DarthEbriate

Brannstrom has a goal just over a minute into his Amerks debut.

That's true, but,

This one is interesting, but I think it makes sense given their depth at forward. When McDavid is on the ice alone, I'm guessing it's a lot of guys standing around waiting for McDavid to do his magic. I remember one instance of this against the Sabres. McDavid held onto the puck, looking to make something happen, but in either a line change or just no one having the instinct to attack, he had to pull up and it became a turnover and transition the other way.

Saturn has 274 moons now. I guess the rings weren't enough.

I hope Norris gets 2 goals (one on the PP) and an assist tonight. That'd be fun. Detroit is on the brink of collapse, losers of 6 straight, and already separated from the final wild card spot by 3 teams. Time to put them to rest.

Overconfidence. Faith in your friends draft picks.

The VGA monitor gif hitting right in the F-19 Stealth Fighter nostalgia danger zone. I can hear the engines. Ah! Mute the engines.

A Cozens Conn Smythe this season ought to do it.

Oh. It's on TNT. I'm out.

It's covered in ... subordinate?... clause in step 2. Sabres success is fairly easy to gloss over since the Hasek trade.

Got to watch some of the rest of the game I missed live yesterday. Solid home win for the once-road goatheads. McDavid skated 26 minutes, Draisaitl added 23 minutes. Good thing Edmonton has both of them because when they're off the ice, there isn't a lot there to worry about.

They've already got Dahlin who can play the right side, Bernard-Docker files for arbitration and then gets a 2-year extension, and Clifton. Ryan Johnson as a 7 who can play on either side. Offseason complete. 😇

^ This is one part of a point I'd make, and the other half being... and wait until he isn't being told, "Keep it simple while you adjust to our schemes and your new linemates/responsibilities." I do think they eventually move him to wing, but for the moment, he has Perron (veteran who will consistently cover up his mistakes; a Zucker, if you will) and Batherson - a legit top-6 winger who is 26 years old and has improved his points totals every single season. And he's only on PP2. This was not the case in Buffalo (at least not for more than a few games here and there) for his entire tenure. Even this season, he was basically always on PP1 and was skating on a line with Quinn or JJP or Benson or even Kulich. He never got Zucker-Cozens-Tuch for 10 games in a row. This season, he had 2-game stretch between Zucker-Thompson (the Sabres were 2-0).

He's more machine winger now than center, twisted and evil toe-dragging and sniping. As long as TNT is a 40-goal scorer and his linemates are two-way players, the team is better off than if he's a center and Jeff Skinner (for example is his winger.

I seriously doubt Dahlin told GM Sheevyn he wants out if things aren't fixed. That's standard content-saturation sensationalism. But I don't doubt that in their conversations he's expressed frustration with GM and ownership about wasting years and talents of players and the need to continuously improve. Dahlin has one hockey lifetime to be the best he can be, and this present hockey lifetime it is impossible to be the best you can be on the Sabres. (And that's not because Dahlin occasionally makes turnovers like every other puckhandling NHL defenseman makes turnovers.) I want my captain pushing leadership to improve. "We [the players] won't get another shot at this, Admiral [the owner]." so to speak.

Yup. Cozens has had the benefit of 2 home games where the statisticians are crediting everything. His first period with the 5 hits was more like 1 hit, maybe a 2nd, and then 3 nothings. If that statistician were tracking Owen Power like that, he'd have over 200 hits already this season.

That should be 4-2. Alas, a win anyway. They learned how to play a 6-on-5 when Cozens isn't one of the folks out there. Progress?

When Benson has the puck, GO TO THE FRONT of the net and stay there.

Bad turnover from TNT and another extended zone possession and a goal.

Shoot in a screw! Where? Anywhere!!

Slow pit crew on national Tv We fix this end board and it’s all uphill from here. To the Cup!

Yes; the Oilers skate faster than the Sabres. But they also pass faster. Recover faster. Take away space faster. None of it matters because Tage shoots harder.

Henrique with a strong stick lift there. Good defensive center.

Showcase Byram on his own pair for the trade deadli.... oh. Oh, wait. It's a fun start for any casual fan, at least.

I'd say it would be a Skinner revenge hat trick game, but let's face it, he could just as easily be a healthy scratch as he has been the last 3 games.