qwksndmonster

Wasn't AVP the OC for the Bills durent the Trent Edwards Era?

Sexy, sexy Julien.

Welcome! Good first post.

You're right that Lehner still might be the guy. My read is that he's average, and will never grow into being the guy.

Reinhart is bottom 6 might be the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Reinhart, Eichel, and O'Reilly are going to be the best group of centers in the league soon, even though O'Reilly will be playing wing.

Yep. :(

Eichel has fresh legs? Uhhhh, no.

O'Reilly, Kulikov, and Kane trades were not all obvious things. I like all three trades, and they all make us better. Byslma has no clue how to utilize Kulikov, and is just now figuring out that Kane should be running the third line. The swing and a miss at Lehner is also way overblown on here. We had to get a potential number 1 goaltender, and GMTM thought he had his guy. I'll take those swings over Darcyism any time.

Not enough.

Mine as well. I would've liked him to push for a defenseman in the offseason, but I can understand that this is not the year to go all out, and if the prices weren't good, it's not worth forcing. I also would've liked him to get more NHL forward depth, so Des and Grant never sniffed the Sabres' roster. I don't have an excuse for that, other than maybe GMTM thought Bailey, Baptiste, and Fasching were more ready than they are? Either way, we don't have enough depth yet. His real crime, though: hiring Bylsma. I hated the hire when it was made, but I gave Bylsma a chance. He talked a big game about his personal research and growth in his time away from the NHL. Despite being a smart guy, Byslma can't get away from his dinosaur instincts. He was a fringe NHLer in his day, and his reverence for defensive, grinding hockey is causing him to be left in the dust by possession hockey. I think he also lacks basic understanding of player matchups/chemistry. There are so many examples of this over the last season and a half. Gorges/Risto, Kane not getting his own line to be as effective as he can be, Girgensons being delegated to the 4th line in favor of Moulson, despite Girgensons being 50 times the 5 on 5 player that Moulson is. My theory is that having Crosby and Malkin for so long ruined Bylsma. He doesn't have the creativity or trust in this young roster to make something special happen. Back to Murray: Bylsma should have been fired after the two Boston games. Why not ring in the new year with a new coach? Set this team's development in the right direction NOW to make the chances as small as possible that next year is another lost season. I'm losing fath in Murray, but I have even less faith that the Pegulas can find a good GM to take over for him. One last thing: Bylsma should not be regarded as a top tier coach just because of his cup and record with the Pens. Good coaches don't sit on the shelf for an entire season after they're fired. The dinosaur attitudes about a "proven coach" exist among ownerships all across the NHL and NFL, keeping many old losers employed far longer than they ought to be. I think that's the main reason Bylsma was hired here. I think GMTM did a good job bringing us out of the tank as far as the roster is concerned. This team should be firmly in a playoff spot right now, or at least ACTUALLY on the bubble. Bylsma, though, is preventing GMTM's good work from being able to shine. Maybe he really is just a great scout and a lousy GM. I hope he can learn.

I want this so much. But I also want Bylma fired so much.

I think the Pens should have been a Chicago level dynasty during the Bylsma years. Those teams underperformed with the talent they had.

This game has the potential to be very heartbreaking. Effin' babdick.

Maintain the bubble! We're living in a hockey wonderland!!

Oops. Didn't know we had a game today. Super psyched for Ennis! I love that guy.

I feel like some people might think like that, but the vast majority of number crunchers are like True or Flagg. And frankly, maybe a revolution is exactly what hockey needs.

I don't understand calling statistical analysis soulless or boring. I track zone entries on a piece of paper when I watch the Sabres. It's how people who love hockey are trying to understand it better. I go down to the same level on movies or tv shows as well. How are the shots cut together and what sort of style do the combination of cuts make? There's a technical side to everthing beautiful and human.

:D

Hearthstone is better

Our forwards are good. Flat out good. Too bad they're completely wasted.

Welp. At least the Sabres did better than the Jackals. Final score 2-8

Jackals only down 7-2 going into the third.

Jackals down 7-0 halfway through the game.

Tomorrow the surfaces should be good by me. Maybe even the day after. But then we're in for a couple of weeks, if the weather report is to be believed.