Dude, you just gave Boyes the nod over Vanek at 70%. Derek Roy was at best 70%, and played a win/lose playoff game. Vanek is better than Roy, and Boyes is dogshit that Burkie will pay $3.0M/ year to. I'll agree Vanek ain't good when he's hampered, but I'll take him over Ellis any day. No knock on the younger/depth guys, because they've been great, but we're dressing Cody being a healthy club. We're balls lucky to have called up Tropp and Marcus, and had them shine. It does in a way speak to the Lindy factor, too. How long till they fizzle out?

I just hope the man gets hot soon. Could you imagine Vanek being on fire as well as the Foligno/Ennis/Stafford line? I think winning some more blowout games along the way would be nice.

or ones they put away in the 3rd. They need some of them.

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--Scott

But who could step in for Vanek right now?

(crickets)

If Gerbe gets healthy and Vanek doesn't pick it up then I'd possibly consider that option. Maybe...

Leino-Hodgson-Pominville
Foligno-Ennis-Stafford
Gerbe-Roy-Kaleta
McCormick-Boyes-Tropp

But he picked up two pts last game so maybe he's getting back into shape. I still wouldn't take him out right now with all that's at stake, unless he's really risking further injury.

Yea, Let's take one of our best players out of the game in crunch time. Makes perfect sense to me.

An injured Vanek is still one of our top three or four best players.

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Hodgson is starting to heat up and he fed Vanek with some great chances these last couple games. If Vanek can heat up too, that will be a really tough line to play against.

This thread is typical of Buffalo fans, run our superstars out for "blue collar" guys. Remember when Miller was doing poorly, 80% of the fan base wanted to trade him. Now it's Vanek, because Roy has slightly picked up his production. Give me a break, there's highs and lows in every season, and Vanek also has 3 points in 2 games, he's heating up, he's just not finding the back of the net for what ever reason.

He's still gonna finish with 25+ goals, and I truely believe he will hit 30. You guys need to relax, with all this run the guy out of town because he's had a few down weeks. Hell I remember growing up people wanted to run Jim Kelly out of town for Frank Reich...it kills me that because a guy makes X amount of dollars he's supposed to be preforming miracles. It's not for lack of effort, anybody who's played hockey can see he's giving the effort, he's in position a lot of the time, and has been much better defensively these past 30 games (don't tell me any different, I watch every game, find me instances where he's not back checking, not I saw, literally find them) and his chances are there, they're just not going in. Look at his shot totals in games, it's not like he's doing the Ovechkin thing and just firing it from every angle, can't think of the last time I saw Vanek take a shot from outside the shooting cone.

I guess all I'm saying is, the team is winning, Vanek is getting comfortable with Tropp and Hodgson, and the line certainly isn't a liability defensively.

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"She's like plan C after an 18 pack"

Squanto 7/27/2010