K-9 Posted February 8, 2020 Share Posted February 8, 2020 31 minutes ago, JohnC said: This is a team that when it plays a conservative and responsible defensive game can compete with everyone. That is not to say that they are better or will win. And it is clear that this isn't a playoff team. This game that I watched yesterday (switching back and forth from the Wizard's NBA game) demonstrated how under Krueger this is a much more determined and resilient team. The Sabres were playing on a back to back and they traveled to a team that was rested. I thought that overall we were the more energetic team. As was witnessed in the Detroit game the Sabres are capable of losing to one of the worst teams in the league when they play a loose defensive game. And what was shown in the Ranger game when we get good goaltending and play a tighter brand of hockey we can play with the better teams. I don't see any major trade deals being made during the season that will change the dynamic/reality/limitations of this roster. It wouldn't surprise me if a more significant deal or two will be made in the offseason when these type of deals are usually made. A couple of observations in this game: I thought that Hutton played well. Vesey seems to be playing better. And Miller shooting more adds to our limited offensive play. To the snickering and panicking crowd here I will continue to say what I have been saying: For the most part stay the course. Don't be afraid to make deals but don't act out of desperation. This offseason we will have plenty of cap space to re-sign Reinhart to a well deserved lucrative deal and still have cap space to add some beneficial pieces. The below WGR link is Krueger's post game comments. https://wgr550.radio.com/media/audio-channel/2-7-ralph-krueger-post-game You make Norman Vincent Peale look like a miserable pessimist by comparison, John. Regarding the addition of those beneficial pieces, the problem is we have a GM who has shown little ability in being able to identify them over the three years that he’s been here, especially forwards. That’s concerning on a team that has struggled scoring goals during the drought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plenzmd1 Posted February 8, 2020 Share Posted February 8, 2020 (edited) 56 minutes ago, JohnC said: . This game that I watched yesterday (switching back and forth from the Wizard's NBA game) aghh..now i get your takes! the two most dysfunctional, lost teams in all of sports ! And you watching both on the same night!!!!!? Edited February 8, 2020 by plenzmd1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4merper4mer Posted February 8, 2020 Share Posted February 8, 2020 18 minutes ago, K-9 said: You make Norman Vincent Peale look like a miserable pessimist by comparison, John. Regarding the addition of those beneficial pieces, the problem is we have a GM who has shown little ability in being able to identify them over the three years that he’s been here, especially forwards. That’s concerning on a team that has struggled scoring goals during the drought. You mean you don't think Vesey, Sheary, Mittlestadt, Johanssen, Thompson, Berglund, et al, cut the mustard. Are you disagreeing that the Rangers are one of the best teams in the league? And are you ignoring this team's valuable World Juniors playoff experience? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plenzmd1 Posted February 8, 2020 Share Posted February 8, 2020 And Pilut back to the A! Jebus, is this Ralph or Botts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFan4 Posted February 8, 2020 Author Share Posted February 8, 2020 Nice win last night. Rangers made it interesting at the end, but the Sabres hung on. I’ll take any win they can get at this point. Anything to help them build up their confidence and stop this thing from going completely off the rails. They did look like they had more confidence + jump on the road tonight, which isn’t really surprising with all the negative fan backlash right now. They played a simple, structured game. That’s what they need to do at home, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-9 Posted February 8, 2020 Share Posted February 8, 2020 2 minutes ago, BillsFan4 said: Nice win last night. Rangers made it interesting at the end, but the Sabres hung on. I’ll take any win they can get at this point. Anything to help them build up their confidence and stop this thing from going completely off the rails. They did look like they had more confidence + jump on the road tonight, which isn’t really surprising with all the negative fan backlash right now. They played a simple, structured game. That’s what they need to do at home, too. I hear ya, but if it’s negative fan backlash that motivates them to play well, then we are far more worse off than I thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFan4 Posted February 8, 2020 Author Share Posted February 8, 2020 2 minutes ago, K-9 said: I hear ya, but if it’s negative fan backlash that motivates them to play well, then we are far more worse off than I thought. I guess I didn’t word that very well. I just meant that they seemed more relaxed and confident away from KeyBank arena (at least last night), and that it doesn’t surprise me that they’re more confident on the road than they are at home right now (with all the booing and “fire botterill” chants and even protests in the plaza at their home arena). I didn’t mean that they are motivated by negative backlash, but that it’s having a negative affect on them when they play at home. Maybe they’re cheating/pushing too much to score for the fans like Krueger said after the game. Or maybe they just get in their own heads too much at home due to the quiet atmosphere at games and all of the booing. I can see where it would be easier for them at the moment to play on the road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4merper4mer Posted February 8, 2020 Share Posted February 8, 2020 8 minutes ago, BillsFan4 said: I guess I didn’t word that very well. I just meant that they seemed more relaxed and confident away from KeyBank arena (at least last night), and that it doesn’t surprise me that they’re more confident on the road than they are at home right now (with all the booing and “fire botterill” chants and even protests in the plaza at their home arena). I didn’t mean that they are motivated by negative backlash, but that it’s having a negative affect on them when they play at home. Maybe they’re cheating/pushing too much to score for the fans like Krueger said after the game. Or maybe they just get in their own heads too much at home due to the quiet atmosphere at games and all of the booing. I can see where it would be easier for them at the moment to play on the road. Blame the fans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-9 Posted February 8, 2020 Share Posted February 8, 2020 3 minutes ago, BillsFan4 said: I guess I didn’t word that very well. I just meant that they seemed more relaxed and confident away from KeyBank arena (at least last night), and that it doesn’t surprise me that they’re more confident on the road than they are at home right now (with all the booing and “fire botterill” chants and even protests in the plaza at their home arena). I didn’t mean that they are motivated by negative backlash, but that it’s having a negative affect on them when they play at home. Maybe they’re cheating/pushing too much to score for the fans like Krueger said after the game. Or maybe they just get in their own heads too much at home due to the quiet atmosphere at games and all of the booing. I can see where it would be easier for them at the moment to play on the road. I didn’t mean to imply that’s what you meant in your post; it was just something that occurred to me while I read it. Regarding the pressure of playing at home in front of disgruntled fans, I suspect there are some players, like Lehner before them, who absolutely resent the fans for booing them. Those ungrateful pricks can’t get off my team fast enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFan4 Posted February 8, 2020 Author Share Posted February 8, 2020 2 minutes ago, 4merper4mer said: Blame the fans. I didn’t blame the fans. I just said that I can see why it would be easier to play on the road right now. 1 minute ago, K-9 said: I didn’t mean to imply that’s what you meant in your post; it was just something that occurred to me while I read it. Regarding the pressure of playing at home in front of disgruntled fans, I suspect there are some players, like Lehner before them, who absolutely resent the fans for booing them. Those ungrateful pricks can’t get off my team fast enough. Yeah that wouldn’t surprise me. This team needs massive changes. There are too many mentally fragile players that just give up and start hanging their heads at any sign of adversity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nextmanup Posted February 8, 2020 Share Posted February 8, 2020 3 hours ago, JohnC said: This is a team that when it plays a conservative and responsible defensive game can compete with everyone. That is not to say that they are better or will win. And it is clear that this isn't a playoff team. This game that I watched yesterday (switching back and forth from the Wizard's NBA game) demonstrated how under Krueger this is a much more determined and resilient team. The Sabres were playing on a back to back and they traveled to a team that was rested. I thought that overall we were the more energetic team. As was witnessed in the Detroit game the Sabres are capable of losing to one of the worst teams in the league when they play a loose defensive game. And what was shown in the Ranger game when we get good goaltending and play a tighter brand of hockey we can play with the better teams. I don't see any major trade deals being made during the season that will change the dynamic/reality/limitations of this roster. It wouldn't surprise me if a more significant deal or two will be made in the offseason when these type of deals are usually made. A couple of observations in this game: I thought that Hutton played well. Vesey seems to be playing better. And Miller shooting more adds to our limited offensive play. To the snickering and panicking crowd here I will continue to say what I have been saying: For the most part stay the course. Don't be afraid to make deals but don't act out of desperation. This offseason we will have plenty of cap space to re-sign Reinhart to a well deserved lucrative deal and still have cap space to add some beneficial pieces. The below WGR link is Krueger's post game comments. https://wgr550.radio.com/media/audio-channel/2-7-ralph-krueger-post-game Don't draw too many conclusions from last night's game. The caliber of play in the NHL can be very up and down from game to game. Look at the last 2 Sabres games as evidence of that. Last night the NYR came out flat, stayed that way most of the game, and clearly took us lightly. They're another bad team next to the Sabres in the standings to boot. Do not gauge the Sabres based on an off-night by a middling opponent. Gauge our progress by playoff teams playing strong games on a good night. That's what every night in the playoffs looks like, and the NYRs aren't going to be a part of that this year. We have so many levels to get to, just to be a solid playoff competing team. Never mind a Cup contender or a perennial favorite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted February 8, 2020 Share Posted February 8, 2020 3 hours ago, K-9 said: You make Norman Vincent Peale look like a miserable pessimist by comparison, John. Regarding the addition of those beneficial pieces, the problem is we have a GM who has shown little ability in being able to identify them over the three years that he’s been here, especially forwards. That’s concerning on a team that has struggled scoring goals during the drought. Many of the pieces he brought in such as Vesey, Miller and Sheary were third line caliber of players. The GM was well aware of their talent level. He made deals to improve the roster, even if it they were incremental improvements although dealing for Joki was a gem of a deal. In order to get a first or more likely a second line caliber of player he is going to have to deal a player such as Risto. If he can't get an equal value deal then I'm not going to criticize him for not executing a deal for the sake of making a deal. I have said for a long time that there was not going to be a quick fix. Most people will agree that this roster is not a complete roster. But that doesn't mean that the roster hasn't been upgraded under this GM's tenure. We have a young and talented defensive corps that includes some depth. That certainly is an upgrade from the Shaller era not too long ago. We also have an authentic first line when Olofsson comes back. What this team desperately needs is a couple of genuine second-line players to put Skinner in a better position to succeed. What I find encouraging is this organization has a HC in Krueger who has been involved in more challenging projects. Under him this team has more structure and the players are held more accountable than under the previous coaching staffs. Needless to say that I'm more optimistic about the near team future than most others who reside here. To the snickering crowd I will continue to say: Stay the course! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted February 8, 2020 Share Posted February 8, 2020 1 hour ago, Nextmanup said: Don't draw too many conclusions from last night's game. The caliber of play in the NHL can be very up and down from game to game. Look at the last 2 Sabres games as evidence of that. Last night the NYR came out flat, stayed that way most of the game, and clearly took us lightly. They're another bad team next to the Sabres in the standings to boot. Do not gauge the Sabres based on an off-night by a middling opponent. Gauge our progress by playoff teams playing strong games on a good night. That's what every night in the playoffs looks like, and the NYRs aren't going to be a part of that this year. We have so many levels to get to, just to be a solid playoff competing team. Never mind a Cup contender or a perennial favorite. The Sabres have played good teams, including on the road, and performed well. The Dallas game victory on the road was an example of that. On the same road trip we played well against Nashville although we lost. We have even played top shelf teams such as Boston and went toe to toe with them on the road. It was a loss but our performance against a good team playing well indicated that our roster has some talent to build on. The Sabres are not a playoff caliber team. Anyone who believes otherwise is deluding themselves. But that is not to say that this team's future prospects are hopeless. I'm more hopeful than most that with a little more patience this team will steadily improve and be more competitive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-9 Posted February 8, 2020 Share Posted February 8, 2020 3 minutes ago, JohnC said: Many of the pieces he brought in such as Vesey, Miller and Sheary were third line caliber of players. The GM was well aware of their talent level. He made deals to improve the roster, even if it they were incremental improvements although dealing for Joki was a gem of a deal. In order to get a first or more likely a second line caliber of player he is going to have to deal a player such as Risto. If he can't get an equal value deal then I'm not going to criticize him for not executing a deal for the sake of making a deal. I have said for a long time that there was not going to be a quick fix. Most people will agree that this roster is not a complete roster. But that doesn't mean that the roster hasn't been upgraded under this GM's tenure. We have a young and talented defensive corps that includes some depth. That certainly is an upgrade from the Shaller era not too long ago. We also have an authentic first line when Olofsson comes back. What this team desperately needs is a couple of genuine second-line players to put Skinner in a better position to succeed. What I find encouraging is this organization has a HC in Krueger who has been involved in more challenging projects. Under him this team has more structure and the players are held more accountable than under the previous coaching staffs. Needless to say that I'm more optimistic about the near team future than most others who reside here. To the snickering crowd I will continue to say: Stay the course! Right. They’re all interchangeable bottom six players. Aside from Skinner, whose mired in the worst slump of his career, Botterill has shown no propensity for bringing in players for the top six positions. None, NONE of the players hers brought in to fill those roles has panned out. In three years. You can’t blame me and others for being skeptical that he will suddenly do that this coming off season. I’ll certainly hope so, but his track record suggests otherwise. Regarding that young and talented D corps. Look again. We don’t have a single shut down type in the lineup. Not one. Other than Risto, Dahlin, and Joker, the rest of the D men are all immediately expendable. Sure, they show flashes of offensive potential, but they all suck in their defensive end more often than not. As do most of our forwards for that matter. It’s just not a pretty or promising picture currently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plenzmd1 Posted February 8, 2020 Share Posted February 8, 2020 These are my thoughts exactly. I really want to know if this is Bots or Ralph. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plenzmd1 Posted February 9, 2020 Share Posted February 9, 2020 K, someone who knows... are they so tight to cap they have to manage daily? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4merper4mer Posted February 9, 2020 Share Posted February 9, 2020 35 minutes ago, plenzmd1 said: K, someone who knows... are they so tight to cap they have to manage daily? When you assemble a roster as talent laden as this, you'll have to adeptly manage all the moving parts. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Brown Posted February 9, 2020 Share Posted February 9, 2020 Jesus christ. I can't believe I'm saying this but put Hutton in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFan4 Posted February 9, 2020 Author Share Posted February 9, 2020 37 minutes ago, Doc Brown said: Jesus christ. I can't believe I'm saying this but put Hutton in. He was excused from the game today for family reasons. Andrew Hammond is the backup. 5 hours ago, plenzmd1 said: K, someone who knows... are they so tight to cap they have to manage daily? I don’t know if that was the reason for the move, but they are totally capped out. I believe they are actually $3M over the cap and using LTIR space. Edit - just looking at capfriendly - https://www.capfriendly.com/teams/sabres Yeah, they are using $3.6M in LTIR relief right now. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFan4 Posted February 9, 2020 Author Share Posted February 9, 2020 https://wgr550.radio.com/articles/news/olofsson-joins-the-sabres-on-the-ice-for-saturdays-practice Olofsson back at practice. Great news! Sounds like it’ll still be a week+ before he starts playing in games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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