[GDT: 12/4/2014, Buffalo @ Tampa Bay: 7:30pm MSG]

Last night during the game the Sabres were in Marine Corps mode in the third period ("Kill 'em all and let the Lord sort 'em out.") If there was an altercation there was no hesitation with respect to "Should I escalate this?" or "Well, our guy started it." If there was a Sabre getting into it with with a TB player, the rest of the team acted NOW. This is the kind of thing that should have happened when Miller got run, instead of the nominal response we saw back then. The kids are clearly taking over this team. The new core is Zemgus, Little Nicky :devil:, Zads and Rasmus. You want in, you're welcome to join. You're not that kind of player? There's the door. For all his perceived laziness I think CoHo is trying to sign on. Out of that core I see Gus as the C and Deslauriers and Risto as As. (Nikita is too batshitinsane to wear a letter.)

 

Risto is interesting to watch. He's got ice in his veins, very cool, calm and collected. But when things get rough he clearly doesn't back down and doesn't mind mixing it up. He and Zads are a perfect pairing; they complement each other nicely.

 

Risto and Zadarov are going to be cornerstones to championship teams here in the years to come, whether McDavid or Eichel make it here or not.

[Trade speculation 2014-15]

Myers, Grigorenko, one of our late first and a second might get Mantha. I wanted Mantha. Thought he was one of the top prospects in his class (ahead of Zadorov). But I'm not sure Id go there.

 

Do you still feel the Sabres should have drafted Mantha over Zadarov? I know Mantha is an absolute stud prospect, but I'm having a hard time saying either is a much better better prospect than the other.

 

To me, a big-bodied, hammer of a dman with speed and a booming shot is more valuable than just about any winger can be.

[Rochester Americans 2014-2015]

I really wish Directv would broadcast these games. I'd watch just about every one.

[2014-2015 Roster]

 

Was it really a decade of superior drafting or just landing 4-5 studs and supplementing the roster with role players?

 

Definitely was this imo Ink

[Prediction time: who's gonna be the captain?]

 

 

Very good point, but I still say they signed him for three years with the intent of making him captain, then passing the torch to Girgensons when he retires.

 

This has been my train of thought since the day Gionta signed here. The perfect bridge to Gus being captain.

[Sabres Prospect Zemgus Girgensons]

I think making the first line and the shut down line mutually exclusive is incorrect. While I do not see Gus being a top ten scoring center, I do, like others have said, see him being able to score between 50-60 points per year.

 

On top of that, I think he's going to be one of the leagues top defensive centers, with the ability to play and succeed in all situations.

 

He will wear a letter for the duration of his Sabres career too, with next year being the latest this happens. I think it's 50/50 that he wears one this year. I think this year starts with Stafford, Gorges, and Gionta wearing letters. If Stafford is traded at the deadline, Gus gets his letter. If not, he starts next year with one.

 

 

[Anyone Going To Scrimmage Tomorrow?]

I'll be there. Very excited to get a look at all the young talent the Sabres have been accumulating.

[Development camp - Blue & Gold scrimmage]

I'm seriously considering making the 2.5 hour drive down for the scrimmage but haven't decided yet. If i do I'll ofcourse post updates.

 

The drive out of Toronto during rush hour is so brutal. That would be some serious dedication.

 

I'm going to the scrimmage Tuesday night with my brother and cousin. I don't post much here, I've been a lurker for many years. I'll share my thoughts after the scrimmage.

[Official 2014 NHL Draft thread]

 

 

They didn't let him do anything. He signed to Boston as a free agent.

 

Ottawa let Chara go because they didn't think they could afford both Chara ad's Redden. They chose Redden over Chara.

[The Sabres Hockey Hotline with... somebody or other?]

 

 

Go to a game at ACC sometime and tell me how loud it isn't.

 

I went to 5-6 Leafs games last year, including the home opener against the Sabres, and their game 6 win vs Boston in last year's playoffs, and every game had a better atmosphere than just about every game I've been to at FNC since Briere and Drury left. I go to 4-5 games a year here in Buffalo.

[Kassian to Vancouver for Hodgson]

That would be my exact plan: roll 3 lines, 2 scoring and 1 hybrid. Foligno is cheap (900K), Ennis will be relatively cheap (I expect a Stafford-esque second contract 2 year $4 million contract) and Hodgson is relatively cheap ($1.6).

 

Vanek-Hodgson-Brown

Foligno-Ennis-Stafford

Leino-Roy-Pominville

 

I'd be perfectly comfortable with this lineup heading into next season. I'm not opposed to offloading Roy, but at this point I don't want to rely on Luke Adam to fill his role, so we'd have to find somebody else viable...and I can think of worse things in the world than Roy in a contract year when at his age it's his last chance to cash in big time. Also, in any deal for Brown, I'm assuming we're dumping a few million of salary (Sekera or Leopold, for instance). I don't think money is an issue unless we're trying to add Parise or Nash.

 

Getting rid of Sekera would be a huge mistake. He has been our most consistent defensemen this year, with his play elevating to it's highest levels since he and Regehr were paired up. The two of them have consistently shut down the other teams top lines for months now. They are a perfect compliment to one another.

[GAME DISCUSSION THREAD]

 

One more thing - the wife was with me and she absolutely detests all the 'crowd pleasing' activities that go on, kiss-cam, dancing on the cam, etc etc.. as she says.. "we're here to watch some ###### hockey, cheer the team or go home and kiss, dance and watch it on tv"

 

I feel that this is the #1 reason that the fans are not into the game like they should be. The instant play stops, there is something going on on the jumbotron to distract the fans from what is going on on the ice. It is extremely frustrating to be a part of.