Thorner

Just b/c they are representative of the level of competition going forward doesn’t mean they’ll provide more determinative value than the other 58. A much larger sample size. EVERY game is more less representative of the competition going forward - the league is full of parity. I truly do not believe record is as big of a factor as timing - it’s *when* you play a team that matters more, we’ve seen it so many times. Aside from the very top, and very bottom, it’s a league of ups and downs and swings and momentum, over a marathon 82. The overall record is the most valuable in the macro, it‘s the most representative of what to expect moving forward as it provides the most balanced data and we are projecting over a long period of time. But when it comes to an individual game it’s way more about the Micro - we aren’t playing “what they’ve amounted to over 58 games”, we are literally only playing the team in front of us THAT day, inclusive of their current, day to day Mojo. i have no issues with a schedule full of teams like Toronto already locked into their playoff matchup playing for almost nothing. And I welcome the games against those we are fighting against - I call those stress free: if we can’t beat the teams closest to us, we have no right being in it anyways. - - - I should add as an addendum: I think the aspect of the remaining schedule most likely to present the stiffest challenge is the compressed nature of it: competition isn’t a concern for me at all, but sometimes you see teams that have games in hand struggle in attempting to bank those points in part because, the fact they are making up so many games results in an overloaded schedule. If anything fatigue works against them: being the youngest team in league should aid on that front.

Through 54 games: 20th in record 17th in points % 13th in goal differential ..Reasonably solid. The goal differential imo proves the points % mark full value, meaning that as long as we’re treading water re: joining the upper echelon 10 or so teams, we should have no problem holding our own with (and coming out near the top / in the upper tier) of the rest It’s a very solid base that Adams and his team has constructed, let’s call it a Floor. Most impressive. Should be a fun fight to see where it all shakes out from here, and it’ll be pretty unpredictable beyond establishing as a mainstay playoff team, which I do THINK we are headed for

Damn, Vermont has 6 wins in 29 games. They are truly awful lol

Tuch into a tie for 3rd in empty net goals league wide

Long overdue When you have a sub 900 sv %, you better add in a few Steals

Not surprising. Looking at the stats a while back we tend to be front runners We score a lot but also tend to score in bunches and pile on. Empty net goals no better example

We’ve seen a lot of this team now, don’t think I’d be boiling anything down to the next small 4 game stretch ie “this stretch will tell us.” Short of losing all 4 we could make the playoffs regardless and we could win all 4 and miss easily. What are we at, 28 games left? We should be in-and-around it the rest of the way. We’re firmly a “bubble” team and the connotation that implies

I suppose they realized the opportunity was there about half way through the second

Praise Jesus

the Tuch special Sabres in 8th by points %

After today Sabres should have the best odds of those fighting for 8th. They’d have the points% inside track on everyone except Detroit with which they’d be tied But Sabres have the tie breaker currently

Moisture is the essence of wetness

This all sounds well and good but.. ....why male models?

Can’t watch today but the yo-yo-ing performance of our team and those around us fighting for 8th is pretty par for the course: we’re talking about teams ranked ~20th in a league of 32. Again, to make the playoffs you only need to be mediocre aka average. Of course making up ground is another story but we are getting some help today Wouldn’t mind a goalie going ahead and stealing one for us. Believe it or not it’s not that uncommon a thing re: other teams

Good cause based on the scores today, no one wants that 8th spot

Haven’t been able to watch this one.. 7 shots?

5/5 on the out of town scoreboard? 1/32 odds in our favour tonight (I suppose this depends on Detroit losing.) I tell you what, as long as this caps team is rolling out the welcome mat there’s no reason we can’t make the playoffs - control our own destiny

This is the context under which I accept the Ullmark decision. The understanding that the same process that led to that undesirable outcome, on the goalie front, is the process that has resulted in so many other successful roster decisions. No GM bats 1.000 so what I think we are seeing occasionally are exceptions like Ullmark that prove the rule of the process

Do you have any Grey Tooton?

Sounds like a kick ass blue line Ullmark decision good for contrasting that the process doesn’t lead to ALL good decisions

Often it’s not who you play, but when you play them. a lot of the true difficulty of schedule will come down to how these teams are looking when we catch em A team with a mediocre record firing on all cylinders sometimes presents a greater challenge than a good team, slumping, coasting perhaps as they know their playoff position and opponent already b/c the playoff system is balls - - - Sabres are a mid pack team. Would you want to play them when we are “on”? They are as tough an out as anyone in that scenario - and if we’re slumping sometimes we’re an easy out. Aside from the truly elite teams, and the true basement dwellers, I’d say timing is a more important factor than outright record re: schedule difficulty

You know what they say. Fool me once, shame on....shame on..... ...you..? Point is: can’t get fooled again

Florida really picking it up. Calgary looking terrible. Huberdeau’s agent taking shots at Sutter. Calgary made a big mistake this offseason. That Huberdeau contract with him turning 30 *already* looking dicey. 115 points last year. 36 this year in 52 games. Yikes

Agree on the lead-off question. As for the question about camp...I’m not certain but, we’ve all heard Adams frequently talk up the idea that he doesn’t want to “block” any of the kids. I can only imagine that means he wants a clear pathway for any young player who shows themselves to be ready and deserving of a larger role, to the extent they can step in almost right away, once they’ve shown that to be the case. Otherwise, why be so sure to avoid “blocks” if you can just take your time moving them I think if Levi looks ready, he starts. If he’s playing the best, he starts. Pretty sure we know what we have with the rest. Get Levi going b/c if he’s as special as they say maybe we have our goalie and if he’s not, we can sooner get on finding a replacement / PLAN B / legit goalie until he shows he IS able, in a quick time frame: the time line the group deserves

Sabres now currently in 8th position by points % with Washington suffering yet another loss. they’ve so far been the 8th best at acquiring points. Until Detroit holds on for the win, tonight, if they do