IKnowPhysics

In 1835, when the United States was only 59 years old and states stretched only to somewhere in Missouri, a mentally ill man by the name of Richard Lawrence attempted to take the life of President Andrew Jackson. Lawrence, wielding two pistols, approached Jackson from behind and attempted to shoot Jackson in the back at point blank range. The first pistol misfired. The second pistol misfired. Jackson turned around and bludgeoned that man to within an inch of his life using his famous cane. When word got out to the young nation of Jackson's failed assassination, it was considered Divine Providence. It was believed that God was a guiding hand in the US and this was more evidence He wanted the nation to succeed. When laboratory tests were performed on the pistols, it was estimated that the chance of both pistols misfiring was 1 in 125,000. It doesn't matter what the odds are. We have Divine Providence. The Buffalo Sabres are on a mission from God.

Could be Johansson. Natural LW forced to C. Paul Hamilton mentioned it as an issue this past week, as a result of the coaches trying to fill in the hole at 2C when it was settled that Mittelstadt wasn't it. Said Johansson was a team player, and would do anything asked of him, but everyone knew he performed better at LW.

I agree with the premise that the team needs secondary scoring after the top line. NHL equivalency gives a little bit of data in which to root some obvious opinions. Casey Mittelstadt as a 2C: Casey put up 30 points in 34 games in his final season at Minnesota. This yields an NHLe of 24 points. Casey put up 25 points in 77 games (equivalent to 26pts in 82 games) in his first full season as a Sabre, so this was pretty spot on. This past year, his development stalled, as he put up 9 points in 31 games (equivalent to 24pts in 82 games) before being sent down and recording 25 points in 36 AHL games (NHLe of 28pts). The troubling part of all this is that, according to the player usage charts, he was by far the most sheltered player on the team for these two years. He has not met the production expected of a top six forward and he has not faced the quality of competition that a top six forward would. Dylan Cozens as a 2C: Dylan put up 85 points in 51 games in the WHL this year (up from 84pts in 68 games last year). This gives an NHLe of 41 points in 82 games. 41 points would have been good enough for fourth among Sabres forwards this year, if an 82 game season were played, behind EIchel, Reinhart, and Olofsson (and tied with Johansson). It's a reasonable assertion that the team's secondary scoring was insufficient, if not grossly insufficient. After Olofsson-Eichel--Reinhart's combined 78 goals, all other Sabre forwards combined for only 88 goals. While Cozens' NHLe of 41 points would be sufficient to match the production of Johansson, that level of production is insufficient. Cozens can step onto the team and make an impact next year, but if the Sabres want to improve secondary scoring, Cozens should not be the 2C without further development.

Adam Benigni: Paul Hamilton has been hired by WGRZ to provide on air and online NHL and Sabres analysis. https://twitter.com/AdamBenigni/status/1276206470862974981?s=20

FWIW, I searched the USPTO filings and haven't found anything new lately. This doesn't mean much, though, since the Slug debacle taught the patent lawyers to wait until the day of the unveiling to file the paperwork. Also, IMO, all they have to do is take the uniforms anywhere from 1980-1996 (I'm partial to 1983-1987 because the slightly wider stripes are more befitting of modern jerseys, but use the thinner stripe pants from 1980-1983), keep the six-stripe socks, and use the crest from 2010-present with an update blue. http://www.nhluniforms.com/Sabres/Sabres.html Jerseys and socks: Pants: Crest, but updated with matching blue: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_Sabres#/media/File:Buffalo_Sabres_Logo.svg

We'd get moved up the standings, have our draft position lowered, then the post season would get cancelled due to the 2nd wave, and we'd simply be left at the lower position. #BecauseItsTheCup

Math.

If no one else did the math.

Didn't mean to imply that Lowe was more worthy than Martin, just that some would say Lowe is also worthy (as a player, damn sure not as a GM).

Reasonable points. Reasonable counterpoints: Kevin Lowe was a seven-time All-Star, a King Clancy winner, and won six Stanley Cups. Oilers first-ever draft pick, scored their first goal, and leads in all-time Oilers games played.

Kim St Pierre, btw, is the first female goalie inducted to the HHOF. Three Olympic Golds with Canada ('02, '06, '10), five IIHF Golds, and three IIHF Silvers. First woman to win a Canadian Interuniversity Sports men's hockey game. Second woman in history to play alongside NHL players, when she filled in for Carey Price in a Montreal practice in '08.

https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl/hockey-hall-of-fame-2020-class-1.5625644 Jarome Iginla Marian Hossa Kim St-Pierre Ken Holland Kevin Lowe Doug Wilson

Cost cutting pre-dated COVID, as the company didn't allow him to travel with the team starting this past year. Entercom is likely squeezing all of its holdings, including WGR, as its stock price has been bleeding out over the past three years, probably due to competition with the internet for advertising revenue. Similar to TBN cutting costs by clearing out its sports writers. Traditional journalism has been and continues to be in trouble as advertising revenues react to how people source their information. Sports coverage is an extension of this. I sincerely wish Paul the best. He worked hard for over 25 years for something we love. I look forward to seeing his next work.

Any time a demonstrably good player on a bad team speaks their mind, national-level media, local coverage from other teams, and bloggers rabidly froth at the mouth while pounding their keyboard hot takes of that team giving up that player in some sort of half-assed multiplayer package. This happens all the time. There's only one recent case I can remember when all of that nonsense actually came to fruition. And that GM doesn't work here anymore.

https://thehockeynews.com/news/article/carcillos-former-teammates-back-up-hazing-and-sexual-assault-allegations

The Pegulas financially secured the team's existence, secured the franchise in Buffalo, and made them economically competitive. Locked in the no-brainer regionalization with the Amerks purchase. They spend the cash, push the front office to compete, and hold them accountable when they don't. We likely wouldn't have the luxury of being mad at hockey decisions if they didn't do these things. They're not criminals, scum bags, or absentee. They care about the city and show it by being actively involved. They care about the sport and show it by being charitable and leading new initiatives. FWIW, they care about the league by being active in their initiatives as well. They put the team on a sound bedrock. The rest is year-to-year front office, team, and player performance, which, because it's highly visible and frustrating, overshadows the good they've done in some fans' and season ticket holders' minds. Friedman is right. Like it or not, we're now in an era where owners can't and don't make the astronomical level of investment required to own a professional team and then be completely hands off on their investment. And this will frustrate fans if they're in on hockey decisions, because the owners will never fire themselves. I don't know if Kevyn Adams will create a winning team. But I do know that Jason Botterill didn't and the owners are taking action. The Pegulas will be fine.

@john wawrow, thanks for looking into that dumb Harborcenter ice melt yarn today. It sounded like an excuse for some to go even more off the rails about ownership. Even the smallest kernels of truth help us all.

Especially when someone actually looked into the claims and found them to be false.

Pretend you "do this kind of work for a living" for the Sabres. Your hockey team is losing. You're aware the GM and hockey department are under scrutiny from the fans. You're aware that they are undergoing review by the ownership, but it is not yet complete. The Associated Press asks the ownership very directly if the GM is returning next year. Any response: positive, negative, and even a non-response will be published as a response. What do you tell the owner to say? @john wawrow : What would you expect an owner to say?

Friedman with more on Buffalo: https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/31-thoughts-breaking-major-nhl-awards-races/ Sounds a bit like the front office was blowing through cash without much to show for it, was asked to tighten its belt and get better, and resisted.

Dan Carcillo and Garrett Taylor have formed a class action lawsuit against the OHL and QMJHL for “hazing, bullying, physical and verbal harassment, physical assault, sexual harassment, and sexual assault.” The allegations are horrific and sexual in nature. Be advised. https://thehockeynews.com/news/article/more-explosive-and-shocking-allegations-against-junior-hockey-in-newly-filed-lawsuit If true and if pervasive to the junior leagues, I would believe this systemic psychological torture impacted many people over the years, including Sabres prospects. I hope those that were impacted have sought and received the help and support they needed.

It's the way of the Buffalo sports fan. We can investigate and argue and strategize and banter and keyboard mash all the live long day, but none of changes the single inevitable truth: We're going to ***** win it all.

List of Sabres employees terminated yesterday: https://mobile.twitter.com/frank_seravalli/status/1273383490365636610?s=21 22 in total. Scouting staff reduced from 21 to 7.