pi2000

do better

Trade Olofsson, acquire 2 defensemen and a proven goalie.

He's trained only to shoot if he has a clear shot lane AND there's traffic in front of the goalie. Watch next time he hesitates... he's waiting for his teammates to get a net front presence. That said, once he has time to work on his shot, he'll be more willing to shoot without traffic in front... if he gets his velocity up, the goalie will be less able to control the rebound, creating scoring chances for teammates on the perimeter of the net front.

Jokiharju, who IMO gets pushed off the puck too easily, is 30lbs heavier than Johnson. He'll need to bulk up and get stronger before he sees a single shift in the NHL.

He's not physical, on the smaller side and doesn't produce offensively. He skates well and is a good first pass guy, but that's about it.

It appeared that the puck moved backwards when he pulled it from his backhand to his forehand.

Anybody who still thinks Levi needs to spend some time in Roch needs to get their head examined. Wether they make the playoffs or not, this past week feels like a turning point for the franchise. Boy what a difference a goalie makes.

I hope they play well, take advantage of their opportunities and come out on top.

He's from Orange County, his dad is an assistant coach w/ the Ducks.... Buffalo might be a tough sell.

He's gonna need time in Roch, he's def not a lock to make the team. I wouldn't bench Stillman for him, especially on a winning streak.

After facing some stiff competition in the frozen four, Johnson's chances of signing are pointing up.

All typical rankings for a young team.

Sure small NHL sample size, but having been around the game for 40+ years, I can confidently say Levi appears to be the real deal. He's athletic, competitive, detailed and driven. Reminds me of Jonathan Quick, Eddie Belfour, Curtis Joseph, etc... not big guys, but athletic and competitive as hell. As I detailed in another post, if the Sabres received average NHL goaltending on home ice (sv%, GA v XGA), they would be in the top wildcard spot.

Levi was fantastic again... giving up 2 goals on 4.31 xGA. He looks like the real deal, exciting. Sure the loss sucks, but they'll grow from this, especially the younger guys. Will give them added motivation to get stronger over the summer.

With 3 of their last 7 against CAR, @NYR, @NJD with 2 back-to-backs I don't like their chances even with a win tomorrow.

Sure they keep hope alive if they win tomorrow. That said, even if they do win, their chances are still slim... IMO it's not that big of a game. Their next game is always the biggest.

UPL looked good, still out of position at times and fighting pucks. .929 sv%, 3 GA on 2.72 xGA Levi putting him and Comrie on notice can only help.

Comrie has earned the start tonight.

Makes you wonder how different this season may have gone if he signed last year. I don't think Roch is going to help him much. He needs to be challenged at the highest level. The way he moves, doing the splits etc, reminds me of Jonathan Quick who is similar stature and athleticism.

Yes, I'm sure somebody does.

Miller wasn't nearly this good at 21. He blossomed at 26 after a few years in Roch w occasional call ups.

He's been playing back to backs for 2 years now. It's what he does.

Levi allowed 2 goals on 3.64 xGA. In a one goal game, that's the difference between a win and a loss. That's how you make the playoffs.

I'm in California and have Hulu Live with ESPN+ add-on. That said, I have no means to watch this game legally unless I sign up for Fubo or Sling, which AFAIK are the only streaming providers who carry NHLN.