Episode Darren Turcotte (411): Team of the Week - Buffalo Sabres. Are they playoff bound?

The Buffalo Sabres continue to improve and have entered the conversation for the 2023 playoffs. Will they make it? Voting has started for the All Star game. A 14 year old from Slovakia has dominated the U18 Women's World Championships.    Listen Here:  iTunes  Google Play  Stitcher  Direct MP3   iHeart Radio

Banter

Title Player Darren Turcotte

Turcotte - 88-89 Rangers Dean Kennedy -> 89-90 Sabres Rob Ray

Turcotte - 93-94 Whalers Adam Burt -> 00-01 Thrashers Dobson

Turcotte -> 95-96 Jets Craig Mills -> 97-98 Indianapolis Ice Eric Manlwo

Turcotte -> 97-98 Blues Harry York -> 99-00 Canucks Matt Cooke

Feedback Kathy Fencott - Vegas hanging with Darnell Nurse

News

Nela Lopusanova from Slovakia - 14yr old scoring highlight reel goals at U18 Women’s -

All Star game Feb 4 - get your votes in

Tanner Pearson injury - weird situation

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/nhlpa-steps-in-to-help-resolve-pearson-situation-with-canucks/

PK Honoured before Habs game

Lehner files for bankruptcy -

The tank is well and truly on in Chicago - Kane is out with injury and they send Lukas Reichel down after lighting it up  https://theathletic.com/4091686/2023/01/14/blackhawks-kraken-lukas-reichel-demotion/ 

Ovechkin ties Mike Gartner for most 30 goal seasons - 17

Oilers - 3 in a row after loss to LAK

Klim Kostin - the hero the Oilers need

Jack Campbell wins back to back - is he for real?

Leafs - tough loss to Bruins - given uniforms Leafs should have won

Matthews goal - nasty

Guess the 5th

Team of the Week

Buffalo -

4th in Atlantic 44 PTS

Fancy Stats - 5v5

CF% 51.89 (9) SF% 49.48 (19) GF% 50.81 (16) xGF% 49.58 (21) 

SH% 9.42 (4)  SV% 91.07 (21)

PP 27.63 (3)  PK 72.73 (29)

Have played 3 goalies equally

Summary - need to improve PK

Definitely a playoff contender but have a lot of competition - WSH, NYI, PIT, FLA, DET all very tight in race

Goaltending will be a big concern as Anderson is 41 and he’s their best

Will be interesting to see what they do as trade deadline approaches - lots of cap space ($18MM)

Impending UFAs

Okposo, Girgensons, Hinostroza, Anderson

Hot / Not

Metro - PHI 7-3-0 / PIT 2-6-2

Atlantic - BOS 7-1-2 / MTL 2-8-0

Central - WPG 7-3-0 / ARI 2-8-0

Pacific - SEA 8-2-0 / VAN 3-7-0

Crazy Stat

DOPeS - Sergachaev and Keller get parking tickets