Thorny

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

So much harder to isolate who the good coaches are relative to a league like the NFL, with its rigid, game-calling based structure relative to the NHL’s free-flowing, much less structured form of competition. Even the NBA has more set plays. At more points within an MLB game, even, I would argue coaching comes into hyper focus: all eyes being on each pitching change decision, multiple times a game, swing points that alter the outcome in a way that’s much easier to analyze after the fact. Ive always underrated coaching in the NHL because I’m not sure I have a good grasp of what a good coach is, does, and how to necessarily go about measuring it. I don’t think they have as much tactical input as other sports, but they definitely have impact. Perhaps this lends a bit of credence to the idea a guy named Donny MeatBalls is best coach in the national league. Perhaps, if I’m not totally mistaken that there’s less direct tactical influence (of course they still influence play style which is huge, but other sports do that too obviously and a good coach picks the play style that’s APPARENT based on the skills of his players), where an nhl coach has the most impact is, (maybe?) the instilling of confidence and motivation and fostering and environment that actively harnesses the best his players can give. I was going to scoff at the notion but, there’s something there. two things I find interesting branching off this: - if what those players are saying is true - the results will simply bear out: when the talent level increases Coach would continue to get the optimal output from the unit and we’d be winning a lot of games - it supports the idea I’ve been alluding to that, flashes though we’ve seen, our *overall*, 2-way talent level isn’t quite there yet. Cause I don’t think it can be both. Donny can’t be the best hockey coach in the known universe if our roster is “damn good” and the result is we are an ~mid pack team, like we are. That would not jive

My hip shake brings all the boys to the yard damn right it’s betta than yours I can teach ya (how to make saves) ..but I’d have to charge

We can improve it that way, I agree. The elephant in the room is still the fact that, putting Levi aside, no one here in their heart of hearts actually acknowledges the other 3 tenders as good goalies. We can just say it - of course we could, and will, improve the position by improving our overall commitment to team D but another thing that would unquestionably help is..inserting a player in goal who provides as much value relative to league average as the players we currently have filling other positions. Ive seen what Adams can do at F. I know he can accumulate good talent and supplement the talent we have. He’s been exceptional in most areas - it makes the GT exciting and disappointing. I know he can do better - but I’m excited to see him mine that value. It’s not impatience, it’s just the reality that once he decides to actuality take some legit swings there I’m sure he’ll have success. I know he has tried (Murray), but I know he can succeed. He sets his own bars of expectation. I expect a lot going forward at the position because he’s proven himself a good GM. It’s ok to actually acquire a *good* goalie. He knows playoffs are the line next year - I’d be surprised to see a UPL / Comrie tandem

We got the picture, though no harm, no fowl Boo urns

Somehow, the Levi thread returned

Ouch? Lol

Both need better GT That’d be my conclusion

Arghhhhhhh hate the cheap shot on Dahlin

Oh no pp

Let’s pad those stats a bit. Thompson, Dahlin, you’re up

Ducks broadcasters theorizing Buffalo is in the market for a goalie haha

Quinn assist not bad not bad

I can’t believe South Park is still going

Not a bad comp tbh way better in the room though

On the Ducks broadcast they are talking Dahlin contract, they are saying the Buffalo media was telling them Dahlin is gonna get 11 mil lol