Ghost of Dwight Drane

Ah yes....when Government intersects with Higher Education......the two bastions of efficiency.......

Is she craving pickles?.......

I got it in November.....and I haven't been that sick in decades. I figured it would be a bad year if I got it, because I never do. I went to Urgent Care on Thanksgiving instead of hanging with the family. Never go there either. All the hospitals truly have been overrun the past 2 weeks. Can't get a bed in places that are usually wide open.

We're here for you Chz........

The only reason to root for them to lose is to get rid of the decision makers.... It is obvious that won't happen, and even moreso in a short season. I'm all-in on rooting for them this year. I too think they will fall short of anything close to meaningful......and if they play with the lack of heart and passion that they have shown in the recent past, I have come to accept that people will support them no matter what, so no use complaining. I will joke in truth about what pussbags they can be, but there is no upside in rooting against them. Some people can't see that there ever was.....but there was. That's long gone. It will take a lot though for them to show me they have what it takes to get me to spend money on them again. Plus I'm going out with someone who when I asked her who her favorite player is, said, "I don't know...it's between Lucic, Thornton and Marchand." Out of sheer principle I need to represent. And no, I don't think she owns a fire-ax.

It's the "His daddy has pictures of the coach wearing pantyhose while drinking a bottle of Jack and laying in a fibreglass GI Joe bed with Norm Lacomb" stat.

Considering ticket sales after a labor dispute and a big FU to the fans.....I would have to say that many agree with you. A) For the first 20 games this year....probably. Over their career? Brayden McNabb looked like the defensive version of Foligno for a few weeks as well.... B) Not this year, and maybe never. If your idea of good in the locker room is sitting in your stall and listening to Lindy's schtick....then probably yes. C) This is a slight net positive.....that is until Weber is in the pressbox and Ott doesn't have another top 9 guy to roll with him unless Foligno is the real deal

Personality-wise....Hodgson is what 80% of this team is.....monotone....don't rock the boat...yadda yadda. Roy at least had some fire and personality...even if it was misguided. The reason a guy like him could have influence in the locker room is because 80% of the rest of the team is too sissy to try and focus a guy like that. When Drury was here, Roy played like a champ on his wing. I don't know if Dallas is the best spot for him either, but on a team like Detroit or the Rangers, he probably would be much more focused and valuable. They at least moved him for Ott....but for all the talk of some big change to the core....again, it was Roy-Gaustad-Kassian for Hodgson-Ott-Foligno. That's the big picture....and if you think that is any meaningful net-change.....I disagree. I'm prepared for more mediocrity.

If the season is really sold out at this point, I can only imagine the knowing glance Larry Quinn gave to Ted Black last night.

The only names on that list that aren't Darcy clones are Ott, Foligno and Regehr. Regehr already showed he couldn't keep up an "attitude" on his own and played the system after 15 games. Foligno is a baby and was playing well on instinct his first go around...like so many Sabres we have seen under Lindy. Can he continue? On a line with Ennis and Stafford, I seriously doubt it. He will get diluted down to something just short of "spunky". Ott is the wildcard. He's a true, established pain in the butt with some toughness who has enough offensive talent to make a difference. He seems excited....but there wasn't enough done to reach critical mass to change the culture here. I assumed Hecht was gone, and the warm and fuzzies about him coming back makes for even a greater hold on status quo, culture wise. They have talked after every year of being harder to play against. I put the over/under on games Scott plays at 13 1/2. After him, it has pretty much been Gaustad-Kassian-Roy for Ott-Foligno-Hodgson...........it's a wash in the "hard to play against" department, and the culture is pretty much a wash as well. Heck, at least Roy had some mojo.....AND the training staff F'd him up. Hodgson comes across as a good little soldier and we don't even know if he can match Roy in ability. I was really hoping we'd see real change in a direction towards thinking about what it takes to be a Champion....not attempting to squeak into 8th.

They didn't extend Ryan Miller..............

$1 million is fine.....it's just the fact that this is like hooking up years later with an old girlfriend after you caught her giving a BJ to your neighbor, and she's put on 40 lbs.

23-20-5 You're welcome ;)

I've been so tempted over time to start up a parody Twitter with something Sabres related.....but whoever does Fake Darcy is pretty good.

I agree.... I will always remember this day, as much as the Lucic/Miller day. Hecht is 6 feet away from Nichol and watches him coldcock Spacek from behind............stands still as Marty Biron jumps Nichol......makes a token motion towards an unconcious Spacek and his fighting goalie......then spins off....(oh...Marty has him)........THEN, looks around like a kid pretending he's looking for a chore to do as his 5'8" captain joins the scrum. Pathetic.....and the fact that Ruff led off with him as a rotating captain at one point is very telling of this generation of Sabres hockey. Please watch the replays.....the money shot starts at 1:03

Don't forget him scoring on the backhand....then going to the backhand his next 38 puck possesions for nada the next 8 games...... Good to see Mr. Dressup in the crowd behind Lindy.

Absolutely......I am holding back and waiting to see what the product is.

Every time Eleven gets a girlfriend, Geico raises his premium $600................

You're right.....I should have steered her away from the boyfriend and into an exciting, risk-taking encounter with one of the longtime posters here who she trusts as a pseudo-friend.......

Thank you. Sure, Miller practices like a champ, and Vanek grimmaces, and Ennis skates hard. If we want to be "harder to play against", your top 20 guys really aren't much different than what we have seen this whole time. You know Weber is a lindy whipping boy and probably #7. Scott is an ornament you put on the tree every now and then. Other than that.....a move like this is so "white flag", even if you do need to plug a roster spot. You just spiced up a meal of boiled chicken breast with a side of lettuce.

Vanek, Hodgson, Pominville, Leino, Hecht, Stafford, Ennis, Grigorenko, Sekera, Myers, Leopold, Sultzer, Ehrhoff, Miller, Enroth Ott, Regehr, Foligno, Kaleta, Ellis You've got 5 guys on Lindy's probable starting 20 that have an ounce of passion.....A new guy who needs to earn street cred and not want to kill himself playing on this team.....a vet who has lost a step who played with passion for 15 games last year until realizing he was now a Sabre.....a Rookie who only played hot for a few weeks and hasn't been "systemized" yet......a guy with a big heart, but no brains and brittle bones......and a scrub. That's all I got.

Hang in there Bio....you've just hit a Vanek cold spell. Maybe PA is right......why don't you crack open a few bottles of red with the bf, and go crazy. We've seen too much all-star production in the past not to dismiss this as a fluke. :thumbsup:

If you are speaking of Billy....he shuts up for a reason. If you ever hear him in practice, he is hysterical and brilliant. Marrone came across as a manager first go around. Really fed some BS. He may be good...he may be great....he may even be sincere to a point, but like I said, it felt like watching a presentation in MGT403 at UB.

Muscle relaxers........which enable longtime posters to acquire a new nickname.....

Yeah...listened to him tonight. Smart, balanced.....he was much more impressive to listen to than Marrone. The offense can be fine with an upgrade at QB. The defense can be great with another CB and LB or two.