DarthEbriate

Dahlin a cool -3 in the third period tonight. One whiff on a bouncing puck, one carom off a glove on an empty net, and one maybe a bit of a misread on the own empty-netter.

How typical.

Kozak couldn't get back up after blocking the shot and the rebound went right to the open tap-in.

Alright. Score 1 four-on-four, then add a PPG, then an empty-netter and continue on the season.

Just getting outhustled on every loose puck the last 3 or 4 shifts.

I saw a city shorty in McLeods!

Sabres are dominating o-zone faceoffs leading to some nice chances.

But not in the 1998-99 regular season.

They're only just now announcing the Utah goal? It's 20 minutes later.

Huh. No goal, I would think, because contact takes place above the blue paint.

Two turnovers and a Malenstyn?

The announcers didn't elaborate, but I'm guessing the contract, draft pedigree, tenacity, and defensive game have much to do with the comment. Note: Power may be younger but he's played a full season's more games than Kesselring so he should have better offensive stats.

But it's kinda nice that he wants to be here.

Peterka... forgot about him, didn't you!

Utah announcers just admitted they'd rather have Kesselring over Power. Normally, announcers are shameless homers, but that's probably just straight-up honesty.

The leverage is the GM's "want to be here" message. If JJP wants to be in Buffalo, but the negotiations are stalling, he can look for an offer sheet with term like the one Montreal gifted to Carolina for 5 years. Easily matched. But JJP wants out, find a suitor to offer $6.8M for one year --- and tell them you're willing to sign a long-term extension. All Buffalo would get is a 1st and a 3rd as payment. It sets the clock ticking on Adams to make a move and get what he can because he will only sign one-year contracts until it's UFA time.

Colorado taking the Sens out behind the proverbial woodshed this evening. 5-0 after two and it doesn't feel that close. Cozens 2-7 on the faceoff with two losses leading directly to COL goals; one hit, and one sloppy late interference penalty that led a COL PPG in the opening minutes of the 2nd period. He's looked like he looked in many a Sabres game this season.

All those passes the Sabres don't normally make... tonight, flawless. Sabres with 7 or 8 beautiful tic-tac-toe setups and... who's the goalie? Vejmelka? Sabres 3, Outlawed Mammoths HC of Utah 5.

Several thoughts on this one: 1. He's Chad Ruhwedel. Ruhwedel eventually won a Cup, which is cool. But the Penguins also sent him down at the start of almost every season and no one claimed him because no one needed a tweener because they all have their own. Aha, but!... 2. He's a Sabre, so he's never sent down. Bryson has already skated 248 career NHL games. At this rate, he'll have 500 career NHL GP. That seems... high... for an 8D-9D guy. 3. Yup. But then I got thinking how Adams would think... 4. No blockers. GM Sheevyn says: "They can't say we gifted Johnson a roster spot, because we had Bryson blocking him." Then, he smiles smugly. 5. But is it really a blocker if it's Bryson and he's waived, unclaimed, and plays in Rochester? 6. Or, if Bryson remains in the top 7 (meaning he'll play 40 games again next year)... does that allow them to re-sign Byram to a nice 7x$7M contract? 7. He'll be one year older next season. And at age 28, that'll be dragging the mean age up into "2nd youngest team in the league" territory.

With this team, vary, your... mileage... will.

He's had at least 6 tripping penalties where he's reaching instead of skating that will get called every time. Probably 10 minutes worth so far this season. And definitely one where it should have been offsetting but Benson was the only one in the box. For the fun extracurriculars he just needs to keep doing it. Eventually he won't be looked at as a rookie and it'll just be part of his game and they'll let it go.

Keep Benson with Norris (when healthy) and Thompson. The points will follow. Or Benson with McLeod/Tuch if JJP needs to be on the TNT line. Just don't play him with Krebs/Quinn.

Shiny Meat. Shiny Meat. Iridescent from being shaved thin. Is it bad? Bad for you? No, it's just Shiny Meat.

Arby's is a high-risk high-reward draft pick. You're living in the moment and you're happy. You rationalize that it is the BPA, but you know it's not the safe choice. But you're bold! 90% of the time the pick is a bust. Yum, horsey!

Neverr forgett McNabb! I love these kinds of thought experiments. It'd be a good long-form exploration. But if it's the case, I'm guessing we don't get Dahlin, and I'm not sure McNabb survives two separate expansion drafts. But it'd be fun to explore in a thread.... hmmmm. Maybe I'll take a weekend and think about this.