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Just win baby

Has he eaten solid food yet??

If Arizona had a stable arena situation, which Buffalo does, Utah would be at the top of the NHL’s potential expansion cities list right now.

This Detroit drought comes on the tails of that streak where they made the playoffs for something like 200 straight years. It bugs the hell out of those fans.

Zucker is out there for the AM Skate as well

We’d likely have a new GM today had Detroit held on. Now we are likely headed for a GM extension. There’s that one stretch every year he just needs to get through and then he’s clear

So Quick starts something while the rags net was empty? You don’t see goalies suspended too often.

A little surprised at Ellis getting the net tonight. Expected Lyon tonight and Ellis on Wednesday. Also, would really like to know what they have against Ryan Johnson. Hopefully, they don't call him up to keep from "rushing" him into the NHL, but thought he played all 4 years of NCAA, so that doesn't seem to be the reason to keep him down. When he's played, he's seemed to be the exact sort of guy you want as a callup - one you don't notice. Which, for a D-man, is a good thing.

I just saw that. Interesting.

lol ya right behind, just a mere Kevyn Adams regime. 5 years like that is nothing, this last stretch has been the best of drought so far! Simply the drought *difference* between us and Detroit is as long or longer than the active total drought of 28 of the 32 teams

Ellis is in the starters net for the AM Skate

Maybe not fine but I could take some solace that the team actually did the thing they are all trying to do

So if the Sabres won cups in, say 1975, 1999 and 2006, you'd be fine with how things are doing?

My son (college-aged) has been saying something similar ( as the Bills have sputtered a bit (fits of starts and stops): "Maybe this is the season where the Bills get hot at the right time." Fingers crossed. Hyde and Poyer have said over the years: The safety positions in McDermott's scheme are extremely complex. It takes time to learn so that you can play fast. Part of me thinks this has to be the plan. OTOH, Knox is so connected to this team -- maybe he'll end up taking an extension/restructure that allows the team to keep him (at a more reasonable number). I was at my perch in the 300s -- perplexed. I lost my patience with one of my regular Bills text threads -- there were people there just dogging Allen for the bad plays/decisions he made (and there were several) even after the game was over. Some people cling to misery like their lives depend on it. Sadly, I think this must be the case. My pet theory: Keon is one of those young athletes whose mother (or others playing a mother's role) just babied the sh1t out of him. Made sure he was awake at the right time. Made sure he was on time for things. Packed his lunch with sandwich crusts cut off (this is a metaphor). And otherwise ran his life so that he stayed on a good path. He's adrift now. Too immature to make a difference in the insanely competitive, hyper-professionalized NFL.

It's not "clear" at all. Lyon has been very good. So has Ellis. UPL less so. If we played a modicum of defense, or stopped turning the puck over in our end, we would be above .500 now.

It feels like they are in a little different spot than us

I know exactly what our goaltending is or isn’t. If you have read my posts over the years I have been extremely critical of our defense as well as our goaltending and talked about how our bad defense hurts our goaltending. Remember I have been calling for years for capable defensive D for this team. Instead we got guys like Stillman, Clifton and others. That said we have years of track record on Lyon and UPL. Neither is a top flight goaltender. UPL has had one good pro season between the NHL and AHL and in limited play this season, he looks exactly as he has most of his career; bad. Lyon has played well decently this season, but it’s not playoff caliber goaltending. I’m not exactly sure why you are fighting me on this, it’s pretty clear neither Lyon or UPL pass the eye test and the stats corroborate this.

Rangers and Detroit got in a fight after the game for an after buzzer shot into the net. Didn't Detroit shoot at the net late after the period ended with us and Thompson went after somebody? Is this a thing with them?

I don't think you do know what our goaltending is because you tend to see goals allowed strictly as function of goaltending, and not the end result of team play. Just like hope, expecting a goalie to win you every game standing on his head while his team does absolutely nothing in front of him, is a sh***y strategy. Goalies are voodoo. He's in a funk right now. All goalies go through down periods. He has to play himself right.

Levi isn't an NHL goalie sadly.

I never said he was. I said the only chance (the key word here is "chance") we get elite goaltending is one of Levi or Ellis step up and give us elite goaltending. So far that hasn't happened and may never happen. What we know is that UPL and Lyon are what they are and are never going to give us elite goaltending.

Levi is not playing at an elite level this season. You should watch a couple games.

We tend to forget Detroit is right behind us in the playoff drought parade.

Who disagrees with the notion that young players who are still physically developing should continue to work at getting stronger? With respect to predicting injuries, as you well know, in many sports, especially crash sports, it’s a feature of the game.

Do I remember? I've been remembering first 50+ years! Josh has been woefully supported by Beane.