Post-Game Talk (GBU): Buffalo Sabres vs Arizona Coyotes (8:00PM ET) 2/29/2020

[Chainshot]

That's what makes firing GMBH so tricky... bringing in a new regime likely means another 1-2 years before they put their stamp on the team, so Eich would be like 25... and then finally, maybe, possibly... the team could be competitive again?

Botts should get fired. I don't think he will.

Good GM's don't take that long.

 

[Hashbrown77]

99.9% of the people thought Bolts would beat the Blue Jackets in the playoffs last year. How’d that turn out? Hockey is the only major US sport where upsets are not uncommon. Alas, we’ll never know how the Sabres would have done since the drought continues...

The Blue Jackets had good goaltending and good defense, 2 things lacking in Buffalo.......we would get smoked in a playoff series.

 

[Sabre Dance]

The Blue Jackets had good goaltending and good defense, 2 things lacking in Buffalo.......we would get smoked in a playoff series.

I wouldn't care if we lost 4-0. It would be a fun month and a half.

 

[SabresSharks]

What's the hardest part of putting together a puzzle? Starting pieces. We already have our 1C and 1D locked up. Fill in the pieces. Any competent GM could have the Sabres in the playoffs in 2 years or less.

Sounds simple. That "competent GM" would be a useful piece.

 

[Taro Tsujimoto]

Tied through 2 in Colorado.
Tied through 2 in Vegas.
2-0 lead in Arizona.

0 points to show for it.

This team has to be the least clutch team in the league.

 

[CrazyMonkey1208]

That's what makes firing GMBH so tricky... bringing in a new regime likely means another 1-2 years before they put their stamp on the team

Small price to pay. On the flip side, should we just have 2 more seasons like this because we're afraid of change then be right back to square one? What message does that send to the players?

 

[joshjull]

 

[NorCalhockey]

I give it until summer 2021 before we see the tweet from Bob or Pierre that Eichel “wouldn’t be opposed to a trade out of Buffalo.” I think one more playoff-less season breaks him.

I wouldn’t blame Eichel one bit if he demands a trade by the 2021 trade deadline if next year’s season looks similar to this one. In fact, I’d cheer him on instead of waiting for the summer of 2021.

 

[Sabre Dance]

That's what makes firing GMBH so tricky... bringing in a new regime likely means another 1-2 years before they put their stamp on the team, so Eich would be like 25... and then finally, maybe, possibly... the team could be competitive again?

Botts should get fired. I don't think he will.

Not really. The roster is already set for major turn over. We have cap space. This is the perfect time to make a change.

 

[NorCalhockey]

The Blue Jackets had good goaltending and good defense, 2 things lacking in Buffalo.......we would get smoked in a playoff series.

San Jose Sharks had crap goaltending and non elite defense last season yet still made it to the WCF. In fact, I’m still amazed Sharks made it that far.

 

[joshjull]

 

[dasaybz]

The sabres make me so sad. There's no feeling like spring time playoff hockey. Yet another year without feeling that. Sigh.....

 

[WeDislikeEich]

It’s hard to believe that it was just 5 days ago that they were talking about trying to play meaningful games in March.

How quickly that dream died...

 

[The Red Helmet]

That's what makes firing GMBH so tricky... bringing in a new regime likely means another 1-2 years before they put their stamp on the team, so Eich would be like 25... and then finally, maybe, possibly... the team could be competitive again?

Botts should get fired. I don't think he will.

It does not mean this at all. A good GM will have this team in the playoffs next year. We are 2 top 6 forwards away from having a bunch of guys slot down and play the roles they should have. Also Dahlin should be a true #1 from beginnning to end next year.

We really would be in the thick of things right now if Botts had actually done something significant last summer. It seems like he really thought he could just let the team suck for 3 years until the cap fixed iteself and the fans would be cool with it. It might of worked if he hadn't made the worst trade in team history.

He is a nice a guy and all but he is plain and simply out of his league. He is not good enought to be 1 of 31 soon to be 32. He is not good enough! He has had his chance and failed completely. If it was just the ROR trade it would be really tough to stomach but maybe there would be a way to keep him. The thing is Botterill has several other head scratchers in his 3 years that well educated fans thought "huh" at the time and have been proven right since.

It is not as hard as it seems, especially when you have a #1 center and defensemen gifted to you.

 

[Buffaloed]

If not for the leap year we could have had 30 minutes of meaningful hockey in March

 

[UnleashRasmus]

Fire Jason Botterill!

 

[Yultron]

At this point all
I want is a high draft pick , I feel bad for Eichel I really do he deserves better but this draft is deep we might as well just go for a good player

 

[TheStorm]

Hockey makes me sad

 

[OkimLom]

so much Ralph changing that culture. The one thing Ralph could’ve hung his hat onto.

 

[UnleashRasmus]

I would love to punch Mike Harrington and Paul Hamilton in the face, even if this team was 20 games over .500 they'd still be hacks. I hate listening to the sophomoric asinine bullshit that they spew out. The fact that idiots like that have had paying journalist jobs for almost 15 years plus makes me puke. You're as vile as the last three games were.

 

[OkimLom]

That's what makes firing GMBH so tricky... bringing in a new regime likely means another 1-2 years before they put their stamp on the team, so Eich would be like 25... and then finally, maybe, possibly... the team could be competitive again?

Botts should get fired. I don't think he will.

See this is why I thought they should’ve canned Botterill mid season. The new GM could’ve used the “evaluation period” reserved for his first full season to see who has a future, and could’ve used this time to see who is worth it to be brought back. With the amount of contracts off the books, he could’ve hit the ground running to get offseason on the right foot.

 

[Sabre Dance]

I would love to punch Mike Harrington and Paul Hamilton in the face, even if this team was 20 games over .500 they'd still be hacks. I hate listening to the sophomoric asinine bullshit that they spew out. The fact that idiots like that have had paying journalist jobs for almost 15 years plus makes me puke. You're as vile as the last three games were.

Last time I actually listened to a Paul Hamilton segment he said he's seen seen enough of Reinhart at center to never want to see it again. Then he goes on to talk about Rodrigues being one of the only real other options at 2c, although he's not a good option.

That was a couple months ago. I wanted to crash my car.

 

[Sabre Dance]

See this is why I thought they should’ve canned Botterill mid season. The new GM could’ve used the “evaluation period” reserved for his first full season to see who has a future, and could’ve used this time to see who is worth it to be brought back. With the amount of contracts off the books, he could’ve hit the ground running to get offseason on the right foot.

I didn't know they destroyed all Sabres game and practice tape.

 

[UnleashRasmus]

What the hell happened to Brandon Montour. I guess I understand why Anaheim bailed on him. He seems like a downgrade from Pilut. His play in his own zone makes Ristolainen look like Lidstrom in his prime.

 

[Zman5778]

What the hell happened to Brandon Montour. I guess I understand why Anaheim bailed on him. He seems like a downgrade from Pilut. His play in his own zone makes Ristolainen look like Lidstrom in his prime.

He's being asked to play his off-side. He's a RHD. Now I can hear the chorus of "it doesn't matter" from many people. But here's the thing:

RHDs very rarely get asked to play their off-side when growing up. There's usually a dearth of right-handed defensemen so if anyone gets asked to switch, it's the lefties asked to play the right.

Montour's a RHD being asked to play out of position. I think that's a large reason for his drop-off in play.