That Aud Smell

I see them as different incidents. Eklad clearly wanted nothing to do with anything, and Domi just popped a guy who'd done nothing to engage or return fire. Eller initially tied up but then took some swings, too -- his second swing took him too far and left him off balance. That's where Marchand capitalized. Eller is a big guy, presumably strong enough, he could've just tied up and held on. Hugged it out.

Yeah - and it's early in the season. That may not have been planned -- just something that happened as they get their legs under themselves. I understand the take on Marchand. I've heard it said many times, though, that that's the sort of thing hockey players respect and respond to when a teammate does it.

I agree with the sentiment and philosophy that top talent should be paired on the forward lines -- not lumped into a trio.

You don't say? These are for-profit, money-making ventures. It's an inexorable rule of the market that such entities must grow in order to live. (I have never quite understood why that rule must be -- but it does seem absolute in its application.) And in order to grow, new revenue streams must be found. Ads on jerseys are coming. Along with a whole bunch of other stuff.

This post confuses me. If there are 4 or 5 kids, kids, from the same team leading the league in PIMS, and the same club leads PIMS lists in multiple divisions ... that's ... like, not good. The adults in charge of such nonsense should GTFO. Ha! You caught it before I deleted it in favor of a reply to you. If that what was happening in my local town league, I'd have my kid doing something else. Eff that. I want my kids as far away as possible from adults who facilitate that sort of garbage.

It was the bye-bye wave that done it. I don't disagree. But if you're getting blown the eff out on opening night, there is some precedent in the game for doing something like this at the end of the game to rouse your teammates. Eller's taunt seemed to have given Marchand the excuse he needed.

Marchand tracks down Eller, and gets in a couple of hard rights. This apparently arose from some taunting that occurred. One thing that's weird in this clip is how no one says a thing from about the :13 mark to about 1:02. Just silence. Could this possibly be a policy decision by NBC not to glamorize these kinds of incidents?

Let’s Go, Buffalo!! Send Boston spiraling, please. 2-goal first period by the good guys. 4-2 win, with Boston getting a late fluky one. Dahlin with primary helper on PP GWG.

Rask done early. Will he go again tomorrow?

FFS. That's what I'm talking about.

The Bogosian thing does confuse me. Mostly because he can't stay healthy.

I've posted pretty regularly here about how the faith-based, former wrassler, LEADER OF MEN was of concern to me. The game is being seized and mastered by -- and frankly tailored for -- teams led by innovative offensive minds. I don't think Daboll (sp?) qualifies as a savant O-coordinator. Now that he's come out and said something that confirms my worst fears, I am more convinced than ever that, as fans, we are just playing out a string with McDermott.

I suppose that, in the coming years, a niche off-brand league could arise that features and promotes the rock-em-sock-em style of play. Or is that just the ECHL? Meh. It's gratuitous and has no upside for him or his team. Far better to have kept his yap shut. He may yet receive some pain from someone with a long memory.

That is nonsense.

That resonates with me, for sure. The angle of the balcony was severe. When we sat in the oranges, we descended the stairs as though we were climbing down a ladder.

Funk yeah. The game will be better off -- and far more sustainable -- without that sort of play. Those kinds of hits are, at best, a spectacular blood sport sub-plot in a game. But they're just not needed.

speaking of the old barn -- this was just posted by Boutet (sp?) as proof of how horrendous the Sabres' goalie situation was after Crozier left and before Edwards arrived.

I’m not opening that can of worms. I confine my memories of 16 to some of the franchise’s most exciting times.

Saw a quote on the Twitter from McDermott: “The culture trumps strategy.” Working to verify and contextualize. But ... GAH. Interesting quote from Sean McDermott: "We're trying to build a culture here. The culture, to me, trumps strategy. That's what I believe in wholeheartedly. It doesn't mean we have choir boys, it means we have guys who love football and do things the right way for the most part"

Bad blood or not, the Lafontaine omission is glaring. That guy was electric and, once upon a time, bled Sabres blue and gold.

shoot - that's a good call. leaving out lafontaine is embarrassing.

Yep. Solid work.

Team Beanpawt!

A-freaking-men. If the team doesn’t look the part of a well oiled SC contender by Thursday, which it almost certainly won’t, it won’t be because they weren't on the ice today. An insistence that the team nonetheless be on the ice is a product of an outlook unduly concerned with meting out punishment. For past failings. For past sins. This team will be good, or it won’t, for a host of reasons. Taking a day after a hard camp won’t crack any reasonable list of reasons for not being good. And as someone suggested upthread, this choice could play a minor role in getting the team headed in a positive direction.

See, but trolling isn't an all or nothing proposition. It takes place on a continuum. I think everyone around here trolls at least a little bit, from time to time. Myself included! What you're talking about is on the extreme end of the spectrum. And, yeah - can result in the ban hammer.