thewookie1

Girgensons in goals after the 1st game......... :rolleyes:

A lost, but at least it was far more entertaining than last year. 49 more o these types of losses to go!

I still can't see them making the playoffs, to few spots and they seem to be a middle contender. Atlantic Boston,Montreal,Tampa Bay Metro NYR, Pittsburgh, Spot A Wild Card Detroit (We may as well assume it at this point) Spot B Spot A would have Washington, NYI, Columbus, Philly, and NJD fighting for it Spot B would have A + Toronto, Florida?, Ottawa? I just can't see them fitting in in that scenario

Probably the best Sabres game played in over a year, regardless of it being a preseason game. I love the fact Girgensons looks like a vet out there in how he's playing, not running through walls like last preseason but keeping himself healthy. Yet he never takes shifts off, he just isn't playing hellion mode yet. Grigo looks better than Hodgson on defense now, maybe its just his size though. Regardless Grigo looks like a whole different player in both interviews and on-ice.

Mentally Reinhart seems capable, but think his body will betray his NHL chances for this year though. I'd still give him 9 games though, he needs NHL competition to adjust better, then send him down with a nice list of goals with the carrot dangling to return after the deadline if he massacres the Junior leagues and grows a tad. Contract be damned in that case if you get the idea. I wish he could play in the AHL though..... 1st line was spotty in performance, Stafford seems driven though. Moulson and Ennis had iffy games but did show flashes of skill. Hodgson looked oddly greedy; what changed over the summer? He used to be almost too giving before. Stewart looked very good, tapered off in the 2nd, seem to awaken in the 3rd again though. Everyone else just looked their part, Risto wasn't great but wasn't bad, Zadorov needs AHL time it would seem.

Here's my takes on the game: It was a tad unfair in the disparity between the rosters but Buffalo certainly fought valiantly. Benoit- he might be the best depth defenseman we've had in years. Looked smooth with his skating and in the last 3 minutes looked exceptional in the offensive end. Risto- Looks like a vet most of the time, made a smart play when racing Ward to the loose puck, pinched at good times, made few mistakes, and made some very nice behind the net plays Grigs- certainly looks better then he had in the past, skates far harder and was actually using his body to protect the puck, very good signs of maturity in his case and was a faceoff master Zadorov- didn't wow in the first two periods, didn't screw up a ton either though, 3rd period he looked more like the Zadorov we are used to, hitting and skating around in the offensive zone to help with the cycle Reinhart- didn't wow me, however that being said, he certainly didn't look lost out there by any means, mentally I think he's NHL caliber already but I still worry about his frame, wasn't jumpy with passes either Others: Lieuwen looked very good out there, overall there wasn't any bad play persay and AHL/Junior Sabres only lost 1-0 to NHL/a few prospects Capitals, Holtby played goalie in 2nd and 3rd

I can't see Bobby Ryan signing here unless we got Johansen, Johansen would cost a great deal but if he were a reasonable cost I may be tempted. However I'd hold my NYI and Sabres 1st rounders regardless

Gionta = C Stafford and Gorges = As Girgs is 1st Substitute in the event of injury then Myers then Moulson

Based on that I see around 200 goals Stewart and Stafford are in contract years with 30 goal potential, thus 20 Hodgson and Ennis have both averaged about 20 a year Moulson will be on all power plays and I think he'll hit 25 Girgs steps up a bit more, I see about 40 points this year for him Reinhart is a shot in the dark to be honest, and it made the math cleaner 4th line combined should get around 15 to 20 goals (includes other subs) Myers has a good season, so about 9. Risto and Meszaros get 5 a piece, I think Risto will start looking like a true #1 D-man as the year progresses Without Leino I had a 1 goal minimum

6-1 Final Buffalo outshot Carolina by about 15 but gave up 6 goals with 2 or 3 being on the PP. Reinhart got nailed from behind but returned. Lemieux defended him afterwards.

4-1 now

Gah, 3-1 for the Hurricanes Late 2nd period atm

I'd be open to joining either league if there's room.

I've been hearing that supposedly we'll be hosting an Erie Otters game.

I love GMTM's response to the cold water.

Very sad day, I hope he can RIP.

Ennis has been 1st line center since last year; is he one.... not really, but he's our best center presently. Foligno was a center off and on the last two years Hodgson's lack of defensive ability makes him less pain inducing if he's your winger. He seemed to improve at the end of the year when he was a winger too. I feel Ellis will end up in Rochester, and now that you reminded me of Delauriers, Larsson would likely be as well. Ennis is, at the moment our best center thus would be #1 center. Girgs may be a more all around player, he's still only in his 2nd year.

Girgs is somewhere between a 2nd and 3rd line center varying on how good his offensive talents become, and Hodgson will likely play wing a lot this year so I'd take a guess that either Reinhart will play "2nd line" center while Girgs would have "3rd line" duties yet have more ice time. Either that or Brian Flynn and Larsson may split the job or maybe even Foligno. With Reinhart Moulson-Ennis-Stafford Hodgson-Girgs-Stewart Foligno-Reinhart-Gionta Kaleta-McCormick-Flynn Larsson/Mitchell Without Reinhart Moulson-Ennis-Stafford Hodgson-Girgs-Stewart Larsson-Foligno-Gionta Kaleta-McCormick-Flynn Mitchell

It would very as to where the NYI are in the standings and to a lesser extent ST.L along with who's helping us make it to the playoffs. If Girgs, Risto and friends are at least a good part of the reasoning behind a playoff push then certainly. If its merely Stafford, Stewart, Gionta, and Moulson having career years I'd rather not. If NYI was near the bottom however, I wouldn't care about Buffalo's position. So to sum it up, if the rookies and youngsters are the primary or at least a large part of the reasoning Buffalo is going to pull of a worst to 7/8th in a year then logic would dictate the NYI are very likely not also in thus still giving us a lottery pick. As long as we don't middle it and have the NYI going to the playoffs I can live with it.

Sounds fair :)

I highly doubt Grigs will get more points than Girgs this year.

I'd wait until opening night to decide, I don't think I'm doing to bad either.

Children not with parents will be deported, if they refuse deportation. I refuse to let them stay in our country and use our benefits for nothing. They owe us for the taxpayer money theyve sucked out of the system. As for learning English, that would be a requirement along with knowledge of U.S. history and renouncing of their former citizenship. If they wish to be Americans, then they will need to "become" Americans.