Ghost of Dwight Drane

The technology thing is going to kill us all. Not everybody has the ability to run numbers in their head, but by not drilling patterns into kids and letting them get away with using technology, you lose that instinct which helps you identify scenarios quickly. It's like learning how to drive.....you need to anticipate all the other a-hole moves that the a-holes on the road are going to or could make. Technology is like sitting in the back seat of a limo. You may know the route to get there, and it makes things easier and you don't have to worry about it. But if you ever really have to get behind the wheel of a car....you will have little clue. In finance, or any other risk analysis scenario, there is so much number crunching and computer involvement that it has leveled the playing field in many regards. This makes the skill of "feeling it" and the ability to identify the people and personalities involved even more important. I used to handicap horses using pure numbers. Over the past 10-15 years, so much has been made available to the public as far as statistics and actual performance rates, that I handicap now 80% on physical aspects and pedigree. That is the only way to make a real killing. I use the numbers AGAINST people and look for those outliers. My biggest score in history was hammering the future books on a Todd Pletcher Derby horse. Pletcher was 0 for 23 in the Derby, even though he was the leading trainer in the world on a 5 year basis. Interestingly enough, Pletcher himself is a big analytics guy. Sometimes it isn't about the odds of the hand you are dealt...but who is sitting at the poker table with you.......

It's been hitting the fans since 2007......

Ha! Computers and analytics are fine as a tool. Problem is...not many know how to "see it and feel it" anymore because technology is used as a crutch. I would probably take players' Art Wander Number more seriously than a system devised by a goaltending coach on a team that has won 5 playoff games total the past 6 years while leading the league in spending 1/3 of that time.

OK...we're on. Good choice. If you are looking for something to do...March 9 from 4 - midnight+ the West Seneca chapter of the Variety Club has a huge beer blast and charity auction at the Vigilant Fire Hall. Tons of food and raffles and games for kids too. Usually lots of hockey related stuff. http://www.varietykidstelethon.com/variety_main/wsauction2013.jpg Since there is a 99.7% chance Eleven will be giving a c-note to the SPCA........this time I will play for the EDD Fund. http://www.eddfund.org/ They help kids with disabilities participate in all kinds of sports. It was formed in honor of a young man who used to help the kids himself, and he and his family used to live in the Buffalo area.

Yes...this is year 1. So I put up 20 against your 50 for the 3 years. I will let you lay 8-1 for this year alone.....what should I put up? 20? Which charities?

Same glasses and haircut too! We're gonna get the 1st pick!!! I wish I could trust Black/Pegula/Sawyer/Sandusky to get this right......but they have been 3 years slow on the draw already.

That's sweet. I think something similar happened to Kaleta in high school where the other team let him have a breakaway.

OK...what kind of odds you giving? I can get between 10-1 and 16-1. I will give you a hometown discount. http://www.oddschecker.com/ice-hockey/nhl/stanley-cup/winner If you are willing to give 5-2 on them winning a Cup in the next 3 years, I would do that. I think we need to set up an official "friendly wager" thread for posters. That being said.....I would try getting Schoney in here tomorrow........he has the ability to get behind the bench himself for a few weeks and see just who is worthless and who the true pansies are on this team. Every day that goes by with Darcy here is pushing us towards blowing next season as well. This is a broken record......saying the same things year after year....but it gets worse and worse. Heck, they are in 15th......at this point I wouldn't really care if Pegula went all Ted Turner and called out the lines himself. Might as well really live out the fantasy in this wasted season.

Then by that standard...isn't your post complete BS? :P

Are you calling Lindy an "it"?

I'm ok with Miller....Hodgson will probably have to go for a center with size.....Myers.....he's lucky if he passes the acquiring team's physical. Iginla was a great idea 10 years ago....good 4 years ago....and ok now. It's more the example set and the guy you can give the C to. Right now Ott and Regehr are the only 2 who feel worthy of a true letter, but we don't have a guy who deserves the C. Vanek would wilt with the pressure. Remember the Myers C talk? Yikes! And Schoenfeld is the assistant GM and coach of the Rangers as well as the GM of the AHL team. That's why I think you bring the coach in as a package deal and let them go for it.

They are built to keep going...and keep going. In fact, I am not sure if you could pull it off because of contracts, but one ex-Sabre I wouldn't mind seeing come here as GM is Jim Schoenfeld.....and he can bring his coach with him...Ken Gernander...the guy who helped develop all those young guys from 7-9-8-1 Gernander has the best attributes of Lindy, but actually knows how to develop young guys and keep a balance between player's coach and no-nonsense. The Rangers will probably win a cup in the next few years.....might as well get the people in here who know how to give you that shot.

We may have to blow it up at this point. That's too bad. I do think we can fall somewhere between Phoenix and the Rangers as far as style and success. You still need to catch a runner in order to win it all, but you give yourself more of the tools to do so. Miller playing only 60-63 games is key.

I love Weber's attitude. He was just young enough to beat the Lindy beatdown deadline. If you get a coach in here who isn't worried about taking physical penalties from time to time....the hard-nosed "true" defensive play will produce more positives than negatives as the opposition hesitates coming across your blueline, and has their collective head on a swivel. When your forwards pursue and punish instead of peel off and pontificate....all of a sudden you have a respectable team.

Sad thing is...you could have gotten Getzlaf for Myers last year.....I don't think Phoenix would give you Hanzal for him now..... It's finally to the point where most Sabre fans are at the same point....just give us a team we can respect and have a shot with. If we had been selling the past few deadlines and took our medicine, it wouldn't be this bad.

You need to fire Darcy...Today!!! This team is not far off...IF....you make the right moves and focus on a grinding, heart and soul team...and get a backup goalie that can limit Miller to 60 games. You need a coach in here that will let guys cycle, and who have the body and drive to play hard defense. You NEED to get rid of some guys that have value to get the base for what you need in here. Pominville needs to be stripped of the C....so that is embarassing and you should move him. He's just the type of guy that would let you take it from him....which is why he should have never been captain to begin with. Stafford had hope at one point....MAYBE you can hold onto him. You can build around Vanek, but if he or Miller need to go, then they go. You have the defensive talent in the pipeline to pull this off in fast fashion. Keep...or at least think of keeping the following...... Lieno - He is the perfect example of a guy Lindy stifled. Put him on a line with Grigorenko and watch them flourish together Grigorenko - see above Ott - Let the guy do his thing, and bring in others to roll with him Foligno - Maybe he can run with Ott.....see my target below as to who will center Vanek - He should have a chance to improve....even if you don't bring in the most creative center around, he can play a chippy style if protected and wait for the centers to develop. May be worth trading though Ennis - my first thought is trade, but if you move him to the wing...Ennis-Grigorenko-Lieno could be your "scoring" line, but actually your 3rd line. Gerbe-Kaleta-McCormick......for as much as people say "no talent", they would thrive in a system built for them and probably actually score more as well. This would be a fun pester 4th line....you have to let them do what their personalities were made for....not play Lindy-Jochen Hockey..... Trade Bait: Pominville - has to go, Stafford - broken most likely at this point, Hodgson - hope someone else doesn't pay attention to his defense Release: Hecht, Scott Keep: Ehrhoff - He has spunk and personality that can unwind and can be your main puck mover Weber - He will be a letter wearer one day and he survived Lindy. Congrats Mike Regehr - Resign him and let him and Weber float between you #3-#5 McNabb - Lindy is gone...not sure how his game has gone in Rochester, but bring him up now Brennan - Kid has some personality as well and should improve with a young, go-get'em coach Trade Bait: Myers - He is beyond slumping. He looks like a 12 year old fat kid trying to skate the puck out of his zone. I have no idea who will bite at this point Sekera - While he has improved his overall game, he showed zero grit in the playoffs. You maybe could keep him....but to me, he and Stafford are posterkids for the team we have seen the past 3 years Leopold - Get a 4th for him if you can Don't care: Sulzer, Pardy Keep: Miller - am on the fence with this one, but he chimed in early in the year and has spoken his mind....and bluntly. His game has also looked close to elite at times even though the results aren't there. If you build this team to go with his style, you can win. Get: A backup ala early Biron who can start a solid 20 or so games So.....Pominville, Myers, Sekera, Hodgson, Stafford.....on the block. Who do I target?.....I want Martin Hanzal here and have for 3 years. You put him between Ott and Foligno and the city would fall in love. The opposition wouldn't get a free inch for their 17 minutes on the ice O'Riley is interesting. Say you do go for him.....I'd take my chances Then you get one more puck-moving defenseman with some guts and who plays the body if you can. Then you bite the bullet and bring in Doan or Iginla to captain this ship. Can you net O'Riley, Hanzal, Iginla for Myers, Pominville, Hodgson, Sekera, Stafford??? What you are doing is building a poor-man's Rangers here until some of the young guys can step up in a year or two. If everyone gels....you can actually move on in the playoffs with this type of team. If the team can't put enough pucks in the net....you should be able to respect the heck out of them and never question the effort.The defense looks light on paper....but the synergy with the offense and having Miller on his game should be enough to make this a playoff team. You don't play Lindy-Jochen scared....you take the game to the other team for 60 minutes with pure effort....and you have enough talent to put some pucks in the net. Vanek - O'Riley - Iginla Ott - Hanzal - Foligno Ennis - Grigorenko - Lieno Gerbe - McCormick - Kaleta Ehrhoff - Regehr Brennan - Weber McNabb - Sulzer? Miller ? You can probably get this team on the ice with 2 weeks of phone calls....or something that looks very similar. Sad thing is, I've offered up the same idea for 4 years now...but our assets are dwindling or broken, and you can't fetch what you may have in the past. You can still turn this into a playoff built team in fast order.

For us old dudes....

Darcy speaks like a lawyer....be it stats, trying to put a good spin on a situation....and getting out of his Ruff comments. Again....Darcy said Ruff changing his style ended up being too big a risk....A RISK OF WHAT???? Of GETTING FIRED!!!! Just play it safe....try to sneak into 8th.....come up with some excuses....wash, rinse, repeat....pass Go....Collect $1.5 million.....yet another year...... I'm sure his nephews like him.....and he smooches his wife on the forehead before bed......and he gives his $100 pledge to the Variety Club......but the great CEO's know what it takes to win......and that is taking risk. You can't win the big one without it......and you WILL FAIL miserably in trying to do so at times. It's the name of the game. That is why Bucky has sources that laugh at Darcy...I don't doubt it for a second....because if you have the wavos of at least a 12yo.....it is hard to respect how he does his job. Brian Burke is a blowhard.....and he failed in Toronto....but he will give it a real go....AND....he'd probably be able to keep Pegula in check. Bill Polian in his prime chopped his own head off when Ralph and his family wouldn't stay out of things.....that's what people with ability and self-confidence do. They don't play puppet for both sides of the spectrum. I can't wait to see where Regier ends up after he is fired. I don't doubt Lindy will get another NHL head coach job if he wants it....in a hurry. I'd put 6-1 against Regier ever seeing a GM job again.

OUCH! Blue and Gold waiting list members......talk over your finances with your family, 'cause Ted Black is about to hit your bid......

I will GM this team for $1 If they win 1 playoff series my salary is $500K 2 series $1million Get to the Cup $2 million Win the Cup...$5 million That would be 6 free years of service if my name was Darcy. Ted Black.....give me a call........maybe you could put up with my "negativity bubble" now?????????

If you're dating an Italian woman....condoms.....

Thank you! Yes....I have out of principle after protecting people that were about to get f'd. That's why this board has been graced with my presence. I stick by my guns. Will Darcy give out Halloween candy to the kids? Sure. Will he do anything to survive and collect a paycheck as fans fork over tens of millions a year? Yes.

Don't get me wrong....I don't want Darcy to suffer as a person.....but in his body of work...for a guy who has collected $20 something million.....that's all he does....stick around. Darcy is the type who would sit at a slot machine and play 1 credit, 1 cent pulls, just so he could get the free booze......but he probably only has a Fuzzy Navel maybe for his birthday and for New Years....so maybe that's a bad comparison. He was a puppet for Quinn and looks to be the same for Pegula. How nobody in the media held him to his words from over the years....not just a few weeks ago....that he would never get rid of Ruff. The Darcy tried to weasel out of the statement from even 2 weeks ago. Wade Phillips took the bullet because he didn't think Ronnie Jones should have been fired. There is no doubt 30% of the NHL has been laughing at him and wondering how he has a job for close to a decade.

I've said this for a decade...and Darcy admitted himself in the presser....."Lindy changing coaching styles turned out to be too big a risk." A RISK OF WHAT???? Missing the playoffs 4 of the last 6 years and winning 5 playoff games combined? He risked being mediocre at best to try and improve? Darcy is a weasel... He has said in public at least a half dozen times that Lindy is his coach as long as he is the GM.....that's point enough. Darcy is the type of person who stays quiet at work...and sits in the shadows....not sticking out, so he never has to take responsibility for anything and lets others take the fall while he piles up excuses and doublespeak whenever questioned. Pure weasel. Give me a man. Someone willing to put it on the line and speak their mind. Not someone looking to pad their 401k and coast along. Great...he probably makes a mean 3 bean salad for the neighborhood potluck......but workwise.....pure weasel.

What did I say? On a point per game basis....the Canucks are 90% better than the Sabres......and the Sabres are at game 18 of 48. On a side note....this topic came up yesterday where I am at with folks from Vancouver and a former minor league hockey player. So did Ruff. 1st subject was that the Canucks have been lacking grit in the playoffs and they love the fact they tried to shore up their physical play. The second was..."Lindy Ruff was really good at one time. I remember when he had Hasek." :P