Exactly, we wouldn't have won those games 2 years ago. Just no way.

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"...they came down into the stands and asked if I knew how to do play by play. I said...No. But. I'll take a shot at it if you want".- Rick Jeanneret

All I'm saying is that, maybe the "veteran" leadership on this team is just not what it needs to be.

We're winning games, and I'm happy about that. I didn't see anyone in NJ complaining, or saying they were over-rated while they continue to ride Marty Brodeur for the better part of 15 years.

What's wrong with winning defensively? Nothing, thats what. A win is a win. I would love to see us blow every team out 9-0 but it's just not going to happen. We've got very balanced scoring, we've got 4 pretty good lines, and we've got one hell of a goalie.

The issue here isn't our top 6, it's the fact that nobody is pushing these guys, but Ryan Miller. And a veteran like Rivet, wearing a capatins C, should have ripped into someone long before forcing a goalie to do it. Goalies lose focus easily, and can be rattled a lot easier than any other player. They are essentially pitchers. The game is in their hands. If he's gotta worry about 19 other guys, and himself, it's not going to be a productive season for him. Even though he's winning now, someboby else in that locker room needs to start taking charge, whether it's Rivet or someone else. Your goalie shouldn't have to also be your coach, captain, and your motivational speaker.

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

Squanto 7/27/2010

Nothing wrong with a goalie giving the team hell.

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"...they came down into the stands and asked if I knew how to do play by play. I said...No. But. I'll take a shot at it if you want".- Rick Jeanneret

I questioned Rivet's captaincy a few weeks ago. I wondered why when Mike Grier was gone this team was a changed team. I wonder why when Pat Kaleta is gone, why this team can't seem to find its toughness. I wonder why when Goose is gone, this team isn't gritty whatsoever.

If I were to redo the entire captaincy, it would be as follows:

Gaustad: C
Grier: A
Tallinder: A
Roy: A
Rivet: A

After Grier, I had a tough time giving out "A"s. That's pretty pathetic.

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Girgensons for captain. Team Keep Nick DesLauriers forever.

@TJLuckman550

Why Does every1 continue 2 judge this team as if it were a Stanley Cup Contender? At the beginning of the season this team was pegged somewhere between 5th and just missing the playoffs. Now there sitting 2nd and all we can do is complain at the lack of performance and effort they exhibit. Have expectations changed that much? Is this not basically the same team as years passed? No1 can deny changes need 2 b made if this team is going 2 push far in2the playoffs but, they must all being doing something right 2 be sitting where they r.

English, please.

are you posting via a cell phone w/o a qwerty???

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Because it's so much easier to type "1" instead of "one".

Well said. I still think we need some more scoring but this is more or less the issue.

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FIGHTER OF THE NIGHTMAN

"on the ice now for buffalo, looking for the pass, and gets it, afinogenov, couldnt get the shot away, now HE DOES, HE SCORES!!!! HOLY MACKEREL ROLE THE HIGH LIGHT FILM, MAXIM AFINOGENOV, WHAT A MOVE!!!!.... thats not fair... that was unbelievable"
-R.J. and Lorenz

The Sabres are 1st in the division, 2nd in the east, 4th in the league - And 20th in scoring.

That differential is significant. It may at some point come back to bite this team in the ass. Nothing wrong with playing defensive Hockey; but are they really playing "Defensive Hockey"?

Relying on a hot goalie, a great rookie and a handful of usually average defensemen hardly qualifies. And it's not that this team plays the trap, either.

A true tell of this team's inability to play "Defensive Hockey" is the number of odd-man rushes they surrender.

It ain't "the system" that's keeping their asses out of the sizzling bacon grease. It's Ryan Miller.

An occasional backcheck or blocked shot by a forward does not qualify as defensively-responsible play - Some of you are making it sound like Derek Roy is the next Michael Peca out there. Not even close.

These guys aren't kids anymore. I'm agreeing with Jay, that it shouldn't fall on Miller to be the complete messiah, for this team.

Similarly, I had originally been trying to stress that when it DOES come to that point, where he has to...something's got to give.

Sure. The Sabres are winning. But, under what circumstances? - Surely, even the most optimistic fan can't expect this to last forever. Surely, one can see that luck has favored the team, and minor players have stepped up to make it work; by hook or by crook. And of course there's Ryan Miller.

But, this has become a duct-tape, chewing-gum and bailing wire set of solutions for a more deep-seated issue.

Surely, no one here wants to believe that this is a SOUND way to play Hockey. Let's hope the luck and desperate play are enough to sustain them, until this silliness gets resolved.

I'm not looking forward to the long, ugly slide if it doesn't.

Yeah, Miller's comments in his post-game interview intrigued me...too bad some things are left behind closed doors. Would have been interesting to hear what Miller said to all the players. I don't think it's a coincidence, I didn't get to watch the game yet, but from what I've heard was that none of the goals were his fault and he kept the team in the game. After getting pulled the previous game, I can only imagine how frustrated Miller would be.

When I got a text saying we were down 3-0...I was nervous that Miller was having another bad game and that he would get pulled again... I bet Lindy would be too afraid to pull him again. He'd be all, "I'm not pulling him...I don't care if we're losing 10-1." Ryan was so pissed after he got pulled in the Pens game...gotta love the passion.

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"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Hockey Night in Buffalo

Preaching to the Choir over here ICE. I completely agree with you. A couple of the top 6 have to go. Winning or no winning its time.
Kovalchuck was mentioned by the post game losers, Roby, Sylvester and Ray. What pissed me off was when Ray stated that Kovy would come in here and make for a mess basically. That pissed me off because it was dishonest, and I will call Ray a liar when its due. Selling managements line on this team is not something I would expect from him. I have lost alot of respect for him because of those comments. Not because of Kovy, but because I would suspect we'll here them again when another name is mentioned to help the team, Sharp, Brown or someone else. Selling the status quo is a crock of shit at this point. So dissappointed in a hockey player I once had a great deal of respect for.

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Lord Stanley's Cup is what its all about.
Mr. Pegula, your destiny awaits you sir.

I wouldn't go that far slesh. Kovalchuk does not fit the personality of this team at all. He's on the prima donna side, and that should sum it up. Sure, he'd be great to have as a sniper on the 1st line, no argument there. But, when he would cost several players that don't have a legit replacement, and a cap hit that is just not realistsic at all, it's fair to say that he's not worth it or would cause a mess in the locker room due to contract/personality issues.

There are other good players that would be an improvement, not cost so much, and mesh with the team. Dustin Brown is at the top of my list, but he's a long shot too. There is no instant answer for scoring with the look of cap space around the league. It's hard enough to trade equal value in players, but now it's overly necessary for GMs to trade equal cap hits at the same time. It's like solving a rubix cube for teams to find a trade that works for each team in all categories.

I think I trust that Rob Ray's opinion on what may divide the locker room or interfere with team chemistry. The guy might actually know about some of these things from first hand experience.

I thought Ray's points were valid. Kovie hogs icetime. There are other 2nd and 3rd tier players that don't get half the icetime they deserve because Kovie eats it all. They had stats during the game that showed that when Kovie scores, they LOSE more often than they win. One can be a fluke, twice can be weird, but more than that, it's a trend. He's put up 43 points, and has a +/- of 0.

Hockey is a team sport. Kovie is a 'me' guy. That's a recipe for a locker room cancer if there ever was one.

Ray's opinions were not 'dishonest', and he was not 'lying' or towing some company line. He gave his thoughts, and I really think taht you just disagree with them because you want Kovie here so badly, even though it would be a terrible move for the franchise.

I don't disagree that Kovy may not be a good fit here, but Ray was using blanket coverage language in an attempt to assert that no one should be brought in, these current players have what it takes when they play the system. I don't know about you, but 2+ seasons, i've seen enough to come to an entirely seperate conclusion all together, thats the point I was attempting to get across. I can't see this lasting much longer, the bubble will burst, sooner or later.

Great for the team that they have it within them to come back from a 3-0 hole though. But I never have considered Atlanta a serious threat, trying to build a competitor, but not a threat as far as the standings go.

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Lord Stanley's Cup is what its all about.
Mr. Pegula, your destiny awaits you sir.

As previously stated Squanto, I won't hide my desire to have a pure sniper on the team. Kovy being in the position he's in contract wise would be a great addition in my mind. I don't disagree with the assesment on his ice time and so on, but Ray was using blanket coverage language.

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Lord Stanley's Cup is what its all about.
Mr. Pegula, your destiny awaits you sir.

I'm all for change if some improvements can be made. I'd love to see some of top 6 moved (cough ROY cough) but let's be realistic: With the lack of production from the so called top 6, who's going to take them?

Who's going to take TC's $4.5M ? Pommerdoodle's $5.3m? Roy's $4M? What team is going to give up a single player with equal salary, let alone 3-4 youngsters for a single guy? Not many teams are going to take on much salary after listening to the doom and gloom from the NHL predicting a cap decrease.

What they have now is working well. 2nd place at the halfway mark is not a fluke. They can and should be playing better, but expecting a magic bullet trade in quite unlikely.

Someone found a home for Gomez

I hear ya though. As as you can see, I have quelled on my passion for Kovy, I, like you, however, would like to see what is out there that can help a few of these guys find themselves as pure hockey players. I posted on Brown and Frolov from LA, Sharp is someone else, I am sure there are others as well.

My fear Squanto, is that when these guys falter, it will be in the playoffs. I am estatic with the team now. but I really, really really really really really really really really really WANT THAT CUP.

Have I ever mentioned how high I am on this team and I really want this CUP

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Lord Stanley's Cup is what its all about.
Mr. Pegula, your destiny awaits you sir.

If any of these guys are going to be moved, it will have to be for players who have like contracts, and are experiencing off years, or declining production.

You have to guess which players are in need of a scenery change, and which one's are satisfied to have cashed in on big contracts.

If you feel the exchange has a higher upside than what you are getting, you make the move, or moves.

As stated earlier, you're not going to get the value in return that you might like with the underacheiving thayt's going on.

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"I'll rap you with my cane; you pencil necked geek!!"

-Bowler, imitating Freddy Blassie, at the very first M & G.