French Collection

Kyle Okposo has 9:31 of PP TOI this year. He has 0 PP pts. The bad PP numbers are not his fault, especially since it is PP2, but he has not helped at all. He does not help zone entries and his mobility and creativity limit him to a shooting option. He is not a sniper so his effectiveness is minimal. I am not on the bring Kulich up train, he may not be ready 5v5, but I think he deserves a look for a PP spark.

Revenge game, not.

I wanted this kid to become a bit more like Pronger due to his size. It is not in his DNA to play that way. However, some push back will get him some room, respect and confidence. Dahlin doesn’t drop the mitts but he engages in scrums, hits hard and will retaliate if someone wrongs him or a teammate. Power needs to ramp this up.

I know. Plus Bryson wants to be in Buffalo. At some point KA should be doing his job and putting the best players he can find on the roster. This will improve the talent and send a message to the rest of them that this is a business and winning is better for business.

St Louis vs Arizona Binnington gives up 5 goals on 8 shots and gets pulled while Vejmelka gives up 4 on 7 shots and also gets pulled.

This Sportsnet article from 2021 has some salary cap era stats that say 77% of teams in the playoffs at US Thanksgiving make it. https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/why-nhl-standings-at-u-s-thanksgiving-have-huge-playoff-implications/

I thought it was .75% of teams in the playoffs at US Thanksgiving made the playoffs at year end.

This is what I said throwing the remote down.

They have energy tonight, good to see.

Just picked up my jaw. Sick goal!

I can’t think of any teams that have ever attempted 4 scoring lines. The Sabres certainly have players and prospects that fit into that category and could try it. The salary cap has prevented teams from trying that but the Sabres could due to a multitude of ELCs. Can these young guys score at the NHL level? They have skill but they need strength to win battles and to survive the grind. It would seem that this approach would just want to trade chances and win 8-6 games. Could that work in the playoffs? It did for the 80’s Oilers but they still had grinders in their bottom 6. Puck possession means having to play less defense so there is that. You need a puck hounding mentality to get it back and Benson and Quinn may be the only 2 young guys capable of that. We already complain about a lack of grit and this doesn’t help. A traditional 4th line would provide sandpaper and a defensive conscience. If 1 forward per line had a high level of defensive awareness, you could get away with a swashbuckling team.

I didn’t realize it was nothing this serious. I saw an Ontario Provincial Police press release that USA borders in the Niagara region were closed and suspected weather.

I thought he could get to Cirelli’s level but now I am not sure. It takes hard work and dedication to a role to hit that next level. Krebs can still become a Johan Larsson type but he needs work to get there and the will to believe that is his role.

I just watched Quinn’s interview at Sabres.com. He is happy with his progress and expects to be in full practice mode in a few weeks. He will participate in some pre game skates before that and is starting a few drills and shooting on the goalies. He says his surgeon expects a full recovery and figures he can be ready for January. Pacioretty reached out to him for support and advice, Quinn sounds like he appreciated it. Great news, my expectations are lower than pre injury but this guy could help a lot.

Coach speak for Krebs needs a reset, VO needs to score to help us and elevate his trade value and RyJo has earned a spot but I don’t have the guts to bench a veteran. I really wish Rousek or Biro had made an impression enough to have KO be load managed.

This is just one broadcaster who makes a concerted effort to get their names right. For many Euros the WJ is their first introduction to North American audiences. Rosen just took the path of least resistance. My last name is French and I pronounce it like the English speaking Canadians do because I find it easier than spending time tweaking their pronunciation. I now live in a French speaking community and everybody gets it right.

I recall Gord Miller from TSN pronouncing it Rozayun at the WJ. He does his homework on Euro pronounciatiations, asking players, trainers etc… I think he just accepted that most NAm people will pronounce it as Rozun.

I think it has really come down to the wire and this 9th game will add to his body of work and tip the scales one way or the other. I think he has the talent to stick but if he is not going to win any games for the Sabres then sending him to the WHL and giving Kulich, Rosen, Biro and Rousek looks is OK. Perhaps Kulich or Rosen do make enough of an impact to stick. Reuniting Benson and Savoie should help them be motivated to help their WHL team, which can go deep, Team Canada, and to get ready for pro hockey in 2024. They will both have marching orders and can hit the gym together.

Another opportunity to right the ship. The Caps are overachieving while the Sabres are underachieving. The Sabres need a good game to rebuild some confidence and their fans do too. I want to see Levi bounce back because his last game left a lot to be desired. Dahlin with the team on his back is a lot of fun to watch. Let’s go Buffalo!

Gretzky in his prime couldn’t score 100 points with those two.

Teams seem to go into a rebuild cycle every 3-5 years, you only have guys for 4 years. Some teams like London are good every year, the Hunters find and attract talent. May not always be on the right side of rules. Some more remote teams seem to be in perpetual rebuild. Poor management, Toronto kids don’t always want to go north, play the NCAA angle if drafted by certain teams. There are offseason trades but teams sell off big time at the deadline if they’re not going deep. Almost every team makes the playoffs but they know who the powerhouses are.

Most of the trades are around the deadline ( mid January) so these guys would already be in the AHL/NHL already.

Just win. Hawks are on the second day of a back to back. They are beatable on any night. C’mon boys, show some energy.

I’m a CHL fan and former OHL season ticket holder so I understand the rule but I could get behind one exemption per team. Savoie will get stronger and hopefully work on his 200’ game but he would be better off in the AHL.

Neuchev with two assists in the third.