nfreeman Posted December 23, 2009 Report Share Posted December 23, 2009 Are you literally saying LQ could be legally charged with something for giving this contract to Connolly? Or did you mean "felony embezzlement" in a metaphoric sense? :blush: Felony embezzlement? We're not talking about stealing money(even though some would categorize what Connolly is doing this season as "stealing money"), just the possibility of a guy being re-signed to his current team due to a relationship between the teams managing partner and the players father. Let's say this was the case(which I have no proof of), Quinny could have made this decision on his own without ever mentioning in to anyone. Far from embezzlement at that point. Just a case where a player is signed to a contract exceeding his worth. Something you see in the NHL all the time by dumb general managers. If he intentionally gave TC, say, $2MM more of OSP's money than TC was worth, with the idea of enriching his friend, without OSP's specific consent, it's felony embezzlement. This. +1. :beer: You realize he said Lindy wasn't to blame and the top 6 were, right? ...or you could summarize it more accurately and concisely by saying that Miller has been lights out all season and that is the big difference between this year and the past two. ;) and this. Miller is the team right now. And he's getting support from the players giving the effort and playing smart hockey. Problem is...it's the wrong players. It's not just Miller. Team defense is much improved. Myers, the new Tallinder and Montador are collectively a huge improvement over Spacek, the old Tallinder and Teppo. Grier and Kennedy are also much better 2-way players than Kotalik, Max and Paille were. Kaleta's game is stepping up too. Miller is the team MVP, no question, and frankly a top 5 player in the league this year (yeah!), but it's not just him. If Blowmez can be traded, anyone can be traded. I don't think a GM will make a move that bad for 3-4 years. But TC would be a much lower commitment than Gomez. So I agree with you. I think you have forgotten that Connolly was always known for having a quick temper and being only too willing to throw his body around. He was about the only Sabre last year to jump in when Miller got ran, and also had a couple other times when he went after guys who were taking cheap shots. He only became passive the past couple months. He may have been the only Sabre who went after Gomez (and I think he even did it in 2 games), but the shots were pretty mild. He also has 42 penalty minutes total in the last 3 seasons. I think you need to give up on this one. Sign Peca as a free agent :thumbsup: I saw Mike walking around the Pepsi Center the other day. One of my buddies had a quick chat with him. He's apparently pretty bummed no one picked him up in the summer, and still has some fire in his belly. Man still wants to play hockey. Put him on the PK, let him win some faceoffs and let's get into the playoff mentality. Oh, for God's sake. Funny you mention Peca, because I've been saying for awhile now that Kennedy's game reminds me so much of Peca... even more than Connolly, Labatt! ;) I agree with this, but I think Kennedy has more offensive game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wjag Posted December 23, 2009 Report Share Posted December 23, 2009 He is still one of my favourite Sabres of all time........... :beer: Peca is my favorite period... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spndnchz Posted December 23, 2009 Report Share Posted December 23, 2009 I have a favorite Peca too! He shoots he scores :o Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wjag Posted December 23, 2009 Report Share Posted December 23, 2009 I have a favorite Peca too! He shoots he scores :o Is your favorite Peca live, virtual or constructive? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inkman Posted December 23, 2009 Report Share Posted December 23, 2009 they should trade connoly while he still has value and give up a draft pick for a star forward Unless the Sabres are giving up two or three first round picks, no way Connolly fetches a "star" forward. The guy is integral to our work in progress - another cog in a resilient group! :unsure: You honestly don't see any similarities? Look, I'm the first person to bash Connolly when he deserves it, but you must acknowledge he has some skills. He is "The Skill" after all. ...besides the Sabres system is predicated on variability of lines - matching the skill level of the individuals into coherent lines based on perceived chemistry. :unsure: I don't think a GM will make a move that bad for 3-4 years. But TC would be a much lower commitment than Gomez. So I agree with you. Am I the only one who thinks there is a world of difference between Connolly and Gomez. At least Gomez will run a goalie! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spndnchz Posted December 23, 2009 Report Share Posted December 23, 2009 Is your favorite Peca live, virtual or constructive? The degree of human participation in the simulation is infinitely variable, as is the degree of equipment realism. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wjag Posted December 23, 2009 Report Share Posted December 23, 2009 The degree of human participation in the simulation is infinitely variable, as is the degree of equipment realism. LOL .. Perfect... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwampD Posted December 23, 2009 Report Share Posted December 23, 2009 The degree of human participation in the simulation is infinitely variable, as is the degree of equipment realism. Taken directly from the scriptures of L.Ron Hoover's Church of Appliantology. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spndnchz Posted December 23, 2009 Report Share Posted December 23, 2009 Taken directly from the scriptures of L.Ron Hoover's Church of Appliantology. wiki actually. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LabattBlue Posted December 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 23, 2009 ...besides the Sabres system is predicated on variability of lines - matching the skill level of the individuals into coherent lines based on perceived chemistry. :blink: :blink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
static70 Posted December 23, 2009 Report Share Posted December 23, 2009 Can someone "preceive" this chemistry between the top 6? This isn't an EA Sports video game. You can't just throw a Grinder, Sniper and Playmaker on the same line in the real world and expect the same results as a video game. There are just too many variables from the players themselves. Connolly needs to shoot the dam puck more often, so do all of the top 6. They dance around, getting fancy and cough the puck up. Its 35 games into the season and we've seen this over and over again. It is clear a change needs to occur, although we have leaned on and received support from the bottom 6 guys with scoring it would be fair to say at this time management should bring in a player or 2 through trades or from Portland to help those guys out. Connolly is putting up line 2 numbers, he is on line 2. He could do better, with that said he, like the rest of the top 6 forwards become expendable to increase the chance of winning a Stanley Cup. Pointing out this teams current record and attempting to paste it to the end of the season into the playoffs is a double edged sword really. If we were to do that, I can see Buffalo getting put out in the first round of the playoffs, no matter how well Miller plays. You need to score goals, the top 6 need to be counted on to show up more than they are now. I'm not asking for an 82-0 record here, all I'm asking is these top 6 take the pressure off of the bottom 6, like they're paid to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
end the curse Posted December 23, 2009 Report Share Posted December 23, 2009 Hate to pile it on Connolly, but while he flat quit on faceoffs because it didn't go well for him, Kennedy has decided to actually, gulp, work on improving. Imagine that! http://www.buffalone...ory/902885.html Rookie center Tim Kennedy was back working on faceoffs Tuesday after taking another beating in the circle against the Leafs. He took some pointers from veteran Paul Gaustad, who has been among the best in the league all season. "It has a lot to do with experience," Gaustad said. "The more you take draws, the better you get at it. It took me a long time. He's definitely making progress. There's angles and positioning that I can help him with and countering what guys do." Kennedy played wing for his entire career and didn't take many draws until last season, when he was a rookie in the AHL. He has won only 35.7 percent of his draws this year and lost all seven against the Leafs. "Just a lack of experience," Kennedy said. "I kind of went into it blind. Before last year, I didn't think faceoffs were that big of a part of the game. I didn't take much stock into it. I've found out it's a huge big deal. It's not just who moves the quickest wins. There's a lot of strategy in it, and it's a huge skill. "I'm not real good at it right now. [Monday] was a really bad night. I'm going to keep working with Goose. He's a top guy in the league. The more practice I get with him, the better I can get." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darksabre Posted December 23, 2009 Report Share Posted December 23, 2009 What was I saying about our young players making vets look useless? Thanks for the supporting evidence ETC. :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PASabreFan Posted December 23, 2009 Report Share Posted December 23, 2009 What was I saying about our young players making vets look useless? Thanks for the supporting evidence ETC. :thumbsup: Do you want to blow this team up before next opening day? I'd have no problem with it, but there is this little problem of the team being in first place. I guess there's still hope they go in the tank in the New Year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
end the curse Posted December 23, 2009 Report Share Posted December 23, 2009 Do you want to blow this team up before next opening day? I'd have no problem with it, but there is this little problem of the team being in first place. I guess there's still hope they go in the tank in the New Year. :blink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LabattBlue Posted December 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 23, 2009 Do you want to blow this team up before next opening day? I'd have no problem with it, but there is this little problem of the team being in first place. I guess there's still hope they go in the tank in the New Year. I don't know if trading one(or maybe even two) of the FAB 5 in-season would be blowing it up. Assuming Miller is going to keep his level of play this high for seasons to come, the clock is ticking. Miller will turn 30 this summer and assuming he is not going to be a superman like Brodeur who is still playing great at age 37, they probably have around 5 prime years of Miller ahead of them. Therefore, the question is how do you build a team capable of winning the Stanley Cup in that timeframe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inkman Posted December 23, 2009 Report Share Posted December 23, 2009 Therefore, the question is how do you build a team capable of winning the Stanley Cup in that timeframe? I'd like to start by aquiring a nasty, nasty, rip your head off if you go near the crease defenseman. Aquire a top 6 power forward. Not easy to do but every year 2 or 3 of these guys become available at the trade deadline. It doesn't always equal a cup, but this Sabres team is in desperate need of someone of this ilk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
end the curse Posted December 23, 2009 Report Share Posted December 23, 2009 I'd like to start by aquiring a nasty, nasty, rip your head off if you go near the crease defenseman....Aquire a top 6 power forward. Mancari. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darksabre Posted December 23, 2009 Report Share Posted December 23, 2009 Do you want to blow this team up before next opening day? I'd have no problem with it, but there is this little problem of the team being in first place. I guess there's still hope they go in the tank in the New Year. Where did I say anything about blowing this team up? All I'm saying is that over the past few seasons we've seen guys like Kaleta, Butler, Sekera, and now Myers and Kennedy, walk into the locker room and either make the players around them better, or expose them for what they are. It's something we talk about all the time on here which is effort over skill, and all of these young guys embodies that. They may not be experienced, but they put in the work to get the job done, which seems to be more than players like Connolly feel is reasonable for the money they're making. Do I want the team blown up? No. Do I want to at least see an effort made to shed some dead weight? Yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skibum Posted December 23, 2009 Report Share Posted December 23, 2009 Can we stop nitpicking the players? You would think this is a Montreal fan site. The team is winning with depth, which I think is a good thing considering the injury rate in the NHL. And can we stop pointing out the discrepancy between Connolly's salary and games played? It's not like he sat out those games by choice. There's this perception that he has somehow given less to the team because he missed a lot of games. Well, I disagree. He has sacrificed a great deal of his personal health for the Sabres, probably long term in the case of the head injuries. If you repeatedly broke bones and had your skull cracked at work, and had to stay home as a result, would you feel that you should take a pay cut? No, you would probably sue your employer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inkman Posted December 23, 2009 Report Share Posted December 23, 2009 Mancari. ;) I guess I should have specified NHL power forward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
static70 Posted December 23, 2009 Report Share Posted December 23, 2009 Do you want to blow this team up before next opening day? I'd have no problem with it, but there is this little problem of the team being in first place. I guess there's still hope they go in the tank in the New Year. Lets see, Buffalo is in 1st place in the Northeast division. 6 points over Boston, 7 over Ottawa. Buf has a game in hand against Ottawa, but its a given they will not beat Ottawa this season, a continued tradition from this current roster. Surprise, surprise. Buffalo is actually 4th in points in conference with NJ, Wash. and Pitt all above them, not surprising really, considering the coming of age of Zach in NJ and of course Brodure in net. Wash. and Pitt I expected, offensive jaugernaughts. Buffalo is ranked 7th but tied for 6th league wide in the current standings. Not bad, actually a pleasant surprise. The defense has tightened up, but lets face reality, at the end of the day, its all MILLER. Great career season for him, I hope he goes for 10 shutouts and record breaking GGA and Save Perc. Ya never know. How long can lines 3 & 4 keep covering for lines 1 & 2 shortcomings? Only time will tell. But at some point and time (my guess would be "PLAYOFF TIME") the top 2 lines are going to need to show up on a regular basis. If the first 35 games are any indication of this possibility, then I don't see a deep run in the post season. So ya, I am all for a trade. Let's shake the tree, it can't get any worse then these top 6 are playing now. I mean, really, the only direction offensively these 2 lines have to go production wise is "UP". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inkman Posted December 23, 2009 Report Share Posted December 23, 2009 And can we stop pointing out the discrepancy between Connolly's salary and games played? Thank you for stopping by Mrs. Connolly, glad to see players mom's so internet savvy. Although I believe most of the conjecture about your boy Timmy (do you call him The Skill like us?) is acutally about the games he has played in this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabre Dance Posted December 23, 2009 Report Share Posted December 23, 2009 If you repeatedly broke bones and had your skull cracked at work, and had to stay home as a result, would you feel that you should take a pay cut? No, you would probably sue your employer. No, I would expect to receive disability pay (which is certainly less than my full salary). Then, I'd sue the guy who broke my bones and cracked my skull, not my employer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
end the curse Posted December 23, 2009 Report Share Posted December 23, 2009 Where did I say anything about blowing this team up? All I'm saying is that over the past few seasons we've seen guys like Kaleta, Butler, Sekera, and now Myers and Kennedy, walk into the locker room and either make the players around them better, or expose them for what they are. It's something we talk about all the time on here which is effort over skill, and all of these young guys embodies that. They may not be experienced, but they put in the work to get the job done, which seems to be more than players like Connolly feel is reasonable for the money they're making. Do I want the team blown up? No. Do I want to at least see an effort made to shed some dead weight? Yes. This. ^ In fairness to Darcy, though, he has been working on ramping things up. Purging softies like Kalinen, Kotalik, Numinen and Afinigenov over the past couple years and replacing them with tougher, harder working guys has made a big difference. Plus, this past draft was nothing but bulldogs from, top to bottom. I think the NHL style has seriously changed the past couple years, making soft, finesse stick handlers virtually obsolete. Packing the middle with size and shot blocking, coupled with a rejuvenation of the trap, has made the game conducive to power over finesse. Scoring requires power forwards clearing ice with pounding forechecks and bull rushes to the net. the pretty passing game is dead, and that means soft skill guys like Roy, Connolly and Pominville are not going to be nearly as effective anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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