Ghost of Dwight Drane

No...that is not what she said. Please reread.

Umm....Darcy wanted a first but settled for Hodgson because Vancouver also valued the pick more. According to our boardly sources. And yes....would rather have Pyatt at $1 million over Stafford at $4 million.... You guys try so hard to paint me in a corner. If some posters held the team as accountable as they try to catch me on something, we may have won a cup by now.

How could Darcy fail to do his homework? Not like Dominic Moore had a bum wrist, Raffi Torres was fat and out of shape, or Steve Bernier had no work ethic. Hodgson's father is not a popular fellow in Canada in some circles. I never knew that, but I like to do my homework. So what we have puzzled together the past 4 days is that 1) Hodgson wanted off the best team in the league 2) Darcy valued the #20-30 pick over Hodgson 3) Gragnani hates Lindy Ruff 4) Kassian never ate chicken wings 5) Gaustad was a good deal but is now dodging tornadoes

I set realistic paramaters.....guess who fits them 3 of the 5 years since leaving Buffalo? Taylor Pyatt Guess who has yet to do so? Drew Stafford So if Stafford somehow pulls it off this year.....I'll give him to you for $4 million.......then you and your Darcy/Lindy appologists can give me Taylor Pyatt at a 60% strike rate for $1 million Sound fair?

There you go. See what happens when you set the bar low? And the great thing is, he only costs $4 million! By the way...Paul Hamilton says Hodgson refuses to answer the question if he asked to be traded. That's always encouraging from someone I'm told has leadership potential. He'd rather be getting more minutes on one of the worst teams in the league than being a #3 center on the best team in the league who was 1 goal from winning a Stanley Cup last year. Kassian never ate chicken wings? Maybe he is a fruitcake. How do you not eat a freaking chicken wing in Buffalo? I'm sure even Ryan Miller puts down the tofu and patchuli a few times a year and says "F-it.....yum..yum..yum..."

The 1 guy you can name in 15 years that you can honestly say Ruff had a major part in developing, and he moves on to have even more success. People like to point to the guys who didn't....but all those were lifelong Sabres. It's is simple as pie. Or is it pi?

right....I gave you the name as maybe the only one....and he went on to get a 75% raise from what Darcy turned down in paying him once he left. I know what my eyes see.

Give me a name of a 200lb forward who could score 15 goals and throw 100 hits that developed under Ruff? Grosek? http://www.teamradio.ca/news/zack-kassian-on-team1040/ Gragnani couldn't even fake a good word about Lindy Ruff and admitted it to the hosts. Starts a little before 3 min mark. Kassian was pretty blah...other than I'm glad he got traded because he claims he never ate chicken wings. WTF?

No, because every power forward type has failed miserably under Ruff. Dumont if you want to call him one, was fine. He started elsewhere and did even better once leaving Buffalo. Pyatt, Torres, Bernier, Stafford, Gaustad.......... And we've already been told the Sabres were shopping him for months, and from some of the "most faithful" that Kassian just doesn't have it in him or fancies himself not a tough guy. This is the first guy with big-league potential to "not meet his concept", yet is young enough to go elsewhere and forget Buffalo ever happened. I'm sure in 2015 when he has 28 goals and 120 PIM, everyone will have excuses. I'm saying right now if he fails, it isn't on Ruff. He only had the blood supply to his nads choked off for 2 years. Mild atrophy.....not Lindy Testicular Necrosis.

Nope....Kassian is way too young and hasn't been around the Sabres long enough to be ruined for life. That's why I am so excited to see this progression. If Kassian fails, it isn't on Ruff and the Sabres. That's always been my point. The guys who go away from Buffalo and don't progress....usually life long Sabres. Kotalik, Kalinin, Max....those types of guys. It's like letting an orcha whale who spent his whole life in captivity out in the wild. He's dead. This will be the first true power forward who started in Buffalo and got out before the age most guys hit the NHL.

I'm thirsty I don't have enough water I just paid $20 for a canteen There better be water in there

They just went on a run to get them to where they should be. 8th place and 93 points would be a huge deviation.

He's not going to play dirty. He's going to use his 220lb, unconstrained body and do what is natural to do. Does he want to be the new guy, or does he want to be a Canuck? You can wear the jersey the first few weeks, but if you show you are willing to drive your friend through the boards for the good of your team, then you are truly a Canuck. That's the main reason they got him this year. The 20-30 goals will come, but he is a beefcake and it is in his best interest to take advantage of a golden opportunity. It shouldn't be out of character for him. If you see Hodgson do something stupid like elbow a Sedin....that doesn't make sense. Ruff knows what's coming. If he is smart he has Kaleta try and goad him early.

Last year I did not think they would get in. The made a move 3+ standard deviations though...basically a 100-1 shot. Edit: It wasn't as dramatic over the course of the year...winning the last 4 games in a row was the real deviation. They turned their season around at game 35 though and were on an uptrend until the end of the season. The Sabres this year, if they turned it around it will have been closer to game 60, from a much deeper slope, and it will be harder to defeat their definition this year with so little time. Last year was really a 15-1 shot. I need to holster the hyperbole when waxing scientific! The charts and their inflection points work best throughout the season to identify particular games that are an opportunity. The sad thing is, they've pretty much been a mediocre team the past 5 years, so I have had more confidence finding short term tops for them and betting against. It has worked 70% of the time on whole. Things can change on the fly. Once they went on a roll last year there was no way to bet against them. They went into no-man's land so if you notice I was quiet, when over the past few years I would not be shy telling people I was willing to bet against them. If you go back to the Boston playoff series, going into it, that was the last team I wanted to play. I explained why at the time, and in fact not only did the series go the way I figured, game to game pretty much went perfectly. If you search the chart threads from over the years, you can see my running commentary. If they do beat Vancouver, it is a mini breakout and just maybe they have a chance. More than likely they lose and either lose a few more in a row, especially since i see Winnipeg doing well short term, or just bounce around flat pretty much.

In reality, sure, injuries will play a factor as well as schedule, etc. Over the years though this has worked so well, that I take it as a betting aid and projection. The odds on a specific game will be adjusted for hot streaks and health, so they will be an even better bet one way or the other because there is a premium built in on top of the fact you see a certain outcome in the chart if you are going the other way of momentum. If I bet with momentum, it is usually early enough in a cycle that I don't have to pay a hefty premium. I haven't paid as much attention this year with the games off TV. The path this team was on for the first 45 games, even when healthy, is just too well defined to go along with their losing streaks afterwards for me to think they can pull of the numbers needed to get anywhere near in. It's wierd because the way they are playing and the fact the nominal numbers aren't far out would make you think in a logical manner that they have as good of a chance as ever to get in.....but the chart says just the opposite. I hope Miller stays hot and focused. If they beat Vancouver it looks better for them because they were a bet against in San Jose....but if they lose it's just like a cement ceiling.

It's just sitting there for him. Can't you see it? It's like a gang initiation. A Stanley Cup team brings in a kid to play physical and put them over the top. That's a lot of pressure and I'm sure a lot inside that room are questioning if it was enough or if he is up to it. The fans there are glued to him just like Buffalo is 24/7 Hodgson. You don't get chances like this in life very often. Just the odds of his old team being there 5 days later.....you could see "the concept" leapfrog into reality. I would assume both coaches understand this, and Kassian has to feel it as well. He doesn't have to be dirty, just have a scope on to make sure he gets in that one thundering check, or have a go at it with one of his old teammates. Will it happen? I don't know.....but if Vancouver wants to win it all this year, I expect to see it happen.

They are right where they should be now. As much as the recent momentum has been positive, I see them with around 18-21 points these last 18 games. They just defined themselves too well all year in a very tight channel to throw caution to the wind and go on a crazy run here. If anything they are much more likely, starting with Vancouver, to go on a good sized losing streak. Winnipeg will take a lot to get by off the chart. Washington is interesting as they can float where there are or make up some ground but probably not collapse. Toronto, if they can string together 2 wins in a row, I wouldn't be shocked to see them win 5 of 6 or better. I don't see them just playing .500 here out. 75% they turn it around and make a run, 25% they go into utter collapse and everyone gets fired. Carolina looks like a group that slowly put together a cohesive team. They may pass us, or else i will keep an eye on them going into next year as a bet early team that will catch many off guard.

Sorry...forgot the extra A in asphalt No, but you can have an O for free

Y _ _' R _ A _ A _ _ H _ L _

You keep it up and he'll have dry socket, but wet sock.

I'd like to thank the fine people of NYC and surrounding area for pumping their money into slot machines at Aqueduct.

Complaint: Jason Pominville - K-Cup Mark Messier - Pot of Folgers and a couple Marlboro Reds

Holy coffee snobs! Having 1 cup of coffee is like going into a bar and ordering 3 chicken wings. Do it right kids...... Like Sabre Dance I have a Cuisinart...but a 12 cup with stainless steel insulated caraffe. The coffee stays hot and tastes good for a good 3-4 hours. What do these Prius-K-Cups cost? You can make a pot of very good coffee for $1. Now you're in for it. I'm going to make a pot and cascade you all with a few dozen Darcy Sucks posts in about an hour when I'm at peak.

Haha.....maybe a Crosby, Stills and Nash CD

Coho Salmon......I kid you not. I did purchase it Monday before the deadline though.