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Buffalo Sabres & NHL 2018-19: Sabres picking 7th overall (6/21/19). Ralph Krueger hire as new head coach!


BillsFan4

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26 minutes ago, K-9 said:

Yep, the games are beyond horrible. But there are things still worth watching in terms of wanting to see Dahlin continue his emergence, Skinner getting to 40, Jack just putting up points, etc. I can be thoroughly disgusted with the coaching and the effort and the mind boggling lack of skill in this Charmin soft team and still find some nuggets to polish. 

 

Doesn’t mean I can’t continue to be critical of them, though. That’s my right as a fan. 

 

EVERY player who’s been here since the tank needs to be gone. All of them. 

 

The aging vets need to be gone. Pommers, Okposo, all of them. 

 

Housley is in way over his head as a head coach as evidenced by his sub .400 pace since he’s been behind the bench*, his inability to adapt to his roster, his line combinations, his defense pairings, his uneven accountability standards, etc. He needs to be gone as well.

 

Edit: Almost forgot the all important asterisk noting the exception of the fluke 10 game streak which articifially inflates Housley’s record.

 

I'm never going to suggest that someone can't be critical.  That's all the deserve right now.  The thing that's driving me mad right now is that the attitude around this fanbase right now is probably the most toxic I've ever seen it, yet they keep going back for more.  It's the exact thing that kept the Bills in the state they've been in for so long now.  They suck, yet people keep going back and watching.  At some point the people need to send a message that all of this is not acceptable, otherwise the teams continue to operate business as usual.  It becomes a never-ending cycle of *****.

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43 minutes ago, Nextmanup said:

I will never understand the mentality of "sports fans" like you.  For some reason, your ilk makes up about 90% of these online sports discussion forums.  In real life I never seem to stumble into people like this.

 

Not everyone here is a casual sports fan looking for a cheap "feel good" thrill watching their team win.  Some of us have an interest in the team that transcends having a casual good time, and want to discuss that team no matter what is going on with it, good or bad. 

 

Life is about ups and downs and if you are a fan, you have to take the good with the bad.

 

If Buffalo sports fans weren't thick skinned and in it for the long haul, there wouldn't be any left! 

 

These are 2 of the historically worst run franchises in N. American sports history.  If you just want to have fun and enjoy watching a good team win, why in the world would you choose to root for sports teams from Buffalo?

 

I don't understand you at all.

 

 

 

 

This is what I tell my "fair weather fan" son all the time.  I've been religiously watching Buffalo hockey since the '50s and the Bills since Day 1.  It's been a great internal strength builder and hair loss facilitator.  But these are My teams and will always be, for better or worse.  True fans are true fans; all others are phony opportunists.

 

14 minutes ago, shrader said:

 

 

Blah blah blah, masochism.  I get it.  But yeah, you're not a fan unless subscribe to a set list of rules.  There are no exceptions.  The arrogance of being a fan of ***** is truly something to behold.

 

I am an out of market fan.  I'm not sure what others situations are.  But I have to put down money in order to watch a Buffalo team.  The thought of paying in order to watch something that is guaranteed to disappoint is not something I want to sign up for anymore.  I've had enough recently of paying an assload of money for something with zero return.

B bye!

Edited by Formerly Allan in MD
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3 minutes ago, shrader said:

 

I'm never going to suggest that someone can't be critical.  That's all the deserve right now.  The thing that's driving me mad right now is that the attitude around this fanbase right now is probably the most toxic I've ever seen it, yet they keep going back for more.  It's the exact thing that kept the Bills in the state they've been in for so long now.  They suck, yet people keep going back and watching.  At some point the people need to send a message that all of this is not acceptable, otherwise the teams continue to operate business as usual.  It becomes a never-ending cycle of *****.

Like I said, some fans have other reasons to continue to support the team at this time. It’s not up to you to understand or not. Shouldn’t frustrate you one way or the other. 

 

There will be a reduction in attendance, but I doubt that moves the needle one way or the other in terms of the Pegulas getting some sort of message. They know just as well as the rest of us how much their team sucks. 

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9 minutes ago, K-9 said:

Like I said, some fans have other reasons to continue to support the team at this time. It’s not up to you to understand or not. Shouldn’t frustrate you one way or the other. 

 

There will be a reduction in attendance, but I doubt that moves the needle one way or the other in terms of the Pegulas getting some sort of message. They know just as well as the rest of us how much their team sucks. 

 

People choose to watch it, that's fine.  I don't understand it, but it doesn't frustrate me.  Now, the people who want to turn this personal and make it some sort of fandom D measuring contest, that's the frustrating part.  You're only a fan if you do exactly what I say you should do.

 

As for the Pegulas, yes, I'm very comfortable in saying that they want to turn things around for both teams.  I think they've officially reached the end of the honeymoon period that came with buying the teams though.  Things are going to turn sour very fast unless they learn how to hire the right people.  And I don't mean this as an indictment of Boterill, but I'm officially on board with the idea that they need an experience hockey/NHL person in that president role.  Give it a different title, do whatever they want, but they need that experience hockey ops person.

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5 hours ago, GG said:

 

I'm sure Q is well aware that teams that aren't rebuilding aren't looking to hire new coaches.

 

I was just passing along what I had read/heard. 

 

https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/joel-quenneville-ready-willing-coach-early-season/

 

Quote

Kypreos added that Quenneville is not interested in taking over a team that is in the midst of or considering a rebuild

 

 

This has been reported in other places, too. 

 

 

 

There are quite a few teams that need head coaches -

 

Anaheim, St. Louis (if they don’t hire Berube full time. They haven’t yet), Philly, Vancouver, Edmonton, LA, Ottawa (obv. not an option).

 

Plus more teams that may be looking -

 

Minnesota, Detroit (esp. if they hire Yzerman), Devils, Blue Jackets, Colorado, Florida

 

I could see him picking a bunch of those teams over Buffalo. Nearly all of them have been better in recent years. 

 

I guess it’ll all depend on the teams that show interest in him, what they say their plans are for the team, and how much they are willing to pay. He is going to be looking for top dollar, which is one place Buffalo can maybe get a leg up. 

 

I am am not saying it’s impossible to land Q. Just that I doubt the Sabres will be at the top of his list if he isn’t looking for a rebuilding team. 

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On 3/14/2019 at 11:12 AM, plenzmd1 said:

Thats the rub..who still thinks he is a good defenseman? We need an old school GM you does not believe in Analytics and still like a "physical D Man who doles out hits"..and does not look at expected goals for and against when he is on the ice, possession numbers, high danger chances etc..all areas Risto is just plain awful. 

 

I can't see Tampa taking him....but their D is old and unsigned for next year and they are up against the cap, so maybe they would. I could see Bergevin maybe taking him. I dont know who else would..his numbers are just that bad.

 

I say you offer Point at the $10M, which is simply two firsts, a second and a third...and structure it a 4 year deal so he is hitting UFA again at 27..if he doesn't take it at least we hurting Tampa cap. Same with Marner if that does not work with Point..if he stays put the screws to the Leafs.

 

Enough of being friendly..and yep, you gunna have to face the music when #26 hits RFA..but this team needs is desperate..they need to do something to jump start this thing , especially if Housley starts  next year behind the bench

 

I wouldn’t be too sure about that...

 

This is the guy that targeted and personally recruited 33yr old Dan Girardi (to play top 4 minutes!). 

 

If you’re not familiar with Dan Girardi, he’s the defenseman the NYR bought out a year or two ago. He was one of the analytics communitys favorite whipping boy. His advanced stats were beyond awful. His goals above replacement stats ranked him 297th out of 301 qualified defenseman... 

 

and on top of that just looked like crap to the eye test, too. Old, slow and shot. A guy the NYR were healthy scratching. 

 

Steve Y personally called/met with and recruited Girardi to Tampa.

 

He was asked about the absolutely awful underlying analytics at a press conference after signing Girardi. He said “we use our own analytics” and “we feel Dan can play against the best players in the league”. 

 

 

 

There was a lot of smoke about Tampa being hot after Risto at the deadline. IMO it makes a lot of sense. 

 

Top 4, 40+ point right handed defenseman will always be in demand around the NHL. 

Plus tampa has a number of UFA RHD this offseason (4 of their top 6 defenseman are UFA. 3 of them are right handed D), and Risto is a cost controlled asset for 3 more years.

And Tampa also has some guys coming due for big deals (Point this year) plus Kucherov’s big extension kicks in. 

And they have a ton of assets they could potentially part with.

 

 

 

Risto to Tampa makes a ton of sense from Tampa’s point of view. It only makes sense from our POV if we get a huge haul. Otherwise there’s no way I send our current #1RHD to a division rival that’s already a powerhouse. 

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1 hour ago, BillsFan4 said:

 

I was just passing along what I had read/heard. 

 

https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/joel-quenneville-ready-willing-coach-early-season/

 

 

 

This has been reported in other places, too. 

 

 

 

There are quite a few teams that need head coaches -

 

Anaheim, St. Louis (if they don’t hire Berube full time. They haven’t yet), Philly, Vancouver, Edmonton, LA, Ottawa (obv. not an option).

 

Plus more teams that may be looking -

 

Minnesota, Detroit (esp. if they hire Yzerman), Devils, Blue Jackets, Colorado, Florida

 

I could see him picking a bunch of those teams over Buffalo. Nearly all of them have been better in recent years. 

 

I guess it’ll all depend on the teams that show interest in him, what they say their plans are for the team, and how much they are willing to pay. He is going to be looking for top dollar, which is one place Buffalo can maybe get a leg up. 

 

I am am not saying it’s impossible to land Q. Just that I doubt the Sabres will be at the top of his list if he isn’t looking for a rebuilding team. 

While I totally agree that Q. may not want to come to Buffalo and that we would have a tough time recruiting him here, it is worth noting that this is one area where Pegula's $$$ can make the playing field uneven in our favor.

 

There is no salary cap on coaching compensation.  Pegula can straight up pay Q. double what he would get anywhere else, for example, and dare him to walk away from the money.  He can also offer ridiculously long term, all the while knowing that if it goes south, he can break the K and pay Q his money for doing nothing.   God knows Pegula has gone that route many times already. 

 

That has to have some type of impact on the process.  How much, I'm not sure.

 

 

 

 

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On 3/14/2019 at 11:12 AM, plenzmd1 said:

Thats the rub..who still thinks he is a good defenseman? We need an old school GM you does not believe in Analytics and still like a "physical D Man who doles out hits"..and does not look at expected goals for and against when he is on the ice, possession numbers, high danger chances etc..all areas Risto is just plain awful. 

 

I can't see Tampa taking him....but their D is old and unsigned for next year and they are up against the cap, so maybe they would. I could see Bergevin maybe taking him. I dont know who else would..his numbers are just that bad.

 

I say you offer Point at the $10M, which is simply two firsts, a second and a third...and structure it a 4 year deal so he is hitting UFA again at 27..if he doesn't take it at least we hurting Tampa cap. Same with Marner if that does not work with Point..if he stays put the screws to the Leafs.

 

Enough of being friendly..and yep, you gunna have to face the music when #26 hits RFA..but this team needs is desperate..they need to do something to jump start this thing , especially if Housley starts  next year behind the bench

You don’t hurt the Leafs if Marner doesn’t sign the offer. He’s not going anywhere. Just like nylander and Matthews. 

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3 hours ago, Pete said:

http://www.tankathon.com/nhl

 

Let's tank these last 12 and never tank again.  Right now we are 8th and have a 19% chance of top 3 pick.  Hughes, Kakko, or Podkolzin would be great additions to our top 6.  Maybe Oloffson, Asplund, or Nylander are top 6 next season. These are nice possibilities to ponder during our tank

Just played 5 times.

 

First 4 times, we stayed at 8 or went back to 9.

 

Fifth time we shot up to #2! 

 

That'd be fantastic if we cold pull off another high lottery pick this year.

 

 

 

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