...

Dunleavy doesn't sound all too confident the Sabres can hang on to the lead.

Ennis is trying to score in front of his friends and family, and Conacher upped the ante.

He's the kind of player Nolan likes. One thing that may tie Nolan and GMTM together is that they both seem to look for similar characteristics in players.

Yay! Conacher's second as a Sabre. He's earned it.

Oh, I'm convinced I do not want them to offer Foligno an extension. There has to be a better option in the system or in FA than he. That was a scene of chaos straight out of the Goofy Hockey Homicide cartoon.

Hodgson with a truly awful shift there. I can't figure out who I want them to use the compliance buy out on more: Hodgson or Leino.

Yay! That's Conacher's first as a Sabre. He's earned it.

Hodgson...

Foligno, dude, if you're coming down the slot with the puck, take it to the net. What's with the pass to the boards?

Holy sh!t they're playing undisciplined hockey tonight.

The D is missing Myers I think, and they're missing Z's backcheck a little. I didn't like the lack of coverage right before Weber's penalty.

Where the hell are the locker rooms in that arena, a building next door?

Hackett looks a tad bit jumpy.

Why the Les Paul? Is Miller a closet rock star or something?

See the other thread for some thoughts on this. I guess I have the same conversation going on in two places. Didn't really mean it that way. But I will say here that maybe I expect them to have a better handle on the projected ceiling of these players - are you suggesting the projections aren't that accurate? I guess then what's the deal with the McDavid hype if his projection could be that wrong? Also: "I certainly doubt Murray's plan is to just sit on these kids and wait." This is exactly what I am saying. There seems to be a dissonance here...on the one hand folks seem to be looking forward to the 2015 draft, but on the other hand folks seem to agree GMTM is going to have to make moves relatively soon. I don't know if these plans work together, I really don't. It seems either he goes into this draft and then starts to build up the team...2015 be damned...or they tank yet another season. I just do not see tanking for 2015 working out. That's not fatalism or some freaky prediction, it just doesn't line up. I don't think the league is going to let the Sabres tank another season and get away with it. I don't think Pegula is on board for another season of this. I don't think Nolan is on board with it. And I would be a little surprised if GMTM is on board (although the thought has occurred to me that maybe the PLF departure had to do exactly with tanking as internal policy). Obviously, the players will not be on board. So...again, I don't see everything lining up quite as clean cut and story book as it reads on the board.

That's because you're too busy trying to construct straw men from my points. And why must you characterize it as a rant? AM I TYPING LIKE THIS>?S!? Don't be asinine. Can you not have a conversation where, while you disagree with the premise, you don't attack the point or the person like it kicked your dog? F*ck. My primary point is pretty simple: the Sabre's offensive prospect pool does not have the high-end first and second line talent that is going to win a Cup. Period. There may be kids who can play on a second line on a NHL team...but on a Cup contending team? I haven't seen those projections anywhere. Care to point them out? I would love to have more faith. There are 30 teams, as you all know, so, being a second line offensive player on a NHL team doesn't say a whole lot. Over two drafts, the Sabres may draft in the top 5 once. This draft. If the Islanders give up the pick this year, it could be in the top 6 or 7, but this draft isn't 6 or 7 deep. The Sabres could possibly win the lottery this draft and pick first with their pick, or lose and pick second, and if the latter, will be somewhat fortunate to wind up with Reinhart. With all of the scuttlebutt over the 2015 draft ALREADY, I would not bank on the Sabres getting the first pick even if they do tank next season, which I am not convinced they will. So, frankly, all of you McDavid zealots really need to wake up and kiss him goodbye. Honestly, I would not be surprised if the league is already talking to the Sabres and telling them they better try and put a better product on the ice next season. Just a guess, of course, but it seems plausible. So, let's say the Sabres pick, oh, fifth in 2015. And if they get the Islander's pick in 2015 who knows where that will be...6 or 7 again (I doubt the Islanders give up their first round in 2015, highly doubt it, if that draft is causing problems already over a year out). The Sabres may get someone good, but, well, okay, let's say it's the equivalent to Vanek (Vanek 2.0). Over two drafts, they get a top 2 at best (Reinhart), a top 7 (Islanders pick this year), and a Vanek 2.0 type player next year. And then these guys need to develop for several seasons. That's only THREE (3) III players who could...COULD...fill the needs of the team, and they will still need to develop over the next three, four, five years. STOP. No one else has a problem with this, so far? Right? Makes sense? QUESTION: is it smart to bank on these three players being the right talent to make the team a contender? Personally, I do not like relying on fortune to work my way. It's childish to me. Okay, so, we have only THREE PLAYERS with the potential to be true first line talent. The odds, as have been pointed out here somewhere recently, of a player being quality first or second line talent after the, what was it, top 10 in the draft, drop significantly. So, yes, they will have other picks these two drafts, but, again, are you honestly expecting fortune to work in the Sabres' favour? My kids think like that. The current roster is just awful offensively. That includes Hodgson, Stafford, Ennis, even, sad to say, Girgensons (although I find it mildly interesting scoring dropped...a lot...after Girgs went out). The defense may be set, and I think it is, the goaltending may be set, and I think the Sabres are in good shape there, too. But there is NOTHING there offensively. They essentially have to re-craft all four lines. THREE DRAFTEES WHO AREN'T EVEN IN THE SYSTEM YET ARE NOT GOING TO MAKE A DENT IN THE SABRES' ABILITY TO COMPETE. Not for ........yyyeeeaaarrrrs. Sorry, that is the truth (in my opinion). (NOTE: "Ability to compete" is meant to imply not only win games, but win games and attract outside talent, improving their ability to sign better free-agents, and also, as Nolan says, get the calls on the ice going their way. Being competitive is a multi-faceted endeavor, but, obviously, it starts with scoring goals and winning games.) So. To finalize the point, relying on the draft and the prospects: not a smart way, or sure way, to conduct business. And since I believe that to be the case, I believe that GMTM is going to have to do more in the way of moves, signings, and more moves, and more signings to get this team where everyone wants it to be. That means, maybe, trading Myers. That means, trading some of these prospects currently in the system everyone has high hopes for. That means trading Ennis. That means waiting for Stafford to increase his cache and trade him the hell out of here. That means maybe having to dip into the D prospect pool. I think there needs to be MORE done than the superficial stuff talked about around here, than the funny tank pictures in game threads belies, to ASSURE the team becomes competitive. And I think these priors thrown out like Pittsburgh in 4 years, Chicago in 3 or whatever it was, are NOT A RELIABLE MEASURE of the Sabres' circumstance because I think the Sabres are in worse shape than those teams were. I say 5 years bare minimum. Don't agree? Have at it. But talk, don't be a doosh.

If the Sabres get Reinhart AND McDavid I will buy you a Happy Meal. Boy or girl version...your choice.

Did you watch the game?

If that's your summary, then you're making a pretty thoughtless jump from senseless gamble to a return to Regier-style management. I'm saying that the draft(s) and prospects are not going to get the Sabres to the Promised Land. There's no way it happens as things stand. GMTM is going to have to make more moves than a lot of people seen to be anticipating, and they will have to be significant. The Tank Nation view seems cavalier and short-sighted; that the next two drafts are going to solve this team's problems. So, really, you think a couple of 18 and 19 year old kids are going to put the offensive prospect pool over the top? And that the resultant roster is going to make it into the second round and beyond three years out? Your analogy assumes Buffalo gets the golden tickets two drafts in a row!

A solid win. I agree with the NBC dork that this was a statement game.

I don't give a sh*t, dude, it's the truth. You're so happy to watch this team fail and to what end? None of the projections for the future that are based on tanking and the draft make sense within a time frame of within 5 years.

You're still looking at 4-5 years for a team that can maybe survive the first round if this is what you expect them to rely on. It's not sensible.

First and second line offense. The Sabres are strong on D and, I think, in net. Neither of those get you a Cup without scoring.

I don't disagree...the Blues' D is looking lackluster, but, come on, we've seen Miller steal games for a much worse team.

Chicago is exposing St. Louis' weaknesses right now. If this game is any indication, there is no way the Blues make it to the finals. I don't know if I can watch much more of this. The Blues are being schooled and I'd say at least two of those goals are poor reads or over-commitments by Miller. I feel embarrassed for him.