LTS

Agreed. His entire demeanor, on the ice and off the ice, has changed. He's playing a complete game and you can't see anyone outworking him on the ice. The post game comments last night were excellent. He showed that he had paid attention to everything going on in the game. He is? You think Barzal keeps up this scoring level when other teams don't have to focus on Tavares - Bailey - Lee? I don't think so. He's protected right now. In addition, he'll have to keep this up. Maybe he can, but I wouldn't say he's at Jack's level. He reminds me very much of Gaudreau.

Congratulations to the Sabres on the 1000 mark. Let’s not take so long to get to 2000 eh? Good win. Should not have been that close but that’s what we get with this team.

Both are bad and clearly the shot off the end boards doesn’t happen if they clear, BUT that’s still 100% a save Lehner has to make. That’s a goal from each of the 23-15-71 line. Nice.

Hey Rob? That’s all on Lehner. No one is getting to the guy getting the puck off the end boards. Terrible play by Lehner.

Eichel with the Carubba. Who called it when it happened?

The only difference is the goal to shot ratio.

Yup. I concur.

Just got home. Loved seeing 2 goals on 4 shots in the 1st. Botterill probably dialed Snow and hung up each time they scored. These whites look good.

No on has to take on Kane or Nash at the deadline. It would be status quo and that could be fine. Except one GM isn't going to believe that another GM isn't making a move and they will jump and then everyone goes. That's how it works... the expectation that every GM in the running for Kane or Nash will be content to sit around and drive the price way down is unrealistic. What makes it worse is that GMs might have a ranking for Kane or Nash and they might not want to be stuck with one or the other (or one can't get Nash). Someone is going to jump to get the guy they want... the fear of missing out and not succeeding in the playoffs is going to haunt the buying GM more than anything Botterill has to endure. As the tension heightens it will come out that a trade for Kane is imminent and that will break the logjam. Be it true or not.

That has to the dumbest PR move. There is no need to send that out at this point in time. It only invites more questions and makes the locker room that much worse for the rest of the year. Oh well, perhaps they need to clear out a few levels above AV.

They brought the stink back with them. Clearly the Amerks did not employ the CDC foreign microorganism cleanse before letting them back in the building.

I'll miss the start of the game and by the time I get home.. if things are that bad.. I'll miss the rest of the game. We have to hope for the Sabres to light up whoever is in goal so as to encourage a Lehner trade. :)

The only way to have traded Kane weeks ago would be for the return you stated he would get today. There are no shortage of media members, etc. who have said there was no market for a move. The only way would be to sell cheap and even then maybe not get anything. The top two rental forwards are Nash and Kane. I assume that both NYR and BUF will eat 50% of remaining salary for both. So we can look at the following. Nash is restricted to where he can go. Nash has a higher salary requirement. Nash has 15g and 10a on a team that doesn't totally suck. Kane can go anywhere. Kane has a lower salary. Kane has 16g and 20a on a team that totally sucks. There's no need for doom and gloom here. Just gotta be patient at this point. The market is playing itself into its eventual position.

The Sabres don't care about taking on a horrible goaltender. This season is shot anyway. The question is what can thy get from the prospect/pick pool from the Islanders. Given the number of UFA that the Islanders have coming up I would imagine they are not going to be looking to trade prospects that are near ready. Given that the Islanders have two 1st rounders (if I am not mistaken) it might be possible to get one from them. If not and they have given up on Ho-Sang then perhaps he is available. I am not sure you can get D from them at this point. I don't think any GM is judging him on his current performance. We all see that he's checked out and so do other GMs. I doubt anyone believes that the current Kane play is indicative of how he will play once traded. He's basically in self-preservation mode. An injury now insures that he misses out on a playoff run and lowers his payday in the off-season. He NEEDS to be traded now. Once moved he can put it all on the line and that performance will be what adjusts his UFA payday up or down.

Yea.. it was said.. but we don't. We just need a schlub between the pipes. He needs time in Rochester more than he needs time in Buffalo this season. Next season he needs all his time in Buffalo. :)

If the Islanders do not acquire a goaltender at the trade deadline then John Tavares should honestly ask himself if he wants to be part of that team next year. They are killing it on offense but their goaltending is flat out awful. It's pretty much the worst in the league. They are a borderline playoff team and every day they waste with Halak and Greiss in net is a day they move further from solidifying their spot in this years playoffs. There's no reason for them to be 2nd in goals scored and DFL in goals against. They need to make some moves. It would be instuling to the fan base to not make the playoffs with that kind of offensive output. Lehner gives them a goaltender into next season that they control. Not sure they are getting that from anyone else. I wonder if they'd go for Lehner, Gorges for Halak and some other parts? :)

Here we go again! I'm totally ambivalent to this team at this point. I've got bystander interest in them. Ultimately, because it's hockey, I care. Overall, because it's the Sabres, I care. Taken as a slice of time (this game, this season) I just can't care. I watch because it's hockey and on the off-chance it is entertaining. I watch so I can converse about it on here with everyone. At this point, the conversation and debates here hold more value to me than the performance of the team. So, let's go Buffalo. Another GDT to spark some conversation.

Mike Weber was traded. Defensive depth cannot be overlooked. Gorges is an easy call given his experience and leadership. I think the Sabres are willing to trade him for a 6th round pick in 2019 if need be. If nothing else but to give him a shot at the playoffs and as a thank you for putting in his time with the Sabres. It will be easy to move him. Falk is a bit more of a stretch, but any team that is a little shallow on their depth might go for him. A team with a solid top 4 might be willing to give up a prospect if they could get a depth D back in the trade so as to not upset the mix too much. So, let's say you could send Falk and Kane somewhere for a 1st, a D prospect, etc. The receiving team doesn't want to let too many pieces go but if they can get a serviceable D in return..... Never know what might happen.

The one in which some team might actually have an interest in acquiring Falk for a very low draft pick? The one in which the Sabres are positive they have what they want out of Antipin and plan on signing him again next year and are hoping like hell that someone might want to take a flyer on Beaulieu in a trade if the Sabres retain 50% salary or they want to have him in the game to get him going after returning to lineup. Keep in mind you are in the parallel dimension of it doesn't matter what the lineup is today because post trade deadline it will be different (that's the hope). Assume Falk and Gorges end up being shipped out....

Do we have to? My son did manage to score today to help his current team beat his former team. Getting a win on my birthday was nice. Unfortunately today everyone was too busy to come to my party. Some stupid football game on or something.

Well, it is a tier lower than Pacioretty according to reports. The link is interesting. It just shows that the market is still swirling around and no one is putting hard offers on the table. I am surprised there has not been at least one "early" deal yet.

I'm kind of partial to Hofmann's hot dogs. I believe they are out of Syracuse but you can get them all over Rochester. I'll then go to Sahlens. Zweigles are my absolute last resort. They just don't do it for me.

Of course they are both factored in. It's a glass half full/empty problem. Do you assign 50% of the result to Reinhart and 50% to Hutton? I give Hutton 90% of the credit for that not being a goal. While Reinhart gets 10%. For me it's more a positive play than a negative. Not black and white, but it's more positive than negative and for me by a lot.

I think the Sharks could do that. Jumbo Joe has no knees left. They could write of this season and get Pacioretty and be in good shape next year.

Think of it this way then. What number out of ten do you think that's a goal for any player, the best player, and Renhart? For me the number is not that different and as such I don't focus on what the shooter doesn't do, I focus on what the goalie did do. That's the difference between positive and negative.