How are the Sabres this bad with Eichel?

[Legionnaire]

Goaltending.

 

[ffh]

Goaltending.

it said sabres not hurricanes.

 

[WJCJ]

It's been 2 straight years of pitiful performance with this team. They've fired the GM and coach already so what else can they do?

Two years. You expect a team to turn around their fortunes with one player in two years? That is completely unrealistic. 5 years is more like a normal time frame. Boston turned around their fortunes so quickly because they still had their core intact. The Sabres have what, a 3-4 player core now? So basically they need to add all the pieces to that that makes them a winner. For years now people have been saying Winnipeg should be better than they were and all of a sudden this season the Jets are now a complete team and they look like one of the toughest teams to play against in the league. Washington was terrible after getting Ovechkin until it seemed like a switch was flipped and they were one of the best teams in the league.

The Sabres time will come, two years is not enough time to have a complete turnaround in my opinion.

 

[bob27]

This is why you don't do scorched earth rebuilds kids. You got Eichel, but he's now left on a stranded island with no secondary pieces. It's going to take a long time to build that support system around him.

 

[Cotton]

I’m not a Sabres fan, I just find it amusing that the all things revolve around Matthews and the Leafs in Toronto fan’s minds. And that’s not a very nice thing to say about Buffalo, particularly when your team hasn’t won anything since 1967 (or 4 years before the Sabres even existed).

Since 1970-71, when the Sabres came into the NHL, they have made the playoffs 28 times. If you include this year, TOR has also made the playoffs 28 times. Buffalo is mired in a 7 year span of not making the playoffs, the same number of years in a row Toronto missed the playoffs from 2005/06-2011/12. The Leafs made the playoffs the next year and then promptly committed one of the most epic Game 7 chokes in NHL history against the Bruins. They followed that up with three more years of missing the playoffs.

It continues to amaze me how pompous Toronto fans are of late after years of ineptitude as bad/worse than a team like Buffalo. At least Sabre’s fans can say that their team went to the Finals in 98/99 (losing in controversial fashion in Game 6).

GD, so it’s cool for Sabres fans to dump on Leafs fans, which they did routinely when they thought their rebuild was ahead of ours, and when they got Eichel, but it’s not okay for Leafs fans to talk smack back because lol 67’? Makes perfect sense.

 

[GloryDaze4877]

GD, so it’s cool for Sabres fans to dump on Leafs fans, which they did routinely when they thought their rebuild was ahead of ours, and when they got Eichel, but it’s not okay for Leafs fans to talk smack back because lol 67’? Makes perfect sense.

I responded to one “pot meet kettle” post. It’s not my responsibility to monitor the history of the two fan bases.

What part about Toronto fans shouldn’t be calling Buffalo pathetic and irrelevant when their team has been just as pathetic for the last decade or so, wasn’t true?

 

[DickSmehlik]

To answer the OP.

 

[Cotton]

I responded to one “pot meet kettle” post. It’s not my responsibility to monitor the history of the two fan bases.

What part about Toronto fans shouldn’t be calling Buffalo pathetic and irrelevant when their team has been just as pathetic for the last decade or so, wasn’t true?

The part where you fail to acknowledge it’s been a two way street by selectively defending Sabres fans when that have been as, if not more, viscious and condescending in recent history.

It isn’t your responsibility to monitor the history of these fan bases, and you certainly don’t come off as someone who has either, but maybe inform yourself prior to going on some white knighting moral superiority trip when you obviously lack that information. Or don’t and stick with “lol 67’” in which case save the BS post next time and cut straight to the troll attempt.

 

[GloryDaze4877]

The part where you fail to acknowledge it’s been a two way street by selectively defending Sabres fans when that have been as, if not more, viscious and condescending in recent history.

It isn’t your responsibility to monitor the history of these fan bases, and you certainly don’t come off as someone who has either, but maybe inform yourself prior to going on some white knighting moral superiority trip when you obviously lack that information. Or don’t and stick with “lol 67’” in which case save the BS post next time and cut straight to the troll attempt.

So this is a they made fun of our patheticness first and were meaner, so now it’s ok to be mean back to them post?

Gotcha.

 

[stampedingviking]

Eichel isn't nearly as good as his hype. There's your answer.

Edit: Also lol at his contract.

He would be without the injuries, easily.

 

[Cotton]

So this is a they made fun of our patheticness first and were meaner, so now it’s ok to be mean back to them post?

If you see two kids fighting is it not smarter to tell them to break it up regardless of the reason why they are fighting, or to take a side based on the 5 seconds of arguing you heard prior to the fight.

What i’m saying is neither side is right, and you defending one as if that was the case.

 

[GloryDaze4877]

He would be without the injuries, easily.

If the Sabres don’t want him, I’m sure the Bruins would take him...at a discount rate of course

 

[GloryDaze4877]

If you see two kids fighting is it not smarter to tell them to break it up regardless of the reason why they are fighting, or to take a side based on the 5 seconds of arguing you heard prior to the fight.

What i’m saying is neither side is right, and you defending one as if that was the case.

Is this the mean streets of Canada, or a message board?

You know what, you are right. Both of your franchises have been pathetic and irrelevant for the last 20 years...have at it.

 

[Critical13]

Defence, depth, goaltending...in that order for me.

RR and Scandella are good, but I think are playing higher on the depth chart than they should be on a good team. The depth below them isn't good.

Forward depth is scarce...lots of wildcards, grinders, but not enough players who are being pushed down the lineup by talent. Seems like everyone is actually being pushed up into roles they shouldn't be.

Goaltending needs a long term solution, someone to rely on. Even if they are a middle of the road goalie.

 

[stampedingviking]

If the Sabres don’t want him, I’m sure the Bruins would take him...at a discount rate of course

Nah, Canucks will trade Gudbranson for him

 

[Sabresruletheschool]

Agreed 100% with Critical. I'd also add that there utilizing players in the wrong roles also. People say Eichel's talent is being wasted, I say its guys like Reinhart that's being wasted. He was picked to be a smart, 2 way center. Buffalo turned him into a average skating winger because they have no depth. Risto, who I think is still the best D man Buffalo has, plays 24 minutes a night and every year gets burned out because no depth. Then they have Okposo, due to health or other reasons, isn't anywhere near what the Sabers brought him in for. Pominville should have a leadership role playing 4th line and Pouliot shouldn't even be in the NHL. And those are the best wingers Buffalo has.

 

[PuckInTheNards]

Defence, depth, goaltending...in that order for me.

RR and Scandella are good, but I think are playing higher on the depth chart than they should be on a good team. The depth below them isn't good.

Forward depth is scarce...lots of wildcards, grinders, but not enough players who are being pushed down the lineup by talent. Seems like everyone is actually being pushed up into roles they shouldn't be.

Goaltending needs a long term solution, someone to rely on. Even if they are a middle of the road goalie.

Scandella (who I love) was a 3rd pairing D last year. Now, obviously, he's better than 3rd pairing but I don't think he belongs on the top pairing - think he's a good 3-4 D.

 

[MattySnipes]

1. Terrible management
2. Inept goaltending by Robin 'Split' Lehner

 

[Dubi Doo]

Defense, scoring depth, inconsistent goaltending, lack of leadership, lack of identity...there's a few reasons for ya!

 

[EdmFlyersfan]

(hold my beer) Peter Chiarelli...

 

[Quiet Jack]

GD, so it’s cool for Sabres fans to dump on Leafs fans, which they did routinely when they thought their rebuild was ahead of ours, and when they got Eichel, but it’s not okay for Leafs fans to talk smack back because lol 67’? Makes perfect sense.

Just so we're clear, you're gonna come storming into any sabres threads on yer high horse because some sabres fans (and fans of other teams) thought one rebuild was ahead of the other. And apparently you have carte blanche on this because of the injustices you have suffered.

Sounds reasonable.

"But he started it." (Said by a random 6 year old)

 

[Jozay]

Eichel is one player.

 

[SnizzNasty88]

I’m not a Sabres fan, I just find it amusing that the all things revolve around Matthews and the Leafs in Toronto fan’s minds. And that’s not a very nice thing to say about Buffalo, particularly when your team hasn’t won anything since 1967 (or 4 years before the Sabres even existed).

Since 1970-71, when the Sabres came into the NHL, they have made the playoffs 28 times. If you include this year, TOR has also made the playoffs 28 times. Buffalo is mired in a 7 year span of not making the playoffs, the same number of years in a row Toronto missed the playoffs from 2005/06-2011/12. The Leafs made the playoffs the next year and then promptly committed one of the most epic Game 7 chokes in NHL history against the Bruins. They followed that up with three more years of missing the playoffs.

It continues to amaze me how pompous Toronto fans are of late after years of ineptitude as bad/worse than a team like Buffalo. At least Sabre’s fans can say that their team went to the Finals in 98/99 (losing in controversial fashion in Game 6).

At least Leafs fans can say that their management did their rebuild right while Buffalo year after year continues to draft busts like Reinhart (Nylander is world’s ahead of him), Grigorenko, Girgensons and all these other duds, giving O’Reilly way too much money, and acquiring that dud Robin Lehner who can’t even stop a beach ball. Only reason why Leafs fans are so pompous is because we’ve been a passionate fan base thats been crapped on for years by so many other fan bases on this board and now several of the fan bases who crapped on us have bush teams while we have a great team that is going to be elite for years to come. You guys asked for it, not us. GO LEAFS GO.

 

[GloryDaze4877]

At least Leafs fans can say that their management did their rebuild right while Buffalo year after year continues to draft busts like Reinhart (Nylander is world’s ahead of him), Grigorenko, Girgensons and all these other duds, giving O’Reilly way too much money, and acquiring that dud Robin Lehner who can’t even stop a beach ball. Only reason why Leafs fans are so pompous is because we’ve been a passionate fan base thats been crapped on for years by so many other fan bases on this board and now several of the fan bases who crapped on us have bush teams while we have a great team that is going to be elite for years to come. You guys asked for it, not us. GO LEAFS GO.

Cool story bro...tell it again.

Pompous is pompous, could care less how your fanbase got that way. Pens fans are annoying as hell, but at least they have a reason to be arrogant.

 

[SoundAndFury]

@MattySnipes @Legionnaire

I wrote this post a month ago so Lehner's stats are slightly lower now since he obviously gave up but:

Those are 2 goalies, both got the stats provided at the same age as well:

1) 3305 shots against, 271 goals allowed, .919 Sv%
2) 3911 shots against, 323 goals allowed, .918 Sv%

1) is 3 Freddie Andersen's seasons playing for the Ducks before becoming Leafs' goalie of the future, 2) is Lehner's 3 seasons playing for Buffalo freaking Sabres.

[mod]

Even this season, at the beginning of February, Lehner had .916 Sv% placing him in the top-20 of goalies with at least 30 games played. He clearly gave up since and his Sv% started plummeting but for the most part of this season he was absolutely adequate.