Neo

The 1980s. Hockey’s apex. Stanley Cup Playoffs and 54 goals in five games. Three goals in the final 11 minutes to win the deciding game 5, at home. End to end, skill players, rough stuff and drama.

Life’s beautiful. I recall that game. I was 23 years old and a grad student at Rutgers University, Newark. Night school, for me. I worked days. I sat in the back of a large lecture hall. We were studying Federal Home Loan Banks and their role as financial intermediaries. Back in the day, we had no cell phones. We had no interwebs. Every 15 minutes, or so, I’d leave my seat in the back of the hall and walk up the aisle. I opened the large back doors as quietly as I could. In the back hallway, there was a payphone. I’d dial a 900 number (remember those?) and listen to frequently updated recordings of “around the league” NHL updates. I’d hear 30 to 60 seconds about each game from a wonderfully breathless and excited announcer. What tension, waiting for the Sabres score. I used an AT&T Calling Card (remember those?). There was no need for a pocket full of coins. I marveled at the technology. “Any score, any game, any time.” I can’t remember what I had for lunch, yesterday. Ah, life ... I hated Quebec!

I liked a lot about tonight.

LOL, Miller shut out and I don’t care!

Tomorrow, tomorrow... the sun will come up ... tomorrow.

McCabe rubs out the concept ...

Quintessential fourth line goal. I will be happy if this team shows up all year. It won’t win more often than it loses, but I’ll be satisfied. Preemptive note. I am not satisfied losing. I recognize what has to happen in order to win. IMHO. To the learned ... is Buffalo moving more as a unit and are we seeing better gap control on defense?

I think so, too.

I thought we’d see a Gorges v. McDavid night, tonight. I like Josh glued to stars.

I do like him shooting, shooting, shooting ... and he’s getting back, too.

Imagine, draft night 2 1/2 years ago, looking forward to a Friday night Eichel / McDavid match up during their third years, and learning it would be boring. “Larry Bird and Magic Johnson”

Eichel backchecks purposefully ...

To eman ... I’m laughing and grateful. Thank you for the “bingo”, but as We’ve said, the desire for Babcock was hardly mine, alone! I agree with We’ve’s “consolation prize” analogy, rooted in optimism. GoDD and his boundless energy sold me! Not that GoDD missed anything when evaluating the alternatives. I admire conviction. He had it. I voted with the “Yeas” on Disco Dan.

In one sense, I agree with you. We’re all evaluated every day. I don’t belief, though, that we’ll have a product that can be evaluated against the standards of winning and making the playoffs until 2019/2020. I belief we’re suffering the effects of “new coach every two years”, in addition to other things. I recognize we asked the following with Bylsma, Nolan, et al. What can you conclude about the GM/HC with this roster? Sure, you can look to compete end effort, whatever that means. Opponents show effort and compete, too. I am not able to conclude it’s missing except in the most obviously situations where a player quits on a situation. I spit fire, snort, and am willing to hurt and offend to win. I’d not win many corner battles in the NHL. Some coaches make the roster better just by arriving. Babcock made the Leafs better day one. They were night and day improved on my television. Babcocks don’t become available that often. Firing lesser lights every two years doesn’t do it for me. You never know where the problem is when you change out organizations, systems and philosophies. This leads me to ... the single biggest miss in the last five years wasn’t Sam, Eichel, Moulson, Lehner ... it was HC Babcock.

I am in complete deferred gratification mode. Sign Kane and worry the cap in 2019. That maximizes his value. Then, keep or trade later. Worry the cap in 2019. If he declines to sign through March, send him somewhere at the deadline. Put Reinhart at wing and give him every opportunity to show what he brings. Cold evaluation time. Leave the kids in Rochester and cheer the Amerks. I’d love to see some playoff experience. Baptiste, Bailey, Ghule, Nylander and Fasching stay put this year. Pu and Asplund get two years in the AHL. Suffer the current product. Use the word “playoffs” when we see DeLuca .500 at a quarter pole. Recognize 2019/2020 is evaluation time for Housley and JBot. TPegs has two franchises that tried bold and splashy rebuilds that missed on some key talent and never formed an identity. I want two organizations. Individual teams come together therein. Be entertaining in the meantime. Show up and play, win or lose.

Grateful!

I wasn’t pro tank before it started. I don’t even believe “resting starters” in NFL week seventeen treats fans ethically. However, once it was on, I was very PRO TANK “successfully”. Carrion league daily, I’m sure. The worst, of course, is tanking and failing at it ... ooops.

I like the jersey. Does anyone know why the NY was included? I mean, I know Buffalo’s in the state of New York. Every team’s in a state or province. Was there a reason or a concept behind the decision that anyone’s aware of? Perhaps I missed a conversation. Better question: Did the Sabres propose this, did the league propose this, did advertisers propose this, or did broadcasters propose this?

I’ve liked Niederreiter since the 2010 WJCs. Late bloomer, slow road. Perspective.

I was going to snip for brevity and then applaud. I think I’ll just applaud. At any industry’s highest level. It’s the smallest if things that bring you margin of victory more often over 100 iterations.

I’ve always wondered what Eichel and Kane say about playing together ...

FantasyPros @FantasyPros · 45m QBs with more fantasy points than Nathan Peterman today - Jamarcus Russell - Ryan Leaf - Todd Marinovich - Heath Shuler - Joey Harrington - Uncle Rico Ooof ... I’ll not dance on the guy’s grave, but there’s some funny stuff there.

Pointed out on TBD, and confirmed .... Nathan Peterman is trending on Twitter ... all the world, Twitter! Had you told me that would be the case earlier, today ... I’d have thought ...

inauspicious ...

Mercy bat away ...