DarthEbriate

If HCDG is going to rock a GAO line and start them against opponents' top lines and roll them out after goals against like he did with Okposo's line last season, then that's not a 4th line in terms of time on ice even strength.

If Comrie and Forsberg are more or less equal (the backup with decent numbers in limit starts looking to be their team's new starter)... can Buffalo's backups (Anderson/UPL) outperform the Sens' 2/3 goalies (just claimed Magnus Hellberg off waivers) for the 5ish games that he might play? Note: Ottawa does not have a single back-to-back scheduled until December 17-18, by which time Talbot is back. Is Forsberg gassed by then from carrying the entire load?

Tuch's arrival changed the complexion of the team, but it still took the return to health of all the goalies and VO to get the wins. Tuch will have a fantastic season. The question is: in March he was on Thompson's wing, but by the end of last season, VO's shot was back and he was on the 1st line. I go with the latter. VO will break 70 points (I think he barely outscores Thompson to lead the team). Tuch anchors a 2nd line and is in the upper 50s. Because we cannot ever forget the past, don't kill it even if we don't have to: Tuch plays more games than Eichel this season, but Eichel scores a few points more than Tuch.

To be fair, the forwards are also not NHL caliber tonight.

Re: The bug. It's the red eyes that let you know it's angry. (Just like the Buffalo logo.)

Columbus scores on the partial break... a bunch of odd-man rushes for them tonight.

Overall, that's an AHL PP vs a NHL PK. At the end, VO left a bit of a weak pass to Laaksonen, but then Laaksonen didn't possess it cleanly. Almost another shorthanded break for Columbus.

No one knows that Olofsson was hurt last year.

What's this, bussing? The Sabres charter plane is the same plane week-in and -out and it's falling apart? Like in Major League?

If he ever develops a shot, he'll turn into a fair player. I know it won't happen with this GM/coach and timeline because the team is all about youth still this year. But I can envision letting Krebs be the #1C in Rochester to start this season so he can work on completing his game with big minutes (PP1, PK), shot, full-time center, etc.

Ok -- I saw 2 but no more. Ah. So I saw 2 2s.

Nice shot, nice pass by... Quinn? There's no replay.

Oh hey! Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre! What was the name of that waiter? Jean-Luc!

Take Victor off the forward lines, and the Blue Jackets might find an AHL-only lineup weakness... and exploit it.

I like Jiricek.

Say what you will about their announcers... they know the Sabres' players names. And if they don't, there's only a slight delay until their spotter gets the number and name for them. Kozak was crosschecked and it only took a second before they had his name on-air.

Hopefully Bloom's shoulder is nicely on the mend. I'm looking forward to he and Kozak scoring several shorties for Rochester in 2023-4.

West of the Cascades state-side here. The link on Sabres.com worked here. Now that I think about it, the stream was excellent last night. I don't think I had any lag or audio issues (intermission muting was intentional).

Amerks at Blue Jackets tonight. Nice. Should be a good test.

Huh. Do I have to be in the stadium to claim the 50/50 raffle?

I try to keep my distance so I can take advantage of all the opposing broadcast teams throughout the season, but don't look like I'm trying to keep my distance from the local broadcast team.

Finally, one goes in

And no dinosaurs or planets! What the hell? (Ok -- that's maybe more for 6 years old, but you get the idea.) Lots of odd man rushes given up thus far by the Sabres.

Savoie offsides, but that's some timely interference on Philly. Gotta hold up with more effort/strength.

Typically the games are moved/canceled/delayed when it's a risk to gathering the fans (massive storms, driving conditions, lightning, etc.) There are shenanigans (and they'll call it gamesmanship) at all venues. Minnesota will leave the speakers on behind the visitors' bench which amplifies the crowd noise; it was always assumed for about 10 years in the 2010s that you'd lose the helmet audio connection when playing at Foxboro; and all the home teams leave the opponents in the sun and wear home whites. Heck, the Packers visiting locker room in Tampa this weekend suspiciously had no air conditioning. The NFL could mandate evening games if they're worried about player safety, but it's also the responsibility of the visitors to be prepared. It's a billion dollar business and every team is rich beyond imagination. Rent the equipment you need, wear your special earplugs for noisy venues like Seattle, bring your heaters in the winter and the mist-fans in the summer, and carry parasols if the won't let you set up awnings.