LongLiveRalph

Montreal will bury the countless chances that the Leafs' AHL roster couldn't.

Never get less than 12 hours sleep. Never play cards with a guy who has the same first name as a city. And never get involved with a woman who has a tattoo of a dagger on her body. Now you stick to that, and everything else is cream cheese.

Well, whether it's Earth Hour or not, it's a Saturday at 8pm, so I'm going to go out on a limb and say that I'll be drinking. Power hour!!! x 60

My brother had his cellphone in his pocket at was on a ride at Disney, a soaker ride...He got hammered with water (hilarious) and his phone was kaput. The guy at the store told him it was basically busted, but that my brother could try to pack it tightly in a tupperware container surrounded by dry rice, and the rice should suck the water out...Not guaranteeing that the phone will work again if the insides are damaged, but worth a try...Sure enough, my brother left his phone in rice for about a day, and then powered up, and it was fine... So...I guess, sprinkle a few thousand pounds of Uncle Ben on your yard...

Funny you say that....I have a friend who calls him "Four to win"

I have never said that Miller is the team's big problem, or the reason they will miss the playoffs. The problems, for me,: 1. Front office 2. Defense (Again, this can be considered a front office issue, considering that they came into the season with two guys who got benched in the playoffs, a 40-year old with heart trouble, an All Star with no contract, an injury-prone Tallinder, and a bunch of AHL-ers) 3. Center (Losing Drury & Briere and counting on Tim Connolly for anything could be considered another front office error) 4. Owner (Tommy G could've green-lighted an offer to Drury, or Briere, or Campbell, and was conspicuously silent) 5. Goaltending (Thibault at backup was a disaster- front office again!!- and Miller has been average when they needed more) 6. Max, Kotalik, and Stafford having subpar-to-terrible statistical seasons when they needed those three to really pick up some slack That said, everyone keeps suggesting that the Sabres' style is the reason Miller has had an inconsistent season. I'm not saying the style isn't a factor, but when you're trying to manufacture offense to make up for an incredible loss of production, your goalie is going to occasionally be on an island. Name an NHL goalie who WOULDN'T benefit from having his team play a disciplined, low-risk, trap defense!!! The Sabres don't play that style and they need more out of Miller. That's just the way it is, and Miller hasn't really answered the bell this season (for me at least.) The team could always play better, but the big, bailout save has been lacking. I give Miller credit, he is a voice in the locker room and never has dodged the media when his play has struggled.

Good post, good points. I'm not busting your balls, but it would be quite easy to gather from your post is that Miller just isn't that good and may have fatigue issues...But could be an excellent goalie if the Sabres played a grind-em-out trap, collapsed in front of him, and hoped for 2-1 wins, ugly style. Buffalo's inconsistency as a team certainly has had a negative impact on the win total and on Miller's stats. But those are the specific times when you need your #1 goalie to shine, to carry a team, to steal a win when they are on a playoff push. As we have seen MANY times, it's not how many you stop, it's when you stop them. Miller has allowed some incredibly untimely goals this year, a la Marty Biron. It's preventing that 3rd goal when you're trailing 2-1. It's making that huge save on a 2-on-1 when a defenseman gets caught up ice. Miller hasn't been there and it's been costly. I may be jaded because of the majority of Buffalo seems to sweat Miller, and I've been getting a little tired of the excuses. I have no doubt the team in front of him plays a major role in what he does or doesn't stop. But that's no different for any other NHL team. I'm expecting more out of the guy who fancies himself as a top-tier NHL goaltender with aspirations for the US Olympic team and a big-money contract.

Huh? The NCAA allowing any more than 64 (I guess 65) teams would be a joke...UMASS in the tourney??? Are you nuts? Who did they prove they could beat this year? Their big win was against BC, a 14-17 team who finished last in the ACC. They beat Cuse twice, but Cuse wasn't an NCAA-caliber team. Of the tourney teams on their schedule, they lost to ALL of them: St. Joe's (twice), Vanderbilt, Temple, and Xavier. The first three all lost in the 1st round of the NCAA's. Once a team like UMass loses 10 games, their argument is finished and they are at the mercy of the committee. The director of the selection committee readily admitted that a major criteria for the at-large selections was "Who can they beat?" UMass didn't prove they could be any NCAA-quality teams in their 30-game regular season. The NCAA regular season is already compromised by the conference tournaments. But hey, if you get hot, you get hot. Georgia won 4 SEC games all year, and then won 4 in 3 days to win the SEC tourney. They earned their way in. UMass, losing to Charlotte in the A-10 tourney, didn't earn their way in...Especially since St. Joe's got an at-large bid, and UMass couldn't beat them either time they played. Allowing 6-23 teams into the tournament would be the joke.

Sweet, more excuses for Miller. Please quote the "imagine how productive Connolly would be if he just stayed healthy" line in your next post. I realize the Sabres are not the Devils (thank God) and do not play a suffocating style. However, Montreal's rookie goaltender has had no trouble playing behind a wide-open style. I have seen nothing but average goaltending from Miller for two straight years. His "wins" stat has been impressive because he has had the luxury of 4 or 5 goals of support. He has been hung out to dry, maybe more often than most goalies, but isn't that a function of "being good?" His team trusts him to bail them out when they falter in front of him? He has not bailed them out too often. FWIW, Miller has played 71 games this year. Kiprusoff from Calgary, Nabakov from SJ, and Brodeur from NJ have all played 71 or more. All of those teams are playoff teams. Behind Miller are Luongo with 67 GP and Lundqvist with 66. Those guys aren't tired, but Miller is??? How is the 86th in goals allowed misrepresented??? There are 87 goalies with a stat line this year. Miller has allowed 183 shots past him, the second most in the league. Take it for what it's worth....But the number doesn't lie. His breakaway troubles, formerly one of his strengths, is troubling also, and a major reason why the Sabres are currently out of the playoff picture. I like Miller. Hopefully they sign him. But are we REALLY going to spend five more years blaming the system, the defense, the coaching, the backup, the ice, the lighting, and the weather for Miller's 17th ranked GAA and 20th ranked save percentage?

Forget 1st round, Harris would be lucky to get drafted if he came out this year. He'll be a 4-year player at Cuse. Flynn is a future NBA point guard...Maybe not the next Chris Paul, but he could easily be a Jameer Nelson-type solid PG on a playoff team. If Greene comes back, they will be a legit contender next year.

I'm still waiting for Ryan Miller to win a game that matters. You can cite the Sabres style all you want...The fact is, for three full NHL seasons, he has had the benefit of playing behind one of the league's premier offenses. Like the team, he has been among the league leaders in wins (and don't forget, even Marty Biron won 13 straight games at one point in '05), but the rest of his stats have been below-average. This year, he is 8th in wins, but has the 3rd-most losses. His GAA ranks 22nd, and his save percentage ranks 26th. He was ranked in the bottom half of the NHL in those stats last year also (20th in GAA, 16th in SV %.) Of the 87 goalies who have appeared in the NHL this season, Miller ranks 86th with 183 goals allowed. In 2006, the Sabres entered the 3rd period of the ECF game 7 with a 2-1 lead. Last night, in a must-win game, the Sabres were up 3-1 with 10 minutes left. The team did not get the job done in front of him, and Miller was not there to bail them out. He is not the major reason for the Sabres collapse from Cup-contender into an also-ran. That blame lies in the front office. But the perpetuating myth that Ryan Miller is an elite NHL goaltender is a hoax.

I see the point! And you're right. Gas is the easiest thing to complain about, and yet we are paying the cheapest prices in the world. I love all the bitching about it because I'm in the solar industry...And it's coming...Trust me....If you have expendible income, invest in solar. It is inevitable. I'm not necessarily talking about cars, just energy in general. Look back at this post in 10 years and feel thankful, or sorry...One or the other...

Since there's been some threads lost around here lately, this is one that still deserves to be talked about... Incredible x 2 for the doctors in Buffalo....KE85 and Richie Z, with life-threatening injuries in the same city within 5 months...Pretty crazy...Both training staffs were on point, and the medical care upon arriving at the hospitals was world class. In both cases, it has been reported that contingency plans were in place for these incredibly rare, potentially deadly sports injuries. A plan of action was in place, and rehearsed hundreds of times, probably with the thoughts of the training staff- "Why are we practicing this again? We know the deal, and it's not like this is ever going to happen anyways..." Well it just so happened that the injuries happened, and you were ready. Zednik skated alone for 10 minutes today, for the first time since the cut. He said he didn't want to leave the ice. And in Houston, TX today, Kevin Everett was at his house, doing some yard work after the rainstorms that whipped through the state. Both men must've been among the most resilient patients in the hospital...But I'm sure they were scared...And it is because of your preparation, diligence, and aptitude that these men were up and about today. No matter what, Buffalo sports had a great year! Cheers to you!!!

Tips, eh? You can go really fast.........If you pedal fast enough..........>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Well, I think that's what the other guy Simon was saying- Memphis has played a schedule, especially for the last three months of conference play, where they were easily the more talented team. They had four NBA prospects playing against teams with one or zero. It didn't matter if they missed free throws, or were sloppy with the ball, their talent could overcome 'powerhouses' like Tulane. Consider Memphis in the tournament against a team like Wisconsin (different brackets, I know, just an example.) Wisconsin has maybe one solid NBA prospect...But it's hard to imagine the Tigers simply riding their talent to a 51-48 grinder game against a tough, slow-tempo, defensive team like the Badgers. Shooting 48% from the free throw line and turning the ball over will not win a game like that. Another point: Calipari is an excellent coach, but as for the rest of the C-USA, their coaches are all minor-leaguers compared to the big-time schools. Memphis has not only an inherent talent advantage over those teams, but also a coaching advantage. You could see Memphis struggle against the schemes of a guy like Tim Floyd when they played USC, and Pearl is a hell of a coach at Tenn...They will see more of that stuff from the 2nd round and beyond. They've only lost once and their #1 seed is well-earned. We'll see how they do.

Yawn, yawn, triple yawn. This chick is infamous because she banged a "holier-than-thou" state governor, not because she's a prostitute. She would clearly rather be a musician than a prostitute, but sex pays better. It's hard to imagine girls growing up wanting to be paid escorts. But there's probably 100 today who have signed up because they have no other option. An actress banging a producer for a role...A singer banging a record exec for an album...These will both happen today...Step into the real world for a second.

Carolina's NCAA Tournament record speaks for itself when they play in Charlotte/Raleigh...But, their two losses this season BOTH came in Chapel Hill...So there's no sure things, as we all know. I've got a Kansas beating UCLA in the final. Sleepers are Butler, Villanova, and Michigan State going further than people think. All guesses at this point, but that's what I think.

Cubs CF Felix Pie missed some time this Spring Training, with "a twisted testicle." Not kidding.

Memphis is also among the very worst in the NCAA in free throw shooting. I can't search right now, but I heard that at one point, they were the 4th-worst in college hoops from the charity stripe, and I believe they shot worse than 60% over the course of the season. "We're not worried, we'll make them when it counts." -Memphis star guard Chris Douglas-Roberts, a few days before the Tigers shot 8-18 from the line in a 3-point loss to Tennessee.

Since the Gators can't wear any UF gear until Donovan deems them worthy, maybe they should all wear Orlando Magic attire... I have a feeling Billy wouldn't find it as funny as I do!

I am the exact same way! Everytime I think I've got it figured out, the other one does something that makes me say "We can't lose him!" Both have been playing the best hockey of their lives for the past two years. At the moment, I would say Drury is the one to sign...Just because there is nobody quite like him when considering his all-around game and what he brings off the ice. Briere is a one-of-a-kind as well, but Buffalo has several players who are similar in style: Connolly and Max. They may lack the complete offensive package of playmaking AND goal scoring that Briere has, but if healthy, they could potentially minimize the negative impact of Briere's departure. FWIW, a guy I work with lives in Amherst, and his kid goes to school and is friends with one of Briere's kids. Briere's son told this guy's son that he will not be living around here next year....Take it with a grain of salt, but that's what my co-worker told me...

Oh yes! No doubt that is the best "draft bust"!!!

To Adam Vinatieri: Do you try to imagine what it could possibly feel like to kick a game-winning field goal in the Super Bowl?

Those look okay. However, Baltimore is not the automatic under they used to be. I'd still probably go under in that game, though.