DarthEbriate

Manhattan is the former. Perfect brandy Manhattan is the latter. Very few know it, but it's a lovely drink. And you can go maraschino or emphasize the dry with an olive.

Martinez also a tasty cocktail.

I'd even mix Rossi with rye. Or with a dry Rossi and a brandy.

Yup. If you're gonna do anything, go do it. No. The Habs built a really solid squad. Dare I say it, they can go from bottom-feeders to make the playoffs, to win the division this season.

But that guy is not Geertsen. No one cares that the Sabres have a guy who can't play at this level. Xhekaj can play. Tom Wilson can play. Noesen can play. They just also happen to be willing to take liberties. If someone takes a cheapshot, you want everyone on the ice addressing him. And after they jump him initially, you can have a staged fight from Kesselring, Greenway, Zucker, maybe Doan, etc. Because so far, we've seen nothing from Geertsen to believe that he's willing to take liberties toward the opposition. And he couldn't skate well enough to catch up to them anyway.

The Habs are fast and very talented. Demidov has a release. Kapanen is big and goes to the front of the net... what we dream Wahlberg could be. These two teams will be fun to watch for the next 5 years. Metsa for Slafkovsky was a good trade.

Östlund. Throw a few wild punches, then go for the turtle hug and let the linemen jump in. It'll be fine.

Maybe he gives them some sort of placebo effect. But yes, against Florida it was meaningless because it was a close game they were trying to get back into. Where he could be of use is in Rochester so Mrtka doesn't have to take cheapshots from guys 5 years older than him just because he's tall.

Baby steps. It's so fun to watch them have a defender backing off at the blue line, then drop pass back to center ice, and have to hold up to avoid the offside, only for the next skater to take the puck -- with speed, but now having to dodge their own player to enter the zone. Then get hung up on the now-stopped defender, and lose it to get chipped back down the ice.

If there's no consistency, it's just another "this is how we win." But -- Doan, Benson, Zucker, and a handful of others can drive that consistency.

Blergh. He's been good on the PK with Kozak.

The issue being that only Krebs and Kozak are currently healthy (unless Greenway dresses tonight).

Hmm. If Greenway was about to come back, who exactly is Östlund stepping in for? Did another player get dinged up last game?

Maybe Power if he takes off this year. Samuelsson as a 3rd pair defenseman is going to be overpaid, particularly if Kesselring is a legitimate top-4 and can be locked up long-term at $6-7M on his own and Muel could be replaced next year by Johnson/Novikov combined for $1.7M. Failing to buy out Samuelsson for 750k this past summer could end up being a pretty big issue when he's only in the lineup 40 games a year and LTIR-stashing is no longer an option for the playoffs.

Do fines count toward future hearings (for when he tries to slew-foot a Leaf)?

I think you need some more parameters there. Most points as a right-handed D over 6'7"?

That's not been the Ruff way here. It's the hot goalie until injury or failure (excepting the times when they're forcing Levi to play 2-4 years older than he was.)

The reaction was fine overall. Some worry initially because the numbers weren't available right away and we figured that Adams had given him a bit too much money/term. But most folks were pretty good with a guy who had a high high (Panthers run) and was generally a stable average goalie --- which thus far is better than UPL can claim.

They need to prove to him that they're not a floundering mess that might lead him to want out like JJP. Part of not being a floundering mess could be a Tuch extension.... Another way to show you're not a mess would be to not have a lame duck head coach and coaching staff (minus Appert) and to get a real GM who players are willing to give a hometown discount because they know he can get things done. The palm trees and taxes Sabres tax is partially an Adams tax because he's been inept.

If you bring up Rosen you can bench Quinn. But I think 5 games is a little quick for a hook on a kid, give him 10 before you put him in the suite. We've seen Rosen in the NHL and... nothing. Geertsen didn't scare anyone today except the refs. And the status of the game -- close score, Florida constantly getting PPs -- they weren't going to entertain any fights from him. Maybe if it had gotten out of hand, but they're a savvy, well-coached team. Only Marchand ever lost his cool. But Greenway will take his spot on line 4 soon enough.

They finally got some hard-nosed two-way players (Benson, Zucker, and now Doan) to support the established top six scorers, including the only skater on the team capable of 45+ goals, and we're already looking to move on from the scorers already? Do we want another perpetual rebuild?

Good opening slate for the Sabres tonight. Sens, Habs, and Lightning lose in regulation. Leafs get a loser point but no more. (And although it's early, Boston trails in Colorado.)

I am surprised. Particularly by the PK. They've really limited shots from the slot and Lyon has been lights-out. The PP has been good, but it's because Zucker and Doan are going and standing in front of the goalie. It's uniqe for Appert historically, but it's nothing revolutionary around the league. (They've gotten a couple fortuitous bounces.)

Personally, I send him down for an AHL conditioning assignment. He lasted one period in the preseason.

Or don't call up Dunne because Geertsen is already up.