Porous Five Hole

Were you guessing or did you get a tip?

The only way Brind’amour is available to Buffalo is if the Canes don’t want him back. And unless the Canes get swept out of the first round, Carolina will want him back. And maybe not even then.

Most assumed Meatballs would be back, so this is a good first step. Can it be worse?

It would be more likely that Appert gets promoted to the show and Ellis to the Amerks as head coach, but I choose neither of these.

Where is Matt Ellis’s name on this list??

I’ll be at every home Game and road games when I can. SabreSpace meet up??

One note—Sunday’s game is in Utica (if anyone was thinking of taking the drive). Also of note for all, the 4 & 5 seeds must play in a best-of-three series play-in round. ROC sure could use a weekend off to get healthy. Beating Toronto on Friday will take care of it.

This is good news. The NHL is better without Meruelo in their expansion plans.

Oof

I did and I learned that there are loud rumors of the sale/relocation of the Rochester Knighthawks. I don’t expect there to be any pity about it on a Buffalo message board, but it sucks for us in ROC…even if support for the Hawks has dwindled. I did some searching around and there’s a lot of smoke on this.

You were right. Gambadoro broke most of the news on this locally.

Obviously bigger goals in mind, but it should be said that the Amerks clinch a playoff birth if they get one point tonight.

Thanks I hate it 😂

Cooley’s Amerks GAA was 3.77 and save percentage was .891. He stunk. For comparison, Levi is 2.42 and .929.

Tom Wilson signed an extension earlier in the year. He’s locked up thru 30-31.

Nice win. The Caps are a -42 goal differential. They’re not making the playoffs.

It wasn’t meant to be a shot toward you. The future looking bright has been a fan narrative for the last three rebuilds. It was me just having a little fun with the concept as an aside to your analysis is all.

Hanifin will not be a UFA.

Nice! But does he have any sources to break Sabres news? 😀

All due respect to journalists…and to a similar extent bloggers and podcasters alike, has Bill Hoppe ever “broken” anything Sabres related?

You have steadfastly stated that Pegula meddles. I think that has waned over the years. GMKA has the keys now. Terry has the Bills and to take care of his ailing wife. Plenty of posters on this board think he doesn’t even care about the Sabres. I don’t believe he’s pulling the strings of the marionette like he once was.

I understand what you are saying. I’m trying to keep the convo focused on coaching, so it is ok if you don’t agree or don’t reply. The Sabres have tried literally everything at the head coaching position through these rebuilds. The old standby/old favorite Nolan, Stanley Cup experienced Bylsma (after getting stood up by Babcock), the consensus up and comer Housley, the outside the box hire of Krueger, and what I would call the experiment of Don Granato and his development focus and minor league history. I hear your aging up point, but I expected that this season. That may be on the coach. I have defended Meatballs and I think ultimately the failure is on the GM. But the sword will fall on the coach and an experienced guy will be brought it.

So this kinda blew my mind. Don Granato is the fourth most tenured head coach in Sabres HISTORY. They stood by the guy, but it is absolutely defensible to move on.