Outside of Hodgson and Ristolainen (and a couple good shifts from Ennis/Stafford), the Sabres look pretty brutal.
No idea how many times I replayed Byron's goal trying to figure out how he managed to blow past everyone and get in all alone. Another really good game from him, a lot of confidence gained since being put with Backlund in my opinion.
Monahan/Colborne looking like a nice pairing for next year. I get schoolgirl giggles thinking about Gaudreau being put on that line as soon as next year's training camp. I guess that could happen this year, but hoping that Johnny signs his ELC starting next year and an ATO with the Heat to join their playoff run. Anyways, I feel like Monahan and Colborne would play reasonably similar roles (but major upgrades) to his current linemates of Arnold and Hayes.
Another dominant performance by our looking-more-and-more-like-a-legitimate-top-pairing of Giordano and Brodie. If anyone is interested:
Both are now in the top 65 NHL defensemen in possession rating.
Sitting #1 and #2 in possession rating relative to their team.
Both in top 20 for toughest competition.
Both in top 20 for toughest zone starts.
Both in top 55 in scoring.
It's been an absolute joy to watch Brodie develop into basically Bouwmeester-lite.
It's been something else to watch Giordano take the 'C' and absolutely run with it. Can't remember exactly how the 'double-whammy' (Rob Kerr's words, not mine) shift went, but something like Gio ringing a shot off the post then getting back to lay out a Sabre at the defensive blue line. Shows how great a two-way defenseman Gio has become this year. I could (and generally do) gush over Giordano's play for hours.
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