Ghost of Dwight Drane

At least you posted! And I prefer the thumb....more girth....

I think there's gonna be a giant earthquake or some other natural disaster in the next few days. People are losing their sh!t on each other, but even more the animals are freaking. Horses flipping and running off, $100 winners back to back at major outlets.... This you can call tinfoil. Still, there needs to be an environmental stress relief.

I kid.... Good stuff. Always thinking and looking. I have no clue about this group but am a good 10 games away from wanting to learn.

I think he is better than Lindy for sure. Same style but with more of a human approach to teaching than dictatorial. Still trying to figure it all out myself. Gorges and Bogosin have seemed robotic, yet both are back from serious injury. Much like the Bills D threw Rex under the bus multiple times this year, if there is an issue we will soon find out.

Bogosian has been horrible. Actually, all the guys who thrived under Nolan have been bad. Girgensons, Ennis, Bogosian, Moulson.... Not sure if it is Bylsma, but it is a much less physical crew. No penalties mandate? Bogosian had a long injury with setbacks so not sure what the deal is. He's been disappointing though.

5 seconds? He wasn't on the ice for most of the empty net and jumped on with 30 or so seconds. I had just looked up the stats because I was pretty sure he was on the ice for all the goals and I wasn't too impressed that as the game got chippy and Calgary divebombed our goalie, Ristolainen waited for the guy to get up and gave him a Queen's Wave of a push. Love his offense, but he has to decide if he wants to be a bigboy defenseman, or 1 part Ehrhoff and 1 part Myers but with a more accurate shot.

I was rooting for Calgary to score with 5 seconds left so Ristolainen could get in the record books. How many people could have scored a hattrick and gone -3?

Thank you. Here's the deal..... You can't bitch about concussions and fighting in hockey, then bitch about refs who have to jump in with no defense in order to prevent brutal fights and concussions because they drop a bad word at a guy who has a history of putting refs' personal safety at risk because of their antics.

Yes The Buffalo News high school reporter is very good, Keith McShea. He went on a crusade of his own against the Redskin nickname. I kindly asked why he wasn't concerned about the Canisius Crusaders nickname since it is glorifying the death of countless Muslims. The news often featured cover stories praising the team. He avoided the question.

Canisius is named after killing Muslims. They have 500 daddy lawyers though so nobody will make a stink.

I've had to eat late season Bills tickets for years. I've made it for 2 decades but if they have to blow it up like the Sabres...that's maybe it. It's a lot easier paying up for 8 (10) games than 41 though at the same average price per game. Does Russ Brandon do a call in show? I'd like to ask him a few things now that he runs the Sabres. Maybe one day we'll all get rewarded.

When the establishment pulls the cash from Jeb and the fringe supporters need to go with someone electa, he will pick up speed. Down deep I don't know if Trump thinks he's electable. If we keep with the terror attacks and the financial markets go down the crapper then Trump can win. If we just keep sludging towards the election it needs to be Rubio probably.

I'd put my money on Rubio. Trump is getting the base all riled up so they would end voting for any repub. Rubio can actually get liberal women and gays to swoon over his charming looks, the latino support, and is smart enough and quick on his feet in a debate. He would destroy Hillary in a 1 on 1 with actual valid points.

Clip Smith gives that an A+ Random note, I love Mezzetta products. Olives, peppers, gardenaria....Wegmans just cut their prices by 30% and gave them more shelf space.

Hey....I LOVE that Pegula is the owner of the Bills from a season ticket holder standpoint. I sold 5 games and it more than paid for the season. Gave the rest away and am sitting on the Jets in case it means something. I just feel bad for thr Sabres holders.

I give them credit for at least publishing it. Maybe Terry can charter a 747 to Europe for all the NFL refs.

I'm wondering what the season ticket price increase will be next year? I know it is Pegula's duty to the future owner to raise ticket prices on mom and pop even though the product is historically awful. I was in the penalty box when this golden nugget happened and couldn't comment. http://bills.buffalonews.com/2015/10/21/vip-flight-propels-bills-faithful-to-london-in-style/ I mean chartered overseas flight, posh 5 star hotel, meals and transport, suite tickets...for 80+ people. Let's see, 16,000 season ticket holders,5% price increase at an average of $120 or so per ticket..... Yeah....that should cover it. Pot stirring? Sure.... Food for thought? Hope so.

Thanks. I never knew Murray was a horse guy because I don't follow the trotters. Maybe SDS knew because Murray's dad was a trainer for decades.

For sure, but Murray had little choice. The franchise was a disaster. My guess is that Murray takes much more pride and thinks he can build a winner easier by taking value guys in the draft. He is a pure scout. If you don't think you have an advantage over the guy next to you because of your eye, then you shouldn't be in the game. There is no value in tanking from a GM standpoint. A blind monkey in cement shoes can make those picks. The value is in trading for guys like Kane and Bogosian who are born leaders with talent but have been mismanaged and giving up nice fellas with head problems. The value is in getting a guy at 20 who should have gone 8. Sorry for the horseracing terms, but Murray himself said he'd rather talk horses than hockey. He also said the best chance to win the big race is to spread the budget over a handful of nice horses rather than relying one big horse at the top.

Sorry. It means someone paid 1 million for a horse that never ran a race, it was a favorite its first few races, still hasn't won a race, and you can buy it for a few grand now.

This is fair. If the kids don't develop Murray will look like a chump. They pretty much have to be the core 3 years from now. On that note, I just saw a horse at Zia Park that was purchased for 1 million run for maiden claiming.

I'm assuming you aren't big gamblers? That would change your options as good perks could get you close to a free stay. I fully endorse Mirage. Maybe the best overall balance and value of the big name places. Location is decent. I would avoid Rio. Not to say you can't have a positive experience, but between being secluded and adding the riff raff that tends to be there it isn't in my top 30. The best overall to me is Paris. Same price range as Mirage but a little more central. It has a clean feel and the gambling floor is pleasant and not overcrowded. It's very lady friendly too. The Eiffel Tower, outside cafe, french bakery. And you are across the street from Bellagio, so if you pull out a tenskie to give to the check in clerk, there is a good chance of getting a high floor with a view of the strip and fountain. Paris is an easy walk to a lot of the other big places. It's connected to Ballys which is where I stay on a guy trip, and the rooms are half as much while being on the same property, but with a lady the extra 80 a night at Paris hopefully pays for itself. Make sure right after check in you get signed up for players club cards and use then when you gamble. The old law of vegas was to comp 30% in freebies back to the customer based on their expected loss for games played. Your wife spins a 1 dollar slot 10 times a minute for 4 hours, she's supposed to lose 250 bucks and at an old school place you are getting 75 bucks back in a combo of food, room and play. It's not as good on the strip as corporations took over, but if you guys bring a budget to potentially lose more than a few dollars, talk to a host and maybe you get a buffet trip, or some free tickets to a show on a weekday. Maybe Brian Blessing could hook you up as a Sabres fan. I'm laying -650 he at least reads this board.

That's the key. If Eichel puts on 20 lbs and is willing to take a beating in the next few years, yeah, he's in your core and your best player. Vanek drove to the net and took slashes as a rookie. If Ristolainen plays a tough defensive game and doesn't avoid being decisive in his decisions then he will be in your core. Remember when people here were lobbying for Tallinder to get Norris votes? If Reinhart keeps progressing and is sturdy in his d and disruptive in front of the net then sure he is a valuable member of the core. Right now he's probably safe to be a Jochen Hecht, but he is improving. Murray knows what he's doing.

All those guys will still be in their mid late 20s. Their style of game is so much more important. You just need look back. You roll the dice on Vanek, Pominville and Tallinder....you let Dumont, Grier, and McKee walk. It was over before it started, and even still having Drury and Briere couldn't stop the plane from stalling. Presidents Trophy or Stanley Cup? And I am sorry to have insulted Vanek, Pominville and Tallinder as odds are they will end up with more successful careers than the 3 people currently here. I would settle for the same type of career as long as Murray sticks to his plan.

If you are going to win a cup, then your core right now is O'Reilly, Kane, Bogosian, and Girgensons. If you are just happy getting in the playoffs on a consistant basis then you throw in names like Eichel, Ristolainen and maybe Reinhart. The first 4 can win it without the last 3 but not vice versa. Guys like Gorges and Deslauriers to go with the first 4 are what will get you a Cup.