nfreeman

Pommer also started well last season before quickly running out of gas, as he did this season. I don't think he's got anything left. I too would like to see if Reino can consistently lead a 2nd line and thus improve their 2ndary scoring. This is fair. I complain to myself every time I see Eichel's line take a D-zone faceoff or Larsson's line take an O-zone faceoff (neither of which happen that often, but arguably it should never happen).

Who's starting in net?

While you are far from the only one who has said this, and you are certainly right that the whole discussion is a festering can of worms, I will disagree that Dahlin was tankfruit. The plan behind the tank was to pop down to the basement, scoop up Eichel or McD and quickly become good again -- not to finish DFL again in Eichel's 3rd year and get extremely lucky and win the Dahlin lottery. Frankly, the fact that they were that bad in Eichel's 3rd year IMHO demonstrates the fallacy of the tank. As for the question of whether having JB instead of TM manage the post-tank era -- as Taro and others have noted, I think it's more complicated than just having a solid plan and executing it well. I think that once a team becomes that bad, the number of variables that have to turn out well in order for a team to climb out of the basement is simply too great, so that the likelihood of a rebound in a respectable period of time is too low. The results are what we're seeing now. Well, I don't have any data on how his line combo changes compare with those of other teams, but I feel like there have been plenty of them. I just think there are too many guys on the roster (Mitts, KO, Sheary, Sobotka, Pommer, Larsson, Zemgus, etc) who aren't going to generate offense no matter who they play with.

I too oppose canning Howie. I don't think the coach exists who could squeeze materially better scoring out of the Sabres' bottom 9 forwards. I think the D is greatly improved under Howie, as are most of the Sabres' young players. I think a franchise that changes coaches every couple of years is a bush-league franchise. I think JB has his work cut out for him this offseason to improve the forward group. Once more, with feeling: this is why you don't tank -- when you hit bottom, you usually stay there.

They really need Eichel on his game.

My 2 cents: - Overall, I thought the effort was there last night but not the execution. Jack in particular looked quite rusty to me. His line seemed like it was completely unable to gain the zone and get the cycle going and his passes were off target. - The TT-with-Jack experiment was a crashing failure, but I'm not sure how much of that was due to TT and how much was due to Jack being rusty. Still, I had no problem with moving Reino back to Jack's line in the 3rd because having TT there clearly wasn't working. - I thought Reino's line generated more offense than Jack's line did in the 1st 2 periods. - I'm starting to think Sheary is useless. I like his speed and tenacity, and I think he has good hockey IQ, but it seems like he whiffs on the puck far too often. - ERod generated the most offense out of any of the forwards last night IMHO. - I don't think I've ever seen a game in which one team had 3 goals against deflect in off of their own defensemen. - Having said that, my issue with the D last night wasn't the deflections so much as it was the inability to crisply exit the zone with a quick pass. This was my other big issue with execution last night. - Still no back-to-back wins since the end of the streak.

Hmmmm. I agree that "bespoke" is as you define it. I would also call that kind of suit "tailor-made." But I'm not sure I would call an off-the-rack suit that is then altered to fit better a "tailored" suit. Either way, based on my experience, the following are incontrovertible truths: 1. Tailor-made/bespoke suits fit about a million times better than off-the-rack suits that are then altered. 2. Indochino suits are not tailor-made or bespoke and do not fit any better than an off-the-rack suit that is then altered.

Do we know who's in net for the Sabres? I'm guessing it's Hutton.

That list also demonstrates the reason that the NBA owners insisted on a 4-year limit on contracts (5 years for extensions with the player’s existing team) in their last CBA, and why the NHL owners tried to get a similar limit in their last CBA. Of course, there’s a downside to shorter contracts too, as it means teams will often lose their best players after shorter periods.

Welcome @steveoath!

Bumpity Bump.

Interesting. Howie seems to like Sobotka's game lately. Let's see how Reino does as primary playmaker with 2 lesser linemates. I'm ready to healthy-scratch Pommer in favor of CJ. I'll predict that Larsson's line gets more ice time than Casey's line.

I think most people agree with you, but I didn’t like it.

I’d be interested in others’ rankings of the Coen Brothers’ oeuvre (is that a fancy enough word for this thread?), for anyone who’s so inclined.

Interesting. I’d probably put it in my 2nd tier for them — ie pretty good to very good, but not great. My top 3: 1. Miller’s Crossing 2. True Grit 3. Raising Arizona 2nd tier: No Country for old Men Ladykillers Blood Simple Fargo

So I watched "The Ladykillers", a Coen brothers movie that I hadn't seen before (starring Tom Hanks!), on the plane home the other day. Pretty good if you like their movies. I'll give it a B-plus.

Do you or do you not want the Sabres to sign him?

It all comes down to the price another team would require to take KO's contract. A 3rd-round pick? Definitely. A good D prospect like Guhle? NFW, unless the Sabres are convinced that Guhle isn't going to be an NHL defenseman.

Bio -- I think you should go to the concert with your mom.

I like this line of thought, and I'm sure you're right about the deliberate plan. I would very much like for the bolded to be true -- I just haven't seen any Amerks games, so I have no way of knowing. Based on the way JB and Howie have handled Dahlin, Mitts and TT, I don't think they are wedded to old-school notions of hierarchy. But I think Nylander, when he gets his chance in the show, should and will have to earn a spot higher up in the lineup.

I have been thinking of the Zemgus-Larsson line as a traditional "checking line," which, back in the day, was also often thought of as the "third line." OTOH, the "4th line" in prior generations was usually a bunch of fighters/bangers/mugs. Now it seems that the 4th line is often made up of kids trying to break in or vets on the downsides of their careers -- but still guys who can score and want to work their way up the lineup.

I like your top 2 lines, although it's likely that your 2nd line would get pushed around a bit too much to be effective, so I could see Sobotka there instead of ERod. I also like CJ-Mitts-KO as the 4th line (which I think would be the case in terms of ice time). I like these lines too, although I think keeping Skinner with Eichel is an important factor in convincing Skinner to stay (in a perfect world, it wouldn't matter, but I think it does). Totally agree on bringing in a 2C, not getting giddy over that win, and benching Pommer, who looks completely spent to me. Nylander seizing that spot would indeed be ideal, but he certainly hasn't earned it yet. TT, OTOH, is making a strong bid for the RW spot on Jack's line.

I don't remember anyone feeling confident before Black Sunday.

Thanks @Wyldnwoody44 and @LGR4GM.

Well, I've seen it and I wouldn't call it a "must see." Don't cancel your night out clubbing with the Kardashians for it.