Doohickie

I suspect you're right but if you listen to Donny's post skate presser from today it sounds like he has full faith in RyJo, in putting him on the top pairing. I suspect some of that is pumping up RyJo's tires but I think it's also hopefully a self-fulfilling prophecy.

No Cuzzy at practice today; not a good sign. Sabres don't play until tomorrow though. Maybe he'll be all better.

Ah... thank you.

This is what I've been waiting for this morning. Wanted to see if Skinner-Tage-Tuch stayed together (as I think they should). Top 6 looks solid to me. To me they are 1A and 1B lines, not first and second lines. Third line looks weak with Cozens' absence, but maybe the kids will overperform. Fourth line: Meh. On D, pairing RyJo with Dahlin is... interesting. Who is the defensive D and who is the offensive D of that pair? Will RyJo actually get top pair minutes? To go from a game of 8:20 ice time to top pair is really a stretch I think. (I'm not saying it won't work but it's definitely a stretch.)

Hang nail, but they want him to be able to collect the NHL league minimum contract for a few more days before they sent him back down. Apparently he does in fact have to clear waivers. The plot thickens.

Yes, and not to minimize that, but he's also been generating SH offense. (Note that one of those was an EN goal.)

fify (2 of his 6 goals so far have been shorties)

...is the Rolling Stones.

I don't think I'd link him that closely to Afinogenov, but do agree with the above.

Yep. Just like when Lindy Ruff lost the Sabres. It's time to move on. Josh hasn't been right all year, but he's still Josh.... must be the system.

Are you watching the same clip as the rest of us? Retrieves loose puck Takes it back toward the corner, drawing a defender Passes back to the point man (who is open because the defender just followed Kulich down) Finds the soft spot to receive the pass One-times it for a goal. VO doesn't execute 1, 2, or 3, and is not the best at 4.

What I really had: Baked Royal sub with onion rings and a brewski.

I'll be having something Buffalo-ish when I go over to the Bills Backers bar to watch the Bills-Cincy game tonight.

8 minutes in the league and he's never going down to the AHL again? Impressive. He will go back to Rochester when Muel is back so he can play and get experience. Let Bryson ride the pine with Buffalo. Ryan Johnson likely is the Sabres 7D at this point, but they want him to play and gain experience, not sit in the press box.

I should have never taught him text formatting.

I'd trade VO straight up for Johnny Hockey if the Jackets retained 50%.

RyJo.

Not exactly a Casey Mittelstadt, are ya?

Oh, that's already old enough to be fashionable again.

Why is this so hard to understand? They wanted to to give RyJo a game but against Toronto they wanted the luxury of not having to give him a regular shift. He did well in limited minutes, a +1 with an assist on a great pass. It also allowed them to limit Bryson's minutes. And face it, we knew whatever line Olofsson was on would get limited minutes so why make it a line at all? It will be interesting to see who this develops going forward. Will the 11F/7D alignment continue? Or will they go back to 6D and if so, does RyJo play in Bryson's place?

"Can I take your order?"

It was the kid, Ryan Johnson. The New Muel.

I think there will be a season-long carousel of prospects nibbling around the roster. We've already gotten glimpses of Benson, Biro, Rousek, now RyJo, and possibly Savoie and Kulich on the way. I don't think Kevyn will ditch Olofsson and Bryson for those guys, but when injuries occur up the roster, the brain trust feels better bringing someone up from Rochester to play up the lineup than to hand it to the 13F/7D. So I kind of expect the carousel to continue for now, with VO and Bryson staying on the roster to step in if someone has a hangnail in the pre-game skate.

I think RyJo is the Sabres 7D at this point, but they feel it more important for him to play every day than to sit him on a shelf. So when the Sabres D are all healthy, he plays in Rochester. I kind of expect that by the end of the season he will be in the Top Six. I don't think I have that much influence, but I think RyJo is the shortest combination to type that doesn't confuse him with a hall of fame announcer but makes it clear who I mean.

This would be a top line on a few teams I think.