DarthEbriate

It's a night of interesting and marquee matchups for the Atlantic squads: Stars @ Bruins; Devils @ Red Wings; Wild @ Lightning; Panthers @ Rangers (and Blues@Leafs, too) Selfishly, I'd love to see the Stars and Devils angrily rebound from recent losses and the Wild and Rangers to stay hot, all with regulation wins. And the Blues can win, too.

I think in the offseason I said I wanted Power to aim for getting 1 credited hit per game. It's not that he's a checker or ever will be. I just need him to be comfortable with the confrontation. How to hit, how to protect himself while delivering contact, pinching players against the boards and simply getting in the way. He cannot shy away from contact or fail to protect his goalie and crease. Let's say his physicality right now is 1 out of 5. I want him to get comfortable being a 2, so that when this team makes the playoffs, and he's getting run every time he touches the puck in game one and the refs swallow their whistles midway through the second period --- he only has to go from 2 to 4, rather than from 1 to 4. Because there will be players on the opposition in the Atlantic (first two playoff rounds) that will be playing at a 7 out of 5.

The Amerks seem to do well when 1) they aren't playing the Marlies, and 2) Houser is in net. 6-1 over the Monsters. Östlund with his first of the season (and his first AHL regular season goal).

As badly as he might want the NHL salary to start, I think he'd understand from a hockey standpoint that he'd need some acclimation time in the AHL. At least part of a season to work on language, new living situation, and a new rink size. Thankfully, he'd have folks who've made the transition from Russia already in Rochester: Novikov, Komarov, Neuchev, and maybe Kisakov (RFA). They're expected to be a core group within the roster.

Occasionally, yes. But very little for a top-line forward for almost his entire time playing for HC DG.

Savoie could end up on McDavid’s wing and score more points in one season than McLeod scores in 3 years with the Sabres and it could still be an excellent trade from a Sabres perspective.

Same as with the Sabres. Coaches just don’t trust him in OT despite his offensive skills. In a related joking note, the Oilers blew a 2-goal lead in the third and are falling behind in their division. How long until they trade Skinner (the Jeff one) so that they can make the playoffs?

From earlier in this thread... Now, I didn't expect the slump/TOI items to come to fruition this early in the season, but such is life. One thing to note, you can easily call the 3rd veteran line the 2nd line, and call the kid line the 3rd line, and then think back to Vanek-Roy-Pominville's 3rd line/Kid Line debut in 05-06. Their ages: Vanek 22 - Roy 22 - Pominville 23 compared to Benson 19/Kulich 20 - Cozens 23 - Quinn 23. Cozens turns 24 midseason, but it makes sense that they are still going through growing pains. Vanek was healthy scratched in those 05-06 playoffs.

Third period and OT between the Canes and Oilers was fast, beautiful, hockey. So glad it didn't go to a shootout.

The Blue Jackets have lost twice to Gustavsson (whose lowest sv% in his five games this season is .939), but are otherwise playing fantastic and making goalies look awful.

Go win some home games.

Going to need to play with a bit more urgency, gents.

Cozens 0-2 tonight. Swing and a miss.

Good shot by Tuch for the rebound and it barely evaded JJP.

Speedy McLeod!

Joki slides forever and nullifies the rush.

Completely LIMITED POWER play! And yet, that was the best they might have looked all season.

Look at the size of that thing!

Benson, Kulich, and Levi are all still waivers exempt. Human casualties 0.0. Mission objectives met. Your thoughts betray you. I feel the hopium in you... the conflict.

Much like with the Sabres, that's probably the healthiest approach. 🍺

--It's a trap... game! ++Next move? --Spring the trap.

It's a bizarre mirroring between real world and the Star Wars prequel trilogy. Since Pegula bought the team, the franchise's fall from graces matches the fall of the Republic into an evil galactic empire. The central protagonist of the prequels is Sheev Palpatine (yes, that's his real first name in the SW canon), played ably by Kevyn (Sheevyn) Adams. Under the tutelage of Darth Pegulas the Wise (and having his ear), Sheevyn enacted a 10-year coup to take control of the franchise. First, as an Assistant Coach (Senator), he helped initiate a vote of no confidence in GM Tim Murray aka Timis Yarorum [Murray backwards; Chancellor Finis Valorum]. Then, as Sr VP of Business Administration (Chancellor, Supreme Chancellor) he was instrumental in the victory/overthrow of GM JBott (essentially the Count Dooku role) to become GM in his place. GM Sheevyn also sometimes goes by his alias "Darth Adamious" (Sidious). Along the way, young Jackikin Eichwalker was the Chosen One who didn't quite live up to it, despite beating McDulda (Sebulba, some folks call him McCrashicle) in a big pod-draft-race to become part of the franchise. And Jackikin's bicycle-riding buddy Reino Samidala also tried to make the franchise a better place. Alas, it was all for naught and they were sent elsewhere to win their Death Stars (Stanley Cups). I haven't taken the time to write the entire screenplay here on 'Space because I want to at least tell myself I have a life. Maybe if I stopped watching the games... But it is eerie how closely it works. Only the names need be changed to protect the innocent.

He's started 27 games since that game. That's hardly an irrelevant sample size in the NFL.

Rodgers has literally not been a 300-yard passer since 1/2/2022 against a Vikings team busy quitting on Mike Zimmer (and the quitting went both ways). Since that 300-yard game, Rodgers' W-L record 11-16 (I'm even including credit for a win in which he played 4 plays). I'm not a fan of the QB W-L as a stat, but it does show that there was plenty of opportunity to throw the ball. Rodgers in nowhere close to the top 10 in the NFL. Your game plan against the Jets is to stop the run and make Aaron Rodgers beat you. He can't do it anymore. His two best TD passes this season are an offsides free play and a Hail Mary where the opposition rushed 2 instead of sending 5. The Bills send five and Rodgers turtles to end the half. He's a shell living on his reputation and the weather hasn't even gotten cold yet this season. Time wins against all football players.

Standing around and the passes are way too slow to initiate. I'd take Dahlin off PP1 for a bit. Reduce his minutes to protect the injury (and he should be wearing a non-contact jersey in practice so that Krebs doesn't bump/run him needlessly). I'd try Joker on PP1 -- not that he's great at it, he has shown the ability to get point shots past the forward. Make quick passes and get the puck to the net. Don't worry about a TNT one-timer, just go get a messy goal that pinballs around a bit.