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https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6656814/2025/09/24/sabres-preseason-stock-watch-helenius-mrtka/ BUFFALO, N.Y. — Late in the Sabres’ 2-1 preseason win against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday, Lindy Ruff saw a chance to learn something about 2024 first-round pick Konsta Helenius. Helenius had assisted on the go-ahead goal but then took a hooking penalty with less than five minutes left in the third period. “I could have sat him or I could see what his next shift was going to be like,” Ruff said. Sure enough, Helenius was on the ice late helping to preserve the lead with two key defensive plays. “I liked his answer after he took the penalty,” Ruff said. “Came out, gave us a heck of a shift and had an opportunity inside the zone where they could have beat him. His stick detail and battle was good.”

No idea why Marty is harping so bad on Benson and Thompson chemistry. The game showed exactly how they work well together. Benson digs and draws attention, Thompson finishes. Yeah maybe it’ll take a little while for them to find each other, but that’s what pre season is for. Norris looks good, I entertain the argument he isn’t needed with them, could be swapped out. But I strongly believe Thompson needs to play wing and stay focused on getting open. Samuelsson looks bad. Yeesh

3 detainees shot, 2 killed. No ICE officers were injured. Shooter motive unknown. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/live-blog/dallas-ice-facility-shooting-rcna233385

I have no idea if that’s correct spelling or not. I was wingin’ it.

No, I don't think he has the foot speed anymore. 😇

UPL demotion because the other 3 are doing their brick wall impersonation? sign me up

I guess that's the lesson I could take from preseason, this might be just testing outlines and getting a feel for them. I would like to see Norris play with Tuch. Norris has speed, and Tuch is... In my opinion... One of the best forcheckers in the league with decent speed himself. I'm not sure who would be on the other side of that line... Maybe some kind of guy who's not afraid to go into the corners and do the dirty work and is decent in his own zone... Maybe even Doan? So many possibilities I think could be interesting... I just hope they don't end up slotting the lines like this is a video game or fantasy hockey.

Hope that doesn't hurt his speed and quickness

Patience. Norris has to stay healthy first.

One issue is that Norris wins about twice as many faceoffs as Tage does. I do understand the point that in some ways they are both finishers. It's Lindy though, the lines will change all the time. Zucker was talking about that on the radio postgame last night. It sounded like it's one of the things players had to buy into with Ruff as coach. He said now they expect lines to get shuffled during the game.

Maybe the team is buying into Ruff's defensive scheme Maybe

always innovative and cutting edge at MSG.

Yeah, I'm not denying that Kulich might have some growing to do in his game, and there's a possibility he could take a step back. I'm just saying that I would start there and then make changes if necessary after you see it works or doesn't work. Maybe the coaching staff thinks a key to this team's success is getting good on the power play... And you want Thompson and Norris to play together to develop chemistry that will translate to the power play? I don't know. I'm supposed to be working now so I don't have time at the moment... But I think an interesting project might be to look at Norris's numbers in Ottawa. Who is he the most and least productive with? Where were his analytics good versus bad? Basically, to find out what type of player in Ottawa he played the best with versus not so well.

Fairburn reporting McLeod added 16 pounds in the off-season

Probably because Ruff isn't that good of a coach and Kulich is 21.

The strategy is apparently no single player, it’s carving 50 off the goals against. So, Lindy?

If Norris is not a play driver, all the more reason I don't want him with Paige. He's a scorer, I don't want him taking any shots away from tage. I'm starting with Kulich. I posted this a few weeks ago but him and tage together were an elite goal scoring combination. Not for a game. Not for a week, but for a quarter of a season they played together. They had better numbers as a combo than Matthews and marner did for the season. Their numbers were even slightly better than McDavid and Draisatl playing together. Now I don't expect them for a full season to necessarily be better than those guys. But if they were that good.... And 20+ games is a decent sample size, I want to try it again and at least see how it goes. If it doesn't work after a while then make a change. But I cannot fathom why they don't want to to keep that combo going after how they played last year. At times they dominated play and their analytics were off the charts.

He did look pretty good out there.... but if he is the savior to me we are a few years away... I agree here... the quickest and easiest way is to literally, have your goalie let in a goal a game less... or .5 or whatever... but improvement in net is absolutely required to turn this around.

You have McLeod and Kulich, who are you putting with Tage? Also Norris isn't a play driver at least imo.

Sounds like I missed a good game. Helenius played 2 games in a row so he knows he is getting a look.

Which is why I'm leaning toward Norris not being on the same line with tage. Tage doesn't need him. Tage creates his own scoring chances and puts his own scoring chances away. He's one of the best in the league at that. If Norris has talent, let Norris's talent Help guys on other lines. In short, other guys need Norris a lot more than Tage does. I'm not saying to put tage out there with a couple ahl-ers, but put him out there with a guy like Benson who will do the dirty work and will help keep the puck out of the defensive zone. Benson does not have anywhere close to a good shot. It doesn't matter if he's out there with tage, he can do everything else on the ice but tage is going to get in position and take the shots.

Shootout/penalty shot specialist. And ideally, you get a goalie who catches right-handed to really mess with the shooter's minds.

Sounds like Helenius needs a Luke Adam Bucket Whack.