snafu Posted March 21, 2017 Share Posted March 21, 2017 Listened to a bit of GR this morning. Jeremy was saying bet the house on the Quins this evening.....fug it...just to make it interesting tonight...going a smidge on the Sabres in a shocker to win the game at +170 Penguins come in rested, they're 7-2-1 in their last 10, and they won't mail it in like the Red Wings did last night. Sabres are coming home after a four game road trip, which usually sets up a lackluster performance. The only mitigating factor is that they have a lot of kids (with speculative talent) in the lineup. Good luck, I hope you win. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrader Posted March 21, 2017 Share Posted March 21, 2017 Jeremy is all over the place. He has been advocating for a change of coaching as if that is the central problem with this team. It simply lacks talent, especially on defense. Without a doubt I'm disappointed how this season has materialized. But the deficiencies on defense can be addressed this offseason. Bringing in a couple of solid defensemen with the addition of Guhle should stabilize the defense. The biggest improvement next year is not going to be from the new players on the roster but from the younger players getting better. I have much more optimism with the hockey team than I do with the football team. Trust the process. It actually is working with more to do. That bolded sentence paints a scary picture for me. There's not enough in the way of young defensemen to improve the blue line. The bulk of the improvement there is going to have to come from the outside. I know you're probably talking about the young forwards improving, so at least that much is a happy thought. If they can get at least two guys out of the list of Bailey/Baptiste/Carrier/Fasching/Rodrigues to become significant contributors within the top 9, this offense could start to become dangerous. I'm not ready to throw Nylander in that group yes as I feel like he is one more year away, but for whatever reason, I feel like I forgot one name. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BringBackFergy Posted March 21, 2017 Share Posted March 21, 2017 **** call on Gergensons hooking leads to Crosby splitting between our "defensemen" and beating Lehner on a breakaway (shootout). Broken record. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plenzmd1 Posted March 22, 2017 Share Posted March 22, 2017 Okay, this is why I don't bet on hockey. Crosby spears ROR in the nads, no call. Risto anticipates a play, gone for the game. Still pissed no response when Chaddy boy drills jack into the boards...WTF...we ain't going to the playoffs, someone protect the future!!! Until the Sabres get that mentality...will always lose. And that's on Disco Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pine Barrens Mafia Posted March 22, 2017 Share Posted March 22, 2017 (edited) Lose the rest, send everyone down, see if we can better our lottery chances Trust the process. It actually is working with more to do. Really? It's working? I mean, I suppose you should define what the desired outcome is. If it's to be mediocre, than it's DEFINITELY working. If it's trying to be a playoff contender, not so much. Edited March 22, 2017 by joesixpack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted March 22, 2017 Share Posted March 22, 2017 That bolded sentence paints a scary picture for me. There's not enough in the way of young defensemen to improve the blue line. The bulk of the improvement there is going to have to come from the outside. I know you're probably talking about the young forwards improving, so at least that much is a happy thought. If they can get at least two guys out of the list of Bailey/Baptiste/Carrier/Fasching/Rodrigues to become significant contributors within the top 9, this offense could start to become dangerous. I'm not ready to throw Nylander in that group yes as I feel like he is one more year away, but for whatever reason, I feel like I forgot one name. The players I highlighted are all good, big, young and fast players who are promising players. I'm a little more strict in my evaluations because I don't believe any one of them is a top two line player. I consider them all very good third line players and below with one or two of them maybe slipping into the second line. I agree with you that the additions for the defense will come in from the outside. If we can get two solid to good defensemen and add in Guhle then you have a decent (not upper tier) blue line unit. Gorges when playing 15 minutes or less is an effective player. Anything longer he becomes a liability. With the addition of a few defesnemen you end up putting the lower players in a better position to fulfill their more limited roles. I like McCabe but for me he is more of a second pairing player than a first pairing caliber of player. What Murray has to do at a minimum is bolster the defense to the point that it is a solid unit rather than a major liability. That is doable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChevyVanMiller Posted March 22, 2017 Share Posted March 22, 2017 Lose the rest, send everyone down, see if we can better our lottery chances Really? It's working? I mean, I suppose you should define what the desired outcome is. If it's to be mediocre, than it's DEFINITELY working. If it's trying to be a playoff contender, not so much. Sabres have the number 1 ranked power play in the NHL and the number 2 scorer over the past 7 weeks in Eichel. Both goalies are above average in save percentage. What has killed them is defense and, in my opinion, coaching. The rebuild is working. This should be a fun offseason to see what moves GMTM will make. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted March 22, 2017 Share Posted March 22, 2017 Sabres have the number 1 ranked power play in the NHL and the number 2 scorer over the past 7 weeks in Eichel. Both goalies are above average in save percentage. What has killed them is defense and, in my opinion, coaching. The rebuild is working. This should be a fun offseason to see what moves GMTM will make. It has been talked about that the expansion team in this upcoming expansion draft might select a number of defensemen in order to deal them to other teams, or another way of saying it is using their selections as currency. Our GM is well aware of this team's deficiency and he is on record that he is going to address that problem. Will he add enough new talent to make it a top defensive unt? Of course not. But what he can do is upgrade that unit to the point that it is a solidly functioning unit. That in itself is should make a major difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plenzmd1 Posted March 22, 2017 Share Posted March 22, 2017 Sabres have the number 1 ranked power play in the NHL and the number 2 scorer over the past 7 weeks in Eichel. Both goalies are above average in save percentage. What has killed roblem is them is defense and, in my opinion, coaching. The rebuild is working. This should be a fun offseason to see what moves GMTM will make. Problem is 5-5 scoring still sucks ...that's right, I am never happy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrader Posted March 22, 2017 Share Posted March 22, 2017 The players I highlighted are all good, big, young and fast players who are promising players. I'm a little more strict in my evaluations because I don't believe any one of them is a top two line player. I consider them all very good third line players and below with one or two of them maybe slipping into the second line. I agree with you that the additions for the defense will come in from the outside. If we can get two solid to good defensemen and add in Guhle then you have a decent (not upper tier) blue line unit. Gorges when playing 15 minutes or less is an effective player. Anything longer he becomes a liability. With the addition of a few defesnemen you end up putting the lower players in a better position to fulfill their more limited roles. I like McCabe but for me he is more of a second pairing player than a first pairing caliber of player. What Murray has to do at a minimum is bolster the defense to the point that it is a solid unit rather than a major liability. That is doable. I'm intrigued by the combination of Bailey and Kane when I've see it. That combo brings a lot of speed and their physical play can have the opposing defensemen hearing the footsteps. He's the one guy I'm most interested to see if you can take that next step. As for Gorges, I'm ready to walk away from him if the chance presents itself. He's going to be 33 year next season and that type of physical defensemen falls off a cliff so fast once they're beyond 30. All I can ever picture with the older stay at home guys is Jay McKee in St. Louis. If he's going to stick around, and most likely he will, I hope he falls down to a 6/7 guy. McCabe on the second pair is ideal. I'm not so sure you find someone to bump him down though. That really is the perfect example of why this team is where they are right now. They've got too many guys back there who are being asked to be more than they actually are. If they could find someone to pair up with Risto, what type of player do you have in mind? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
26CornerBlitz Posted March 22, 2017 Author Share Posted March 22, 2017 @NHLPlayerSafety Buffalo’s Rasmus Ristolainen will have a hearing tomorrow afternoon for interference on Pittsburgh’s Jake Guentzel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pine Barrens Mafia Posted March 22, 2017 Share Posted March 22, 2017 Sabres have the number 1 ranked power play in the NHL and the number 2 scorer over the past 7 weeks in Eichel. Both goalies are above average in save percentage. What has killed them is defense and, in my opinion, coaching. The rebuild is working. This should be a fun offseason to see what moves GMTM will make. I wonder what'll be said when they miss the playoffs again next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted March 22, 2017 Share Posted March 22, 2017 Lose the rest, send everyone down, see if we can better our lottery chances Really? It's working? I mean, I suppose you should define what the desired outcome is. If it's to be mediocre, than it's DEFINITELY working. If it's trying to be a playoff contender, not so much. The Sabres were less than an expansion team a couple of years ago. Although their record now is disappointing the team is demonstrably better. If you can't see the quantum leap in improvement from a couple of years ago then you weren't watching the product then and now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pine Barrens Mafia Posted March 22, 2017 Share Posted March 22, 2017 The Sabres were less than an expansion team a couple of years ago. Although their record now is disappointing the team is demonstrably better. If you can't see the quantum leap in improvement from a couple of years ago then you weren't watching the product then and now. Hard not to be better than dreck. But know what's much harder? Being GOOD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted March 22, 2017 Share Posted March 22, 2017 I'm intrigued by the combination of Bailey and Kane when I've see it. That combo brings a lot of speed and their physical play can have the opposing defensemen hearing the footsteps. He's the one guy I'm most interested to see if you can take that next step. As for Gorges, I'm ready to walk away from him if the chance presents itself. He's going to be 33 year next season and that type of physical defensemen falls off a cliff so fast once they're beyond 30. All I can ever picture with the older stay at home guys is Jay McKee in St. Louis. If he's going to stick around, and most likely he will, I hope he falls down to a 6/7 guy. McCabe on the second pair is ideal. I'm not so sure you find someone to bump him down though. That really is the perfect example of why this team is where they are right now. They've got too many guys back there who are being asked to be more than they actually are. If they could find someone to pair up with Risto, what type of player do you have in mind? Anaheim offered Fowler for a first round pick last offseason. Murray said no. They made the same proposal to Montreal. They also said no. Our first round pick was Nylander. He is at least another year away but I'm glad that Murray didn't bite on the deal. I'm against trading Kane for a top tier defenseman because he is a goal scorer in a sport where it is difficult to score because of the defensive focus and caliber of goaltending. It is going to be a challenge to find a top tier player to pair with Risto. So the next best option is to add good second and third pairing players who can elevate the overall defensive play to respestable level. That is achievable. My point with the Gorges comment is not so much about him as it was about when you have a third or fourth pairing caliber of player and ask that type of player to play a role beyond his talent level. When you do that you are not only diminishing him as a player but also general weakening the defense. If Anaheim traded Fowler and their first round pick for our first round pick and one of our big and fast young players such as Bailey, Fashing or Carrier I would make that deal. I would rather see a couple or few good defensive players added to the mix which will include Guhle. That is the approach I would take rather than making a big splash deal giving up a player such as Kane or Reinhart to add a top pair defenseman. I understand why someone would make such a deal but I don't advocate for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrader Posted March 22, 2017 Share Posted March 22, 2017 At this point, I think anything Kane or Reinhart related is completely off the table. Someone will throw the old "if the price is right" cliche out there, but I just don't see it happening. They've got some fire power brewing and they need to run with that. If you go back pre-lockout (the 2005 one), they had been a horrible team, but their offense started to show signs of life at the tail end of the season. Then, coming out of the lockout, we all know what that team wound up doing. I think this current offense is on the verge of a similar breakthrough. I'm not trying to say the team will have the same run as they did back then, but we're trending towards a much stronger offense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted March 22, 2017 Share Posted March 22, 2017 At this point, I think anything Kane or Reinhart related is completely off the table. Someone will throw the old "if the price is right" cliche out there, but I just don't see it happening. They've got some fire power brewing and they need to run with that. If you go back pre-lockout (the 2005 one), they had been a horrible team, but their offense started to show signs of life at the tail end of the season. Then, coming out of the lockout, we all know what that team wound up doing. I think this current offense is on the verge of a similar breakthrough. I'm not trying to say the team will have the same run as they did back then, but we're trending towards a much stronger offense. Craig Button was on WGR on the Instigator Show today and talked about the draft. Where we are drafting we should be able to come up with a good defenseman. Will the prospect be immediately ready? I can't say---but probably not. Craig Button is a former GM and he is interesting to listen to. The below link is about 17 minutes long. http://www.wgr550.com/media/audio-channel/03-22-tsns-craig-button-instigatorsmp3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4merper4mer Posted March 22, 2017 Share Posted March 22, 2017 Sabres have the number 1 ranked power play in the NHL and the number 2 scorer over the past 7 weeks in Eichel. Both goalies are above average in save percentage. What has killed them is defense and, in my opinion, coaching. The rebuild is working. This should be a fun offseason to see what moves GMTM will make. Hopefully his first move will involve Mayflower and it will be back to Ottawa and Uncle Bwyan. GMTM is a fraud. He didn't know a hockey team needs defense? He has to talk down to everyone because he is some sort f genius for picking Eichel? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
26CornerBlitz Posted March 23, 2017 Author Share Posted March 23, 2017 @BuffaloSabres Coach Bylsma: Okposo, Carrier & Kulikov returned to practice today. Barring any setbacks, they should be able to play Saturday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bilzfancy Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 (edited) Risto suspended 3 games, total bullcrap, while Crosby hits ROR in the nuts with his stick and not even a penalty Edited March 23, 2017 by bilzfancy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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