The Good:
- Nylander's goal was good.
- Liked the Reinhart goal, nice feed from Mitts after Montour was everywhere.
- Montour was pretty good for about 2 periods.
- Hutton actually was good.
- Dahlin to 40 points.
The Bad:
...where to begin?
The team needs a change behind the bench. Don't chicken out and do it over the summer. Don't drag feet waiting to let him go. Do it now, make the players have to deal with it for the last few weeks of the season in the press, but f***ing fire the dufus behind the bench. Replace him with Payne as an interim and go shopping for someone who has a clue this summer.
The defense is hapless. The forwards don't come back (see the Dahlin forecheck as a prime example) or the D cough up the puck (all of them) and it's terrible. Bad pinches? Bad partner-to-partner passing? Bad outlets? No outlets? Like... when will this change because it's the same bullshit from last year? Oh, that's right, it's the unexperienced doofer behind the bench again.
The forwards are an embarrassingly soft and slow lot. Okposo... thought it was going to burn them later than this, but that guy is a husk. Pominville? Too slow again tonight, which is the hallmark of his return to Buffalo -- thanks Fletcher, that poison pill keeps giving. Of course Sobotka was turdy.... But it's the guy who have to grow the f*** up who drove me the most crazy tonight. Reinhart trying dangles with no one behind him at the blueline leads to a goal against in the same why Jack picking Sam in the last game -- it's a stupid, avoidable mistake. Sheary for an effort player... isn't and hasn't been in his own zone for most of the season. Mittelstadt was responsible for 2 goals against, directly -- the kid has to learn, but man, tonight was a microcosm of his lack of polish. Jack going 1-on-3 five or six times and losing the puck every time. Gus getting stupid to salt the game away. And all of this with very low physical engagement. Like... wtf.
Ugly:
That we turned out harder than the team did.
That Housley still has a job.
That Botterill still has a job.