Doohickie

Good OP. Thank you for your service, @PromoTheRobot

It's a good problem to have, innit? We could have legit good top-nine forwards riding the pine because there simply isn't room for them. If an injury occurs the Sabres won't miss a beat.

I see Carrick as more of a role/specific situation player. To me he's a bit more speed on the fourth line and a faceoff guy. Not having Östlund is felt on every shift he would have been on, plus the effects his absence is having on other lines. When Östlund was playing I think the chemistry of each of the four forward lines was better.

I'm not commenting on whether the door should or should not have been open, just trying to help @Flashsabre understand the physics of what (I think) happened.

Yep. Team definitely had better outcomes with him in the lineup.

I think his shoulder caught the immovable door frame.

I think it comes from the fact that for a lot of teams they play an even number of games and would end up splitting the season series often enough that they decided it wasn't a good first tiebreaker.

Cooper's a f*&^ing moron.

I didn't realize TBL caught up to us in regulation wins.

3-1!!!

Sorry, I want to believe but I've beat down too long. 2-1 Sens!

That's why I was so despondent about the losses to OTT and WSH. I really think that having home ice advantage will help the Sabres put their boot on TBL's neck. Ottawa can make it up to us with a win tonight, which would put the division back into Buffalo's control.

Actually we go the OT point and they got the win.

Teams from Florida would just feel more at home.

That's a pretty "rose colored glasses" assessment. I hope you're right but if anything this recent spate of doldrums worries me.

He was good last night. Against teams with a more aggressive forecheck he's prone to scooping it around the boards directly to an opponent, often when he had a short pass to a teammate. Maybe he just needs more reps to make the right choice.

It's silver. Doesn't work with is color palette.

Kess said several weeks ago he was ready; I wonder if he was concerned about falling on the depth chart if he wasn't playing; maybe he was good to play but not 100% so they said just heal and then you can get back in.

I purposely left the D off my remark. I think our depth forwards have played like they were shot out of a cannon. I wouldn't say the same of the defensive depth. Around the trade deadline he complained about not getting ice time. He implied he's good to go, but that Lindy/the coaching staff told him what he needed to work on.

No thanks. I've seen Coop's underbelly and it ain't pretty.

I heard it was only 967,000.

Eh. You don't know. Maybe it sticks once in a while so when the seconds tick down it's best to make sure you have time to work it if it sticks.

That's the thing about these marginal 13th/14th forwards: They're champing at the bit to get in so when they get an opportunity they're playing all out. Remember when we had placeholders just to fill out the roster?