Iron Crotch

At puck drop this GDT was already longer than most of last year's GDTs. Go Sabres!

Christian Pulisic is hurt yet again. This time a calf injury. He always seems to get a "minor" injury right before an International break. Hmmm.... Also, 20 year old Weston McKennie scored the game winning for Schalke in the Champions league yesterday. He'll be a starting midfielder for the USA come next World Cup.

Last season we scored the fewest goals of any team (198) and gave up the third most, so we had the worst goal differential (-80) of any team by far. Cut that goal differential in half or better and I'll consider the season to a success (gotta walk before you can run). A lot of new players in the lineup tonight so I'm interested to see how they all look. Go Sabres!

...slows down a little once you get on the wrong side of 40.

?

Other than picking up Skinner (i.e., a proven NHL scorer), I'm not a fan of much of anything Botterill has done. We lucked into Dahlin by being the worst team and (finally) winning the draft lottery. But, I realize I'm in the minority around here, so I pretty much just haven't posted this off-season rather than spread my negativity. That said, if I'm pleasantly surprised by how the season progresses, then I'll gladly eat crow!

Robert Foster couldn't even start for his college team (granted he went to Alabama)… dude looks like Tarzan, plays like Jane. If we can't find someone better than him, something is wrong. I'd keep Zay since he is young and still could develop... the others can all go.

I saw Dougherty play in preseason last year when I was a Preds season ticket holder. Honestly, not very memorable (but I was probably drunk). He was well thought of in the Preds organization, but they have so many good defense prospects he got caught in a numbers game. He already has a couple of years of AHL experience so he's pretty close to NHL-ready (or at least a shot at the league). As a right-hand shot, he can maybe pair with someone like Guhle in Rochester.

Yeah, Sheridan & Hopkins. I used to ride my bike there, buy slices, and play video games back in the 80's!

? Somewhere in my line of thought about the Sabres is an analogy to the story of the Boy who cried "Wolf!" At the start of every season, most around here think the team will be competitive/better... and every year it is just more of the same. We've been so terrible for so long (dead f'ing last in the entire NHL 3 of the past 5 seasons) that I just can't buy into the optimism that Buffalo sports fans seem to generate at the beginning of every season. Until I see some evidence that freaking any of these new guys can play (although I do have supreme confidence in Dahlin) I just can't get excited when we traded 2 of the top 4 scorers off of the lowest scoring team in hockey and replaced them with a bunch of unknowns (mostly young prospects). That said, I'll still watch most games... because I'm from Buffalo... and we're a bunch of masochists when it comes to our sports teams!

Actually, my good friend is planning on opening up an Abbott's Custard down here in New Orleans. Abbott's is now franchising and has moved into MA, FL, NC, SC, etc. BTW - I used to go to Marvino's Pizza when I was a kid. That's long gone from what I'm told. ?

We're arguing over the merits of guys who don't make the roster of any playoff-level team. Therein lies why I think the Sabres will absolutely suck this season. Two other teams dumped Wilson last year before he landed a semi-regular role on the worst team in hockey. That he (legitimately or not) seems like an upgrade over several of our other forwards, to me, is evidence of just how bad it's gotten for this once proud franchise.

For me, Scott Wilson = JAG. I don't wish injury upon anyone and I hope he fully recovers and all. But, I don't see it making much of a difference if he plays or not.

Just Ryan Hartman is injured for the Preds (forwards). Don't the NHL rules say if you pick a guy up off of wavers he must be assigned to your NHL team? As in he can't go straight to the AHL-level? I thought that was the case, but am not sure.

I'm pretty familiar with Dougherty from my STH days in Nashville. Both depth players, but good trade overall. Baptiste was never going to crack the lineup in Buffalo and Dougherty has legit NHL potential. The one thing David Poille does is draft and develop NHL-level defensemen. The Preds are so loaded on the back-end, they can afford to jettison guys like Dougherty. I like the move (although it probably won't be a big difference-maker from a W/L perspective).

Going to see Terror (heavy hardcore) next weekend in a tiny venue in New Orleans. I'm probably way too old for this sort of show in a venue this small (basically one giant pit)… we'll see. The singer Scott Vogel was born and raised in Buffalo (Amherst, I believe).

Dortmund vs. Nurnberg on now (FS2). 2-0 Dortmund in the first half. Absolutely beautiful assist by Christian Pulisic on the first goal and he got an assist on the second goal as well. The kid is playing his way into a huge contract with one of the world's biggest clubs. CP just turned 20 last week!

I honestly think the Sabres will finish dead last yet again this season (as we did three of the past five seasons). We were the lowest scoring team in the league last year and we lost two of our top four scorers. Unless someone unexpectedly emerges, we'll be a one line team (Jack and company). There just isn't any evidence that this group of kids and journeymen will magically "turn the corner" and start beating teams with proven talent.

Well, we suck in Clinton just like we suck everywhere else. Ha. ?

CBJ's goaltender is better than ours. ?

This is one reason I didn't like the O'Reilly trade. We're removing a proven 2nd liner and assuming kids and/or other new guys can take on those minutes.

Penalty on Okposo for that? WTF?

Great pass by Jack! 2-1 good guys.

Oof. Nice move by Duclair.

Yay, team. Casey Nelson!