That Aud Smell

Noted. Even so: There's got to be some truth there. I can't imagine a player ever takes it as a positive when they're moved from centre to wing. (I'm sure Mittlestadt will work hard and maintain a good attitude if playing the wing.) I also note my concern with your apparent loss of first person pronouns. Perhaps you've been reading too many of @Taro T's posts.

It’s a demotion from playing center. That Cozens line is working - so don’t mess with it.

Damn man - you just erased Olofsson from the top 12.

I caught only chunks of the game. I thought Thompson’s line looked better than in Game 1. Nah?

I like HC DG and want to believe. But that PP is an indictment on the coaching staff, imo. I can’t recall seeing a worse one.

Can confirm — a billion odd man rushes is too many.

Leaky as hell. What is going on? They’re fun to watch, but that is a losing brand of hockey. This is the only question I can focus on right now.

Another rough start for a young club. Florida is flying.

I read the topic title and I heard my favourite Buffalo beer vendor bellowing his famous line “you get a warm beer from me … you get it for free!” (No idea why that line would be the Conehead line.)

They beat the Islanders on Thursday. At Long Island. 3-1, with an EN.

Let’s Go, Buffalo. So odd to have a matinee game so soon.

Ha. I need to check my bias because I was getting all puckered when Bryson was out there. But I think that was mostly a product of a 1st period where the Sabres generally looked bad. I mean woof. He looked every bit like a rookie d-man.

that's interesting. i didn't pick up on that from the broadcast. i will add: doing a tribute like that in an open air stadium of ~70K is quite different as well. the arena makes it feel a bit more ... intimate (?). i love the passion. but, my lord.

I didn't go, but did see the entire program on the feed I had. I found it a bit cringe-inducing. What was the reaction re the timing to which you refer? I will add: I went to the Bills home opener and there was a tribute and program devoted to the same incident and issues. Bruce Smith was the focal point and dude was PREACHING. I did not find that program awkward or weird. I have some ideas on why that might be, not the least of which is that Bruce was given the mic, there were dozens of black people on the field getting ready to play the game, and there was a goodly number of black fans in the stands (including the Chefs!). My mother's a bleeding heart liberal who tends to cluck her tongue at things like pro football, but I have told her time and again: There's no more racially integrated experience in WNY than being a Bills fan. It has a long way to go, of course, but it's something over which white and black (and brown ...) people come together in an organic way. The NHL and the Sabres? That's a different vibe. I couldn't miss the fact that the local TV production crew regularly put a camera on the black fan sitting at the glass (in a red jersey of some kind (a swizzle stick retro?)). I applaud the efforts. I'm just being honest about my visceral reaction.

It's getting to a point - and not just with the TNF games - that I am wondering if/when the NFL's fortunes will be affected by how putrid its on-field product often is.

good call. that team had the sabres' number, which made that playoff series SO delicious.

Right - and as I acknowledged upthread - maybe just a bad matchup and then it just wasn't that line's night. But what I was reacting to was the idea that the team's "top" line should be busy, preoccupied with the other team's top line so that a lower tier line can clean up. That that's how the team should work (in general). That's how I read your OP. Maybe the point you were making was more along the lines of: Sometimes it's gonna be like that for your top line (but hopefully not often!), which, when it happens, can free up another well-balanced line to make hay.

given his upside, i feel like he only needs to be above average/good in his own zone.

it was his play in the d-zone - to get it started - that most amazed me. it had echoes of high risk play in his own zone.

that was horrendous. but the plays he made on his goal? wowza.

Great post. I meant to add/edit my post by saying that it may be that that OTT top line was just a bad matchup for the Tage line. That may be. And I do trust Tage to do the work (physical, mental, technical) needed to avoid having his line rolled like that again. (Also, it's one game in and I already want Tuch back on Tage's line.)

Big ups to Del the Funky Homosapien and his crew at Hieroglyphics. This song is hard as hell (none harder) - just play the first 20 seconds.

Fairly even - with Ottawa maybe the advantage in high risk scoring chances (breakaways).

I do not want the Sabres’ cornerstone center’s line merely busy with the other team’s top line. And I certainly don’t want that line getting its ass kicked, which is what happened last night. That line needs to be a lot better than it was in order for this team to have a shot at 95+ points.