Doohicksie

Take the initiative. Pressure the other side. Press the play. Don't hang back. This year's team was far, far too passive. In the spring of 2023 the Sabres were driving play much more. It's not rocket surgery. I hope Lindy pushes the team to engage and take the initiative more. Take time and space away from the opponent. Press the play on offense. Don't let up.

If/when we get to the playoffs, Tage will take some hits. One would hope he delivers a few too. I have video proof that he's capable. And they don't have to be Umberger Soup hits. Just effective physicality is all I think he needs to provide.

Yes.

I thought of getting a Beauts sweater. Now that they're defunct I can't find any other than used ones on ebay. Too bad. Such awesome.

Not the most popular version of this song, but this version is very... earnest. I guess it should be, since John Denver wrote the song. And Mama Cass's harmonization in the chorus is sublime.

Go Beauts! Oh... 😞

I feel your pain.

Ah, the Party Line. I saw a tweet in the aftermath of his hiring that said since Ruff accepted another HC job, NJ would pay almost nothing of the compensation on the remaining years of his NJ HC contract.

Show me on the doll where the team hurt you.

He's a very competent NHL goalie and if the Sabres had managed to keep him, there would have been no Comrie, UPL could have had a smoother development and Levi could have spent more time seasoning in Rochester. If we eventually ended up with three legit goalies we could have traded one to fill a need elsewhere on the team. I think if the Sabres had retained Ullmark they would have made the playoffs the last two seasons. But yeah, sure, nothing to moan about.

Eh, even then, I'm not sure keeping UPL with the team necessarily birthed in the monster; it was the failure to waive Comrie to send him down right away (or simply move Levi down). One flaw I see in Adams is that he makes a promise to a player, he stands by it for too long, even when the situation changes. If you recall, there was worry that Levi would walk into free agency at the end of his college career. I think Adams promised him he'd go right to the NHL to get him to sign with the Sabres. At the end of last season that didn't look like a bad commitment, but it became apparent pretty quickly this season. I think Kevyn felt he'd made a commitment to Levi and when Levi struggled early this season Kevyn hesitated too long to send him down. Hearing what Levi has said about his time in Rochester, I think things would have been fine if Kevyn had moved him down earlier.

That proves that it's possible. He reportedly asked for the trade prior to needing surgery. It had to do with not wanting to go through another rebuild, not the injury.

Well yeah. He asked for the trade.

Eichel didn't have a NMC in effect yet. He was traded in November, 2021, and his NMC kicked in at the start of the 22-23 season.

Source for this assertion?

It's a sport.... a game. Not the Titanic. I think the worst things about the early part of the season were: Playing prospects too much in pre-season versus honing the timing of the NHL players The three-headed monster in goal The alleged focus on defense versus having the team play their uptempo offensive game All those things led to a team that was ill-prepared to start the season- no timing, chaos in goal, floundering trying to learn an ill-defined system. Okposo is a leader in the sense of working with the management to get the players onboard, but the management was too disorganized at the start of the season. For Okposo to right that ship it would have required a mutiny against Granato, because Granato was trying to do too many things at once. And Adams is certainly responsible for the goalie situation and partially responsible for the other factors behind the disorganized start.

The Stars are taking it to them, giving them no room, sound positionally, and stick checking/stealing the puck at every opportunity. I don't see it as Colorado not playing well as much as Dallas is more diligent in seizing the initiative. Edit: I think there's a lesson there for the Sabres.

I wish we had that guy who scored for the Avs tonight.... what's his name again? He'd be a great 3C.

Did you ever figure out why?

I would like to see him at 3C with Benson on his wing.

Oh, that'll work.

That, and the old Rangers Stadium is only about 30 years old and still looks wonderful. I much prefer its aesthetics to the new one, which, sure, has a roof and is air conditioned, but is a solid block of concrete.

If I give you a cheeseburger, will you go away?

Isn't that what we just kicked to the side of the road?