JohnC

The Blue Jackets are a good team. I thought that they were carrying the play but the Sabres seemed to stabilize and go toe to toe with them. It seemed that Ullmark was under siege quite a bit in this game. We earned a point against a very good team. This game didn't disappoint me but rather left me even more encouraged about the Sabres. Over the past four games the Sabres earned 7 out of 8 point playing three out of four games out of town. Not bad! Panerin is really good and that shot in overtime was terrific. My takeaway from this game is that the Sabres don't quit. Even when they were behind they keep playing hard. Contrast that with the past two years where this team was fragile and couldn't handle adversity without cracking. One observation I had is that Sage Thompson has offensive skills. The issue for him right now is he physical enough to play on the defensive side of the game? In a year or two when he physically matures he can turn out to be a good pickup.

Actually, I am not disheartened for next year. In one offseason the Rams significantly upgraded their OL with two solid veteran additions. They also took the free agent and draft route to upgrade their receiving unit. And with an offseason to prepare after his rookie year Goff exploded on the scene. With a smart draft and judicious free agent decisions our OL and receiving unit can be significantly upgraded. Even if we don't get an authentic #1 receiver that doesn't mean that we can't get a good receiver/s who would be an upgrade. Although I'm a believer in Josh Allen I don't believe that he will develop at the pace of Goff or ever be as prolific a passer as the Ram qb. However, I do believe with an added offseason to work on his game and better players added to the offense that this unit can play at a reasonable competitive level. As it stands the Bills have a copious amount of cap space. If they have to over-pay for additional players then so be it. What's the point of having money in your pocket if you act like a miser. If you got it----use it! Being pathetic without taking some strong to correct the problem is a lame way to run a franchise. It's time to have some freaking pride and act with some urgency to address this humiliating situation.

I agree with you. The offense is over-matched. We have arguably the worst OL and receiving corps in the league. On top of that our qb play is less than functional. When the response is often stated that the problem is execution what is underlying that reality is that the talent on hand is incapable of executing against the players they are going against. With respect to the highlighted area they are behind the rest of the league on offense. It is a stark reality. Trust your eyes and the truth will be inescapably clear to anyone with an ounce of objectivity.

Defenses are starting to gravitate toward Jack to take away his one timer shots on the left side on the PP. So there is more room for a point player or a forward on the right side.to shoot. So it might be by design if a Sabre such as Dahlin moves toward Jack because it creates even more room on the opposite side. That's why Okposo had such a clear shot lane to the goalie.

Because of a popular demand and a loss of tolerance they want you to use a remote lot that is not contiguous with the Hammer lot.

A trade of McCoy to Philly for Clement and a second would be a good deal for Buffalo. But I just don't see Philly giving up a second round pick for him. If the Bills were able to get a third and a player such as Clement or a developing player at another position I would take the deal. This is a deal that would serve each team's need and would also put McCoy in a good situation as his career winds down. Would this deal lose the locker room for McDermott? That is a legitimate risk. But the overriding issue is that this deal would in the not too distant future (next year) put us in a better situation. There is already a risk of losing the room because with McCoy or without him this season is going to be a tough year. When you take on a strategy of going full throttle with a rebuild you are inevitably going to take some immediate lumps. Adding to next year's our full complement of picks and with a large cap amount to work with the Bills should be in a good position to infuse this roster with more talent. As it stands with McCoy or without we will be in the same tough situation this year. This type of deal would be the right thing to do for the Bills and McCoy.

The biggest difference this year, besides the additional talent, is that its best player is playing tenaciously on both ends of the rink. The Sabres for the most part have consistently attacked the opposing puck carrier from one end of the rink to the other. How many games last year did we witness the opposing team skating unmolested when they had the puck? And how many times last year did we witness the opposition unfettered control the puck in their end with the Sabres mindlessly chasing players leaving players alone near their goal? When your best player is ferociously working both sides of the ice that resonates with the rest of the team. Okposo in an interview stated that when Jack was designated as the captain he told Jack who was very cognizant of his added responsibility that the best approach to take was not talk about what needed to be done in the locker room but lead by example. And that is exactly what he has done. When your star player works as hard as anyone else and plays the right way that speaks for itself. The player addition that impacted this team beyond his talent the most is Skinner. He is an intense pesky player who never seems to let up. He is a lesser version of Boston's Brad Marchand. His value goes beyond his ability to score in that his competitiveness spills over to the rest of the team. How he plays elevates the other players who see close hand how hard and unrelenting he plays. This was a terrific pickup (for a modest price) for a variety of reasons.

Did you tell him to go down and act as if he was writhing in pain? Then call Cellino and Barnes at (800-888-8888). https://www.cellinoandbarnes.com/

Rondo's spitting. That is grotesquely worse. No question that CP3 feebly punched/pushed him in the head. Rondo has a history of being vilified not only by the opposition but also by his own teammates and coaches. He's a talented player but also a unsavory person. That's why he has been on so many teams.

I'm not defending Scandella but rather making the point that collectively the defensive corps is much better.As a unit they are doing what Housley wants his defensive players to do i.e. move up the ice with the forwards into the offensive zone. There is a noticeable improvement in the passing and more north/south skating rather than dickering around behind the goalie before moving up. I'm not overly focused on Scandella. Is he a weak link? Yes. But I don't expect a previously poor unit to make an immediate metamorphosis into a top tier unit. When you have a player/s deficiencies you deal with it until you find a replacement. I expect sometime during this season or next season Guhle will move up to the big club and then be a mainstay player for us. I'm with you on Dahlin. It is extraordinary that already there is such a maturity and ease to his game. He is like a figure skater out there who has a preternatural sense of the game. You don't teach that Gretzky like instinct of knowing where and when to go. Dahlin is fortunate in having a coach like Housley, a former young precocious defenseman. He is not giving him excessive minutes but gradually increasing his role on offense. Pairing him with Nelson for now was a smart thing to do. Sometime during the season he is going to be on one of the top two pairing.

Collectively our defense is playing so much better compared to last year. McCabe is steadily getting better and Nelson is a quiet player who just does his job. And although Dahlin hasn't flashed his offensive skills just yet he does play very maturely on defense. In general, the passing and skating has been significantly upgraded from last year. The issue is can Bogo stay healthy?

It's unamerican to be penalized for bad spelling. It's my right to be illiterate and poorly schooled?

Did I misspell his name or is the deep state sabotaging me?

We were the better team but what stood out about Montreal is that they can skate. What I see from the Sabres is that they are playing their brand of game and are consistent with their effort. Before if they got behind you can see the collective slump. Now they keep grinding. I don't know who were named the stars but Pomminstein should get the first star. He being in front of the net was instrumental in the Okposo goal.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=fart+sounds&view=detail&mid=F99079CC10AFFE93EC55F99079CC10AFFE93EC55&FORM=VIRE

I have said it before and I've predictably got booed for it but I don't want Bogo fighting. I'll even go beyond that in that I don't want him to unnecessarily crunch the opposition with his targeted hits on the other team for the purpose of making a statement. No question that Bogo fits very well with the Housely system of the defensemen moving up the ice with the forwards on offense. He's an excellent skater and his playing this year after so many previous injuries is a bonus. I don't want Bogo to play just a Nelson style of finesse game where there is little hitting and more emphasis on passing and moving the puck. Of course I expect him to have a more muscular game but I want him to be more judicious about the hitting and fighting. If I had my way I would ban fighting in hockey. I don't care what the neanderthals think and I don't care if I get booed!

People are more than what they do. Life can be very complicated and challenging for those who are less equipped to handle their respective situations. I hope that he has the right support system in New Orleans that will allow him to thrive as a player and person. For some people the fast life in NY or LA can be a tough place to live. I wish him the best.

Yolo, You are plugged in to the Buckeye scene. What happened to Apple in NY? My understanding was that he was a good kid coming out of college but had some trouble adjusting to the pro game and life outside of the building. Is he too dependent on his mother or she hovers around him too much?

Why did the owner want to keep the HC when the new GM was installed? That was the time to make a clean break from the disastrous past. I never understood the retention. In the end Dorsey is going to get his own guy before the next season begins. Very often when it comes to football some owner can be very dumb.

A neighbor reported to the police that there was a suspicious person next door on the porch only wearing a thong and prancing around. When asked for a more detailed description the neighbor said that his bountiful cheeks were very dimpled and jiggly.

Both Davis and Giannis are great players. What is being said now in public doesn't mean that what will happen when their contracts are up and have an opportunity to be on the market are two different things. If you look around you will see that in the NBA the stars are more mobile than they once were. Durant left OKC to get some rings. It wouldn't be surprising that he will also check out the market once his contract runs out. If you asked the Spurs if they thought if Leonard would always be a Spur a couple of years ago they would have said yes. Player movement is simply part of the landscape in the NBA.

Dorsey took a job where the team he was taking over had a lot of young talent and also the prospect of getting a very good qb from the draft. He didn't want to keep Jackson but that was a condition set by the owner. So he waits a year and then gets rid of coach. You can criticize Dorsey all you want but he made a decision that in the long run was in his best interest. That's his decision. So why be bothered by it.

Rondo spit on CP3. He's a POS. Doc Rivers hated him when he was with Boston.

Augie, You are devilish.

See my response to WEO. It also applies to your post.