mjd1001

I don't think he's going to make a difference to that team. Its early. But 3 games in, 8 minutes per game. No points, -3. But he can win fights right? 2 fights so far, nothing groundbreaking. He probably won against Foligno the other night, but it was a draw or a slight loss in his fight Vs Montreal. If he's only good enough of a 'hockey player' to get 8 minutes of ice time, I want a 'better' hockey player in that spot instead.

Right down the street from El Cubilete is La Galera (near the outlet mall in Niagara Falls). Been to both a few times. Like both a lot. When we visit Florida, our relatives often take us to 2 Mexican restaurants down there that are similar, but the 2 above in Niagara Falls are so much better than what we are subject to down there.

I have a close friend who spends a ton of money and doesn't really mind (I guess?) He has a full cable package with internet, plus a few premium packages with cable, and his cable bill is a bit over $200 per month (with internet). Him and his wife have most of the major streaming services also. I'm guessing his total for Cable and streaming is closing in on $300 per month. I joked with him about it a couple months ago, and his response was....they want all the options and he doesn't mind the cost.

I agree with you here. We too are watching less as the prices go up. Our 'spend' on entertainment is lower now, and sure, we have less total to choose from, but it doesn't impact the quality of our viewing experience. As far as any streaming service, cable service, channel, even sports....give me a bargain or at least a 'fair' price (not going up year after year) and we are likely to give you some of our money. When the costs rise or service is lowered (a few streaming services have cut shows we liked), we'll step aside and not worry about it too much.

Usually when I watch a game live, the team loses, when I watch it delayed they win. tonight was the opposite. After they took a 2-0 lead, I stopped watching to spend some time with the wife. I turned the game back on in OT and saw Cozens score 10 seconds after I turned it on. I like watching games that way.

LOTS of empty seats in that lower bowl.

In the first 2 games and the one shift this game, it looks like Okposo lost a full 20% of his speed since last season.

If you have an abundance of talent, you can make up for being small... DeBrincat, Johnny Gadreau, Zuccarello, Adam Fox, Pointe, Patrick Kane, Marchand, Aho, Jack Hughes, Tyler Johnson and many others are all 5'10" or under I beleive.

I'm the same way with Krebs. Last year the first few weeks of the season I thought he was probably the worst forward in all of the NHL. I still don't think he's great or bound to be a star, but he turned his play around by the end of the year and now looks like at least a legit NHL forward. Many of us has expressed frustration in the other thread about Spectrum/MSG/MSG plus....but again it deserves repeating just how bad the NHL is with making their games available to their fans.

Some very, VERY early observations from the first week of the season: -Good thing I don't gamble. If I had to pick 3 teams I thought would take a step back this year, I would have picked Vegas, Boston, and Pittsburgh. They are a combined 7w-1L. Two teams I thought would fly out of the gate were Buffalo and Edmonton. So far a combined 0w-4L. -Elias Petterson has to be recognized soon as an NHL superstar. Probably my favorite player in the league to watch right now, he doesn't get the attention being on the west coast and in Canada the way he should. -Philly may not be awful this year. They won't be good, but their D-unit actually plays 'above average'. (without Risto in it) -Is Austin Matthews really the 60 goal scorer he was from 2 years ago and last year he nursed an injury? Or is he more of the 40 goal scorer he was last year? So far it looks like he is the 60 goal scorer and last year he was a bit injured and that held him back. -Toronto still lacks depth, but they are going to punish their top line to make up for it. Marner is averaging almost 24 minutes per game, as a forward. Matthew Knies is NOT going to be their savior this year (like you would think by listening to/reading some leaf fans) -Ottawa looks for real. The Rangers don't look presidents tropy worthy, but they are solid everywhere with few weaknesses. -Seth Jones used to be very good, then for some reason about 2 years ago he started to play awful, at both ends of the ice but in particular the D-Zone. He was on a bad Blackhawks team but you have to play some pretty bad hockey to be a -75 over 2 seasons. Well, I've watched 2 games of him this year and, again its early, but he looks really good to me (other than one awful giveaway I saw). Could be a big bounce back/comeback season for him.

Or as others have said a shot clock. From the moment you touch the puck at center ice, you get 5 or 6 seconds to shoot the puck. If you don't, its like the shot clock expiring in the NBA, you forfeit the attempt. A version of a 'reverse off sides'. I like it, or at least a variation of it.

Hopefully that changes. Last time I checked it said the rain should be ending right around kickoff, but as you said, windy during the game.

Yep, I thin it is a different game. Hitting isn't as important. Fighting doesn't happen hardly at all and you don't have to have a certain percentage of your roster devoted to it. 20 years ago hardly any teams employed any kind of trap. Lots of other subtle changes. I think it is a much different game. Look no further than coaches....Guys like Sutter, Keenan, Torts, and Mike Babcock either can't get jobs anymore of when they do they don't last long...yet guys like Granato and others that embrace analytics are more in fashion now. A guy like Patrice Bergeron in today's decade gets credit for knowing when to turn away from a hit, not finishing a check because it got him back in the play quicker. In the 1990's he'd be doing sprints in practice for not finishing a check. Guys are being taught and play the game in a different way than in the past.

You mentioned Reinhart...it goes without saying a lot of the 'scouting report' is the same between them. Lacks elite speed. Shot average to above average at best. kinda small. The differences? Reinhart has a bit more size and maybe a slightly better shot, but seemed (at least in the fans eye) to lack the grit/motor that Benson has.

I don't think it would matter much. The coaching staff and management probably wouldn't want older guys coming in talking about 'hockey' to this team...guys who played when the game was basically a different game. Plus, this management team/coaching staff/development staff has (and has had) former NHL guys on it who have 'kept up' with the game. As far as the 'culture' of the team/area/city, going to a Bills game and meeting guys like Josh Allen on the sideline probably means more to these guys than talking to Alumni that played when most of these guys weren't even alive.

What was his extension for? Something like $13.5m per year? THAT is the issue with him. He is average at best pass catching, "Good" at run blocking....that is not worth $13.5m per year on a team that is up against the cap.

I didn't hear that. Would I want a Superbowl in London personally? Not really, but I watch the game only on television so it wouldn't bother me that much. I'd rather have the superbowl there once or even once very few years...rather than having so many regular season games over there.

I just don't see that. I see someone who isn't a good two way player. I see someone who isn't that effective at winning board battles and is not tenacious on the forecheck. BUT, I rarely anymore see him make obvious errors where he causes goals against. I rarely see him not hustling in the offensive zone to prevent linemates chances (at least in the offensive zone). He's not a good two way player, I openly admit that. But a boat anchor that sucks down any line he plays on? Again, I'm not saying he is good, but you just don't see him make obvious mistakes that cost the team goals over and over and over, and he does put in some effort on the 'right' side of the blue line. My 'time killing' hobby regarding the Sabres is to watch almost all the goals allowed over the past year or two and see who made the mistake(s) that caused them. I don't often notice him being worse than anyone everyone else. Again, VO is not good... but he is not the turnover machine/zero effort player that some on this board make him out to be.

As good or as bad as you think VO is...when you sign Cozens to the extension you did, you can't have him disappear because one of his wingers isn't optimal. He's not a superstar getting paid $14m, but for $7m+ (and we want to think that is a bargain), you need to expect Cozens to be able to carry lesser teammates, not be brought down by them.

Can someone explain to me in detail, but simply, what xGf% is supposed to mean, AND how it is calcuated?

If you are going to promote the NFL in London, 1 or 2 games per season is enough. They are going overboard.

Yay! this is fun.

I had just looked at the game stats on NHL.com when you said that....no, not everyone...just 18% to 82% when I just checked.

Of all the options, which one doesn't belong? I'm not sure how Knies made the list. Listen to Toronto media and the fanbase and I guess you would think he's the next great NHL all-star power forward, but in the few games I saw him play I don't see it. Look at the measurables too...Late 2nd round pick, total of 11 games played, 1 goal and 4 assists so far (with some of that ice time being with Torontos top lines/players last year), and pretty much limited to 12.5-13 minutes of ice time per game. I mean, maybe he will turn out to be good, but the hype train about him out of Toronto is a bit out of control.

Seems like you are having a similar experience with MSG Plus as I did with Spectrum trying to find out how to upgrade to get MSG.