COVERITLIVE.COM

11:10

Good morning. Sorry for the delay. I must have messed up something when getting this thing on line. Basically, I had a Sully moment. Nice win for the Sabres last night when you consider all the penalties. They have another big test this weekend with Calgary and at Philly on back-to-back nights. Jhonas Enroth was returned to Portland without switching cities. The Pirates are in town tonight, so the Sabres want to get him some work. Patrick Lalime could be getting ready to return, so we'll see if Enroth stays in Buffalo for the game against the Flames. Fire away.

11:12

[Comment From BobG]
MacArthur hit: clean or not?

11:13

[Comment From ak]
What did you think about Clark's hit, dirty or unfortunate?

11:13

[Comment From BobG]
I should have said -- suspension or not. Clearly a penalty -- suspendable?

11:14

It was not clean. MacArthur is a clean player, so I don't think the intent to injure was there, but he hit the guy from behind. That's how players can get really, really hurt. The only thing that should prevent him from getting a suspension is his past record. He has not history of that stuff. If I were the commissioner, I would suspend him for a game so others get the message.

11:14

[Comment From Joe from DC]
If you were GM, who would you trade ... just kidding. I really wanted to get your take on why a GM would oppose a ban on hitting from behind. With all the concussions and worse, it seems like a rule that could help protect their investments. Why would someone be opposed to this?

11:16

I don't know that any GM would oppose a ban on hitting from behind. I think they're all in agreement that it can't be tolerated. They differ in opinion on head shots and whether all head shots should be penalized. Some fear it would taking hitting out of the game. Some players who are getting hit in the head have only themselves to blame because too many leave themselves vulnerable. It should be a judgment call.

11:16

[Comment From Ryan]
How big of a loss is it if Grier is out for any serious amount of time?

11:18

I'm not sure of the latest because I'm not at practice. He's an important player on the ice, so it's significant enough. Grier's greatest quality for their sake is his leadership. You can lead without playing for a few games, but not for an extended period. You need to be an everyday, productive player to be a strong leader in my opinion.

11:18

[Comment From Beavis]
Bucky, Can we officially put an end to the "Thomas Vanek is a great hockey player" talk? I don't care what kind of beating he takes in front of the net or what kind of hand-eye coordination he posses. The truth of the matter is that Vanek is not a dynamic player and doesn't make players around him better. He is not a sniper, he's not a playmaker, he doesn't skate well, his defense leaves much to be desired, he takes dumb penalties and he goes missing far too often. He cleans up a lot of garbage in front of the net to be sure. But compared to the Zetterbergs, Malkins, Ovechkins, Getzlafs, he doesn't compare. I'm not saying he doesn't have value on the team, it's just this constant drum beat from Vanek defenders (yourself included) is getting stale. 40 goals? Big deal. That'll get you a free turkey sandwich at the corner deli. I would rather he pot 30 goals but come to play everynight. I bet Lindy Ruff agrees.

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