I pretty much pride myself on not being duped too easily.

Alright, maybe I have in the past when it comes to sports. But for the most part, I don't really listen to experts or fans when it comes to telling me what is right or what is wrong with a team. Sure, you can argue with me and I'll respect your opinion, but for the most part I think you are probably full of shit...and you may feel the same way about me. 

I think I have a good head on my shoulders and try not to listen to white noise all that much. It all started when I decided to not do major designer drugs as a kid because my best friends did it and culminated with me not going on a crime spree of stealing lava lamps at Spencers. I'm just not the type to jump off a bridge if my best friend told me to. Oh, this is about sports...Back to that.

Maybe it's my cynical viewpoint of the world or how I believe everyone has an ulterior motive for building up or destroying a story. I just want to decide for myself without being influenced by outside sources.

I just constantly hear how this is or isn't going to work out when we haven't seen the product on the ice or at least attempted to Google a stat or two. It is fluff in most cases for which I've adopted kind of a wait and see approach. Most of it is propaganda to get fans excited or pissed off. It could also be that I think I'm a know-it-all. Maybe it has to do with being disappointed with preseason expectations in years past.

In case you haven't heard, "the Sabres are tougher to play against."

The title for this article is simple.

The goaltender for the Buffalo Sabres, Ryan Miller. Yes, the Sabres lost their forth straight game with 1.5 seconds left in overtime. But it was the postgame of Ryan Miller that caught my eye. On the game winning goal he gave up, Miller said he didn't take anything away from Matt Frattin, the scorer. He gave him too much room.

But to me, this is a different Ryan Miller.

I don't think I have to give you guys a history lesson when it comes to the hockey youth of America,Canada and the world, right? In case you forgot, please read my piece on believing the draft hype and how it all seemed like a topic manufactured by media members and fueled by a hockey mass hunger for hope.

Seven months after I wrote that piece, I haven't changed my mind about the draft. I tried buying into it. However, everything I read and see about Grigo doesn't exactly yell "HE'S A STAR" or "HE NEEDS TO STAY PUT".  What people are forgetting in the grand scheme of things is that this isn't about the Sabres 2013 season or making a run to the 7th spot. This is about Grigo. A guy who supposedly is going to solve our center problems.

In probably what was the most obvious decision of the season, the Sabres decided to keep Mikhail Girgorenko on the active roster for a while longer. Darcy Regier broke the news to the assembled media at today’s morning skate.

Now that the drama surrounding the decision so many already assumed the outcome of has gone, the time has come to make sure he is firmly in the plans moving forward for the rest of the season. Even in the spirit of matchups, Lindy Ruff cannot sacrifice his ice time and stash him on the fourth line – or the bench – with John Scott and others. From this point forward, Grigorenko should be a vital cog in how the team operates. If that isn’t the plan, then he should have been sent back to Quebec.

For more Sabres stats nuggets in 140 characters or less, follow me on Twitter (@SabresStats).

This week’s number actually has a couple meanings.  First, it represents the total number of goals that the Sabres have scored in their first 4 games of the year.  That gives them an average goal production of 2.75 goals per game.  Yes, it’s early, but let’s see how that compares to prior seasons. 

As you can see, the Sabres goal scoring has been on a pretty steady decline since they led the NHL in scoring during their Presidents Cup season in 2006-07, but only during one of those seasons did they finish in the bottom half of the league (last year).

Well that was a fun couple of days, no? A 5-2 beat down of the Flyers followed by a near textbook road win against the Leafs and the Sabres have gotten off on the right foot for this shortened 2013 season.

Sunday’s opener was about as sloppy as expected, as the Sabres and Flyers plodded through forty minutes of fairly average hockey before the Sabres third period explosion put the game away. The one takeaway from that opener was seeing the rust on both teams. Even with a game under their belt from the day before, the Flyers still looked sluggish in many ways along with their hosts who were playing their first game of the season.

Twitter is an interesting tool. If used properly it can be a great new gathering source for a sports fan, politics fanatic or someone who just wants to keep up with the Kardashians. As someone who is immersed in sports, I happen to use Twitter to not only connect with fans but to keep up with breaking news.

During games Twitter is always a great barometer for how fans feel (track a Bills or Sabres follow list for evidence) along with a haven for those breaking down the game as it occurs. Bills fans have even spawned their own little group called the #BillsMafia that grew from the Stevie Johnson “why God” tweet and has now become a banner for certain fans to rally behind on the social media service. In fact, many players use the hashtag as well.