DarthEbriate

It is disappointing when you consider the team is 5-1-1 at home, plays with energy, it was a Friday night, and it was the only opportunity to see McDavid (barring a Cup Final matchup) in Buffalo all season... thanks, ownership!

I wonder if any of the NYRangers watched our game.

Bryson is quickly turning into an extremely dependable long-term NHL defenseman.

huh... his tie has a piece of fabric just overlaid on it?

Nice game. Sometimes you're going to be way outmatched in the skill department and need to skate and block shots.

Way to be, Bryson! No matter who it is, you never take a penalty when you forget the puck and then just stand up the player.

Toker's smokin' tonight.

Ha! I liked Asplund fake-shot about 2 seconds after the puck had bounced away from him and was already exiting the zone.

Skinner, drawing penalties. OK, gents, let's dig another well!

We're going in, we're going in full throttle. That oughta keep those Oilers off our back. The rebounds will be there.

Keep firing, Cozens!

This is a bold strategy. Tire them out by keeping them on the PP.

So uncivilized undisciplined. Edit: Miller's penalty, not blasters.

Make-ups are a thing. But that was also a legit hold.

Yamamoto's going to garner a diving reputation with flops like that.

Bjork Bjork Bjork! <flings sticks and pucks overhead and into the crowd (or netting)>

I liked Bucci back in the nhl2nite days, I think. It was a long time ago. A long time. But he's spent too much time behind a SportsCenter desk now and is trying to announce the game like a string of highlights. It's not working.

Yup. If Hagg-Pysyk were together, they'd be out against McDavid. But, I think it'll be an even blend of Hagg-Butcher and Dahlin-Pysyk against that line. Hey -- if Dahlin's ever going to learn to ignore the puck and stand up the guy (edit: on a rush) -- this is the player to learn against.

++: I've just learned a terrible truth. I think Chancellor Palpatine GM Sheevyn is the GM. Mace Windu: The G. M.? (Casting note: MW played by either AGM Sexton or ROC HC Taylor.) ++: Yes. The one we've been looking for. He knows the ways of The Concept (of Ehrhoff) aka The Process. He has been trained to use The Cap. I've also learned that this weird SW/BS headcanon I've been generating for the amusement of a Sabres message board through the utter deconstruction and rebuild of a franchise has provided a ton of content and SW/reality name and scene crossover. I mean... I basically have the entire cast at this point. It's alarming. I think with a couple months' effort (depending on real-life workload in Q4/Q1) I could probably write out the Sabres Wars prequel trilogy scripts showcasing the draft, rise, and fall of one Jackikin Eichwalker.

Anderson is still out with an upper body injury, isn't he? I'm not ready to see Dell, yet.

I think Tommer is Yarael Poof. https://www.starwars.com/databank/yarael-poof

This will be Edmonton's third game in 4 nights. Loss to DET, comeback win in BOS yesterday. Meanwhile, we're rested. Accelerate to attack speed and skate them into the ground. Hopefully, we pull away in the final period.

This board also loved calling him McClavicle and pointing out how much more durable a bigger/stronger Eichel was going to be.

Yes. I think if JJP-Krebs-Quinn becomes a full-time thing in the AHL this year, then next year they could be a kid 3rd line ala Vanek-Roy-Afinogenov. Heavy on the o-zone starts. If they lose the draw, they go get it back; if they win the draw, they have some fun. But in order to bring them up en masse, we need the top 6 solidified with advancements by Mitts/Tage or Cozens. Tuch adding the size and maturity. And either a Skinner resurgence (or Asplund sticking in the top 6). Olofsson TBD depending on the contract situation. Whatever the outcome, I hope we don't rush any of them. Cups of coffee this year are welcome, but promote each player individually at their right pace. A good lineup can account for maybe 2 rookie forwards a year and 1 rookie D. We don't want to see all the rookies at once, even if they're all almost ready, because the established vets on this roster aren't able to carry the team on their backs for any extended length of time while rookies go through their rougher patches.

Don't change GMs every 3 years. To rehash memory lane: DR's major failing at the end was drafting and keeping a pipeline going; it basically emptied with the comeback from the lockout. So when you buy the team you either can DR and get a GM to fix the drafting, or you give DR resources to resolve the drafting. Instead, GMDR got Ehrhoff (good) and Leino (bad) to keep the team afloat with little to no up-and-comers to support it. They built on a bad foundation. So then... then they opted to collapse it all. And they let GMDR start that process, too. Then, they started swapping out GMs and haven't stopped (maybe?). Every time you switch GMs you assume 3 years minimum to get things in order because they're going to build their version of a farm system and team. So next time you buy a team... bring in the new GM that shares your vision of the team right then and there. And then stick with the GM for 5-7 years.