...

I love charts like that!

I can see Samson taking the day off after getting slammed in the ribs last night.

Here's the Eichel-Dahlin-KO play...

This statement, and your insistence on dismissing the non-quantitative factors in team-building indicates you simply don't want to believe that there is more to a successful grouping of humans than metrics. ROR is a part of the group that was moved out. It has worked. There's your metric on that. Sabres + ROR = 0 Sabres - ROR = 1

They're creating chances, but, by its nature, the checking line isn't filled with skill to always capitalize on those chances.

See Phil. See Phil celebrate. Nice fist-pump, Phil! What's missing from this is his chattering after the celebration. I'm getting the impression he talks a lot more back there than I thought.

Yeah, the last half of the third had a near-1st series playoff game vibe to it. I don't know how anyone could call that game boring.

Is this the replacement for the charts? Do we still have the charts somewhere?

Yeah, like the JBot thread, I think this one can be put on ice for a while. HCPH seems to be working out right now.

So long as he's up to it and with a modest salary reduction, absolutely. I think his veteran presence is clearly helpful for the team. Let him rack up some more stats before he retires...maybe give him another couple of rounds in the playoffs.

Just wait. When they're winning it gets even better. On that note, looks like we have ourselves a hockey team again, pending some ridiculous Buffalo-esque breakdown. They look really, really good. I mean, wildcard team good. Was this what HCPH was trying to do all along, and JBotts got him the right combination of doodz to do it with? I LOVE the style of play. They're on the verge of making HCPH look brilliant with the system. We have two capable goalies. We still have toys to play with down in Rochester. And we have 3 first round picks at the end of the season (right? Or did I miss a memo somewhere?). W.T.F. Secondary scoring. A fundamentally legit fourth line. Each line has guys going to the net. Bogo is playing, like, really well (for Bogo). 55 and 19 seem...intimidating as a pairing. I'm even enjoying the extended post-game show. I am so happy to have good Sabre hockey back.

Why do we call it "tape"? Tape hasn't been used in years.

tsk tsk...should have kept him. Would we have got Skinner without trading away Kane? I don't remember.

What matters is the perception. The first impression is the most difficult to erase in the general public. When that first impression is based on flawed data it's even worse. The medical community...really. That's like the scientists studying...never mind. You get the idiot media out there who can't parse science trying to tell us what the science means, and everyone else just gobbles it up because the media says so. That's the way it works, it's a proven process. It's used ceaselessly in politics, marketing, all manner of societal control. That it's one part of a thing chiseling away at the foundation of an industry that provides jobs and entertainment to millions - that in of itself is otherwise innocuous in the grand scheme of things. It's sick that someone released that flawed study and damned the fallout from it.

Wait, so neither of you are concerned that the study was flawed? I'm on the wrong planet.

This is as close to a general football thread as it gets, I guess. https://sports.yahoo.com/op-ed-one-flawed-study-irresponsible-reporting-launched-wave-cte-hysteria-150349666.html?fbclid=iwar21fmiqoqbu81duwemicsownepfohyea5kmokuqeqj-svohz4dj7g5fwti Gee, call me shocked yet another flawed study leads to...what we have today.

That's when the NHL raises the cap significantly. You know it will happen.

The more my mind wanders around this issue, I can not see Skinner being more of a money-only guy. I think he has a value that he believes he's worth and that's what he's after, and I think the Sabres would be willing to pay that. With so much emotion/intensity in his game, there is no way he'd be happy JUST taking money over being satisfied with his partners and the team as a whole. No way. In fact, I think that's a bigger factor for him than the collective here is giving him credit for. If the trend continues with that top line, it's not likely he'll easily find a replacement for that chemistry and production. Let's remember Skinner identified Eichel as someone he wanted to try partnering with.

A Toews/Kane type pairing for less money? If that's what they are, then, I think it's a no-brainer. After, of course, a reasonable try-before-you-buy period.

Yeah, I noticed Dahlin quite a bit. He's pretty special. Can't wait until he grows into his NHL big boy pants.

I'm just running through my mind how to improve on what we saw tonight through the roster. Also, kudos to HCPH for a solid game plan and having the boys ready. They really looked disciplined and ready to play.

We still need better skill up front. I'm not sure if I like Samson's game, although I know someone up thread thought this was his best of the season so far. I know I did like Sobotka. I also think we desperately need a second Bogo-type somewhere on the back end. If Nelson can grow big and mean, I guess that would be okay. He was always positioned prefectly to compliment Dahlin. McCabe didn't do that. McCabe and Risto, though, I think they are nice, gritty pair. The fourth line played well, I have to admit. As much as I don't like Larsson, he's played well the past two games. He and Zemgus do a good job on the PK, too.

Good eye. I watched the video on that and, yup, it was an amazing pass.

Another 9 game series like these last 9 and you can postpone this thread for a while.