¼ of the way thru the season. Where's your mind at?

[Jame]

Again, your statements have no quantifiable basis. But it's fun watching you flail wildly and have a temper tantrum.

Lol, I'm having a blast.

You've nailed the issue.... It isn't Jack Eichel and the culture he's a part of. Because we can't quantify the impact of turning the lockerroom against the last leadership core. We can't quantify the impact that that has had on others being able to stand up in the room. We can't quantify the impact of quitting on the ice (but we can make up nonsense counter arguments like the 2 on 2 statement that will be forever emblazoned on your forehead). And we certainly can't quantify the impact of giving a kid who hasn't earned half of the contract he was given. And most definitely can't quantify the impact of turning the Captaincy in to a placeholder for the anointed one.

How can we understand the failures of this team.... I know.... let's just chalk it up to everyone else.

This team isn't going ANYWHERE with the current Jack Eichel. No matter how much they improve the roster around him. He's a huge part of the current problem, and fixing HIM is more important than fixing our depth.

 

[Chainshot]

Rookie GM, Rookie Coach and same losing culture....how long do we wait until the next Duo gets a shot?

And that next duo will be an old school hockey guy and a hardass coach. And then the next duo will be an analytics guy and someone with sentimental ties to the team. And then the next duo will be rehires.

 

[Reddawg]

Like our fanbase has the patience for that...

We're all living proof of the nearly limitless amount of patience we have. People still go to Bills games every weekend. All I care about is seeing positive steps forward, but that said...I'm probably not going to watch another game until the Winter Classic.

 

[Chainshot]

So if a couple of those pieces guys are O'Reilly and Ristolainen?

 

[Rasmus CacOlainen]

I'm somewhere between 1 and 2. Not a complete rebuild but change a few of the major pieces and the majority of the secondary ones/corpses on the team.

 

[Jim Bob]

This thread title has this song stuck in my head now...

 

[Chad Thundercock]

Budd Dwyer.

Sports in Buffalo are nothing but depression and weltschmerz.

 

[Snippit]

Andy Greene-Steve Santini
John Moore-Damon Severson
Will Butcher-Ben Lovejoy

Still much better than what we're currently icing

At least those guys are capable of handling pucks and moving them up the ice. Greene would also be our best defenceman

 

[RhinosLastFan]

Running out of excuses. Not a hot take, but we should be better than 30th place. The roster is better than that.

We need a top pairing defender, 1-2 top6 wingers and a shutdown goaltender, we're a ways off from SC contention, but this is inexcusable.

 

[stokes84]

Still much better than what we're currently icing

At least those guys are capable of handling pucks and moving them up the ice. Greene would also be our best defenceman

So would Will Butcher... and maybe Severson too.

 

[valet]

So many back seat drivers here.

Watch the games or don't.

 

[Aladyyn]

So would Will Butcher... and maybe Severson too.

As if those players wouldn't become useless here because Buffalo.

 

[Freezerburn]

I wanted Lindy Ruff or another well established coach this offseason. I expect Housely to get the full year but if improvement isn't demonstrated, I don't want him back next season.

 

[Icicle]

Does the team have 5 5v5 goals when the top 6 hasn’t been on the ice? You have players in the top 6 leading the league and almost exactly zero secondary production and you blame the franchise player and owner? What?

Injuries have had this team icing Matt Tennyson 20 minutes a night until we were saved by his injury. Has barely improved since with only one bonafide NHL d playing...

You have slim pickings on forward, upgrading Des to Nolan, and even then half the rookies and the depth center have been out and we’ve been icing AHL rejects.

Yes, I believe secondary scoring could get fixed with 3rd line Kane. Injuries go away and the 4th line might be playable.

But give reality a consideration because Housley has had trash to work with. Okposo is now on the 4th line and even those minutes seem gifted right now. Another injury related cliff dive.

Calm down people

 

[hizzoner]

When even the TSN guys are shocked at the lack of hustle from Eichel it is clear that the rest of the league sees that. There is no accountability it seems that would not be damaging short term to the team. The players in the room are the only ones who can fix it but I do not know if there is someone with the moral authority, the moral courage, knowledge of the players, and enough fight in himself to do what is necessary.

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

Pat Kane - 6 goals, 13 assist, 19 points

Tyler Seguin - 8 goals, 10 assists, 18 points

Evgeni Malkin - 7 goals, 14 assists, 21 points

Jack Eichel - 5 goals, 12 assists, 17 points

Jame and Okimlom can go hang out with Peter Chiarelli. Clueless.

Winger, glorified winger, actually watch Malkin play.

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

Ummmm, that's a 2 on 2. His responsibility is the man behind him. Like I said, agenda ridden BS.

Remember when Eichel conserving energy & expecting his teammates to make defensive plays wasn't an issue because it was preseason?

 

[Icelevel]

Feel bad for sabres fans. What a mistake it was changing management over like that in such short time when things overall were headed in a much better direction. All that was needed was a coaching change.
Gonna guess some pissed off staff members inside that organization now.

 

[Yatzhee]

Everything is going to be ok.
Yes its a long road back to success. But it's worth it

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

As for the roster, meh. This team was always going to need a stronger supporting cast if the strategy hinged on Eichel and O'Reilly succeeding in very difficult minutes. Everyone agreed on the need to further insulate the kids with either additional talent or defensive specialists, and we haven't done either in going on three years. That's why I've caped so hard for a defensive third line and moving Eichel to wing over the years, if we don't have the talent to push the top six into favorable territory or support a depth scoring line, the best players can't be getting bogged down with breakeven minutes.

Also, I don't think people realize how totally the Bogosian injury tanked Housley's gameplan. Risto had been a 50% Corsi guy under Phil - a minor advanced stats miracle - and the offensive pairing behind the top unit has consistently generated shots, even after his injury. They just haven't been able to do much with them, because none of Tennyson, Beaulieu or McCabe are dangerous offensive zone dudes. Naturally, Housley has compounded this by not realizing Antipin is his best remaining offensive defenseman by an order of magnitude, but the fact remains we're quietly serving up opportunities a competent scoring D would be running with.

Mind you, I still want to fire Bogosian's salary into the sun, but the day he comes back is the first time we'll have any level of talent in the role Housley's deployment structure and coaching skillset is set up to showcase.

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

Roster-wise, the song remains the same for me. Overhaul the depth until you have plus guys at every position and clear salary asap. Kick tires on every third pairing guy with good underlying numbers. Maintain long term cap space so you can throw futures at elite talent.

 

[joshjull]

The tape doesn't lie.

It kind of does since Jack had been on the ice over 2mins at that point. He had played the entire PP before Williams got back on the ice. (2:13 to be exact.) That would normally gas anyone. Hence Jack being hunched over with his stick across his knees as he gained/glided into the zone. The only question on that clip is what the hell is Beaulieu doing?

Its kind of pathetic how quickly some have grabbed this clip to attack Jack without the actual context of what happened.

 

[Jim Bob]

It kind of does since Jack had been on the ice over 2mins at that point. He had played the entire PP before Williams got back on the ice. (2:13 to be exact.) That would normally gas anyone. Hence Jack being hunched over with his stick across his knees as he gained/glided into the zone. The only question on that clip is what the hell is Beaulieu doing?

Its kind of pathetic how quickly some have grabbed this clip to attack Jack without the actual context of what happened.

PP time isn't that tiring. That's why high end guys play the whole two minutes. If he was that gassed, he should have gone off for the change. If he didn't want to change, then he needs to take a few strides, even if they aren't anywhere near 100% because he was gassed.

But, Jack made the choice to neither change nor do anything more than coast back.

NB was caught in no man's land because at first he was taking away the pass, because that is what a D is supposed to do on a 2 on 1. Then he thought about going to the shooter since he saw the backchecker. Then he had second thoughts and tried to go back to taking away the pass.

NB was basically caught between trying to cover two guys at once.

 

[joshjull]

PP time isn't that tiring. That's why high end guys play the whole two minutes. If he was that gassed, he should have gone off for the change. If he didn't want to change, then he needs to take a few strides, even if they aren't anywhere near 100% because he was gassed.

But, Jack made the choice to neither change nor do anything more than coast back.

You posted two connected tweets. One was about Bucci saying Jack can reach his potential if he hustles. The next one by that person was a video to claiming to be an example of Jack not hustling. Except thats not what it is. Its actually Jack exhausted at the end of a 2+min PP shift. I point this out and your response is basically so what. That he shouldn't be tired because elite players appearantly don't get tired. Or he should have changed. No one that stepped on for Jack makes it into the play to make a difference as evidenced by Sam getting on the ice as Jack is going by the bench. He had barely crossed the blueline when they scored. At that point the only two Sabres that could have prevented that goal were Beaulieu and Johnson. Not to mention the same crowd ripping his laziness would just move on to his "low hockey IQ" for changing. I'm a tad surprised something like this is coming from a normally reasonable poster like yourself.

NB was caught in no man's land because at first he was taking away the pass, because that is what a D is supposed to do on a 2 on 1. Then he thought about going to the shooter since he saw the backchecker. Then he had second thoughts and tried to go back to taking away the pass.

NB was basically caught between trying to cover two guys at once.

Beaulieu did well until the end when he conceded the front of the net. It forced Johnson to move to the middle and gave Williams space to work with to beat him. Had Beaulieu held his ground in the front of the net he still denies the pass as well as preventing Williams from cutting to the front of net and getting Johnson to move. I don't know of any coach that tells a dman to completely concede the front of the net in that situation.

 

[OkimLom]

It kind of does since Jack had been on the ice over 2mins at that point. He had played the entire PP before Williams got back on the ice. (2:13 to be exact.) That would normally gas anyone. Hence Jack being hunched over with his stick across his knees as he gained/glided into the zone. The only question on that clip is what the hell is Beaulieu doing?

Its kind of pathetic how quickly some have grabbed this clip to attack Jack without the actual context of what happened.

Though it really doesn't have any barring on the play itself, (but is a perfect example of something I hate about how our players play) but what the heck is Antipin doing going to the outside(backside) of the guy instead of taking the inside lane and lifting the stick there. Instead, now the guy has a 1/2 second headstart on a potential one-timer if the guy decides to pass instead. I see this ALL the time with our guys, especially on battles for the puck. You take the inside lane and you can still do the stick lift and get better body positioning on a guy.