DarthEbriate

Minnesota is an odd case. Yes, the Parise/Suter buyouts destroyed the cap, but they're still a veteran team and all their kids are hitting this season. Boldy is finally playing consistent and looks like a 1W (his contract kicked in this season). It'd be like if Cozens' breakout season had been the start of an upward trend instead of any regression. Rossi has reached his potential as a top-6 center while on his ELC (for comparison, this would be like Kulich playing his best hockey and in the top 6 from day one this season). And Faber... Faber was on the top pairing for Team USA by ice-time with Slavin in both games against Canada (his contract doesn't kick in until next season when he'll make slightly more than Power). And that ice-time was warranted and mirrors his play on the Wild all season. Beyond Faber, their defense is very mature and don't forget Spurgeon's return to the lineup this season.

If the Sabres win 13 in a row, they'll be right there with the wild card teams (provided they all play at about 6-4 or 5-4-1 pace) with just over 10 games remaining.

I'd be curious to see how the top 10 first lines compare in PP%. One-line teams can make it to the playoffs regularly, but that top line is probably also dangerous with the man advantage.

What the…. —Well look at you… LGR 4 GENERAL? ++Someone must have told them about my little maneuver at the Battle of the 4 Nations Face-Off thread.

They'll win the McKenna sweepstakes next season.

Would've liked to have seen one of those go in the empty net, but the entertainment was there if only for a single period.

JOKER! What a shot. The kid learned to snipe at the 4 Nations.

Tuch with the reacharound. Ducks playing the third like the Sabres have this season.

This is the Ducks third game in four days? Seems like the Sabres of one game in two weeks should be able to take advantage of that.

But he’s gotta use those chompers to direct the puck on net.

Orange and blue are complementary colors.

All wings report in. Not Ducks’ wings, naturally.

I would think it has more to do with that he's 21 and a LHD behind Dahlin, Power, Byram, Samuelsson, Gilbert, Bryson, and Johnson this year and the Sabres D-corps has been remarkably healthy. They've only needed one temporary callup and that was Johnson. He should make his debut next year.

Zegras will be serving the first of a 3-game suspension for his cheap shot on Detroit's Rasmussen.

Exactly, he should have had the advantageous position, and he and his owner walked themselves down beside the lava where it was warm and cozy.

I have two ways to read this: 1) With power play time It's really difficult to find 50+ point players in the NHL who don't get PP time. McLeod has 5.5 minutes of PP time this entire season. (Cozens gets 5.5 minutes every 2 1/3 games, for comparison.) 2) Even strength points only The past two seasons, Mitts was an elite even strength scorer. Last year, he finished with 48 ES points (and 42 the year before). That's excellent. Last season, his 48 ESP were good for 47th in the league and the guys on the list above him are a who's who of 1st liners, 4 Nations skaters, and some dual center pairs (McDavid/Draisaitl, Pettersson/JT Miller) who are often on the ice together. Mitts was great at it. Of note, there were no other Sabres in the top 50. Recently, only TNT, Skinner (only twice in his career), and Tuch have exceeded 50 ESP and Cozens' lone breakout season came close (47). This year, McLeod has 29 ESP in 52 games. He's missed a few games, but his 82-game pace is 45.73 points. That's excellent Mitts-level even strength production. The only warning sign is that thus far this is an anomaly for McLeod. But prior to this season he was skating behind McDavid/Draisaitl and got replaced by established veteran Henrique. And if I'm his agent, I ask for Mitts-level contract and term (3x5.75), because that's what I call sell a GM on the open market to be a 2/3C who kills penalties and can step onto the top line temporarily, and is very solid at ES.

He never has the high ground, even when trading Eichwalker.

In the past five years, it could be argued I've put as much effort into fixing the Sabres as the GM has. And I've been woefully undercompensated for it.

Everything we've seen from this particular owner-GM combination is that the timeline is infinite and success is a relative term.

I would, too. They both should've been extended by New Year's Day. But if I'm those players, I only have one more good contract in my career (Greenway because of the shoulder; Zucker because of age) and I'm looking forward to UFA in a surging cap era the next few seasons. And the team in Buffalo is still operating under EEE, so the likelihood that I sign here is reduced. (And I can take a bit less to go to a contender in the short term.)

Somehow... Sheevyn the 13-game losing streak returned! If they had gone 6-6-1 instead of 0-10-3, they'd be one point out of a playoff spot. If 6-6-1 in 13 good? Nope, it's an 82-point pace. But it's the difference between selling off Zucker and Greenway (and Jokiharju) at the deadline and promoting Amerks vs. buying at the deadline and going for it. None of the teams at 62-61 points in the standings now should be afraid of each other (DET, OTT, BOS, CBJ). Buy at the deadline and go get that playoff experience. The Sabres should be there, but when they hit the skids early in their "playoffs or bust" year, their GM did nothing.

There's three! Done and done. And done.

Now, this is podracing a penalty.

Naturally, only Benson in the box. He did give a nice shot though, so at least he did do a bit of roughing. Solid kill.