LTS

Yep. They'll still be rookies next year. That says a lot to me. RIght now, other than a few moments of getting caught in their own zone the Sabres D does not bug me anywhere near what it did earlier in the year. I think some of it is from a change in style but more of it is the willingness to quickly transition the puck up to a forward. Earlier in the year the D would wait for the forechecker to get on them and then try and flip it by with little success. There was a comment by NBCSN when Pysyk flew up into a play to create an odd man chance. He's quick when he needs to be and it stood out there. I've seen it a few times from him.

I think putting McNabb in the AHL this year was less a question of his ability and more a question of going into camp with 9 D on the active roster. Granted McNabb struggled at the outset of the season but he steadily improved until his injury. The other aspects to take into account regarding player development is that there is a new person developing these players. All of the D have shown improvement since the change at coach. Right now I like Ruhwedel and Pysyk.

It's intriguing. I wouldn't be surprised if Enroth plays the majority of games the rest of the way. Perhaps Miller has had enough of the locker room? I've sometimes wondered if players just don't WANT to do a little bit extra for him. I like Enroth, always have. Even when he was slumping I didn't think it was horrible.

I told my son that if Scott scored the world would end immediately as the draw on the electric grid would be too great from systems around the world attempting to calculate the impossible. Good period.. and the refs have missed a lot this game.

I'll be watching.. because it's hockey.

It's a number... I liked what I saw from a kid who had had no practice and just jumped from NCAA. He certainly seemed very fluid on his skates. As for Pysyk, every time I watch I'm impressed how he simply just moves the puck to the forwards as though it's no effort at all. His ability to turn the puck up ice is really impressive. Also, if Ruhwedel turns out to be a find does that say something about the Sabres hockey operations? To have an eye on the kid all season and then steal him from other teams who also wanted to sign him? Granted, the Sabres are in a good position to give a kid immediate playing time.

This is great. Let's see how out of place the guy looks.. if you are going down hard you might as well go all the way!

I'm not sure I'd call it a cheap marketing stunt but it's certainly calculated. The NHL could have supported this movement at any time up until now. The fact they are doing it is great. It takes true pioneers to stand in the face of overwhelming public opinion to make a change where ignorance has dominated. I welcome the openly gay athletes just so we can get it through our system and move on. Being gay, being black, being white, being female.. whatever. It really depends on the intent of the joke. If you really believe all gay men are effeminate then you are an idiot. I've been out with a gay guy before who commented on an effeminate heterosexual male. Told him to stop being a bitch and toughen up. I wouldn't mess with that guy, he'd certainly kick my butt. Personally I've no problem with jokes. I'm confident in who I am and am realistic about my appearance, attitudes, etc. So, I've been called all kinds of things before and it doesn't bother me in the least. The biggest problem anyone can have is to give credence to the ignorant person who believes that you are deficient just because of a certain trait. I mean, facts are still facts, and a 450lb person is not going to have a 48" vertical. I realize that in some cases there is physical harm that can come along with having certain traits and that is very real. However, the physical harm piece isn't going to happen here and I'm pretty sure if someone on this board made a comment that threatened a person physically they'd be torn down by the community and booted from the board. I would hope anyway. I know I'd block them.

Of course it doesn't but ignorant people don't know that. Sports isn't devoid of politics nor human/civil rights. Perhaps in the US it's a bit less understated but there are plenty of articles from across the pond where racism still occurs. Point is, an intelligent person knows that the entire point is irrelevant and struggles to understand why any of it matters but the world is plagued by ignorance and so this kind of stuff is needed. He;;, it's only a few years back where black players and those of Inuit heritage faced ignorant remarks from their own. It seems that politically the "gay/lesbian" thing has finally achieved enough traction in the public that organizations, politicians, etc. now feel it's okay to support it. In a way it makes me sad because it signifies not so much an understanding as it does a calculated decision. The right decision should be made always, even in the face of overwhelming pressure, but most don't have that kind of courage. Still, in the end, the march towards the right decision does continue, even if people are doing it for political/marketing reasons more than enlightenment.

I have a lot of the players who are near the top of the league in scoring. I'm not concerned what position they play. Although I guess that tells us where our money would be better spent. Really.. over half of them?

Vanek is an enigma. If you could pick one of the following players or Vanek, would you choose Vanek? Seguin, Kovalchuk, Parise, Stamkos, Crosby, Malkin, E. Staal, Ovechkin, Giroux, Nash, Alfredsson, Kopitar, Sedins, Datsyuk, Zetterberg, J. Thornton, Getzlaf, Perry, Selanne, B. Richards, Landeskog, Duchesne, Benn, Kane, Toews, Hall, Tavares? There might be 1 or 2 in there but I'm not sure how many more. He's a solid player, when he's productive. He does disappear for games and it's usually around an injury that he tried to play through. I've always been torn on Vanek. I still think they should have let him go for 4 1st rounders. I've never felt that he could carry this team and I think that's the problem I have. He's a little bit of every kind of superstar but none of it in one area. He plays in front of the net like Andreychuk and Ciccarelli did, but he doesn't dominate it like he could. He's an "open area" shooter like Hull but he's never had a guy that could reliably feed him pucks. He's creative like Crosby but he doesn't consistently breakdown defenses. He's a lot of everything and not a lot of one thing.

I like turtles. I saw him try and hit someone... I mean really try!

Why not? It's not like coaches and GM's haven't been fired the same season they sign a contract extension. Why not? If he was being consulted and making moves with approval you let him negotiate the deal. He's shown he's capable of doing it and he has no reason to do a crappy job. If he's going to be let go then he wants every other owner out there to know that he gets good return on his trades and that he makes moves in the interests of the team, not himself. With the Sabres shedding payroll it's not exactly inconceivable for the Sabres to absorb $1.5-$2m of that contract for next season just to get some talent in return. Remember, whomever trades for Vanek is getting 1 season out of him unless he signs an extension. Same with Miller. As for whether Darcy is here or not? I think he's gone. If you listen to his comments on trading Pominville you hear him correct himself mid-sentence when talking about the option to shoot for the 8th place spot or just miss versus build for the Stanley Cup. The quote is being played over and over again on WGR.. sorry I don't have it handy. His words change to what sounds very much like approved Sabres speak.

That's funny.. I know Kathleen. Sounds about right for her..

Definitely not being a jerk. :) I tend to agree that it's unlikely although talent is hard to judge especially as you get through the top players. I'd be more in the camp that Regehr pretty much identified where he would go and the Sabres could only do so much.

Myers tried to stop the pass. He did what he was supposed to do. Kaleta on the other hand should have nullified Iginla's stick better. He made a half-hearted effort, perhaps because he never thought the pass would get through? The Sabres did a few different things tonight. For the most part the D stood up at the line and many times had active sticks to break up the rush into their zone. They also moved the puck with a lot greater accuracy and urgency to get out of the zone. I think the forwards were back more often than not on the back check as well. This team played its best game. PIT may have been without Crosby (and also Letang and Martin) but Buffalo was missing Vanek and Leino. I'd still say on most nights PIT will be beat the Sabres given their lineup but tonight they did enough to slow the Pens down. It was a great win. Regardless of what comes tomorrow they know they'll always have Pittsburgh. :)

There is a serious upbeat pace to their play. I think part of it is that Pittsburgh plays a less in your face forecheck than many other teams. Right now it's working in Buffalo's favor. I would expect more 2 men in on the forecheck for Pittsburgh. Hopefully Buffalo can keep the clean play going. RR said it. The team looks like they are all on the same page tonight. One more period.. anything is possible but if they keep this style of play they give themselves a good chance.

I predict that even though he's not playing Crosby's name will be mentioned more than all the Sabres names combined.

I understand your point of view. Do you understand mine? I'm not asking to be a jerk. The premise of my statement hinged, significantly, on the statement that there was no additional value in the 2nd round of 2013. The Sabres had their two picks and were content with what they have. Other teams have their picks and are not necessarily looking to add another one or let's say multiple teams are looking to give them away but no one wants them. Either way, you are left with a pick that has no value because no one wants it. So, getting a 2013 pick means you are stuck drafting a player that no one thought was valuable enough to alter their position and/or trade for. Therefore, you are taking a significant risk that you basically blew a pick. If there is no value in that particular 2013 2nd round pick then it's worthless to have. Value, not only to the Sabres, but to anyone in the league. And yes.. this is what we do when there's not much else to talk about. It's a good conversation with no name calling happening. Not yet anyway... :)

I really should work a beer trade with some people on this board.

Oh sure, in theory. But that's only if you could get value with the pick. In my scenario there was no value for the pick and thus no reason to want it in the first place. Sure there's the chance the player chosen with that pick would show value.. in less than a year? Perhaps not.. but perhaps.

Actually it is more complicated. Draft picks are only valuable if they ca be used to draft an asset for be traded for an asset. Having more does not always mean you are in a better position since the draft picks don't carry over from year to year. So, the Sabres already have draft picks in 2013. Having more doesn't necessarily put them in a better position because there's only so much value to be obtained in that draft. If the general consensus is that you have too many 2nd round picks then its wise to move that pick to another point in time. So, let's say I have 2 dollars already. You want to give me a third dollar but it has to be used this year. Every product costs $1. There are only two items that are worth $1 and no one is interested in the rest of the items. So you have to spend it on something. Basically you waste that dollar. There are reasons why having more picks in 2013 is not necessarily better. I understand why people think they need more picks now but a 2013 pick can't be flipped at next years trade deadline, but a 2015 pick can. NOw, after all of that... Good luck Mr. Regehr. You are a class act and deserve another shot. Unfortunately you are on a team with Mike Richards now and that makes me have to root against you.

There was as report on the daily TSN.ca that Pittsburgh is looking for a 4th line center. They listed some names but if the Pens had scouts at this weekend's sabres games I could imagine them having interest in Hecht who can fill that role and serve in other capacities as well. if the Sabres can flip Hecht for ANYTHING it would be a good deal.

He was cross-checked in the hip region in the last game. Could be that it's causing a problem? Now onto the game.. These refs are playing themselves out of a job. That was the most horseshit call I've ever seen.. embellishment on getting hit from behind. What a joke. If I was RR I would take a stick and whack the ref in the face when he skated by.. okay, no I wouldn't.. but i would want to. Total BS. For them to then go ahead and call Seguin only made it even more obvious they have no idea what a hockey game looks like. Hecht with Ott and Pominville says.. look, he can play and be useful, what can you give us for him?

Ask your Euro friend how he explains Brew Dog. :)