[open thread] Buffalo Sabres @ Pittsburgh Penguins

The Leafs and Flyers are tied at one.  The Leafs were ahead 1-0 but the Flyers tied it on a goal by Jeff Carter.

Ponikarovsky scores for the Leafs 2-1 Toronto...WooHoo!!!!

to crash all you want.

There should have been a holding call on that Roy play.

Again...they have to start playing like they want to make the playoffs

Penalty.  The team is down by one and clinging to their playoff lives so he decides to punch the guy in the face.

That should be a suspension of epic proportions.  The five minute PP means nothing compared to losing another defenseman.

It doesn't appear that the Sabres have any plans of making the postseason.  They get a 5 min penalty after losing another defenseman, and you think, cheap shot, they'll want to get one back for that.  Nope, 5 mins and they get outshot by the shorthanded team.  That's disgusting.  That was over 3 mins of the most disgusting hockey I've seen all year.  Then, a dumb hooking penalty, and they go 4-4, yet Pittsburgh scores in like the first 20 seconds.  Disgusting.  Way to try to get back at them for taking Paetsch out.  Way to step up to the plate when you're running out of playoff possibilities.  Awesome.

I think we do now.  This game is OVER!!! NaNaNA...NaNaNa hey...hey...hey goodbye!!!

I was tough on Campbell after the trade talks began and the contract situation was clearly getting to him, but now, it appears that he was the glue that kept this team together.  I'm wondering if the players saw the way management dealt with him, and they were appalled at the way Buffalo offered him a 3 yr deal after he was the best defender left from the Eastern Conference Finals runs.  Sort of like, this is how you reward your mainstays, your backbone of the team, a successfull team?  And after that, are the players saying, well if thats how its gonna be, I'll see ya next year.  Does that kind of negotiating make Ryan Miller eager to re-sign.  I would doubt it.  They got rid of his protection.  They got rid of his leaders in front of him.  I just wonder how they'll deal with him, because, they're gonna have to make it a lot of money, and a long deal, because there are a lot of other teams that will.

The Leafs are beating the Flyers, so if they find a way to regroup for the weekend they can still make a run.  The team we are watching tonight doesn't have a chance though.

I agree, they may have had to overpay him, but where are they gonna replace him?  In free agency?  I am really not sure who is going to be out there in free agency, but I think that keeping homegrown talent should be a priority.  I liken it to the NFL.  You always hear how a team's best free agent signings are the ones from within.  I guess I just dont know what they're going to do this offseason to try and get back to being a cup contender.  It appears that its gonna have to be a lot.

Briere was going to give us a hometown discount, but the Sabres decided they wouldn't take that, they wanted Drury who was not interested in staying here even though the Sabres matched the Rangers offer.  I guess it depends on the player and their agent.  I think Campbell would've taken a little bit of a hometown discount, but he wanted 5 years, not 3.  Its hard to say.  I dont know what the players or management are thinking.