Taro T

They did look better in the 3rd than in the 2nd, but their powerplay was horribly out of sync. That was enough for me to say they never got their game back after TO broke it open, especially when you consider how many powerplays the Sabres had in the 3rd.

I disagree with that. They played a good 1st. The 1st 20 minutes were very entertaining hockey as both teams were flying and hitting. After the 5 on 3, the Sabres never competed again. So, I'd say they were prepared to play, they just lost their focus, edge, skating, etc. and never recovered it. Not certain how much, if any, losing Max affected their play.

HA, I now understand why you think that error could cause regression to the mean, but unfortunately your assumptions and understanding are not well founded. Using additional sources besides Wiki might help you in your search for an improved understanding of statistics.

The intrigue as to how the NHL replaced the NHA would explain TO not taking credit for a 14th SC. But I'm still not certain why you are claiming the 11 TML SC's and not the 1 won as the Arenas (or new Blues, or whatever moniker you'd prefer) nor the 1 won as the St. Pats. By my count your team is at 13, not 11.

OK Junior, Let's look at the head to head record of the teams in your lifetime. The Sabres record vs the Loafs starting in '86-'87, one of only 3 years from then 'til now that the Loafs didn't lose to the Sabres (the other 2 being '95 and '04-'05) I might add, is 35-18-10-2. The Sabres have won nearly 2/3's of the games between the 2. No wonders you are whining about how the series between the 2 is irrelevant. The Sabres have kicked your beloved Laffs bippies up and down the ice for basically forever (at least your personal version of it). OK, now is the time that you come back with "well the Laffs won a Stanley Cup nearly 20 years before I was born, but I'm still very proud of that accomplishment even though it wasn't until this year that you could go back within twice my lifetime and been able to witness it."

Grant, since it seems Junior is unwilling or unable to answer my question, maybe you can enlighten me. Why don't TO fans count the SC won by the Arenas and the one won by the St. Pats in their W totals? IF the Sabres were to win one and then 5 years later start calling themselves the "Paychecks" or the "Diving Mullets" I would still say THAT team had won a Stanley Cup. Also, I agree with you that the animosity between the 2 fan bases is one sided, but it runs the other way. Wear Sabres colors in TO and wear a Sundin in Buffalo and see where you will catch more crud walking down the street. (Not heading to a game, just minding your own business.) I GUARANTEE you, the people on Younge Street will give you more flack than the ones on Pearl. (Now if you wore a Marino shirt on Pearl Street, that would be a different story.)

Not really, because then you can go back to the '20's and '30's and find teams with better win %ages than either of those 2. For whatever reason, way back when, hockey chose to go with a team points, not a winning percentage (which convey the exact same thing) and I don't see them ever switching systems.

They only did that in '99-'00. Even after the RT was changed to an OTL and wasn't included in the L column, people still complained about it.

You still haven't answered my question why you don't consider the SC that the Arenas won, nor why you don't consider the SC that the St. Pats won in your beloved team's total.

Out of curiosity, have the Loafs won a championship in YOUR lifetime?

Which great Blackhawks team are you referring to? The '37-'38 squad that won the Stanley Cup with a losing record? Their other 2 SC winners that were not more than 5 games over 0.500. That '61 team that won the SC was good but not great. Or any of their other teams prior to '67, which was the 1st year they actually had very good teams. Trouble is, none of those very good teams has had any more success than Buffalo or Toronto (i.e., they haven't brought home a SC either).

Why don't you count the 2 SC's they won before they were called the Loafs? I would expect a Laff fan to know a LITTLE bit about his team's history. I guess not. To answer your question, because you're a Loaf fan.

The other reason it won't happen is Montreal's 132 and Detroit's 131 would get eclipsed in no time flat by teams barely playing over 0.500. You are correct on all your points.

USUALLY only around Batavia.

Pick me, pick me. I can't wait to see what it's like to be at a non-playoff game with only ~25% Loaf fans at a Sabres - Laffs game. The last time I can remember being at one, Gare scored his 50th.

That's just what THEY want you to think. That one didn't happen either.

Why is this an either / or? I'd choose #3 - Both.

OK, so you might have proof on that one, but you have nothing proving the moon landings really happened and I saw a movie starring OJ Simpson (yes, THAT OJ) proving that they didn't happen.

Wasn't Jack Kemp a congresscritter?

If Kurt doesn't like interracial parents, imagine what he thinks of interspecies parents.

Are you for real? Would you mind listing other things you believe haven't been proven that are accepted as "facts" by the great unwashed masses? I'm assuming the list would include items like the moon landings, the Earth being round, and the Sun rising in the east.

Well, if Charlie Brown would stop trying to kick the football the thread would peter out on its own. Fortunately, I don't see that happening until we get to at least page 18.

But yet like Good 'ol Charlie Brown, you keep coming back to try to kick the football. Except you haven't realized that it's actually a golf ball and the reason you keep missing it isn't because Lucy pulls it away, it's because your kick is like a roundhouse at a non-existant homerun pitch.

Not even close. Even with what you seem to be describing as a horrible game by Ryan, he's 2-1-1 lifetime against Kovalchuk and company with a 2.47 GAA and a 0.924 SV%. Marty is 4-9, with a 3.51 GAA and a 0.856 SV%. A large part of Marty's former reputation for giving up the soft goal at the most inopportune of times was earned playing against the Thrashers. That 3.51 GAA is even worse when you consider that Marty has been playing against these guys since they were an expansion team. In a year that they only won 19 games all season, Marty pitched a 16 save shutout in an 8-0 victory and LOST the other 3 TIMES to them. The next year, he blew a 3-0 lead, giving up 4 goals on 12 shots en route to a 6-4 loss at home. As I stated before, I would NEVER start Marty against Atlanta unless there was no other option available. Ryan coming off a full day's rest and only playing 2 other games that week was not tired. Not after only playing 8 games prior to this one in the entire month, especially in October.

The Sabres should NEVER start Marty Biron against Atlanta if they have a reasonable alternative. The Thrashers are Marty's personal horror show. Even when Atlanta was a truly bad team, they did bad things to him. Bad things, man.