Taro T

Was at the Everett game and the Zednik game. Both were shocking, the Zednik moreso because the true immediacy of how closely he came to dying was obvious. It wasn't as clear from the cheap seats just how horrific Everett's injury was. But to have the player need an AED on the field was at least as scary as Zednik's situation. Prayers to him to both survive and have a speedy & complete recovery. Very glad they could let his mother accompany him on the trip to the hospital. Dear God, please let her get good news quickly.

No data. @Brawndo usually knows the answers to these sort of questions.

However you get ABC. Pretty sure they've been simulcasting MNF on both ESPN & ABC all season with the occasional Manningcast on ESPN2. It doesn't look like this is a Manningcast game but it's listed on all 3 networks.

Anybody looking for the game on ESPN @ kickoff will likely be disappointed as they're showing the Rosebowl before the game. (And it is 6:30PM, 2 hours before gametime & that game is still in the 1st 1/2.) ABC & ESPN2 are also showing the Bills game and are likely better choices to see the 1st couple of drives.

Will actively root for next year's "Winter" Classic getting rained out. Until they give the Sabres an ACTUAL home game in one (or better yet, as somebody suggested above, giving the Sabres a road game in Erie County) hope every one of them is a blow out & the weather totally doesn't cooperate. Especially w/ the 2 teams that haven't waited even a moment to get into one. The Krackers can blank themselves. Like the idea of Buffalo TO being in the rotation. (Provided we actually get to truly host some; not just get a home game stolen.)

What do you mean? Why, didn't you realize the Sabres have hosted TWO Winter Classics & one Heritage Classic? They just move them all to the Buffalo suburbs. The 1st one to Orchard Park, the second to a slightly more remote suburb the Bronx, and the last one not quite as remote in Hamilton. The next one Buffalo hosts will probably be in a slightly more remote suburb, Philadelphia.

And right now, in a 1 goal game protecting a lead in the 3rd Lyubushkin is the 4th D-man w/ Bryson & Clague glued to the bench. But in a 1 goal game tring to get that tying goal in the 3rd, Clague is the 4 & the 3rd pairing was glued to the bench. Interesting how this weekend, Bryson was the odd man out in both situations.

True. Ended up wording the post awkwardly. The point of the post was that Adams has realized this was a possibility since the day the 3rd goalie was in house and has had a plan on how to accommodate that for as long. Expect it being Comrie that got injured rather than Anderson might've been a bit of a twist but not totally out of left field. Preparing for this possibility has been 1 more thing Adams has been doing all along.

One thing we all seem to be forgetting is this situation - UPL earning a spot on the roster after a stint on an injury callup, has been a possibility since day 1. Expect that though we're fretting, Adams has had a plan for how to react to the injured guy getting healthy from day 1. We'll know what it is in a couple of weeks at the latest.

Decent overview of the situation, but he misstatements 2 minor points. 1. Comrie comes back on the 14th. He played on December 31, so his 14th day in Ro-cha-cha is January 13, not 14 & he needs to be a Sabres or waived on the 14th. 2. That leaves 12 days max, not a few weeks, to make a decision. And with it having been such a journey to get UPL playing like they've needed him to play really wouldn't send him back down. But, will say, if Adams, Granato, & Bales all decide sending UPL back down is the right call will accept that it is. Granato has been pretty spot on in his evaluations & trust in his players to date.

The trade deadline isn't until March 3. Comrie was loaned to Ra-cha-cha on December 31, so he has to be back on Junuary 14 at the latest. That puts UPL in Ra-cha-cha for at least 7 weeks if not even longer as Comrie looks solid in Ra-cha-cha & won't need 2 full weeks to be in game shape. Just can't see a player's GM messing w/ a guy that has earned the opportunity to stay up that also fits into their future plans to guarantee the 14th F who doesn't have a future in Buffalo remains a pressbox fixture on the Sabres.

He is playing w/ confidence for literally the 1st time since he had surgery on his hips. Why risk messing that up to guarantee protecting a 28 yo 3rd/4th liner that Granato can't find a way to get into a game at present? Get that everyone wants to see playoffs this year & don't want to risk losing a guy for nothing, but who gives them a better chance of getting there; a confident UPL platooning w/ Comrie/Anderson or the 14th F who could be "blocking" Rousek &/or Kulich a month or so from now? Now, if UPL turns back into a pumpkin, sure send him down, but is that going to happen in the next week?And that's the timetable a decision has to be made on.

And separately, it seemed the near 2 week layoff w/ no ability to drive to the gym nor rink for most of it finally bit them tonight. (They're pros & take their trade seriously, but expect that huge layoff affected the conditioning slightly & it caught up to them w/ the 3rd game in the 4th night.) Being back in their normal rhythm should help.

How crazy an offer are you going to make to Horvat to re-sign at only 4 years? Can't see him accepting anything less than 7 years & likely the full 8 if he's moved before the deadline.

They absolutely aren't, but at least during this win streak the scoring has been coming ordinarily from the 1st line & the PP w/ the 4th line chipping 1 in every other game. The 2nd & 3rd lines haven't been scoring at ES. Been an issue for the 3rd line most of the year & the 2nd line recently. The bench shortening in the 3td was a reflection of this.

If they're in a playoff spot can't see them giving Levi a start. (Like mentioned, could see him getting to vack up a game to burn an ELC year if that would do it.) Why F w/ their other goalies heads?

No way would Adams do that to him. Far more likely he suffers an "injury" putting him on IR for the foreseeable future. Doubt that happens either. Should the Sabres not suffer an injury at F before the conditioning assignment is over, Hinostroza goes to waivers & hopefully Ra-cha-cha. (Or Adams works out a courtesy trade for him if 1 is available.)

If they aren't in contention for a playoff spot either Comrie isn't getting it done or more likely UPL had a setback. If UPL has a set up back they aren't carrying 3 goalies. The 2 issues are highly related.

Well, that's the rub. None of the other 3 lines are getting broken up any time soon & Granato isn't benching either. So, they need to figure out how to play together. Or at least 1 will be moved by the end of next season if not sooner.

Can't see any. But if Portillo has any value at all could see his rights being moved. (That's a big if.)

With the playoffs on the line, you're going to give a rookie his 1st NHL game? Could see letting him be the backup for 1 game if that'll burn an ELC year, but if the playoffs are on the line wouldn't bench either Comrie or UPL if they're on their games.

Those 2 postponed games hurt, but not sure even with them he'd get the nod over those 2.

Even if UPL ends up 1B or 2 to Comrie's 1A/1 can't see sending him down. He has the physical tools, but mentally couldn't get beyond the hip surgeries. Now that he's finally believing in himself would not risk messing w/ his head by sending him down. And really can't see this management team sending him down when he's earned a spot on the roster. Realize he needs to play, but thought the same thing about Krebs & that was not correct. Expect getting 1/3 or 2/5 of NHL starts will be enough. The question becomes, w/ 3 goalies, how do they get Levi a game in the spring. Not positive they can any longer.

Hamilton was making the same trade Comrie suggestion in the radio post-game show yesterday. Can't see it happening. Really expect the move they make being risking losing Hinostroza to waivers unless somebody else is injured in the next couple of weeks. Hopefully making $1.7 MM is too much for a good team to add & he's too good for a Bedard sweepstakes team to risk getting a few more W's by stealing him. The waiver pickup of Jost kind of screwed both Asplund & Vinny. Asplund as he lost that PK & 3rd line role & Vinny as he moved from 13 to 14 (due to age & fit moving forward, he's played better than Asplund when given an opportunity) & thus at risk of going to the A should they want 8 D or 3 Gs. UPL is playing too well to send him down.

Just finishing up watching the game now, because wanted to see hiw Comrie looked. Nothing he could do about the 1st one, but the 2nd was a (pre-last 2 weeks) UPL Special. Horrible angle shot that got over his shoulder & under the crossbar. Other that that, he looked good. Got lucky on a couple, but every goalie does. Could make for a good battery mate w/ UPL. Q for you. Are the 3 Amerks you see in the NHL Rousek, Kulich, & Rosen or are you adding Kisakov & Weissbach to that? (Or possibly somebody else?) Agree the 1st 3 will be Sabres w/in the next 2 seasons. Not sure about the rest.