Jump to content

North Buffalo

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    12,331

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Posts posted by North Buffalo

  1. Official 2014 NHL Draft thread

    in The Aud Club

    Posted

     

     

    If you take Ekblad, you don't have to trade guys like Myers and McCabe. Imagine a core of Myers, Ekblad, Pysyk, Zadorov, Risto and McCabe? McNabb, Weber, JGL, Ruhwedel add depth and pretty much lock up a good top six. I'm a big Ehrhoff fan, but I'd trade him first. Especially the way Myers has played lately (and I have been vocal in the past about trading Myers).

     

    But I would be relatively upset if we ended up with another dman.

    So i am thinking Myers, Z and Ruhwedl would make a pretty good forward line. Only a little sarcasm because they would probably be better than who the Sabres are currently using in their top 2 lines. Maybe Errhoff could play up?

  4. Advice on skating and playing hockey

    in The Aud Club

    Posted

    So I've "skated" seven times in all. Yep, still putting asterisks around it. But in fits and starts, I'm starting to feel like I'm doing a few things right. I "skated" today for 90 minutes and fell only once. I am swizzling pretty well and taking some decent-feeling strides. I can whip around pretty good pushing off with just my right skate, but the left is a challenge. I can sort of stop, but can only go backwards a few feet, if that. It's really challenging and really fun.

     

    Any good drills for beginners?

     

    Also, how do I know when to get the skates sharpened? I don't see any nicks yet. Beyond wiping off the blades, anything else I should be doing to take care of the skates?

    As long as they were sharpened before you began skating, I usually go til I start losing my edge.

     

    Drills include skating in circles on a face off circle while doing cross overs. Balancing on one foot while gliding on the other. If you really feel adverturesome, trying lifting your off ice skate leg up and moving it back and forth so you are doing one leg swizzles.

     

    Another good drill is gliding on one leg, jumping up and landing on your other foot as you are gliding... It is all about finding your edges.

  9. All About Ted Nolan

    in The Aud Club

    Posted

    The interview with Teddy sounds like he has matured a bit. Milstick said he wasn't an x and o guy and that is what is needed in the current league. LOL what a tool, this coming from a goon who wouldn't know an x if it bit him in the O. That being said Nolan may well have picked up a few things and with the assistants he currently has inherited Xs and Os should be okay with more effort. Will see and at least it should be more entertaining er punishing hockey.

  13. New President of Hockey Operations, Presser @10:30 a.m.

    in The Aud Club

    Posted

    I just heard, unfortunately from a Rangers fan on my way home from work. Mostly football Giants and Jets fans where I am and I left my cell at home today.

     

    My first reaction 10 minutes ago was f#$% yes. About time, now time to can Stafford. That being said, I like the idea of Nolan. He always was good with young developing teams as long as he stays away from the goaltenders wife. Guess that nixes honor Hasek any time soon...

     

    Love the fact that La Fontaine is involved. From a P.R. standpoint this is a good move, practically I am not sure, but if Devine is running the scouting department, this is probably ok. Didn't take time to read the previous pages, just had express my reaction. Now to do my reading.

  15. Official 2014 NHL Draft thread

    in The Aud Club

    Posted

    Detroit keeps getting brought up as an example because of Datsyuk and Zetterberg. How many Zetterbergs or Datsyuk's have been drafted in the late rounds since Datsyuk and Zetterberg? It's been a good decade or more since a skater with anywhere near their success has come out of a mid-to-late round., Detroit certainly didn't expect those two to be what they became or they would have been 1st round selections for the Red Wings, not 7th round selections. Those two were luck. When guys are hitting in the 5% range it comes down to luck as much as anything.

     

    Probably true, and the Sabres sure haven't had any luck lately with Darcy at the helm when it comes to drafting. Pending outcome of some of the recent drafts.

  16. Official 2014 NHL Draft thread

    in The Aud Club

    Posted · Edited by North Buffalo

    Meh. I don't like the "nobody else is doing well there so it's okay." This debate came up with the Bills about needing a wide receiver that doesn't care that you've got somebody draped all over you. When was the last time that team had a receiver who makes the catch when somebody is all over him?

     

    It'd be nice to have a GM who finds a few legitimate studs in the mid-to-late rounds despite the fact that not many other teams do.

     

    Eric Moulds...

     

    And agree about mid to late round studs needed.

     

    Just can't get out of my my Zetterberg in DT. If only.

  17. Official 2014 NHL Draft thread

    in The Aud Club

    Posted · Edited by North Buffalo

    Start in 2005 and work your way forward. I started with that year because it is the first post lockout season with the major rule changes and marked a major shift in how guys have to play. Look at Rounds 1-3.

     

    2005: 13 Marek Zagrapan, 48 Philipp Gogulla, 87 Marc-Andre Gragnani

    2006: 24 Dennis Persson, 46 Jhonas Enroth, 57 Mike Weber,

    2007: 31 T. J. Brennan (became Gustav Possler pick), 59 Drew Schiestel, 89 Corey Tropp

    2008: 12 Tyler Myers, 26 Tyler Ennis, 44 Luke Adam, 81 Corey Fienhage

    2009: 13 Zack Kassian, 66 Brayden McNabb, 104 Marcus Foligno (Sorry Foligno was 4th round had to fix the wiki entry)

    2010: 23 Mark Pysyk, 68 Jerome Gauthier-Leduc, 75 Kevin Sundher, 83 Matt MacKenzie

    2011: 16 Joel Armia, 77 Daniel Catenacci

    2012: 12 Mikhail Grigorenko, 14 Zemgus Girgensons, 44 Jake McCabe, 73 Justin Kea

    2013: 8 Rasmus Ristolainen, 16 Nikita Zadorov, 35 J.T. Compher, 38 Connor Hurley, 52 Justin Bailey, 69 Nicholas Baptiste

    2014: 2first rounders, 3second rounders, 1third rounder

     

    This indicates to me that since 2005 Darcy has done well at drafting NHL players in the first 3 rounds. Now how good those players were in the NHL is another story but we can't honestly say he sucks at 2nd/3rd round picks.

     

    Edit: Kevin Devine being around has probably helped Darcy a ton but I can't separate that out because I wasn't in the room for anything outside the Zadorov pick which we all know was Devine.

     

    Oof, but the draft at center has been lacking even when they have been. Kassian was sent away and really is not a center. Ennis too small not really at his best at center. Foligno so far is the best of the bunch and he was what a 5th rounder. Catanacci, still waiting to see what he can do. Grigs and Gergs the jury is still out on, though both have shown some promise. Grigs maybe a better as a winger and Gergs is not a number 1 center, more a checking center.

     

    What is glaring about this list is the good D drafted and the lack of centers capable of playing at the NHL level yet were a need since 2005. So, I don't think you can call Darcy's drafting ability a success, only again that he has an eye for D and is clueless when it comes to centers. His centers seem to have mixed success playing wing, but not center.

     

    P.S. I have been yelling about this since 2005 as many others have. The proof to me is NHL ready within 2-3 years and on offense especially at the Center position the draft has been a black hole. Some promise occasionally, but a lot of fizzles.

  18. Official 2014 NHL Draft thread

    in The Aud Club

    Posted

    It is interesting that we are all trying to educate ourselves early on draft potential players out there. I think this will really help us evaluate Darcy's decision making. Not so much in the first round though I have no doubt it will help, but the fact that so few players from the later rounds have made the big club.

     

    My other criticism of Darcy is that in what are considered depth years, so few players have made it up the ranks, especially second rounders. I know the percentage is lower, but it is not 0. How many second round front line players are playing on the big club. Later round guys there are a few... but not many and certainly not guys that have second or first line talent.

     

    The Sabres need to find some diamonds in the rough and Darcy has done another poor job at iding those guys.

     

    Hard to say if any of the guys recently taken with all the 2nd round picks will develop, but you would think some of the previous years would have by now.

     

    Ironically, the second rounders on the team right now are Larsson, Enroth, Tallinder and Weber. Larsson was gotten in a trade. The others are D guys, one who is ancient and Weber who is struggling. McCormmick was a 5th and Tropp was a 4th round. Flynn was an undrafted free agent.

     

    Interesting, and almost more telling, the Sabres are loaded with middle to late first round picks including Ott. With all the picks coming and the one's taken the last two years. If the Sabres can't find some talented guys, its gonna be a mess in two years, worse than it already is.

  19. Job Performance Poll: Head Coach Ron Rolston

    in The Aud Club

    Posted · Edited by North Buffalo

    Rolston is in a pretty unique position. The idea is to tank, and so they hire a coach who, while on the one hand will teach the kids the game, will also guarantee at least one season of tanking.

     

    I think Regier and crew are gambling that Rolston doesn't finally figure out this whole NHL coaching thing by the beginning of next season. Perhaps they plan to give him two seasons to tank, and season three to audition for the "real" job after they get their picks.

     

    So, Rolston gets two seasons of baptism by fire to learn how to win as an NHL coach. That's a gift to someone who never played in the league.

     

    And that is the juxtaposition we are in trying to understand Darcy's motives and strategy. My only contrary point is if so why didn't the Sabres tank at the end of last year? Because of Darcy's incompetence? He didn't get rid of Vanek or Miller soon enough. Pommer was a good start. I guess keeping Stafford on the team helps with your theory.

  20. Official 2014 NHL Draft thread

    in The Aud Club

    Posted · Edited by North Buffalo

    Despite what is considered a shallow draft, and maybe because of it, there does not appear to be a lot of top end D prospects. Is that the reason for the low ranking or do D get considered later in the year because they often take so long to develop and harder to get a fix on unless they are considered elite?

  21. Worst team in Franchise History

    in The Aud Club

    Posted

    Where are they going to get 20 points. After watching last nights debacle, who do they play 9 times let alone 14 times that they can beat in order to get to 30 points let alone 20. Just not seeing it. Rolston is horrible as a coach and this teams is playing down to his level. Oof, I wondering if they can even get to 10 points at this rate. Maybe through ties?

  24. Advice on skating and playing hockey

    in The Aud Club

    Posted · Edited by North Buffalo

    Learning to play hockey has been on my bucket list for awhile. You have to start somewhere — I had the first of seven skating lessons the other night. I move about as well as Dave Andreychuk on meth, but at this point, whatever. I'm on my way.

     

    I skated in rental skates, and I don't want to do that again. Lord. So I need some down and dirty advice on buying skates, where to go, what to look for, how much to expect to spend and so on. I'm reasonably close to Buffalo.

     

    My advice, because I did this in my early thirties and still play. I am almost 50. We skated a little as kids, but not well enough to play on an adult team. So I took lessons. My first pair were CCMs good for a middle width foot and a little flat footed. Now I have a pair of Bauer, tilted a little forward and the blade isn't quite as long.

     

    I think I like the balance of the CCMs but can move my feet faster... a relative term, in the Bauers. Bauers are a little narrower. For wide feet Grafs are the best. Most are heat moldable and a good hockey store can do that for you. I was told if you want buy online. CCMs are a size and a half bigger than your shoe size to go down that much when ordering and Bauer are 1 size smaller.

     

    Hockeymonkey.com and hockeygiant.com have good sales and you often get last year's models at a discount. But do get the heat moldable "bakeable". They fit like a glove and once you get used to it, I skate without socks for more control. I put on my thinnest pair of socks, stick the skates in the oven on its lowest settings for 10 minutes, put them on my feet in the living room tied as tight as possible for a half an hour while I watch TV. Has done the trick both times.

     

    Just my two cents. P.S. You won't regret it and it is a great way to stay in shape.

  25. KALETA

    in The Aud Club

    Posted

    I dont have BVS just Shanahan Syndrome where me and other fans of every franchise and media members can never accurately predict a suspension. The more strongly someone feels about a player is the main factor when determining the suspension. Was kaletas hit bad? sure but was it ten games bad? absolutely not.

     

    Also known as Shinaniganitis. I also have Staphylcoccus infection. The Tin Man used to be on this team and then I was missing a heart.

×
×
  • Create New...