IKnowPhysics

Wrt the second link, use this chart, select Buffalo, and mouse over the icons for player names. The clustered name label locations in the image stills on twitter can be pretty misleading.

Eh, he's young and just lost a good mentor on his first pro team. http://buffalonews.com/2017/12/04/sabres-waiving-of-moulson-hits-okposo-eichel-hard/

I thought I should look that up, and I was not disappointed. Possible American translation: "this is Looney Tunes."

Here's the series of clips in order: First situation at the end of the game, they were already on the powerplay: https://streamable.com/wng4z Paille killed: https://streamable.com/hrxrc Closeup of the elbow on the other guy after the Paille hit: https://streamable.com/ti23l in gross. The only explanation is coach-directed intent to injure. If there's a unified governing body, Larkin and his coach, Sean Simpson, should be suspended for months.

I think desperate teams have short memories.

To get 93 points, a team has to go 0.567 points percentage on the season. We're currently at 0.357. We need to go 0.610, or 42-26 (to confirm Darth). What does a 0.610 the rest of the way looks like? It would be finishing the season at a pace that a top 10 team (100+ season point total) carried all last season. Is this impossible for any team to do? No. Is it possible for the Sabres to do? That's for discussion. Whatifs: If the Sabres continue their current pace for another 8 games, they would need to go 0.646 to finish the season at 93 points, or averaging what a top 5 team carried last season. If the Sabres continue their current pace for another 14 games, they would need to go 0.678 to finish the season at 93 points, or averaging what a top 2 team carried last season. Considerations: If this team can play top ten hockey starting right now, we can make the playoffs. If this team can play top five hockey starting within 8 games, we can make the playoffs. If this team can play top two hockey starting within 14 games, we can make the playoffs. Personal belief: Unless we bust out a winning streak, we aren't going to be better immediately. And this is not a top two team at any point this season. So in my mind, we need to be a top five team by Thanksgiving. That's asking a miracle of coaching for this defense. I'm still in it, but we'll likely know by turkey dinner whether we need to schedule vacation time in April.

I love our veterans. I work with veterans everyday. I routinely work on Air Force bases and contractor sites with active and veteran personnel and employees. My best friend served a few tours, and some of my favorite colleagues have did a few rotations on subs. I love the job they do/did and I highly respect the choices they made. But this is what throws it for me. The government pays huge sums of money to sports franchises in acts of "military appreciation." If they wanted to appreciate the military, they should be putting that cash into well-run veterans' programs instead of the pockets of the sports franchise owners. It's nice if veterans, that desire such, feel appreciated by the act. But I don't want "military appreciation" to irreversibly become marketing slang for "recruitment expenditure." I'd like veterans in need to be able to get the help they deserve. If professional sports wants to get involved, they should be donating that time and money. Because, at a callous and sly business level, they're effectively marketing the franchise to veterans and the veteran-appreciative demographics.

People forget that it takes time for players to adjust to a new team and new system. Pouliot has to do that with at least nine other guys new-ish to Buffalo. And on top of that, every other player on the roster is new to Housley's head coaching, even Housley.

Also, not unrelated, an interesting read (if can call Twitter a read) on Putin's control over the KHL and why Ovechkin pushes a pro-Putin agenda: http://twitter.com/SlavaMalamud/status/884522437454561280

Seems like Housley's pretty pissed at the effort level. Unless someone stands up in the locker room, players might sporting the scarlet A's for a while.

Hey now. I go when I can.

Putting down a few drams of Basil Hayden while staring into the Pacific. The addition of rye in their bourbon adds a good bit of spice.

He could work anywhere in hockey writing, and probably anywhere in sports writing. He's got a future.

You're welcome. Do keep in mind that NHLN may opt to carry the Pittsburgh feed, which is awful.

I mean, they gotta be looking at wingers in camp, and either they just don't see anyone they want to put in a 3rd/4th role in Buffalo or they want to keep the young good guys in Rochester to develop.

Game is scheduled to be live on NHL Network (7pm EST). So the game should be findable by both conventional and unconventional means.

His work ethic, physicality, and locker room leadership better be off the charts, because Nolan brings nothing to either side of the puck. He will not contribute offensively and his player usage charts expose him as a struggling, sheltered liability. He averaged only 10:51/GP when he got a sniff at the roster and was 2nd last in shifts/GP. He doesn't kill penalties, he's not on the powerplay. I know hits is a stat, but he wasn't in the top half of the Kings in hits/GP. On paper, he performs a similar role to Deslauriers, but 2 years older and without nuclear fighting. It makes me think that either: a) Deslauriers' knee injury from last year is making the GM want a replacement option/depth for Deslauriers' role or b) JBot wants a fourth liner speedier than Deslauriers that is fast enough to be wedged into 2nd/3rd line if several injuries occur. Because if it's not one of those two, I just don't see it. It looks like a favor to somebody or leftovers from a three year old scouting report.

Must win.

What they should use: Or some such.

╔═════════════════ ೋღ☃ღೋ ════════════════╗ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Repost this if ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ you are a beautiful strong NHL team ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ who don’t need no preseason polls ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ╚═════════════════ ೋღ☃ღೋ ════════════════╝

I don't think Friedman is suggesting what he says is without consequence. I think he was patronizing a player by telling the player they've got it good and to rise above, in order to maintain a congenial professional relationship with that player without promising that he would break his own sense of objectivity.