DarthEbriate

Watching Hinostroza play today reminded me... Remember when the Sabres traded Sheary and Rodrigues for Kahun? The guy who was planning on playing in Europe the next year? That was fun.

Good on Ruff for playing Samuelsson and Dahlin together since the trade deadline then.

That's good. Play out the string faster that way.

Well. Good game, Wild. Brodin and MoJo returning from injury. Rossi nursing a knee injury. No problem. After getting out of the first tied instead of trailing, it was never in doubt.

Not for the Sabres. Adams can find a way to get any of the top 15 picks into the opening night lineup. Either they're too young for the AHL or they're better than Bryson or Lafferty. Can't keep 'em down!

And give up the ENG. Boldy could have been called for interference on the ENG as he went and tied up McLeod while the puck was still landing 15 feet away... but no referee is going to call that.

I stand corrected. The Sabres did get close enough to pull Luukkonen.

MoJo and Hinostroza still kicking around in the league.

I don't think the Sabres will be close enough to pull Luukkonen. He might get the hook, but not for the 6th skater.

Well, you really don't want your playmaker in a top-9 role because....

It should be noted that the only way the new guy JBD can get into the lineup is to replace Quinn. Not by replacing Bryson.

Benson went right the net after the whistle for the fun. Power stayed as far away as possible.

It did look a lot different 1.5 years after the draft when Quinn was tearing up the AHL for his age and Rossi was a question to even be playing hockey again. But times change.

But Adams listens to Pegula. Unlike those meanies Murray and Botterill.

Sabres top line and top D-pairing, Minnesota instantly hems them in their own zone and get multiple great looks.

The Wild made the intermission adjustments and are in complete control. All too easy for the 3rd one. It could have been 3-1 Sabres after the first if they just miss a skate and shoot it on net. Instead, game over.

Win the lottery this year. Draft Schaefer. Trade Dahlin and TNT and Tuch for futures. Get a top 3 next year and restart on the Power-Schaefer timeline. Unlimited Job Security!

Kindly shoot it on net, gents.

Good look on the power play. It’s much cleaner without Cozens and when Zucker is on it.

Rossi got injured in their last game and is a maybe to play. If he’s out, it’s basically an Iowa Wild lineup with all their injuries. So, that’d mean a shutout for Gustavsson or Fleury.

The Sabres have 3 games in hand. They'll catch them.

I like Cozens and I had way too high expectations for him as a Sabre, but I chalk this up to the post-trade bump. He is scoring points, and that's good for him and the Sens. However, the player I saw in first 20 minutes of the Sens/Avalanche game last night was the same Cozens I saw in Buffalo. Good at transitioning the puck. 1 turnover inside his own blue line instead of just skating it out. 1 letting Makar walk into the slot for a PPG. 1 bad penalty taken trying to be physical (also led to a goal). The Sabres game had started so I didn't see it, but his goal was on the powerplay with 10 minutes remaining in the game... trailing by 5. 17 of those hits came in the first two games post-trade at home where the statistician was crediting Cozens with a hit for breathing on someone. His maximum hits in a game since is 3.

If Pittsburgh were to extend a 1st-2nd-3rd level offer sheet this summer for JJP, you take the picks in a heartbeat. (Benson can play in JJP's spot next year.) With their cap and contracts, Pitt is set up to tank for McKenna, even with a good amount of cap next summer -- they have gaping roster holes to fill and the core of Karlsson/Letang/Malkin/Crosby is locked up and sinking. (I do think JJP would be a good move for them in a trade, but not in giving up their 1st round pick.) With Pitt's draft luck, their 2026 pick will likely be #1-2 overall for their next franchise reset to learn from Crosby for the handover. (I strongly believe Pittsburgh moves up in the lottery this year or next: maybe a Schaefer/McKenna, or Misa/McKenna double-feature.)

Did he give a speech in the locker room after the 1st period?