Bills Get Defensive to Power Win Streak

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The resurgence of the Buffalo Bills over the last three weeks hasn’t just been encouraging in terms of the outlook for the season but it’s been somewhat relieving too.

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have my doubts heading into this season as injuries and suspensions pulled a number of key defensive contributors away from the team while question marks on offense left me wondering just how potent the Bills could be. Not to mention my willingness to buy into anything the Bills were selling hit an all-time low this summer. There’s only so much abuse you can take over a 16 year span before you adjust your behavior. Continue reading →

The Instigator Podcast 5.18 – Sabres Season Preview with Jeremy White of WGR 550

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Jeremy White of WGR 550 joined Chris and Tyler to offer up a season preview for the 2016-17 Sabres season as we placed a particular focus on how the Buffalo blueline will shape the team’s success this year. We also touch on the new contract for Rasmus Ristolainen and the additional RFA contracts signed by Johnny Gaudreau and Nikita Kucherov. As always, you can find The Instigator Podcast on iTunes and through Google Play. Thanks again to Jeremy for joining the show and offering up his thoughts on the Sabres outlook for the year.

Sabres Twitter Drinking Game

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I like to have fun with the Sabres Twitter account as you usually don’t need to look too far for a poorly timed Tweet or a general lack of communicating key hockey facts. With that in mind, I thought it would be #fun to create a drinking game to accompany Sabres Twitter on game nights this year.

Have some fun with this and feel free to add your own recommendations in the comments section, we’ll make sure to update this as the season progresses. Continue reading →

The Instigator Podcast 5.17 – Gudas, NHL Discipline and Projecting the Sabres Roster

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We’re back to provide our thoughts on what the initial Sabres roster will look like for the season as Derek Grant, Hudson Fasching and Casey Nelson among those impressing in the preseason. Along the way we touch on some of the seemingly inaccurate statistical models projecting the Sabres season and the stunning lack of discipline applied to Radko Gudas’ latest indiscretion. Be sure to subscribe on iTunes so you never miss an episode.

Brian Higgins and Canalside: Still Waiting on Action

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At some point in the past I joked that I’d have kids by the time Canalside was developed. Somehow that joke turned out to be a bit more prophetic than I’d planned.

It’s no secret that Canalside is being developed at a snail’s pace. The waterfront gem that draws thousands each summer hasn’t seen any tangible additions since the historically aligned canals opened two years ago – completing a construction schedule riddled with delays. Now, with a child of my own, I’m left to find a new joke to make about the progress at Canalside.

Congressman Brian Higgins recently spoke out against ECHDC for their relative inaction in fulfilling the development portion of their mission. Ironically, that’s what the D in ECHDC stands for. Higgins’ comments came in a Buffalo News article on September 10 which I should have addressed in this space earlier, but I’ve been following an ECHDC schedule in getting posts up as of late.

I thought it best to offer up an FJM, of sorts, as it pertains to the article in question as it came just prior to the shutdown of the Buffalo Amtrak station and new questions about relocating the station to an area within Canalside. So, what is to follow is less an FJM and more a running commentary on Higgins’ comments and the general outlook for Canalside as we near the end of another summer enjoying the waterfront destination.

(The original article will be bolded) Continue reading →

The Instigator Podcast 5.16 – Sabres Camp and the Surprising Trouba Trade Request

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After Jacob Trouba’s surprising trade request from Winnipeg, Chris and Tyler discuss the Sabres-related focus on the request and potential for the Sabres to acquire the young blueliner. We also touch on the beginning of Sabres training camp and the battle for spots in Buffalo’s bottom six. You can subscribe to the podcast via iTunes, hit the link here to subscribe and rate.

Team USA’s Identity Crisis Starts at the Top

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It was the game that has spawned thousands of think pieces. As the US fell in uninspiring fashion to the Canadians last night, their World Cup failure raised questions about the team’s roster construction yet again.

While the 4-2 loss to Canada may have been expected, the previous shutout loss to Team Europe helped to stir memories of the pop-gun offensive efforts against Canada and Finland at the 2014 Sochi games. In fact, TJ Oshie’s goal late in the third period against Canada was the first scored by a US forward in 254:02; a streak that extends to Team USA’s preliminary round win against Slovenia in 2014. Only Ryan McDonagh’s goal against Canada kept that from being a shutout streak as well.

That is a stunning inability to score from a country seen as one of hockey’s super powers. Of course, the questions about the roster choices didn’t crop up over the past week. The choices made by USA Hockey have been questioned, in one way or another, since the original roster announcement earlier this year. Maybe this should be too surprising, as many of the same names criticized for questionable choices in 2014 – and highlighted by the in-depth, behind the scenes articles chronicling that team’s construction – remained part of the decision making process. Continue reading →

The Instigator Podcast 5.15 – Talking Sabres Prospects Challenge and the World Cup of Hockey

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After a short break Tyler and Chris are back with another episode of The Instigator. This week we touch on the Sabres Prospects Challenge and the World Cup of Hockey. We spend quite a bit of time on the early struggles of Team USA and whether or not they’ll find a way to come out of pool play. You can subscribe to The Instigator Podcast on iTunes by clicking this link.

Ranking the World Cup of Hockey Goal Masks

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The World Cup of Hockey is right around the corner, finally bringing the international event back to the hockey world after a 12-year absence. In the time between the 2004 event and this year’s World Cup, some major changes have come to the world of goaltending. It’s far easier for goalies to get new customized equipment and turnaround time on new masks is quite short.

As we approach the start of the tournament, every country’s goaltender has had their new gear or helmets released to the public via Twitter, Facebook or otherwise. Let’s take a look at the best and the worst of the World Cup of hockey goal masks (and gear). Continue reading →

Tim Murray should not hesitate to move the 2017 First Round Pick

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I don’t know about the rest of you, but I just don’t feel quite confident with the prospects of the 2016-2017 Buffalo Sabres being a playoff team. Yet.

Considering the recent arrest of Evander Kane, missing out on Jimmy Vesey, and Rasmus Ristolainen still lacking a contract, there are more than enough possible impediments to Tim Murray’s club breaking its four season playoff drought. Its time for something positive to happen, and what better way to get the team on the right track than to make a trade. I think the Kyle Okposo signing will yield highly positive dividends for Sabres, and his acquisition cements a very formidable top six going into next season (and a scary good top six going into the future), but I do believe that more will be required to make that extra push. Continue reading →