DarthEbriate

Mitts threw his mitts. Then Dahlin checks his guy into the net. Then Tage goes after the whistle. What is this?

He faded really quickly last season and just kind of was there for his final 15 or so games before heading back down to Rochester.... so I have to say I'd forgotten he's got some good wheels on him.

Either the Rangers are telegraphing every single pass or we're actually capable of playing defensive hockey in the neutral zone and our own end. Next thing, we'll be intercepting passes in their zone and burying turnover goals.

It could be argued they weren't really doing any coaching to begin with. RaKru actually said that back in the first couple games of the season vs. the Caps, just sorta let the game play out and not coach much (on account of no real preseason games).

We just generated multiple rebound opportunities in front (Okposo with the final jab at it that went wide). It's a completely different offense now.

Asplund yelling, "I use the big shovel! I use the big shovel!"

Missed the game... but Wha! That got him!

I think the Sabres could safely go to 4.25 for Ullmark, which would leave the 2.5-3 range wide open for a quality backup. Definitely should keep it under $7.5M for the tandem. The good news is that Dahlin and Jokiharju are both playing themselves into bridge contracts that are going to be well below where we would have expected to pay them at the beginning of this season. The Skinner contract is still a rock tied around this franchise's neck until the combined Seattle/ESPN/NBC & next Canadian TV deals kick in, plus the return of fans to seats, and jump the salary cap up into the $90s. So right when Skinner's skating will fall apart and there's still 3 years left on his deal.

Definitely. But I also would imagine (particularly with the flat cap) that none of those other teams is going to throw big money at Linus for him to join them. Wherever he signs (and I hope it's with us) he's not breaking the bank. Because as a GM you'd be foolish to pay a guy big money to be the clear #1 when he's been injured multiple times -- including non-contact knee injuries. Any team that signs Ullmark needs a backup who can potentially play a bunch.

Sigh. Upside is all well and good, but it only helps the franchise if, you know... they ever play in the NHL or AHL. And when we do get a 'tweener we let them go: the Hagens, Malones, and Schallers (though he was a college FA I think) of the world. Or we have them in the AHL and let them walk (Blackwell). Sure -- they're JAGs... but they're minimum cost JAGs, rather than trading for Vesey, or signing UFAs like Eakin or Josefson. Don't forget the mind-numbing JBot trade of the 2018 draft. Moving the first pick of the 6th round (156) to Toronto for their 2019 6th (177) -- so we traded a year back and 20 picks down. Then, JBot packaged that low 6th and our 7th to move up to the 5th (143) to take Filip Cederqvist. And the reason we had to trade UP to pick a guy in the 5th round who... yeah, jury is still out -- he seems fine in lower-tier Swedish hockey, and hasn't done anything in his SHL stints (thanks Interwebs!)... is because we had previously traded our 2019 5th (129) to Detroit for Scott Wilson in an unrelated deal so that HCDDB would have a Penguin around to fill out the bottom line. Which... wasn't a bad trade at the time. But still. It's just this wild loop-de-loop "we're still in the same place" with this team.

But he doesn't have nearly the value Eichel does and he's so young he could still grow. At this rate, Sergachev's contract is going to be more than Dahlin's next, which I never thought I'd see. But Dahlin at 3 years at about $4M is a realistic possibility after watching him fall apart this year. That's what I'm afraid of.

I'm at the point where I'm ready to admit that the tank's results (Reinhart, Eichel) need to be moved for the good of the franchise -- get a bunch of picks, prospects, and remake the roster entirely with NHL-capable players with souls. And, for the good of their hockey souls: liberate the players themselves from this mess. Risto, Eichel, Reino, Girgs. They're good to really good players, but they've suffered enough. Trade 'em all. Send Okposo to ROC at the start of next season, and then buy him out after next season. Remake the roster with an entirely new core and new captain and new vision. Going way off the deep end -- somehow convince Skinner to waive his clause (you know, so he doesn't have to suffer further indignation at never playing in the playoffs), and then telling Seattle -- you can pick Eichel, but you have to take Skinner, no retention. And in exchange we ask for 3 firsts (including their 2021 top 5), 2 seconds, and 4-5 players we select from other rosters in the expansion draft of which one is a starting caliber goalie -- the types of players GM Kheevyn and whoever his new AGM and consultant end up wanting to build around. Seattle gets 2/3 of a top line and an oft-injured Hart-caliber 1C in his prime to "grow the sport" and "get people on their feet" and whatnot.

Reinhart is a very good hockey player, a top-six skater on every roster in the league. Elite vision, gets deflection goals, falls down but gets up, and goes to the front of the net. He is not a checker or physical presence although he is the only guy who's consistently stepped in whenever Eichel has gotten hit. He cares. On a playoff caliber team I see him as a Patrick Sharp type (although Sharp is much stronger defensively and will be edgier), but more as that glue guy who can play on any wing and elevate the line. But now is the time. He's an RFA. This offseason, he'll re-sign for one year and then he's out. To maximize trade value, we need to move him between now and the start of next season so we get the best/most assets possible in return.

A 3-0 lead after two periods, against a team that had scratched its starting goalie (Hart wasn't even dressed!), dressed only 5 defensemen, and has been scuffling for a couple weeks.

Hall can still get us a 1st and a player/prospect. Everyone around the league knows this team is garbage and will blame that. He can look OK again. But we know Hall is garbage long-term and has been since the knee. He's still OK as a passer on the power play, but that's not enough. The only real reason to sign him in the first place is to assure you win #1 in the draft lottery. Whatever we do we must not re-sign him.

Well shoot. I had hope after they got through several minutes after Philly's 1st goal with nothing doing. Then the back-to-back PP and... still not strong enough mentally to shut it down when things go awry. I feel bad for Ullmark. He's played decently but deflections, passes to unmarked guys on his doorstep, and then a rush goal in OT. He's looked good since his return.

Now that's a good kill. And Risto was on a mission out of the box. From rush to (stormtrooper) shot to trying to annihilate the guy along the bench. I wish he'd buried the shot.

But! They're entertaining. That's the start. He's had 8 seasons of preparation for this moment.

Buckle up... we're passing through their magnetic field. Switch your deflectors on. Double front!

During the break it'd've been noisy. Now... yeah, now the nerves set in.

Ooof. Great little catch, drop, pass along the boards there.

Good kill. Fairly boring. But if we were in the building we'd be hopping.

Aaaand this is where Eakin, Rieder, Lazar, and Sheahen can make their pay.

He just needs needs needs to learn how to play the man. He's so absurdly quick-handed that he thinks he can always play the puck. And sometimes you just need to stand the guy up and let the puck drift on by.

Hey. Solid response. It's 5 minutes later... a couple chances given up, but Ullmark was there. And we haven't gone into a shell. We get the puck and we're still heading up ice and attacking and creating our own chances. They aren't going full Alamo Death Star mode.