Monday Musings: Deck Chairs and Deadlines

by Ryan

Mirtle says 12-8 makes the playoffs for the Sabres. Not that any of us have been counting this down for weeks...

Also, one last thing about Saturday night. Barry Melrose Rocks has one of the best photos I've seen this season. Even two days after that game I still think that's the most measured and rational response any of us can come up with to describe our feelings for Sean Avery.

In any event, we play Philadelphia tonight, and I hear they haven't been doing too well recently.

Fun fact: Mike Richards will make $8.4 million in 2012/13.





Word is that Flyers GM Paul Holmgren will arrange some deck chairs tomorrow before 3pm. How exciting.

Speaking of the deadline...


Will Soupy be leaving on a jet plane?

Serious analysis:

- Soul sucking loss aside, the Sabres still have been playing well of late. Hecht's injury caused the lines to be shuffled and the dynamo that is Vanek/Roy/Connolly to be broken up. Although all three played well on Saturday, the team is much better off with them together as the #1 line. Hopefully Hecht skates in today's practice and is good to go by tonight. Only time will tell.

- Maxim Afinogenov skated yesterday, proving that he actually does have a pulse. No word on whether he still has a groin.

- Clarke MacArthur has been terrible the past few games. It's almost as if he has a shelf life of five games when he is called up, after those games he expires and just takes up room in the fridge.

- Marc-Andre Gragnani was not NHL-ready on Saturday. Chris and I still think Mike Mancari or Marek Zagrapan should have gotten the call over him, but maybe Lindy's hunch will pay off tonight. Or maybe he will be back in Rochester by the time you read this. Either or.

Hopefully we'll know more about the projected lineup after practice.