Stormin Norman

Who remembers Joe Crozier challenging the width of Ken Dryden's pads? First and likely only time I have ever seen it happen. If you remember it, what was the remedy?

This was briefly touched on in another recent post on another topic based on my search... What shall the arena now be called? Key Bank Center? No. KBC? No. How about: The Key Hole The Key-ster That may be as creative as I can get! Any other ideas?

Ultraman Prince Planet Jarts Tenor Joe Byron and Organist Norm Woolen Please confine smoking to the cooridors

Attended the game yesterday with a lifelong friend and fan. Talk about a magical turnaround. The Sabres barely surpassed 20 shots in a nearly unwatchable affair. Building was nearly dead...and for good reason. Then, Eichel. It was if someone had fired up a huge generator and brought the building to life. Felt (almost) like a playoff OT goal. I am not a youngster, but I was giddy like one, I will admit, after the beautiful goal.

Just the warm up I needed to see our boys at home on Monday against the Caps. My son-in-law and I will ready for F'N Arena to be a wild place!

Proud of all you who remember Ultrman! Anyone remember standing under the gold seats where the players came out and thinking, "They're giants!"?

Yes, and congratulations. Very few people know who this super hero is!

Great topic. I couldn't agree more... that the visuals AND sounds of hockey are the enticements for me. Examples: - Being at a game live and hearing the puck smack against the stick blade on a tape to tape pass - TV broadcasts where the sounds of the boards are accented (body checks, pucks hitting them) - Rising anticipation when Eichel gets the puck with open ice in front of him (that Gilbert feeling) - The emotion of a big goal or big hit - The adrenaline flowing (regardless of which teams are playing) inside when watching two teams playing wide open hockey for long stretches (a feeling I wish I could experience more) And the list could be much longer....

Yeah, I hated that, too.

As we approach a historic moment in Sabres history tonight, I wonder at what point you endorsed a total rebuild (if you ever did)? I am not talking about tanking...more the idea that the complete character, leadership, and talent make-up of the team had to be reconstructed if we were to reach our goal of winning a CUP. Here is mine. This was before Darcy told us we had to suffer. When Lucic went virtually untouched for the rest of the game, I wanted a total clean out including Darcy and Lindy. As we sit here today, I have gotten what I asked for and I am totally on board with it.

Perfectly stated. My sense is that Nolan knew the drill once Patty left the organization. The Sabres were faced with a complete meltdown of the fan base if both LaFontaine and Nolan departed (how dysfunctional could one franchise possibly look, after all). An arranged marriage, indeed, as Ted gets a nice two-year kiss-off and the Sabres were able to placate the fans. Win-Win for both (sorry couldn't help it). It's actually quite remarkable how the Sabres have pulled this all off when you think about it.

Shameful you would refer to such an ugly rumor here. That's all it has ever been. Do some homework and show us how this has been substantiated in any way. You can dislike a coach, fine. But your credibility just went in the tank.

I say a hearty THANK YOU to Ted Nolan. He took over a team being stripped down and replaced by AHLers and young kids and handled it very professionally. He saw goaltenders shipped off when it was evident they were making the Sabres tough to beat. While I was 150% on board with the strip-down, Tank, and Re-build, I will never hold it personally against him that he had the team playing together and playing to win. Tough spot for any coach to be in...one with any self-dignity, anyway. How odd that he became entangled again in the Sabres dysfunction (first with the Muckler/Darcy situation then with the LaLa debacle). Best wishes, Ted. I wish you more success under better circumstances.

A creed I shall live by. Thanks for saying what's in my heart. I love the Sabres, want them to win desperately, and tonight marks the end of the dismantling (which I wanted all along). Let's win tomorrow and then it's win ALWAYS!

I have never understood this question, and it's been in several threads. How fast should it have taken for Nolan to instill a new culture into this team after Rolston was fired...while the team was still being gutted and replaced by a glorified AHL roster? The Sabres seemed to get better since the trade deadline. Perhaps everyone knew they didn't have to walk on egg shells any more and they could focus on hockey?

I will be cheering tomorrow perhaps louder than I have at any time since the last time we were in the playoffs. Mission Accomplished. Thinking this to myself right now: "Thank You, Sabres! Thank You, Sabres!"

It really is. The average .870 goalie is suddenly a .950 guy as soon as he puts the blue and gold on. Be nice if we were on a playoff run, but holy moly... STOOOPPPPPP IT NOW!!! Do it against Pittsburgh after we clinch 30th, PLEASE! Got it.... "good" can mean different things. My definition of GOOD: We clinch 30th tonight or tomorrow.

Can you define "good" for me? (Are you using a Clintonian version of the word?) Except for the scoreboard, we were essentially dominated. Every conceivable positive statistic except the score was tipped heavily in Carolina's favor. And that's because Cam Ward was atrocious. Period. Goaltending was the difference. If Ward wasn't such a sieve early on, this would have been one of the more ugly losses we've seen all year. Kudos to Lindback. What a stellar night. Prefer to see that next year rather than now. But he was remarkable, without question.

I have tickets to the Penguins game to end the season ... going with my son-in-law. I want to cheer the team like hell knowing that 30th place had been locked up before the weekend. I considered a "Thank You Sabres" chant, but I'd have to berate myself for doing so. That would truly make me a dirt bag. How many of you remember the significance of the "Thank You Sabres" chant?

I have supported a complete tear-down and rebuild since the Lucic hit on Miller. I got what I asked for, but the process has an end and for me it is the end of this season. Whether we get one of the top two picks or not, it's about effort and, more importantly, WINS. There is no guarantee of a Cup in all this. But I long for the passion and camaraderie that comes with rooting for an exciting, playoff-caliber Sabres team. Can't wait until we're all lock-step with each other again cheering for the blue and gold as we enjoy their upward trajectory. We love our team...regardless of how this all turns out.

We could be watching Arizona. Talk about tanking. Their players are not fighting for future jobs? They don't have young guys wanting to impress? You discount Nolan, I don't. Simply differences of opinion.

Truly, all psychobabble. This team is taking on a character different than we saw at the end of Ruff's tenure and light years different than under Rolston. The players remaining had nothing...NOTHING...to do with the dismantling of this team. Yet, this essentially AHL squad is competing. You can question the early season motivation (or lack thereof), yet the whole world knew what was going on in Buffalo. Kudos to the remaining players for not looking like Arizona in recent weeks. I, for one, love it! Selfishly, I want the team to play well and lose. Not my typical mindset, admittedly, but I respect the effort I am seeing and the lack of quit. You can choose to assign their motivation as an F-you to the fans. I choose to credit Nolan and his staff.

I am going to need this type of scorecard going forward because I will get sick to my stomach if I do it myself (fearing the worst case scenarios will come true). Thanks for posting. I love the personality our team has taken on but not surprised with the team under Nolan. We have had some real strong third periods of late. Here's a vote for 30th and Nolan having a shot to continue building the culture he has started. Who can't love a team with no quit?

I think I may have let out some kind of guttural noise at the winning goal like you would if a chicken wing bone got stuck in your throat. But then quickly regained composure. Hope my Grinch-like grin all the way to the car didn't give anything away.

You should change your name to 4putt. This "theory" doesn't dignify a three-putt. You have failed to mention which players were to have been benched In favor of those not playing. Truth is, Buffalo has been an island of misfit toys for two years. No doubt there are some who think there are 30 coaches just waiting to be hired who would have done it better.