LTS

Since when does the NHL care about quality product on the ice? You know better than that! There are enough hacks in the NHL already. Nothing turns them into legitimate NHL players except that they make the NHL by default. It's like holding tryouts and keeping everyone because you didn't have enough to cut anyone. Sure, they are on the team but that doesn't mean they should be.

I'd say tonight was the end of the Reinhart experience for this season. He has been moved down and in my opinion, rightfully so. He will do nothing for this team this season. There will be no one to pass to and he is not strong enough to lead the team by himself. You can whine all you want about it but he doesn't belong in the NHL, even on the Sabres. There is no justification from a development standpoint or a business standpoint. As for the rest of the complaining about the team, whatever. Fundamentally they are still committing the same stupid mistakes this team made last year and the year before. They can't watch the slot or any lane behind the play. They keep making short passes in the feet of a player to subvert any momentum a player might have. They keep making short passes to a player next to them that will undoubtedly be covered immediately by the forechecking player. They probably lead the league in icing calls because they are so jumpy going up the ice they would rather turn it over. They are three steps behind where the play will be. I've never seen a team so out of position on pucks that go around the boards. They are bad. They have been bad. And I will say it again.. this is across 3 coaches and 2 GMs. It is across a massive roster shakeup and still the same stupid things keep happening. The talent can be debated but there are players on this team that are good enough to play better than they are right now. There is no chemistry on this team and that's the biggest problem. I'll see if Nolan can improve things but I'm not holding out hope of that. I was never worried about them being good. I was just hoping to not see the same stupid mistakes I've seen for 3-4 seasons now. There is something in the locker room at the FNC that just rips any kind of swagger and confidence out of players who enter it. This team has no attitude. No matter how bad you are you can still have attitude.

The big question; Will the Sabres finish this game still only having two players on the team who have scored goals?

Well, I'd agree with you, except I see them doing more South and East/West. :) North to the half wall and then South again. East/West until turned over. When they try North it's usually just to dump it back to the opposition. :)

The AHL does not consider NHL actions when taking into account suspensions. As I read it, briefly, Gillies actually was pretty clean at the AHL level. I am sure there is some kind of limitation they can impose and there are the constant challenges to the suspensions and so on. Still, if the players and leagues were serious about cleaning it up entirely they would do it. I would ban him for the season and let someone argue why he should be allowed to play. Nearly 700 games he has 3,000+ PIM and 11 goals in the AHL? Give me a break. He should take up MMA.

Well, who was on the ice when he was on the ice. This makes it sound like he was awesome but in reality if we are putting players on the ice who traditionally are low shot takers then it would amplify the stat readout.

I see a team that still is not on the same page with each other. They can talk teamwork and team concept, etc. but it isn't out there. There are guys who are just throwing pucks around without a care in the world. No patience, no ability to wait, just move the puck somewhere (always the wrong spot). They still don't know how to beat the 2 man forecheck and until they do it will stay bad. For a new coach, I see the same style of hockey being played that happened under Ruff and Rolston. I find it rather amazing that there are so few differences. Meszaros and Benoit need to have a seat. Even trying to lose is not reason enough to play those two. I'm not sure how to find the stats of how many times they've been on the ice when the opposition scores but it seems to be 75%-80% of the time or better. The biggest problem I have is that two games in a row the opposition has taken some liberties with some Sabres players (spearing Myers, boarding Reinhart, viscious cross-check to Gorges) and there's no response. If the Sabres are going to take penalties they might as well make them count. Frankly I think Nolan has become too Zen. He needs some of his old school fire back. This team needs to start being a little more chippy on the ice. Perhaps they've given up on the season already? When a player stops taking pride in his play and not playing for his team and teammates then it indicates a problem somewhere. When many players do this, it indicates a very large problem. No matter less talented some of these players are they can still have pride. That's the biggest issue I see right now. The rest is pretty much what I expected.

That's one way to smell the hops. It's called attacking with speed. It looks offsides because by the time we realize they've hit the line they are at the faceoff dot. We're accustomed to the Sabres who are lucky if they hit the line. Puck was deflected if I recall the goal correctly. Yep. You get one chance for a response before the pain sets in, even with the gear on. When it happened to me I chose to respond with a double handed stick chop to the side of a goaltenders head. Why does hitting the post mean the goal was out of position? There's a reason it does not count as a shot on goal you know. People love to assume that if the goalie had just been quicker he would have made the save so they assume if the shot was a 1/2" left/right/lower it would have been a goal. What they fail to reason is that if the puck were that 1/2" left/right/lower it would also be 1/2" less distance for the goaltender to move. So, there might be a save. I never fault goalies for tipped shots of which many of the goals have been. As for the Kane goal.. well, I think Kane, all alone, in the slot, is going to score more often than not against any goalie. I think the Hossa goal was weak. That's about it. The biggest problem for Enroth are his rebounds. They always have been. You don't play players in the NHL that don't know how to play in their own end. There is NOTHING these coaches are teaching these kids that they don't already know. They've been playing hockey 6 times a week for the better part of 10 years and those coaches all preach the same thing. You can go online and download the animated drills and systems for every team in hockey, international as well. Coaches use these. The fundamentals are the same. There are some finer points to be made on what players should do but it's not much in my opinion. I would say that Nolan is stubborn or his players are just stupid. They've still not figured out how to beat the 2 man forecheck and EVERY team is doing it to them. The Sabres need to stretch the ice and stop trying to play it up the half wall to the winger who has his back to the play. There are a few players who are being patient and making the shorter pass to the center ice player who is turning up ice. That's far more effective. They can also shoot someone out the zone to keep the other team from holding half wall winger as well. That's on the coach to change it. However, every player has done this before, I guarantee it. As for the game. Meszaros and Benoit are useless. They need to take some time off the ice. The team still lacks chemistry. They are not on the same page. This could be a lack of "system". However, i believe, despite what Nolan says, they have a system. It's just not a complex system. These players are still not used to where each other are going to be. The few who do are obvious.

No reason to not play Zadarov and Strachan today.. replace Benoit and Meszaros. Other than that.. the ice should be heavily tilted towards the Sabres end today.

Given the amount of youth hockey tournaments occurring at Harbor Center this year I think it will be well used. Those tournaments are great because the mandate the teams stay in certain hotels or they can't make it out of round robin play. (Talk about BS). It makes the youth hockey teams some extra cash though as the host team gets a percentage of the rooms booked.

Penance is a bitch.

So.. I love automatic for convenience and I love manual.. for when you know... I don't feel like being lazy. I have shifter paddles I can engage.. no clutch.. it's not bad... not quite the same. But.... I can override the shifting :)

Wait. So my point is that Buffalo fans love hockey so much that they commonly rank higher in viewership of games that occur in other markets. This board wouldn't swing that needle one iota either. Clearly, Buffalo has a passion for hockey. Those fans, that you refer to, are not the ones who show up in out of market television ratings. All the rest of the fans will be watching Sabres hockey this Thursday. I don't see Thursday night football meaning enough to impact TV viewership in Buffalo. They will line up against playoff baseball until they choose to not play in October. Games are almost every night, if not every night, in baseball. They cannot avoid conflict with MLB. Then again, opening night for NHL is tomorrow, not Thursday. However, I recognize that a LOT of teams are playing Thursday. So let's analyze who is playing and the impacts. Columbus @ Buffalo - It appears that there Columbus may have a sizeable Colts fan base judging by a quick Internet search (there is a radio affiliate in Columbus for Colts games). Columbus is a football market too. NJ @ Philly - Philly opens the night before but it is their home opener - no impact, I don't see NJ swinging on this one too much. Anaheim @ Pittsburgh - I dunno, an inter-conference matchup to start the season? I think Pens fans will be full swing and the SoCal MLB contingent might have a Dodgers game if they they aren't Angels fans (Anaheim). No impact. Montreal @ Washington - Football doesn't exist in Montreal, not NFL anyway :) - Washington? The Nats could be playing so I'll concede that. Boston @ Detroit - no impact from a football standpoint on these fan bases Florida @ Tampa - You have to have fans before this matters. Rangers @ St. Louis - Cards could be playing, No conflicts in NY though. Ottawa @ Nashville - Sens fans are tuning in and Preds fans... well, see Florida @ Tampa above. Chicago @ Dallas - No real Chicago sports conflicts and while Houston fans show up in Dallas for football games, they'll probably not impact Stars viewership. Colorado @ Minnesota - No one wants to think about football in Minnesota and they are Peyton drunk (or high) in Denver. Calgary @ Edmonton - NFL, MLB, what? Winnipeg @ Arizona - Winnipeg is in, Arizona? Hard to say but perhaps some influence. I think the NHL is safe. Just me. Again, they could not have known who would be playing in the MLB playoffs so you have to discount that right away. I did all of this because today is slow at work, not to pile on against you.. just having some fun. I just want hockey on TV.. now.

If true, I am fine by that. Two guys were brought in specifically to change the culture in the locker room and the third guy chose Buffalo over all other markets after only a brief stint here. One guy is a hometown player (close enough) and the other guy completely insulted Toronto to play here. They are all going to be here for a few years and can continue the leadership beyond one season. All are veterans, all work hard. Complaints, I have none. There's little doubt that awarding C's and A's to guys who are continually walking out the door does nothing to cement a culture in the locker room. It may also signal their opinions on Stafford, but I'm not going to read into it too much.

Perhaps because Buffalo fans have been shown to watch out of market hockey games more frequently than the citizens within the town they are playing. Who, in Buffalo, is going to pulled away for football? The baseball argument can be rejected since October is playoff baseball and there are games pretty much every night of the week. Much ado about nothing in my opinion. The season opener for the Sabres with Reinhart in the lineup will be well attended and viewed in Buffalo and by Sabres fans everywhere.

I think you are going too far here. Nolan preaches hard work and was very impressed with Grigorenko but to assume that means that normal hockey business doesn't get in the way is a stretch. I think Nolan, Murray, and Grigorenko are all on the same page. The kid clearly has made HUGE strides in his attitude, work ethic, and capabilities but hockey is a business and there is a strategy in what the Sabres can do at this particular point in time. The Sabres want to evaluate their near ready players against a full time NHL squad. So Reinhart and Zadarov are likely to get the 9 game nod. In addition, the 9 game tryouts of two junior players reduces the chances of the Sabres winning (unless they out perform expectations, but realistically, it's lower at least in this situation). So, the Sabres help their overall standings for next year with a perfectly viable strategy to reduce chances of winning games. Grigorenko surely hasn't earned his spot above Ennis, Moulson, Stafford, Gionta, and Hodgson. So, he's in Rochester. Lastly, for a player who has been screwed by the prior regime I think there is an ounce of psychology in what Nolan is doing as well. So, he might be overly effusive because it helps reduce media scrutiny, it helps improve confidence at a time when Grigorenko needs that confirmation. I really hope Grigorenko makes it tough for the Sabres to keep him in Rochester.

I think it will be Gionta. He's a "hometown" guy. He was the "C" in an extremely tough hockey market where they don't particular care for non-Francophones leading their teams. I think Gorges gets a letter as well. My final choice was Stafford based on longevity and commitment to the team. I figured it might also help his trade value. :) I debated Moulson and Ennis but they lost to Stafford.

I get that feeling that Stewart will have a great year and get traded and then return next season. And I don't have a problem with that.. not at this point in time. I've liked the way he's played so far.

As soon as I heard it on the audio broadcast I knew it was supposed payback. That's garbage. It's situations like this where the NHLPA needs to be involved and shut that crap down. LaRose is a crap player, out of the NHL for a year and he thinks that is going to help his case to make a team. Go home, stop playing, you suck. As for the rest... I stopped listening because the audio feed kept dropping from my phone. They lost.. go figure. Get me to next Thursday. Reinhart will still get at least 1 full NHL game I think, just so they know how he is against a full time NHL line up.

SRSLY? Best hockey market in the country and they can't be bothered to give us some TV coverage? BS. Radio only is for 1976.

I'm not worried about them lighting up the NHL, it's not going to happen against NHL caliber talent. However, in order to compete you have to play sound positioning and see your opportunities and the Sabres definitely did that last night. They had extremely good puck support. There were only a few instances (in what I saw) where the Caps were free. If a Sabre was pressured he had an outlet to a teammate. Certainly these opportunities won't be as prevalent against a full NHL squad but at least they had them. If this team overachieves this year then I guess it's a good thing the NHL changed the draft lottery rules right?

Yes. It looked as good as it sounded. Truthfully they looked solid. There was a lot of puck support, a lot of smart plays with players in the right position for breakouts. They weren't perfect and near the end they might have been a bit TOO selfless but they look like a team and that matters a lot. It was entertaining to watch. Now, let's see how they are against a full NHL squad.

Truthfully I think he'll be rotated around based on performance. I didn't put him in the top 6 mostly because I was going down the list and came to him 7th. :) Weber has had problems with his coverage and performance and has been scratched before. No reason to not expect it again.

Looking at who's eligible to be sent down, etc. Moulson - Ennis - Stafford Hodgson - Girgensons - Gionta Stewart - Mitchell - Foligno Flynn - McCormick - Deslauriers Myers - Meszaros Gorges - Benoit Pysyk - Ristolainen Enroth - Neuvirth That's 20, 3 scratches are: Weber, Kaleta, Strachan Extra Forwards: Larsson - he's a 3/4 line call up (no waivers) Grigorenko - he's a 1/2 line call up (no waivers) Extra Defense: Ruhwedel - Callup #1 McCabe - Callup #2 Zadarov will be in Juniors. Because he can be. I wouldn't be surprised if they give him 9 games (they still can this year right?) Reinhart will be in Juniors. Because he can be. I wouldn't be surprised if they give him 9 games. They'll have Pysyk out until 9 games is up (or send him/Risto down) to make room for Zadarov for his 9 games. With Kaleta and Larsson out for an indeterminate time period they will have room for Reinhart for now. Larsson can be sent down and Kaleta is out for a few months so that makes it easy for the first 9 games. This allows for maximum roster flexibility. It allows players who need to develop now time to do so and puts those players who can wait a year back into the appropriate spots. You can argue all you want about what is best for the player but I don't see Zadarov getting worse in Juniors. He doesn't need to be in the NHL now. Absolutely nothing they do will be about this year. Zadarov may benefit from playing in the NHL, but it will start his contract and it will change the Sabres timelines. He's going back to Juniors and he should already know it. I think Larsson, Grigorenko, and McCabe will see significant time in Buffalo this year due to injuries.

By the way. How come the Leafs don't get fined for player selection when they put Orr on the ice to start a fight with Weber after he hit Kessel?.. oh yea.. MFT.