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Realize this is waaaay behind (watched the Amerks 1st) but the Tuch goal was just a product of the Mitts and Thompson lines outworking & outhustling them and just exhausting them. What a fun 90 seconds of hockey.

You didn't miss much.

Cool. You get them to sign any body parts?

Well, when you have 0 defensive defensemen (well 1 kind of sort of now that Tischke took Pilut's spot) you have to try something to help them out.

Why are we discussing this game? This team isn't in the national championship hunt. /s Go Bulls!

And people forget that in the "these guys are good, scary good" season where Pominville iced the 1st round cake, he'd CLEARED waivers to start the year in Ra-cha-cha. Good teams often have useful pieces getting some additional seasoning dominating the lower level. That said, as said earlier, wouldn't send Quinn down until the end of the month at the earliest and only if he is still getting pushed around and not finding spots of production.

Unfortunately, nobody knew he was having medical issues. The rumors going around at the end, which turned out to be completely off-base and false, were not remotely charitable.

Uh, care to show the post that claimed otherwise?

Quinn was getting knocked around pretty well his 1st 2 games. Wouldn't be sending him down before the end of October, but if he can't stay on his pins better when he does get in games, letting him go back down for a few games to get his confidence back wouldn't be the worst thing for him. MHO. YMMV. But, let's see how he does tonight before cementing him into the lineup or sending him down.

Plus, it's very possible that Granato told the guys that are the "bubble" players that early in the year he'd be rotating who the odd man out is.

Tuch started at the end of December when the Sabres were holding fan raffles to see who would get to be between the pipes that night. He didn't affect the end result but he was involved in pretty much ALL of the scoring in the next 2 months. Which is likely why people think that's when the turnaround started. But they were bad from November-February. In that stretch, they had something like 15 points before he got in the lineup and 16 after prior to March. When healthy in October, Anderson, & Tokarski too to a lesser extent, willed them to a good record. When healthy the last 2 months they were good pretty much regardless of the goaltending. The other reason IMHO Tuch coming back seemed to correlate to winning is they weren't having those painful, oh, crud, are they about to fall off the map again losses after he came back like they'd had in November & December. Or at least not as many of them.

'Cuse was driving. Got to ~ the 30 with 0:26 left, but got picked. Final 27-24. Boo.

Clemson took the lead. 50 yard run & a 2 pt conversion. Cuse opting away from the FGA on their 1st drive is the difference at present. Clemson 24 - Cuse 21. 10 minutes to go.

@Thorny looks like Fitzgerald stays in the lineup. Good call. The silver lining/good that may come from the Jokiharju injury is we finally get to see Power Lyubushkin. And, if all F's stay healthy through the next 2 games will be interesting to see who sits against the Habs. (Presuming Krebs will sit 2 of they win tonight.)

If you're right about the fracture & it's very possible, would expect him back in either a fishbowl or full cage while the healing completes. Doubt he misses the Yotes game & probably has the Pens game targeted as a return date. Maybe the Chicago game.

21-16 with 14 minutes to play. Clemson went for 2 but got intercepted.

21-10 at the 1/2. Clemson will get the ball 1st in the 3rd.

Who didn't?

And they did. But Clemson is driving (again).

He's 23. That's still a few years from when D peak. He's also improved quite a bit from just 2 years ago. Pinching below the goal line on the 4v4 for the 1st goal against not withstanding, He's gotten MUCH better at not leaving his partner on an island vs 2 on 1's & even 3 on 1's. He also is actually a good PKer now. He doesn't need "massive" improvement to go from a 5 to a 4.

Pretty sure 'Cuse had it 1st.

They DO need another top 4 defender TODAY. But as early as next year, Jokiharju MIGHT be that guy. (Expect there's a better chance of it being Lyubushkin if they don't go outside, but Henri could continue his development & surprise.) And, as stated, would prefer it NOT be Jokiharju. Would rather he anchor the 3rd pairing. And, as the kids start to get paid (say 3 years out), having a TRUE 3/4 as the 4 might be a luxury they can't afford.

And Cuse just held them on downs. 2nd 1/2 'll likely be a ####show, but at least for now it's fun.

He's not. But, he could become one. And playing w/ one of the other 3 once they aren't kids themselves, he SHOULD be good enough to be effective on the 2nd pairing. (Kind of like how Dahlin let's Samuelsson effectively be a 2 though he's actually a 3/4.l Still would prefer he end up anchoring the 3rd pairing, but in a couple of years, his being joined to Power at the hip won't be affecting Owen's performance should that seem to be the best deployment of the top 6.

Mods: If a 22 CFB thread already exists, please merge this. Still nearly 40 minutes to go, but 'Cuse just returned a fumble 90 yards to go up 14-7 on Clemson in the 2nd. Clemson has moved the ball at will, but 2 turnovers cost them points & the most recent one gave the Orange 7. Syracuse got inside the 40 on the 1st drive, but turned it over on downs. Syracuse's 3rd drive was the only one of 6 drives total for the 2 teams that didn't get into opponent's territory.