LTS

I might get lost writing this response but here goes. The first thing you should do is not associate a player with a position so much as understand what the position means relative to the play on the ice. What I mean is that while a player may line up at center on the face-off they may also NOT always have the center responsibilities during the shift and their responsibilities may change based on the situation of the game. I will explain this later. The center, generally speaking, is a defensive zone position that indicates the player who acts as the 3rd defender. Wingers are generally tasked with covering the top 50-60% of the defensive zone (basically, cover the point men and close off the cross zone pass). The centers primary responsibility is to roam around the defensive zone acting as the second body to the primary defender. If the puck is in the LD zone, the C backs the left D, looking to cause a turnover. Same is true with RD, RW, LW. From a defensive zone responsibility aspect, the center is your most important person because if they cannot keep up with the play, cannot read the play, there will be openings all over the place. In the offensive zone it works a lot like Taro said (especially these days). It USED to be you wanted your C carrying the puck, dishing it off, all that crap. However, the pace of play indicates that you switch to a F1/F2/F3 scenario (without the puck). The F1 (first player in) creates the pressure. F2 will move in accordance to the forechecking scheme (1-2-2, 2-1-2, etc.). F3 follows suit. When the offense controls the puck in the offensive zone then it really becomes a game of cycle, find the open spot, and move the puck. Generally speaking you will see the players stay within a certain area, however a puck carrier has to move to avoid the defense and the other players adjust as well so it can end up a free for all with each player eventually seeking to return to their general defensive position. This either happens while retaining puck control or almost immediately after the puck is turned over and the play changes direction. Players will communicate and adjust as they back check and eventually get into their defensive positions. The one overriding piece of this is when a coach sets a certain directive for a player. In that case the remaining players adjust their responsibilities and so what you normally see a C or a winger do might deviate from the norm. It is not uncommon for Housley to have Eichel move up to the winger spot and cycle with a winger in the hopes that his best player gets the puck and can carry it up ice. Earlier in the year there when Fasching was called up he was tasked with being in front of the net in the offensive zone. What you'll notice is that even during plays where it would see he SHOULD go get the puck, he would not because his job was to cause problems in front of the net. The remaining players, knowing this, will adjust their play to go get the puck. In theory this works because the defending team risks leaving a man open in front of their net. So, if they assign someone to Fasching it becomes a 4 on 4 in the rest of the zone. Love that you ask the questions... some of us really love to talk about the game of hockey. :)

There's a tradeshow out in Vegas at this moment but I'm in a new role and so I don't go to those anymore. I am more than slightly depressed about that. Lots of good playoff stuff last night. It's playoff hockey and it's expected. To spectulate that the Sabres would not play at a different level in the playoffs is silly however. Each of these teams plays harder than it does in the regular season and every team before them has. It's the playoffs and every team starts to look a little faster, hit a little harder, and get away with perhaps just a bit more.

I think people hear certain words and immediately look to see if it can apply to a player they want gone rather than think it could apply to a different player. Perhaps if I am bored I will go through and list each player that each of his key phrases could apply to and then we can all guess what it means. I mean.. let's be real. He could use the phrase veteran with playoff experience needs to lead more and be talking about Nolan.

I think the easy way to put it is this. Kodi is a framework for applications to operate. The applications may not transmit content that they are not licensing properly and therefore are illegal. Kodi has a lot of great functionality in its own right, but its "extensions" are where things get ugly.. and fast.

Lots of people hack Roku or sidechain apps into Firestick. Then they go out and load Kodi and get one of the illegal streaming applications from there. All I can say is, beware of what you do. They are illegal, despite some of them claiming otherwise. 500 channels for $20/month isn't real. Basically someone out there is "livecasting" a channel and then this app is picking that up. It could go off the air at any time. The other thing to be cautious about is that when you load these "apps" you are inviting them into your private network. There has been more than one of these kinds of apps (same with loading non-play store apps, etc. on smartphones) that will get rights to operate and then begin monitoring lots of other data on your devices/network or worse. Remember, all of these applications are conduits to your private network. If you run your Roku and your PC on the same network there are possibilities (not saying probabilities) that the app can allow people into your network that could in return gain access or at least probe around other devices connected to your network. I'm not sure I trust Amazon, NBC, or any other legal entity either, but I trust them more than the illegal entities out there. I would steer clear of relying on ANY smart TV application platform. TV manufacturers are interested in pushing screens and one way they will do that is to slow or outright stop development and support of the platforms on the TV. You are far better relying on a cheaper device connected to your TV that will at least receive a longer string of updates. That's interesting. I use MSG>Go all the time and I haven't noticed any problems. I've done it on iPad, Android Phone, my PC (using Chrome). I wasn't aware of others having issues (not that I was looking either).

I feel like the reality of Kane is that he's not a fit everywhere. He wasn't a fit with the Jets. He was more of a fit with Buffalo and he might have the right situation in San Jose. At the same time it doesn't change the kind of player he is and his skill set wasn't going to be a long term fit with Buffalo, certainly not at the money he might command.

Your best bet is to go with Amazon Prime and add HBO and Showtime channels. The AMC will be tough as you will either need a cable subscription or to pay for another service like YouTubeTV, Hulu, etc. that offers it. I had Sling for a few months and it worked well. I only had it as an augment during the Olympics to what I get with Spectrum. Here's the thing. You can hate their equipment but you don't have to use it. Use an Amazon Firestick and then just open the app of each of the cable services you want and watch from there. I watch NBC, FXNow, etc. all by signing into my Spectrum account. (The Spectrum app is not on Amazon Firestick). You can also choose other "boxes" such as Roku, Xbox, etc. Of course the apps for the same service may run differently on different platforms. The Sling app on Xbox sucked but on Amazon was really good. With my basic package on Spectrum I get MSG so I can also use MSG>Go and stream Sabres games. You get NBCSN so you get those channels to through the NBC Sports App.

Hallelujah.. the most sane response so far. The team will start next season with a hope and determination of winning and unlike this season will not have guys on 1 year deals littering the lineup and a new coach trying to change the way everyone WAS playing hockey. No one wants to put it all on the line for a team that can't get anywhere. The only players who are going to care are the one's who need a new contract next year. Everyone else knows they are locked in for the long haul or they might get traded and in which case, getting traded from the 31st team in the league can't be a bad thing right?

I think it's important to note that finishing last does not mean you are the worst team in the league. It means you performed the worst for the season on aggregate but given that we have to account for time and changes to the team and its players over that time it also means that the team could have improved but not enough to overcome the hole it started in. In addition, this season was not about winning. It was about getting the full organization better suited to meet the development structure that the GM wanted. He could have filled roster spots with the players in Rochester but that wasn't the plan. I would expect less of those UFA castoffs to be on the roster next year. In addition, I would expect that some of the existing players who fall into that category will also be moved. There are likely to be surprise moves as well. Because the people IN the business know far more than the people NOT IN the business. And yes... if SabreSpace was the GM of this team it would finish dead last every year.. because claiming you can run a team as well as an NHL GM is not much different than saying you could coach it or you could play on it. The bottom line is that it takes a skill set and an understanding the vast majority of us don't have. I mean, if you could be an NHL GM wouldn't you WANT to be? I would. So... yea.. I am glad SS is not the GM of this team.

I guess only Sabres fans can call out people on the team for quitting. Chad Johnson is 100% correct. He might not be the best goaltender but he can certainly speak for the crap defense he received at times. He might let in a bad goal here or there but how many times did you post about the defense not clearing the net, not picking up a man, etc. Save percentage is an interesting stat. If it were broken down into saves a goalie realistically could have made and those he should have made it might be better. Because when a defender leaves the far side of the net open it's not really the goaltenders fault because more often than not those end up as goals. He may not be the best but we knew we had a crap defense and he's basically confirming it.

Why? Because that's not how it works these days. There's no other way to explain it. The season very well could have been worse. If they continued their pattern of winning and play that they showed in October - November the season would have been that much worse. A lot of players can bust their ass all day long but that won't make them good hockey players. Fair enough, but the concept is that you could go Iron Mike on players at one point and it doesn't work like that today. Funny, they actually started playing better and winning more then. So, for all the checking out they did it's amazing what happened. Season Opener to 12/25/17 - 9-20-0-7 record, 30th in the league to Arizona. Dead last in GF 3rd worst in GA (trailing Arizona and Islanders) 12/25/17 - end of season 16-25-0-5, 29th best record in the league (Rangers and Canadiens were worse) 25th in GF 5th worst in GA Interestingly enough, the Coyotes went from worst in GA to 6th best in the same span) They might have checked out, but they started winning more.

Why are you big on Quennville? Shouldn't a coach as great as he is have gotten his much more talented Blackhawks into the playoffs? I'm serious about this. I think he's a great coach but I wouldn't go dropping my current coach for him. A coach is a piece of the equation and unless the new coach is a better piece of the equation than the current coach I wouldn't replace him. I don't see how anyone can evaluate where Housley fits as part of the equation yet. This team was not formed to win this year. The youth was kept in Rochester, on purpose. They filled the roster with guys who are looking for UFA contracts every year. That's not a recipe for success and NO coach was going to win with this team. Some coaches might have won more games, but it wouldn't have resulted in a playoff run. Nolan blows as a coach. I can't even believe there's a discussion on it. In the entirety of the International Hockey community the only people who believe Nolan can coach hockey are a few disillusioned Sabre Fans and Poland. How's that worked out for them? They needed a fluke play to get into the playoffs and then laid a massive egg. They've sucked for longer than the Sabres. You might want to find a better example than a franchise that save for the Cleveland Browns has defined the word useless for the league in which it plays.

He could have said that, but it wasn't really true. They aren't loaded with a bunch of aging veterans but they aren't as young as they seem either. The youngest in the lineup was Eichel at 21. Reinhart is 22. Both of them are in the 3rd year. I think ROR is honest with himself that at times he lost passion for the game. I mean, early on this year the team was horrendous.. at some point you aren't looking forward to coming in and getting knocked around. He's blamed them before. Stop trying to get the square peg in the round hole. It doesn't work that way. This isn't the 70's. I am sure Housley could have come in, Day 1, and knocked the crap out of the players. I'm guessing there's a north of 75% chance they would immediately stopped playing for him and this season would have been even worse.

I disagree 100% with your premise. Even if he was able to fire Housley and everyone else with no financial repercussions there's no way he's doing that. Why? Because an organization that undergoes continual change and uncertainty of leadership is an organization that NO ONE wants to involved with.

Welcome to the most useless day of the year. Every player has a general script to read from to deliver a message that will placate the masses and not really tell anyone anything. If every player says that "we" accepted losing (in any of 16 different phrasings) then I suppose the entire team has to go. I also don't buy it. I buy that there are some problems that continue in the locker room that made it a trying atmosphere but that story only gets the media into their faces more and that's not what any of them want. So tell the generic "We accepted losing" story because that story dies fast and doesn't get people rankled. This is no different than working at a company where there are a few problems on your team. You don't go telling everyone outside your team about it because the other groups view your team as a whole and not as individuals. You have to deal with it internally. Bob's as really nice guy and talented but he's in the wrong position and being asked to do what he cannot do. Bob's lack of ability is a frustration to him and his teammates. It creates a negative opinion of the team to those outside the team as well. However, if you go out and say, "Well, Bob is the problem." you aren't helping because Bob really isn't the problem so much as Bob PLUS position is the problem. You can't say "We have people on the team who aren't qualified." because that makes people ask even more questions. You can't say "We have people who don't want to be here." because that raises more questions. The best thing to say is, "Our team is struggling and we've got to be better." Because that's what everyone already sees and accepts. Captain Obvious is popular for a reason. Meh... unless someone breaks from the script I am not buying into anything they say. I'll buy into what they do.

Haven't run into him yet.. I'm on PC as InstantSpuds2 (because on the Xbox I am InstantSpuds and Epic can't merge Xbox and PC profiles... :doh: )

I'll miss the last game of the season with family movie night. It's the way it goes. We'll all get to watch some playoff hockey though. And the World Championships and before you know it we will be huddled around our TVs waiting to see Buffalo's draft lottery slot. Enjoy the game and I hope the kids score some goals.

I'm just going to put this here... because it's all I've got right now. :cry: I. I... can't say anything else..

I was watching the game while I played FortNite all night. I was super excited to see Mittlestadt and Nylander get their first goals. I'm a sucker for that, for any team. You work your butt off to get to the NHL and you finally get that goal.... man, that's something to cheer, for any kid who makes it happen. But of course, the Sabres kids are even more special. So yeah... hell yeah for those two. They lost, to Tampa. They put up the goals but they aren't THAT good yet. We know what it will take and we have to have faith that it's coming. There will be changes but right now I don't know how Botterill isn't all over trying to sign Nelson. I think he's a key factor in how fast things turn around. Enjoy it people.. even in the loss. Peace.

https://twitter.com/AnaheimDucks/status/982027935954563072 After 34 @NHL seasons (2,848 NHL games), including the last 11 with the #NHLDucks, equipment manager Doug “Sluggo” Shearer will retire after the season. This week at practice, the players presented a gift to Sluggo with an unforgettable moment @HondaCenter. Nice touch. You think they give Rip a jersey with Pi written out to a thousand places when he retires?

You just ruined my entire day. I will be pondering this incessantly. Sorry, forgot to supply the abbreviated version. **** ain't great but it's no reason to hate. Also, be thankful we are not Edmonton fans.

I'm starting this... because I can. I'm here, now, because it's not about anything other than our hometown hockey team playing a hockey game. I'm doing this because no one else wants to do it. You can hate where this team is right now. You can turn in your fan card. You can bitch and moan about the glory years (whenever they were). You can place blame at anyone's door step. You can do all of that and it doesn't change things. YOU. You, are a Buffalo Sabres fan. You're going to get through this, again. You aren't going to like it. You don't have to like it. No one, really, likes it. You have people around you who want to look at it differently than you do. You'll want to hate them for how they look at it. You're going to be so angry with this team that you'll resort to attacking those who feel different about the situation. You won't do it because you hate them, you'll do it because you can't hate the Sabres. You'll do it because you can't post on this forum and know it will be read by someone in the organization. You'll wish so hard that they care, but the reality is that they don't. They don't care about a handful of people who want to hate on them for the situation they are in at this moment. You'll hate them even more for that. You'll try and blame the lady behind the register who didn't smile enough at you for the way the season has gone. You'll want to punch an usher in the face for asking you if you need assistance. You might hold back, you might only resort to saying, "No, the TEAM needs help, why not do something there! Mr. Rogers!" You'll lash out at anyone... they won't deserve it.. but they'll understand. They will understand because they are you, too. The bottom line is that we are Sabres fans. We'll show up, whether we want to or not. We'll hope for the best, while expecting the worst. We'll sit through the excruciating pain and in the end we'll swear a little more, we'll hate some more, and we'll continue on. We'll get through this though. Even if you can't see it, I can. I'm telling you that, YOU. WILL. GET. THROUGH. THIS! It won't be easy, but it will happen. Life has too much negativity in it to add more negativity to an already negative season. If you were counting there, and I know some of you were, that was 3 negatives thus re-instating the negativity. However, the negativity is really aimed at the negativity of others and in that case it's only two negativities and I am trying to make it a positive for you. Life has too much of it. It's everywhere. We are attacking each other over even dumber things than who plays wing on Jack Eichel's line. Think about that. We are engaging in hatred toward our fellow human beings over things MORE inconsequential than if Nathan Beaulieu is playing. We can control this. It's a matter of perspective. Three years ago we were lamenting that the Sabres did not win the lottery. Edmonton, those lucky SOBs, won the lottery. They got their savior (saviour?). Where are they now? They are a franchise who, despite all the breaks when it comes to draft position, still suck. Bad. You feel bad about Okposo, they have Lucic. They wish they had Lehner in net. They suck. The Senators are a franchise in more disarray than Wal-mart shelves on Black Friday. I could go on, but the point is not to find who is worse off. The point is to realize things can always be worse. This team, is our team. If it wasn't we wouldn't be here. If it's not your team, or you feel like you need to walk away, leave your card at the door. This team plays the Lightning tonight. It doesn't matter even the slightest iota on where the Sabres finish in the standings. They will be dead last. They will be the first team to finish 31st in the league. You'll hold onto that like a Linus loves his blanket. In two years, finishing 31st will only be 2nd worst in the league and you won't have to worry about it because your team is in the playoffs. Things have to start looking up at some point. Why not make tonight the night they look up? It's not about the result of this game. It's about knowing that somewhere, beyond the horizon, where you can't yet see, there are unicorns, rainbows, and kittens. It's about knowing that the storm cloud above your head was only there because you put it there. You'll realize it was never that bad. It might not have been that good... but it was never that bad. And with that... Let's Go Buffalo!

Here we go now. Peace.

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He’s damn stinking pussywillow?