DarthEbriate

Me, too. Here's a thought: Certainly he's lost some speed since his NHL days, but is 40 year-old Ehrhoff better than Pilut and Bryson?

What will be different is the sheer volume of non-sports media/paparazzi coverage, but all star players have their ways of moving through that, and he'll learn. He'll also have rich-people places to go/hide that don't exist in Green Bay. Overall, though, I have a contrarian opinion to this thought that the NY media is going to be too tough at any time. The New York media is going to adore Rodgers. He's a great interview, he has near-perfect recall so when they ask him about a boneheaded play he can go on a 5-minute tangent about everything he saw. The local beatwriters will develop a rapport with him heading into the season because he will give them endless quotes and stories, angles, and fodder. What did he mean "intends to"? He'll be Eli to them on steroids ayahuasca. And he has more experience and football knowledge than any 10 Jets QBs combined. If things go off the rails, he'll break out a "Relax" or "Run the table" or any such thing, and he'll be honest about his expectations based on practices and what he's seeing. He's also had more heartbreak to go with higher expectations (following up Favre and an NFC Champ loss) and bigger games and than the Jets have had in their entire franchise's history (Rodgers has been dressed for (1 non-start) 12 different playoff runs... the Jets have made the playoffs 14 times. The limelight and a losing streak and the expectations aren't going to get to him because he's been at the center/top of the NFC universe since he was drafted. Finally, Rodgers is going to bring all the national media attention with him. He's bringing relevance, anywhere from 5-9 #1CBS/FOX broadcast and primetime games to their schedule this year (the Packers had eleven last season), and that includes all the media folks he's had with him all along. The Jets had 1 primetime game last year (on Thursday night) and two 4:05PM ET starts (not the #1 crew). Add in any playoff games and he's got those same usual folks and interviewers with him. (as an unrepentant Packers fan with no additional NFL/sports coverage out in Seattle, I've been able to easily see 8+ Packers games every year in which Rodgers wasn't injured. I was weary of Aikman/Buck -- since disbanded and 1:25PM PT games.) He's bringing that same coverage with him. The 2nd-tier NYC sportswriter who's simply attempting to stir the pot at a press conference is going to be lucky to get a question in after all the bigwigs have taken their turn.

Somehow... the Concept of Ehrhoff returned.

Let's rant! Those folks had to announce for radio and tell the story on the ice. The TV production and ice-side reporters and graphics on screen that you have to speak to for the viewer is completely different than even 10 years ago. It has be constant visual stimulation now. (I love stats on the screen in between play, but despise bells and whistles during play and am especially annoyed by in-arena music spilling seconds past a faceoff and yelling goal details during play.) The thing I find most annoying is when an announcer says "We'll let the audience take it from here on out...." Dunleavy did that fairly recently. But he said it with about 0:03 left to go. By the time he shut up, the foghorn was going off and he had to announce that the Sabres won. If you're going to let the fans tell it from here on out, do it for the entire final 45 seconds or so. ESPN+/ESPN broadcast did something early on in their resumed broadcasts where the announcers would just stay quiet for a minute in the 1st period to hear the sounds of the game. It was really lovely. I'd pay an extra $1/year for a stream where you could get only the arena sound (not the players' mics feeds, I don't need the constant swearing while the 3rd announcer tries to talk over them.)

We all need to stop shading Zinger. He was a mid-round pick who turned into a speedy 3/4C whose career overlapped with the dead puck/clutch-and-grab era.

Saskatoon rallies from a 3-0 series deficit to send Red Deer (and Mats Lindgren) into summer. The Blades meet ICE and Savoie (and why is ICE all caps?) in the Eastern Western Hockey League final. Juggernauts Seattle and Kamloops square off in the Western Western HL final.

(disclaimer: unrepentant Packers fan) So next season, if all y'all Bills could sweep the Jets, but don't hurt Rodgers' collarbone so that he hits his snap markers and turns that 2nd into a 1st, that'd be nice. (You can end him Favre-style in 2024-25.) Of rumor note: Rodgers really does worry about his legacy and part of his leaving is restructuring his Packers contract for additional cap help... for the Packers. Would I have liked the Broncos trade last season more? In hindsight, yes. But trading an MVP is tricky to do. Rodgers will be on a revenge tour this season. Expect him to be good. Not indoors-turf good, but good. Go Bills! (as long as it helps GB)

They might not always be successful, but I've seen the fire each of them. Thompson's frame (as a target) worries me the most. I've seen fire from Joker and Mitts --- and actually I think Mitts will be sneaky mean once he learns the Power of the Cup Side. JJP and Power are the ones who might be ever-reluctant.

Ranch is a perfectly cromulent dressing for the supper club salad of iceberg, some carrot shreds, and a couple parcels of red cabbage. A ranch dressing starter packet is also handy for the base of a sauce for grilled salmon tacos topped with a citrus mango jalapeno salsa. Bleu is the only way to go with your Buffalo boneless wings though.

The Sabres absolutely would step up and start throwing the body, though Granato may caution a bit against it. He knows how playoff hockey is. But this year's Sabres would get worn down over time by it because they're not full-sized yet. I guarantee though that in 3 more years as they mature, they'll be capable of being where those teams are now. It's why getting that first taste of actual playoff hockey is so important. Krebs, Quinn, Dahlin, Cozens, Muel, Thompson (and Okposo either, which scares the servomotors out of me) -- I haven't seen any of them back down since Dahlin did at the end of the season against Boston... maybe 2 years ago. Yes, the end of the Krueger/Granato season Dahlin had a chance to stop taking crap from Boston and he didn't. Last year, he changed with that first ASG appearance. They don't always go charging after somebody like we might want them to, but as a team they don't back down and they have much better resolve than the previous core. The other thing to bear in mind with some of the hit numbers is the statistician. Hit stats in the regular season for some teams are over-the-top, whereas Buffalo's statisticians are pretty reluctant to log a hit. Some teams will log a hit even if its dodged and you just fly into the boards yourself. Then when the playoffs hit, even the statisticians ramp it up. Everything is a hit. I'd take Ullmark. He's bigger, stronger, and he trained with MMA-mad Lehner. I'm guessing Ullmark's gentle Minion demeanor has a definite switch-flip berserker mode. Edit: And add to that that I've never seen Matthew Tkachuk stick around in any scrum. He's just a wanker.

Beware the Concept of Wood! He's a guy that will get way overpaid for what he is, just as the Devils overpaid him. Devils fans will tell you he is inconsistent and disappears for giant swaths of time. And because of his style he misses 10-15 games each season as well. Admittedly, he does seem to play really well against Buffalo. Is that because he's Buffalo-born and extra motivated or because the Sabres have been pushovers his entire career? That's up for debate. For the record, with the team as currently constructed heading into next season I'd rather have Wood than VO in the bottom 6. Re this page: The Concept of Kassian Kane Foligno Kane (the other one) Brown Borgen Wood CoHo. For next season, I like the idea of Toews in a bottom 6 role better than Kane in any role on this squad.

Cute. Hey Buffalo, 1939 called. They want their Aram Khachaturian back. They'd also like to not have their music enter directly into the US public domain and collect royalties from Kubrick, Horner, and the Buffalo Sabres for years of use without royalties.

It's semantics but every team simultaneously has a core (even the Kraken already have a core; every team has a core once they have had a GM/coach combination for 1 season) and every team is always rebuilding. I don't know why you're bringing the NFL into it, but they're just as volatile if not moreso than the NHL. A NFLGM will rebuild 20% of their roster every single year. By the time Josh Allen turns 30 he might have 5-6 players on the entire team that he's played with for more than 6 seasons. And one of those will probably be a kicker. The excuse if you must have one is that the Sabres core is a bunch of kids. The only other super-young team in the league that made the playoffs is the Devils. Their core has 2 players that contributed significantly this season age 23 and under. Hughes and Mercer. They're great, but they're the only kids. And I'll throw in Schmid the goalie (19 gp) so that the Sabres can add UPL. I won't even add Levi yet. Contrast that with the Sabres: Joker, UPL, Dahlin, Krebs, Muel, Cozens, Quinn, JJP, Power. When this Sabres core spans ages 21-25 instead of 19-23, that's when you'll see a consistent force. If the NHL Atlantic division followed the same format as the AHL North, then the Sabres would have made the playoffs as well.

Went out to dinner. It looks like there was a 5-min major and two minor penalties against Syracuse in the 2nd to give the Amerks a chance to get into it. Nothing to show for it.

Amerks go 11F 7D again tonight. Metsa with his Amerks debut. Being shutout by 2 touchdowns in shots after one, and only down 2 goals. So... 1 successful shot it's a game again.

Am I seeing this right? 6:49 left in the first and not a single shot on goal yet? And the Crunch going back to the power play up by 2? Maybe someone else should start the game day thread next weekend. I am seeing this right! 🍺

I still hope Kulich isn't rushed. Split Savoie (because he has to) and Rousek. 1 rookie at a time so as to limit the inconsistencies we saw with the Kid Line. Plus, Levi will be a rookie as well. We'll face sophomore slumps from Quinn, JJP, and Power (and UPL) next year, too. The league is trending younger, but look at the playoff teams: they're in their mid-20s and up, even the super-young Devils except Mercer and Jack Hughes (a superstar).

Muel was held out of the AHL playoffs last year, too. Doctors have to clear them to play and the franchise is going to protect their top prospects over having them get run by some AHL scrub.

I wanted to hear noncommittal GM-speak so I'm quite happy. What I didn't want was some silly Dorian-like claim like the rebuild is over or some such. The rebuild is never over. Even the Lightning of 3x EC championships or the '50s-'70s Habs would tell you that you are always rebuilding because competition and players are ever-changing.

It's the second night of a back-to-back to start the playoffs. By the stats and commentary, the Crunch were the better team overall in game 1 and earned their overtime victory. It's up to the Amerks to rally and get the series even before game 3 on ... Friday? a back-to-back followed by 4 days off?... in Rochester.

His interview played during the game 1 intermission last night had him stating that it's been his dream to play in the NHL and he loved his experience in Buffalo last week. He said the best part is he doesn't change his game whether he was in the AHL and NHL and that's exactly what the Sabres bottom 6 needs. I'm guessing that as long as he is given a legit shot in camp, he'll be staying North America next season. Given the Hinostroza UFA + leave situation to close the year and that Kulich is a kid, Rousek has the inside track at the 12/13 slot even with Savoie making the team out of camp. I'm thinking Rousek is a Sabre on opening day next season, and only gets sent down during the season if he's scuffling or needs to be playing everyday. But with injuries, I'd say he plays 40 NHL games.

Former MVP (of the All-Star Game) John Scott on the ceremonial draw.

I want Okposo to crush everyone in all ceremonial puck-drops. Win the draw clean, then bulldoze up the opposition captain into the people on the carpet to clear the path for the blast from the point. Set the tone for the game.

Yup -- the Milan Lucic to Edmonton deal. You want to find the next Tom Wilson. You want to find the next Marcus Foligno. Not get burdened by a +30 guy whose body is busted up and has lost a step and gets a NMC with a $5M salary and 4 years of term.

It's also more of a team stat than just the player taking the draw because winning the initial draw vs. gaining possession are two different things. I don't worry about the FOs between the bluelines, but in-zone... If you can take away 6 out of 10 clean opposition possessions-turned-point shots on the PK, or get 6 out of 10 draws on your powerplay to run set plays to TNT's snipe... that adds up to massive improvement over what the Sabres did this year (4 out of 10). The good thing from a Sabres perspective is that FO %s generally increase as a player gets more experienced. You can handle 50%, you just don't want it to be a liability.