nfreeman

Interesting. Good stuff.

True, but that doesn't mean it was a well-thought-out case. One of the cases for buying lottery tickets is that it's an easy way to get rich quick. Except that what it really is is a tax on stupidity.

You are indeed rambling. I have no idea what your point is. I do, however, completely disagree with your dismissal of those teams. Nashville has made the playoffs 10 out of the last 13 years and has advanced 4 out of the last 7, including the SCF last year. They sell out every game, have a raucous crowd and are an extremely well-run franchise that looks like it's going to be good for a long time. Minnesota has made the playoffs each of the last 5 years, had 2 100-pt seasons in the last 3 years and will almost certainly make the playoffs again this year. SJ has made the playoffs SEVENTEEN OUT OF THE LAST FREAKING NINETEEN years. They advanced in 10 of those seasons, including the SCF the year before last. Boston has made the playoffs 8 out of the last 10 years, advancing in 5 of the last 9, including a cup and another visit to the Finals. I'm not going to bother checking the others, but suffice it to say that we'd all be thrilled with the level of accomplishment of any of them. The way to win a Cup is to be in the hunt every year -- not to try to win a longshot lottery. But I suspect you knew that already. He was being sarcastic you hoser.

comparing jeffismagic to TW is like comparing Theon Greyjoy to Jon Snow.

I completely disagree. Has Nashville ever tanked? Minnesota? San Jose? Anaheim? Boston? The Rangers? And yet those teams are good pretty much every year. Just because Pittsburgh caught lightning in a bottle doesn't mean everyone else either needs to duplicate that miracle or be consigned to mediocrity.

This is pretty obnoxious. Separately: I like McD, but his interviews are like listening to paint dry. He never says anything remotely interesting -- it's just one cliche after another about working hard, respecting the process, teamwork ,etc. Of course, that's a price I'm quite willing to pay for the possibility of coming in from the cold. I was even daydreaming last night about a playoff game in the Ralph...

Reino has been a major disappointment. Dudacek got me all excited about the alleged hockey savant, laser passer, World Junior legend -- and that guy hasn't shown up a-tall. The story of course isn't written yet, but there's a grave and gathering danger that Reino is a 40-45 point guy in a good year, and a 35-point guy in a down year, and that's it. This. Aud -- you are far from the only one who has posted this, but I continue to ask why anyone thinks this. He came from a consistently mediocre organization in Ottawa, built a lousy team here, gave Moulson and KO huge contracts (appreciating that it's unfair to evaluate KO just yet given his serious illness last summer) and didn't find any diamonds in the rough.

No. During 2012-13, they fired Lindy, replaced him with a loser with zero pro experience, traded Pommer while he was still under contract for another year, traded Regehr, Leopold and Brennan, and didn't bring in a single NHL player. Then, at the year-ending presser, Darcy told everyone to get ready for some suffering. He didn't decide on that approach that day. He decided on it during the year, probably around the same time Lindy was fired, got ownership to buy in, and announced it at the end of the year. Saying you want to evaluate the tank but that it didn't start until 2013-14 is like saying you want to evaluate the decision to match the RFA offer to Vanek but Vanek didn't score 44 goals the year before the offer. Absolutely, but tanking wasn't the only option, as the Bills are showing us. Darcy should've been fired at the end of 2011-12, and the new GM should've been given the choice as to whether to keep Lindy. He should've also been given the same mandate McD and Beane have been given -- a patient rebuild that did not include bottoming out for a 1-in-5 chance at a generational player, but that did inlude We've's suggestion below. Indeed. For that matter the Roy-for-Ott trade was this type of move, although a day late and a dollar short in classic DR fashion. I don't exactly agree with this, but I certainly agree that the slide into oblivion began there and was not arrested as it should've been.

Do you look at this team and see a shot at the promised land?

Yes. The Sabres have Eichel -- who is an exciting player and, in his 3rd season, has yet to muscle the team into playoff bubble status, let alone contender status. The point, as always, is not that they could've drafted better in the last 3 years. The point is that they decided to tank instead of trying to rebuild, and that decision has put them into the wilderness for 6 years and counting. The Sabres embarked on the tank in 2012-2013 -- two seasons after almost beating Philly in the 1st round, in their 2nd consecutive playoff appearance -- when they fired Lindy, hired Rolston, traded Pommer and Darcy announced that there would be suffering. (They then drafted Risto in the first round.) What they should've done instead was fire Darcy, let the new GM decide whether to keep Lindy, and under no circumstances decide to intentionally bottom out -- because as a factual matter, teams that go to the bottom usually stay there for extended periods -- which is exactly what has happened to the Sabres. If your plan revolves around you winning a lottery -- you don't have a plan. Separately: assuming Mittlestadt is some kind of game-changing home run draft pick is of a piece with Roy-for-Malkin.

The Bills finally have a smart enough FO that I can confidently say that there is NFW they are drafting a RB in the first round.

I might revise your 2nd line to say "he played well enough to win except for when that one save was needed in winning time."

Well, we have no way of knowing whether there are any malcontents/mail-it-in guys on the Sabres. It was much more clear on the Bills with guys like Dareus. The good news is that with both franchises, TP has decided to take the prudent route of hiring highly-regarded guys from strong organizations and letting them build the teams as they see fit. I think JBott and Howie are going to get the Sabres there, although it probably will take longer than it will take McD and BB with the Bills. OTOH, the Bills didn't make the terrible decision to tank, which set the Sabres back years.

You know you're being annoying when the mild-mannered Canadian calls you out.

I definitely agree with you about the preseason. But what about Whaley? Perhaps a concession post is in order?

Another outstanding win for Sean the wrestler! Amazing. Their offensive weapons are TT, McCoy and a bunch of string and rubber bands. I'll be at the Jets game in NYC on Thursday. If they win they will be six and freaking two. Good for them, and good for us.

Keep your pants on. They are not going to make a bunch of trades, at least not until the deadline. They are playing much better and are very close to getting wins.

Taro, I have a great deal of respect for your opinions, but on TV at least it looked like KO misplayed the puck pretty much every time he got it. As for Pommer, I agree that he isn’t the ideal winger for Eichel, but that line created a ton of chances today.

My wife and I saw the new Blade Runner tonight. Meh. The original was much better.

Do you think he’s above average?

I have no interest in dumping Reino. If a trade is there for a good return -- fine -- but I'm skeptical on that as he's looked lousy this year and, notwithstanding certain disagreement that's been posted here, is trending down since his rookie year. I also have no interest in giving him anything more than a "prove it" contract. Right now he's JAG.

Yes. I agree with most of this. The effort was there and it was a pretty even game. The Sabres probably had more chances, but SJ cashed more and got better goaltending. Also, Okposo officially stinks. Unbelievable. 5.75 more years of that, for $6MM per year? At this point signing KO looks like GMTM's worse move, and that is a high bar (or is it low?). This too. I'm at about 65% that Lehner will not be back next year. At this point he's a below-average starter. Above-average -- not elite -- goaltending gives them 3 more wins this year. Yes. He was a complete non-factor again.

As I posted in the CBJ GDT, I thought the Sabres looked the best they’ve looked all season until the roof caved in in the 2nd. They made a lot of nice, quick, in-rhythm passes in all zones, exited the defensive zone smartly and generally IMHO looked like they were starting to execute Howie’s system well. So — will the collapse and loss in that game destroy the confidence they were building? Or will we see continued improvement and maybe more good goaltending from Lenny, who did, let’s remember, put up a SO last time he played. Any lineup news? Fedun or Redmond? Other?

That is a bummer about Boldin. Not that he wants to play again, but that he evidently didn't want to play for the Bills, and the Bills could really use him.

Well, I thought that Columbus was the best team the Sabres have played this season. Holy mackarel are they fast. AND I thought the Sabres hung with them, and the game was highly entertaining and pretty close to even, until the roof caved in in the 2nd. So, while I think the Sabres have real goaltending issues, and need to improve their play in front of both their own and the opponent's net, I was actually kinda encouraged. I think they are starting to understand Howie's system, and that it's a potentially really good system.