Buffalo Sabres and NHL: 2019/20: Sabres season officially over. Draft lottery June 26th

[Spun]

TB is loaded.  That said the Sabres came out strong and carried the action until the penalties started adding up.  TB has a very good PP.  Some of the penalties were bad as were the calls and non-calls.  The shots were 43-40 in favor of the Sabres.  They played better in game two but the penalty kill and the third period collapse was decisive.  Giving up a goal with 1.3 seconds to go in the second was painful..  Hutton didn’t have a great game.  Dahlin gets nervous handling the puck inside the Sabres zone hence the giveaways. He needs to develop some confidence.

 

The Sabres have to commit to this experience as being one to build on.  They came out sharper in game two.  They adapted but ultimately their flaws hurt them.  

 

Don’t be surprised if the Lightning go far in the playoffs if not win it all.  The TB fans said that usually the Lightning play flat when their backup is in net.  Not last night.

 

The Lightning fans traveled well.  I first noticed it at the airport.  There was one SABRES fan leading the cheers with his drum!  The security entering the building wasn’t as extensive in the US.  Carry a bag that isn’t visible plastic in the US and you don’t get in.  A drum in Sweden?  Come on in!  The crowds were very quiet unlike in North America.  The Swedish fans that I talked to know a lot bout the NHL.  There were a sizable contingent of fans in attendance from other European countries.  If the Sabres didn’t play in Stockholm, I may have missed this city.  It is a cool city, I am glad that I visited.

[4merper4mer]

13 hours ago, plenzmd1 said:

here we go....5 in a row and 5 days off to think about it...then 10 in 17...guess its time to start following these handles

 

https://twitter.com/SabresProspects?ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^author

 

https://twitter.com/Prospects_Watch

 

 

I still view the coach in a positive light.  I'd say internally let him assess the needs and communicate them.  Maybe time to re-set again?  

 

Some really big trades, like even Eichel?  His career is clearly being wasted,maybe some of that is on him, and he would return a king's ransom.  This GM shows zero urgency unless there is traffic before tee time so if I'm Pegula I wait.....again....dump the GM .1 seconds after the season ends and get someone that is connected with Krueger.  Ideally that would be done now but it seems unrealistic.

 

Edited November 10, 2019 by 4merper4mer

[zow2]

The Years lead up to getting Eichel sucked, the years since Eichel have sucked.  I said it last year, I’d explore trading him to get a bounty of ready NHLers.  At the very least they should explore it. Also, our goalies have a habit of getting outplayed by the opponents goalie.  They had a nice first 9 games. But now falling back into last years habits. Make a few saves 

[JohnC]

1 hour ago, zow2 said:

The Years lead up to getting Eichel sucked, the years since Eichel have sucked. I said it last year, I’d explore trading him to get a bounty of ready NHLers.  At the very least they should explore it. Also, our goalies have a habit of getting outplayed by the opponents goalie.  They had a nice first 9 games. But now falling back into last years habits. Make a few saves 

Trading an exceptional player for a collection of good players makes no sense. Acting on frustration and exasperation is a recipe for even a longer period of mediocrity. Look at all the cup winners and contending teams. What they all have in common is that they have two to four elite players surrounded by good role players. We already have an elite player in Jack. Dealing him for a bevy of solid to good player would not improve the team---- it would set it back. 

 

Dahlin has elite skills. He's a young player who is struggling. That shouldn't be surprising because young players still have to go through the developing process. If anyone suggested that he should be dealt because he could bring back a quantity of good talent it would be an act self-inflicted regression. 

 

Tampa is one of the most talented teams in the league. It is a genuine cup contending team. It shouldn't surprise anyone that when they play at their talent level and when an inferior talented team plays at their level that the superior team is going to prevail. And that's exactly what happened in these two games. When the Sabres made mistakes Tampa capitalized. When Tampa made mistakes we weren't able to capitalize. You don't have to be an analytical wizard to understand that in sports and most fields of endeavor that talent usually prevails. And that's exactly what happened in Sweden. 

Edited November 10, 2019 by JohnC

[4merper4mer]

14 minutes ago, JohnC said:

Trading an exceptional player for a collection of good players makes no sense. Acting on frustration and exasperation is a recipe for even a longer period of mediocrity. Look at all the cup winners and contending teams. What they all have in common is that they have two to four elite players surrounded by good role players. We already have an elite player in Jack. Dealing him for a bevy of solid to good player would not improve the team---- it would set it back. 

 

Dahlin has elite skills. He's a young player who is struggling. That shouldn't be surprising because young players still have to go through the developing process. If anyone suggested that he should be dealt because he could bring back a quantity of good talent it would be an act self-inflicted regression. 

 

Tampa is one of the most talented teams in the league. It is a genuine cup contending team. It shouldn't surprise anyone that when they play at their talent level and when an inferior talented team plays at their level that the superior team is going to prevail. And that's exactly what happened in these two games. When the Sabres made mistakes Tampa capitalized. When Tampa made mistakes we weren't able to capitalize. You don't have to be an analytical wizard to understand that in sports and most fields of endeavor that talent usually prevails. And that's exactly what happened in Sweden. 

 

Even longer period of mediocrity?  A. Longer than what?  The decade we've already logged?  B. Sadly mediocre would be a giant step up from where the Sabres have been.  Whatever they're doing hasn't worked with or without Eichel.  I'm not saying he has to go but am saying we don't have the luxury of taking options off the table.  Dahlin is the obvious exception.

 

Your last paragraph discusses talent.  It is the GM's job to put talent on the ice.  The previous GM had a glorious opportunity and failed while calling everyone else stupid.  This guy was not dealt the same hand but it wasn't a bad one either.  You state that a team needs elite talent and role players but he has gone after role players and marginal talent.  Rochester wins, but very few guys look NHL ready.  Nylander took 100 years and sucked.  They traded him, at least getting a decent player in return, and he immediately looks viable in Chicago.  Dahlin isn't as good at 19 as he was at 18.  How often does that happen?  We have two decent backup goalies and no starter.  This is all on the GM and none of it has improved.

 

 

[Helpmenow]

Botterill on the hot seat. Maybe he is next with the door

[bbb]

18 hours ago, K-9 said:

Love the Bonnies. Have since the Bob Lanier, Bill Butler days. I still haven’t forgiven Chris Ford! 
 

That said, I like all the Little 3/Big 4 teams and root for them. When it’s head to head, I gotta go with my Golden Griffins, though.

 

***** Chris Ford!...............My dad was a Canisius grad and took me to games starting at a young age.  I always had Canisius 1st, Bona 2nd and for some reason, didn't like Niagara.................But, then in 1972, he took me, at nine years old, on my first air flight to go see Niagara play Maryland (McMillian, Elmore) for the NIT championship.  I remember him talking to a Niagara alum and they said Yeah, they're rivals locally but when it comes to the national stuff, they root for each other.  

[K-9]

I remember that Niagara team, too. Loved Marshall Wingate when I was a kid. 

[bbb]

6 hours ago, K-9 said:

I remember that Niagara team, too. Loved Marshall Wingate when I was a kid. 

 

He played awesome in the championship game.  And, was sitting right behind me on the flight back.  My dad and I didn't stay over in NYC.  Flew down, went to the game, and then flew back...............And, Marshall didn't fly back with the rest of the team because he had some All Tournament stuff to do.  

[Nextmanup]

22 hours ago, zow2 said:

The Years lead up to getting Eichel sucked, the years since Eichel have sucked.  I said it last year, I’d explore trading him to get a bounty of ready NHLers.  At the very least they should explore it. Also, our goalies have a habit of getting outplayed by the opponents goalie.  They had a nice first 9 games. But now falling back into last years habits. Make a few saves 

Our goaltending was playing over its head to start the season and I mentioned a while back that it wouldn't last.

 

It was one of the main reasons why we were terrible last year after the streak ended. 

 

Our white hot PP has cooled (surprise, surprise) and coaches are now seeing tape of what Ralph likes to do.

 

We are likely to transition to a more normal pace of point getting at this point.  The question is what will that pace be?

 

Took us all season last year to win 2 in a row after the streak ended.

 

Hopefully we can win 2 in a row this week, but I'm not holding my breath. 

[shrader]

Is there any status update on Sobotka?  I don't want to wish an injury on anyone, but this would be a good opportunity to move on from a guy who has no future here.  If anything, he'd slot in nicely with Girgensons/Larsson (too lazy to look up LW vs. RW)... but then you're still left with a different albatross in the Okposo contract.  They need some skill out there with Skinner/Johansson if they're ever going to get any secondary scoring.  Over the last 8 games you have a grand total of 2 goals from forwards not named Eichel/Reinhart/Olofsson, and one of those was some guy named Skinner.  You don't have to look far to see that this is the same exact team as last year.

 

We probably have to wait for the long list of expiring contracts after this season, but they can't continue to ignore this complete absence of forward depth any longer.  Maybe they were hoping for something from Mittelstadt at this point, but instead you now have to worry that they broke him in the process.  They badly need to get that kid jump started.  If they're going to leave him on the wing for a while, I'd consider pairing him with Eichel to get some confidence back.

[K-9]

3 hours ago, shrader said:

Is there any status update on Sobotka?  I don't want to wish an injury on anyone, but this would be a good opportunity to move on from a guy who has no future here.  If anything, he'd slot in nicely with Girgensons/Larsson (too lazy to look up LW vs. RW)... but then you're still left with a different albatross in the Okposo contract.  They need some skill out there with Skinner/Johansson if they're ever going to get any secondary scoring.  Over the last 8 games you have a grand total of 2 goals from forwards not named Eichel/Reinhart/Olofsson, and one of those was some guy named Skinner.  You don't have to look far to see that this is the same exact team as last year.

 

We probably have to wait for the long list of expiring contracts after this season, but they can't continue to ignore this complete absence of forward depth any longer.  Maybe they were hoping for something from Mittelstadt at this point, but instead you now have to worry that they broke him in the process.  They badly need to get that kid jump started.  If they're going to leave him on the wing for a while, I'd consider pairing him with Eichel to get some confidence back.

Time to reunite Skinner with Eichel and Reinhart. I understand Krueger’s desire to spread out the scoring, but it isn’t working lately so I think it’s better to have at least one dominant scoring line with three potential 30+ goal scorers. Doesn’t much matter where in the middle six you line up Olofsson as EVERY middle six winger is the same as the next. 
 

Who gets the call up from Ra Cha Cha? Putting aside that there are injuries to several wingers down on the farm currently,  it really doesn’t matter as whoever gets the call up, will also be the SAME guy as all of our other middle six wingers. 

[JohnC]

3 hours ago, shrader said:

Is there any status update on Sobotka?  I don't want to wish an injury on anyone, but this would be a good opportunity to move on from a guy who has no future here.  If anything, he'd slot in nicely with Girgensons/Larsson (too lazy to look up LW vs. RW)... but then you're still left with a different albatross in the Okposo contract.  They need some skill out there with Skinner/Johansson if they're ever going to get any secondary scoring.  Over the last 8 games you have a grand total of 2 goals from forwards not named Eichel/Reinhart/Olofsson, and one of those was some guy named Skinner.  You don't have to look far to see that this is the same exact team as last year.

 

We probably have to wait for the long list of expiring contracts after this season, but they can't continue to ignore this complete absence of forward depth any longer.  Maybe they were hoping for something from Mittelstadt at this point, but instead you now have to worry that they broke him in the process.  They badly need to get that kid jump started.  If they're going to leave him on the wing for a while, I'd consider pairing him with Eichel to get some confidence back.

You accurately described the heart of the problem with this roster i.e. not enough scorers spread out through the lines. Other than a trade involving Risto I don't see an accomplished forward coming back as a return. The Sabres have a number of players with expiring contracts next year. That is more likely when the lack of scoring depth can be meaningfully addressed. Will Cozens be ready next year? Probably not. I think it will take another year of development before he will be a contributor in the league. 

 

Two years ago the team earned 62 points. Last year the team earned 76 points. This year I expect the team to earn between 86 to 88 points. There was never going to be a quick fix to bolster this roster to the point of being a serious team. Because of our favorable cap situation and the number of young players currently on the roster I see next year as the year where fans will be more optimistic about this team. For those people who are too impatient and disgruntled I say that is their problem. The glaring mistakes of the past have increased the distance to the road to respectability. Whether people want to accept it or not that's the reality of the situation.    

[BillsFan4]

 

[shrader]

31 minutes ago, K-9 said:

Time to reunite Skinner with Eichel and Reinhart. I understand Krueger’s desire to spread out the scoring, but it isn’t working lately so I think it’s better to have at least one dominant scoring line with three potential 30+ goal scorers. Doesn’t much matter where in the middle six you line up Olofsson as EVERY middle six winger is the same as the next. 
 

Who gets the call up from Ra Cha Cha? Putting aside that there are injuries to several wingers down on the farm currently,  it really doesn’t matter as whoever gets the call up, will also be the SAME guy as all of our other middle six wingers. 

 

I'm not sure what they gain from moving Skinner to that line.  I supposed the could score a bit more, but Eichel's line is already scoring every single goal for this team.  What they need, and sadly it's probably a long-term need, is that piece that's going to unlock the offense from the Skinner/Johansson combo.  It's not going to come from any section of this current roster.

 

As for the Rochester guys, I'd say it's pretty clear that the hope for future scoring is Thompson.  At this point though, I think it's probably best for him to stick there the entire year and grow from leading that team.  No one else is helping now, at least not filling any role that is currently missing from this team.  Which guys are injured down there right now?

[K-9]

15 minutes ago, shrader said:

 

I'm not sure what they gain from moving Skinner to that line.  I supposed the could score a bit more, but Eichel's line is already scoring every single goal for this team.  What they need, and sadly it's probably a long-term need, is that piece that's going to unlock the offense from the Skinner/Johansson combo.  It's not going to come from any section of this current roster.

 

As for the Rochester guys, I'd say it's pretty clear that the hope for future scoring is Thompson.  At this point though, I think it's probably best for him to stick there the entire year and grow from leading that team.  No one else is helping now, at least not filling any role that is currently missing from this team.  Which guys are injured down there right now?

What they will get is more goals from that line instead of fewer from either of the top two. Over the last seven games, the attempt to spread the scoring out hasn’t worked. Instead, it has diluted the scoring on the top line. Just because Eichel and Reinhart are doing the scoring while nobody else is doesn’t mean they’re scoring enough. They would be more effective, more of a threat with Skinner vs, Olofsson. I guess I’d rather have at least one dominant line than multiple diluted lines. 
 

Sadly, you are right about the situation in Rochester. But there aren’t any answers down there anyway. How did we get so bereft of talent even though we chose high in the draft year after year after year? It’s mind boggling.

 

I thought I read that Smith, Elie, and Leier are all out of the Rochester lineup currently. And  I think Asplund just returned? Anyway, not much to choose from, regardless. 

 

 

Edited November 11, 2019 by K-9

[BillsFan4]

 

[plenzmd1]

Grapes is finally, thankfully, fired

 

https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/28059815/hockey-icon-don-cherry-fired-immigrant-comments

 

never understood his appeal, total tool in my mind

 

 

[JohnC]

41 minutes ago, plenzmd1 said:

Grapes is finally, thankfully, fired

 

https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/28059815/hockey-icon-don-cherry-fired-immigrant-comments

 

never understood his appeal, total tool in my mind

 

 

Don Cherry is a nativist who couldn't adjust to the changing world. For people like him looking back was more comforting than dealing with the present and future. There is nothing new about a person like him and his backward world view. They have always existed. America probably has a higher percentage of people who fall in those "back in the old days" devotees than Canada has. You will never change the attitude of this hardcore faction. You just have to work around them. 

[4merper4mer]

5 hours ago, JohnC said:

You accurately described the heart of the problem with this roster i.e. not enough scorers spread out through the lines. Other than a trade involving Risto I don't see an accomplished forward coming back as a return. The Sabres have a number of players with expiring contracts next year. That is more likely when the lack of scoring depth can be meaningfully addressed. Will Cozens be ready next year? Probably not. I think it will take another year of development before he will be a contributor in the league. 

 

Two years ago the team earned 62 points. Last year the team earned 76 points. This year I expect the team to earn between 86 to 88 points. There was never going to be a quick fix to bolster this roster to the point of being a serious team. Because of our favorable cap situation and the number of young players currently on the roster I see next year as the year where fans will be more optimistic about this team. For those people who are too impatient and disgruntled I say that is their problem. The glaring mistakes of the past have increased the distance to the road to respectability. Whether people want to accept it or not that's the reality of the situation.    

Impatient LOL.

 

What about Botts tells you that this offseason will be the one where he adds talent?  In a race with a sloth and a snail Botts would get the bronze.

[4merper4mer]

Just now, suorangefan4 said:

 

You're happy someone lost their job and something they loved over this bullcrap PC nonsense? Shows how low you are just like every other leftist.

 

Funny how white people have to walk on eggshells on what they say but liberal white people and minorities can label white people nazis or call them rednecks in a racially charged way etc.

 

Wayne Brady on Let's Make a Deal constantly mocks the way white people (rednecks) talk. He skates free of course with no backlash at all. Now imagine a white person making the way a minority talked. They'd be fired within seconds. The PC rules only apply to white people. Minorities and self loathing white people can say whatever they want about white people. This world is disgusting.

Insert Heath Ledger and here we go gif

[K-9]

2 hours ago, plenzmd1 said:

Grapes is finally, thankfully, fired

 

https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/28059815/hockey-icon-don-cherry-fired-immigrant-comments

 

never understood his appeal, total tool in my mind

 

 

When Don said “you people” was he only referring to immigrants not wearing poppies or is he also including non immigrants who don’t wear the poppies as well?  I mean, without poppies, it’s almost impossible to figure out exactly who is disrespecting veterans and being non appreciative of their sacrifices.

 

Although, when I was last up in Fort Erie, I didn’t see anyone wearing poppies, so I assume they’re all being disrespectful up there?

Edited November 12, 2019 by K-9

[BillsFan4]

2 hours ago, K-9 said:

When Don said “you people” was he only referring to immigrants not wearing poppies or is he also including non immigrants who don’t wear the poppies as well?  I mean, without poppies, it’s almost impossible to figure out exactly who is disrespecting veterans and being non appreciative of their sacrifices.

 

Although, when I was last up in Fort Erie, I didn’t see anyone wearing poppies, so I assume they’re all being disrespectful up there?

His full quote (most places are using ellipses to replace parts of it) was -

 

“I live in Mississauga. Nobody wears, very few people, wear a poppy. Downtown Toronto, forget it. Downtown Toronto nobody wears a poppy…

 

“Now you go to the small cities and you know, the rows on rows.

You people love — that come here — you love our way of life. You love our milk and honey. At least you can pay a couple bucks for a poppy or something like that. These guys paid for your way of life that you enjoy in Canada. These guys paid the biggest price.”

 

 

 

saying “you people that come here” leaves little doubt for me that he was referring to immigrants.

 

Mentioning Toronto and Mississauga, 2 of the most diverse Canadian cities, also makes it clear who he was referring to IMO. As of 2016, 51% of Toronto is made up of visible minorities. Where as the smaller Canadian cities he mentions tend not to be diverse at all. 

 

Edit - I think you also have to consider Don Cherry’s long history of xenophobic remarks. He’s made no secret of his distaste for immigrants over his long career. These are not even his worst comments. I was actually a bit surprised that he got fired seeing as he’s said worse in the past. But I guess this was just the final straw that broke the camels back...

Edited November 12, 2019 by BillsFan4

[K-9]

13 minutes ago, BillsFan4 said:

His full quote (most places are using ellipses to replace parts of it) was -

 

“I live in Mississauga. Nobody wears, very few people, wear a poppy. Downtown Toronto, forget it. Downtown Toronto nobody wears a poppy…

 

“Now you go to the small cities and you know, the rows on rows.

You people love — that come here — you love our way of life. You love our milk and honey. At least you can pay a couple bucks for a poppy or something like that. These guys paid for your way of life that you enjoy in Canada. These guys paid the biggest price.”

 

 

 

saying “you people that come here” leaves little doubt for me that he was referring to immigrants.

 

Mentioning Toronto and Mississauga, 2 of the most diverse Canadian cities, also makes it clear who he was referring to IMO. As of 2016, 51% of Toronto is made up of visible minorities. Where as the smaller Canadian cities he mentions tend not to be diverse at all. 

That segment of the population represents a huge marketing demographic that advertisers tap into. It’s no wonder that a mass media company that relies on ad dollars for revenues would make the decision to let go someone who denigrates it on a national stage. 

[JohnC]

10 hours ago, BillsFan4 said:

His full quote (most places are using ellipses to replace parts of it) was -

 

“I live in Mississauga. Nobody wears, very few people, wear a poppy. Downtown Toronto, forget it. Downtown Toronto nobody wears a poppy…

 

“Now you go to the small cities and you know, the rows on rows.

You people love — that come here — you love our way of life. You love our milk and honey. At least you can pay a couple bucks for a poppy or something like that. These guys paid for your way of life that you enjoy in Canada. These guys paid the biggest price.”

 

 

 

saying “you people that come here” leaves little doubt for me that he was referring to immigrants.

 

Mentioning Toronto and Mississauga, 2 of the most diverse Canadian cities, also makes it clear who he was referring to IMO. As of 2016, 51% of Toronto is made up of visible minorities. Where as the smaller Canadian cities he mentions tend not to be diverse at all. 

 

Edit - I think you also have to consider Don Cherry’s long history of xenophobic remarks. He’s made no secret of his distaste for immigrants over his long career. These are not even his worst comments. I was actually a bit surprised that he got fired seeing as he’s said worse in the past. But I guess this was just the final straw that broke the camels back...

The more perplexing issue is how did this dinosaur ignoramus last so long on the public hockey stage. He has a right to his beliefs and to express them. That's not the issue here. What is so surprising is that he was allowed to spew his ugly impulses on the stage provided by the NHL and NHL media structure. While the league has striven to stretch its presence around the world  with an expanded player pool of players from all over the world this retrograde clown was ferociously clinging to the nativist past.  

 

Don Cherry is who he is. He represents a resistant faction of the population. However, he was given the grand platform by the league and its media tentacles. And he used his megaphone to espouse beliefs that went contrary to what the NHL was promoting.  No one can challenge the authenticity of the grizzly former coach who weirdly wears clown outfits. It's the league's judgment that needs to be called to task. This extended association made little sense for the past generation.  The league and its corporate realm are the ones who look foolish for keeping him in their sphere for so long.  

Edited November 12, 2019 by JohnC

[shrader]

10 hours ago, BillsFan4 said:

Mentioning Toronto and Mississauga, 2 of the most diverse Canadian cities, also makes it clear who he was referring to IMO. As of 2016, 51% of Toronto is made up of visible minorities. Where as the smaller Canadian cities he mentions tend not to be diverse at all. 

 

 

He lives in one town and broadcasts out of the other.  I'm not so sure that mentioning them means that he's specifically targeting the populations of those two cities.  What's going on there is what he sees regularly in his daily life.

 

I'm only going off of what you quoted since I really have no interest in diving too deeply into this one.  I really don't care too much about what is said on a program that I don't even have access to.  So yeah, I trust you when you say he mentioned other areas, but I've only seen what you quoted above.  Mentioning those two towns seems pretty logical to me.

[JohnC]

The below link is a 14 minute segment with Paul Hamilton on WGR. The focus of the discussion is whether the Sabres should make a trade to increase the scoring. Hamilton vigorously says that something needs to be done, and if it includes Risto then so be it. I have gone back and forth on this issue especially with respect to Risto. To state the obvious it all comes down to what is the return. As others have pointed out the situation we are in is basically the same as the situation we were in last year. 

 

https://wgr550.radio.com/media/audio-channel/11-12-paul-hamilton-howard-and-jeremy

[K-9]

1 hour ago, JohnC said:

The below link is a 14 minute segment with Paul Hamilton on WGR. The focus of the discussion is whether the Sabres should make a trade to increase the scoring. Hamilton vigorously says that something needs to be done, and if it includes Risto then so be it. I have gone back and forth on this issue especially with respect to Risto. To state the obvious it all comes down to what is the return. As others have pointed out the situation we are in is basically the same as the situation we were in last year. 

 

https://wgr550.radio.com/media/audio-channel/11-12-paul-hamilton-howard-and-jeremy

Yep. We still have the same hodgepodge of interchangeable middle and bottom six wingers that is scoring challenged. In October, the analytics suggested that this year was not a fluke as compared to the streak last season. But all those indicators have shifted drastically in the last half dozen games or so. Puck possession drivers especially. 

[shrader]

6 minutes ago, K-9 said:

Yep. We still have the same hodgepodge of interchangeable middle and bottom six wingers that is scoring challenged. In October, the analytics suggested that this year was not a fluke as compared to the streak last season. But all those indicators have shifted drastically in the last half dozen games or so. Puck possession drivers especially. 

 

The numbers are positive during a short period of winning and they're negative during a short period of losing.  There's a shocker.  People need to stop viewing this stuff in isolation.

[K-9]

46 minutes ago, shrader said:

 

The numbers are positive during a short period of winning and they're negative during a short period of losing.  There's a shocker.  People need to stop viewing this stuff in isolation.

If I recall correctly, little about the numbers were positive during the streak last year. Out of this world goaltending, three on three dominance, and puck luck were the drivers; not the analytics that indicate you have a good team. 
 

And yeah, I get that small sample sizes like our October taken in isolation aren’t much of an indicator, either. But that wasn’t the point. The point was to simply show that the numbers this year vs. last year during the streak, were supporting the idea that our start wasn’t fluky. 
 

My other point is that our recent regression is concerning. To say the least. 

[OldTimeAFLGuy]

18 hours ago, JohnC said:

Don Cherry is a nativist who couldn't adjust to the changing world. For people like him looking back was more comforting than dealing with the present and future. There is nothing new about a person like him and his backward world view. They have always existed. America probably has a higher percentage of people who fall in those "back in the old days" devotees than Canada has. You will never change the attitude of this hardcore faction. You just have to work around them. 

 

...he's as crazy today as he was back in his playing days for the Rochester Americans as well as his HC stint there.....a bunch of us were close friends with Bob Malcolm and we used to get the inside "Grapes stories".......OMG.....

[shrader]

24 minutes ago, OldTimeAFLGuy said:

 

...he's as crazy today as he was back in his playing days for the Rochester Americans as well as his HC stint there.....a bunch of us were close friends with Bob Malcolm and we used to get the inside "Grapes stories".......OMG.....

 

I wonder if people are actually surprised by this.  The guy has been showing this breed of crazy on TV for close to 40 years.  He didn't just suddenly become that way one day.

[JohnC]

1 hour ago, OldTimeAFLGuy said:

 

...he's as crazy today as he was back in his playing days for the Rochester Americans as well as his HC stint there.....a bunch of us were close friends with Bob Malcolm and we used to get the inside "Grapes stories".......OMG.....

I'm not surprised with anything you said about him from an insider view. The problem is that the some of the views that were outlandish a generation or so ago are doubly so outlandish in a world that is constantly changing. The world evolves and some people are so stuck in the past that they can't adjust to the new realities of life. I'm not suggesting that he is a bad guy or has bad intentions but I am saying that these types of troglodytes are a bore and are tiresome. 

[JohnC]

2 hours ago, shrader said:

 

The numbers are positive during a short period of winning and they're negative during a short period of losing.  There's a shocker.  People need to stop viewing this stuff in isolation.

The lack of enough scoring distribution has plagued this team for quite a while. It is certainly not a short term issue. What makes this problem even more ominous is that although we have good players in the system there is little immediate help within the system to address this issue. 

 

I have been reluctant to deal Risto because he is one of the few defenders among a lot of good finesse defenders who is a physical player. Depending on the return I'm more open to trading him. If anyone accuses me of being an equivocator on this issue I will openly say that it is a fair judgment of me. 

[BillsFan4]

4 hours ago, JohnC said:

The below link is a 14 minute segment with Paul Hamilton on WGR. The focus of the discussion is whether the Sabres should make a trade to increase the scoring. Hamilton vigorously says that something needs to be done, and if it includes Risto then so be it. I have gone back and forth on this issue especially with respect to Risto. To state the obvious it all comes down to what is the return. As others have pointed out the situation we are in is basically the same as the situation we were in last year. 

 

https://wgr550.radio.com/media/audio-channel/11-12-paul-hamilton-howard-and-jeremy

Definitely comes down to the return for me. Risto is probably our last big trade chip left. I don’t want to see them cash him in out of desperation and take a lesser return just because they feel like they need to do something. 

 

 

[JohnC]

3 minutes ago, BillsFan4 said:

Definitely comes down to the return for me. Risto is probably our last big trade chip left. I don’t want to see them cash him in out of desperation and take a lesser return just because they feel like they need to do something. 

 

 

If Winnipeg called and offered a trade of Ehlers for Risto would you take it? 

[JohnC]

Quote

 

The attached link is a Paul Hamilton column about our roster and its obvious scoring deficiency. His basic point is that the roster mix of perimeter players is mostly the same. His conclusion is unless GM addresses changing the mix of players the outcome will continue to be the same. (His column is a little longer than his standard brief columns.) 

 

https://wgr550.radio.com/articles/opinion/sabres-are-losing-some-familiar-reasons

[BillsFan4]

Just now, JohnC said:

If Winnipeg called and offered a trade of Ehlers for Risto would you take it? 

Yes. He is a sure thing. He’s a top 6 forward right now, maybe even top line. He drives play. He’s young (a year younger than Risto iirc) and he’s under a nice contract ($6M cap hit) for 5 more seasons after this one. 

 

Ehlers is one of the players I’ve desired in return for Ristolainen for a while now (Mantha being another). 

 

Buffalo would have to send more cap back to make the trade work though (not much). 

I’d even consider expanding the trade to include Scandella for Perreault or something along those lines. Not crazy about there being 1 more year on Perreault’s contract, especially at a $4M cap hit but he would add a versatile mid line presence (he can play C and W) and depth scoring (usually good for 15-ish goals a year). And that would fill 2 huge holes on Winnipeg’s blue line. Could be a win-win. 

[shrader]

3 minutes ago, BillsFan4 said:

Yes. He is a sure thing. He’s a top 6 forward right now, maybe even top line. He drives play. He’s young (a year younger than Risto iirc) and he’s under a nice contract ($6M cap hit) for 5 more seasons after this one. 

 

Ehlers is one of the players I’ve desired in return for Ristolainen for a while now (Mantha being another). 

 

Buffalo would have to send more cap back to make the trade work though (not much). 

I’d even consider expanding the trade to include Scandella for Perreault or something along those lines. Not crazy about there being 1 more year on Perreault’s contract, especially at a $4M cap hit but he would add a versatile mid line presence (he can play C and W) and depth scoring (usually good for 15-ish goals a year). And that would fill 2 huge holes on Winnipeg’s blue line. Could be a win-win. 

 

I'd be somewhat reluctant about your second deal because of the net loss of 2 bodies on the blue line.  I'm not sure they're ready to absorb that kind of loss this year.  That type of move signifies a move for the future, but I'd much rather have any Risto trade being for today.  Sure, you get Ehlers today, but I don't think this season can absorb that subtraction on the blue line.

[JohnC]

5 minutes ago, BillsFan4 said:

Yes. He is a sure thing. He’s a top 6 forward right now, maybe even top line. He drives play. He’s young (a year younger than Risto iirc) and he’s under a nice contract ($6M cap hit) for 5 more seasons after this one. 

 

Ehlers is one of the players I’ve desired in return for Ristolainen for a while now (Mantha being another). 

 

Buffalo would have to send more cap back to make the trade work though (not much). 

I’d even consider expanding the trade to include Scandella for Perreault or something along those lines. Not crazy about there being 1 more year on Perreault’s contract, especially at a $4M cap hit but he would add a versatile mid line presence (he can play C and W) and depth scoring (usually good for 15-ish goals a year). And that would fill 2 huge holes on Winnipeg’s blue line. Could be a win-win. 

There are a number of reasonable deals that can be proposed. But as Paul Hamilton pointed out in his column there has to be a change in our player mix in order to change our team's dynamic. What we are seeing now is what we have seen for a long time. It's time for a change for the sake of a change.