That Aud Smell

I voted "no." The injuries. The admitted awfulness of the back end. The relative youth. The apparent (this is my inference) preference for not indulging the millenials by sacking the coach they don't like. Whoever foresaw a story arc where both GM and coach could be sent packing by Thanksgiving (U.S.) -- that was an interesting take. My question, in that event, though: Who on earth would Pegula be turning to at that point?

By hook or by crook, the NFL will extract from the Bills franchise what it desires. In initial response, there may be talk from the franchise about how this market, with its league-lowest population and lightest corporate HQ count, can't generate what the league requires. But, the NFL will effectively say, perhaps the franchise is only thinking of traditional money-drilling techniques. The kind where you find a big deep pocket, and drill straight down into it. Perhaps, the league will suggest, the franchise must think of more modern -- arguably more risky and invasive -- means of drilling for money. Some sort of money-drilling that involves going into larger, but more shallow, horizontal layers, whereby the franchise will push into these horizontal layers and loosen up thousands of smaller monetary deposits, which can then be harvested as a larger collective. Something like that will happen. Either that, or the NFL will find a way to persuade the franchise's owners that they need to go drill for money somewhere else -- somewhere where the drilling is easier.

Lord, yes. There's no mystery whatsoever about what the NFL is at this point -- and maybe there never should have been one (a mystery). The NFL is a perfect, ruthless, soulless revenue-generating monster. The NFL gives not a single sh1t about anything other than growing its bottom line. I'm about 40% on my way to having a full-blown hatred of the NFL, and the resulting disinterest in the game it produces for entertainment.

This is what strains my ability to even entertain that there's anything here. If the media had indications that the ruckus were from the Sabres locker room, they would be all over it. All. Over. It. They would be racing each other to post hot takes on the subject. Those folks practically subsist on the slightest hint of human misery And yet every member of the media who's been asked to speak, and has spoken, to the noise/sound has come back with mundane, boring explanations. There's no cover up. There's no scotch. There's no Mighty Taco pu pu platter.

I would post in that thread.

I tend to agree. I saw PA's post upthread about how some fans would decry Lemieux for "floating" -- very true. Just because Eichel doesn't seem to be playing in a way that some would recognize as intense/focused/fearless, etc., doesn't mean that he isn't. Calls to mind for me that scripture from Isaiah -- "for my thoughts are not your thoughts -- neither are your ways my ways.” Having said that, he has looked fairly checked out of late.

Good effing question. Hiya, Millbank!

Yes it is. As a "reply."

Wut

That's how it appeared to me.

That appears to be footage of Carrier clowning around with a teammate of his from Rochester. Oh, and a snarky Sabres-themed Twitter account doing some clowning around of its own.

God. Are we actually gonna finish WORSE than last season?

Making him the first Sabre to do so, yes? Not for nothing: 70 is a number of some significance for this franchise.

He showed his nerves on his first couple of shifts (failed to make a routine play along the boards in the 1st period), but then settled in quite nicely. We can look for him to compete for a spot in the bottom 6, right? Also, as for Evan Rodrigues: I feel like his game has already tailed off.

Was gonna say. Low 50s is something Sabre fans can recall.

That sort of thing seems like it would be low-hanging fruit for someone like Harrington.

And he's going to skate with Rodrigues (sp?) and Foligno. FFS. I will never get the thinking on this sort of decision.

Ennis had a terrific game. Someone posted (Twitter) the shot attempts for/against when he was on the ice -- it was like 17-3 for the Sabres. And, yes. Eichel looked checked out. Very disappointing, since we were at the game. Is true.

It didn't sound like a scuffle to me -- it sounded like someone was ranting about what had gone down, what was going down. There's something preceding the "F*** OFF!" -- something that seems to build to that point. I went to the game (but not the fan appreciation party in the plaza -- sorry, PA -- no live stream), and Eichel seemed fairly out to lunch.

Got eem.

That is pretty great. Although the weird spacing issue with the first " quote" mark is distracting.

Kenny Linsman.

I can't recall Thornton ever turtling. He generally answers the bell. And for good cause, too -- he's done his share of dumb sh1t.

By "piece of work" do you mean POS? I went and watched the near hit. Tkachuck went airborne because Doughty slid under. Otherwise, that might have been a fair hit. That elbow from earlier in the year, OTOH, was feckin' awful.