That Aud Smell

A fun and then tough game to be in the arena for. The crowd reaction from the breakaway saves on Eichel were laugh out loud enjoyable. No big deal - just fun. Over the past few games, I can't shake the sense that the Sabres just look like a young team trying to find its way. They're a team capable of flying high when things are going right, but then they skid into a ditch when things aren't clicking. Watching the game live, I just got this persistent sense that Las Vegas was a more durable, sturdy, "heavier" team. Grizzled vets and such. More than anything, I want this team to stop taking on water. The Boston game probably ain't where that's gonna happen. But they gotta get right and string together a few wins, and soon.

A pox on both their houses. The franchise never should have made him captain. It appears he’s doing great in Las Vegas, which doesn’t surprise me. The situation is a much better fit.

seats are in the 200s, i believe. so sorta amongst the hoi polloi.

Let's go, Buffalo! Tall order here with Vegas. I saw on the Twitter - so it must be true - that they're "#1" in someone's league wide power rankings. I'll be in the arena for this one - sitting in corporate seats - encouraging Chet and Muffy to rattle their jewelry.

great post. this tidbit was especially helpful. if you're able to figure out what point i was making, i thank you in advance. man - this is big. i would LOVE the team to be getting 3 out of 5 points around that period of time. wouldn't that be flippin' festive as a muhfugger?

A disappointing, at times maddening, loss. As per usual, I can come to this community's GDT, peruse the final few pages, and get the perspective and analysis I need. Having watched and read, my main takeaways are that the team was able (permitted at times?) to carry possession and translated that possession into a healthy share of the total shot attempts, but, and I think HC DG said it in his post game, they did not make things hard enough on the Coyotes' goalie. It would have taken perfect shots to beat him (and, even at that, the Sabres came awfully close a few times) when there was no traffic. Too easy. My "water finds its level" expectation for this team was to be @deluca67 .500 at season's end (e.g., 41-36-5). I think they're still trending that way. My hope is that they manage to exceed (my) expectations. Dahlin's play and, at times, Comrie's play had given me some hope in that regard. Beat Las Vegas!

Physical specimen. Mental midget. I will add, @inkman: Risto's hockey IQ is so deficient that your drawing a parallel between him and Tremaine Edmunds didn't quite hold up (but they are on the same continuum).

Preach. Allen's otherworldly athleticism (and sometimes quick decision making) can make the O-line look serviceable. But it's a bottom 10 unit, easily.

🤩 😇 😶

I think this is probably right. They’ll be a wild card in that event - hopefully.

If you drop the comma, it does become a fun sort of metaphysical thing to contemplate. LET’S GO BUFFALO!! As in, let us go in the nature of Buffalo, or in a Buffalo manner. LETS GO BUFFALO!! As in, I’m done with my hometown. I am letting it go. Emphatically.

Let’s go, Buffalo!

Otoh - this from a 2010 study:

Rapoport took it from “season over” to “still being evaluated.” That’s something, for the time being. Allen injured his UCL in his rookie year and treated with guru Dr James Andrews. Allen is assuredly back seeing Dr. Andrews now, which would be in line with Mort’s report which came after Rapoport’s. And I’ll add: If Allen’s UCL is shot, he should be able to make a full and complete recovery after surgery. The traditional Tommy John surgery has a 12-month recovery prior to return to play (for MLB pitchers). (Ugh.)

some relief from a national reporter

And now he's already backing off the season-ender allusion.

Nate Geary's on Twitter causing an absolute hysteria over his teased implication that he heard that Allen is done for the year with some sort of ruptured tendon in his throwing arm's elbow.

the goat cam that the team had - with 3 goats wandering around the visitors' locker room (pooping there?!) - was hilarious.

I'm here to offer a modest hat tip to those who were saying "um, teams seem to be game planning for the Bills by running the sh1t out of the ball." I still think this Bills D is capable of shutting down a dedicated run game. They did not do that yesterday. I think that was more about failures that occurred on the field (I stopped counting tackles that were missed at or behind the line of scrimmage) and not having the on-field personnel they need if they're going to challenge for the AFC title. The larger problem, I think: The Bills D is designed to defend the pass and surrender a bit on the run. And the Bills O, correspondingly, is supposed to score at least 21 and, on balance, closer to 30 per game. They did not do that yesterday. So, failures all around. I didn't think they'd go 16-1, so the loss is perhaps not a huge deal. It is significant that they're 0-2 in the division, though.

@Eleven has an excellent track record so far this season with GDTs. Let’s keep it rolling. Let’s go, Buffalo!

Man. The reports of their demise were greatly exaggerated.

I've said it before regarding the reverse retros: I don't think there are any regular posters here who are being targeted with that alternate uni. In seeing the uniforms, my wife remarked: "The Sabres look like they're wearing PJ's!" (Which was sorta appropriate given that the moms were in attendance.) A few minutes later, my 15 year-old walked through the room and remarked: "Yo - those uniforms are clean."

Aw, man. Embrace it. A couple years ago, one of the Sabres young turks was running around with a girl in my kid’s HS graduating class. That gave me some serious perspective. Those moms are much more my speed now.

Good hockey team is good.

It was probably said upthread, but I’ll say it here: It was fun to see the Sabre moms getting plenty of camera time on TNT.