PerreaultForever

There is absolutely nothing less tiresome than people with nothing to say dragging out old memes like they're meaningful punctuation points. Weak and just too easy and ultimately meaningless. I mean if you just have to at least have some class and use the good version of the Office Since when is Cozens the top line???

But it is a thing. Proof is right there in that fight log. Nobody's debating there's less of it than in the old days but sometimes you still have to step up. I am dead sure this isn't the case, but if the Sabres as an organization admonished Cozens for having that fight, if Granato told him not to fight in the future (as some seem to want) then this team is clueless and I'm out the door cause we will never win in the playoffs if we ever get there with an approach like that. I am 100% sure that's not their view however, that's just the view of a small number of the fanbase who don't have a clue.

Definitely. They have none. Reilly Smith is the obvious dump. Braydon McNabb would be kind of funny but possible unless they unload Theodore. They definitely need to unload multiple salaries without question. UNLESS they are thinking of Kucherov'ing Eichel.

Doubt it. More likely he serves as the money needed to get past the cap floor as the line up will be filled with rookie contracts and low salaries overall. Won't be buying out skinner for years yet, if ever.

Whatever they are they are going to add up to less then they are paying Eichel to sit on his ass. Just finish it. Cap dumps, conditional picks, whatever. We will simply be better off to close the book and call that era done.

Not sure what his age or how smart he is has to with anything. Care to explain that? It's a stereotype to think only dumb players fight. A false one. As for fighting being down from 25 years ago, of course it is, but it's far from gone. https://www.hockeyfights.com/fightlog I think I counted 15 in the last week (including Cozens one). That seems up from last year but definitely not gone regardless. Look at how every cup winner added muscle, beefed up, and fought at least one opponent in their cup runs. You think the Rangers added Reeves for his good looks and off ice flair? Come on man, it's hockey. Dylan got in a fight, he lost a fight, but he stood up okay, he will be just fine and he will fight again. Or would you like to swap his roster spot for Casey Nelson?

Talk to Dylan Cozens about it and I guarantee you he would disagree with you. It's still hockey. It always will be hockey, and if you let yourself get pushed around teams will intimidate you and dominate you. It's not rocket science, it's more like school yard rules. Dylan Cozens is fine.

Emphatically no. It may not be 1987 but it's still hockey and they still intimidate and they still fight and I personally want Cozens to develop into a complete player. The problem is he shouldn't have to take on a punk like Lemieux by himself. My question would be where was the follow up with Murray vs. Lemieux as they talked but ............... We need to be bigger and tougher, there is no question of this. My issue with this team right now is why are we almost always out of gas in the 3rd? We have young guys all up and down the roster but every game we run out of gas so what is it? Bad conditioning? Skating skills unable to maintain the pace Granato asks for (so we start fast but burn out)? Practicing too much and too hard? idk, but if we don't fix this, what we have will burn out and we will fall apart by mid season if not earlier. Not a great game but it had it's moments.

Gorgeous day today so I'm going to record this one and watch it later. Hope it's worth the bother.

I'm not sure a number designation works for any of the lines. maybe Thompson's line is currently the top offensive unit but the Girgs line has been used as a counter/checking line more often than not so far.

idk this feels like step one in dropping him down the line up just like before. Don't see a good outcome.

I hear you, and I agree about Skinner, but Cozens is really good at digging the puck out of traffic or on the wall and getting it towards Skinner creating opportunities. Yes, that combo has some defensive issues, but aren't we more of an attack run and gun thing? Isn't that the plan? Bjork is better defensively cause he had that drilled into him as a Bruin, but if we start doing this aren't we bringing back Kreuger hockey? I do not think Bjork has done anything worth rewarding. At this moment I'd play Hayden ahead of him.

This is odd to me because imo Bjork has been crap and although he hasn't lit it up or anything I've seen some decent chemistry between Cozens and Skinner resulting in scoring chances. Not sure what the thinking on this change would be.

I don't think this is over yet. Maybe nothing happens, but Donald Fehr is taking some heat over this and it's possible some more heads will roll.

Ya, that's definitely fair and true, and I've argued for years we needed more set D pairs but keep in mind most coaches don't juggle when you're winning. The juggling and changes come with losing and/or injuries. If that happens we will see if he makes adjustments/changes.

Can we have a 5th - I don't give a flying f@@k - option? Cause I don't. Long, short, good, bad, whatever, wherever, I just want him gone and this book closed. Yes, he had a lot of talent, but I personally never liked the guy, always thought he was a s@@t person and was a crap leader and I think this team will be better off without him. I don't even care what we trade him for any more, I just want this done and over.

Speaking for myself, as he's the lowest ranked guy I might (stress MIGHT) excuse him at the time for either assuming someone higher up might deal with it or for feeling he didn't want to risk his own job BUT over the next 11 years he kept his mouth shut like it didn't happen and was quite content to walk on the rug he'd watched things swept under. At the very least, the LEAST, he could have reached out to someone or reported something after he left the organization and went to Winnipeg. Bottom line is he fell in line and protected the old boys club and he should GO. If the league lets him keep his job they are saying, we are against this stuff but if people keep their mouths shut it's okay. We only care when it goes public. He knew, he kept his mouth shut, he should go.

He's played pretty good so far. Definitely better than expected. The question I would think is at his age, can he maintain that with top goalie minutes and not burn out or get hurt? Guess we will find out.

He was in that room. They have said "he was the lowest ranking person in the room" but he was in it. he kept his mouth shut like the rest of them. Let's not forget that that 16 year old, whoever he is, doesn't get assaulted if any one of them speaks up. I also think, although don't quote me on it I might have it wrong, but didn't Chevaldayov say much earlier that he didn't know? So in other words, he lied while he could. In any event, it's BS.

Chevaldayov gets a free pass. BS.

Well, the way I see it that streak was primarily driven by one superstar line and this is more of a team effort. So for the numerical analysis you'd have to sperate out the stats for when the Eichel line was on the ice from the rest of that team. I'm sure you'd find a huge disparity, whereas on this team I think you'd find much less difference between lines. This is more sustainable and can last longer with 2 potential issues: 1) depth. Not sure we have any. How Mitts plays when he returns will be important, but if we get a run on injuries at some point, as most teams do, not sure how that'll play out. 2) teams will see through this and there already does seem to be a few weaknesses and thus, much like with the last streak, when they take us seriously and prep properly and we are seen as the tougher team in a back to back and face the #1 goalie and when the league tightens up second half as it always does, well then I still see this all falling apart. So 18th? Possible. With luck. I think somewhere around 25th is more likely.

Quenneville down, I guess one more to go, although the players from that locker room should get some sort of reckoning too but I doubt they will.

Exactly. It was very similar to what Boston did. I'm not sure we have an answer.

I will take any win, but you have to admit we were lucky and didn't really deserve it. They were crap to start and spotted us an easy 3 -0 lead but then they started to play the body more and drive the net and we were on our heels for the rest of the night before the OT. Pretty sure if it's Gibson and not Stolarz we don't win. Didn't result in goals, but saw some of those infamous Hagg giveaways tonight which is worrisome. Not a great game, but in terms of growth and culture change winning was really important and it's still a good sign. This keeps up we will start to see A list goalies instead of back ups and then things might be harder to maintain.

I haven't seen a Ducks game in ages so I don't really know anything about them. Are they still physical? If so this will be a different kind of test.