Randall Flagg

They wouldn't have reversed it, but I would have thrown the challenge flag there.

I like tht throw there, because if you catch it or get a flag, great, and if it's picked, it's basically a punt as bodork has been shanking them all day

He was really shaky early, but not one single player on any part of the offense has done a thing to help him. Three horrible drops in four plays, and the Knox one earlier

Other teams have WRs capable of making that catch

This defense is impressive as hell. Whatever happens today, I'm hopeful that we can get to wild card weekend and then compete to the final whistle.

His three picks were all on deep passes that missed as egregiously as the ones today did. There were two bad deep misses today, and the other was route miscommunication somehow between him and brown. Brown cut in and Allen kept throwing the streak on the first one

He was worse against NE. No coincidence that it's 2 of about 3 defenses in the league that can send 7 ever play and still cover everyone else. Allen isn't capapble of handling this and making teams pay for it like Rodgers/watson/Wilson. If he is going to be able to someday, this game will have been a critical step in the process. Meanwhile, I'm learning that the Bills will be a tough out in the playoffs, if they get in. And I'm not nearly as scared of KC/HOU's defense as I am of those of the two teams with bye weeks this year.

Point to an example of Vancouver working harder rather than just playing better. They took like 5 more penalties than us, of the "not moving your feet and rather using your hands/stick" variety, which is about the only way I could imagine comparing that. This team skates hard. They just suck at hockey. It really is that simple.

I'd say that Milano and Edmunds being really ***** fast, along with our ability to run off tackle, is about the only thing we have going for us today. Certainly not the uniforms ?

The Baltimore Ravens have played the other three 10-2 teams this year. They've beaten them all, by a combined 45 points. There's no shame in losing this one, they'd still just need one win in the last three games. However, if they were to somehow pull it out, they control their destiny to a 1 seed, which is pretty cool to be able to say on December 8th. Edit: They'd need another NE loss in there too. They've only lost to 1, too. by 6 points in a game with a blocked punt TD, in which we outgained them by more than 100 yards and outscored their offense with our offense despite 4 turnovers. The NFL isn't about "good" teams vs bad ones - it's about individual matchups, which is why Atlanta can beat New Orleans, why Philly can travel to Green Bay and win but lose to Miami. Each game is its own trip in the jungle that has no bearing on any other game either team has been involved with that year

I really like the special teams idea. I'm of the belief that if this is our roster and we can't change it, lineup decisions at this point are rearranging deck chairs on the titanic, if that's what the phrase is, because I don't like our roster one bit, and we don't have anyone ready to come help us internally.

Our boy is growing up right before our eyes I forgot about that face until you mentioned it but it was reeeeally funny. I hope somebody grabs a GIF or picture of it

Most guys don't know they're high-sticking their opponent either, and yet it's still a penalty. You can't trip the guy who's the primary guy in a position to stop the guy with the puck in 3v3 OT, accidentally or not Nope. If the season ended today for some reason, they would adjust to use points percentage and rank the teams like that. We're 11th in the east in points percentage, and would not be in any playoff spot, our position there now is purely because we've played as many as 3 or 4 more games than teams like Tampa

Wouldn't hate a Galchenyuk move depending on the player leaving for him.

A point on the fading dynasty - as long as Bill Belichick remains, the division is going to remain almost impossible to take.

Game: 1 Sabres PP: 1/2 Opponent PP: 1/5 SHGs: 0 Best special teams: BUF Net game special teams advantage: none Game: 2 Sabres PP: 3/4 Opponent PP: 0/2 SHGs: 0 Best special teams: BUF Net game special teams advantage: BUF, +3, won game by 5 Game: 3 Sabres PP: 2/4 Opponent PP: 2/3 SHGs: 0 Best special teams: CBJ Net game special teams advantage: none Game: 4 Sabres PP: 2/5 Opponent PP: 1/3 SHGs: 1, Montreal Best special teams: wash Net game special teams advantage: none Game: 5 Sabres PP: 0/2 Opponent PP: 0/4 SHGs: 0 Best special teams: FLA (more kills) Net game special teams advantage: none Game: 6 Sabres PP: 1/2 Opponent PP: 0/2 SHGs: 0 Best special teams: BUF Net game special teams advantage: BUF +1, won game by 4 Game: 7 Sabres PP: 1/7 Opponent PP: 1/4 SHGs: 0 Best special teams: ANA Net game special teams advantage: none Game: 8 Sabres PP: 1/3 Opponent PP: 0/3 SHGs: 0 Best special teams: BUF Net game special teams advantage: BUF +1, won game by 3 Game: 9 Sabres PP: 0/4 Opponent PP: 2/4 SHGs: 0 Best special teams: SJS Net game special teams advantage: SJS +2, BUF won game by 1 Game: 10 Sabres PP: 1/4 Opponent PP: 0/2 SHGs: 0 Best special teams: BUF Net game special teams advantage: BUF +1, won game by 1 Game: 11 Sabres PP: 0/3 Opponent PP: 0/4 SHGs: 0 Best special teams: BUF Net game special teams advantage: none Game: 12 Sabres PP: 1/3 Opponent PP: 0/3 SHGs: 0 Best special teams: BUF Net game special teams advantage: BUf +1, won by 2 Game: 13 Sabres PP: 1/2 Opponent PP: 1/2 SHGs: 0 Best special teams: wash Net game special teams advantage: none Game: 14 Sabres PP: 0/2 Opponent PP: 0/1 SHGs: 0 Best special teams: WSH Net game special teams advantage: none Game: 15 Sabres PP: 0/3 Opponent PP: 0/1 SHGs: 0 Best special teams: NYI Net game special teams advantage: none, though getting a PP goal could have gotten a point Game: 16 Sabres PP: 0/2 Opponent PP: 1/4 SHGs: 0 Best special teams: TBL Net game special teams advantage: +1 TBL, TBL won by 1 Game: 17 Sabres PP: 0/2 Opponent PP: 2/3 SHGs: 0 Best special teams: TBL Net game special teams advantage: +2 TBL, TBL won by 2 Game: 18 Sabres PP: 0/3 Opponent PP: 2/3 SHGs: 0 Best special teams: CAR Net game special teams advantage: +2 CAR, CAR won by 1 in OT Game: 19 Sabres PP: 0/2 Opponent PP: 1/3 SHGs: 0 Best special teams: OTT Net game special teams advantage: +1 OTT, OTT lost by 2 Game: 20 Sabres PP: 0/4 Opponent PP: 1/5 SHGs: 0 Best special teams: CHI Net game special teams advantage: +1 CHI, CHI won by 3 Game: 21 Sabres PP: 0/3 Opponent PP: 1/7 SHGs: 0 Best special teams: MIN Net game special teams advantage: +1 MIN, MIN won by 3 Game: 22 Sabres PP: 1/4 Opponent PP: 2/2 SHGs: 0 Best special teams: BOS Net game special teams advantage: +1 BOS, BOS won by 1 Game: 23 Sabres PP: 0/2 Opponent PP: 1/4 SHGs: 0 Best special teams: FLA Net game special teams advantage: +1 FLA, FLA lost by 3 Game: 24 Sabres PP: 0/4 Opponent PP: 1/4 SHGs: 2 for TBL Best special teams: TBL Net game special teams advantage: +3 TBL, TBL won by 3 Game: 25 Sabres PP: 0/2 Opponent PP: 0/2 SHGs: BUF with 1 Best special teams: BUF Net game special teams advantage: +1 BUF, BUF lost by 1 Game: 26 Sabres PP: 0/2 Opponent PP: 0/4 SHGs: 0 Best special teams: BUF Net game special teams advantage: none Game: 27 Sabres PP: 0/2 Opponent PP: 1/1 SHGs: 0 Best special teams: TOR Net game special teams advantage: +1 TOR, TOR won by 1 Game: 28 Sabres PP: 1/2 Opponent PP: 1/4 SHGs: 0 Best special teams: BUF Net game special teams advantage: none Game: 29 Sabres PP: 1/8 Opponent PP: 1/2 SHGs: 1 for CGY Best special teams: CGY Net game special teams advantage: CGY +1, CGY won by 1 Game: 30 Sabres PP: 1/4 Opponent PP: 1/2 SHGs: 1 for VAN Best special teams: VAN Net game special teams advantage: VAN +1, VAN won by 1 RESULTS Total games BUF had better special teams performances: 10/30 Total games OPPONENT had better special teams performances: 18/30 Special teams wash: 2/30 Number of games won by BUF due to special teams advantage, ie, wins where their net special teams goal differential was equal to or greater than the total they won the game by: 1 Number of games lost by BUF due to special teams advantage (same requirement): 8 In games decided by special teams, the Sabres are 1 - 4 - 4, for 6 out of 18 points. In my rough estimation then, they've already sacrificed 3 standings points by being incapable of having league average net special teams. This is simplistic, as you can't simply swap out the extra goals in specific games to get results you want, ie a league average ST unit could still lose more games than they win due to special teams, but for the purposes of this exercise, I'm satisfied with looking at it this way. this would lead to roughly 8 points missing at the end of the year because we couldn't ice an average special teams group. If we were capable of above average ST play, that point total increases. Further, it's almost stunning how the first third of this season so far was uniformly positive in our favor, and the last two thirds have been disastrous. It correlates incredibly well with the standings and so people who place a lot of blame on special teams are justified. It is going to kill the season if we don't fix it.

Frustrating that we're now scoring goals, and yet not stacking wins

We did score anyway, too. But i don't like losing advantages like a double icing 2 minute shift when there's a minute left and we're down a goal, on principle

Horvat got knocked in the head, and they took their sweet time sending him off to concussion protocol. Right thing to do, as he was wobbly, but I don't know why it took 2 minutes

Hutton has won zero of his last nine games

I've been doing a lot of drive-by posting recently and I feel guilty for it but it's because in between posting I'm getting ready to move back hoooooooome yayyyyyyyyyyyyy

damn, that's a nice picture. where is that taken?

This game and others like it are why I don't think this team has a hockey character issue, ie, trouble dealing with hockey-related adversity. When ROR and Kane were still here and part of the core, the number of third period comebacks was pretty high, successful and unsuccessful. Think in Nashville in 16-17, in Boston earlier that season, down 4-1 vs. San Jose later on, a few times versus Detroit and NYI, Ottawa and Rangers comebacks, @ Carolina, NYR in 2015-16, in Vegas in 17-18, in Boston later that season, same thing @ New jersey, again at Nashville later on in the season. Then last year, the late tying/winning heroics three times against Montreal, the WPG/MIN comebacks, the Pittsburgh comeback (twice), the Carolina OTL down 2 goals late, home against Vancouver, road against Calgary, home against LA, @ columbus the second time. This year with the San Jose games, and recently in Toronto. These were all multi goal and/or third period deficits erased, most of them wins, with this core. They can deal with hockey adversity, and like we saw with ROR and Kane, in a better situation, will continue to do so when the stakes ramp up. There's zero reason to believe they won't. The issue is that when the depth finally starts kicking in goals, the goaltending goes. Then it recovers, but special teams kick out in a big way. By the time that's right again, we're already on a 10 game stretch again with 2 depth goals. It's a vicious cycle and too many things are wrong to allow the good parts of this team to have consistent success. The things that go wrong simply can't be excused by "we're building for the future" because they're traced to active moves for the present that were dubious at the time they were made, and weren't made with an eye to the future. There are plenty of fun games that better-constructed teams win in these bad stretches, with shining moments from promising players, but the team cannot watch them happen and button down the fort, one of the countless weaknesses inevitably kicks out and makes it not matter anyway I remember reading a Wild fan discussion a few years ago when they were still a consistent playoff team. It went like, "Man I like our guys,and they win enough games, but when they get down in the third, it's like they know in their brains the game is over. They don't have that it factor." We come back a lot more than that team did. But Minnesota, when something good happens, would only have to say to themselves "Okay - we're in a good spot, as long as our 3rd pairing can survive their last three sheltered shifts in the third period, the game is locked down." Boston fans can say "Okay, this good thing happened, as long as Krug and the fourth line don't have any hand grenades, we're good." For us it's "Okay, that good thing happened. As long as D pair 2 doesn't give up a third 2 on 1 tonight this shift, we can get to the next shift, where we hope D pair 1 doesn't have a failed clear ending in a flurry of chances. In addition, our center can't get caught in bad coverage like usual, and our fourth line hopefully doesn't take yet another penalty. if we're clear THERE, then all we need is for Hutton to not allow a softie, or make sure that he only allows 4 goals tonight." There are way too many links in there that can break for us compared to other teams.

If true, this is abject failure. There were three offseasons and Asplund isn't even his

the UPL - 2023 1st rounder core, headed by veteran defenseman Rasmus Dahlin