Quint

I haven't been home since 2004 but my favorite was the recently-closed Tex-Mex Lone Star Cafe on Hertel. Oh those steak fajitas...I once got food poisoning from it (not fun) but I was back because I couldn't resist and it was so cheap.

The Sabres have not addressed their goaltendng situation.(again) In Buffalo, they go with a hope and a prayer: Levi and the Usual Suspects. Weak defense and soft teams don't help but the Sabres are totally dependent on a goalie with less than ten NHL games on his resume with almost zero backup. Now he's hurt and the genius Adams and whoever the anonymous GM is in Rochester, have been shamefully negligent. I am starting to detect really weak management here. Another possibility, maybe no goaltender worth his salt wants to come to the Buffalo Sabres organization because of their upside down approach to the game. It should be defense first.

Just watched highlights. Sickening and alarming. Heard it before but the Amerks have similar problems as the Sabres. Soft offense that doesn't score and doesn't buy in on defense, defense is clueless and (besides Levi who has under 10 games experience in the NHL) goalies who you might as well have gotten in off the street. (Houser -- why is he still here and who the hell is Cooley?). Why does Sabres/Amerks management think they get by with goalies who are a joke? Looks like the Amerks and possibly Sabres may have gotten weaker, maybe significantly, from last year. Wake up, Sabres organization!

I haven't watched a minute of this game. Just got home. Is it fair to ask: Is Levi not ready for prime time? Sounds to me KA might need to get fired for failing to address the goalie situation longterm and putting too much trust in a 21 year old rookie goalie with amateur backups.

Don't worry, they'll figure out a proper balance -- by the year 2200.

I'm just glad they didn't go 0-3. Next it's the Flames (1-1-1), Isles (1-0), Habs (1-1-1) and Sens (2-1). There are no easy games this year!

I still think Okposo is almost completely without function as a player on the ice. Girgensons isn't far behind. I would've liked to see someone come up from Roch. who can actually win faceoffs. None of our guys win faceoffs and that accounts for many goals/and/or/goals against. Also, trade for a starting goalie please! Get rid of this goalie logjam. Missing Quinn bigly.

I Hate Losing, Season 12, Episode 2.

On a bit of a different note, I was watching 40 Stories, a two hour interview with different Sabres from the early years. I've gotten through a few segments so far but one story really moved me. At 10:35 Rip Simonick tells about how Perreault used to win all the time with the Montreal Junior Canadiens, so much so that winning was ingrained in him. When he came to Buffalo, it was a pretty raggedy team in the first year or so. They were losing. After the first 10-15 games, Perreault as a rookie, would just sit on the bench and bawl his eyes out. He cried...and hated losing that much. I didn't have a clue. The first sixteen years the Sabres were all Perreault. He was their best player even in his final year. I wonder if Perreault's bitterness from losing lingered on with the Sabres organization, as they did not treat him with respect by giving him an important position with the club after retirement. But I guess we'll never know the real story. I also think about the historic amount of losing the Sabres have done with Pegula at the helm and how it must have eaten away at the players. Now I more clearly understand O'Reilly and Eichel's meltdowns. Different personalities react different ways to uninterrupted hopeless losing.

Bulletin board material? I only saw the third period. Rangers defense stuffed Thompson. So did Columbus for that matter. Thompson will get his goals but have they figured him out? Also Skinner's crossbar shot could've changed the complexion of the game. Looking back, Skinner had a number of opportunities that would have changed the game if he cashed in. But he was the only one who looked dangerous to me.

I don't remember the last time I thought the Sabres' defense played great. The mid 2000s?

It took old friend Taylor Hall only one game with the Hawks to get injured and start sitting out. https://www.nbcsportschicago.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks/blackhawks-taylor-hall-expected-to-be-out-for-a-bit-with-upper-body-injury/512474/

I'm available -- but only on a part-time basis.

No pull-ups for awhile.

Barry Melrose has retired. https://nypost.com/2023/10/10/espns-barry-melrose-diagnosed-with-parkinsons-disease/

Anyone remember the Sabrejak? I had one a long time ago. We knew the owner of the company, Bojax. Now it's worth about $200. http://blog.buffalostories.com/the-golden-age-of-buffalos-great-retailers/

Seems like Dahlin only wants to commit to five years with this organization, then he wants to get another payday. I think that's how it's going to work so just sign him and let's go.

I wonder if the Sabres targeted Hanifin and/or Pesce and they both didn't work out for some reason, whether it was they didn't want to come here or whatnot. I do not think the Sabres were ever serious about getting a starting goalie from elsewhere. I think they are so delusional, they think that Levi can lead us to the promised land as is, with Comrie and/or UPL in tow. Then again, the Pegulas might be cheaping out on us with their "organic" homegrown brand. Ugh.

I would've liked to see the Sabres pick up a starting goalie and one more good defenseman during the offseason. I like Erik Johnson but it seems he's like an Okposo -- at the tail end of his career. Better for advice than function. Clifton will eventually settle in, I have no doubt. I would just assume trade Luukonen and Comrie. Both are too inconsistent and I think the mold has been cast for those two. Maybe even a different defense coach. Whatever they're doing at this time, defense and goaltending, it's not working.

Child's play.

A little off topic but I still can't believe RJ isn't around anymore. 😧

Pull Levi. Six is enough.

Get used to 7-6 games this year.

I've waited awhile but now I'm officially excited about Benson. 🤩

NHL games, not college.