JohnC

As you noted the Philly disappointment seems to have made an impression on this team. There was no let down and sloppy play from the beginning to the end of the game. Because of a lack of firepower with the absence of two of their top goal scorers this team is playing a two-way grinding style of play. The biggest beneficiary of this disciplined and defensive style of play are their goaltenders. The starting goalies are seeing the puck and they are allowing the tenders to be very composed and efficient without much scrambling and frantic reactions. The team's style of play so far can best be described as a road-game style of play. It is proving to be successful. Just an observation: Justin Bailey is big but his most impressive attribute is his speed. I see him staying with the big club.

You are asking the wrong question. The right question is would he be better than what we already have? The answer is an overwhelming yes. EJ's limitations have little to do with who is coaching him and more to do with his inherent limitations as a player. The Bills could have moved down in the first round and still have acquired Carr. We didn't. Maybe it is that type of conventional and cautious organizational thinking that has kept this backwater franchise stuck in the muck of mediocrity for more than a generation. Until the qb position is secured this franchise will not stand a chance to be a serious team. That is a fact for the Bills as it is for every team. Sometimes you get lucky and more often you don't. If you want to increase your chances of success at solidifying the most important position in the game you have to aggressively continue the pursuit until you find the answer.

A little while back after Kane got involved in the Chipawa bar conflict with a woman the GM candidly came out with his thoughts on Kane on WGR. He stated that he bluntly told Kane that he was tired how he not only acted in public but he didn't like the way he behaved as a teammate. He pointed out in the interview that Kane comes and goes in practice and before and after the games with little interaction with the other players. He wasn't happy with his lone ranger act. You don't have to be a hockey afficionado to recognize that there is little cohesion with him and his linemates. I don't want to just dwell on some of the negative aspects of his game. On the positive side there is no player on the team and not many in the league that play as hard as he does. He is also one of the first players to standout for his teammates when the opposition takes liberties with them. However, Evander Kane has been in the league long enough and been instructed by the coaching staffs that he needs to bring a greater degree of discipline and intelligence to his game to make him more of an effective player in this league. I hope when he returns to action he demonstrates with his play and behavior that he understands that he needs to adjust his attitude and game to better serve the team. If he doesn't he will be left unprotected in the upcoming expansion draft and become a problem for the Vegas team to deal with.

Let me slightly adjust your view on Okposo without substantively disagreeing with you. Even with the eventual return of Kane and Eichel Okposo will still be one of the top guns if not the top gun on the team. What I don't know is how Bylsma is going to rework the top two lines when the injured players return. When watching the Sabres last year it was obvious that Kane was one of the more talented players on the team. But so far he has not been able to integrate his game with his linemates. If he can harness his physical talents and mesh better with the players he is playing with he will become a much better player. One of the things that I worry about Kane is that although he relishes playing a tough banging style of game that type of play makes him more prone to injury. If he could be more selective with his hits and be more selective with his pugnacity it might serve him better staying healthy. What I'm suggesting is taming his game and being more cerebral rather than physical will serve him and the team better in the long run.

The "what if" Philly game is still a lingering irritation. In hindsight it might prove useful if the team learns that you can't get careless just because you are ahead in a game that is tilting your way. It's very early in the season but it is obvious that the Okposo acquisition was a major addition. He can skate, shoot, is skilled and is tough. He is not only one of the best players on our team but he is one of the better players in the league. Although Ennis is not scoring a lot of points he is returning to form as a skater and an offensive creator. I'm eagerly waiting and hoping for his high octane action to turn into points. What the last two games demonstrate that responsible team defense and solid goaltending may not result in sparkling hockey to watch but it translates into points. Gionta is not close to being what he once was as a younger player.However, he is still a contributing grinder who is an example to the younger players on how to respect the game through one's maximum effort. His value to the team has more to do with his presence than with his stats.

I'm not as discouraged as most of you are regarding the slumbering start for the Sabres. This team had little margin of error to begin with because of its limited depth. When Eichel and Kane went down we not only lost two of the team's primary scorers but we also diminished two of our top lines. The end result is that a player such as Moulson ends up moving up the ranks to being a top two line player when he isn't that type of player any longer. (I don't want to specifically dump on him to make a point because I still believe that he can be a useful player on power plays but he is not in my estimation a top two line player.} What I will be watching to see on this pinched roster is who will be stepping up and legitimately moves up the ranks based on performance. So far the one player who I can identify who falls in that category is Ennis. Are there other players who will be moving up the ranks and improve this team when the injured players return? I don't know but that is what I will be watching for. As another poster stated the hardest and most dispiriting part of watching this team is that it is boring. Clearly it is due to its lack of potency.

He certainly is not an all around player. His game is to get in the open areas and quickly get the shot off. If he is not playing with players who can get him the puck in the right area and the right time he is useless. Most of his scoring is done with quick time shots as opposed to carrying the puck and putting himself in position with the puck on his stick. His style of play is the antithesis of a player such as Ennis who can carry the puck and create his own shot. Without a doubt Moulson has limitations but he has demonstrated this season that he can be a contributing player if he is playing with the players who can set him up and put him in a position to pounce on a puck around the net. Sometimes the garbage that you get can be very valuable. In my view that is not luck. That simply is his limited game and where he scores. That is what he needs to do to contribute.

The Kulikov penalty was an act of stupidity that changed a game that should have been in the win column to a game that was lost in a shootout. This foolish Russian demonstrated undisciplined play on that reckless hit and it also demonstrated a lack of situational awareness in the game. Simply stupid and selfish. The positives I took out of this game is that Ennis played well and Moulson is capable of being sniper who can still score. I thought Nilsson played well and it is obvious that he is quicker than the bulky Leonherd.

Life can be unfair. Lamenting gets you nowhere. The score is in the books and there is no erasure.

The whistle blew before the goal. But what was obvious from the replay is that there should not have been a whistle. The outcome was fair and right although the process was questionable.

I was in so much pain that I was not concerned with the precision of the medical terminology. The ambulance ride was bumpy and I was in excruciating pain. Upon arrival to the hospital I was placed on a stretcher and pushed by an assshole young orderly who was reckless pushing me like I was a dead carcass to the freezing basement in order to get an x-ray. After threatening to punch his F####ing face in he became more delicate in the manner he was handling me. In addition, while waiting alone in the polar basement for my turn in the x-ray room I had to desperately take a peeee; I couldn't do it without assistance. Other than that things went as well as could be expected. Much to my chagrin I couldn't remember whether the staff used the word "fractured" or "cracked" to describe my injury.

I had a cracked femur and still have three screws in my leg. Basically time is the healer and little can be done to accelerate the process.

I offer my condolences.

This stinks!

I called yesterday because I couldn't make a transaction made through the computer. There is something off with their system because even yesterday the agent couldn't officially make the transaction go through their computer system. I was told that as a previous subscriber it would automatically go through. Don't take their word for it. If you want to get Center Ice call them again to get confirmation. Side note: I'm going crazy trying to get in touch with a human being to talk to. Going through the exhausting auto menu makes me go insane.

I asked the same question on a previous post. Penzmd1 responded in post #726 that you need CenterIce to get the game. You should be able to get the pre and post game coverage on MSG without CenterIce. Maybe ??? the first game of the season is shown on CenterIce for free. But I can't guarantee it.

The GM certainly likes big goaltenders! I like sending Nylander to Rochester. Gets him a lot of playing time and accelerates his development.

No one is making the point that he is a top tier OT because he is not. What he does is play the position technically well. . He is a dramatic upgrade compared to when Henderson and Kujo played the same position. From a value standpoint he was a tremendous pickup. The Bills went from the RT position being a major liability to it now being played competently.

Two examples of Whaley's free agent value pickups on the OL are Incognito and Jordan Mills. On the line Mills may be the least conspicuous player but also may be one of the more technically sound players on the line. Another example of Whaley's keen eye and value pickup was LB Lorenzo Alexander. From an organizational standpoint under Whaley our pro scouting department is coming up with aces. As others have said it is obvious that a good OL coach such as Komer does make a big difference on the unit.

TT is not a precise passer and probably will never be. Our offense is not designed around the passing because the qb and the receiving corps are not built for it. The difference between an Orton type of qb and TT is that Taylor has the ability to make plays with his legs and he can throw the deep ball keeping the defensive backfield on its heels. It's obvious that TT has limitations as a passer. He is what he is. But that doesn't mean we can't win with him taking the snaps.The change from Roman to Lynn has worked out terrifically. The play calling is quicker and crisper. The run game is now more north/south instead of east/west. Overall, I'm not delighted by the play of Tyrod but I am satisfied by it.

Booming voice with big orchestra. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rgLd6A0DWM

I laughed when I brought up the link that indicated that minors must be accompanied by an adult. The man must still be able to gyrate and thrust on stage. I don't know about now but he had great pipes and his range of music crossed all lines from gospel, ballads and pulsating rock and roll.

I'll be very disappointed if the team doesn't qualify for the playoffs. They are not an elite team but they are an ascending team that will get in as a lower qualifying team. That would be fine with me. The Buffalo fan base deserves to watch one of their teams in a post season game. Starting a few years ago the organization had a strategy that included tanking resulting in garnering high picks for a few years. It worked out as planed. They were able to acquire some top end prospect talent. This team is now a competitive team and also an entertaining team to watch. Now it is time to match the expectations with good quality play on the ice.

We're not the only team facing this dilemma. Washington is mulling over that same issue with Kirk Cousins. There are intervals when he plays like Brees and then there are interval when plays like a pedestrian qb that you can easily procure off of the leftover market. Is the Elway approach the best approach where you don't look at the issue as a necessity for you but instead you make a talent assessment and you pay market rate for the talent level? Elway took a stand on Brockweiller and was not going to reach from a contract standpoint. It takes a lot of fortitude to take that more clinical approach yet it was a sensible approach to take because his team was built to accentuate the defense. I'm a stanch supporter of TT. I realize that he has some major assets with his exceptional mobility and a talent for making beautiful long passes. But on the other side of the ledger I don't see him ever having impeccable accuracy and the ability to make the progressive reads that differentiate the very good qbs from the average to solid qbs.

The Pats HC knew exactly what he was doing. He is a much more strategic thinker than our visceral and reactionary HC. Of course Bill B wanted to win this game but he wasn't going to jeopardize Grapolo's well being while he is in the healing process. The Pats' HC certainly knew entering this game that not only was his rookie qb limited because of his inexperience but that he was also physically impaired. Don't be surprised if he is soon placed on the injury list and has his mangled finger operated on. A Buffalo win is a Buffalo win. I appreciate it and am not going to be dismissive of it. On both sides of the ball the Bills played well and deserve accolades for their multi-faceted win. But from a New England perspective if they were told prior to the season that they would be 3-1 while Brady was off sun-bathing and exposing his private parts on a European beach I'm sure they would be very glad where they stand. As you know I have little regard for our HC's juvenile demeanor and annoying act. However, to his credit he made a gutsy call in replacing Roman with Lynn. The change in coaches for our offense and qb is very noticeable in a positive way. The loud coach deserves credit for that.