DarthEbriate

The Amerks are quietly 7-0-2-1 in their last 10 and have jumped into 2nd place in the North. Everyone could still shuffle around, and the Amerks need at least one more win to avoid 4th place and the best-of-3 play-in round, but they've played great (with Kulich and Rosen scoring key goals) to jump to the front of the pack. Their likeliest first round matchup will be with either Syracuse or Utica. The Crunch and Comets face each other in 2 of the final 3 games of the season so they'll be motivated to avoid the best-of-3 play-in round.

Brock Faber just signed with the Wild, so the au revoir to Gophers is on.

He definitely needed time to adjust to the Sabres' speed and what was being asked of him. He also needs time to rest his shoulder so he isn't tentative for contact as he was with Minnesota all season. I don't know that he'll ever break out as a top 6 but he looks like he could easily take over for KO on a defensive line next season. (Girgs-Krebs-Greenway with some Savoie in the middle to help the rookie learn responsible side of the grinding game as Krebs is.) But a 3rd line of Mitts-Krebs/Savoie-Greenway where Greenway is both his defensively responsible self and driving the net offensively then 15 goals could definitely happen. Mitts' growing all-around game and the feistiness of Krebs or the slashing of Savoie. Greenway isn't replacing VO's total goals, but would also remove many of those goals against. And... there's always the possibility (however unlikely) that Granato unlocks Greenway's offense in ways undreamed (hopefully without completely sacrificing his defensive chops) and you get a Tuch 2.0 instead of simply a Tuch-lite. Greenway becomes a top-6 force with Quinn-Cozens and the Sabres roll all comers.

Even Quinn gained further development as the result of last season's playoff run. He'd probably be the first to tell you it gave him motivation for this season and learning further what adjustments his game needed when he was the main focus of the opposition's attention shift-in and -out.

Fun fact on yesterday's game: Antti Raanta had been 15-0-1 dating back to 11/26/2022 (with 2 more team wins for which he wasn't credited, but wasn't shelled in either... looks like injury withdrawn or he came in off the bench). More fun facts: Antti Raanta is only 6'0" (1.83 m) tall and has a career .918 sv% which would be #2 all-time with the Sabres if you excluded Houser and the other folks with fewer than 3 GP.

Also Huglen. He's only a sophomore on account of missing the season+ with the back injury, but he's already 22 and could likely aid the Amerks as a bottom 6 nicely next season.

It's good to see him fully functional again.

Wait, wait, wait. You're saying you had already entirely written off the possibility of a playoff berth back when the Sabres had 3-4 games in hand on NYI, WSH, and PIT, the best points percentage of all the competitors for 7th-8th, before Tuch was injured, before Dahlin was injured, and before Thompson was injured, back well before the Panthers had gotten healthy and started their run, when none of the teams (BUF, DET, OTT, FLA, NYI, WSH, PIT were able to play consistently for more than a week and everyone was slogging along because of their inconsistencies and middling status. You didn't ever believe in your preferred team?

No Kulich yet, let him mature so when he joins he contributes without sheltering. Because if he replaces someone at this point it's JJP which isn't necessary. (Not to say Kulich doesn't get a short callup next year, but don't rush him.) Savoie as the 12/13 simply because of the rules. Rousek as the other 12/13 in the Hino/VO role. Then, the other new F is a Zemgus/KO replacement but only if they don't move on. The improvement of this roster's forward comes from learned experience and being more aware, exact, and stronger defensively in their end. And add a top-4 capable D-man, of course.

Where is VO when I need him? He would know what to do with an empty net.

Dangnabbit, where was my ENG? Greenway, Skinner, go for it!

Good kill.

That's a terrible penalty to take and absolutely the right call to make. *****, Skinner.

Don't take another penalty for whining, Skinner (as Carolina did earlier). It's too late in the game for that.

The shot I remember him taking it looked either a rib/chest or an elbow hyperextension based on his reaction. But with an elbow I doubt he'd look as good with the shot and less in the strong/sturdy. Something core-related. That said, with some of the right injections and some adrenaline, he's not feeling the pain, it's dependent on whether everything loosens up.

Beautiful Dahlin! Beautiful Greenway, Cozens, and then TNT!

Do not start flat. No goals allowed in the first 5 minutes. (or at all, ideally.) Honestly, this is where you let it all out. Wipe them out. All of them.

Both will get better in both. (And defensively in particular, quite a bit better.)

Man... they forgot about Aho right after scoring to tie it. Can't be doing that. Carolina is sooo very good in response and the Sabres relaxed a bit after scoring. Crowd: What the hell are you doing? Levi: Good close to the period to tie it (and keep it tied).

Dahlin's defense is also a good offense.

Quinn missed on his deflection attempt and lost their best forward in the process. Growing up will take some time.

And don't be afraid to hammer the puck around the boards --- the Canes pounce along the sideboards with 2 almost instantly, so get it and fling it to the far corner or far point and get them chasing. The cute, short, touch passes are what they're hoping for.

And Dahlin did!

Chatfield never dropped his gloves (while Stillman did), but seems like Chatfield should be the only penalty. And it is.

Yup. The only contributors on the Canes who aren't 24+ and in their prime are Kotkaniemi and Jarvis. And you can see the difference in coaching in terms of defensive pressure, which you can do when you've got a great top-4 of defensemen all 28 years old (and Burns being paid under $2M with retention). The Sabres can become this team, but it requires experience and a mindset change defensively.