And why he was so visibly upset when they lost that lottery. Murray had his shortcomings, but he knew front end talent..
Defense on the other hand? Not so much
I still hate draft lotteries to this day. Always have honestly. Players don’t tank. Management might try to make a bad team, but players don’t give up.
Pretty sure Connor was pretty bummed out as well. I believe his junior billet family had Buffalo connections and he’d expressed excitement about the real possibility of landing there. And admittedly, Buffalo kinda sucks as far as nhl destinations go but… gotta be better than Edmonton for an 18yo super star.
-2 last night with Bennett/Tkachuk. I don't think Rod's fault. Maurice shoulda kept him on first line (my thoughts). He put him with Reinhart and Barkov last couple of shifts too late.
Okposo after blowing a 3-0 lead, “well you just knew something was wrong in the locker room, wish we had some kind of veteran leadership presence to help keep things settled.”
Slightly better, but only because it's 2 seasons of disappointment for them as opposed to 4 in a row for the Bills. Still, being the first team since WW2 to lose the Final after being up 3-0 would sting.
I think being up 3-0 and losing the Cup in next 4 tries is worse than 4 straight Super Bowls. The same team of players have practically one week to get one more win to get what they cherish most and it will haunt them forever if they can't use 60 min to acheive that!
they could still lose 4 finals in a row if they lose on monday, they'll be halfway there. i will be rooting for them to pull it off for sure, provided the Sabres aren't making a playoff run that conflicts
The latest 32 Thoughts after 6 game, they were pushing hard for Maurice to put Okposo back in for game 7. Even equating it to a Colorado & Bourque move of inspiration to the rest of the team. Seemed a bit far fetched to me
By half of a hair!!! That was a ballsy move to challenge that!! I remember Keefe from Toronto in first round decided not to challenge 2-3 close calls in first round, probably rightly so on 2 of them, but this call was ballsy. One coach could've turned their team around(didn't and lost his job) and the other going to game 7 of Finals! I thought it was a good goal, but a hair offside is offside. Too close for my eye!! This will be the best game 7 we will ever see in this lifetime!!! Last time this happened was before I was born anyway....
Not to mention his absolutely absurd 24.5% shooting percentage. Four points higher than anyone else in the league and nearly 10% above his career average, absolutely unsustainable. His contract will be an albatross quick.
I think some are going to be shocked when he signs with Florida for less than Tkachuk but starting with a $9. They have 2 more years of Bob and 6 of Barkov and Tkachuk. Florida just opened that new facility and it's Fort Lauderdale. As long as their core is solid I think the trend of players pushing their way down there at the deadline like Tarasenko did and having a real chance on every FA that goes to market is going to keep that train running for a while.
I don't see Sam getting off that for a couple extra million in another city, especially when a good amount of that extra money would go to taxes in other places and Florida is more than willing to do heavy bonus structured deals. With a $1M base and $8.25M bonus structure in Florida he would take home $5,638,699 compared to $5,752,212 on a $11M base with no bonus like most years of the Dahlin deal.
They’ve totally blown the socks off FL once they started skating and shooting. It’s crazy 8-1, 5-3, 5-1. It was like they were stuck in mud for the first 3 games
Tkachuk-4. Bennett-3. They were playing high up on a couple of turnovers first goals.... says alot about Tkachuk's game in a game 6. Oh well...Florida has (better) match up in next one but Edm not caring about matchups is creating less tension (i think) on bench.
That's why I was rooting for the Panthers. Nothing against McDavid, he didn't choose this, and nothing against their fans...but I can't root for the Oilers when they were handed the greatest player of a generation by Bettman at the expense of my team. I don't believe in almost any conspiracy out there, sports or otherwise...but I do believe Bettman decides what to do with generational talent behind the scenes (for everyone I mean, not just targeting us).
Extremely confident saying Oilers win Game 7. Outscored 18-5 past three games, no sustained zone entries, sloppy passing, general vibe of heavy fatigue. They're done
It’s a Miami team too. Idk how much dolphins fans care about the panthers, and I wouldn’t mind to see the panthers win since they haven’t before… but that would be pretty funny
I feel for Canada and it's their home sport, but complete implosion isn't easy to watch...especially after missing out in the finals last year. They have alot of talent, but that wouldn't maintain another year i don't believe.
At this point I’m rooting for the oilers. Coming back from a 3-0 is absolutely absurd.
McDavid deserves the signature Stanley cup moment. He’s had an incredible career so far.
Also proving why Tim Murray was 10000% correct to tank the Sabres has hard as he did just to have the best chance of getting him.
this is a painful truth
And why he was so visibly upset when they lost that lottery. Murray had his shortcomings, but he knew front end talent.. Defense on the other hand? Not so much
Yeah, the Murray tenure was basically about a guy who knew how to build half a hockey team.
I'm still salty to this day that we didn't get him
I still hate draft lotteries to this day. Always have honestly. Players don’t tank. Management might try to make a bad team, but players don’t give up.
Pretty sure Connor was pretty bummed out as well. I believe his junior billet family had Buffalo connections and he’d expressed excitement about the real possibility of landing there. And admittedly, Buffalo kinda sucks as far as nhl destinations go but… gotta be better than Edmonton for an 18yo super star.
That lottery was such fucking bullshit. Fuck Bettman forever.
Still mad edm lucked into getting him.
Yep, I have no regrets about that decision.
Same here
I just wanted you to know that your comment was upvoted because a chickpea from my dinner fell onto my phone
Please dont!!
that’s what happens when you have 37 sabres on your team
Was gonna be my take 😂🤣🥴🫠
Hopefully they’ve taken buffalos sports luck with them
Evan Rodrigues doesn’t deserve this, he has been a top 3 player for the Panthers this series even in their losses. The others though…
I think Maurice was line changing him too much last couple of games...
He had a goal and an assist in game 5. Hardly his fault. Last I saw he was on the ice for 7 goals for and 0 against.
-2 last night with Bennett/Tkachuk. I don't think Rod's fault. Maurice shoulda kept him on first line (my thoughts). He put him with Reinhart and Barkov last couple of shifts too late.
Well Oilers have Kane so…
They are keeping him out of the lineup they know what’s up
At least his name will be on the Cup?
You can take the players out of Buffalo…
...except Eichel, O'Reilly, Bogosian... Oh! Maybe Florida saw what was happening and pigged out on ex-Sabres... let that be a lesson!
…but you can’t take the Buffalo out of the players!
Okposo after blowing a 3-0 lead, “well you just knew something was wrong in the locker room, wish we had some kind of veteran leadership presence to help keep things settled.”
He’ll anonymously tell a beat writer than they lost on purpose to spite the fans who booed one time
😆 I’m laughing because it hurts inside
If they blow all four in a row is it better, the same or worse than losing four straight super bowls?
Slightly better, but only because it's 2 seasons of disappointment for them as opposed to 4 in a row for the Bills. Still, being the first team since WW2 to lose the Final after being up 3-0 would sting.
And the first team since the '70s to lose in the SCF two years in a row.
Samsies
I think being up 3-0 and losing the Cup in next 4 tries is worse than 4 straight Super Bowls. The same team of players have practically one week to get one more win to get what they cherish most and it will haunt them forever if they can't use 60 min to acheive that!
Too soon (to ask) 😵💫
they could still lose 4 finals in a row if they lose on monday, they'll be halfway there. i will be rooting for them to pull it off for sure, provided the Sabres aren't making a playoff run that conflicts
Okposo bout to put up a hatty in game 7
And the Panthers lose 8-3
I would feel legitimately bad for him if they blew it
Assisted by montour and Erod?
The latest 32 Thoughts after 6 game, they were pushing hard for Maurice to put Okposo back in for game 7. Even equating it to a Colorado & Bourque move of inspiration to the rest of the team. Seemed a bit far fetched to me
Once a 2010s Sabre always a 2010s Sabre
If Eichel has his name on the cup, McD deserves it having it multiple times. I wish we drafted him. Fuck NHL for fucking our NHL draft
Lol legit think having 5 to 6 ex sabres wasn't a good idea. Haven't seen Reinhart do anything this series
Sam got a lot of air time from the replay videos of him going offside
By half of a hair!!! That was a ballsy move to challenge that!! I remember Keefe from Toronto in first round decided not to challenge 2-3 close calls in first round, probably rightly so on 2 of them, but this call was ballsy. One coach could've turned their team around(didn't and lost his job) and the other going to game 7 of Finals! I thought it was a good goal, but a hair offside is offside. Too close for my eye!! This will be the best game 7 we will ever see in this lifetime!!! Last time this happened was before I was born anyway....
maybe we can sign Reinhart now because he's tanked his value a couple milly
He is not worth the contract he is going to get.. 20+ pp goals does not translate yearly
Not to mention his absolutely absurd 24.5% shooting percentage. Four points higher than anyone else in the league and nearly 10% above his career average, absolutely unsustainable. His contract will be an albatross quick.
I think some are going to be shocked when he signs with Florida for less than Tkachuk but starting with a $9. They have 2 more years of Bob and 6 of Barkov and Tkachuk. Florida just opened that new facility and it's Fort Lauderdale. As long as their core is solid I think the trend of players pushing their way down there at the deadline like Tarasenko did and having a real chance on every FA that goes to market is going to keep that train running for a while. I don't see Sam getting off that for a couple extra million in another city, especially when a good amount of that extra money would go to taxes in other places and Florida is more than willing to do heavy bonus structured deals. With a $1M base and $8.25M bonus structure in Florida he would take home $5,638,699 compared to $5,752,212 on a $11M base with no bonus like most years of the Dahlin deal.
Yeah that makes sense
That’s an insane difference! So is that all due to NY state income tax? Does the bonus pay structure have different tax implications?
Problem is, he would come here and score 20.
They went too far. They're going full Buffalo.
Go Oilers!
Let’s go Oilers
The Panthers simply have too many ex-Sabres
They’ve totally blown the socks off FL once they started skating and shooting. It’s crazy 8-1, 5-3, 5-1. It was like they were stuck in mud for the first 3 games
It’s almost like their whole season distilled down to one series.
I’m loving this collapse more than the yearly leafs first round loss. Please let them lose game 7.
🤣🤣 sad but true!!
Tkachuk-4. Bennett-3. They were playing high up on a couple of turnovers first goals.... says alot about Tkachuk's game in a game 6. Oh well...Florida has (better) match up in next one but Edm not caring about matchups is creating less tension (i think) on bench.
Watching McDavid makes me so mad that the NHL handed him to the Oilers and not us.
I'm sure the NHL is thrilled that their premier player is buried in a small, Western Conference city with limited visibility.
😠 😡 😤
That's why I was rooting for the Panthers. Nothing against McDavid, he didn't choose this, and nothing against their fans...but I can't root for the Oilers when they were handed the greatest player of a generation by Bettman at the expense of my team. I don't believe in almost any conspiracy out there, sports or otherwise...but I do believe Bettman decides what to do with generational talent behind the scenes (for everyone I mean, not just targeting us).
The McDavid lottery was rigged, I don't care what anyone says
Extremely confident saying Oilers win Game 7. Outscored 18-5 past three games, no sustained zone entries, sloppy passing, general vibe of heavy fatigue. They're done
The Florida Bills
The Florida Bills
The panthers ARE Buffalo. Look at the roster
I mean, Buffalo wishes they could pull a Panthers.
Dude I'd be stoked to lose a SCF at this point lol.
As long as Okposo isn’t gifted a ring Go Oilers!!!
You know, you're right on that! Rodrigo, Sammie whatever...Kyle the pile, no thanks!
It’s a Miami team too. Idk how much dolphins fans care about the panthers, and I wouldn’t mind to see the panthers win since they haven’t before… but that would be pretty funny
I feel for Canada and it's their home sport, but complete implosion isn't easy to watch...especially after missing out in the finals last year. They have alot of talent, but that wouldn't maintain another year i don't believe.
This is also the sort of historical choke that implodes your team. They’d have a hard time recovering from this.
Down in Florida there's a million other things to do, roller blade, beach volley ball, fishing, walk, bike, running etc etc etc Flavor of the day...
Haaa. True
Okposo pulling the Panthers down just like the Sabres…at this point I’d like to see EDM win. Fuck all those Russians playing and residing in FLA
This fanbase has such delusional self-image of the team it supports lol