30 questions about the Buffalo Sabres: 25-21

25) What should the Sabres 2nd line be? Stafford-Ennis-Foligno

This was the Sabres best line down the stretch last year. It is a jack of all trades kind of line. There's the physicality of Foligino, the playmaking ability of Ennis, and the size and skill of Stafford. In the trio's last 13 games, Stafford had 17 points, Marcus Foligno had 13 points, and Tyler Ennis had 18 points. Lindy pretty much already said this will be the 2nd line, even though we all know it might only last until the 2nd period of the opener (old joke). However, I hope he sticks with this line for a while. I will say, the thought of putting Foligno with Ott and Kaleta makes for an enticing banger line (that's what she said), but if it wasn't broke last year with the trio, then don't fix it.

24) Who is the most important player on the Sabres? Ryan Miller

Something tells me I've written this probably the last 5 years or so. The answer will always been the same until another Sabres player becomes a go-to guy. He's really the only player to be MVP caliber in the last four years. Of course, he's had some MIP (Most Inconsistent Player) moments as well. Take last year as an example. Miller's GAA went as follows: Oct – 2.00, Nov – 5.95, Dec – 3.23, Jan – 2.85, Feb -1.85, March -2.17, April -3.44. Now before you yell about the Lucic hit that, in the minds of many, destroyed his career for two months, Miller had allowed three goals or more in the 5 games before the hit. It is no coincidence that the Sabres hot streak in February and March came when Miller got hot and frankly, it is going to be the same this year. It may be even more pressure than previous year  because our offense looks pretty meh on paper. The Sabres will go only as far as #30 takes them.

23) How many games will Enroth play? 5

Yes, we all know how badly Lindy Ruff has handled the goalie rotation over the years. With a shorter season, we can only assume it will be much worse. When you look at how many games Enroth played last year, the numbers don't necessarily cry out "Lindy is burning Miller out!" But while 26 games isn't anything to sneeze at, the majority of those starts came during Miller's injury in November and the mini-goalie controversy that lasted for about a month after that. From January 18th to the end of the year, Enroth only started 3 games, one of them being the meaningless season finale. Obviously, Ruff wanted to drive Miller to the end because the Sabres were so far behind in the standings. With a condensed schedule and Miller only having to play a 48 game schedule, Ruff will obviously want to play his best goalie, and right now Miller is the guy.

22) Who will be featured too many times on Sabres commercials? Steve Ott 

Paul Gaustad used to be the reigning champion when it came to green screens and blue and gold making green commercials. But Goose has flown south to Nashville and we need a new face. Enter Steve Ott. I thought Stafford would win out or maybe Gerbe since one's a goofball and the other looks like a hobbit, but new sells. Plus everyone says he has a cool personality and since I stereotype Buffalo as loving tough guys, I think he'll get a nice deal.

21) Which Game of Thrones character best resembles Darcy Regier? Stannis Baratheon

Since we first heard the name Stannis Baratheon, the sentiment from his brothers to his enemies has been that no one wants him as their king. He's abrupt, he doesn't exactly bestow love of those around him, he seems hard-headed, and he's just all around blah. The only people who love him are Davos, the Onion Knight (even though Stannis took part of his fingers), and Melisandre, the cougar/priestess/friend with benefits of magical powers. However, the most dominant quality Stannis possess is loyalty. That's all Davos talks about. How Stannis is just but fair. That's Darcy Regier. No one in Buffalo likes Darcy expect Lindy and Heather B. (Editor's note: I also like Stannis!  Or at least feel kind of bad for him. So you might be onto something. -HB) People don't want him as the GM because there are other options out there and other GMs who have won cups for teams. Stannis and Darcy have also been in the shadows of their way cooler counterparts, Lindy Ruff and King Robert Baratheon. Like Stannis, Darcy has always been seen as someone who is extremely loyal to his players. Sure, Jochen Hecht may be missing a body part (part of his ear) like Davos, but Darcy still rewards him with a 1-million dollar contract. Loyalty is what Stannis expects from his men when they take the battlefield. It is good to have killers as his bannermen. Can we say that about Darcy's troops? Also, Stannis killed his own brother in order for him to be the front runner for the Iron Throne. Hmmm..Lindy is like a brother to Darcy, right?