Taro T

Really don't see this team having a top 6 and a bottom 6. They're going to have 3 scoring lines and a defense 1st line that should be able to pot a few of their own. So Greenway playing with either Mittelstadt or Cozens will result in essentially the same ice time as he would with the other. Just at home, when Granato has the last change he'll likely face slightly tougher matchups and on the road when he doesn't he'll likely face slightly easier matchups. (Just expecting opposing coaches to try to test the Cozens line early if his W's are a 2nd year Peterka and a 1 way Olofsson. Expecting they'll be up for it. But if Tuch is on Mitts line, that is the line that will be treated as the 2nd line. (Definitely by the opponents, possibly by Granato; he seems to worry less about matchups than other coaches do, but it'll be interesting if that still holds now that the primary goal is winning and development is the 2ndary goal.)

Thought his comment was more regarding having Christmas stuff on sale before September even ends.

Thought it was, but wifey not happy that yours truly had a coupon for it last week.

Yeah, and personally don't like Jokiharju with Power. 😉 Granato has been considering Greenway - Mittelstadt - Tuch something to look into for a while. If he keeps that together, and expect he will for the next 2 games, no idea on how well it will work so no idea on whether it will stay together for the trip to the Island then unless Olofsson has already been declared the 13 or 14 that's where he goes. No way he plays with Thompson and Skinner. Plus, considering Cozens will be on the PK and likely the PP1, there is a bit of sense to having him center the "3rd line." He'll still be getting more ice time than Mittelstadt overall.

Whether Johnson supplants Stillman as the 7 now or later, Stillman is at worst the 8 on this squad and he will be the designated press box sitter when all are healthy while Johnson continues to hone his craft. Having the '05-'06 season still in memory, there is no ####ing way anybody should be happy to see Stillman go away. Losing Clague or Bryson for bupkis also wouldn't be a good look, but neither is getting claimed and they are at best 9 & 10 on the depth chart. (They could slide to 10 & 11 by the time there are 3 D out at once.) Personally, am still disappointed Lyubushkin is gone. Wanted him and Stillman rounding out the top 8 while Johnson cooks some more in the A.

Really, against Mahomes and the Chefs the refs finally decide that Sauce Gardner holds guys? That wasn't remotely as egregious as the stuff he routinely gets away with. Cost Zach Wilson the opportunity to puke all over himself 1 more time or find a way to get to OT again.

The effects of McDermott bringing his attacking style of D from Filly and Carolina and getting away from Frazier's bend don't break D cannot be understated IMHO. The D-Line getting after people and his willingness to bring Milano or White or Johnson too keeps pressure on the QB and keeps him out of sync. And Von Miller can come back anytime now. Hopefully White's achillies injury won't cost him the whole season. He's been looking like the Tre of old.

In a warped way, sadly, yes.

Benford went back into the game when White went out. So, how soon is now? 😉

Had a copy of Pascal too. Way more efficient than Basic.

You honestly think he'll beat out Levi?

Same. But it also had an external floppy disk drive, a dot matrix printer, and a 13" b&w TV for the monitor.

Not much those 3 could do on the 3rd goal; Johnson and Bryson looked like warm butter trying to resist a knife defending the rush. They have to give the F's a chance to get into the play.

A very legitimate case could be made that that is in fact the case. Nice call.

Btw, pretty sure am done with this discussion (at least for now). (Can't say it with 100% certainty, because that's like firing up the Bat Signal for a particular old poster based in NW PA.) It is a really depressing topic and doubt anybody is going to change anybody else's opinion about this subject. And there is no reason to be focusing on a subject this negative when the Sabres are on the verge of entering another golden era.

And again, personally do not expect to ever see the team moved. But, a deep pocketed potential owner could bring the league to court if they refuse to honor a sale agreement worked out between 2 willing parties. Or, an owner playing 3D chess would agree to buy the team and never never ever cross his heart consider moving the team, get the purchase approved, and then a couple of years later unfortunately be forced into declaring bankruptcy and get the clause voided. Once it's voided, the league either acquieses to the petition to move the team or they get sued and the team moves any way (hello Los Angeles Football Raiders). Do not expect the team to ever move but am not willing to say there is no way it could happen nor that it never would/will happen. When people with really deep pockets want something to happen, oftentimes it does. (And Balsillie was an idiot. He put his cards on the table and the league was never going to approve him as an owner. Had he held his cards closer to the vest, the Pens and Wings might be working up a great rivalry. Of course, with as much of his fortune tied up in RIM, he might not have been deep pocketed enough to force the move had he been more coy about his actual intents when making his initial offer on the Pens.)

Didn't say it necessarily would be the Pegulas as the owners that are looking to declare bankruptcy to remove that condition from the earlier sale. And, considering the caveat that was in the sale agreement between Golisano and Pegula, you are mistaken about whether Pegula would have to have the Sabres declare bankruptcy to sell to an owner that wanted to move the team.

Whomever owns the team at the time if they want to be able to sell to an owner that would move the team. Wouldn't be terribly difficult to do were one determined.

Maybe. But this is his 4th game in 7 days. He's used to back to back games and then having 5 off days. Am willing to cut him some slack as he's soon going to be back to a regular schedule of typically 2 games on a weekend with a Wednesday game added to that rotation. Have said before and likely will say it many more times this season: Devon Levi is going to make this D look a lot better than it is. UPL would've given up 9 today and Comrie likely 5 or 6.

When being asked to be the #1 D-man paired with an AHL/NHL tweener going against another team's top line; why yes, yes he does. He's looked much better before today. But this is one of those burn the film games. Don't know. But would seriously consider paying it. REALLY wanted them to find a way to move up and grab him that draft. Still imagining what could've been: Dahlin-Jiricek; Power-Samuelsson; Johnson-doesn't really matter. (Mix and match the top 4 however you want. Doesn't really matter.) Would be an all-time challenging D and they could keep that together for years.

The video feed is the in-rink feed. No need for the clock or the score/SOG to be in the video because that's all on the scoreboard and throughout the building. Pretty much all the preseason games have been using the in-rink feed. Which is mildly surprising. Thought the Sabres weren't trendsetters in cheaping out the preseason broadcasts. Guess they are.

And the league fought hard to keep Balsillie from buying the Pens because they wanted nothing to do with eventually ending up with a team in Windsor. But as the NFL found out so many years ago when they lost their lawsuit to Al Davis, they can only work against teams moving so much. The league doesn't own the team, the actual owner does. Yes, the league under Bettman doesn't want teams moving and has fought very valiently against moves since Winnipeg lost the Jets. But even though they oppose moves, Atlanta still lost the Thrashers. And yes, the Pegulas agreed to a clause to both not move the team and to not sell to an ownership group that would move it. But if Pegula (or a future owner) were to declare bankruptcy it would be up to a bankruptcy judge to determine whether to keep that clause in effect and if keeping it means the creditors can't be made whole but by getting rid of it they can be that clause is likely toast. Again, personally don't see the Sabres ever leaving Buffalo. Buffalo is arguably the best hockey market in the states. And fully expect the league would once again try hard to find a buyer that would keep the team in Buffalo should conditions like we saw back in '02 ever recur. Can't come up with a reasonably likely set of conditions that will make it inevitable that the Sabres do move. But conditions can change and these past few years give ample examples of why people should never say never.

In a move surprising absolutely noone, Sabres management confirms that the backup goalie competition is between Comrie and UPL. 😄

Yes it does. And that is where a potential owner that wanted the team moved out of town would need the current owner at that time to take them. It would, by definition, be that new owner's only option. Because there are literally covenants in the purchase agreement between Golisano and Pegula that require Pegula to keep the team in Buffalo and only sell to someone that would keep the team in Buffalo. Personally, don't see the team ever moving. But, never say never.

Another part of the reason he should be able to handle 50+ games. The guy is built like a slightly shorter Brodeur.