ExWNYer

The god awful accent and stains on his shirt from the melted butter weren't a dead giveaway? I only work in the office one day per week now (pre-pandemic it was two) but in all my years there, I think one person has inquired about the Sabres license plate in my cube. I have various Bills & Sabres paraphernalia and a ton of people ask me about or talk to me frequently about the Bills but never the Sabres. There is one friend of mine whose family is originally from NYC and, if you ask him, he'd say he's a Rags fan but he admittedly doesn't even follow (or does so cursorily) the regular season and will 'check out' the playoffs so he's not really a hockey fan, IMO. There are people in the area (not my office) who claim to be Caps fans but this is just not a hockey crazy area. We've had three minor league teams in my years here and all have disappeared over the years. Most of the people who attended the games only went to socialize and "see some fights". Honestly, I like it that nobody in the workplace talks hockey. I haven't had to deal with any sh*t talkers for this drought. I have these boards which is great for me. Also, my younger son is an avid Sabres fan so I have 'live discussion' about the organization with a fellow fan and family member which is nice.

Thanks for an entertaining ride, Sabres. Now go to work and take your place among the contenders and, eventually, the elite. Always look forward to what might transpire in the off season but this one feels like the wait on Christmas Eve as a kid. Cheers brothers & sisters! Bring it!

Krebsie. Nice.

Refreshing to have a 'nice' problem for a change. Been a long time since I've been sad to see hockey season end.

A Mitts full. 🙂

You forgot to add, "Im drunk !!! but pissed."

I have standing dinner plans for tonight and will miss not only tonight's game but the lively banter within the GDT. Have fun boys and girls. Be (semi) civil...

Yeah, I caught the tail end of the replay of their shootout victory over the Rags on NHL Network the other night (NYR feed) and Sam Rosen and his partner had nothing but glowing remarks for Devon Levi and some of the other guys.

Which has hardened most over the course of this season...your heart or your liver?

I prefaced my comments with 'FWIW' which means "decipher and take what you will from the 'GM speak'." That said, it would be nice to have this kid signed and see what he can contribute going forward but if he chooses a different path for himself, so be it. He won't make or break this team's fortunes one way or the other, IMO. Best case, he signs. Worst case, they get a compensatory 2. Some might even argue that you could flip flop the best and worst case scenarios. There will be resolution soon enough.

FWIW, GMKA just said on 'Sabres Live' that they had a long, good call with Ryan Johnson and his agents about two days ago, for the purpose of "making sure that we were aligned" and because they wanted RJ (that just doesn't sound right, I know) to talk to them about how he feels coming off of a national championship loss. RJ told them he was still devastated and KA said "you could just hear it in his voice". Said that RJ is just taking his time and thinking things thru and they'll see where it goes. KA said, "I would characterize it as a real positive meeting."

If the players are worth their salt, which most think they are, then they will handle the pressure. If not, they are building this all wrong. The playoff push at the end of the season gave them a taste of pressure and what it feels like to chase a goal. By all accounts, it's a great locker room with a lot of high character, passionate guys. Pressure comes with the territory. This group is not likely to succumb to that, IMO. That is the least of my worries.

Frank Seravalli wrote a piece on 'DailyFaceoff' titled, '10 burning questions facing the NHL’s 16 non-playoff teams'. Number 4 is about the Sabres: 4. Is there a better positioned non-playoff team than Buffalo? One rival NHL GM quietly predicted it months ago, so we wrote it down: “the Sabres will be the Beast of the East in two years.” Now that we’ve watched it all come together, it’s hard to argue with the notion – particularly with No. 1 overall picks Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power forming twin tower pillars on Buffalo’s blueline. Dahlin will receive Norris Trophy votes this spring and Power will appear on ballots for both the Calder and All-Rookie team. Oh, yeah, and center Tage Thompson was gunning to do something no player 6-foot-7 or taller has done in NHL history in scoring 50 goals and 100 points in the same season. That’s a pretty strong foundational core, bolstered now with the arrival of goaltender Devon Levi. More than that, as Buffalo battled for their playoff lives into the second week in April – trying to snap the longest current playoff drought in North American pro sports – coach Don Granato has them believing. It’s happening. And the Sabres have the most enviable salary cap table in the league. Tell us: Who is better positioned? https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/10-burning-offseason-questions-facing-the-nhls-16-non-playoff-teams-2 This pretty much reinforces what most of us already know or believe...that this team is ascending and will be there sooner rather than later with some tweaks and reinforcements...but it's nice to see that 'outsiders' have taken notice and feel similarly. Discuss...

I love what I've seen from Levi and hope that he is finally the answer between the pipes for this team. That said, those of you who think they are fine in goal as currently constructed and can just ride with Levi are ignoring the 400 lb gorilla in the room...what happens if the kid gets injured? Where are they then? An established, starting caliber goalie definitely needs to be acquired this off-season. Not only could he get hurt but there are a myriad of other things already mentioned in this thread...we have witnessed a very small sample size, he'll need to adjust to a grinding travel schedule, different training regimen, public appearances, media attention both locally and nationally, etc. He looks like the real deal but throwing all of your eggs into one basket is a risky proposition given the apparent ascension of this team. Relying on UPL and Comrie would be criminally negligent, IMO. Can they grow, especially UPL? Will they? That's a risk I'm not willing to take and neither should the coach, front office, and owner. The young core on this team has grown tremendously this season and they are ready to take the next step. This run for the playoffs the last few weeks of the season has given them an invaluable taste of what can be, IMO. If this team does not make the playoffs next season for reasons other than devastating, long-term injuries to the likes of Thompson, Cozens, Tuch, Power, & Dahlin then the coach and front office need to be on the hot seat. The fan base has been more than patient with this staff and, with a few tweaks here and there, they probably could have slipped into the playoffs and ended this interminable drought. Shore up the goaltending and defense with legit acquisitions and this team will be one to watch. Stand pat and stick to some self-imposed timeline like this year and you will be on the outside looking in with a half empty building and a ton of opposing fans...yet again. You're on the clock, GMKA, and we're all watching...

I'd honestly rather lose like this than by one goal in regulation.

A complete trash 6 on 4 PP.

God bless. May you find a way thru your pain. I lost my mom to cancer in 2008 so I know what you must be going thru at the moment. Thoughts and prayers to you and your family during this horrendously difficult time.

Turn out the lights, the party's over. Thanks for the run Sabres, it's been a lot of fun for a change.

Power is doing his best to get Girgs a marker and Girgs continues to say, "Not up to the task.'

One desperation period to go. Gotta leave it all out there for the next 20 minutes.

If the Blackhawks somehow find a way to win that in regulation and the Sabres don't rally to win this game, it will sting doubly.

Damn, Dahlin hit the post. Really needed that marker.

Looks like the air is coming out of the balloon. This frantic push to the finish with no margin for error is catching up with them.

Okay, just the one fluky goal. We're okay. Rest up, regroup, and get after them in the 2nd.

Power made a beautiful pass to Girgs but he couldn't get it to settle down. Missed opportunity there.