RangerDave

From the NY Times: "16 teams in the race That’s the number of clubs in the Eastern Conference either in a playoff spot or within one point of being in. Yes, that means every single team in the conference is in that situation. Yes, that is kind of ridiculous. This is the first time every team in a conference has been this close to making the playoffs 200-plus games into a season since 1995, a lockout-shortened year that was almost over by that point." So, are the Sabres better this year, or is every team mediocre this year?

He has the slowest shot I've ever seen (when he is not whiffing anyway) He never hits a one-timer. He looks like a pro golfer addressing a tee shot.

I think players, too, are less likely to "play through" an injury nowadays and more likely to take time off to ensure proper healing.

I'm hoping their fans are distracted by the world series and don't bother coming to Buffalo tonight.

Wasn't the home game on Friday already at 7 pm?? I see the game on Saturday changed times, but why do they say the game on Friday is "now" at 7 pm?

I wonder if it's too late for me to try out for the team? I'm in my 60's, can't skate, and have a strained knee, but maybe they need a 4th goalie?

Just as "expenses" are probably more than just player and employee salaries and benefits (advertising, travel, taxes, rent, etc.), I assume "revenue" is more than just ticket sales and TV broadcasting revenue. Things like merchandising, sponsorships, food sales, etc. It woul dbe really interesting to see all of the expenses and all of the revenues.

Matt Ellis has never been on a first line.

I agree. Proof is in the pudding. But the news that he is working hard to get stronger is an indication that he is now taking his craft seriously. Hopefully that translates into being tougher to play against.

I just met Jim Lorentz at the Sabres BBQ at Sahlen Field today. I wanted to tell him my story of getting a bat out of our church this past Sunday. The bat showed up in the front pew at the end of mass. I was able to cover him with a trash bin, slide a piece of plastic under it, and get him out. I told Mr. Lorentz my story. He told me that he was almost ARRESTED after his bat incident for animal cruelty! 😂

Great. Maybe the league will start tilting the draft lottery towards the Sabres in years it matters. Hurrah. More #1 OA picks.

Are the Sabres profitable? I really don't know. If they can be this bad for this long and still be profitable, what does that say about the management of the team? Do they have a huge incentive to win and make the playoffs? I understand that Terry Pegula has a lot on his plate with his wife's health, his daughters and their lives, the Bills, his other businesses, etc. I don't think he is a bad man. I just think he should hire the right people to run the Sabres so that he can focus elsewhere. And if he doesn't (he hasn't yet obviously), he needs to keep trying until he gets the right person(s).

In a recent discussion, a few people opined that winning doesn't matter to Mr. Pegula. I could not fathom this, as he was pretty emotional when he purchased the team about wanting to win a Stanley Cup. He seemed to be a genuine fan of the Buffalo Sabres. Now, I received a survey from the Sabres organization asking about game day experience. There were a few questions about the team's performance and how much that matters regarding whether I attend a game or not. But there were also several questions about what I call the "entertainment experience." Things like the music, or the food, or the entertainment on the ice betweens periods, or... whatever. I started thinking about a game I went to last year where there were 4 guys seated behind us. All they talked about during play was the bets they had placed on things like the score at the end of the period, who would be winning, or whatever things people bet on nowadays. After the period ended, the 4 guys left and never returned to their seats. But, they had purchased tickets for the game. This has me thinking: Is it more important to entertain the people in the stands (or watching on TV) than it is to satisfy the actual hockey fans who care whether the team wins or not? Is there more money to be made by attracting casual fans who need to be "entertained" by things other than the game and its results? Do actual "Sabres fanatics" matter anymore? Between casual fans and fans of the opposing teams, it seems like more seats are filled by them than actual Sabres fans. The NFL seems to be aware of this, too. Halftime entertainment, music, food options, 6-hour pregame shows, scoreboard clips in between play, etc. The Super Bowl is widely regarded as no longer being a football contest pitting the two top teams, but rather a "mega event" that attracts A-list celebrities. Is that happening to all sports and at every game now?

Arent't the Sabres still paying Skinner? So...we can say a current Sabre (employee) is playing for the cup?? Does that count?? 🤔

I think it's gonna take a bit more than Jim Lorentz releasing a rehabbed bat. Perhaps.... a new team name... the Buffalo Bats? And maybe put a belfry in the Key Bank Center?