DarthEbriate

That's the real trick, isn't it? And it's going to cost us something extra. There are two more seasons (at least) of flat- or further-diminished cap, let alone self-imposed internal caps. While this helps us in re-signing Dahlin and Jokiharju on bridge deals, the Skinner deal keeps getting worse all the time (with every goalless game). No team can afford to take on $9M at this time. I know folks want Seattle to take Skinner, but that requires Skinner to waive his NMC and Seattle to be foolish enough to take him. How many first round pick(s) are folks willing to give to Seattle to take a $9M 3rd line winger (Carolina and now again here). Completely aside: I do suspect (again, complete speculation, but I can easily see it happening if attendance remains limited through the end of 2021 and into 2022 --- which makes sense to me, vaccinations or not) that the season after the expansion draft we'll probably see a push for a compliance buyout option from the owners if there's another cap dip. One per team. It cannot be done before the expansion because Seattle paid $650M to get good players, so the league can't allow the buyout until afterward. Maybe in the summer of 2022 we can buy him out.

Well, baby face sure. But he's 6'3" 183#. That's not so junior high.

It's a long short season. There's plenty of time for things to turnaround. Just look at our October/November last year vs. the rest of the season. If the team takes off in two weeks they'll be fine. But yeah, right now, there's no indication that'll happen.

That's really a poor effort. Vanecek owns us thus far. But we got a point. Win tomorrow and it's [edit: this series] all good. The Sabres aren't competing with the Capitals for a playoff spot, they're going to be in it. The Sabres need to keep pace with the 3rd-4th-place level teams

Oops. Sorry, jinxed him on the shot.

Ullmark is so patient in the shootouts. He's the anti-Lehner in that regard.

Risto and Sheahen on the break! Annnnnd... yeah.

We need a faceoff win, Kane flip high to Eichel here for a buzzer beater.... Except Eichel's just finished his shift. and a timeout

Perfect. Take a penalty for OT.

He's had a quietly good game.

I drink for all my teams. Hmm... 5 pm now... Martini or beer tonight... Decisions.

They're definitely outworking us as a whole. Can't take any nights off against the best team in your division, Ovie out or not.

Dahlin struggled to start last season, too, apart from the power play. I'm fully confident he'll come around. Someone needs to tell him his bridge contract is losing value though to snap him out of it.

That was a tenacious shift by him to close out the period.

Eakin offsides again...? That's two where the puck-carrier didn't have to make much of a shuffle at the blue line, he's simply jumping the gun. Washington is definitely skating hard to make up for the players out of the lineup.

Nice. Olofsson picks big Chara's pocket. That Chara's too tall for stickhandling. Go for the legs! Use your sticks and tow cables.

We must move quickly. They're missing players; if they are not beaten this weekend, we'll lose the season series. First, I want you to go to the rink. We will catch them off balance. Do what must be done, Eichwalker. Do not hesitate. Show no mercy. Only then will you be strong enough with the puck to save our playoff chase.

Beautiful save, Carter the Hutt!

This makes no sense. If the pretty shot isn't there, you take the rebound opportunity.

And Konecny takes a cross check shot at Hall... they're so busy trying to send messages that we need to bury a few and then a few PP just to even these cheap shots out.

When Skinner gets one, I have a sneaky feeling that 3rd line (Skinner/Lazar/Sheahen) is going to look really, really good for about 4-5 games in a row.

Ski.... no. SKIN.... nope.

Eichel, Hall, Reino, Goalofsson... 🍺 Tonight: Muenster.

That pp was summed up simply as, "Hold your fire... there's no life forms. The penalty must have short-circuited."

Ooof. For as lazy as that interference penalty was, our power play was... lackadaisical? Indifferent? Nonchalant? C'mon! That was a chance to mess with this team's head again immediately.