...

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.

I wonder if he dogged it, or succumbed to frustration? Skinner gives him an equal in offensive skill and thinking to play off of. He has to feel liberated.

3/5 on the road trip. Right? Amirite?

BERGS WINS THE GAME!

That's a weak penalty right there. Refs are homers.

The drama, the narrative, the emotion. The visceral part of the game. Why do you watch sports?

I'd really like to see a developed and mature version of this kind of play. Reminds me a little of Nashville (go figure, I guess).

Great frickin' pressure!

Even Pomminstein has some lively skates tonight. He looks good on that line.

The team looks confident out there right now. Hope it keeps up. In other news, the damn DQ commercial has already worn itself out.

I'm really enjoying this game.

KO needs a vacation already. I have no other complaints about that period, though. It was good hockey from the Sabres. Actually, I do have an additional complaint: Samson needs to get the same jump in his step the other guys seem to have.

A very X's and O's period of hockey.

Folks in the top of the bowl: "shh...there's a hockey game going on down there..."

That was a really good sequence. Lots of possession time. I think Nelson looks good with Dahlin. There already seems to be some chemistry there.

Even with that definition, this one still doesn't apply.

Thanks for the correction, but Miller would just let in a goal when he was on his way to a shut-out...that's a Ryan Miller Shut Out and he owned it. This wasn't like that, this goal wasn't because because, it happened while a penalty was being served for something the Sabres rarely would do in the past and were constantly criticized for. It is in no way a, or equivalent to a, Ryan Miller Shut Out. I would suggest Bogo's injuries aren't something he can control for the most part. His play, sure, not his injuries.

I would also caution against getting used to the Bogo from this game. I liked this game's Bogo. But we all know this Bogo that we like too frequently disappears from us and the team.

I agree with this assessment of Samson. Not paying much attention last year, I missed what a "good" Samson looks like over a longer period, but he looked good the first 5 games of this season. On Skinner and all of the other good things: I would caution all to neither get too high off the win, or, of course, too low. Today looked like their other wins - I can perceive a specific style of play when they're playing well. I think that's a good thing because it indicates consistency and discipline when they're on their game. This is also a plus 1 for HCPH. If they play his system right, it looks good. What can I say? We need to be sure the Skinner/Eichel combo works longer term. I like the suggestion above that Pommer or a player like him is more ideal to this combo than an additional skill guy. Let's see if this holds true. Ullmark is good, and they play different in front of him. What does that mean? What if Ullmark becomes the "starter" - do they get used to him back there and regress to playing some other way? We need more games to figure out what we have here. And that, to me, says we have turned a corner somewhat, where we go from them being confused and not knowing WTF to do, to legitimately being in the process of "figuring it out".

Hmmmmmmmmmm... I'm going to reject this one and ask you to try again. Might I suggest the "Finally standing up for a team-mate no matter how wussy you looked doing it shut-out"? If memory serves, that point came on KO's penalty after Sheary got shoved into the boards head first.

Hamilton and RR both have mentioned Skinner wasn't happy being taken off of Eichel's line. They also both pointed out that he appeared to have more jump today due to being back on Eichel's line.

And to think I wasn't going to watch this game...because. This is the game that turned me on Skinner a little. Not because of the hat trick, but because of how he handled Phaneuf. Still not a fan of the apparent whiny attitude over who he plays with, but I do like his intensity in game.