Taro T

What a ####ing football game. The 2 best teams in the league went head to head and needed extra time to separate them. IMHO, the one play McDermott should've handled differently was the 4th & a 1/2 yard at his own 34. Allen & the O have been pretty much automatic on 4th down since the 2nd 1/2 in Tampa. Go for it. They only gained 15 yards on the punt; Mahomes is too good to worry about a few extra yards. He can drive it the whole field. So can Allen. Darn coin flip.

Agree. But doubt the Pegulas will hold him to measurable improvement to keep his job after next season. Hope that's an incorrect assumption. Hope you're right about the improvement. Agree that Adams should not be solely graded next year on making the playoffs. But not as convinced as you and others are that there will be measurable improvement. Because am not convinced that they will get NHL quality goaltending next year. Hoping that expectation is off, but until they have 2 NHLers performing at that level won't believe they have them. And, broken record here, really believe they need & deserve NHL GTing next year. (Personally, believe they deserved it this year & last as well too. Until they have it, we're still waiting for Adams to get it for a 1st time. He needs to get it for a 1st time.)

NS was the lead singer for Smashing Pumpkins? Sweet. 😉

No. But am of the opinion that every position grouping should be getting improved every season if possible. Having 2 more Mulligans, which he very likely does have, means he may very well be willing to ride what he has in net for at least 1 more season. And, again IMHO, that would be a huge mistake. The possibility of getting Bedard or the Russian stud or the other guy isn't worth having these kids go through the motions once more when giving them NHL quality GTing will enable them to actually measurably track their progress. If they miss the playoffs next year (as they likely will) but have a Rags-like luck in the lottery, so be it; grab the kid that projects out the best and don't look back. But enough w/ not giving any legit backstoppers w/ the inevitable bottom 4 finish. If they luck into a stud, cool. But don't set the kids up for failure. It'll grow old. These kids are busting their butts & deserve to get support from management. A real goalie will only block the kids if he'd do something he won't do - namely give a LT NMC contract to 1. And, if he does get 2 more passes, that'll have been 4 years w/ no expectations. Who in this world gets that long to learn/ grow into ANY job?

Primarily because he's a disaster in his own end. They already have that roster slot covered in spades.

After getting 5 of the last 8 points, only 17 points out of a playoff spot.

Still ticked about that KO return. Would've won the quarter in a $100/square pool w/out it. Going for 2 cost a chance at one of the satellites, too. Grrrrr.

Easily. (And sadly.)

Murray's huge downfall was he didn't realize these players weren't horses where all that matters is the raw physical attributes and how they individually mesh w/ the other horses doesn't matter 1 flying ####. Adams definitely has a plan. Just hoping his cup winning experience with a very young goalie playing over his head & a journeyman also playing over his head doesn't color his perception of how to implement that plan too greatly. Because that plan of "goalies are interchangable" never would've worked without that squad only losing 1 player throughout the entire cup run & that player getting replaced by Eric Cole who was finally healthy for the final game; all while his opponents lost a Captain to a high stick to his eye, a center finally playing the way he was supposed to do when drafted & then traded for along w/ 4 D, and then lastly a starting goalie. THAT sort of luck might be seen at most twice in a lifetime, and it's already happened once; he being the beneficiary of it twice has astronomical odds against happening. Truthfully, he's playing like a guy w/ a ridiculously long leash.

And the concern for this kid is might that potential candy store be enticing enough for Adams to be OK heading into next season w/ UPL backed up by Tokarski w/ Levi developing in Ra-cha-cha. If those guys play at an NHL quality level he wins, & if they don't, well he still wins but we all lose.

Touche.

"Exceptional" equating getting another top 5 pick in a loaded 2023 draft. Nobody will have any qualms if they find 3-4 NHLers I each of the next 2 drafts.

Stealing a page from the Calgary Hitmen. More teams should do so. Seems like a lot of fun for a great cause.

The fear is that Adams might believe they need another 2 exceptional drafts.

Against a team that is currently a raging tire fire coached by Mike friggin' (how does he keep getting hired?) Yeo. Consider that.

Sorry, Buffalonill. When Garrapolo got picked at the end of the 1/2, thought you guys had it in the bag.

Anybody still want Bojorques (sp?) back?

Why? Because Granato likes to give Cozens shutdown responsibilities & those 2 are the Sabres best shut down wingers. Also, Okposo can & does still contribute offensively. But, as said in the GDT, would also be interested in seeing Cozens between Skinner & Tuch. If that line were together would flip Cozens and Mitts in the post above. And if Krebs can keep playing like he did today, will have to find a spot for him in that lineup as well.

Who's about to be on a deal paying him even more than Skinner for the next 8 years. Wtf was Holland thinking?

Don't see him fully turning into the Sabres LeClair, but he should see better #'s w/ Buffalo than Vegas as he's going to have a much bigger role here than there.

What's wrong w/ today's kids? Don't he know that ya NEVER take off your skate if you might have a foot or ankle injury? Sheesh, back in da day he'd've just kept it on for 6 weeks & play right through it. 😉

IMHO, 90% of a typical HoFer, not a TRUE "generational" HoFer, but a typical 1 IS in today's game probably is 65-70 points. And that's the likely best case scenario for him. We probably get 80%. But on an evening where the Sabres destroyed a bad Filly squad & wifey made one of her best specialties for dinner, 90% "sounds" possible. 😉

Well, 90% of either would've been very good, but doubt either makes the Hall if they were only 90% of what they were. Think we're getting into one of your & @dudacek's semantics battles.

Meant relative to how they compared to their peers. Obviously scoring 90% of what they did would put him in elite company.

Perhaps. Thought he was excellent the 2 games before the Dallas one. YMMV.