Bills draft class ranked 22nd by The Athletic. They like the potential of the Day 3 picks, but where’s the immediate help for a team with Super Bowl aspirations & an MVP QB who turns 30 in four weeks?

Is there any way they can both lose?

Read “Muskism”: mattdpearce.substack.com/p/muskism-as...

The NHL's department of player safety announced Nikita Zadorov has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for cross-checking Rasmus Dahlin. No suspension.

Sabres coach Lindy Ruff tells reporters back in Buffalo that Tyson Kozak and Jason Zucker are probable for Game 5 but still being evaluated. He said Josh Norris is also a possibility for tomorrow.

Is Buffalo still there this morning? Is Boston?

Well, is it, or isn’t it a goal?!

The Marlies move on! @torontomarlies.bsky.social | #CalderCup

Nothing but net for Konsta Helenius🥅 @amerks.com | #TORvsROC

#NHL Game Score Impact Card for Buffalo Sabres on 2026-04-26: #LetsGoBuffalo #Sabres

This is the craziest thing I've ever seen. Sabres saluting their fans on Boston's ice.

Ryan Miller better beat the drum next game after that last goal

Omg, a Ryan Miller shutout.

Short-handed Ryan Miller shut out. 🎉

Via Sabres PR, Power's assist on Byram's goal makes him the only skater in franchise history with an assist in each of the first four playoff games of their career.

The Bruins should take a penalty every two minutes from here on out so they can get out of the arena with a 4-0 loss.

With Charlie McAvoy on the ice at five-on-five in the first period, the Sabres had a 3-0 advantage in goals, 5-0 advantage in scoring chances at 7-0 advantage in shots.

Listening to the talking heads dragging Boston is hilarious. Both the Boston announcers on the radio and the neutrals on TV said some version of "No disrespect to Buffalo but the Bruins fucking suck right now."

“I still think Swayman steals one here,” I say to myself. It’s July. He’s golfing. The Sabres won the Cup three weeks ago.

Film you’ve watched more than six times with a gif:

Fast becoming one of my favorite podcasts (IMPORTANT: Distributed by The Athletic podcast network, part of the NY Times). A little “tee-heeing,” but more a discussion how journalistic sausage should be made, and also some disturbing insight into Big Brother watching you, in a stadium you paid for.

Bruins making a lineup change this afternoon.

Quote of the day, from a friend who founded a software startup: "You can’t use an LLM in any context where being wrong is a problem."

I think I’d rather Doug Nussmeier take over the Bills offense than Kyle Allen if anything were to happen to 17.

Et adieu.

Habs go up 2-1 on the Bolts. Game 4 in Montreal Sunday night (Sabres play Sunday at 2PM).

Sabres talk starting at 19:23 to tide you over until Sunday. Hire Shayna Goldman to run the Sabres power play? Got anything to lose by trying?

Me, (OTD, 2020): “Bills and Patriots traded out of the 1st round. Jets got the big OT Becton. Dolphins made three picks, Tagovailoa, Jackson, and Igbinoghene. They’ll be tough next year. At Scrabble.”

The Amerks got hammered 5-nil in Toronto Wednesday night, face elimination at home tonight.

I essentially like McLeod. He’s money in the bank (with Tuch) on PK, and he’s one of the best of a pretty sorry set of Sabres in the faceoff circle. But if Ruff is going to invest 18:58 a night into him, I’m going to need more than the fanny pack full of fuck all he’s giving them at 5-on-5.

Beane’s not done. No way he takes nine guys today when there are probably only 5-6 roles for rookies on gameday this coming year. He’ll either go back up, or even into next year to stagger the rookie contracts. They need a steady stream of rookie deal contributors to keep the window with 17 open.

Low-key, Alex Lyon was one of my favorite hockey players I've ever covered. Really nice guy, and also insanely smart.

The wrap on Game 3 in which Alex Lyon, Alex Tuch and rookie Noah Östlund helped give the Sabres a lift and a series lead notedhockey.com/game-3-two-a...

Beane feeling some kinda way tonight.

Vice-President of Football Operations Brandon “Fuck WRs” Beane sees the Biletnikoff winner slide to #20, can’t/doesn’t go up six spots to get him. Eagles do.

Retire #86. And look at The Four Kings.

I’m not predicting it; and AGAIN, I damned sure wouldn’t bet on it; but take a second to ponder the scene at Series of Corporate Banking Mergers Center for Game 5 if the Sabres come home up 3-1…

Sabres lines in warmups ahead of Game 3 in Boston: Krebs-Thompson-Tuch Zucker-McLeod-Quinn Benson-Östlund-Doan Greenway-Kozak-Malenstyn Dahlin-Samuelsson Byram-Power Stanley-Timmins Lyon Luukkonen

📝: While Rochester spent the last few weeks scratching to get into the #CalderCup Playoffs, for Don Stevens it was something akin to “This Is Your Life” as he winds down a 40-year career as the voice of the Amerks.

Alex Lyon has the net to himself at Sabres morning skate in Boston.

Josh Norris is not on the ice for Sabres morning skate. Noah Ostlund is skating between Zach Benson and Josh Doan. Tyson Kozak has taken Josh Dunne’s place on the fourth line.

Quick story on some expected Sabres lineup changes ahead of Game 3 in Boston tonight

Lindy Ruff said Josh Norris is not available tonight due to injury. He’s day to day.

AI slop-makers are uploading staggering amounts of AI-generated songs to streaming services. This dilutes the royalty pool, increases fraud and impersonation, and harms real human artists. We need REAL protections against AI!

Dallas-Minnesota going to OT tied at 3, Anaheim-Edmonton tied at 4, late-3rd period.

Wouldja lookit the Flying Brieres!

Flyers up 3-1 after 40 minutes. That second period was about as entertaining as playoff hockey gets -- chaotic, nasty, and fast-paced. Flyers took full control. They're 20 minutes away from going up 3-0 in the series.

📝: Mix excitement, fatigue, relief and urgency to sum up the Rochester Americans’ weekend. But as messy as it was, it got them into the #CalderCup Playoffs.

If you have to ask, read Hunter S. Thompson.

“Man is a marvelous curiosity. When he is at his very, very best he is a sort of low grade nickel-plated angel; at his worst he is unspeakable, unimaginable; and first and last and all the time he is a sarcasm.” -Mark Twain (“Letters From the Earth”)