DarthEbriate

Wow. Normally I can kind of keep up with the rosters... But between COVID protocol lists, taxi squads, and the usual AHL/NHL injury attrition, the Amerks lineup is like the opening montage of Major League (oh my... I need to watch that movie. I've not seen it in a long time. [a long time.]) Barfly: Ricky Vaughn? Brandon Hawkins*? I haven't heard of most of them. Brent Gates*... Junior? Construction Worker: Who are these f-----' guys? Groundskeeper: [in Japanese] They're ------. *no offense to Brandon and Brent. I'm sure they're talented and motivated hockey players. Just not in the Sabres pipeline.

I don't think Reinhart should agree to an extension beyond 2 years because we can't (nor can anyone else with the flat cap) pay him what he'll be able to get as a UFA when the cap bumps back up. He's been underpaid for his production his entire career. He's only going to get one big contract and we can't afford to give him 8/9 this year. No one can. But --- the ESPN deal, the other US deal, the Canadian deal, fans coming back, and Seattle expansion influx, sports gambling getting legalized in more states, advertisements on helmets and more... the cash is coming in 23-24. Sam will be 28. It won't be a long contract necessarily, but it will be his only chance to truly maximize. There is a risk for him to not lock up now, as he could be injured, and he also has to compete with the Cozens of the world who'll be eating up that cash at the same time. But Reinhart stays healthy consistently and is savvy. Some great young talents are going to wash out or get injured along the way, and bad old contracts like Okposo's will disappear across the league. And then the cap will explode and someone will completely reset the market and the money will get stupid.

Fun list of names, and while I agree Seattle should overdraft on defense and then trade them off like Vegas did --- they won't go this far in the D direction. Bleacher's list as compiled is 5 million over the cap and has 13 D and only the minimum 14 F. I agree some of those are the best players available to take from the team, but they've also got to be traded and quickly. And that's where we lose Borgen v. Miller. Or Bjork/Asplund/Thompson whichever is exposed. And if I'm a GM and want a Devon Toews for example... I'm also patient until Seattle comes down on their trade demands for the D. They can't leave themselves over the cap. And they definitely won't be able pass good folks through waivers if other teams are able to manage their caps this summer.

Were JBot the GMTM... Two things are clear: The stockpiled defensemen would be 2 years further along and we still would have traded a 3rd for Vesey.

R 2 the! Ruot 2 the!

Reino, you can't peel away until the whistle blows. Keep jabbing, sir!

No Bergeron helps. But now Boston is going to push -- let's push back. Break it open for Young Ukko

Wooooooooooo!

Glad UPL got the Miller Shutout out of the way early. Now... Marchand is the hottest goal-scorer in the league. Thompson -- you're bigger and stronger than him. A stick lift is fine once... but then please clear him to the boards. Marchand was allowed to just stand and whack away.

I'm just going to call him by his name Ukko-Pekka, Ukko Ukko, Ukko-Pekka Ukko Ukko ahhhhh, aha aha ha. I can't stop this feeling! (you'll thank me later) I Luukkonen feeling! I'm high on believing! In three years you'll be a great goalie... ^ No... This is what it is like to be on drugs.

Yeesh, too young. Rest in peace. (I always think of Parliament, particularly the Trombipulation album because I rarely ever listen to it, when hearing Digital Underground)

We also need to learn to stay in front of the net and be ready for rebounds. Because... that was too easy. Marchand's too. Gotta be willing to be there for when a rebound happens. OK --- time for dinner. I think it's safe to say this one is over. G'night, Spacers!

You beat me to it. Well... the first half of the statement anyway. 🍺

Goaltending is the difference in this game (and yeah, the powerplay, too). But tonight they've gotten the saves and we have not. Not to say there aren't a lot of other things we'd like to see (grit, shoot the puck, etc.), but the goaltending is night-and-day difference in this one.

Neither am I, given the injuries. A healthy Ullmark is a middle-of-the-pack starting goalie, even on this team. On a good team, Ullmark is a very solid NHL goalie.

It was odd. But apparently he couldn't stop a puck in practice, either. And rarely made a game-changing save in the lineup. A change of scenery (and Colorado's possession game) sometimes is all you need. But it would be nice to have him as an option now that Ullmark is out.

It's certainly showing against us. (They also are undefeated since the trade deadline.) What happens in the playoffs is still far away, but they'll be a tough out for the Caps, Isles, or Pens. They might even be the favorite to come out of our division's bracket.

Primary objective and secondary objective. Get someone you believe in (Ullmark) and someone else you're also going to go to battle for.

To be fair, he is an AHL goalie. (And yes, better than Hutton.) And tomorrow we're skating a yet-to-be-proven AHL-caliber goalie. I was hoping to see more from the team the way they'd been playing coming into the series. But Boston is getting healthier and now has a 2nd line... and Lazar... and it's showing.

Good scorer, there, Pastrnak. And... huh. This is the first time they've look RaKruish in a long time. Folding...

Yes. Probably hundreds of times at this point in his career. It's usually with positioning, a pinch, and a quick stick. He does it quite frequently. But if it's a grapple/tackle battle, then no... then the puck is likely going the other way. Perhaps the better question, does he win more or lose more pucks along the wall?

Thompson had space... get the zone, then make the pass. Mitts can wait, but let him get in with momentum.

We know Sam can be a really good complementary player. But if he can't elevate, fine... there's still a role for him. That just means someone else needs to step up for him to complement. Mitts, Skinner, Cozens, Thompson, Olofsson... none of them are escalating today either. We can't just rely on Eichel. (And Cozens, but he's not ready to be the alpha yet). (For the Samson thread --- if you move him, move him this summer so you can maximize the return from a team with a free season on him before he's a UFA.)

He's got the same answer the RaKru, and the other guy, and the other guy had --- Eichel. But that answer is missing.

Dahlin with the blind and intentionally angled stick. That's nice.