing returns, no guarentee that he doesn't fall off. They have enough faster young forwards ready to move up next season. Make ROR captain, give Eichel an A.

Because most of the frequent betters like myself went broke by January. I did propose giving everyone another 2000.

Given the ongoing personal attacks that are allowed in the PPP site on anyone who isn't a conservative, there does appear to be a bias.

Having different views isn't the issue in PPP, it's that many of the posters can't just debate the issues, they feel compelled to personally attack posters they disagree with. One recently attacked another poster by stating that people who think like him should be beaten or die. And the moderators allow it, while giving warnings when they don't like what someone says about an elected official.

I don't think the PK problem is with the forwards, it's with the D. ROR, Zemgus, Kane, and Gionta can do the job. I'd like to see Eichel get more chances given his speed and long stick, but perhaps they don't want to tire him out. Most of the goals are scored because the D isn't clearing out the slot, so the goalies are screened or the scorer's stick is left free to get a rebound or deflection. And when they chase the puck in the corner or below the goal line and lose the battle, it allows the pass out to a shooter. For 4th line, that's not the proper role for Moulson. He's too slow and not physical enough, but his performance doesn't warrant top line minutes. If it wasn't for his contract, I believe he would be sitting or waived. DLo is a fine 4th liner, a physical forechecker who needs fast line mates to complement him. Maybe try Tim Kennedy at C with DLo and Carrier. He could also play the PK and 2nd PP if needed.

Have the goalies wear white pants.

I had that since Christmas. Felt like I had fluid in my lungs; coughing and out of breath. It finally went away this week.

Brendan Guhle snagged a pair of first-period goals (10, 11) before leaving the game in the second period due to injury. @KrisBaker

I've said for awhile that Zemgus was being underutilized and a better all around player than Larsson. Now he's getting a chance to prove it to DD.

Announced that Risto is being paired with Falk, so probably Nelson with Fedun.

Deadpool 2, it's a work in progress that won't be ready until 2018.

They won't bring Guhle up until near the end of the season. They don't want to use up a year of his contract if he plays more than 9 games.

Remember when they won in Edmonton without Eichel when we thought they'd get killed. But without 3 D and against a rested Carey Price, I would expect losing 5-1.

I liked Al Smith's mask, it had the logos of all the teams he played for.

He's the youngest player in the AHL. After the season is over he'll have the knowledge of what he needs to work on to play in the North American pros, and how he needs to improve his physicality. He wouldn't get that in other leagues. It will put him ahead of his contemporaries.

I expect that if Bylsma was fired, they would just promote Terry Murray as interim coach.