PerreaultForever

I'm not disagreeing but I'm going to rephrase this: A complete lack of depth on this hockey team is killing us down the stretch run.

Nobody's forgiven until we win a cup. Until then I'd rather see revenge night(s).

He has a place until they get somebody better in there. After that, well, hopefully we've upgraded and he is no longer relevant. He's not the worst player on the roster though so I'm in no hurry to make him first out the door.

Man, Sabres fans can set the bar SO LOW.

Hudson Fasching and a kicking controversy. Unbelievable. Makes you think the hockey gods really like to have a laugh at the Sabres expense. islanders are a boring-ass team but they are built for that sort of game and we are not. I suspect that'll end the playoff reality but anything's still possible I guess. Nice screen by Greenway. We need more of that. AND, for the umpteenth time, Thompson has to use his body not just look for open spaces. Probably never happen.

Bjork having a huge night for the Sabres tonight 🙂 (3 points so far wearing the Blackhawks jersey)

We deserved a better fate in this one. Goaltending difference and some bad luck. Ultimately their Skinner stopped our Skinner more than the reverse and that's your difference. Cozens was really good tonight. Greenway did nothing (but it's just his first game). Clearly, should have worn the goat heads.

If we play like we are capable of playing this is a very winnable game. Edmonton has King McDavid and can score but we can score too. Their D is weak and their goaltending is average at best. This should be a wide open game with lots of offense. If we get reasonable goaltending and stay out of the penalty box (as their PP can be deadly) we can win this playing the type of hockey this Sabres team has been built to play. Not sure if or where Greenway will play but I'd like to see him up with Cozens for at least a look.

Huge game on Monday cause if we lose and Ottawa beats Chicago we will be in a tie with them. Both teams controlling their own destiny over the Isles. Going to be a bummer if the season comes down to who got Chychrun.

That was my first thought too. Atlanta's a growing city and I suppose with the Carolina success they think they can give it another go but I don't see it as a hockey town. Quebec is a smaller market but it would be loyal. Southern Ontario really could handle another team easily but I imagine the Leafs (and possibly the Sabres) would veto any such plans but if you can have 2 NY teams and a NJ you should have at least 2 Toronto area teams as well. The league is always more interested in spreading out U.S. tv coverage and new geography though and not expanding into areas where hockey is already popular.

We didn't give them as much space in front of the net, rebounds and screens like they usually get against us. Most of the time the sight lines were relatively clear and when it's like that, goalies look good. The biggest change with this team over the last month or so is in terms of team defense. Earlier in the year we scored a lot of goals but still had a lot of trouble defensively. Not to say we don't still break down, we do, but it's vastly improved, and you can see the entire structure taking form now. Granato's clearly doing a good job and they are listening and learning.

Well that was a satisfying win to me. very enjoyable hockey game. A real hockey game with all the ups and downs and good and bad you get in a good hockey game. 2 things I've repeated often: 1 - switch to the goat heads full time and forever. 2- We look like a real NHL hockey team again. Imperfect, still things to improve, but it's a huge step forward from what we had. Push back against Tampa was nice to see. Refs favoring Tampa was as usual and often. Don't know why, but they often seem to get breaks. Refs were bad today. I think you can see why I suggested trading for Jeannot when I heard he was being shopped around. Guy is a beast and has some talent to go with it. He will make a few Leafs fall before that series is over. Stillman is brave? Foolish? idk, but I felt sorry for the poor guy. Thompson's a great scorer and everything, and I'm not saying he should fight (at least not often) but I wish he'd be tougher in those scrums. Big man like that should pull some people out of the way a little harder and hit a few as well. I mean if Skinner can jump a guy, come on Tage. belt somebody and help out. Worst play of the night though was Jost on the PK when he lost his stick. Absolutely useless so it was basically a 5 on 3. Take a point man away or just go to the bench and get another stick cause he was just a spectator on that sequence. Fortunately made up for it with a goal later on so he's even. Finally saw some Comrie, he was average and adequate. No more no less. Anyway, lots of positive signs and a good bounce back effort that they had to have after they fell apart in Boston. Looking forward to seeing what Greenway adds.

I love the idea but I'm not sure we have a third piece yet. Bolded, that's the "energy line". Don't really like the Mitts Cozens VO line but we might be stuck with it until Tuch comes back. So Scoring, scoring(?)-ish, energy, and checking. It's not there yet, but it's getting better.

My assessment, I'm meh on the Stillman deal, I like the Greenway deal a lot, the Asplund deal is irrelevant, I wish we'd done more, but at least we're not Philly.

Ritchie brothers traded for each other, that is the funniest thing of the day. I guess they just swap rooms and use each other's stuff 🙂

I always felt there was something about Asplund that Granato didn't like. Didn't really give him the same development opportunities that they gave Krebs and Mitts and others. Not sure why, but it's pretty clear they had no use for him and this move is just clearing the roster spot for Greenway so they don't have to make any other moves with Rochester.

Perhaps he starts filling in for Tuch. Power forward anyone?

I just read this one too. It's a head scratcher.

Yes, he loses this fight, but now we have somebody to run Tampa's goalie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Probably, unless the Kings just think they can entice him to all that. He could still pull a Vesey on them.

We finally made a move................and it's actually a good one. This guy is a good player with plenty of grit and truculence. Thompson knows him, Granato knows him, he will fit in perfectly either playing beside Krebs on a checking line or toughening up one of the scoring lines. Worst case he fills out and upgrades one of the 4th line spots if we move on from Kyle and Girgs next year. Exactly (one of) the thing(s) we needed.

If Tage keeps producing like this year he will be a steal no question. It'll be like the McKinnon deal was before he got his latest one. Tage still needs to learn to go through people as well as around them though to be truly great. That inability was in evidence tonight. Ottawa wins again spoiling Kane's debut. Told ya, of all the teams on the outside, they are the one best built for this time of year, and yes, they now also added Chychrun on top of that.

So then Buffalo doesn't get the 8th seed?

I don't believe this narrative for a second. You look at a tandem like Swayman and Ullmark. It takes 2 not 1 in this NHL. There's no reason to think he wouldn't have been fine in a Levi Portello duo. I think he just didn't want to be in Buffalo and would rather be somewhere else. We will find out soon if that somewhere else included L.A.

Hopefully not, and maybe somebody might be interested in Kyle if you find a way to make the salary work but the only player I can see playoff teams maybe looking at would be Girgensons. No one else we have has playoff value.