apuszczalowski

I think you are viewing this with too much of a bias because of your hate for the Sabres front office. Just because you don't think Ruff is an elite coach, you assume that Regier is spinning some lie and that theres something up. Maybe he is an elite coach, Regier knows more about what was given to Ruff in the past to work with, and maybe they have seen that what has been put out there for Ruff to work with, he has gotten more out of it then expected. I'm am right in line with you, and deluca, and others in my dislike of Regier, but that comment doesn't bug me and also is not something I would use as a negative against him. yes, both have had 15 years to win it all here in Buffalo, but those 15 years haven't always been the best situations to work in. They were here during the end of the Rigas era, they had success working within the tight budget of Golisano, and now were given a fresh start (according to the owner) with unlimited funding now to work with. Yes last season was a disaster and failure from expectations. Some of it based off of expectations being raised by overspending on Free Agents, but as much as many don't want to use it as an excuse, the team for long stretches of time were hit with injuries and missed alot of key players. The majority of their struggles came at times when they had injuries to key players, and when healthy, they went on a run that was one of the best in the league, and just missed the playoffs in the final 2 games. I am a fan of Buddy and Chan also, they do sound like they are telling the truth and wouldn't lie or hide anything from you. But they have yet to show anything on the field yet. So far they have been as average as the guys before them (except that it seems they are more of a roller coaster with long winning then long losing streaks instead of just being consistent at being mediocre).

Your right, there were no real "facts" that Roy was a cancer in the lockerroom, There have been signs that he has attitude problems and an attitude that most fans don't want others on the team to develop. It was quoted that he once told an opposing player to "take it easy, its just a game", he had a well known reputation around the league for taking lazy penalties and diving, I don't think I can recall ever hearing teammates sticking up for him to the media, and when he went down to injury the season before, the team played some of its best hockey when he wasn't around in the lockerroom. You assume Miller is a cancer because he doesn't take full responsibility for losses that you and some fans feel are all his fault, and during interviews will say that the defence missed something (which the defncemen will come out in their interview and say happened and apoligise to Miller for "leaving him out to dry on that play". You assume that even though he was voted as MVP by his teammates, he is still disliked and they only voted for him because they are afraid of upsetting him? its easier to assume (and less of a stretch) that Roy was less liked in the lockerrom then Miller

You keep bringing up Luongo being traded. The reason why he is being dealt is because the team can't afford to keep him as a backup at his salary, and he has been getting outplayed by the goalie they believe is their future. Schneider has outplayed Luongo over the last 2 seasons and has shown he may be ready for full time. The team is being forced to make a move because Schneiders current deal is up and he is now going to cost more. There are teams interested in Luongo because teams know that you can't rely on mediocre goaltending. Just in the last 2 offseasons you have seen Philly throw rediculous money at Bryz because they have come to realise they need more then mediocre goaltending. One of either the Leafs/Panthers/Blackhawks will most likely end up with Luongo to improve their current goaltenders because they know that you can't get by relying on mediocre goaltending. Right now the Kings are very reluctant to deal Bernier and they have Quick and just won the cup.

maybe he gets a better reception wearing his tinfoil hat and hears more of the interview then everyone else?

A crusade by a conspiracy theorist with no facts, just assumptions and jumping to conclusions....................

Actually, The owner said that about BOTH Enroth and Miller, IIRC that commetn was after a game that both played in and were both pulled from.You would be better off arguing with a wall, atleast the conversation would be more intellegent and not include made up assumptions/conspiracy theories about how Miller is some lockerroom cancer with attitude problems that everyone hates because he apparently calls out teammates while never admitting he made a mistake, all while his teammates name him team MVP because they are all afraid of making him angry. He has apparently only had one good season, and all good teams know that you don't need goaltending to win a cup. Also an average goalie with only one good year, attitude problems and hated by teammates will net you a superstar forward. Plus, you don't have to beat good teams if you are the superstar backup who should be handed the starting job

InjuriesLike it or not, they lost alot of key players for long periods of time last year and came inches from making the playoffs........... Highest payroll doesn't mean much if they are overpaying a bunch of players.

Well, If you can't stop them from scoring, the second best thing to do is just score more yourself...................

I also don't agree that Luongo cost them the cup. I wouldn't say he helped as much as you would have wanted/expected, but it wasn't all his fault

Whos kissing his ass?You just assume that everybodys afraid of upsetting him. Who has he called out in post game interviews? As was said many times before here, he may mention a play where something happened and someone missed something, but he doesn't come out and say things like "player 'X' cost us the game by giving up the puck in our end" or "If only player 'Y' would have done this, they never would have had a chance to score". Thats throwing someone under the bus, and I don't think I have ever heard that from him. You know why no one has called him out in public before, ITS BECAUSE HE HASN'T CALLED ANYONE OUT WHERE THEY FEEL THAT HE WAS WRONG ABOUT WHAT HE SAID. Of course the only way you can continue to try and portray Miller as anything but liked in the lockerroom is by assuming he is calling players out, and coming up with a conspiracy theory that they vote him MVP because they are afraid of him in the lockerroom. Were there any facts about Roy being a lockerroom cancer? Nothing definite, no. But calling out your coach at the end of the season, and your team playing better when your out of the lineup are more indicators that he wasn't as well like in the lockerroom. Of course I could always come up with some assumptions and conspiracy theories to use, those are just as good as facts, right?

Thats my point, the biggest problem people seem to have with Gerbe (and even Ennis sometimes) is that they are too small to play in the NHL. Some are ready to write Gerbe off right now after finishing his 1st full season on an NHL roster Anytype of actual facts showing how he is a lockerroom cancer would be nice, not just your opinion (that theres some conspiracy that the team is afraid of upsetting him) considering there are facts that prove otherwise, like his teammates voting him team MVP multiple times and no one ever coming out to say that he is a problem (Never heard a former teammate say anything bad about him either) Of course, those teams didn't win because of the goaltending. Having guys like Crosby/Malkin, Pronger/Niedermeyer/Selanne/Getzlaf, Kane/Toews/Sharp/Hossa, or Lidstrom/Chelios/Datsyuk/Draper/Zetterberg doesn't hurt when your goaltending is average (although its a tough call to say Osgood being backed up by Hasek is "Average goaltending", Osgood may not have been Elite, but I would call him better then just average)

Has he? Luongo was in 1 Stanley Cup Finals, Miller was a McKee Staff infection and a delay of game penalty away from being in one (neither have a SC ring). Otherwise, Luongo has played in 14 more playoff games in his career. Both have similar winning percentages in the playoffs (32-29 for Lou, 25-22 for Miller), Luongo has a Save% of .916 while Millers is .917, Luongo has a gaa of 2.53 to Millers 2.46. Luongo has 5 career playoff shutouts in 61 games to Millers 3 in 47 games So basically, the only accomplishment that he really has better then Miller is that he has been to and lost in the SC finals. If you are going to given credit to a player for beating Miller in the Gold medal game, that credit goes to Crosby, not Luongo. Luongo may have walked away with a gold medal (Heck, Marc Andre Fluery walked away with one of those too and he wasn't even dressed for the final game), but Miller walked away with the tournament MVP

Looks like it Double-J - I would be fine if they brought in a decent 3rd line vet Centre and put Hodgson with Vanek and Pomminstein, and leave the FES line as the #2. ITs just not easy to get a top centre these days without giving up everything, unless they are a potential top Centre (like Hodgson), but then you are stuck with another player you hope pans out (if thats teh case you might as well use one of the 2 #1s from this year). Bring in a vet for the 3rd line and make a deal for Ryan/Nash, or some other better wingers.

I just remember an article about when he signed that the reason he signed in Buffalo was because he thought he would have a better chance playing with teh Sabres then with the Canadians which I laughed at when I read it cause almost everyone knew that the Sabres would go with Miller and Enroth. From teh impression I got, he would have stayed in Hamilton instead of coming over to Rochester if he didn't have a chance of playing in the NHL in Buffalo.

But you see, thats a spot where you could use the "Stats can be used to justify anything" What kind of "hits" were those? If I skate by and lightly push you up against the boards, is it a "hit" on the stat sheet just like if I hit you hard into the boards that it looked like you were going to go through them? And what did those hits do for the team? It didn't make anyone fear the Sabres or their defence like what some thought adding a guy like Regher would do

I have to agree with you on this. Regher was ok to good, but he appeared to be a step back from the player he was in Calgary. When Deluca was going on about wanting him before word even got out that the Sabres were interested in getting him, it was because he was this physical wrecking ball on defence. It looked like he took a step back and was just "good" last year. You can throw out stats to try and justify anything these days, but the end results were the defence didn't look like it had improved much and Regher didn't look like the player he had been in Calgary

I think MacIntyre was more angry that he was stuck in the AHL and not in Buffalo with the Sabres. I remember reading that the reason why he signed with buffalo was because he felt they gave him a better chance at being in the NHL then Montreal did, so its why he left the Hamilton Bulldogs and came to Rochester.

I don't think anyone ever said that Vanek or Gerbe ever had issued with being anywhere close to "Lockerroom Cancers", the worst thing probably said about Vanek (and I have said it multiple times) is that I don't see him being a "leader" on the ice. He doesn't strike me as being the kind of guy who is going to take control of the lockeroom and demand that a player picks up his game. And thats fine, not everyone has that in them, some play better when they are "followers" or keep to themselves. Gerbes problems are that apparently he doesn't meet the hieght requirement to ride the rollercoaster known as the NHL. I find it funny how apparently Miller is this lockerroom cancer who consistently throw his teammates under the bus after games and enver takes the blame for a bad game, yet his teammates constantly defend him and name him MVP of the team. I like how the OP of this topic throws in opinions of his as "known facts". I also find it funny how for years fans cried for Darcy to get a decent backup here for Miller, and now once they have someone who could be a decent backup, fans are wanting to run Miller out of town to give the backup a chance to start and leave them with the task of finding another backup that they could run Enroth out of town with. One more thing, the comment from TP about his daughter playing in net was made in reference to both goalies, Miller and Enroth. IIRC, was it not the game where Miller started, was replaced by Enroth, who was then replaced again by Miller? You should go tell the Leafs, Oilers, Flyers, Lightning, Chicago, San Jose, Washington, etc that you can get by with average gaoltending. All of these teams have all been actively looking to upgrade their goaltenders over the last few years, and the reason that these teams have thought they were not able to be better is because they were being held back by the goalie (ok, Chicago won the cup with an unknown in Niemi who played great in the playoffs, but ever since they have been struggling to find someone better)

Sens fans appear happy he is gone and see his penalty in game 6 as why they were knocked out of the playoffs. Alot of the comments I read were people complaining that he took too many penalties, or he is a dirty player who will become suspended alot really soon for cheap shots. Sounded more like they were bitter they were knocked out and made him their whipping boy

Instead of all the overwhelming success they have had since? Sorry, just being an @22 Although seriously, losing all 3 wouldn't have been as bad if they would have atleast went out and spent some money on some decent replacements for them

Why not? Whyere does it say that you have to accept less when trading someone? I would be pissed to find out that the GM of my team wasn't asking for the moon when trading away my teams franchise player. If Columbus is desperate to move him, they may eventually have to accept less to make the deal otherwise they don't have to move him. As for the "if he is elite, wouldn't you be willing to give up player 'X' for him?" That depends on how badly you want him, and weither you feel that he is a player that will make up for what you are losing. If your giving up one of your better players to get him and maybe more, is the addition of him going to upgrade the team enough that you will improve, instead of it being a wash? Are you also looking to mortgage the future for a player to make a play now?

hmmmm, remove Vanek and replace with Miller and we have a template for responses to many of your posts about Miller You say that he gets hurt later in the season cause the weight of the team is put on him? I have never seen the weight of the team put on Vanek (or any of the forwards), the weights usually put on the goaltending to carry them through. If taking a beating infront of the net is causing him to get hurt all the time and struggle, maybe he should be moved out of that role cause its obvious he can't handle it. No one here is hating on Vanek (unlike many that Hate on some other members of this team). They just realise that although Vanek is good, he isn't great and has flaws. If an offer came along, he isn't untouchable, and if moving him will bring in someone who does more then score goals and act as a punching bag near the net, they would make the move. Scoring goals does not mean you were being a leader, When have you ever heard Vanek calling out a teammate, or take charge? Usually he is sitting back sulking or looking like the guy next to him farted when things get tough and he slumps.

Why not work into a 3 team deal with Nash? Hmmmm, player coming off a crummy season but has potential seems right up Darcys alley when it comes to trades, except usually those are at the deadline

For a player with the potential and Talent as RNH or Hall its not nuts, These guys were #1 overall picks for a reason. I wouldn't make my first offers using McNabb, but if it came down to it and Edmonton threw in a pick or 2, I would make the deal in a heart beat

Vaneks a good player, and in a trade, it takes something good to get something good. People expect Vanek to be great because he was a early 1st round pick, and because of his contract. He seems to always be battling through injuries and gets very streaky. He isn't consistent, and he doesn't seem like the kind of player who will use adversity to pick up his game and play better, he would rather get himself down about it andget frustrated with himself. He isn't the kind of guy who is going to go out and change a game, or grab a teamamate and get them fired up and be a leader. He seems more like the kind of player who would rather follow his team then lead it, stay out of the spotlight. He thrived when he was behind Drury and Briere in the spotlight. If he can be upgraded then why not? It would be great to be able to upgrade without having to move him, but your not going to get quality by trading away junk