GAME DISCUSSION THREAD

[NowDoYouBelieve]

We'll be halfway through the season after this game and I gotta say that 41 points would make me feel a lot better than 39.

 

LET'S GO BUFFALOOOO!

[SwampD]

It's kind of sad, actually, to lose three pretty good posters. But I will be damned and sent by Pegula to hell if I am going to waste one minute of time talking to people who actually think I pull for the Sabres to lose or would not want to see the Sabres win a Cup goddamned yesterday. There's a pretty big fu*king difference between believing that going in the tank would be best thing for the franchise and sitting down for a Sabres game and rooting for them to lose.

 

Pending some clarification or apology, you three will go on ignore. Trust me, you're not going to like your cellmate.

Someone forgot to take their Midol today.

[R_Dudley]

You too? Wow, I never thought my ignore list on here would ever grow past one. Now it's up to three in one thread. Impressive.

 

Whoa there a bit too sensitive, humor maybe bad humor but I know your a Sabre fan. Now to the real gist of it did you take your meds today ? :nana: Okay only kidding again ;)

 

Sorry the piling on was too easy.

[Robviously]

Sorry to switch topics, but now I'm wondering if there's going to be some sort of moment of silence before the game for Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (D-Arizona) and the other people who were shot earlier today.

 

http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/01/08/arizona.shooting/index.html?hpt=T1&iref=BN1

 

Absolutely horrible. Thoughts and prayers.

 

(And if you're thinking about turning this into a political thread, please reconsider.)

 

Update: Now being reported that she has died. RIP.

[NowDoYouBelieve]

Sorry to switch topics, but now I'm wondering if there's going to be some sort of moment of silence before the game for Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (D-Arizona) and the other people who were shot earlier today.

 

http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/01/08/arizona.shooting/index.html?hpt=T1&iref=BN1

 

Absolutely horrible. Thoughts and prayers.

 

(And if you're thinking about turning this into a political thread, please reconsider.)

 

6 others killed as well. RIP to them all.

[deluca67]

Sorry to switch topics, but now I'm wondering if there's going to be some sort of moment of silence before the game for Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (D-Arizona) and the other people who were shot earlier today.

 

http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/01/08/arizona.shooting/index.html?hpt=T1&iref=BN1

 

Absolutely horrible. Thoughts and prayers.

 

(And if you're thinking about turning this into a political thread, please reconsider.)

 

Update: Now being reported that she has died. RIP.

Unless any of them were scheduled to take Rivet's place in the lineup I couldn't care less.

[NowDoYouBelieve]

Unless any of them were scheduled to take Rivet's place in the lineup I couldn't care less.

 

Wow. Ever heard an expression that started with "If you don't have anything nice to say..."?

[deluca67]

I pull for the Sabres to lose? Really? I see you've joined Jack and chz and Cheech and Chong down in Olean for some smoke time.

 

In a moment of objective candor, this season I've said the Sabres would be better off losing enough games to get Ruff fired and/or get the first pick in the draft. I've never sat down to watch a game and pulled for the Sabres to lose. This is about, putting emotion aside, what is best for the franchise, when it was apparent to everyone but the Polyannas that they weren't making the playoffs.

 

Hell, even when they were two points back in November, the facts and history and the makeup of the team and a lame duck coach suggested their record that far into a season already made it very unlikely they would make the playoffs. A team with 69 points was not going to make the playoffs. And all that has been proven true. Despite turning their season around (14-9-3 since a 3-9-2 start), they've only fallen farther and farther behind in the race.

In the era of salary cap sports "bottoming out" has become a necessary part of the process. Which is a better a result? A top five draft pick or 8th place and a first round exit in the playoffs? If a fan has any faith in the front office they should choose the top five draft pick. It comes down to the ultimate goal. Is it to have an exceptional team that is a true Cup contender or is it mediocrity in the hopes of catching lighting in a bottle?

 

Look back at the Bills season. What is more valuable? The four wins or the #1 pick overall? I would gladly trade four meaningless wins for a chance at a #1 overall pick. Even with Andrew Luck staying in school, I would rather have the pick.

[darksabre]

Wow. Ever heard an expression that started with "If you don't have anything nice to say..."?

 

Sarcasm man. A little off-color, but humor is a common response to tragedy.

 

That said, I had no idea this happened. So yeah, thanks Sabrespace for the news.

[deluca67]

Wow. Ever heard an expression that started with "If you don't have anything nice to say..."?

This is a message board where people give their opinions, unless it has changed. My opinion is, I just really don't care.

[NowDoYouBelieve]

This is a message board where people give their opinions, unless it has changed. My opinion is, I just really don't care.

 

And my opinion is that if somebody (in this case, several people) dies and you really don't care, silent respect is a more prudent option than expressing that opinion.

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

Looks like everyone got their Christmas shopping, credit card statements in the mail today.

 

There's more estrogen in this thread than on chz's pillowcase circa 1998.

[nfreeman]

In the era of salary cap sports "bottoming out" has become a necessary part of the process. Which is a better a result? A top five draft pick or 8th place and a first round exit in the playoffs? If a fan has any faith in the front office they should choose the top five draft pick. It comes down to the ultimate goal. Is it to have an exceptional team that is a true Cup contender or is it mediocrity in the hopes of catching lighting in a bottle?

 

Look back at the Bills season. What is more valuable? The four wins or the #1 pick overall? I would gladly trade four meaningless wins for a chance at a #1 overall pick. Even with Andrew Luck staying in school, I would rather have the pick.

 

#4 and #5 overall draft picks since 2000:

 

2000:

 

4 KLESLA, Rostislav D CBJ Brampton

5 TORRES, Raffi LW NYI Brampton

 

2001:

 

1 4 4 FLA Stephen Weiss

1 5 5 ANA Stanislav Chistov

 

2002:

 

1 4 4 PHI Joni Pitkanen

1 5 5 PIT Ryan Whitney

 

2003:

 

1 4 4 CBJ Nikolay Zherdev

1 5 5 BUF Thomas Vanek

 

2004:

 

1 4 4 CAR Andrew Ladd

1 5 5 PHX Blake Wheeler

 

2005:

 

1 4 4 MIN Benoit Pouliot

1 5 5 MTL Carey Price

 

2006:

 

1 4 4 WSH Nicklas Backstrom

1 5 5 BOS Phil Kessel C

 

2007:

 

1 4 4 LAK Thomas Hickey

1 5 5 WSH Karl Alzner

 

2008:

 

1 4 4 STL Alex Pietrangelo

1 5 5 TOR Luke Schenn

 

2009:

 

1 4 4 ATL Evander Kane

1 5 5 LAK Brayden Schenn

 

2010:

 

1 4 4 CBJ Ryan Johansen

1 5 5 NYI Nino Niederreiter

 

There are a number of good NHL players here, but not a single franchise player.

 

Bottom line: it's better to get to the playoffs than to be bad enough to get the #4 or #5 pick.

[deluca67]

And my opinion is that if somebody (in this case, several people) dies and you really don't care, silent respect is a more prudent option than expressing that opinion.

The more "prudent" course of action is to not bring up on a hockey board. The only reason this would be of any interest is if it caused the Sabres game to be delayed or postponed.

[deluca67]

#4 and #5 overall draft picks since 2000:

 

2000:

 

4 KLESLA, Rostislav D CBJ Brampton 5 TORRES, Raffi LW NYI Brampton

2001:

 

1 4 4 FLA Stephen Weiss

 

 

 

 

 

1 5 5 ANA Stanislav Chistov

2002:

 

1 4 4 PHI Joni Pitkanen

 

 

 

 

 

1 5 5 PIT Ryan Whitney

2003:

 

1 4 4 CBJ Nikolay Zherdev

 

 

 

 

 

1 5 5 BUF Thomas Vanek

2004:

 

1 4 4 CAR Andrew Ladd

 

 

 

 

 

1 5 5 PHX Blake Wheeler

2005:

 

1 4 4 MIN Benoit Pouliot

 

 

 

 

 

1 5 5 MTL Carey Price

2006:

 

1 4 4 WSH Nicklas Backstrom

 

 

 

 

 

1 5 5 BOS Phil Kessel C

 

2007:

 

1 4 4 LAK Thomas Hickey

 

 

 

 

 

1 5 5 WSH Karl Alzner

2008:

 

1 4 4 STL Alex Pietrangelo

 

 

 

 

 

1 5 5 TOR Luke Schenn

2009:

 

1 4 4 ATL Evander Kane

 

 

 

 

 

1 5 5 LAK Brayden Schenn

2010:

 

1 4 4 CBJ Ryan Johansen

 

 

 

 

 

1 5 5 NYI Nino Niederreiter R

 

There are a number of good NHL players here, but not a single franchise player.

 

Bottom line: it's better to get to the playoffs than to be bad enough to get the #4 or #5 pick.

Why did you leave out the first three picks?

[nfreeman]

And my opinion is that if somebody (in this case, several people) dies and you really don't care, silent respect is a more prudent option than expressing that opinion.

Amen. DeLuca, that was way over the line.

[deluca67]

#4 and #5 overall draft picks since 2000:

 

2000:

 

4 KLESLA, Rostislav D CBJ Brampton

5 TORRES, Raffi LW NYI Brampton

 

2001:

 

CAR

1 4 4 LAK Thomas Hickey

1 5 5 WSH Karl Alzner

 

2008:

 

1 4 4 STL Alex Pietrangelo

1 5 5 TOR Luke Schenn

 

2009:

 

1 4 4 ATL Evander Kane

1 5 5 LAK Brayden Schenn

 

2010:

 

1 4 4 CBJ Ryan Johansen

1 5 5 NYI Nino Niederreiter

 

There are a number of good NHL players here, but not a single franchise player.

 

Bottom line: it's better to get to the playoffs than to be bad enough to get the #4 or #5 pick.

What would have been better for the Sabres future. Making the playoffs and losing in 6 games or having Johansen or Niederreiter as a Sabres prospect? I'll take the prospect.

[Fire Lindy Ruff NOW]

pitkanen? whitney? kessel? vanek? kane? those guys could all be franchise players.

[nfreeman]

Why did you leave out the first three picks?

Because your post referenced a "top-5 pick." I think posters here consistently overvalue NHL first-round picks. Bottom line in the NHL draft is that there is a huge dropoff after the top 2 and it becomes much more of a crapshoot.

 

This, btw, is why I continue to believe the Sabres did the right thing in keeping Vanek instead of taking the 4 first-rounders.

[deluca67]

Amen. DeLuca, that was way over the line.

Why should I care? People have been trying to get gun control in this country for decades. Some more people have become statistics. I'll start to care once a certain group of people in this country stop accepting paper bags of cash from the NRA and start doing the right thing.

[spndnchz]

This should be discussed in another thread

 

>>>automated response<<<

[nfreeman]

What would have been better for the Sabres future. Making the playoffs and losing in 6 games or having Johansen or Niederreiter as a Sabres prospect? I'll take the prospect.

Would you feel the same way if the Sabres had beaten Boston in the playoffs last year? That was a very close series which the Sabres could easily have won.

 

pitkanen? whitney? kessel? vanek? kane? those guys could all be franchise players.

I think of those guys as good NHL players, not franchise players. The first 3 were traded or let go by the teams that drafted them. Vanek is talented but far too inconsistent. Kane has the most upside but put up only 26 points in his first full season.

 

I think of franchise players as top-15 or so guys in the NHL. None of those guys is even close.

[nfreeman]

Why should I care? People have been trying to get gun control in this country for decades. Some more people have become statistics. I'll start to care once a certain group of people in this country stop accepting paper bags of cash from the NRA and start doing the right thing.

You don't need to care. The point was simply that making a flippant comment about someone who was just brutally murdered and who is also someone's mother/daughter/wife/sister is pretty GD disrespectful. She had 2 kids, who are now going to grow up without a mother. Would you like them to google their mother's name and find your post?

 

If you don't want to pay your respects, fine, but the right thing to do is to keep those comments to yourself.

[Fire Lindy Ruff NOW]

Would you feel the same way if the Sabres had beaten Boston in the playoffs last year? That was a very close series which the Sabres could easily have won.

 

 

I think of those guys as good NHL players, not franchise players. The first 3 were traded or let go by the teams that drafted them. Vanek is talented but far too inconsistent. Kane has the most upside but put up only 26 points in his first full season.

 

I think of franchise players as top-15 or so guys in the NHL. None of those guys is even close.

kane is franchise, its not all about points. that guy brings toughness and courage, i would take him on my team in a second. and hes having a pretty good year this year. ryan whitney id say is a franchise dman. gets a crapton of points, he was havin a great year in edmonton, shame that he got hurt. pitkanen, good solid defenseman who gets alot of points, could be franchise. poor vanek was a franchise player, who knows what happened to him, but i still think he has the potential to be franchise. but i dont understand your logic. if a guy gets traded, that means he cant be a franchise player? joe thornton was a franchise player he was everything to boston, and he got traded, in fact hes san joses franchise guy. wayne gretzky got traded. mark messier got traded. so many franchise players have been traded.

[SwampD]

I really like hockey. I sure hope we win tonight.