Doohickie

And I really think Eakin is teaching the kids how to take faceoffs. FO% from the Nashville game: Eakin: 56% Cozens: 67% Mitts: 50% Thommer: 75% Okie, Skinner, Asplund: 0%... but hey, they're wingers. Overall: 53% Now tell me again how we're a bad FO team. Anyway, came here to post this:

But you want to hang onto all three for the time being since you don't know which one is Ryan and which one is Mika. If we end up with Mika and Marty and another team ends up with the Ryan Miller goalie I'd be pissed.

Lucky. I've made lots of other pronouncements and they were flat out wrong. When I came out with that, I didn't even take it seriously. It was before Mitts was injured; how could a brand new (at the NHL level) center hope to put up those kinds of numbers. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while. 😄 😂😂😂😂😂 I think it was a last ditch effort.

Also, this: Part of this is the backcheck thing I'm talking about. Part of this is the forecheck effort. Recently it seems that more often than not, the Sabres are outshooting the opposition in every single period of a game.

Expounding on that a little: If you want to show me you love the game, are playing for the crest, etc., etc.: Backcheck. Backcheck like a mofo. Backcheck like your mother is playing goal. It's not a high skill thing, but it's what shows me that you give a *****. The Hinostrozas, the Okposos, the Girgensonses, really all the veteran forwards on this team, are poster boys for that sort of hustle. When Jack was here I think he we too cool for that.... not that he *never* backchecked, but a lot of the time he just didn't seem to care. Reino was similar. When they did, they were good at it but they didn't do it consistently. I think the backcheck thing with this team, lately, is evidence that the culture has changed. Play hard. When the other team has the puck, play harder. That's something this team hasn't had in a while. They seem to be getting it now.

Meh. I like Neil Diamond but that's not one of his better songs.

I think Krebs is going to be a special player... maybe Tim Connolly (before he had his concussion problems) kind of ceiling. You may not know who that is, @elijah, but he was a Sabre from 2001-2011 and oh by the way grew up on the same street as Alex Tuch (there was a pic floating around right after the trade showing NHLer Connolly with a bunch of the neighborhood kids, one of which is Tuch). Anyway, he was a good player for the Sabres for a while, and could be dazzling with the puck. What impresses me about Krebs is just how hard he skates on the backcheck. He has good vision on offense and I think will be a great setup man, but right now he is tenacious on the backcheck. As soon as the Sabres lose the puck in the offensive zone he makes it his mission to be the first Sabre to the puck carrier and take it away. That's something a lot of young offensive players take a while to learn but he seems to do that naturally.

Still listening, but the biggest thing I take away (heavily paraphrased) is that ROR wanted out because he could see the Sabres were going in the wrong direction and the locker room sucked. Also they mention that STL won the trade since they got their Cup, but now the trade is swinging the Sabres way with Thompson. Hard to make out much about Krueger except that they all seemed to think he had no business coaching hockey.

The discussion starts just before 10:30

And I think with KA they finally have a guy they trust and don't feel the need to try to steer the team.

JJ and Quinn centered by Mitts? That could be something.

I hope so. I think Eakin is much more of a locker room guy than any of us realize.

I think the difference is that in the last decade everyone knew the JAGs were mere placeholders and they contributed as such (i.e., they didn't contribute). This year even the JAGs are truly part of the team. Hinostroza's a JAG but he wants to come back and doing everything he can to convince management to do so. Same with Pysyk and even... yes, Eakin. I'm not saying I want all these guys back on the club next year, but they're definitely a contributing part of this year's team.

Well, and if Washington loses out.

Watching this one While listening to this one.... it works!

I'm crying here. So proud to be a Buffalonian.

The music in the house:

Nope, VO back on Tage's line.

Although for the end of the game looks like Tuch is back on that line. Tuch had been playing on Mittsy's line.

Promoted to the first line, baby.

It's a good time to jump back on the bandwagon. Next season should be good!