GDT: #54 – Ducks at Sabres – Thu Feb 9, 7:00PM ET – MSG-B

[Not Sure]

Marty Biron and WGR starting to mention the stretch passes...

Can just see Bylsma watching the tape like "oh noes, they're figuring out my system."

 

[TalkingProuder]

Can just see Bylsma watching the tape like "oh noes, they're figuring out my system."

Good, maybe now that the secret is out he'll try something different.

I remember laughing at Penguin fans explaining how Bylsma wanted to chip and chase. I didn't understand that they were serious.

 

[Snippit]

Refrained from posting this game.

O'Reilly is gassed, system is terrible, team mails it in for critical periods....I'm sure this has all been said.

What a disappointment this season has been/ First the injuries. But even worse? Seeing this team play without the injuries and realizing they're still a mediocre team.

 

[Sabre Dance]

If we don't get Julien I will be sick.

Our next coach was in the building last night, Paul MacLean.

 

[CaseyMitts37]

I wonder when they're going to fire Dan Bylsma? Over the 5 day break?

They just need to get it over with, everyone knows it's coming

 

[1point21Gigawatts]

I wonder when they're going to fire Dan Bylsma? Over the 5 day break?

They just need to get it over with, everyone knows it's coming

Does everyone know it's coming?

Last night's game was a tipping point for me. I am probably gonna check into games once and a while, but the need to see the team play is gone. They aren't a playoff team this year. Until the coaching change that won't come in time, this team is still sub par.

 

[Aladyyn]

Does everyone know it's coming?

Last night's game was a tipping point for me. I am probably gonna check into games once and a while, but the need to see the team play is gone. They aren't a playoff team this year. Until the coaching change that won't come in time, this team is still sub par.

Everyone hopes it's coming...

 

[Zip15]

Anaheim has a heck of a defense corps. They've done a great job, and we didn't even see Vatanen or Despres last night. And they've still got Jacob Larsson and Marcus Pettersson in the pipe. Envious.

 

[CrazyPsycho]

Franson banged his foot up, would explain alot of his struggles yesterday

 

[Hal2000]

Refrained from posting this game.

O'Reilly is gassed, system is terrible, team mails it in for critical periods....I'm sure this has all been said.

What a disappointment this season has been/ First the injuries. But even worse? Seeing this team play without the injuries and realizing they're still a mediocre team.

They would have been a mediocre team either way going into the season. Seems to me the team is meeting the preseason expectation...by being at best a fringe playoff team at absolute best

 

[OkimLom]

They would have been a mediocre team either way going into the season. Seems to me the team is meeting the preseason expectation...by being at best a fringe playoff team at absolute best

Nailed it!

 

[sabrebuild]

They would have been a mediocre team either way going into the season. Seems to me the team is meeting the preseason expectation...by being at best a fringe playoff team at absolute best

I sincerely doubt that if eichel and ror were healthy that they wouldn't have at least 3 more wins. Bylsma hurts lots of things, but short term a healthy eichel puts them in the thick of the playoff hunt without doubt.

 

[Gras]

I wonder when they're going to fire Dan Bylsma? Over the 5 day break?

They just need to get it over with, everyone knows it's coming

After the first few months of next season if they have a horrid start.

 

[Husko]

I'd say if they don't find a way to take some significant points away from winnable games against Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa, and Colorado, and then proceed to get trounced by the Blues and Blackhawks going into the break, it would set up the perfect scenario for Bylsma to get fired.

 

[sabremike]

They would have been a mediocre team either way going into the season. Seems to me the team is meeting the preseason expectation...by being at best a fringe playoff team at absolute best

Every team in the conference is at least a fringe playoff team because most teams are mediocre dreck plus the Gary Bettman Loser Points prop everyone up. Bylsma is force feeding us awful boring unwatchable hockey and a total loser to boot. There is virtualy no redeeming value in this team and how they are playing. Nothing will change until Bylsma is sacked.

 

[Aladyyn]

Our 5v5 shot rates are the 3rd worst in the league, ahead of only Colorado and Arizona. We're not even a mediocre team at even strength.

 

[kirby11]

Our 5v5 shot rates are the 3rd worst in the league, ahead of only Colorado and Arizona. We're not even a mediocre team at even strength.

A lot of the comments in the game review of the paper were pretty bad, too. For all that Bylsma crows about defense first, we surrender something like the 3rd or 4th most shots on goal per game in the whole league.

I'm probably reading too much into this, but Jack's comments get right to the main issue: this system doesn't drive puck possession with its lack of emphasis on crisp passing, and the stand still stretch pass tip ins make puck retrieval extremely difficult for our forwards.

 

[sincerity0]

Our 5v5 shot rates are the 3rd worst in the league, ahead of only Colorado and Arizona. We're not even a mediocre team at even strength.

I want to preface this with the fact that I believe Bylsmas system is horrible, especially for our defenseman.

Let's be honest here for a second, how much of this is based on the fact that our defenseman are horrible? The Sabres have maybe three NHL caliber Dmen (on a playoff team) on this roster (Risto, McCabe, and Kulikov). Kulikov has been injured and even when playing not overly effective, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt because he played minutes on a good Florida team.

This team is rolling out some combination of Gorges, Falk, Fedun, Franson, Bogo and Kulikov as the other four defenseman on a nightly basis. Kulikov and Bogo show flashes of being quality defenseman but either by injury or general inconsistency they don't keep it long. Falk and Fedun are serviceable as a 7D who can step in and play some sheltered minutes. Gorges gets shelled when on the ice. Franson, who has had a nice season, is starting to revert back to his former self.

Being honest, Kulikov is the only one who gets a pass because he is most likely bad / playing poorly because of injury. Bogo and Gorges are who we thought they were, and Falk and Fedun are at best 7D.

I think the system is poor AND the defense is bad. A new coach might be able to implement a better system to the players on this roster but do we really think that this team would be 8-10pts better at this point? I find it hard to believe.

In the Byslma thread I said how it's the coaches job to get the most out of his players, and at best Dan is neutral there. Nobody is playig better because of him, but it would appear that nobody is playing worse because of him. Eichel, Reinhart and Risto are getting better in spite of him.

 

[Samsonite23]

I want to preface this with the fact that I believe Bylsmas system is horrible, especially for our defenseman.

Let's be honest here for a second, how much of this is based on the fact that our defenseman are horrible? The Sabres have maybe three NHL caliber Dmen (on a playoff team) on this roster (Risto, McCabe, and Kulikov). Kulikov has been injured and even when playing not overly effective, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt because he played minutes on a good Florida team.

This team is rolling out some combination of Gorges, Falk, Fedun, Franson, Bogo and Kulikov as the other four defenseman on a nightly basis. Kulikov and Bogo show flashes of being quality defenseman but either by injury or general inconsistency they don't keep it long. Falk and Fedun are serviceable as a 7D who can step in and play some sheltered minutes. Gorges gets shelled when on the ice. Franson, who has had a nice season, is starting to revert back to his former self.

Being honest, Kulikov is the only one who gets a pass because he is most likely bad / playing poorly because of injury. Bogo and Gorges are who we thought they were, and Falk and Fedun are at best 7D.

I think the system is poor AND the defense is bad. A new coach might be able to implement a better system to the players on this roster but do we really think that this team would be 8-10pts better at this point? I find it hard to believe.

In the Byslma thread I said how it's the coaches job to get the most out of his players, and at best Dan is neutral there. Nobody is playig better because of him, but it would appear that nobody is playing worse because of him. Eichel, Reinhart and Risto are getting better in spite of him.

Bogo was a very capable NHLer (top 4 d man) when not playing under Dan Bylsma.

 

[sabremike]

I'm at the point where I wouldn't give a flying fig if a new system wouldn't improve us in the standings a single point, I just want a watchable product. I hate the dread that creeps over me on gamedays thinking of having to watch games that are as fun as old fashioned root canals and even more painful.

 

[OkimLom]

I want to preface this with the fact that I believe Bylsmas system is horrible, especially for our defenseman.

Let's be honest here for a second, how much of this is based on the fact that our defenseman are horrible? The Sabres have maybe three NHL caliber Dmen (on a playoff team) on this roster (Risto, McCabe, and Kulikov). Kulikov has been injured and even when playing not overly effective, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt because he played minutes on a good Florida team.

This team is rolling out some combination of Gorges, Falk, Fedun, Franson, Bogo and Kulikov as the other four defenseman on a nightly basis. Kulikov and Bogo show flashes of being quality defenseman but either by injury or general inconsistency they don't keep it long. Falk and Fedun are serviceable as a 7D who can step in and play some sheltered minutes. Gorges gets shelled when on the ice. Franson, who has had a nice season, is starting to revert back to his former self.

Being honest, Kulikov is the only one who gets a pass because he is most likely bad / playing poorly because of injury. Bogo and Gorges are who we thought they were, and Falk and Fedun are at best 7D.

I think the system is poor AND the defense is bad. A new coach might be able to implement a better system to the players on this roster but do we really think that this team would be 8-10pts better at this point? I find it hard to believe.

In the Byslma thread I said how it's the coaches job to get the most out of his players, and at best Dan is neutral there. Nobody is playig better because of him, but it would appear that nobody is playing worse because of him. Eichel, Reinhart and Risto are getting better in spite of him.

I think of the defenseman we have, you should really expect any noticeable improvement from Risto, McCabe. The rest you pretty much know what you're going to get.

Falk - 28 years old journeyman, you pretty much know what you're getting
Fedun - 28 years old journeyman, Same as Falk
Gorges - 32 years old - Not much improvement. If anything you're going to get regression
Kulikov - 26 years old - in the prime of his career with seems to be developed fully. Really unfortunate with the injuries this season
Bogosian - 26 years old - Same as Kulikov - Often-injured dman with a lot of seasons under his belt.
McCabe - 23 years old - Seems to have developed pretty well under Bylsma. Development really took a nice jump.
Risto - 22 years old - Development into what he can become is wavering due to the amount of icetime he is getting. Doesn't help he didn't get any consistent linemates that were fully healthy or other pairs could eat some icetime to keep him fresh.

Bylsma should know what he is getting. You have a d-corp that is heavy on puck carrying capabilities being their strengths and not outlet passing. Our D should be moving the puck up the ice with the forwards to keep the other teams honest. Teams are just sitting back and funneling the play into areas THEY decide due to forwards standing still and not moving because Dan wants the forwards to stretch teams out. Because our guys can't make those stretch passes, teams just let them go and focus on cutting off any passes.

 

[AustonsNostrils]

Just heard Bylsma on a WGR news update, I literally got a real sick feeling just listening to his voice. With Julien out there and possibly Cooper if we don't fire Bylsma I feel like I will be done with the Sabres. Too much stress/anger.

 

[ZZamboni]

Just heard Bylsma on a WGR news update, I literally got a real sick feeling just listening to his voice. With Julien out there and possibly Cooper if we don't fire Bylsma I feel like I will be done with the Sabres. Too much stress/anger.

You wish...

You aren't going anywhere and you know it.



(not you but ...) I've seen soooo many posters rant and rave over the years about being done with the Sabres. They never are. Getting rid of their season tickets. They never do.

Empty threats.

 

[1point21Gigawatts]

Just heard Bylsma on a WGR news update, I literally got a real sick feeling just listening to his voice. With Julien out there and possibly Cooper if we don't fire Bylsma I feel like I will be done with the Sabres. Too much stress/anger.

They aren't gonna get rid of him in time for Julien. It's just not going to happen. Bylsma is here until next season. If....er....when...they continue to lose he'll be canned. if julien is somehow still around in offseason, if the sabres perform dismally enough...maybe? I still doubt it.

 

[AustonsNostrils]

You wish...

You aren't going anywhere and you know it.



(not you but ...) I've seen soooo many posters rant and rave over the years about being done with the Sabres. They never are. Getting rid of their season tickets. They never do.

Empty threats.

um .. i grew up the biggest Maple Leafs fan possible, 25 years of misery and then one day I just had enough and that was it, done with the Leafs and the NHL. The post lockout changes in the game made me take a look again and I was reborn as a Sabres fan.

I wondered how I'd feel if the Leafs ever got good - so far so good, I feel nothing for them but some envy because I love Marner and Mathews and Babcock is the coach we needed here.