I literally agree with everything here.

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"Call a cop he robbed Delmore blind!!!"
Rick Jeanerette after Marty Biron's diving save back in 2000.

"I'm going to go to the spa and have a hot tub and massage and relax," Miller said. "That's it, and it's back to work tomorrow." Ryan Miller after clinching the North East division.

I literally agree with everything here.

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"Call a cop he robbed Delmore blind!!!"
Rick Jeanerette after Marty Biron's diving save back in 2000.

"I'm going to go to the spa and have a hot tub and massage and relax," Miller said. "That's it, and it's back to work tomorrow." Ryan Miller after clinching the North East division.

Except for the fact he left out "Screw the flyers", I also concur

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"Let's just trap Sekera in the caverns underneath HSBC arena." -BlueandYellow

Reporter: "Steve, you guys now lead the league in defensive scoring."
Montador: "It's probably because of how good-looking we are."

We're a good defensive defensemen and a superstar forward from a cup contender, me thinks.

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"Counting all the assholes in the room, I'm definitely not alone!" ~ Michael Poulsen, Volbeat, Still Standing.

Those would help, but what do we change to actually get these guys to show up in the playoffs? It's great if they perform well in the regular season, but if it's always going to be 1st round eliminations then it seems a change of psyche is needed. How that's done I havent a clue, but I dont really feel like these guys have that 'killer instinct' to win a playoff series. I guess the only cure for that is time and experience.

fuckit, heres to next year!

I think a lot of that killer instinct comes from confidence and it's hard to have a crap ton of it when your centers are terrible and your D is meh. We have an average team, no real captain yet and we lack an honest scoring superstar.

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How does taking a better and deeper team to seven games with half an AHL defense and outhitting a team known for being physical constitute not showing up. Think Grier was crying in his stall because he didn't show up? Give me a break.

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

I’m disgusted with game 7, but I’m very encouraged by what happened from late December until game 7. There were a number of positive developments (in no particular order).

-Ennis is the real deal, totally belongs in the NHL. Expectations were high and he met them.
-Gerbe is an NHL player! And one who may average 20-25 goals. And one who regularly showed more heart than any other Sabre.
-Myers is a year older, smarter and meaner.
-Enroth is completely legit.
-Stafford scored 30+ goals.
-We added Boyes.
-Sekera really improved this year.
-Butler and Weber have also gotten much better this year.
-McCormick exceeded everyone’s expectations, by a lot.
-Based on the playoffs, it looks like Grags belongs in Buffalo.

So right there you’ve got 7 players who had really good years (okay, really 6 + Grags), 7 players that I wasn’t sure even belonged in the NHL at the beginning of the year. Couple that with the facts that our best skater Roy (imo) was out over half the year, and Miller didn’t have his best season. Yet we still made the playoffs and had every opportunity to advance.

In addition, see ya Connolly. Don’t let the door hit your ass on the way out. We had some salary cap space as it was. Between Connolly, Lalime and Grier leaving, that’s another $6.5 million added into the mix (granted, some of that will be needed to retain young RFA’s). Perhaps most importantly, we now have ownership that promises to be more aggressive than we’ve seen for a long time.

I think next year is gonna be fun.

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This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it.
--Emerson

I won't lament about this season, but for next year the biggest key is not who we add, but how the young d-men progress. With five very young guys back there (four RFAs and Myers) it's really on them to become better as a unit. One new UFA to replace Montador is not enough to make a big impact, not to the extent of becoming a legit Cup contender. The rest of the crew will have to step up their game as a whole. Trade Morrisonn and sign Wisniewski, and hope the rest get better.

Up front I think we're not bad. Adding Richards would be huge, but no matter what Pegula does to attract UFAs he is still a semi-long shot. So as much as people would riot, Connolly could still be an option. I'm pretty sure he wants to stay, but he'd have to go down to 2.5 mil to be worth keeping around. He'd make a great 3rd line checking center at this point of his career, but hopefully somebody can be acquired to be that legit #1 surefire scoring center. The most aggravating issue about the forwards at playoff time is that they aren't healthy and playing. Vanek, Hecht, Roy, Connolly have all been out or playing when they wouldn't normally be out there. If we could only go in at 100% and stay that way we'd be in decent shape. Still, we have to find a top center somehow, and short of Richards I have no idea who might be available through trade.

Obviously with Enroth we're in much better shape in goal. Overall, one or two impact UFAs and the improvement of the d-corps is what's going to change our playoff hopes.

Outside of Butler i agree with you. Butler can go play in traffic.

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I should edit my last post to include Niedermayer as an option at 3rd center also. I'm just not sure he can handle a full season at 36, and might be in the same boat as Grier. This is how the roster will roughly look heading into the draft and free agency...

Vanek-XXXXX-Stafford
Ennis-Roy-Boyes
Gerbe-Hecht-Pominville
McCormick-Gaustad-Kaleta
Mancari

Leopold-XXXXX
Butler-Myers
Gragnani-Weber
Sekera

I'm assuming they re-sign McCormick, maybe even before July 1st.

Sorry, let me clarify a bit. I should have stressed the killer instinct bit and not even said the words 'show up', because that does come off as 'not trying', but that is not what I mean.

I mean the ability to keep going when you've got a lead, to keep pushing and driving and scoring and NOT get in the bullshit defensive posture which basically ensures the other team will tie it up and win given enough time.

I also mean the ability to get their heads around the fact that they are in the playoffs, and that if they can cultivate the mindset they had for the last half of the season they'd ease up a bit and not play so tense. this team we saw against philly only looked like the sabres we love about half the time, if that. I'd say a key to success in the playoffs in the future would be mental maturity, being able to tap into their calmness and composure while playing instead of psyching themselves out, which, IMO, they did this year. Montador anyone?

Notice how last year Ennis was the only one who really lit it up, and this year it was Gragnani? How come only the kid who was JUST pulled up is able to let it all hang out and actually looks like a hockey player? Is it possible he's not been subjected to some sort of collective losing mentality psyche? Who the hell knows, but there must be some reason for it.

Well we just need a couple good and experienced players. Like someone said on this board to go after Wisnewski and I totally agree with that totally. Stamkos is a guy I'd love to sign but knowing how Darcy feels about RFAs signing offersheets so I doubt that will happen. The only guy I can think of other than that is Richards. But he's kind of hit or miss. Maybe just wait until summer of 2012 for a top tier center. Morrison, Hecht, Boyes, and Gaustad all come off the books. Out of those 4 I only see Goose coming back. Boyes is a possibility but i don't see his play picking up. He's been on a downward spiral for a couple years now. We would have a lot of money to play with. Could even bring a couple of stars in.

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"If you want to know what I've been doing lately, I've been driving around from Tim Horton's to Tim Horton's, rolling up the rim. Haven't won anything yet. Thanks." - Lindy Ruff

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"Counting all the assholes in the room, I'm definitely not alone!" ~ Michael Poulsen, Volbeat, Still Standing.

Offersheet Stamkos just to make TB fuck themselves with 2-3 huge contracts again. I like it.

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

MAKE A MALKIN OFFERZ!!!


Gawwwwwd

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"I love that you know how to do that." Cheryl/Carol/Crystal

"And I love that I have an erection that doesn't involve homeless people." Kreiger

That'd be funny.
Get it done Dracy!

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Rest in Peace Nani. 10/3/10

Gerbacity



"Grier coming in over the line. He leaves it to Gaustad. The shot. THEY SCOOOREE!! RING UP ANOTHER ONE FOR THE GOOSE!!! HONK IF YA HEAR THE GOOSE!! 3-0 BUFFALO!"

Honestly I would like to see us offersheet Berglund and Oshie from St. Louis. Both young, talented centers (only thing I don't like is that neither one is above 50% on faceoffs). I don't think St. Louis would let them both walk, but I think if the price was high enough they might not match both either.

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

The UFA crop is absolute crap. It's Richards, who will be a total waste of money, and then nothing.

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

Agreed. The UFA's this year are total garbage.

The only way we get things done in the offseason would be to poach some RFA's, or to package a couple of defensemen with a draft pick or something and trade for a forward/ rights to an RFA forward

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"Let's just trap Sekera in the caverns underneath HSBC arena." -BlueandYellow

Reporter: "Steve, you guys now lead the league in defensive scoring."
Montador: "It's probably because of how good-looking we are."