What is this pre benching Pilut qualifier?
Lol
His level of play after getting pulled out of the lineup has taken a noticeable confidence hit.
What is this pre benching Pilut qualifier?
Lol
Now I'm starting to understand the meaning of soft.His level of play after getting pulled out of the lineup has taken a noticeable confidence hit.
Some of us called it when it happened. Benching a player for having a puck roll that happened to result in the game winning goal against was possibly Phil’s most cowardly decision.His level of play after getting pulled out of the lineup has taken a noticeable confidence hit.
I wonder if Phil posts on these boards. Speaking of some who are cowardly.Some of us called it when it happened. Benching a player for having a puck roll that happened to result in the game winning goal against was possibly Phil’s most cowardly decision.
The biggest improvement seems to have been in just getting good health out of their blueline. Man-games lost to their pencilled in top four are way, way down this year with the relative health of Bogosian and McCabe as well as the pingpong ball win of Dahlin. Add in pre-benching Pilut and they had an upgrade from AHL to NHL level play on the blueline which has helped push shots against down, improved transition play and as would follow, improve shots for.
As for how they are playing -- they aren't playing much better. They consistently yield goals within moments of scoring. They sag terribly in the final minute of periods. The improved mental play from early in the season has slipped back to what we saw regularly, frighteningly last season.
And that blows back on the coach Botterill installed and the team he's constructed as well as his nearly complete inactivity to improve his roster since opening night.
Not sure what you are implying here. Seems....deliberately vague.I wonder if Phil posts on these boards. Speaking of some who are cowardly.
Regardless, Pilut sure seems to have promise, but he's still a work in progress.
That last part is the one that really sticks in my craw (well, that and Housley). After the strong start we had, how do you sit there and do absolutely nothing when the team starts falling down the standings? It'd be one thing if Botts had looked at making a trade but thought the cost was too high, but there hasn't been a peep about the Sabres even expressing interest in any of the number of players on trading blocks around the league who could've helped us. Makes it seem like he's perfectly content to watch this team go down in flames, again.
Whatever fits the narrative.His level of play after getting pulled out of the lineup has taken a noticeable confidence hit.
I'd love to see our record with and without Skinner Eichel Reinhart as our top line. It completely destroys the team, and Housley keeps going back to it.
This post pretty much sums it all up MONTHS of inaction from Botts doing nothing but letting the season slip away.Our record started it's nose dive on December 15th, the day Berglund was suspended.
Botts needed to trade for a 2/3C replacement that day/immediately and it never happened.
I find it hard to believe there wasn't a trade to be made.
For assets we don't have. It takes two to tango.There's certainly been a flurry of 2C (young, with term) moved this season.
For assets we don't have. It takes two to tango.
Unless Botterill puts one of the 1sts on the table, he's not prying anything that's going to satisfy most people.
There's certainly been a flurry of 2C (young, with term) moved this season.
He was being sarcastic.
Whatever fits the narrative.
Are there any 2C moved this year who are young and have term?
Pardon? He was a solid transition player who drew Risto's underlying numbers up when paired with him. Since the benching, his play has flagged. It seems plausible that he's having confidence issues, especially watching him lock up on d-zone reads compared to his initial read-and-react decision making of his initial recall.
There's certainly been a flurry of 2C (young, with term) moved this season.
I think you could count Dylan Strome as one. He's playing well on the second line in Chicago. But, part of that is good chemistry with his junior teammate/roommate.
They don't need a 2C as much as they need another viable 3C who isn't a pit. It's not like Mitts is getting a ton of minutes, enough to quantify him as the 2C anyway. Mitts lack of performance until recently is compounded by the lack of protection.
I'd buy off on that. And I guess you could see Nick Schmaltz as a 2C who was traded for Strome. Which in some way, kinda makes the thing a wash.
I think a 3C would be enough if they played in the western conference. But in the east they need a 2C to make the playoffs.
Housley sucks, yes. But that doesn't mean that his drop off in play has anything to do with the coach killing his confidence. I'm surprised how often this is thrown around in hockey considering professional athletes as a whole are a very confident bunch.Pardon? He was a solid transition player who drew Risto's underlying numbers up when paired with him. Since the benching, his play has flagged. It seems plausible that he's having confidence issues, especially watching him lock up on d-zone reads compared to his initial read-and-react decision making of his initial recall.