How many days until the Sabres season

[Stoner]

3 hours ago, Marvin said:

I would not go as far as you, but going with a rookie collegiate as #1 at the most important position on the ice while having dubious back-ups is enough cause to question the franchise's commitment to winning this coming season.  And I wonder how the players look at this.

The bolded needs to be talked about more.

[Randall Flagg]

5 hours ago, PASabreFan said:

 I did quit on the Bills and certainly regret it.

You're allowed to come back

[dudacek]

19 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

The bolded needs to be talked about more.

I wonder if the players think or talk about how good Levi looked in his 7 games. We don't seem to.

I think the bulk of the roster — Dahlin/Krebs/Power/Cozens/Quinn/Samuelsson/Peterka etc. — don't doubt him at all; he's of the same pedigree they are.

The veterans like Tuch/Skinner/Johnson/Okposo? Very good question

There's no doubt Adams will be (rightfully) crucified if Levi fails.

I wonder what people will be saying if he succeeds?

[Stoner]

6 minutes ago, dudacek said:

I wonder if the players think or talk about how good Levi looked in his 7 games. We don't seem to.

I think the bulk of the roster — Dahlin/Krebs/Power/Cozens/Quinn/Samuelsson/Peterka etc. — don't doubt him at all; he's of the same pedigree they are.

The veterans like Tuch/Skinner/Johnson/Okposo? Very good question

There's no doubt Adams will be (rightfully) crucified if Levi fails.

I wonder what people will be saying if he succeeds?

I disagree that young players are necessarily on board. These are professional athletes who aren't naive kids. Some of them might be more calculating than you think.

I wonder what you'll say if he doesn't? Both are dumb questions. Yours is probably more offensive.

[Pimlach]

On 8/8/2023 at 6:56 AM, Crusader1969 said:

As of Aug 8th there are 

 Days until the Sabres season begins 

this one is for the old guys on the site.  Truth be told I don’t remember him at all, playing for the Sabres 

see if anyone knows who this is …..

Mark Napier had a charitable foundation for fighting cystic fibrosis - his number 65 was derived from that.  

[dudacek]

14 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

I disagree that young players are necessarily on board. These are professional athletes who aren't naive kids. Some of them might be more calculating than you think.

I wonder what you'll say if he doesn't? Both are dumb questions. Yours is probably more offensive.

It's nothing to do with calculating or lack thereof. The kids are well aware of the fact Levi won back-to-back Richters and tore up college hockey, and of his spectacular 5 goals against in 7 games run at the WJC. Quinn, Krebs and Cozens were on that team. They also watched him go 5-2 down the stretch with the Sabres. He is a peer. I think they will judge him primarily based on their own experience.

I'm already on record as saying Adams should be acquiring another goalie and that he should be held accountable if he goes with the current three and they fail.

I find nothing inherently offensive or dumb about either question.

 

Edited August 10, 2023 by dudacek

[Thorner]

54 minutes ago, dudacek said:

I wonder if the players think or talk about how good Levi looked in his 7 games. We don't seem to.

I think the bulk of the roster — Dahlin/Krebs/Power/Cozens/Quinn/Samuelsson/Peterka etc. — don't doubt him at all; he's of the same pedigree they are.

The veterans like Tuch/Skinner/Johnson/Okposo? Very good question

There's no doubt Adams will be (rightfully) crucified if Levi fails.

I wonder what people will be saying if he succeeds?

No doubt the board will be absolutely filled with see I told you so’s but really, if anyone is paying attention, no one is actually doubting Levi

its ok to believe in your goalie and still think it’s a needlessly risky bet to not address the other goalie position (and in so doing also grant your rookie a safety net.)

Adams wants to free climb this cliff face, I get it. But I’m not praising him even more so for doing it without a wire, just because. Even once he pulls off the feat. My assessment of the needless risk won’t change, that’s simply the way risk works.

Edited August 10, 2023 by Thorny

[DarthEbriate]

On 8/9/2023 at 9:19 AM, PASabreFan said:

Either it's about winning or it's not.

There's a value, engagement, and a joy for the fans (particularly kids who get to build up and identity with the team) to watch a team grow over multiple seasons and go through their growing pains, earn their lumps, and face their demons on the way to the top. The wins will come along the way.

For the late '80s Bills to go 2-14, 4-12, 7-8, 12-4 or the Cowboys to go from 1-15, 7-9, 11-5, to 13-3, to curb-stomping the Bills so viciously that the only highlight that anyone remembers of the game was a hustle play by Don Beebe to keep the margin of victory under 40 points. Or with the Packers going 9-7 three consecutive seasons but sticking with Favre and letting Brunell go in the expansion draft until the entire team grew up on both sides of the ball and became so dominant that by 1996 they would have won the Super Bowl with either QB.

[Randall Flagg]

9 hours ago, dudacek said:

I wonder if the players think or talk about how good Levi looked in his 7 games. We don't seem to.

I think the bulk of the roster — Dahlin/Krebs/Power/Cozens/Quinn/Samuelsson/Peterka etc. — don't doubt him at all; he's of the same pedigree they are.

The veterans like Tuch/Skinner/Johnson/Okposo? Very good question

There's no doubt Adams will be (rightfully) crucified if Levi fails.

I wonder what people will be saying if he succeeds?

Would .906 for 52 games and .891 for 30 games get it done?

[dudacek]

23 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

Would .906 for 52 games and .891 for 30 games get it done?

 

Damn close if last year was any indication. I wasn't talking about statistics, I was talking about how he played. if you go back and watch the Detroit game, you know those 6 goals against weren't because Devon sucked.

But if you want to go strictly by stats, 4 games at .929 or better, 2 at .857 or worse, 1 at .912.

If you give me .912 or better 5 of every 7 games, you're getting it done. Will the other 2 always be bad? How will that affect him?

[Randall Flagg]

1 minute ago, dudacek said:

 

Damn close if last year was any indication. I wasn't talking about statistics, I was talking about how he played. if you go back and watch the Detroit game, you know those 6 goals against weren't because Devon sucked.

But if you want to go strictly by stats, 4 games at .929 or better, 2 at .857 or worse, 1 at .912.

If you give me .912 or better 5 of every 7 games, you're getting it done. Will the other 2 always be bad? How will that affect him?

Yeah his quality start ratio would probably turn into a borderline vezina season if scaled to 60 games, which is enticing - watching it didn't feel like I was seeing anything unsustainable

Feel like I should put out there once in a while that I am a massive believer in Levi to remind others (and myself) that I can see the good things too

[nfreeman]

14 hours ago, Crusader1969 said:

As of Aug 10th there are        Days until the Sabres season begins

Sabres Icon Tyler Ennis, the only player to ever wear 63 for them

 

I liked Ennis and for a while thought he’d be a worthy rival to his contemporary Marchand, who is similarly sized and wears the same number.  Alas, Ennis was laid low by injuries, including a severe concussion and major ankle injury and was never the same afterwards.  

[bob_sauve28]

62 is the code for international direct dial calls to Indonesia.

In the 1998 Home Run Race, Mark McGwire hit his 62nd home run on September 8, breaking the single-season record. Sammy Sosa hit his 62nd home run just days later on September 13.

Under Social Security (United States), 62 is the earliest age at which a person may begin receiving retirement benefits (other than disability).

[Crusader1969]

As of Aug 11th there are now 

 

Days until puck drop.  
oh what could have been if Brandon didn’t suffer like most others under Ralph 🤮

the only Sabres to ever wear 62. His time with Buffalo was way too short, played one full season with them and parts of 2 others. Now a legit star with Florida.  

Edited August 11, 2023 by Crusader1969

[bob_sauve28]

3 hours ago, Crusader1969 said:

As of Aug 11th there are now 

 

Days until puck drop.  
oh what could have been if Brandon didn’t suffer like most others under Ralph 🤮

the only Sabres to ever wear 62. His time with Buffalo was way too short, played one full season with them and parts of 2 others. Now a legit star with Florida.  

Norris candidate good? 

[DarthEbriate]

@Thorny I got a notification and saw a response, but wasn't able to log in until now where it appears you've deleted it. Yes... certainly there is some hyperbole in my response. But there are a few criminally underrated things we should not overlook. 1) Brunell was a very good QB in the mid '90s until he blew out his knee; 2) Desmond Howard's '96 season was Hester-level good [and then Howard was even better in the playoffs]; and 3) the '96 Packers defense was fantastic.*

*Since 1994 (and the increase in passing to mimic SF, Buffalo, Houston) there have been only 12 defenses to allow fewer than 220 points in a season. And HALF of those defenses came in a 4-season stretch against the AFC Central/North after the Browns were reinstated and the defenses that faced those teams just feasted on 4-8 games/season of trash offenses.** Seriously, look at these teams [Tampa and Chicago got to face them 4 times. 2002 Tampa allowed 0,3,7,17 in four games vs. that AFC North dreck]. I'm not saying the Ravens didn't have a great defense, I'm saying they looked even better than they were because of the AFC Garbage Division offenses they played for those 4 seasons.

Ravens 2006 - 201  
Bears 2005 - 202
Tampa 2002 - 196 **
Pitt 2001 - 212**
Phil 2001 - 208 
Bears 2001 - 203**
Tenn 2000 - 191**
Balt 2000 - 165**
Jax 1999 - 217**
GB 1996 - 210
Car 1996 - 218
Browns 1994 - 204

[Buffalonill]

16 hours ago, DarthEbriate said:

@Thorny I got a notification and saw a response, but wasn't able to log in until now where it appears you've deleted it. Yes... certainly there is some hyperbole in my response. But there are a few criminally underrated things we should not overlook. 1) Brunell was a very good QB in the mid '90s until he blew out his knee; 2) Desmond Howard's '96 season was Hester-level good [and then Howard was even better in the playoffs]; and 3) the '96 Packers defense was fantastic.*

*Since 1994 (and the increase in passing to mimic SF, Buffalo, Houston) there have been only 12 defenses to allow fewer than 220 points in a season. And HALF of those defenses came in a 4-season stretch against the AFC Central/North after the Browns were reinstated and the defenses that faced those teams just feasted on 4-8 games/season of trash offenses.** Seriously, look at these teams [Tampa and Chicago got to face them 4 times. 2002 Tampa allowed 0,3,7,17 in four games vs. that AFC North dreck]. I'm not saying the Ravens didn't have a great defense, I'm saying they looked even better than they were because of the AFC Garbage Division offenses they played for those 4 seasons.

Ravens 2006 - 201  
Bears 2005 - 202
Tampa 2002 - 196 **
Pitt 2001 - 212**
Phil 2001 - 208 
Bears 2001 - 203**
Tenn 2000 - 191**
Balt 2000 - 165**
Jax 1999 - 217**
GB 1996 - 210
Car 1996 - 218
Browns 1994 - 204

 

[Crusader1969]

As of Aug 11 there are now 

 

 Days until the Sabres season

Afinogenov played 9 seasons for the Sabres 569GP 134G 200A 

 

Edited August 12, 2023 by Crusader1969

[Buffalonill]

Afinogenov would have put monster numbers in this era

[Zamboni]

As of August 13th, 60 days …

Unfortunately there is no photo of it… That I could find, but ….

 

60: Paul Gaustad (2002-2003)

Gaustad holds the record for the shortest time wearing a unique number for the Sabres. Although most will remember him as No. 28, he spent just under six minutes of a game against the Colorado Avalanche in 2003 wearing the number 60.

[Crusader1969]

20 hours ago, Zamboni said:

As of August 13th, 60 days …

Unfortunately there is no photo of it… That I could find, but ….

 

60: Paul Gaustad (2002-2003)

Gaustad holds the record for the shortest time wearing a unique number for the Sabres. Although most will remember him as No. 28, he spent just under six minutes of a game against the Colorado Avalanche in 2003 wearing the number 60.

Yep I looked to and couldn’t find any pics either but it’s true he did wear 60

[Zamboni]

As of August 14th …

 

Days until the Sabres season

[Crusader1969]

6 hours ago, Zamboni said:

As of August 14th …

 

Days until the Sabres season

Only player to wear 59.   
Played part of two seasons for the Sabres 

Anyone know who this is?   Guys who follow AHL closely may have an idea 

[Crusader1969]

As of Aug 15 there are now only 

 More days until the season 

john Gilmore (pictured above) wore this number in 4 games for the Sabres in the 19/20 season

Tim Kennedy wore it for his 1 game in 08/09 before switching to 13 the following season

Paul Szczechura (Who?) wore it for his 9 games as a Sabres in 11/12.  
 

#59 was Tim Schaller who played parts of 2 seasons with the Sabres 14/15 and 15/16

 

Edited August 15, 2023 by Crusader1969

[Crusader1969]

As of Aug 16th there are 

Days until the Sabres season

i just had to use the Image of Steve Heinz and his “Heinz 57” jersey. Heinz was a deadline day pickup for the Sabres and played 14 regular season games for them in 00-01 putting up 12 points 

Tyler Myers and current Sabres Brett Murray are the only other players to wear 57 for the Sabres 

Edited August 16, 2023 by Crusader1969