GDT: #75 Sabres vs Canadiens 7pm ET. TV ..no one's watching ..Radio WGR

[EichHart]

"They want a coaching change? No. There's not going to be a coaching change"
-Jason Botterill, February 20, 2019

They have 35 pts in 49 games since the streak ended. That's a 58-point pace and it ain't a small sample size. Our GM "sees the results on the ice," believes "we've made progress as an organization compared to last year," and "the coaching staff has done a very good job." Those are all direct quotes.

If you were wondering how ****ed this organization truly is if Botterill believes any of those quotes...

They suck. We rule. We root for them. We show up more than they do, show more passion than they do, seem to want it more than they do. To a person, I'd take the people on this board in terms of character and effort, even the one's I don't like, over almost everyone in that organization. Seriously. Don't get down on yourself. But feel free to be down on that pile of cow patties on skates, the moron behind the bench, and the over-sized melon running this ****-show.

We have a great board here with some incredible posters. It helps me get through this season. We still have hope with Eichel and Dahlin. But my faith in management is disappearing quick.

 

[DolanPlsGoSabres]

So if we get Hughes, do we trade Eichel to fix other holes while clearing the locker room of losing culture before it runs off on Dahlin? Serious question. It seems teams with much worse teams on paper constantly embarrass us. The Habs were a laughing stock last year, no center at all and went off the board to get one, but somehow turned cast offs Drouin and Domi into legitimate threats. How many teams with worse draft position turned things around faster and more efficiently then us?

Draft Hughes if we win the lotto, trade Eichel, Risto, and Reinhart to patch holes and fix the cap situation and start fresh with a new coach and opening day lineup made up from Rochester guys ready to move up. It's going to suck when it happens, but I think it's the only way to come back from the abyss. Patching in high draft picks to a losing team and locker room hasn't worked for a decade in Edmonton, something needs to change in Buffalo.

If anyone's ordering this idiocy, it's Pegula. Meaning Botts or whoever the GM is will have little to no leverage. Expect some ROR-esque returns if that happens.

 

[OkimLom]

So if we get Hughes, do we trade Eichel to fix other holes while clearing the locker room of losing culture before it runs off on Dahlin? Serious question. It seems teams with much worse teams on paper constantly embarrass us. The Habs were a laughing stock last year, no center at all and went off the board to get one, but somehow turned cast offs Drouin and Domi into legitimate threats. How many teams with worse draft position turned things around faster and more efficiently then us?

Draft Hughes if we win the lotto, trade Eichel, Risto, and Reinhart to patch holes and fix the cap situation and start fresh with a new coach and opening day lineup made up from Rochester guys ready to move up. It's going to suck when it happens, but I think it's the only way to come back from the abyss. Patching in high draft picks to a losing team and locker room hasn't worked for a decade in Edmonton, something needs to change in Buffalo.

Let’s see what our core can do with competent coaching.

 

[Chainshot]

We have a great board here with some incredible posters. It helps me get through this season. We still have hope with Eichel and Dahlin. But my faith in management is disappearing quick.

My faith in Botterill was dead by the end of last season. I am persuadable, but the guy has done almost nothing right and letting Phil slink out of the end of the season is a disservice to the franchise and the opportunity to put the focus on the players before the season ends.

He has again f***ed off another season. This isn't a long-game. They can't waste any more time. f***ing execute some moves or f***ing resign.

 

[Chainshot]

Sorry to go off again. I'm so sick of this.

 

[Not Sure]

If anyone's ordering this idiocy, it's Pegula. Meaning Botts or whoever the GM is will have little to no leverage. Expect some ROR-esque returns if that happens.

Doesnt matter, get rid of them and use them to get rid of everyone else who doesnt want to skate, hit, battle, or do anything outside show up and collect a check. I'd rather watch the Amerks come up and get smacked around while giving a shit then the garbage we see night in and night out. Dahlin has been a bright spot, but Housley doesnt have a clue how the game is played today. He has them stand around on the power play and wait for something to happen. Tonight's game was a perfect example of a team with worse talent manhandling a team with more talent because they actually gave a damn and fought hard.

That weak flip pass behind the net on the PP by Eichel while being chased around by Montreal players in the second is this whole team in a nutshell. Guys who know they're better hockey players thinking they can dummy NHL players without breaking a sweat. It doesnt happen, hes not that good, even Gretzky would have been a mediocre player if he decided to play like that. If you cant give it your all every shift, get the f*** out of town.

 

[Not Sure]

My faith in Botterill was dead by the end of last season. I am persuadable, but the guy has done almost nothing right and letting Phil slink out of the end of the season is a disservice to the franchise and the opportunity to put the focus on the players before the season ends.

He has again ****ed off another season. This isn't a long-game. They can't waste any more time. ****ing execute some moves or ****ing resign.

This too, Botts trying to make it work when it's obviously not working set this team back. Where was St. Louis at the begining of the season, and where are they now after a coaching change. People who think coaching doesnt matter are out to lunch. Botts biggest failure as GM of this team is allowing Housley to continue being a mentor to the young players in the locker room. If your coach doesnt care about anything why should you.

 

[Ralonzo]

Montour still playing like a kid who thinks he's on HNIC.

But... he IS on HNIC!

 

[BananaSquad]

So if we get Hughes, do we trade Eichel to fix other holes while clearing the locker room of losing culture before it runs off on Dahlin? Serious question. It seems teams with much worse teams on paper constantly embarrass us. The Habs were a laughing stock last year, no center at all and went off the board to get one, but somehow turned cast offs Drouin and Domi into legitimate threats. How many teams with worse draft position turned things around faster and more efficiently then us?

Draft Hughes if we win the lotto, trade Eichel, Risto, and Reinhart to patch holes and fix the cap situation and start fresh with a new coach and opening day lineup made up from Rochester guys ready to move up. It's going to suck when it happens, but I think it's the only way to come back from the abyss. Patching in high draft picks to a losing team and locker room hasn't worked for a decade in Edmonton, something needs to change in Buffalo.

Trading Eichel would officially end me as a Buffalo Sabres fan.

 

[Chainshot]

This too, Botts trying to make it work when it's obviously not working set this team back. Where was St. Louis at the begining of the season, and where are they now after a coaching change. People who think coaching doesnt matter are out to lunch. Botts biggest failure as GM of this team is allowing Housley to continue being a mentor to the young players in the locker room. If your coach doesnt care about anything why should you.

Keeping Housley actually isn't my biggest fail for him. It's coming in and doing the absolute least to fill out his first year roster. That? That set the tone. He's wasted two years and is no closer to being ready to ice a competitive team. Good teams make adjustments and find incremental improvements, are adroit enough to shift when things are clearly not working.

Botterill is a tool.

 

[Chainshot]

But... he IS on HNIC!

Exactly. And it showed. He was flying.

 

[Ralonzo]

Getting reamed in the ROR deal is pretty lousy but not a completely fireable offense like any single one of Milbury's trades. What is a fireable offense is standing by Housley.

Exactly. And it showed. He was flying.

Yeah, I misunderstood, I'm pretty deep into my bottle of Coping Noir for the evening.

Debating getting into the Copernet Sauvignon.

 

[Taro Tsujimoto]

Pretty much applies to both Botterill and Housley at this point.

 

[Gabrielor]

Sorry to go off again. I'm so sick of this.

Keep going. This is all part of the healing process.

 

[Ralonzo]

Woo woo, Tampa ties it at 4

 

[EichHart]

Keeping Housley actually isn't my biggest fail for him. It's coming in and doing the absolute least to fill out his first year roster. That? That set the tone. He's wasted two years and is no closer to being ready to ice a competitive team. Good teams make adjustments and find incremental improvements, are adroit enough to shift when things are clearly not working.

Botterill is a tool.

I was under the impression that Botts was a key competent to the Pittsburghs Stanley Cup wins. I thought he was their "cap guru" and well versed in management as well.

 

[Ralonzo]

Oow oow, goal is overturned an St Louis still leads 4-3.

This night is a classic Sabres night, innit.

 

[Chainshot]

And if they win the lottery, keep Jack. Keep Sam. Keep Dahlin.

Take whoever the scouts think is the BPA -- I know I'm leaning Finn, but that's me -- and continue to build.

 

[Chainshot]

I was under the impression that Botts was a key competent to the Pittsburghs Stanley Cup wins. I thought he was their "cap guru" and well versed in management as well.

That was the bill of goods we were sold. I have seen almost nothing at the NHL level that I have liked, even the Skinner deal was a "hey, my NTC means I can pick one of just a few teams near home" that totally sank his value for the Canes. Almost everything else outside of a stupid lottery win has been shit.

 

[Gabrielor]

And if they win the lottery, keep Jack. Keep Sam. Keep Dahlin.

Take whoever the scouts think is the BPA -- I know I'm leaning Finn, but that's me -- and continue to build.

Take Kakko, for sure.

The overall difference long term will be very small, but in the immediate term, Kakko will help significantly more. Hughes will just be another lost do-it-yourself-er.

 

[Chainshot]

Keep going. This is all part of the healing process.

But I've been saying the same things, just with longer lists, for over a season now. It hasn't helped. I don't even want to watch other teams if we want to talk about "losing the love of the game". I used to have to play with aluminium foil on an old black-and-white set to watch anything. When my parents got a color TV, I finally could watch the Sabres on NBC, the Leafs on CHCH, HNiC and of course Ch. 25 was SRC with Hab and Nordique games on Wednesday. I went off. Then Global had the OHL game of the week on Saturday, CBC started putting the U20's on (the Alaska tournament where the "New Green Unit" dominated for the Soviets with Bure-Fedorov-Mogilny I think I watched every game regardless of the time zone). Then I got partial seasons for the Thunder, started haunting rinks to watch OHL puck. Went to tier 2 games in Fort Erie, NCAA games... In the last 20-ish years, I've watched games from all of the CHL leagues, the KHL, the AHL, even the ECHL (I went two weeks ago to see the Jets and Bruins affiliates), the Liiga, the SHL, Hockey East, the Big 10 -- hell all over the NCAA, for fun.

And you know what? It isn't fun now. It's painful.

 

[sabrebuild]

But I've been saying the same things, just with longer lists, for over a season now. It hasn't helped. I don't even want to watch other teams if we want to talk about "losing the love of the game". I used to have to play with aluminium foil on an old black-and-white set to watch anything. When my parents got a color TV, I finally could watch the Sabres on NBC, the Leafs on CHCH, HNiC and of course Ch. 25 was SRC with Hab and Nordique games on Wednesday. I went off. Then Global had the OHL game of the week on Saturday, CBC started putting the U20's on (the Alaska tournament where the "New Green Unit" dominated for the Soviets with Bure-Fedorov-Mogilny I think I watched every game regardless of the time zone). Then I got partial seasons for the Thunder, started haunting rinks to watch OHL puck. Went to tier 2 games in Fort Erie, NCAA games... In the last 20-ish years, I've watched games from all of the CHL leagues, the KHL, the AHL, even the ECHL (I went two weeks ago to see the Jets and Bruins affiliates), the Liiga, the SHL, Hockey East, the Big 10 -- hell all over the NCAA, for fun.

And you know what? It isn't fun now. It's painful.

I hear you. I killed my cable a month ago, two months before a move, knowing i wouldn't miss anything that mattered.

I agree with you, of all the moves that took away my belief, doing zilch year one has a slight lead over trading O'Reilly for nothing right after lucking into a perfect fix for the defense.

 

[beerme1]

But I've been saying the same things, just with longer lists, for over a season now. It hasn't helped. I don't even want to watch other teams if we want to talk about "losing the love of the game". I used to have to play with aluminium foil on an old black-and-white set to watch anything. When my parents got a color TV, I finally could watch the Sabres on NBC, the Leafs on CHCH, HNiC and of course Ch. 25 was SRC with Hab and Nordique games on Wednesday. I went off. Then Global had the OHL game of the week on Saturday, CBC started putting the U20's on (the Alaska tournament where the "New Green Unit" dominated for the Soviets with Bure-Fedorov-Mogilny I think I watched every game regardless of the time zone). Then I got partial seasons for the Thunder, started haunting rinks to watch OHL puck. Went to tier 2 games in Fort Erie, NCAA games... In the last 20-ish years, I've watched games from all of the CHL leagues, the KHL, the AHL, even the ECHL (I went two weeks ago to see the Jets and Bruins affiliates), the Liiga, the SHL, Hockey East, the Big 10 -- hell all over the NCAA, for fun.

And you know what? It isn't fun now. It's painful.

Can't believe I'm going to say this but as a 53 year old, I respect this sir! Much respect. It really has been painful this year. You know I just said to my wife during the MTL game, I said WTF??!!! At one point during the streak I was doing a victory lap with my arms in the air through our living room. How the f..k did we get to where we are now. GRrrrrrrr.

 

[tsujimoto74]

Keep going. This is all part of the healing process.

The healing process can't start until the hurting stops. Our front office seems to have some sick sadistic love for twisting that knife and making us all miserable, though.

 

[jd1970]

Lol.

Those 3 losses to the Sabres this season cost you guys a playoff spot.