nfreeman

While I too like Mitts being sheltered on the 4th line for 9 min or so per game, I think the Dallas game was the first time his line didn't get dominated by the opposition in zone time. It's progress, but I need to see it more than once. I advocated this in preseason and would still be on board unless he looks on this roadie more like Stars game Mitts than 1st 5 games Mitts.

Link? I think the league would like to do this, but not the players.

This, like a number of your recent posts, is obnoxious. Take it down a notch please.

I think Sheary, Vlad and Vesey are UFA, not RFA. I think there is NFW that either Larsson or Zemgus gets a 3-year deal from the Sabres or anyone else. As for Lazar, I don't think he can be penciled into an NHL role here as he hasn't played a regular-season minute with the team yet.

@shrader -- I think Gilmour has to clear waivers to go to Rochester, so I think it's more likely that, when Montour returns, if no one else is hurt, they just keep Gilmour in Buffalo and carry 2 extra defensemen.

5 goals in 6 games, and a PP one-timer for which there is no defense. Sometimes you get lucky with a 7th-rounder, innit?

It was nice to see the joy on Vlad’s face after the Skinner goal today. And while it wouldn’t hurt to upgrade that spot in the lineup, ERod certainly hasn’t done anything this year to show that it should be his.

Of course they would, and they probably will. But if you really, really care about a team, and you stick with them, every now and then you get to experience something amazing. I was thinking this myself today. OTOH, there are a lot of teams in the unwashed middle and the lower tier, and plenty of points available there to secure a playoff spot.

Did it look on one of the replays like Skinner tipped MoJo’s goal?

Five and one.

Dallas is probably going to come out desperate like CBJ did. The Sabres will need good goaltending and to generally keep their cool and weather the storm. A lively home crowd would be nice too.

Interesting. Probably not after 2 straight wins but far from impossible.

Yes indeed — I spaced on Montour.

I agree with most of this but I’m not sure that either or both of Bogo and Pilut would be in the top 6. It’s possible though. Interesting question. Joker has similar skills to Pilut but is bigger and a better skater. And Scandy is much improved over last season and IMHO playing much better than Bogo was in the 2nd half of last season.

I think they probably decided that they weren't inclined to make any changes to the lineup at this point, and thus that it would be a waste of TT's development time to call him up and not play him. They are probably less concerned about this factor with Lazar.

Well, my back and forth with @Taro T was tongue-in-cheek. Although they’re definitely the third line.

1. Bert 2. Dom 3. Rico 4. Schoeny

But that’s MSG doing that — not the team! Game, set and match.

It should be very clear to Mitts, Vesey and ERod that they are going to need to bust their a**es if they want to take 3rd line minutes away from Larson’s line. Right now they seem miles away from getting there. The difference between the 2 lines in zone exits and in setting up the forecheck is like night and day. Who on the Sabres does this? RK has explicitly and repeatedly disavowed this. Frankly this sounds like an unsavory whispering campaign by someone who knows he’s painted himself into a message board corner.

I agree with all this although I don’t think Miller is a defensive liability. He seems quite smooth and skilled with zone exits.

I think we all need to be honest with ourselves at this point: we're now at about a hundred Sabres coaches, including RK, whom everyone loves, that have decided to play Risto this much. I think many, and likely most, generally agree with you that he has real value, and would only trade him for a really good forward who would instantly take Sobotka's spot and make the top 6 a very dangerous group. Now that is an amazing offer. What do I have to do exactly?

I thought that was Hoffman, an elite NHL goal-scorer, making a great shot into a small open spot -- whereas I thought Ullmark misplayed Florida's first goal. I'll be curious to hear the results on tracking this. I don't think shortening the bench in the last 8 min or so to 3 forward lines and 5 D is materially taxing, unless maybe it's the 2nd game of a back-to-back. Separately, that was another good and entertaining win in which they were knocked back on their heels at times but still gave well as good as they got. My game notes: - The 3 best passes of the game were the 2 KO assists and...Sobotka to Skinner in traffic for the great scoring chance! - Excellent game from Ullmark other than Florida's 1st goal, which was a huge momentum play. - RK: "world class goaltending on both ends." - Scandella is reborn under RK. - Risto: 25 min, 24 seconds. - Olofsson and Jack both passed once when they should've shot. - Reino had a couple of nice passes in the 3rd but otherwise not much of a game. I didn't like Mitts' or Erod's game either, although Mitts contributed the winner in the SO, which must've felt good.. - Larsson's line is the third line I say. - It's emerged that Vesey consistently gets VO's 5-on-5 shifts with Jack and Reino in the last 5-8 min or so in the 3rd period, and that Mitts (and Erod too I think) stays on the bench with Olofsson. I think tonight was the first time that the same has happened with Dahlin. That is fine with me -- he was pretty shaky tonight. - It's been a looooooooooonnnngg time since the Bills and Sabres were both 4-1.

No. When Lucic was at his peak he was a major force on a very good team. He scored, intimidated and produced in the playoffs. Reino hasn't approached that level yet.

By the by, it looks like Pysyk has been healthy-scratched for all but one of the Panthers' games this year, including tonight.