Pimlach

Well the first NHL hockey team that I liked was the Boston Bruins. I saw young Bobby Orr skate circles around everyone and that was it. The Buffalo Bisons of the AHL were my favorite team, then the Sabres once they were born in 1970. The Sabres became my team and Gil my favorite player but before that the Bruins were. That was 58 years ago, at times the Sabres and Bruins were rivals and I completely dropped the Bruins of course. But a little part of me still likes them going back to 1966-67. It’s not a crime.

Good morning Teammates, Punch checking in , late. I missed the game. Took the family out to dinner to celebrate my son’s birthday. Did not see a minute of the game. This thread tells me everything. 1. Sabres fail to show up at home again - same situation as all season 2. Sabrespace infighting continues to grow - this is getting old. 3. Harringtons comment on Florida’s camp/preseason compared to the Sabres is spot on. I have said this from the beginning of the season and it is documented many times - This team was not prepared to make a playoff run. Preseason was a joke that bled into a 3 goalie tryout in the regular season. Our best players were not ready from the start. Coaching is not NHL caliber, there is no system, the book is out on how to beat this team. The losing culture crept back in. Losing is ok again. I am as frustrated as anyone. Adam’s is staying. Granato is staying. More prospects will be moving up next year if they cannot make trades and acquisitions the way “normal” teams do.

There is evidence of interference all over the place, it is just hard to separate fact and fiction. Putting Kim in charge was interference. There was that ROR trade that had to happen before the bonus kicks in. Right now, Pegula may not make any decisions to override Adams because he does not have too, so far. Adams complies with his wishes, he doesn't spend near the cap, he doesn't sign high priced free agents, he doesn't trade for expensive players, he doesn't hire high profile coaches and execs. That all came about came after he fired JBOT, who he and Kim gave a vote of confidence to just weeks prior to his firing. Why was he fired? Because JBOT would not comply with their new plan - remember the speech "from now on we will be economic and efficient".

Watched the news about the shootings at the KC Parade. I grew up in a rough and tough part of Buffalo and never experienced violence like we have today. We the people really need to fix this gun problem. Our politicians wont do it.

The layer above the GM (PoHO) is good to isolate the owner from the GM - which is what we need in Buffalo.

Wow. The Power pile-on continues. He is 21 years old and playing big minutes in a tough position that most that age could not handle. Blame Adams for drafting him if you don't like him. Blame Adams for signing him to an $8.35M seven year contract after one season. I think he will come around.

Good luck Marvin. Start looking at other opportunities and maybe you can contract for yourself or through another firm. I retired in 2021 before I hit 63. I still had some fire left, but did not agree with the corporate culture changes so rather than be antagonistic towards it I left. I got calls from a company that is in my old companies supply base. So I consult to them on occasion. Worked 400 hrs in 2022, 360 hours in 2023 - that is enough for me. Depending on your age and what benefits you need you may be better off going that route.

Hate to break this to you guys, but Arby’s sucks!

I assume this is a joke? Kaleta is no coach. Matt Ellis as GM and I just might burn my 1970 vintage Sabres Jersey. ... and probably after the best candidates come off the table.

Why? Happy wife, happy life. That is why.

You need a beer or two, or three.

The Sabre are more likely to win if Reinhart does not do well. So I hope he gets 0 points and is -4 today.

Many a sports wife had to be convinced and many were sad to leave, but you are right, the winters are rough, especially if you have not been exposed to it.

Yup. Three year bridge but if he turns out to be a real #1 then it will cost you more down the road. Worth the risk with Levi developing in the AHL. They also need to look for a 1B/2 to replace Comrie.

Yes. He could be frustrated and pressing. I’m still not sure he would not be better off at wing and playing with a nifty playmaking center (Mitts). He gets more room at center but with skinner and KO who feeds him?

Not aware of any mental issues. He seems to play hard some of the time. He seems to do to much quite often. He seems to be playing alone a lot. Playing with Skinner might be a problem. Skinner is lost since the all Star break.

This is a good luck statistical anomaly. We are a low scoring team that happens to luckily average over 5+ goals per game when he plays. Bryson has 2 assists and his +/- is 0. I call this a coincidence.

Brind'Amour is the guy who could tell Adams what he needs on the roster and get it. I don't think the others can change the EEE course that Adams is on. That might shy Berube away, who lost some vets that he didn't want to lose in St Louis. Gallant has been out of work for a long time, so he might be more likely to take the job. Brind'Amour can wake up the players that have talent but don't show up every night (of which there are many). They all can do that, but it seems like Brind'Amour has the ability to keep a team focused for a long time. Leaving NC for Buffalo is not going to be easy for him and his family. Terry will have to drill a well to get him. I think RBA is a pipe dream. I bet that Granato stays.

If only these stats projected out to next year and the year after, then we might know. But they don't. Mitts is not getting traded, especially not for a #1 goalie. We could use a better backup goalie, but we sure don't need to trade Mitts to get that. Peters is a boob. So is Rivet.

It helps when the opposing goalie is swiss cheese. The win probably had very little to do with the Samuelsson and Power being out. The Sabres have had a tough time scoring but last night everything was going in.

OK, I wrote this last night after the game. I missed the game. Were was Tage? TOI - 14:46 Skinner TOI - 12:50 Kyle TOI - 10:56 Looks like that line became the 4th line. Tage must have got a few extra minutes for the PP? Any comments?

It goes to show you that you cannot expect a 22 year old goalie to jump into the NHL. UPL is now 24. When he was 23 he was inconsistent, but showed he could be very good at times. Just like Levi shows now. Levi's very good games show us he has the talent, his bad ones show us he needs more time. I think back to how we gutted this team, including Rochester, and all the young players had to rush due to the very poor work of Murray and Co. I think the key going forward is to make a few trades/acquisitions for vets in their prime, ones that have leadership qualities, and get this roster older and more in line with our playoff competition. This way our prospects have to beat out a real NHL player, not a tweener/JAG, to make the jump. This is not hard to figure out when you look at the teams that have been good for a long time. Their young guys come into a better situation.

Agree. We need to improve the backup (Comrie) and find a 1B or a solid 2. Leave Levi in AHL to develop - stop rushing our prospects and make Levi beat out a real NHL goalie. The Peters rumor - Trade Mitts for a goalie - will turn out to be typical Peters/Rivet nothing.

I don’t know what the recent Kings travel schedule is but the west coast team cover a lot more ground traveling.

Eddie “the Entertainer” Shack was a great acquisition in the first few expansion years and lived up to his name as a Sabre. Fans loved him. He was traded for Rene Robert. Another score for Punch.