nfreeman

A lot of coaches didn't win big until they did -- and a lot of coaching changes haven't improved their teams. Remember what happened when the Sabres replaced Lindy with some young hotshot? McD has made some mistakes and has had some bad luck. He's still got them in the playoffs every year, has won a ton of games, home and away, against quality opponents and the players still believe in him. Jalen Hurts, before yesterday, had won 16 out of his last 17 home games, in which he produced 42 TDs. Philly is the best team in the NFL and they still needed a very unlikely long FG in a heavy rain, a brain lock by Gabe Davis and a questionable non-fumble call to get to OT. The Bills are where they are because the offense was freaking terrible for a solid 6 weeks after they beat Miami. Then they fired Dorsey -- for whom JA pushed hard to get the OC job -- and the offense looks transformed. Given the injuries and the schedule, it may be too little, too late. But I'm not throwing the baby out with the bath water.

Well, I went to that debacle of a game in Newark on Sat. night and am not going to spend probably 3x more to go to MSG tonight. I'll probably watch the game, but it's not a certainty. I'm starting to feel like I felt in about year 14 of the Bills' playoff drought -- like until they make some fundamental changes, they aren't going to be a real NHL team, and it's just not worth the time or the missed opportunities to do other, more enjoyable things. The key difference, and the reason that I'm not already out the door, is that the Bills weren't trying, but I think the Sabres still are. That Bills game last night sure didn't help.

I do not want them to fire McD, but this is well said and could very well be true. I remember thinking last night during the game, when they showed McD on the sidelines in the 2nd half, that he didn't look loose and confident -- just the opposite. We'll see. The good news is that JA was terrific, and the offense looked great, for most of the game, so it doesn't appear that the post-Dorsey improvement was a one-game mirage.

...remember that the Bills have a chance to give us a classic Buffalo sports debacle weekend tomorrow!

Levi in. At least he might look good.

Sheesh. I really picked a good one. this is another nail in the “DG isn’t the right guy” coffin IMHO.

The first 5-6 min were pretty even but since then the Sabres have gotten overrun.

Rosen was on for both NJ goals.

Well, this sure is a rip-roaring start.

Flew back from visiting family into Newark, and decided to make a stop!

Tough, experienced middle 6 forwards with good 2-way games who may be available from teams about to rebuild: Blake Coleman, Flames -- turns 32 next week, 3 more years after this one at $4.9MM per year, 5'11, 207 lbs, won 2 cups with Tampa, 65 career playoff games (in which he has averaged 16:31 per game in TOI). 38 pts in 82 games last year. Brock Nelson, Islanders -- 6'3", 212 lbs, age 32, 1 more year after this one at $6MM per year, 36-39-75 in 82 games last year. Plays about 18 min per game every year. 73 career playoff games -- 46 pts, just under 18 min average TOI. Barclay Goodrow, Rangers (not rebuilding but might want to make a move to free up cap space, as Goodrow has fallen down the lineup) -- turns 31 in February, 6'3", 215 lbs, 3 more years after this one at $3.6MM per year, 81 playoff games with average TOI of 15:26, including 2 cup runs with Tampa in which he played 18 min and 17 min. I'd be pleased if the Sabres acquired any of these guys at the right price. I'd expect Goodrow would be pretty inexpensive, Coleman would cost more and Nelson would cost the most.

Good man. Happy Thanksgiving all!

Very disappointing loss tonight after a much better effort than in the W vs Chicago last game. They played tough and determined and got some timely offense, including an unforgettable 1st NHL goal by Benson. But they didn't get the defensive play they needed to close it out in regulation (I think it was Zemgus who failed to tie up his man on the GTG) or the goaltending they needed in OT. Let's hope they don't quit and Granato can get them back at it. If so they will win enough to stay in it.

Traveling for Thanksgiving and going to watch the game tonight with my son and my brother, so that will be nice. Otherwise, I'm kinda having a hard time getting psyched to watch the Sabres these days. If they can rip off a few wins and not look like a bunch of outmatched, unfocused, dispassionate losers my enthusiasm will probably return.

Both of you guys need to knock it TF off or spend some time in the penalty box.

That effort by the Sabres tonight produces a loss most nights against most NHL teams — and the Sabres really needed a W, and they were playing a bottom-3 team that played yesterday and traveled last night. I’m glad they won, but they are miles away from being a playoff-caliber team right now.

It was absolutely the correct move to kick on 4th and 7.

The O definitely looks better. Need to start punching it in though and Diggs needs to step up. The Jets' D is ferocious.

Let the record reflect that the shark was jumped on November 19 of the 23-24 season.

My wife and I saw "Killers of the Flower Moon" tonight. I thought it was really good and one of Scorcese's best IMHO. (My wife thought it dragged on.)

Awesome.

He's a purist and reasonably enough, regards DeLuca .500 as a lazy man's shortcut for his intellectually superior 12-pts-in-10-games approach. However, what Taro fails to appreciate is the simplicity and ease of use of DeLuca .500, which doesn't require you to know what the Sabres' record is in the current 10-game block as well as in all prior 10-game blocks. And his adoption of the simple-minded, dishonest, marketing-driven NHL .500 as a personal backlash against the far superior DeLuca .500 is spiteful, irrational and borderline unforgivable.

Et tu, Taro? This one hurts.

3 games under .500 in November isn't insurmountable, but what is insurmountable is lack of consistent intensity and focus. If they aren't over .500 by New Year's I am going to want a new coach.