PerreaultForever

Soccer is rising because of immigration and ethnic diversity. It is the biggest sport in the world, and people from other countries bring that love with them. Hockey has always been a niche and always will be. It's an expensive sport to get your kids into and it's really only most suitable to colder climates where it's played outdoors still as well as in the numerous rinks where people go to (believe it or not) escape the even colder weather outside. It's only for the rich in the south. It won't die though. It's a niche, but it's a big niche.

So the opening of game one goes something like this? Hey Sam, how ya been man? Pretty damn good Jack, yourself? Hit the jackpot my friend, hit the jackpot. Is that a pun? What's a pun? Nevermind. So can you believe how great things are for us after getting out of you know where? No where? You know, that place where people lose their love for hockey. Oh there. Damn, I already forgot all about it. Seems like a long time ago. (Montour skates by..........."heehaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!" keeps skating) You know that guy? Ya man, we played with him there. I've really blotted it all out I guess. Anyway, good luck man, but I hope you lose. Same to you. Winner gets the cup, so what do you say loser gets the tandem bike? Sounds fair. (I think it'll go something like that)

Carolina has 2 veteran FA goalies (Raanta and Anderson). Both are still capable and they aren't re-signing both as they have a younger cheaper option who's time is now. There's your goalie. Just pay one of them and we're all set.

He competes, and there's no question he can be effective at that level, but there's still a question as to his ceiling at the NHL level. Maybe next year is his breakout, fingers crossed.

That's what they'll probably agree to, shortening the pre-season. It'll end up meaning some teams will still be getting it together first few weeks of the season (those with new players and/or coaches) so fast starts will be even more beneficial for making the playoffs.

Well I'm glad we signed him. Hate to see picks walk away and be wasted. One more D prospect. Whatever he ends up being, it's a positive.

Peterka with a bunch of personal awards but man the kid looked heart broken at the end of that game. I felt for him. Heart on his sleeve guy though, hope he brings that same level of passion back to Buffalo. Krebs did have a good game. We will see which of them brings what back to Buffalo for next season. Hopefully all . Tuch gets nada, that has to sting. Feel good for the Latvians though. Likeable team. Loved their reaction. Meant way more to them.

Vegas blew that one. Goaltending iffy as well this time. This could still go either way.

USA choked on the "hold a lead" strategy for a fast team with lots of young talent. I'd blame the coaching for playing the safe game and not keeping their foot on the gas for 60 minutes . Team USA just can't get through semi finals. Peterka vs. Quinn. Both get medals, somebody gets bragging rights.

But they lost 🙂

Good defender, strong in front of the net. He's a sometime down the road prospect but if he keeps developing could be an incredible 5th round pick. One more, and we need them.

idk. You're saying Adams only offered 1 year and Hall would have taken more. Maybe. In any event glad we didn't sign him for more at that money, that would have really sunk us.

They do, and they often have great goaltending. Silovs was excellent. The team always has that grinding feistiness somewhat how Girgs plays. It's a true lunch bucket lower skill higher effort team.

I don't have to slow it down. I don't expect any of them to start on the Sabres roster. It's possible they start the season to give them a few games before sending them back down, but that's the most. One or more MIGHT get called up at the end of the year or as injury replacements but it depends on how they play and how the Sabres do. I think Kulich is closest, but at his age he'd have to do something remarkable in pre season to stay up. I would certainly hope we would now shift back to a normal development plan(s) for these guys and not use the big club as a development team but actually focus totally on competing for the playoffs. We lost 2-1 to Florida on April 4. Imagine if we'd gotten lucky that night and won in regulation? Florida, the possible cup winner, doesn't even make the playoffs. I bet Adams looks at this and thinks, Levi added, Quinn, Peterka and Power seasoned, we're good. He'd be wrong, but I bet that's what he's thinking.

idk the rules, just wondering if Vegas wins the cup does Lehner get a ring and/or his name on the cup?

Latvians beat the Swedes. I wonder if Girgs is regretting not taking part in this now? Latvian fans are going crazy. Huge moment for them. Canada's game was solid. Quinn was good. Montemault was very good. I would guess it'll end up Canada vs. USA for the gold but anything could happen. Some Sabres will definitely get medals.

Well that's possible as well, but you're going back a year earlier than I was. I think it's safe to say Adams was hired by Terry since they already had a relationship and initially bringing in Hall was a move to try and create a top duo but you have to remember that Hall wasn't getting the money he wanted and took the one year deal as a result. I'm sure both sides felt they could do well with that combo but the one year deal may already have been seen by KA and Terry as a one last shot for the status quo. idk, the injury obviously factored in, relationships soured, Jack wanted out. The early rumours of that were obviously all true. Thus the tear down had to happen and did. Draft success will determine how well the rebuild goes as it seems free agency won't be the route for the most part.

What is it with Swedes faking injuries and doing the head bob? Just watched the TSN bit showing the Latvians/Swedes. That Lindholm head fake was just embarrassing to hockey. Hope the Latvians find a way to beat them. Montembault is playing really well. Quinn's goal was a little lucky but it was a goal scorer's goal. Goal scorer's find a way and often look lucky. His speed burst was impressive. Peterka's goal against the Swiss was a real snipe. He's showing true signs of breaking out. We can hope it'll be like Cozens and he will have his NHL break out year next season.

Mistake imo. Even if you like Kyle, he contributed little on the ice at this point and it was time to pass on the C. This is step one in my fear that next year's team will look a LOT like this year's team.

So you're not a fan? 🙂

Absolutely, but don't measure everything by scoring stats. A lot of those guys (almost all) are or were playing better hockey in their roles on their teams then they did here. I'm seeing Reinhart get bolder and bolder as the playoffs progress following Tkachuk's leadership and example. Eichel is back checking for f's sake. He almost never did that here. Tyler Ennis might be the only one worse after Buffalo. Asplund hasn't been gone long enough to tell. The rest have been better.

Ya, I said last 10 to keep it in the era of total futility but Drury was pretty past his prime. Myers? Not sure he's worse, but then he wasn't here long enough to really say. We kind of broke him .

I'm not sure "fun" is the right word when they all seem to be doing better but maybe it does saying something. Maybe try to come up with the list of players who left Buffalo over the last say 10 years and did WORSE. I can't actually think of anybody at the moment. I mean Bogo was still playing and even won a cup, Risto isn't good, but he's slightly better than he was here (but still not good). E-Rod was playing with McKinnon. Colin Miller's still in the playoffs (at least for another game). All I got is Will Butcher. No idea where he is. Everybody who leaves does seem to do better.

It's just an article. Biron and Brodeur are the two guys quoted. You respect them don't you?

Totally valid, and I feel the same way. Ex-Sabres going to win the cup one way or another just like ROR all over again. Might not matter, but I can't think it helps this franchise when you see a "leave and succeed" thing happening over and over again. When they hired Cassidy there was a whole good luck to them with Cassidy vs. Eichel talked about a lot but here we see Eichel in line, Cassidy in charge, Eichel back checking even. imo three things factor in. 1. Cassidy is a good coach, and we didn't have good coaches during Eichel's time here. That's on the Sabres. 2. Eichel isn't captain/leader of Vegas. Stone is their leader. There are other leaders like Pieterangelo. Cup winners. It's a better team around him so he doesn't have to be the main guy every single night. Thus he plays more relaxed and better. If we'd named ROR captain and had better veteran leadership maybe he'd have developed differently. That's also on the Sabres. 3. Eichel was an arrogant and cocky a-hole kid as noted. Maybe after the trade, the derision, the negative comments from multiple directions, maybe he's reached a level of maturity where he knows he has to give more effort and he is. This is his chance to show what he can be and he's doing it. Maturity. I'd prefer to believe it's that and not just getting away from Buffalo. I still suspect the a-hole is in there and if he wins it all it might come back out but at the moment he's playing the system and listening to the coach and thus, winning. That's not on the Sabres. In sum, I'd say the Sabres failed as an organization in elevating a cocky a-hole kid into second coming status and giving him too much say and power. A stronger organization with a deeper solid culture might have made him a different player sooner and succeeded with him. Hopefully we will have that soon, if we don't already and will do it properly with any future "stars" we bring in. Or to put it simply, you never let the inmates run the asylum.