RangerDave

Last night I had a dream about the Sabres. (Full disclosure: my dreams are often weird and illogical!) Rather than a great dream about the Sabres winning the Cup, or something cool like that, my dream was different. I dreamed that I was playing for the Sabres when the opposing goalie commited a penalty against me. I don't know what it was, because my dream started just after the penalty was called (probably because I skate like an elephant!) All I know is that my stick was caught in the boards and was sticking straight out. The ref called a penalty, but it was not a 2-minute or even a 4-minute penalty. No, it was... the death penalty! And I was the one who had to carry it out!! I kept wondering why I had to do it. But, I had the goalie sit on a small sofa and pointed something at him that resembled a powerpoint projector. (?) I plugged it in and pointed it at the goalie. The light was on him, although I had no idea how it would work. Fortunately, the dream ended before I committed the act. Phew! What dreams have you had related to the Sabres, cool or weird?

I have been to Italy, and am planning a return trip in May 2025. I also have a little experience as a travel advisor. Do you have any prefered tour companies? When we went to Italy in 2005, we used a tour company (and went to Rome, Florence, and Venice), but in 2025 we are planning on renting a car and going on our own along the coast from Pompei to Milan. It really depends on your comfort level with foreign countries, your tolerance for others in your tour group, and your budget. I can send you some information on Italy, if you would like. I also have information on tour companies available. I'm happy to help - for free! 🙂

Sometimes it is easier to play when the pressure is not so strong. When you think every mistake you make could cost you your job, some people tighten up and choke. Having a longer-term contract takes the pressure off him and he can relax and play like he knows he can, shaking off the occasional blunder.

I appreciate the education on the Canadian health care system. Are there options in Canada to purchase additional private insurance, so that you can "jump the line", so to speak, and get in sooner, or get treatments/ tests not included in the "universal coverage"?

In your opinion, do you think your rate of taxation is worth the coverage that you get, and never having to worry about not having coverage?

How does health care insurance work in Canada? In the US, most people get their insurance through their employers. If they lose their jobs, they will eventually lose coverage.

Maybe that's why they don't want to deal with him? He overvalues his product?

In a sense, Adams has already said this. How many times has he said he tried to make a deal, but could not get it done? Must be the other teams not wanting to deal.

KA will make no move that will make "it" move on me.

If I was Kyle, I would be much happier winning a cup in my last season, than not making the playoffs at all to end his career, even if I was a late season rental. Certainly not as fulfilling as playing the entire season on a cup winning team, but beats packing up for my final year in April.

It's an open-ended question, so I will let you draw your own line. For me, I would draw the line at when Adams became the GM. Seems like a good place to make conclusions from. In a vacuum, I believe trading Eichel was something that had to happen due to the circumstances of his injury an dthe treatment he was seeking. I believe should not have traded Reinhart. I think Risto would have been a good component of a good playoff team, which we have not been. I don't think he made that Sabres team better. I didn't like trading Mitts either. I think each trade was made for a reason, in a vacuum. The same for not re-signing certain players. I just wonder what the team woud be now if we had kept the best of them. Was the team atmosphere so rotten that management felt they had to jettison the influencers? Could that problem had been solved another way, through coaching or bringing in mentoring players for instance? Just a thought experiment. Some will draw conclusions about managament, coaching, ownership, and/or player personalities. I don't know if there is only one thing to point a finger at.

So, should the Sabres have traded other players rather than the ones they did?

In the last couple of years, Sabres management has traded away some of our best players: Jack Eichel, Sam Reinhart, Rasmus Ristolainen (?), Casey Middlestadt, etc.. My questions is, have those trades made us better? We still haven't made the playoffs, so if the object of trading players is to improve the team, I don't see that that has happened. There may be other reasons to trade away players, but it all boils down to making your team better. At least I hope it does. The question is, are the Sabres a better team now, or would they be a better team today if those trades had not happened?

How long was this dream?? That's several months of hockey you just described! 😄

When I was a park ranger, visitors would ask me all the time what the weather was going to be like. I always told them, there's a 50% chance of rain. I figured either it would or it wouldn't. And I was always right!

My wife and I just got tix to see Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band coming to the Fallsview Casino at the end of July. Excited to see one of the last remaining Beatles!

Was this the same group that had Li'l Abner and Chief White Owl? (Ow, my lumbago is now acting up!)

I agree. You are right, it does not apply to all parties equally as I stated. I was trying not to choose sides in a political battle. It does apply to many people in all parties, but at this point in our history, it is clearly dominated by one side. Thanks for correcting my hesitation. This may sound sarcastic, but, trust me, it is sincere.

I agree that politicians are awful, and getting awfuler. It used to be they strived to do what was best for the country, then (as George Washington predicted), they did what was best for their party. Now, it's down to doing what hurts the other party the most. This applies to politicians of all parties equally. And the lemmings and the rich continue their march together...

If Lindy can fire up this team like he did in this game, I am in. Watching him go over (through?) the glass to get at the opposing coach is one of my favorite Sabres moments of all time.

Maybe this is what Pegula should do. Run the team using Artificial Intelligence, since real intelligence hasn't gotten them anywhere.

If the question is, would I rather root for a team of over-achieving, hard working non-skilled players, or a bunch of under-achieving, highly drafted players, the answer is clear. I'd root for the hard working team. But, I don't want a team full of Pat Kaletas and Andrew Peters' who can't skate, shoot, and wow me either. I want a team that I believe will get better over time, not a team that has peaked at .500.

I recall one year when the Sabres were in first place in the Adams Division over the Bruins by 10 points with 5 games to go for each team. The Sabres lost all five while the Bruins won all five and took the Division title. If luck can happen against the Sabres, I can still hope it will happen for the Sabres at some point. (BTW, because of the change in standings both teams lost in the first round against opponents they were not well suited to play against, IIRC.)

I lived in Boone. Howdy, neighbor!

Where did you get kicked out on the Parkway? I worked there for 11 years and don't recall kicking out anyone named "#freejame"? 😃 Then again, I did retire in 2016...