OOTS

[tantalum]

Since the Canuck-Bruins game the Bruins are 12-11-2. Right now they are pretty lucky to be in a weak division.

Of course they might just be coasting because they are in a weak division.


Grabner didn't play today. Apparently due to illness not because he's been stinking out the joint.

[dhabums]

It is still quite possible that Tampa not only makes the playoffs but wins their division despite a -36 goal differential.

Edit: Tampa 4 points out of the #3 spot.

[ESQ]

A real moral conundrum this morning - Boston beats NYR and Canucks stay in 1st overall. NYR beats Boston, I have the satisfaction of seeing Boston's tailspin continue.

Overall, I prefer Boston losing 4-3 in regulation

[tantalum]

Hawks beat the Wings 2-1 in regulation which is good news for the canucks on two fronts. Of course it keeps detroit back by a point but also the hawks are solidifying a playoff position where it is looking like they will finish 6th or higher....so the canucks will hopefully not be playing them in the first round.

Islanders 1-Devils 0 final.

Dallas and Flames tied 0-0 after 1. A flames loss in regulation will put them 6 back of the Stars and drop the Sharks to 8th (sharks have a game or two in hand on everyone).

Sens up 2-0 on the Panthers after 1. Sens sit fairly comfortably in 7th going into action tonight with a 6 point lead on 8th. A win moves them to 5th (temporarily). Panthers are clinging to the SE division lead for dear life right now.

other games are Flyers-Caps and Avs-Wild

[tantalum]

Flames take 1-0 lead early in the second. Stars tie it up shorthanded (Iginla DOVE to get the PP for the flames). Stars then get a PP and score a second. 2-1 after two.

Sens have blown the 2 goal lead to trial 3-2 to the Panthers after 2.

Avs up 2-0 on the wild after 1.

FLyer and caps tied at 0 after 1.

[Arachnid]

Gotta love those Jets, if there's another team to root for in the playoffs for us why not eh?!

CoHo -1 and no points...just s(pr)ay'n

[coco_canuck]

CoHo -1 and no points...just s(pr)ay'n

Sabres fans over at HF are still happy with Cody's game despite being held scoreless in his first 4 games now.

One guy they're not happy with is Thomas Vanek...waivers came up a few times.

I like Vanek as a scoring winger, but he's grossly overpaid. I wonder if the Sabres wish they would have taken the four 1st rounders the Oilers would have had to fork over for inking Vanek to that $50M offer-sheet.

At the time the Sabres were really concerned with being known league-wide as "farm-team," so they saw it as a no-brainer to match.

[dbr]

I like Vanek as a scoring winger, but he's grossly overpaid. I wonder if the Sabres wish they would have taken the four 1st rounders the Oilers would have had to fork over for inking Vanek to that $50M offer-sheet.

At the time the Sabres were really concerned with being known league-wide as "farm-team," so they saw it as a no-brainer to match.

What a huge turning point in Sabres history. They could've retained both Drury and Briere for marginally more than it cost them for Vanek.

Meantime, the picks on the table as part of that offer sheet turned into:

• Tyler Myers (with Karlsson, Eberle et al on the board) - which they shrewdly traded up for anyway.
• Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson (with Kulikov, Leddy, Rundblad, Krieder et al on the board)
• Taylor Hall (with everyone on the board)
• Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (ditto)

[donlever]

...true that, but taking into account the butterfly effect the picks are perhaps located differently.

I mean one can assume the Oilers suck just as badly with Vanek but we just don't know what would have happened as time wore on.

[dbr]

Oh for sure. Maybe if "Iron Man" Regier had extended his two centers Kevin Lowe wouldn't have smelled blood and gone after Vanek at all.

Probably with Vanek the Oilers wouldn't have been as bad as they've been (not that Thomas Vanek fixes anything currently wrong with that team).

Still, there were so many different potential outcomes there and the Sabres ended up watching two key contributors walking away for nothing, shackling themselves to a third who couldn't possibly live up to his deal and turning their backs on a chance to rebuild in a way that most teams never see (eight picks that almost certainly would've been top 15 in four years).

They aren't looking too bad for it these days I suppose.. but it's one of the more interesting "what ifs" of the post lockout NHL in my opinion.

[donlever]

They aren't looking too bad for it these days I suppose.. but it's one of the more interesting "what ifs" of the post lockout NHL in my opinion.

Agreed.

And we are just as likely sans Kassian if the oppsosite had occured.

So way to go Darc!!

[coco_canuck]

What a huge turning point in Sabres history. They could've retained both Drury and Briere for marginally more than it cost them for Vanek.

If I recall correctly, Drury and Briere were looking for about $5M per year from Buffalo prior to their respective final season with the Sabres, but didn't get it...only to be offered it when they were about to become UFA, but at that point they wanted to test the market.

Losing Drury and Briere was a big blow to Buffalo since they were one of the best teams in the league, and if it weren't for injuries, they probably beat Carolina in the Eastern Conf. Final in 2006.

Sabres ownership was different then and the cap was much more modest, but fans were pissed their team was falling apart.

[tantalum]

In the second:

Early action....a barn burner in hogtown. 3-2 Bruins early in the second. Kessel is a -2 so far tonight making him a -9 on the season against the Bruins. He's been a minus in every game. Thornton cut open by Rosehill in scrap.

Devils up 1-0 over the Rags

FLyers up 2-1 on the wings. Bertuzzi, Datsyuk, Lidstrom, Kindl, Ericsson all "injured" tonight.

Caps up 2-0 on the CAnes

BJs beating the dogs 3-1. Not a game the Yotes want to blow.

In the first:

Sens up 1-0 on the Bolts.

A bunch of other games will be played as well.

[tantalum]

If I recall correctly, Drury and Briere were looking for about $5M per year from Buffalo prior to their respective final season with the Sabres, but didn't get it...only to be offered it when they were about to become UFA, but at that point they wanted to test the market.

The way Drury tells the story is that they had a handshake agreement and he was waiting for a fax to sign off on the deal and that fax never came. When Regeir came crawling back later on Drury, rightfully told him to stuff it.

[donlever]

Another player (Voracek) has been Kronwalled.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QtipTlOscg&feature=player_embedded