tom webster

Jack Edwards, the ultimate homer, admitted it was a bad call that went boston's way.

You all should read the Future of Sports commissioned by Jeremy Jacobs and you really wouldn't worry about who is or who isn't being courted to the arena. Amongst a slew of other projections one portion discusses the inevitability that 90% of us will be experiencing our sporting events at high tech sports bars within 25 years.

While there has been some good give and take and some not so good give and take, I think you are all missing a very important point. There is really little to no home ice advantage anymore as arenas become identical and going to sporting events has become a social night out. The analytics crowd scoff's at the idea of momentum and if they are right, there can be little or no benefit derived from having people yell at you or against you. How often do we here how you have to withstand the first ten minutes of the home team's onslaught only to be told they were too wound up when said onslaught doesn't happen. The front office's main job to maximize home ice results is too not request black out dates that result in too many back to backs or cause too many short road trips back and forth. A better home record is derived from taking advantage of being the better team compounded by being the more rested foe. After that their main focus should be on maximizing revenue in order to maximize the ability to acquire and keep talent.

So exactly how many games has Toronto won in FNC because the Sabres sold out there home ice advantage?

Sure it's not last years you are watching?

Besides the fact that one of his issues with Cooper is a desire to play center and not wing. Wouldn't mind Stamkos centering for O'Reilly and Fasching and Eichel centering for Reinhart and Gus but very unlikely given salary cap restraints and other issues.

If he was penalized during the game for contact with an official, the suspension pending a hearing is automatic.

I actually forgot about MASH. I agree.

I like all of those but I think WKRP would replace Night Court but it would be close

Barney Milker was one of favorite TV shows of all time. One of the few shows you could watch over and over and still catch some line or reference you missed. Favorite episode of all time when they all are brownies laced with hashish, Fish was awesome.

Sounds like Horcoff suspended for twenty games

That is the kind of goal you rarely see a true number one give up. It happens but it seems to happen to guys like Johnson too often.

A) why do you think I'm upset? I was just countering your points b) this is the second time in a week you suggested I don't like you. I think you may be taking these discussions a little too personal

That is not correct, those 8 were not in the first month. 3 of them happened in his last 6 starts and 13 of his last 26.

I meant 13 out of 26. Again, I would have to examine Luong's overall numbers. Johnson's clearly show he is at best a 50% on, 50% off kind of guy. Again, all guys fluctuate, the true starters do a lot better then 50/50

I don't have time to look up Luongo's season stats but assuming you are right, 7 out of 17 is a lot better then 13 out of 13. As far as averages go, that is precisely why averages can be mis-leading. Your starting goaltender cannot be bi-polar. He has to be more consistent. I have no idea if Lehner can be a number one but Johnson's season has proven what his career should have already told us, he is not starter material.

See above, 6 of his last 13 and 3 of his last 6 game his save percentage has been below .910 and more then half of those below .900

Carrying the Johnson stat line further, he has played full games 26 times and has been over .920 thirteen times and in the last 6 games he is 3 and 3. Johnson is the perfect example of what I call the Marty Biron syndrome. His overalll stats indicate that if just given a chance he is a capable starter but his inconsistently and penchant for letting in bad goals at bad times make the eye test more accurate then the analytics test. He is a very good back up and nothing more,

He is still 20th in the league in save percentage so I am not sure it can be accurately stated that he has been one of the best in the league for 75% of the schedule.

And that may be may be more about the state of the game. Let's take my Chicago example from before a little further. If Moulson, and Ennis perform up to expectations and have 20 goals between, the Sabres are in the middle of the pack in offense. Then you can safely assume that because they may have been playing with the lead the team would have scored a couple of more goals because their opponent would have to open things up. Then ask yourself, as good as Johnson and Ullmark have played for stretches have they "stole" the Sabres a game? I can't think of one. In fact, I would argue that early on there was a game or two that goaltending costs them a game. So there you have it, The rest of the team plays exactly like they have been playing. Ennis and Moulson convert some of their chances and a goaltender steals a game or two. The team is in the top five in goals scored and battling for a playoff spot. Are you more entertained?

I think its the "looking like they are putting in effort" that separates a lot of fans opinions of what they are watching. Some people equate effort with skates flying, players diving all over and running people through the boards. I see a team learning a system, unsure of what they are supposed to do and more often then not putting in quite a bit of effort. Yesterday's game was atrocious no matter what you think of their travel itinerary. I think its great that the players and the coaches all deny that as a reason for the "effort." While I am a little disappointed with the record, I am with Kris Baker when he says they are largely playing as we expected although we both expect them to finish with a flourish and give us a glimpse of the future during the final weeks of the season. One more thing about effort, Rick Martin took a lot of criticism from those who felt he coasted a little too much and many a fan lamented, "if Rick only had the heart of Danny Gare...." Those close to the team will tell you that Rico put in quite a bit of work but was just so naturally gifted that he seldom looked like he was at full speed. Effort can be as hard to quantify as character.

The one almost valid point made when discussing whether TN was really only extended for the one year tank was that it was a wasted year that the foundation should have been laid down. As I pointed out last year, what was the point of laying the foundation when almost none of the core was present. Bylsma is laying the foundation. Next year their responsibilities will be second nature and the slow, methodical approach will slowly be replaced. When the it becomes habit and the thinking is eliminated, the flow will be much more palatable, at least for as much as the NHL allows. On that note, the Chicago Blackhawks are sixth in the league averaging 2.82 goals per game but a whopping 12 of those goals are empty net goals. Take away those empty netters and take away Buffalo's empty netters and the Sabres are 20 goals off the Blackhawks' pace. That is today's NHL.

They tried do much harder when they were being outshot 40-15 last year. Don't you remember?

I don't think about you enough to have an opinion. But to the point, no on implied that only Buffalo suffers though the schedules ups and downs. No team is able to give optimal effort 82 games, 246 periods. Some games are just thow aways.

I had forgotten about your reading aptitude. I said every team lose games due almost entirely to scheduling. Chicago lost today 4-0 on the second night of back to backs. Look at the record of teams playing their first home game after a long trip. You don't have to take my word for it, the data is readily available.