IKnowPhysics

Probably Malkin. 50 goal scorer, 107 points last year. He makes his linemates better- he could probably turn Drew Stafford into a 30 goal scorer. No substitute for skill. Sabres scoring ability would get ridiculous. Would also strongly consider a premier Dman that can play big minutes, especially in a shutdown role. Weber's an obvious choice, but I would also consider the Ghost of Nicklas Lidstrom. If we're considering realistic players, I'd take a long look at Dan Girardi: 8th in hits, 5th in blocked shots, 12th in takeaways in '11-'12. Player usage charts show he excels in extremely difficult situations. A steal at $3.25 million. He's not having a great start to this year; may be more available than some. Bonus: he's from Welland.

Everything said in this thread so far has been accurate.

Sir Mixalot is unimpressed by this thread.

Ehrhoff looked good again. Miller looked in his 2010 form. Extremely sharp. To post the equivalent of a 50 goal pace (on an 82 game season), Vanek need only score 18 goals in these last 37 games. If he were to keep the pace he's on he'd post the equivalent of an 82 goal and 171 point season. Vanek's shooting percentage is a ridiculous 24.4% on a team-high 45 shots. Of players with more than 20 shots, only Patrick Kane is more deadly. I guess if we can't get secondary scoring going, we can get the D to step and bounce a few in here and there. Season stats after tonight are pointing to weaknesses in defense (duh): -We're 6th best in the league in goals per game and 3rd in the East, but we're 2nd worst in goals allowed per game. We're also 2nd worst in shots allowed per game. -We're 8th worst in giveaways, but 7th best in takeaways. --Stafford, Hodgson, Ehrhoff, Myers, and Sekera lead in giveaways. Leopold has the fewest giveaways of the regular, big-minutes players. Hecht isn't far behind. --Vanek, Ehrhoff, Hecht, Pominville, and Staffford lead in takeaways. Brennan, Pardy, Regehr, and Weber have yet to record any. -We're 15 in hits, compared to 31st at the end of last season. Ott, Foligno, and Weber (only 7 games) lead the team. As expected and observed, we're much more physical team. -We're last in faceoff percentage (43%). From those stats: -If Miller can backstop us until the D un######s itself, we could end up doing pretty well. -Hecht is doing a great role playing job. -Leo, for as bad as his checking is, he isn't making many mistakes with the puck on his stick- maybe he's the new Numminen. -Stafford's a turnover machine (which may explain his poor +/-)- he battles for the puck well, but seems too eager to give it away. -Part of Vanek's magic is that he is simply wrecking opponents when he tries to force turnovers. Great example: stripping Tavares for the break tonight.

Rec skates are designed to be cushy comfortable (like a hiking boot) and as much like speed skating ice skates as possible. They have long, tall chassis with uniformly large wheels. They're soft-sided to be comfy and stay cool. Some rec skates have brakes, which, depending on how you skate, could be a hindrance. Hockey skates are designed to take pucks and sticks and are as much like hockey ice skates as possible. The have compact chassis designed to be fast and efficient, but not be so long- so that they feel like a hockey blade instead of a speed skate blade- this makes them capable of being more agile than longer rec chassis. The boot uses laces to stay tighter than rec skates and is hard and durable enough to take pucks. The stiffer boot also transfers energy better than a rec skate (this is compensated by the longer chassis on a rec skate).

I see it.

Just for the Leafs. And the Flyers, Penguins, Senators, Bruins, Hurricanes, Capitals, Stars, maybe the Rangers .

First, I doubt any of this business of taking a 4th line shift off to catch your wind is meaningful in any way. Vanek played 24 minutes last night (TWENTY FOUR). His last three seasons he's averaged 17. The coaching staff might be listening closely to him about whether he's winded or not, especially if they're trying to make a comeback . Second, has anyone ever played competitive anything when you're one of the better players and the rest of the team sucks that night? Of course it's frustrating. You do all you can do to put up a big game, and the rest is left to your team, and if they let you (and eachother) down, yes, it can piss you off. This Sabres team has been the Thomas Vanek show* so far this season, and after the streak of lost games, he should be plenty pissed and make it his business to call out his teammates. So what happens when he does that- you get lots of good scoring chances created by the secondary forwards throughout the game and just enough secondary scoring to keep the game close. Then Vanek does all he can- everything he's been doing- and gives you two big goals and a shootout goal to get the team the W. That frustration is going to mold these top line boys into leaders right quick. *The opening acts include Pominville, Hodgson, Ennis, Ehrhoff.

Oh ###### guys, businessmen doing businessmen things. Get the ###### pitchforks. Also, re: ulterior motives; Kim's a Sabres fan, and if he bought the Flyers, she would have to take his balls.

Forget all of the I told you so nonsense. I could go back to any thread on the board and find a post that's wrong. I'm not prognosticating the entire season yet (I'm just spectating- try it sometime), but come from behind wins like last night's tend to impact team chemistry and effort in a positive way. We saw what a good Sabres team can look like with this group of players in Boston and in various spots in some games. We have the potential. I think some of our systematic weaknesses improved a little last night. Either way, there's more to come, and as a fan, I'm all in.

Thank you.

Someone tell Kessel about this idea, he'd have a ball.

The man does put a mean cupholder on a pisser.

Nope. 1) That's dumb. Losing to get draft picks doesn't guarantee a better hockey club. If you're going to lose to win, you better ###### guarantee the winning part.* 2) It doesn't work. The new CBA rules concerning the draft lottery makes it harder to secure one of the top picks. *Breakdown: a) Columbus has had outstanding draft position for their entire existance, and their club is still crap and free agents don't want to sign there. We obviously draft better than them, but we have historically had a hard enough time convincing players to sign here. b) Even if you draft a top-ranked player, many outside influences may prevent that player from developing into the all star you expect (for instance injury). c) One player doesn't make a team. If you do get get good picks to develop, and if they remain healthy, you still might not win if you don't build the rest of the team well. See: Edmonton 2011-2012, finished 15th in the West. That's a big gamble, that I would expect no professional sports team to risk.

Funny, because I remember him exactly like this: http://sportsillustr...ov_benching_ap/

Yep. When Matt Carle was shipped to TB for two Dmen and San Jose signed Rob Blake, Rivet was the odd man out, ending up as a summertime trade. There's a story about him being laughed off the phone when he called up a Buffalo real estate agent inquiring about the availability of five-million-dollar homes in WNY (he didn't realize what the real estate market was compared to SJ). So he moves out here, then retires out here, plays for Elmira for a season. Kids are probably still in school here. I think Slava Kozlov is the only Russian we've had that's played a season or less for us, and the only one in Regier's era. That trade to Atlanta always did seem a little forced. It's also possible it was Vladimir Tsyplakov, who went to go play Russian Superleague and for the Belarus national team after a season and a half of dealing with a knee injury.

Put. That beer. Down. Beer's for fans only. You think I'm ###### with you? I am not ###### with you. I'm here from downtown. I'm here from Kim and Terry. And I'm here on a mission of mercy. Your name's BuffaloBorn? You call yourself a Buffalo Sabres fan you son of a bitch? The good news is - you're fired. The bad news is - you've got, all of you've got just one week to regain your fandom starting with tonight. Starting with tonight's game. Oh? Have I got your attention now? Good. Cause we're adding a little something to this month's fan contest. As you all know first prize is a Cadillac El Dorado. Anyone wanna see second prize? Second prize is a set of steak knives. Third prize is you're fired. Get the picture? You laughing now? You got players. Kim and Terry paid good money, get the players to cheer them. You can't cheer the players you're given you can't cheer ######. You ARE ######. Hit the bricks pal, and beat it 'cause you are going OUT. ###### you. That's my name. You know why, mister? You drove a Hyundai to get here. I drove an eighty-thousand dollar Blue and Gold pickup truck. THAT'S my name. And your name is you're wanting. You can't play in the man's game, you can't cheer them - go home and tell your wife your troubles. Because only one thing counts in this life: Get them to cheer on the game which is dotted. You hear me you ###### faggots? A-B-C. A-Always, B-Be, C-Cheering. Always be cheering. ALWAYS BE CHEERING. A-I-D-A. Attention, Interest, Decision, Action. Attention - Do I have you attention? Interest - Are you interested? I know you are, because it's ###### or walk. You cheer or you hit the bricks. Decision - Have you made your decision, for Christ? And Action. A-I-D-A. Get out there - you got the prospects coming in. You think they came in to get out of the rain? A guy don't walk on the lot lest he wants to cheer. They're sitting out there waiting to give you their fandom. Are you gonna take it? Are you man enough to take it? What's the problem, pal? You see this watch? You see this watch? That watch costs more than you car. I drank 970,000 beers last year. How much'd you drink? You see pal, that's who I am, and you're nothing. Nice guy? I don't give a ######. Good father? ###### you! Go home and play with your kids. You wanna be a fan here - cheer! You think this is abuse? You think this is abuse, you ######? You can't take this, how can you take the abuse you get at a game? You don't like it, leave. _I_ can go out there tonight with the materials you've got and drink myself 15,000 beers. Tonight! In two hours! Can you? Can YOU? Go and do likewise. A-I-D-A. Get mad you son of a ######. get mad. You want to know what it takes to be a fan of the Sabres? It takes BRASS BALLS to be fan of the Sabres. Go and do likewise gents. Fandom's out there. You pick it up, it's yours. You don't, I got no sympathy for you. You wanna go out to those games tonight and cheer, CHEER. It's yours. If not you're gonna be shining my shoes. And you know what you'll be saying - a bunch of losers sittin' around in a bar. 'Oh yeah. I used to be a fan of the Buffalo Sabres. It's a tough racket.' These are the new players. These are the Darcy Regier players. And to you they're gold, and you don't get them. Why? Because to give them to you is just throwing them away. They're for fans. I'd wish you good luck but you wouldn't know what to do with it if you got it. And to answer you question, pal, why am I here? I came here because Kim and Terry asked me to. They asked me for a favor. I said the real favor, follow my advice and fire your ###### ass because a loser is a loser.

Welp, seeing as how he just got an extension, I'm guessing that won't happen either. What else ya got? And just to throw some salt on the wounds of Ruff haters: http://www.montrealgazette.com/sports/hockey/montreal-canadiens/Hickey+Sabres+Regier+seen/7928029/story.html

Mission has been in the inline game for many years and was responsible for a lot of innovation seen in most modern inlines; they're fine. I seem to remember K2 making a recreational inline skate back in the day but not a hockey skate. Edit: And your link confirms that. If you want to play hockey, get a hockey skate. If you want to skate along the beach in a white leotard like you're in a tampon commercial, get a recreational skate.

Just saw Brownie on the Sharks broadcast. Looks like he's doing well.

This. I used to play a lot of roller, but I cut that down when I picked up ice about 9 years ago. I have a pair of Bauer ice skates that rock (2009 X60s), and if I ever decided on a new pair of inlines, I'd get the same boot or a cheaper version of the same boot. The new Bauer inlines have similar features that I enjoyed on my old mission skates too (Bauer bought Mission). Just taking a quick look, I'd probably take a long look at the XR2s, XR3s and maybe XR4s. Much of my content with Bauer is all based on the skates fitting both my foot and the way I skate extremely well, but the durability of my skates has been great too. YMMV. Bauers may not fit you the best- and a great fit is the most important thing. If you're just getting started at it again, maybe examine the next-to-cheapest in the line of skates that fit you best. If you're not playing more than twice a week or so, you're probably not pounding the hell out of them, so as previously deduced, it's not worth the money.

I was forced to listen to the marble-mouthed homers on NESN, and from about 2:00 into period 1, they gave Vanek the spotlight, noting that he had recorded 49 points in 45 games against Boston going into this game. Once he scored his first goal tonight, they couldn't shut up about him, even joking after his second goal that "if Vanek played the Brunis every night, he'd challenge Gretzky's records." They must've said his name 300 times tonight. And you know it burned the Bruins fans' collective ######. Lots of good things in this game. -The first line is unstoppable. -Vanek's admitting that he's playing the best hockey of his career (finally some confidence!). -Leo, Myers, and Sulzer played a little better tonight, but still have a lot of work to do. -Ehrhoff is finally showing what he's capable of when healthy, and he's starting to convince me he is the Buffalo Sabres franchise defenseman. -John Scott collected 7 penalty minutes, 10 punches thrown, 0 punches received, and gelatinized Shawn Thornton's skull. -Miller put together a solid body of work, made whole by an outstanding 3rd period. -Sabres blocked 24 shots tonight.

I thought they were used merely the supporting evidence of the problems pertaining to Ruff and Regier, respectively.

Anyone want to blame Ruff, Regier, or Pegula for this? It's happening in every other thread right now. I want you guys to be perfect.