rickshaw

Sabres have a 1.1% chance of making the playoffs. Time to keep on losing.

It's over folks. We can't finish last but we're only 5 out of 28th!!!! Time to sell. Hate to say bye to Kane but his value will never be higher that right now. Get any D you can. Get a coach who will let his best player play more than he has. Can you imagine if Connor McDavid wasn't ridden by their coach, especially when he's really on? Progress has been made but puck possession is key in this league and this team doesn't have enough of it. Get anything you can for Gorges, Ennis, Foligno, to name a few. Gionta has been very good. Goodnight

Penalties have different time limits depending on the infraction. For example. A trip is 2 min but a boarding call is 3 to 4 depending on the severity. A hook is 2 min but a punch in the head roughing call is 3 min. A interference call is 2 min but a 2 handed slash is anywhere from 3 - 5 mins depending on location and severity. It's still beyond me how a hook is the same time limit as a boarding call or charge. And all penalties served until time limit is up.

As many of you know I live in Kelowna and there are many NHL players who live here in the summer. I go to a gym where the likes of Shea Weber, Josh Gorges, Curtis Lazar to name a few, train. I speak frequently with the owner of the gym and we've had some good conversations about the Sabres. I have heard from many that JG is not happy there, mainly cuz he loved Montreal and cuz he HATES losing. We talked about guys like Ennis and Foligno just the other day. I mentioned I thought the team had really poor defence outside of the stud 55 and that I thought the coach didn't coach the way the team is set up. He told me that guys like Ennis and Foligno have to go. That Foligno thinks he is a top 6 guy and when he doesn't hit guys and get to the net, he's not effective. And that the way the team is set up that Dan Byslma HAS to coach them this way. They don't have any defense. So a lot of this does sit on the GM. But I believe the coach is a big issue too. How can JE not get more ice than RR in a game against Arizona? He seems to not manage his bench well. The stud 55 is overused and is now wearing down. The GM needs to make some moves and sell the likes of TE and MF as well as any other dead weight player that can bring back picks of some sort. I doubt we will get help in the back end. I ramble but this team is done. I just hope that Jack doesn't say F it and leave as soon as he can. He is the future and they should be building around whatever he wants!

Matt Duchene in Avs land would sure look good in a Sabres uniform. Not sure who goes the other way though. Would Sakic take Kane? Doubt it.

Time for a new coach.

I admit I don't get to watch of games out here on the West Coast but I do see lots of hi (low) lights. And it's very clear from my perch that Lehner is not a capable starter in the NHL. Backup, yes, but go to guy, no. Not by a long shot. Yes he's tough and has a fire in his belly but that doesn't stop shyte goals like Martin's goal against Toronto. That is the goal that breaks a team's back. The one that deflates them. The team also has too much dead weight. Too many slow, breaking down defencemen. I'd prefer the group get or use their best young D and let them get the experience. The team has 5 goals by defence this year. FIVE! 4 I believe are by #55 who is gonna be a beauty. The bottom 3 defence are old, slow and/or breaking down and that's not good. In Vancouver they have two young guys learning on the fly and they are not liabilities. Sure they make mistakes but they are dynamic players who are learning and will benefit from it. It's time for Buffalo to say goodbye to JG, who is a very nice guy but he isn't happy there and I know that from speaking with him. He didn't outright say it but his body language did and that's enough. Go with the younger kids and see what happens. Offensively, I believe the team should open it up more and go for goals, as opposed to trying not to get scored on. They have offensive talent and it's time to let them go a bit more. Maybe it's time for a top coach not one who inherited Sid, Malkin and Co. I know I'm rambling but something still isn't right there. But I'd start by looking for a true starter in net, or until then go with Nillson (although I didn't like the game winner)

I'm not sure if it's been said before or not, but isn't it time Nilsson became the team's number one goalie? He seems to put up wins and seems to have better numbers than Lehner, no? I could be wrong but it's time to go with the guy playing best imo.

Vancouver will take Kane if the Sabres can get the right offer. Vancouver needs a scorer and will try and hope that the local kid will blossom here. The Sabres are getting offers but not to their liking. If the Canucks offer up one of their defeneman that can play it could happen. Tanev, not a chance. Edler, nope. Gudbranson may be a player Buffalo would take. Lucas Sbisa is another. But dream on if you think Tanev gets moved. There isn't a chance that happens. He's their best d man and he ain't going anywhere. As for a forward I doubt Vancouver gives up on Virtanen just yet. So not sure which skater would make them happy. But I do believe Vancouver and Buffalo make a deal for Kane. Just when and who is the question. They move the coach out before Virtanen. Vancouver wants Kane to play with him.

sadly i never go to see Bon live. I got in at Back in Black. After that, I worked my way backwards and fell in love with the Bon stuff. I saw them for the first time on my 18th birthday in 1983. Years later I can say I've seen them with my wife and two kids (3 shows - first two my kids were 7 and 9 and had a blast, last one a year ago) and finally in Vegas this past Feb to most likely close it out. Never been disappointed. Again, going with Axl singing would be really hard for me, so I'm so glad the wife and I went to Vegas which was a great, great night!

Please tell me some of you are taking in the show tonight? It's obviously not the best AC/DC lineup but it is the last time you'll get to see the great Angus Young perform. For Those About to Rock............. FIRE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here's a snippet of a conversation I had with CL a few weeks back. I'm 145 lbs soaking wet and doing an exercise with 20 pounds and he walks up and says "Baby steps" I laughed and said "I"m such a weasel" and he smiles and says "we all start somewhere" Here's this 21 year old kid telling the 50 year old baby steps. Hilarious. Meanwhile a few feet away is Shea Weber doing this with god knows how much weight. It really is humbling.

I hurt my back recently so I've been rehabbing at a place where lots of NHL players do their off season training. Shea Weber, Jordan Tootoo, Josh Gorges, Vern Fiddler and the super nice Curtis Lazar to name a few. These guys are unbelievable. The things they put these guys through is unreal and really impressive to see. I've with Lazar at my work and he's super nice. I also spoke to Gorges and told him I was probably the only Sabres fan in town. I asked him how it was in Buffalo. He basically said the first year sucked. Losing sucks. But expressed optimism for "clearing out the cancers" and that they've got a good young group. This was before Kane acted up again. Anyway, I'm working on getting better but sadly, I won't be pushing Weber around anytime soon. These guys are beasts but he's the big beast of the lot. Watching NHL guys literally asking for a garbage can in case they puke, show you how hard they work.

Stamkos would be nice for sure, but they've got to be able to keep the young guys going forward and his huge contract may make that very difficult to do down the road. But Reinhart to Stamkos sure would look good on the stat sheet every other night.

Disappointing Kane overslept but it happens. It's too bad though because he's under the microscope for sure. He has been playing very well lately and is the type of player every team wants, when he's on. He's one of a very few who can do it all and it's slowly coming around and then this. Hopefully he keeps the roll going. It's hard for anyone to say what he wants though. Maybe he hates it there too and wants to go the big city of LA or NY but maybe he's super happy in Buffalo too. Hopefully he matures each and every day and becomes the player he can be and does it in Buffalo where good things are just around the corner.

Bingo! I've been saying this for about a month and finally the team "listened to me."

Canucks have asked Chris Higgins to stay home and are exploring trade options. He has 2 g, 1 a in 25 games this year. The Canucks' record with him in the lineup is abysmal. The team made the announcement in hopes they can move him. Classy guy, but they are trying to get younger and they did the absolute right thing. Go all in on youth or you stay mediocre.

Does anyone here really think the NHL will suspend DB for his headshot on Sam? They aren't big fans of the Sabres as we all know. I doubt anything happens.

I believe the trade was a good one for both teams but in the long run, the Sabres will be happier imo. Myers unfortunately didn't have any season of good after his rookie year. That was a shame. Stafford? His time in Buffalo was up and he needed to go. I would be concerned on how Lemieux turns out if I were the Sabres, but that would mean looking back and to me, that's not helpful at all. I think Bogo will be the consistent guy needed back there to bang and crash and be a rock back there on the D. Kane? The guy is brimming with talent and I believe it will translate on the ice, but it seems he doesn't have any help from the hockey gods. He's gonna' have to work hard and not give up and accept the stats he has. If he continues working hard, and doesn't go to jail, I think it'll come. Maybe not this year, but that's ok. This team is still not ready and I'm fine with effort and no results, right now. Hopefully it'll click for him and if it does, the trade is won by Buffalo imo. Glad he had a good game today and made the right play not trying to score through Myers on the empty net. Nice to see him set up Reinhart for the hat trick.

if anyone here wins, can you pass me $300,000 so we can get out of our mortgage and other small debts? I don't want to be greedy. It would be appreciated!

Happy New Year all. Been awhile since I've been here, but thought I'd offer some thoughts. First off, I don't get to see many games here on the West Coast, but from the games I have seen, the team is far more entertaining than the previous 2 seasons. Their effort is definitely there but the fact is they are still a young squad, looking to gain experience and get better. They seem to be getting more shots but when the scoring dries up, they are in tough. To me, at least, they are working harder, creating more chances, and overall a more entertaining team. It looks like they they still lack the timely goal and timely save, but that will come. They are playing 2 backup goalies. The league is so tight. To me, they are a far better team than before. I'd take the Sabres over Canucks as far as where their teams are in the rebuild. The Canucks two best players are still the Sedins. That is very troublesome. I am surprised they are only 3 points ahead of last year's pace, but that's fine. They are on the right track and the pieces are there. Another high pick will not hurt them. As long as they keep growing as a team, the future is very bright and it won't take long. I ramble, yes, but bottom line for me is, the team is coming. This isn't a group that has no future to look fwd to. This is a group that is almost right there, and when it all comes together, it's gonna be fun!

I have never met Mr Kane, but I have seen enough said about him online, and seen the ridiculous limo pictures, etc and it while he is an amazing talent on the ice, I have always thought he wasn't a very good role model or mature man for that matter. He's looked like he thinks very highly of himself and that he's above most people. This, again, is my perception from seeing him on TV and listening to him speak. He seemed to be growing up a little over the years but now he's in this situation and it's not a good one for him or the young lady. Kane seems to me like he's got a wild side to him, I'm assuming while under the influence. He made a terrible decision with the cab incident and it seems to me liquor probably isn't his friend. Now, I meet many young hockey players at my work and I can tell you that some of these young men that I've met just do NOT come off like Kane does. Tyler Myers wouldn't take a photo at my liquor store if there was any product showing the background. That says a lot to me. Curtis Lazar is one of the most polite young men I've ever spoken to. I could go on, but I can honestly say that these young guys are very careful. I have spoken to them both about the "outside world" and I have used Patrick Kane as an example of how not to behave. They are super careful when out and about because of all the camera phones out there. They just "get it" I am not saying Kane did or didn't rape this girl, but it's not surprising to me to hear that he is under suspicion for this act, and that makes me sad as a Dad and a hockey fan. I hope it's not true and just a misunderstanding but yikes, the kid is in trouble. Just my thoughts.

I can't believe people are going to pick on Eichel's scrimmage game? Who cares? So he struggled, who cares? Reinhart has been here and done that and so of course he was more prepared and also he's a great player too who has pride and wants to impress his team and Eichel as well. Eichel will be just fine. The future is looking good with these two kids in the fold.

I know there are a lot of younger people on this board, but it really is sad that rock and roll is taking a beating in today's messed up world of music. And obviously everyone knows my favourite band but this is what it's all about. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/live-music-reviews/11715951/ACDC-Wembley-Stadium-review-forever-rocking-forever-Young.html

Mike Green would be a good player on some teams, but don't see him as the guy to lead the way for our youth. I just think it's silly to go for 35 year old guys. I'm ok with 29, 30, 31 tops but the minutes and the position can really erode you. Not everyone is Chris Chelios and play until they're 103.