Ghost of Dwight Drane

It never should be an issue.....especially in hockey....unless it is an all-star goalie possibly. It's 1 of 20 guys you have to face 6 out of 82 times a year. Saying you wouldn't take the best offer from a division rival is like saying you wouldn't take $150K for your house from your ex, when the best offer on the table is 120K..... You know what....to expand on that...I am so sick of these supposed analytics and advanced stats materminds in our midst.....I bet you dollars to doughnuts many of them wouldn't want to trade in the division. Simple math. 1 guy out of 20.....82 games.....1640 man-games......you play him 6 times.....that's 0.3% The guy you get is playing 82 man-games.....if it's better for your team, it's better for 82 games.....even the 6 you play the other guy. If you stink...who cares if you help the other guy. If you are good....who cares if you help the other guy.....you are good, should feel you should beat them anyway, and should really feel like you can beat them if you make a trade that you think improves your team.

Come'on...we need more than that if you are going to be on air soon. We know you followed him around for a few minutes from 3 aisles away even though you had everything you needed and waited to get in his line but let the broad in between you so it didn't look obvious. It's a good sign he is at Walmart. So what was in the cart? Please tell me a video game, some soda and beef jerky....maybe some cheap towels...... If it is Preperation-H and a tube of KY......we're doomed!

I'm not saying Nolan has been wronged. I am saying it was uncharacteristic to come on so strong in public so soon. That means there is frustration to begin with. The comment that led me to start the thread was to say....something ain't right here. Nolan isn't getting it done and he's already getting desperate. I'm sure he doesn't give 2 craps what Sportsfan690 says or PuckMamma.....someone from the inside had to tell him to shush, and it obviously didn't sit well. So what happens next game? Even in "learning his lesson", he still sends a signal to the world that something is not right by not coming out for his Presser to the point the media were all aflutter. He then also says he still hates his team by saying that he got the frustration out in the back in an extended talk with Murray. He's keeping on the theme that his team is a bunch of Pee-Wees. He's said it 3 different ways in 3 straight home games now. That's part of his charm. If you are surrounded by a bunch of kids, or guys just in it for the money, or TwitterGoober, ADHD, "it's tinfoil" fans.....then it doesn't matter. The kids are too dumb and the old guys too rich to care what he is doing. That leaves it to Weber, Georges, Mitchell and McCormick to try and translate to the room. When that's the "core" of your team that knows how to play the game Teddy's way....you are swimming upstream. And I don't mean to pick on you about Ruff. 1999 Lindy was a little higher in the 5 categories in my opinion. I actually think someone like Blysma is more of an all-around guy.

I'm talking playbook and route running. His physical skills and smoothness are great. I'm not sure about his breakaway speed, but the reason he was a top 10 guy was because of his smoothness in and out of routes. He wastes little motion and I think that is what allows him a split second advantage to get open. The San Diego game, Watkins was lining up on the wrong side of formation a few times, and on one drive, Woods actually got frustrated with him and yelled at him while on the field because he was asking questions in formation. I felt bad for EJ.....does anyone remember that one 3rd down play where he threw it 20-25 yards down the field to nobody and landed to the turf without a reciever within 10 yards of it? That was on Watkins is my guess. I'm just saying, he has a long way to go in the mental part before he is a superstar. Once he learns the craft of the game and his position, then he has a chance to be special. I still don't know where to slot him though. He is a little short and a little less strong than the typical regular outside prow-bowl types. He's also beefier than the normal slot, but has that shiftiness, yet so far doesn't seem like he thrives on contact and wants to bull through for YAC. He did so in college, but usually had less guys in the area and more open space. I've seen him aligator arm it a few too many times for my liking. I'm also not too sure about his durability. A lot of his catches have been on protected routes where he is out of bounds and avoids contact. He's made some nice ones downfield and taking some hits, but you just don't see that Andre Reed thriving on contact. He will get there though. All this can be attributed to being young.

I haven't looked, but I know EJ didn't have a 300 yard game. It is possible that of EJ's 14 starts and Orton's 3, Orton has the highest yard total for the 1st 3 slots. This doesn't mean he is the better athlete at the position, but between performance, decision making, and trust to actually throw it....it shows a lot. Orton has made audibles all 3 games that resulted in big plays. Even the NE game....he freed Chandler up for the 30 yarder. It's easier to see in person. Also....Sammy Watkins is nowhere near where he needs to be in understanding and recognition.....which is a great thing. In 3-4 years, he may actually be a superstar. I felt bad for EJ in the San DIego game....Watkins was confused on a few plays, and while people wanted to blast EJ, at the game you could tell Sammy wasn't kosher. I think you saw that last week with Orton and Goodwin as well. I don't even know who to compare Watkins too at this point, but at least he is not a BUST. He may not be a HOF player or even a regular Pro Bowler, but he isn't a bust.....amen.

It wasn't about Nolan....it was about Lindy. I don't mind you saying that you'd rather have someone else than Nolan...but you listed 5 criterion and said you wanted someone good at 4 of the 5. My question is....which ones did Lindy excel at, and if not close to the max, why did there not seem to be much of a protest over the years that he was leading the ship? I agree that Nolan's strength is motivation. It isn't happening. For him to throw verbal switchblades so early in the season....I am very concerned that this is going to be a disaster. I decided I would only chime in on this board for important reasons this year. The vibe I'm getting from Nolan should be pretty scary if you are a fan of this team. As much as I am willing to identify weakness in the Gods of fans over the years, the goal was to get a good team that we could respect in here. Pegula made the right move by cleaning house.....but Darcy is like nuclear waste. We are going to have to wait this out for years for the half-life to get to a point where we actually have a chance.

I'm just saying.....can you honestly say he was good at anywhere near 4 of 5? Nolan's had what?...60 games? You saw Lindy for 1,300 or so and nary a protest! Lindy "thinks" he is a teacher.....that's the funny part. Nolan is shot here.....nobody will handle anything i am afraid. I agreed with Murray. I think in a solid ownership/management environment, he could expect to be solid sooner than later. There was such a stench of rotten garbage here however. I still think they all have to go. Weber, Ennis and Enroth have shown solid effort and wouldn't mind them on my team....but Myers, Hodgson, Stafford, Foligno......hell, that's 1/4 of your salary cap.....get them out. I would probably burn the first 3 down as well to cleanse the village. As far as actual on-ice decisions.....sure. But as far as concern and overseeing management and throwing resources in...... Pegula, Battista, Benson, Black, Gibby, Snow Murray Coach Players I'm pretty sure Craig Patrick calls once a month or something to make sure the team still supplements his Medicare with Blue Cross Blue Shield........

I am not sure there is anyone to overcome this culture. To watch Nolan after only 3 games make those comments on the team....then the past 2 games.....something is seriously rotten. I like Murray. I don't think it is as simple as he will have a bunch of picks and bring "his" coach in. I also think that if ownership/management is a cluster-f....Murray doesn't have the personal patience to stay long. He knows for his professional well-being he has to smile and tapdance, but at a certain point, he probably would be willing to go back being an assistant in a good organization. I'd be a little nervous about the Bills purchase as well. They are a shiny new toy for the family, and he just spent 8x the amount on it than he did the Sabres. It's easy for Pegula to say, "wake me up when we draft all those great, elite players and we are good again."

Lindy was only good at the 4th one from what I remember.... No problem. I'm pretty much saying there is no chance in hell this team sniffs a Cup run in the next 5 years. The culture rotted this franchise to a point I didn't think possible.

I'm prepared to start a website to compete with the Blue and Gold Club. Instead of paying $100 a year to be on a season ticket waiting list.....I am willing to offer FREE BUFFALO SABRES STANLEY CUP TICKETS to every home game for $100 a year per seat if you sign up for a 5 year option and pay up front. It will be properly insured through a AAA underwriter, which should cost me about 1.3% I will have to limit it to 8,000 seats, since that is the average amount of Toronto fans in the building that were sold tickets by Sabres season ticket holders. I know my marks.....

This is what drew my response Qwk..... And I like all 4 of the posters. If someone wants to just attempt to marginalize and insult an honest observation....well, then I can get creative with my prose.

This is where I am going. I get the feeling if things don't change in the effort or standing department soon, Ted is going to beg to be fired. Like I said, you could see he was not happy about LaFontaine and was quite vocal that Patty got a raw deal. I am sure Nolan has questioned staying on. Nolan's main skill is motivation and teamwork. If there is no effort, he is useless. The goal was to at least have a coach who could bring respect back to the ice in terms of effort and sticking up for each other while the young guys matured and had a few vets to look up to. For him to firebomb his own team with the pee-wee comments so soon, then a comment like last night.....this is going to not end well I feel, and sooner than later. If Ted is getting told how to act and what to do.......I am throwing my support behind him to step down. My guess is that he hopes these guys get their act together by going out west for a week. If they come back and still haven't geled, I'd expect guys like Bucky to have a few more sources cropping up and willing to talk. I have a feeling, in about 3 or 4 weeks, Pegula is going to need the Satanic Voltron of Gibby, Bertchold, Black, Brandon, and Benson, to use their power to hold the fort.

I have no idea, but I think they were thrilled Lemieux fell to them as they got 1 of 2 similar folks. I thought they really liked Barbashev though, so I may have been a little off. Larkin was on their radar even pre-TM. I am convinced that Murray has been trying to move Myers all along. Myers is sort of like the guy in the camo jean jacket sitting on the subway next to you. Nolan has been all smiles, and listening to his ramblings as the guy picks his teeth with a hunting knife. Meanwhile, the whole time you are counting the seconds to get off at the next stop, even though it isn't your stop.

If Girgensons response was a sexual encounter.......he eagerly and instinctively brought her into the bedroom and ripped off her panties while in the throws of passionate kissing. He then looked at her and hesitated for 10 seconds while volunteering the phrase, "just the tip ok?", even though she was ready for anything. Then after 2 half-hearted pumps, his cell phone rang, it was his mom, and he stopped to answer it.

He's not a baby. He's 24 and has been in the league 6 years. Zhitnik was better at this level. Doug Bodger is the best comparison as he had the exact same skill set but was not as tall. He also was much more willing to use his body for positioning and would regulary stick up for guys instinctively, although he didn't go looking for it. Drafted #9 Started at 18 in NHL Put up 30-50 oints his first few years Bodger got traded to Buffalo at 22 for Barrasso and QB'd the PP and was a consistant 40-50 point guy. He would actually burn out in his late 20's and was just a lower pairing guy his last few years. Bodger did everything Myers does but better and more consistantly, save Myers' reach. He also wasn't a head case. It took a package of him and a promising young 18yo forward just drafted #4 to get a goalie who while was in his prime, had already been used up and was being questioned. In today's NHL, this trade would be like giving up Myers and Reinhart for Carey Price. I don't think anyone here is talking about putting Bodger's number in the rafters, and he was as consistant as they came. The reality is, if you want a proven 60-70 point skill forward who is in his mid 20's and can be a top line guy, you will need to trade Myers, a Risto/Girg/Rienhart, and a few 2nd rounders. I'd be happy to take Larkin and Detroit's first for Myers and a 2nd. The Sabres love Larkin.

I guess you never tried the anchovies.....

But he blurted out something 3x as bad last night. The direct question was if he was unhappy with the work ethic the 1st period. He said he learned last week that he can't say what and how he really feels. That is not somebody stepping back and "truly learning some lesson". That was a passive-aggressive response towards the players, and what should be an even bigger embarassment...at least to those who can see it. He not only answered "yes" to if he was pissed at the work ethic, but did it in a way so that we know someone had their panties in a bunch about it. Think about when I would get banned all the time for my research on Cliff Benson. Do you think my feelings changed about him when I came back? Or did I just say things with more subtle snark so that I didn't get banned for being brutally honest?

That's the thing.....Myers is somewhere between Smehlik and Zhitnik at his best, and has collected $20 million the past 3 years...AND...will count 5.5 million against the cap for a team. People are acting like he is untouchable and are "insulted" by the thought he gets traded for anyone besides Crosby. I remember a few years ago saying Myers at best was a mix between Svboda and Hajt, who might sniff an all-star game or 2. I may have overrated him. Doug Bodger was a better overall player by far. He had speed, the shot from the point (which he could control), had hockey smarts, and although no bull in his own end, was never afraid to drop the gloves or at least play the body. A 6'8", 24 year old man gives a jab to someone in the helmet after he just got shish-ka-bobbed in the nads.....and people want to celebrate it and give him a cookie. I am convinced that it has been so long since the city has seen a viable team with actual character and skill, that discussion is not worth it at this point. The rebuild can't start until the fire is put out and the land is cleared. It's still smouldering right now. It's horrible. I didn't even know there was a game yesterday and had freaking Entertainment Tonight on in the background for the 1st period. Sad. No. I would take 1,000-1 that Myers is no longer in the league in 5 years. I'm assuming if he is traded, he will have to pass a full physical. If a cardiac screening test is acceptable protocol, he is a marfan enlarged aorta away from getting nothing in return for him.

$50 Myers is knocked unconcious within 10 games.... He has been stroked enough by the staff to "just go for it", that the fans marvel at the freakshow taking the puck into the zone. If you notice...he has one move. He takes it full speed along the left boards and goes behind the net. No threat of driving to the net, no toch to set up something in front....just head down...full speed....along the left sidewall. If he doesn't croak from a popped aorta, a team that watches tape will do the job soon......

So....if that is the case....if you wore a C or an A, how would you like TONIGHT's comment? Ted will communicate how he feels, one way or another. He would have walked for LaFontaine, and I think it was pretty clear from his comments at the time he was not happy and felt there was an unjust departure. I'm sure Patty gave him his blessing and told Nolan to go get it, and not worry about it. At the same time, it was pretty clear he was going to have to swallow some of his pride. A real man can only keep it down so long. Anyone that watched his Latvian teams....I agree with dark, that was a well-coached, inspired, structured enough team. I think poor Ted has been mailing it in here, and i agree with Brawndo as well....he's gonna walk before he gets fired. At this point in life, hell, he just took $2 million salary the past few years.....his son is an NHL player....he will be fine. Is Ted making this comment in response to the media, or the fanbase? He wouldn't give the media the pleasure to think so. Would it be in response to the players taking offense? If it is.... he just bitch-slapped them tonight by saying they are too soft and made the rift public. I agree with you as well Weave....this team is Edmonton East. The ONLY way this team has a shot is to burn it down in whole. ANYONE here under the old crew has to go. Myers, Stafford, Hodgson, Foligno.....no more hugs for Pussbags.....wipe it clean. There is no way this team with McDavid and Eichel will even be competitive for a few years. Look at Reinhart. I have only casually watched a few games and forgot he even played for them. He looks like a 9 year old russian boy skeet shooting with his drunk uncles. On a bright note....I LOVE Dunleavy calling the game tonight. He was so honest. "He undressed Myers on that one"....he had about 6 or 7 great digs. RJ, bless his soul, would never break out of homer mode until game 77 or so. Anyhow. God Bless everyone. I will check in once in a blue moon if possible.

I am appreciative some of you put down your palms from adoring the messiah who rode into town on a border collie, long enough to reply. Maybe Tyler Myers having 0 points in 5 games is as simple as, he sucks? But y'all keep clamoring for Yzerman, Chelios, and Shannahan in return...... As a wise man once said.... adiots......

You get a lot of non-disclosure agreements done when you build a $70 million college hockey stadium......I mean an "$88 million" college hockey stadium..........

I see you picked up on the vibe too from the game thread. I just want to know who told him. Was it Terry on the phone, munching on some Fiddle Faddle with the cashews in it? Was it Ted B. in his slight alto voice, just after he spent 10 minutes trying to memorize a Marv Levy quote? Was it Battista who told him in his Harvey Firestein voice, then asked Ted to pose for a selfie after the fact that he could tweet out? Poor Ted. I'll still love ya if you do what you feel.....

He just said that in the press conference when asked by Hammy if he was upset at the work ethic in the 1st period. So what does that mean? I think I know....I think PA knows..... God Bless

To quote Ted Darling..."And there's a souvenier to a young girl from Elmwood!" Don't worry...I only have a 48 hour pass......