DarthEbriate

Ristolainen... back from COVID and likely needing just to get his legs under him... led the team in ice time in the first.

With less than 10 seconds left it would've been nice to see Mitts take that pass and attack, rather than whack it deep and go for a change. That's on the bench to yell at them to go for the goal and not the change. That's on coaching.

Not the hook high stick, that's good. The miscommunication drop pass to the Flyer beside the goal was the playing like a Sabre part.

🍺🍺 You can't pull the goalie on the penalty kill just to make it 5 on 5. That' coaching suicide. 🍺🍺

Bryson didn't just tie up Hayes... he swiped his face to tie him up. Kill the penalty and it's all good.

And... it took 3 games, but now he's playing like a Sabre! A communications disruption that mean only one thing: penalty taken.

Oh Bryson! But maybe tied up the tap-in? Sheesh.

Ristolainen sporting an A

I've got a bad feeling about this... UPL is nowhere near ready in terms of consistency. JJ hasn't played in forever and was shaky at best in preseason scrimmages. Hutton has not shown any improvement from last season's debacle, healthy eye or no. There was time and a market for experienced tenders in the offseason. It went unaddressed. I hope Ullmark makes a full recovery because he's shown steady improvement and has the capability to steal games plus he's elite in shootouts. But this now back to back seasons where his legs have failed him. That's a problem to be a #1. Mr. Ullmark, kindly hop into the bacta hotsprings with the Captain.

Usually we can't evaluate a GM for three seasons... but none of our GMs even last three seasons these days, so we're getting the overreactions started early.

I'm with you, too. But this is more if the adminstration wants us to believe that they're in it to win it. If the mandate is for us to make the playoffs and Hutton is the goalie, we're going to go the way of Jabba... choking slowly with a chain.

OK -- if Ullmark is going to miss any time at all, GM Sheevyn needs to trade for a goalie if we're going to keep up the appearances of playoff aspirations.

I go away to wipe up decrepit old-dog pee for one minute and... huh. We're losing. Bummer.

Phew, the 26-62 adventure continues.

All part of GM Sheevyn's sequel trilogy-level plan... Expose Eichel to Seattle in exchange for 5 first-round picks including those acquired from other teams, a couple players selected from other teams in the draft, AND Seattle has to take Skinner's contract (waiving NMC) edit: whatsa meesa saying, and Okposo's contract.

I suppose it should be pointed out that Mitts now has more goals than Skinner on the season.

Scrappy powerplay battles... Does Tage ever make a non-non-look pass?

Sheahen, the power forward 1C, drawing penalties!

And the NJD trivia answer: Chris Drury 234 games. I'm surprised. I thought Drury did a lot of splitting time on the C. Peca didn't play that final season otherwise he might've had it.

On delay just about 30 seconds... Mittelstadt!!!

Good fight by Mitts on the PP to keep the puck on our side.

NJD broadcast trivia question: Which Sabres player had the most games as captain during Lindy Ruff's head coaching tenure with Buffalo (1997-2013)?

Ullmark has been covering up a lot of sloppiness.

We always seem to be slowing down on our 2 on 1s... rather than forcing the issue and making the D or goalie have to scramble.

Nothing like getting your goalie into the flow of the game with that first shift in the 2nd.