nfreeman

It just seems like Kulich, Savoie or Rosen would really have to play in training camp like he's been shot out of a cannon in order to make the NHL squad next fall. I think it's more likely that Savoie returns to juniors and that Kulich and Rosen are back in Rochester fighting it out, perhaps with Rousek, for the top callup slot.

Whoa. That was awesome.

Serious question: I know Anderson is as old as the hills, and everyone thinks the plan next year is UPL and Comrie in Buffalo, Levi in Rochester and Portillo signing elsewhere and getting booed whenever he comes here with his new team -- but what if Anderson keeps delivering gems like the other night vs Dallas, which was a no-BS elite NHL goaltending performance, and he wants to come back for another year? There's a very real possibility that both of those contingencies will prove out -- i.e. that Anderson will play about once per week for the rest of this season and will play very well in those outings, and that he loves playing in the NHL and, since he can still bring it, will want to do so again next year. Would KA say no thanks? What if UPL loves Anderson as a mentor and source of calm and advice and begs KA to bring him back? And what if Comrie stinks for the rest of this season? It seems unlikely, but maybe?

I've been pondering some of these items myself. Regarding Jost, I am pretty confident that they will re-sign him. He's played pretty well, Mitts and VO have risen from the dead with him centering them, he seems to have the off-ice qualities they value, KA and DG speak highly of him, he won't be expensive, as he was a waiver claim this year and will probably end the season with about 25ish points, and there isn't a young player in the system who is ready to take his spot. I think they are pretty comfortable with Jost and Krebs as the #3 and #4 centers for the next couple of years while Kulich, Savoie, Östlund, etc. develop. I'm pretty comfortable with that situation as well. KO IMHO looks out of gas, especially the last few games, although I thought that for about 4 seasons until he looked great last year. I kinda think he'll retire, although I wouldn't be surprised if he sticks around for 1 more season. Zemgus still looks pretty good to me and I'd expect him to return next year.

3 games over Deluca .500 with 47 games in and 35 to go. Their next 3 games are challenging: at Winnipeg, at Minny and home vs Carolina, then the ASG. If they can go 2-1, they'll have 27 wins and hit the break at 4 over Deluca .500 with 32 games left. At that point, if they can win 20 out of their last 32, they'll end up with 47 wins plus probably 5-6 loser points (they have 3 right now) for a total of...99-100 points! They can do it.

Nuh-uh. I agree with the rest of this, but that is a lousy Blues team.

I noticed this as well. Joki played a very calm, smooth, effective and in control game. He and Power are playing very well together. Well, I’d say that during the stretches where the Sabres are getting worked in the D-zone, which occur pretty regularly, it’s a team effort.

this is a great song, but what does it have to do with this thread? That was a great play by Cozens. Skillful but simple – he won a battle for the puck, played it neatly off the boards and converted the long range ENG. I think Comrie will play Thursday night vs Winnipeg. I think playing him against his old team is a classic old-school coaching move that Donny meatballs will engage in. Also, Anderson just started yesterday, and they only want him to go once per week. Also, UPL has been playing a lot.

Well, I'd say that all of us humans, even Sabrespace moderators, are not fully formed and have room for improvement. In all seriousness: McD wants to win more than we do. I am pretty confident that McD will take a long, dispassionate look at himself and his staff in the offseason and will be able to make whatever tough decisions he deems necessary. From the fans' perspective, since we need to be cold and clinical in evaluating whether a coaching change is needed, I think the question is: do the expected benefits outweigh the costs? i.e. would the Bills actually be better off, and advance further in the playoffs if, say, they traded a first-round pick to NO for the rights to Sean Payton? Or would the inevitable transition hiccups, the loss of the first-rounder, the unsettling effect on the roster, the increased scrutiny and pressure, etc. bring about worse results, as we are now seeing with the Florida Panthers, who won the President's trophy last season, flamed out in the playoffs and then decided to play fantasy GM and traded their leading scorer and 2nd-best defenseman and replaced their coach, and are now greatly diminished?

Well, maybe I should let you answer your own question: What I'll add is this: McD joined the biggest laughingstock franchise in the NFL. They weren't just lousy on the field, with a league-record streak of missing the playoffs -- they were an embarrassment off the field, to the point where well-regarded assistant coaches around the NFL would issue press releases stating that they weren't interested in taking the HC job with the Bills. Then they brought in McD. Now, they make the playoffs every year and usually advance, stars from around the league want to come here, alumni of their organization get hired to run other teams, half of their games are on national TV, their players get plenty of league-wide recognition and they are generally viewed as a model, professional franchise. They lost yesterday to the defending AFC champs, after winning a playoff game the week before and after a season in which, among other things, their franchise QB injured his throwing elbow, they lost their best defensive player and their top safety, who is an important team leader, for the season to injury, their best run-stuffer missed the game with an injury, their best DT was impaired with a shoulder injury, one of their guys more or less was dead on the ground in front of them in a game 20 days previously before being defibrillated back to life, their TE's kid brother collapsed and died on the football field just before the season, their city was hit by a deadly blizzard that killed 40 people and caused them to lose a home game and they had to break in a rookie OC. That is an enormous number of physical and psychological obstacles to overcome. But they lost 3 games by a total of 8 points, advanced in the playoffs and then got taken apart by a very good team that has now won 10 in a row and is firing on all cylinders. The idea of moving on from McD is insanity, IMHO. My thoughts on McD are immediately above. I won't repeat them here, but I will say that if you think we are in coach purgatory, you must not remember the Mularkey/Jauron/Gailey/Rex/other losers era very well. We disagree about Knox. I think he's a very good TE. The D line was indeed manhandled yesterday. But as noted above its best player, who is also the team's best defensive player, was missing, as was their best run-stuffer, and Oliver, their 2nd-best DL, was impaired by injury as well. You are also right that Tre White's return to form is uncertain. I think he's the kind of guy who will make it back, and that assuming he won't based on substandard performance after joining the team 10 weeks into the season, after a major knee injury and missing all of training camp and the first 10 weeks of the season, is a faulty assumption, but YMMV. I think Hyde is at least as good as Poyer and that it's at least 50/50 that Hyde and White will return in full form next season. We'll see.

This will be an interesting offseason. The Bills are facing a number of important decisions and have a number of important on-field positions that clearly need upgrades: - Poyer - Edmunds - Both coordinators - WR2 - O-line The good news is that they are well equipped at the most important positions -- QB, WR1 and HC -- as well as TE, D-line, CB, 1 S and 1 LB. This isn't a rebuild. They just need to take a hard look at themselves and upgrade what wasn't working. Doing so will likely mean letting go of Poyer and Edmunds, as both will be too expensive to retain, even though they are good players.

Complete butt-whipping.

That shot a minute ago with the twilight blue sky and the lights was awesome. Best thing about the game so far.

Edmunds is a good player, but it would be insane to pay him $20MM per year. He is getting completely worked in this game.

This isn't a coaching issue. The Bills lost their best defensive player, without whom they have a mediocre pass rush, and they are playing a great QB, at the top of his game, who always gets rid of it quickly anyway, and who has a number of elite targets to throw to. Meanwhile, Josh is playing with an injury that has (IMHO) affected his accuracy and is otherwise playing with one arm tied behind his back due to a crappy O-line, with an LT whose guy is in the backfield, on Josh's blind side, on seemingly every play. He also has a rookie offensive coordinator and a set of targets that are several notches below Cinci's. Cinci is also in a great groove, having won 9 in a row..

Again: Dion Dawkins stinks.

They needed that.

Dion Dawkins stinks.

At least the stadium looks nice in those wide shots coming back from commercials in between Cincy TDs.

JFC.

Holy mackerel I am tense for this game.

I'd say TT uses his size as an integral part of his game in protecting the puck while making plays and in waging puck battles along the boards, both of which he is very good at, but not in playing a hitting, physical game, which is I think what you are alluding to.

So, they are 1 over Deluca .500 and about to start a 4-game roadie: Dallas STL Winnipeg Minnesota 0-4 or 1-3 and the Sabres have a big problem. 2-2 isn't a disaster but it is a missed opportunity 3-1 gets them very close to a playoff spot 4-0 and a bunch of us are going to make some ridiculous predictions. BTW, the Sabres have been much better on the road this season than at home. And they are getting decent-to-good goaltending now. And I think Comrie is going to start bringing it too.

Well, sure. Probably more accurate to say his ceiling is a poor man's Toews.

If he finishes with above 75 pts his AAV is going to start with an 8.