...

Ooooo....I like that from Gionta.

They can come back from three down, right?

The Jets are bringing it, though, and the Sabres look like they have jet-lag.

Does Enroth stop that shorty?

Good to see Adam gone. No longer can people mention him as a possible call up or trade bait.

They are a hub for human trafficking. Some of them are born with twelve toes. They're from the same country that foisted Tim Horton's crappy coffee on the masses, making them think it's worth waiting in line for. I hear they like to put butter on their ham sandwiches. They cut down trees to make room for shopping plazas.

I agree with this. Samson wasn't earning anything and only until game 8 and 9 did he do anything of note. At the beginning of the season, with relatively significant roster changes, you go with the vets. Nolan has been trying to win from the get-go, he's not in on the tank and isn't making decisions relative to a tank.

No maybe. Someone else might be on the block, but not Grigorenko. I would say that, because they have a chance to recall him, they're going to see where he's at, and if he can stay. If he can stay, he'll replace someone else who IS on the block. I think any GM and coach league-wide knows that trading Grigorenko right now would be a huge mistake. While he's making strides, he's making strides because the organization has provided stability since his SNAFU introduction to North American pro hockey. The dude is believing in himself and the organization - shaking that up on him could set him back. Not only the above, but he is a Murray type of player: big, engaged, skill. He's the kind of player Murray would take a chance on. My guess is that they want to see where to concentrate their efforts. How much focus should they put on the active roster versus the prospect pool. Knowing what Grigorenko, and probably Armia, can bring to the NHL roster will help them figure out what to do going forward.

...and Enroth wasn't supposed to sustain wins. I think, if anything, this season has taught us not be to so sure about what we think we know.

If the trends continue, a 6-10 pick is highly unlikely.

They could have called up just about anyone; I agree with Tank that the choice is interesting and may signal some changes to "the plan". Murray could very well be saying "f*&k it, let's see if we can kick this up a notch". Maybe he has decided that he really is unsure of what he has to work with here - and let's face it, I don't think anyone expected to see this kind of a trend with this organization (players and coaches). All he has to do is build a team that will contend and in the shortest amount of time possible.

Zoink! I'm with you on this. I want him at least on the second line. Let's see what an addition to the "new core" will look like.

Briere, Pomiville, Vanek.

Win or lose here, you have to like how this year's team doesn't mail it in when they're down late in the game.

Oops. Who was assigned to Stone?

Are there any consistent D-pairings this game?

Goodness, what's up with all of this scoring?

I've never been 100% convinced Murray was/is 100% into the tank. Pegula, yes. Black, yes. He'd be a fool to strip this team of players willy nilly. I'll say that about a third of this roster is his doing, and he did extend Teddy, and then allowed Teddy to populate his staff. This recent success has his handprints all over it. I think he will be more prudent in his tinkering, but I think he will still tinker. But for right now, he's going to watch and see what he has in this team; there is still plenty of time.

What would the Sabres do if this happened to Enroth, say, Monday night?

We will never know, Padawan.

I've read and heard 2003 referenced in relation to this draft since before last year's draft. That's why the hand-wringing about the Sabre's current success is slightly confusing. The expression "you can't have your cake and eat it, too" comes to mind. Just as important as a skilled player or two is a winning culture. Or is the latter more important? Hard to say. Chicago has both. I would say LA has the culture (more than the players), while Pittsburgh has the players (more than the culture). If the culture develops before the team can acquire the "ideal" players, do you strip it down again? Do wreck that growth in favor of the players? That's a tough call. Surely, Murray is wrestling with this conundrum.

More than likely a healthy mixture of players being better than expected, Nolan's coaching (and, equally, his selection of assistants), and momentum. After this recent string of success, if they start to slump, and can't find a way out within ten games, what are the chances they slump for the rest of the season? That would/will be the test and best way to expose what this team has going for it right now.

Not only that, he's starting to hit anything that moves. Crazy.

Hardest. Working. Team. I'm saving the ultimate moniker for when they ice the REAL team. BTW, Ennis is turning into a little beast.