MattPie

Not enough data. Toronto has scored 30 more goals than Buffalo this season, and is just barely positive for goal diff. Comparing D (or any skater) on raw points between teams is folly. You simply cannot say player A, if transported to team B would keep the same stat line. I'll be so bold to say that Bogo and Kulikov's stat lines be closer to their Toronto counterparts than their current stat lines in Buffalo if they magically switched. Babcock plays a more aggressive game that emphasizes offense from the D. HHDCRGDDB simply does not; D are expected to play safe and make sure there's not odd-man rushes the other way.

Ahem.

I updated to give more options, makes it way more doable!

Last 4: 1-2-1, 3 points of 8, @65 on the season. All possible records to get to exactly 93 points (I think): 12-0-6, 13-1-4, 14-2-2, 15-4-0

I don't watch Toronto much, but is the Sabres D that much worse? Toronto is in a better position than the Sabres and I don't think it's that they have a clearly better team than Buffalo. How is that not on the coach?

Hey, for the first time I don't have to update the title! Yay!

I'm not sure Ray is the best example, but the plugs often need the most coaching so they spent more time with the coaches. They gotta pick up something from that.

Short term? Like this season? Write it off, maybe bring up some kids and eval their progress. Sign a couple promising kids out of college if possible. Kulikov will be fine, whether in Buffalo or someone else. See if he'll go for a 3 x ${something modest} to reprove himself. Bogo would probably be fine in a different system. Hopefully that different system will be in Buffalo by October.

It appears GMTM is OK with Bylsma. I don't know how much low-event hockey I can stand; if HHDCRGDDB is here next October, or someone in the same mold is in his place, I may be taking a step back. It's not worth 2.5 hours of my life to watch.

I'm not saying Cody is the man, but the last thing we need is a guy who blocks a lot of shots. We need a guy that has the puck on his stick and therefore can't block shots because the other team doesn't get a chance to shoot.

HHDCRGDDB. Head Hot Disco Coach Rube Goldberg Devotee Dan Bylsma.

It depends on how you look at it. I don't think it's bad, unless it convinces people things are awesome when it might be a false indicator. In hockey terms, I think it's like +/-. If you have some gaudy +20 or something that's cool, but it doesn't necessarily mean you're better than the guy with a +12. These are the companies on the Dow: http://money.cnn.com/data/dow30/ In theory, these guys could be going like gang-busters with small-medium (and large but not huge) businesses failing at record pace and the Dow would keep going up.

We could actually trade them, though. I believe you can make trades after the deadline, they just won't be eligible for this year's playoffs, which is N/A for both teams in this case.

Can this please tone down the "we gave up too much for Kane!!" nonsense?

Interesting fact: economists kind of hate the Dow. It's been the same since time began, which on one hand is good, but it doesn't always accurately represent today's economic mix. And no, I'm not saying this as sour grapes.

They could have Rivet and Petey yammering about how the Sabres need more D in the Gorges mold. Petey: "Man, I'd knock someone out to get Mike Weber back. Er, I mean it'd be nice to get Webbie back. I'd never condone punching anyone, especially kids. I used to punch adults for a living, but that's hockey."

The Match machine is broken. ;)

And here I thought I wasn't going to have to update today. 0-2-1 for the last 3 ain't gonna cut it, guys.

I think that was floated back around the announcement of WJC. I'd put it as, "likely".

I approve this comment.

I almost put the "Luna Craters vs the Sea of Tranquility Rage" as the final game of my triple header.

Without a time frame, I'm sure it will. Eventually every team will play every other team in an outdoor game. It'll be a the second game of a triple header with the Bangkok One-nights playing the Tokyo Katanas in the early game, an orignal-30 matchup Sabres vs. Rangers in the middle and the Sydney Operas playing the Terra del Fuego Flames in the first outdoor game played in Antarctica.

I like it a lot.

I appreciate your knowledge of coaching, but come on. As an adult, you can't shove a kid whether you mean to knock him down or not. Are we applying NHL rules where "oh, I didn't mean to give that guy a concussion when I elbowed him in the head" has weight.

It's a public service; I hope to temper people's enthusiasm so when the (nearly) inevitable happens it wasn't out of the blue. :)