GDT: #65 - Sabres vs. Leafs at 7 PM ET on MSG-B, NHLN, and WGR

[Ralonzo]

I think I understand Head's plan from a high-level GM overwatch POV. The hard thing to do is identify and gather your core talent. I'm assuming Jack, Sam, Dahlin and Casey. Most of the things the Sabres lack are generally the things that are easier to acquire - bottom-6 toughs (Marcus Foligno?) and middle-6 up-n-down guys (Torrey Mitchell?) and goalies (Robin Lehner circa 2019?). These are all things the Sabres had and sold because they're only useful in building around an identified core.

Maybe some unexpected production on minor-league call-ups? (see: Guentzel/Sheary/Rust) Can Rodrigues/Olofsson/Smith do something similar?

When the time comes to buy, they'll buy and it'll work out. I mean, it has to, right? Due theory?

 

[Howie Hodge]

STELLA! Got to admit not looking in the crisper was a rookie mistake. 37% of crispers in WNY contain stash beers we got drunk and forgot about.

My garage fridge is full of goodies no doubt! The hard stuff is out there. Once it finally warms up I will be a well lubricated individual. If it ever warms up.....

As for rookie booze recognition mistakes? Hell, even my sons are past that point in life!!

 

[toomuchsauce]

f*** it, the Sabres should change their goal song to Sara Smile

 

[Buffaloed]

Man skinner is snakebit

It was a bad idea to encourage fans to throw snakes on the ice for Tavares.

 

[Big Cactus]

GG boys. Just came to say Eichel is so f***ing good. Contrary to a lot of leaf fans belief, I’d trade Marner for Eichel in a second! You guys have such a bright future, can’t wait for the QEW rivalry to get back to its prime!

 

[toomuchsauce]

Next game:

 

[Peiskos]

People don’t call it the Toronto Sports Network for nothing,

TSN is headquartered in Toronto, people complaining that they are Toronto centric is like people complaining NESN is Boston and New England centric..kind of a “duhhh” moment don’t you think?

 

[joshjull]

TSN is headquartered in Toronto, people complaining that they are Toronto centric is like people complaining NESN is Boston and New England centric..kind of a “duhhh” moment don’t you think?

That’s a terrible analogy.

NESN was set up to be a Boston/New England centric regional sports network. TSN is supposed to be a Canadian national sports network along the lines of ESPN in the US. Ironically ESPN is right in the Boston/New England region yet has no trouble avoiding being Boston/New England centric.

 

[Peiskos]

That’s a terrible analogy.

NESN was set up to be a Boston/New England centric regional sports network. TSN is supposed to be a Canadian national sports network along the lines of ESPN in the US. Ironically ESPN is right in the Boston/New England region yet has no trouble avoiding being Boston/New England centric.

Canada and the US are different countries, the key difference you’re forgetting is Canada has 36 million people and the population of Southern Ontario (aka Leafs land) is over 13 million...in other words nearly 40% of ALL Canadians live within close proximity to Toronto and it’s sports teams. From a business and $$ perspective it makes sense to be Toronto centric.

40% of ALL Americans don’t live in and around Boston do they? If they did every single American sports network would be all Boston every day all day.

 

[Der Jaeger]

Canada and the US are different countries, the key difference you’re forgetting is Canada has 36 million people and the population of Southern Ontario (aka Leafs land) is over 13 million...in other words nearly 40% of ALL Canadians live within close proximity to Toronto and it’s sports teams. From a business and $$ perspective it makes sense to be Toronto centric.

40% of ALL Americans don’t live in and around Boston do they? If they did every single American sports network would be all Boston every day all day.

'Merica!

 

[Chainshot]

How they can not be ready to play night after night while the season slips out of reach -- and this has gone on for months this year, even during the 10-gamer where they miraculously rallied a couple of times when they'd fallen into a whole -- continues to indicate the guy behind the bench (and perhaps the guy who put him there) are not the right people for the job.

 

[1972]

GG boys. Just came to say Eichel is so ****ing good. Contrary to a lot of leaf fans belief, I’d trade Marner for Eichel in a second! You guys have such a bright future, can’t wait for the QEW rivalry to get back to its prime!

He’s better then both Marner and Matthews

 

[littletonhockeycoach]

I think I understand Head's plan from a high-level GM overwatch POV. The hard thing to do is identify and gather your core talent. I'm assuming Jack, Sam, Dahlin and Casey. Most of the things the Sabres lack are generally the things that are easier to acquire - bottom-6 toughs (Marcus Foligno?) and middle-6 up-n-down guys (Torrey Mitchell?) and goalies (Robin Lehner circa 2019?). These are all things the Sabres had and sold because they're only useful in building around an identified core.

Maybe some unexpected production on minor-league call-ups? (see: Guentzel/Sheary/Rust) Can Rodrigues/Olofsson/Smith do something similar?

When the time comes to buy, they'll buy and it'll work out. I mean, it has to, right? Due theory?

Otherwise known as the blind squirrel/nut theory???

 

[hizzoner]

Good question about not being ready. That type of comment "not ready" is just B.S. I understand that in games where strategy and game planning is so important--like football. In hockey the players have a consistent game plan and it is up to the coach to play the guys he is given and try to line match as best as possible. He has an edge on home ice and loses the edge away. If the guys who worked for me took that approach I would have been p...d. These guys get millions, have the best of training and medical staff, experienced assistant coaches for different skill sets and then are expected to perform. The problem here is that there are too many guys now playing for the Sabres who are not (yet?) NHL ready or are past it for the role they are given. Sabres do not have the skill set to play like Boston or the Islanders. They do not have the number of skilled fast offensive players to consistently match up against Toronto or Tampa. They do not have a goalie with the nhl experience and demonstrated skill over time to match Andersen, Price etc. Maybe we will get there but Botts has work to do and he needs to figure out what he wants this team to look like and then get them to that place.

 

[littletonhockeycoach]

Good question about not being ready. That type of comment "not ready" is just B.S. I understand that in games where strategy and game planning is so important--like football. In hockey the players have a consistent game plan and it is up to the coach to play the guys he is given and try to line match as best as possible. He has an edge on home ice and loses the edge away. If the guys who worked for me took that approach I would have been p...d. These guys get millions, have the best of training and medical staff, experienced assistant coaches for different skill sets and then are expected to perform. The problem here is that there are too many guys now playing for the Sabres who are not (yet?) NHL ready or are past it for the role they are given. Sabres do not have the skill set to play like Boston or the Islanders. They do not have the number of skilled fast offensive players to consistently match up against Toronto or Tampa. They do not have a goalie with the nhl experience and demonstrated skill over time to match Andersen, Price etc. Maybe we will get there but Botts has work to do and he needs to figure out what he wants this team to look like and then get them to that place.

When the post mortem is written on the Botterill era there will be 2 entries that dominate the overall assessment. 1.) Hiring of Housley and 2.) Trading O'Reilly.

The rest of the stuff he's done (getting lucky with Dahlin, trade here, a trade there), won't have changed the overall outcome. I think he's already toast.... history..... mindful that I'm running out of patience and frankly, I'm also running out of time.

 

[littletonhockeycoach]

How they can not be ready to play night after night while the season slips out of reach -- and this has gone on for months this year, even during the 10-gamer where they miraculously rallied a couple of times when they'd fallen into a whole -- continues to indicate the guy behind the bench (and perhaps the guy who put him there) are not the right people for the job.

I'd say lack of preparation is an organizational characteristic that goes back years, if not decades with this franchise.

Certainly, the norm more than the exception.

 

[OkimLom]

I'd say lack of preparation is an organizational characteristic that goes back years, if not decades with this franchise.

Certainly, the norm more than the exception.

I agree with this, and it’s headscratching that this issue has occurred over multiple management/coaching duos. Not only that but different cores and different players.

 

[GellMann]

I thought they were ready to play. They responded to the Leafs' goal quick, which mostly happened because Ullmark was being a goof that was tired from the night before, and then played a while with the lead before another soft goal on Ullmark.

I just think people decide when we lose, that the following are always true:
-Phil was outcoached
-the Sabres weren't ready to play
-The Sabres didn't hit enough and were too soft
-Bad leadership caused the loss

Rather than, quite often, we are just the worse hockey team and thus play worse hockey. The Sabres are ready to play as often as an average team in the league as far as I can tell. They weren't engaged early in Philly, but the last first period I can describe like Philly's was probably the Edmonton game like 2 months ago. And even in that one, we still scored first and goaltending sucked the most, so that might not be the best analog.

It'll be crazy when, someday, we fix the ludicrous problems with our roster and suddenly all of these metaphorical switches get pulled to being the opposite, just because our hockey players can compete with and be better than other teams' in a game.

 

[joshjull]

Canada and the US are different countries, the key difference you’re forgetting is Canada has 36 million people and the population of Southern Ontario (aka Leafs land) is over 13 million...in other words nearly 40% of ALL Canadians live within close proximity to Toronto and it’s sports teams. From a business and $$ perspective it makes sense to be Toronto centric.

40% of ALL Americans don’t live in and around Boston do they? If they did every single American sports network would be all Boston every day all day.

Canada and America are different counties? That’s amazing.

 

[Butt Ox]

Canada and America are different counties? That’s amazing.

Little brother even has his own flag. Deadass.

 

[1972]

Little brother even has his own flag. Deadass.

We do have our own flag

 

[joshjull]

Little brother even has his own flag. Deadass.

Deadass?

 

[Butt Ox]

We do have our own flag

I looked. Was disappointed it wasn't Copper Canyon Sal doing a Handstand.

Deadass?

Slipping all the way back to 2016 with the kids vernacular. I should have went with "for reals"

 

[joshjull]

I looked. Was disappointed it wasn't Copper Canyon Sal doing a Handstand.



Slipping all the way back to 2016 with the kids vernacular. I should have went with "for reals"

I’m old.

 

[littletonhockeycoach]

I agree with this, and it’s headscratching that this issue has occurred over multiple management/coaching duos. Not only that but different cores and different players.

Gotta be the water then..........