jame

Except he wasn't a streaky player this year... he was very consistent for ~ 40 games. He was a streaky player in previous years, but I believe that had far more to do with playing with guys like Riley Nash and Derek Ryan. I think separating him and Eichel is dumb.

That's not how you hold playmakers accountable...

You need to think of skating beyond speed. Reinhart is a very good skater because of the decisions he makes, the skating lines he takes, and space he creates and takes away with both. The value of skating as a skill is in the opportunities it creates/prevents. Reinhart uses his skating to do exactly that... it's just not as flashy. He is by no means slows in small spaces or slow to get moving. The primary drawback on Reinhart's skating is that he doesn't have a 5th gear. The gear that maybe 15% of the highly skilled players in the league have.

McCabe, Beaulieu, Scandella, Hunwick.... we've got every type of LD scenario..... take your pick Poille... you know that Hamhuis isn't going to hold up for another 50 games

I do not think faster = better as a standard. Yes, I think Zemgus would be better with better hands. No I do not think a faster Okposo would make up for his awful hands, puck skills, passing, etc.

I do not. I think his game is predicated on vision, IQ and the reads and anticipation those skills allow him to make. Reinhart slows the game down with his skating and vision. Look at the play he made at the blueline on last nights goal... less than 20 players in the NHL stay onsides on that play.

Looks like Skinner has finally fallen off the pace. He's only got 1 goal / 4 points in his last 8 games... by far his worst stretch since the first 7 games of the season. 1 PP Goal in his last 21 games... yikes. He's still on pace for a 48 goal season. But with expected S% regressing from 22% to 18%, it will be interesting to keep an eye on how much that pace continues to fall.

I wish we had hired Barry Trotz and Lou Lam... experience matters.

The negativity surrounding Reinhart's speed should've ended after his sophmore year. He's not a burner, but his skating is good. It's not something that belongs in the "cons" column anymore. It's not a drawback or hinderance to his game and on ice performance.

Incorrect. 1st PP : you may be mistaking a left circle face off, in which Eichel takes the RW position and a puck rush later in the PP... but as soon as possession is established, it’s everyone in their normal spots (Eichel half wall, Reinhart net front). Take a look. 2nd PP: you are correct that Eichel is on the other side, but i think this is much more a symptom of the entry and puck retrieval than any intentional set up (the first PP supports this... although... one could argue that Housley saw something on the first PP and how they covered Erod on the goal and opted to put Eichel in that spot... but that’s giving Phil a lot of credit for an in game insight).

I'll have to re-watch to see if what you are seeing is simply a symptom of entry/possession. There was nothing structural different about what they were setting up last night. The first PP Eichel was set up on the half wall. Reino has been playing net front this entire season. He cycles down below the goal line when the half wall has the puck, and to the net front when the puck works to the point.

In what way? Eichel was in his same halfwall spot he's always in. It was still a 1-3-1 set up. There was some better spacing, a little more movement... but certainly not an overhaul.

Last night was the same Sam we've been seeing for the last ~90 games he's played.

If you have to ask, it can’t be explained to you. and yes, cups are won with all star rosters. Which again brings us back to the idiocy of Botts (trading an all star)

there’s nothing vanilla about trading 5 years of 1C play for futures...

There’s really no point in firing Housley. The next coach is Taylor regardless, so may as well let him continue developing the next wave of talent in Rochester. the real problem is Botterill...

51 games that either Olofsson or Smith could’ve been playing and helping the Sabres win...

The streak masks that there is no progress... we are on a full season 63 point pace since the winning streak... and good lord no... Quenneville is absolutely nothing like Bylsma...

You really think the culture has shifted? heres Okposo today saying that it hasn't https://twitter.com/matt_bove/status/1091766394960650240?s=21

Not sure which thread to put this in... this Okposo video tells it like it is. they got way too high after the 10 game winning streak, when they developed real bad habits but got away with them. and the removal of ROR did nothing to change the lockerroom that still gets down on themselves after a loss. https://twitter.com/matt_bove/status/1091766394960650240?s=21

It’s not about her... it’s about inexperienced sports ownership all around... it’s why I’ve wanted a president of hockey ops since day 1 of Pegulas

Hopefully realizing another round of inexperience in the front office was a bad idea...

Overrated in the sense that he’s long been considered a top 4 guy... when the reality is he can’t play with talent. He’s a good solid 3rd pair D that you hope to trade before the stupid contract (we are entering the stupid contract range) Beaulieu, a guy who was given away for a 3rd round pick, got a 2 yr 2.6 per contract... what do you think mcCabe is going to get? And do you want to pay it? Scandella (a similar player) got 4.0 at the same age McCabe is now... for context, that 4.0 was nearly 6% of the cap at the time... 6% of a projected 83 million cap next year.... is 5 million per year. anyone want to give McCabe a 4.5-5.0 per year long term deal?

I’m fairly confident that we will be able to plug in partners for Dahlin throughout his career without having to worry too much. ill stick with Bogo there for another year... then we’ll see where things are in 2020-21 with Borgen, who will be nearly 24 by then.

Yea I think McCabe is fairly overrated and would love to trade him to a team that though highly of him. if someone is willing to pay the price as if he’s a 25 year old top 4 D.... I’d be elated