pastajoe

Another D, Miska Kukkonen.

Matej Pekar C, USHL rookie of the year. Tenacious on puck.

They had too many veterans last year, and they had to sit some each game. Time to give more roster spots to young players.

Would be nice if they at least showed the 3-on-3 on the Internet.

There’s a lot of brand hotels around, even some just outside the casino near the Thruway. But there’s not any right near the Clinton Arena. This is still pretty much how the inside of the arena looks before the makeover.

It’s Tues Sept 25. I’ll bet the teams will stay at the Turning Stone Casino if they stay overnight. And then there’s this: Now, the next question is: Will the NHL preseason game be played at Clinton Arena — which was famously rebuilt after a fire burned the building first finished in 1949 — or the Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium? According to Orsino, that decision will be made mid-June. He has been in talks with the NHL, and it is his indication that the league is picking between the historic village of Clinton rink or the downtown Utica staple. https://www.google.com/amp/www.uticaod.com/sports/20180518/buffalo-columbus-to-play-nhl-preseason-game-in-mohawk-valley%3ftemplate=ampart

Rome is north and Utica is east of Clinton. Either way you’d have to get a car since the arena is not near the downtown areas or businesses. It’s south of Thruway exit 32.

The Buffalo Sabres have been chosen to meet the Columbus Blue Jackets in the annual Kraft Hockeyville exhibition game. The contest will be held Sept. 25 at Clinton Arena in Clinton, New York, which is located 16 miles from Utica. http://buffalonews.com/2018/05/18/sabres-to-meet-blue-jackets-in-hockeyville-exhibition-game-in-clinton/ I’ve coached at this rink, where the old Clinton Comets of the EHL played. The corners are almost like right angles, and there’s little room behind the goal lines. The lockers are literally like large closets, with benches along the walls and a toilet and sink at the end. I don’t know how they’re going to be able to expand given the small building size.

Actually when Paul Hamilton did the play-by-play for some Sabres prospect tournament games he was really good, and would be a better replacement then Dunleavy.

I’d take Crosby over McDavid at same age. Sidney has proven to be a leader and comes up with the clutch plays when needed. McDavid has yet to prove he can motivate his teammates to succeed.

Dahlin will holdout unless the resign fellow countryman Lehner.

Just don’t let Brandon Beane pick for them, he’ll take Rasmus Allen.

Svechnikov is an all around player, but if the team wants a pure goal scorer like Laine to put on Eichel’s wing, Zadina is that player. Or there’s a couple of other quality Ds. So getting 2nd could give the option to Botts of trading down and getting 2 quality players, a pick and a traded player.

I don’t assume Botts would pick the playmaker Svechnikov at 2nd. He might trade down and take a goal scorer or defenseman, and also get a roster player in return.

There should be a rule that if you get the 1st pick, you are out of the lottery the next year and have to draft in your normal pick position. If you’re one of the worst 3, you go to 4th.

Well we can still root for Cliff Pu and the Kingston Frontenacs. They’re in the 3rd round of the OHL playoffs, but are down 3-1 in the series to Hamilton. Pu has 4 goals and 13 assists in 14 playoff games.

It would have been reasonable if the Sabres were in the playoff hunt, but since they were out and Botts says he wants to establish winning in Rochester, Ullmark should have stayed. They were still competing for home ice advantage.

You can find actual GLOW episodes on YouTube. It’s interesting comparing the real characters to the Netflix versions.

The players they got back were AHLers who should have been kept in Rochester. It's not like they got a bunch of NHLers. Syracuse was pretty much left alone to gel in the 2nd half.

Finished GLOW (Gorgeous Ladies Of Wrestling) on Netflix, a comedy on how the real show started. It was entertaining and a fun look back at the ‘80s. With Mark Maron as the head guy. Started Lost in Space. It is an interesting take on the old series so far. More like Battlestar Galactica than the old campy show. Of course there is an obligatory PC aspect that you’ll notice right away.

When the parent club is good, they can let the young players incubate in the minors for years until they’re ready.

Cincinnati lost to Fort Wayne 4-2, which ends the series 4-1. Game was tied until last 4 minutes. Only 1200 showed up for the last game in Cincy. So now only the Amerks remain alive among Sabres affiliates.

I wonder if Amerks might play Wilcox in next game. Cincinnati lost to Fort Wayne 2-1, down in series 3-1. Johansson made 36 saves. Play Sunday 3pm.

ECHL affiliate Cincinnati stayed alive in best of 5 playoff by beating Fort Wayne 7-6 in OT. Johansson stopped 45 shots; 148 in the series for an average of 49 saves per game. He’s projected to be the Amerks starter next season. FW leads series 2-1.