Post-Game Talk (GBU): When does the sun come out again?

[OkimLom]

We looked exactly like the Kings in last year's playoffs, just overwhelmed and rushed by Vegas all night. Vegas played amazing and I would like to see how we look the next 3 games in California before I totally give up on the team. Vegas' relentless style of play was too much for us, thankfully we don't have to see them again this year because we are not equipped to handle that kind of speed and pressure.

Nope we just have games against Toronto, Tampa, Devils, Carolina, Pittsburgh, Islanders, Jets, Capitals, Ottawa, and others to deal with speed and pressure multiple times this season.

 

[Ness]

Doubling down on disappointment, is that we were basically at full strength last night. I doubt Hunwick or Wilson move the needle. That was are healthy starting lineup getting smoked

Nylander, Pilut, Asplund are all players to look forward to seeing up in the NHL.

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

Nylander, Pilut, Asplund are all players to look forward to seeing up in the NHL.

There are always prospects to look forward to for every team. Unfortunately for buffalo, ours tend not to turn out better than other team’s prospects.

 

[sabrebuild]

Didn't watch the game (too late for me) but...

G: Not the Sabres

B: The Sabres

U: Sigh... think it might be time for another break from HF. At least in the offseason the armchair coach/GM/owner-ing and narratives and conspiracy theories about why certain players are up and others are in Rochester... could be quelled somewhat with the excitement of the season starting. If the team is going to suck again, there isn't much reason to be here unless you want to discuss at length why everyone needs to be fired and everyone needs to be waived for the umpteenth time and how much better things would be if we were in charge.

So we are all clear, your optimism is over after 6 games and it’s everyone else’s fault for knowing ahead of time our management is questionable.

Please take the rest of the season off. Insufferable.

 

[Rasmus CacOlainen]

Doubling down on disappointment, is that we were basically at full strength last night. I doubt Hunwick or Wilson move the needle. That was are healthy starting lineup getting smoked

It gets smoked almost every game this season. Think we deserved 1 win this season so far...we just dont play as a team that knows how to play coherent hockey. I can only thank the coach for such a state because we have the necessary players for a much better team than we are watching.

 

[Gabrielor]

It gets smoked almost every game this season. Think we deserved 1 win this season so far...we just dont play as a team that knows how to play coherent hockey. I can only thank the coach for such a state because we have the necessary players for a much better team than we are watching.

Agreed on the coach part. On the players, I’m less certain, because for some guys, it’s like the 3rd chance to change.

 

[CatsforReinhart]

As others have stated, this is exactly who this team is.
Culture change or changing? Don't bet on it. In order for there to be culture change, individuals need to be held accountable for efforts like last night, from coaching to leaders on the ice. But, they won't be, so prepare for more of the same.

As I've stated repeatedly, the rebuild is a complete and utter failure. We are now the Edmonton Oilers, without McDavid, and no matter how many 1st overall picks you throw at this roster, it won't find success until commitment to winning shows up.

The coach and the players already stated its a better locker room.

Just curious, are you calling them liars?

 

[OkimLom]

The coach and the players already stated its a better locker room.

Just curious, are you calling them liars?

Yes.

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

The coach and the players already stated its a better locker room.

Just curious, are you calling them liars?

Yes. Phil Housley benefits from blaming O’Reilly instead of incompetent coaching.

And I am not surprised one bit that the team with more NHL players than last year has a more positive attitude.

 

[Jim Bob]

The coach and the players already stated its a better locker room.

Just curious, are you calling them liars?

Let's see if they are still saying that in January if the team is in the bottom five in the league.

It's easy to have a more positive outlook before you get punched in the face.

 

[sincerity0]

Buffalo isn’t going to get better until guys like Risto start playing better. I may be looking at more of an effect of poor systems or coaching but Risto was outshot 11 to 28 vs Arizona (!) 27%CF and 8 to 15 35% against the Knights. Scandella and McCabe are not fairing much better.

Beaulieu / Nelson are faring “better” without taking into competition into result.

Buffalos big hope here is that by the end of the year Dahlin takes bigger minutes, and Pilut and/or Guhle can come in and play more effective, more difficult minutes than Beaulieu and Nelson.

 

[Beerz]

Buffalo isn’t going to get better until guys like Risto start playing better. I may be looking at more of an effect of poor systems or coaching but Risto was outshot 11 to 28 vs Arizona (!) 27%CF and 8 to 15 35% against the Knights. Scandella and McCabe are not fairing much better.

Beaulieu / Nelson are faring “better” without taking into competition into result.

Buffalos big hope here is that by the end of the year Dahlin takes bigger minutes, and Pilut and/or Guhle can come in and play more effective, more difficult minutes than Beaulieu and Nelson.

When you're stuck with forwards that cant play together and turn the puck over time and time again of course your corsi is going to suck ... it's such an unreliable stat.

Ristos issue isnt being on the ice and getting outshot ..its the dumb decisions hes been making both with the puck and away from puck in tracking opponents

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

I don't see why they don't instruct the defenders to hold the blue line. That's the point of playing a 1-2-2 with as short a gap between the blue line and the back checkers.

For that matter, how does a team playing that scheme get burned for so many odd man rushes. It shouldn't be possible. They aren't a strong cycling team, the defense shouldn't be green lit to pinch the way they do.

This is a transition team, and until they employ a strategy with that in mind they'll hover around .500.

 

[1point21Gigawatts]

The coach and the players already stated its a better locker room.

Just curious, are you calling them liars?

I've got to hand it to you, your devotion to this foolish notion that the team is better because the players and coach say the locker room is better is impressive.

The players can say that the attitude in the locker room is better until they're blue in the face, but words don't fix bad coaching and a flawed system. Yeah, the locker room is better because we can hold our own against other bottom 10 teams. The second this team plays another team with real talent and playoff hopes - they fold and the holes in Housley's "system" become glaring.

This group needs a hard nosed coach who isn't gonna take crap or give an inch to anyone based on perceived stardom. Not to beat a dead horse, but if the sabres HAD landed Babcock then we'd be in much better shape in regards to on ice results ( i can't speak for the roster in this situation). If ever a coach like Coach Q becomes available, we should show Housley his walking papers and bring that guy in.

 

[Dreakon13]

So we are all clear, your optimism is over after 6 games and it’s everyone else’s fault for knowing ahead of time our management is questionable.

Please take the rest of the season off. Insufferable.

Who said my optimism is over? I'm going to keep watching and enjoying the games. Just because they haven't been great to start the season doesn't mean there aren't silver linings and they can't get better (though betting against Buffalo is probably the safest bet in sports and is hardly something to hang your hats on). I just don't see why I'm trying to justify that optimism anymore, and trying to express it here in particular is just exhausting.

As if the season isn't exhausting enough.

 

[SatanwasaSlovak]

Could've gotten a little more goals this game, a bit of a bad luck last night is what i gathered.

 

[Dirty Dog]

Such assitry, that is all.

 

[sabremike]

You sound like a madman.

Bullshit, the madmen are the people who run and coach this sad pathetic diseased excuse of an organization. Nothing ever changes. NOTHING. Just more incompetence upon more incompetence. We can get top picks until the cows come home and the organization is so beyond screwed up it will mean nothing.

 

[OkimLom]

Could've gotten a little more goals this game, a bit of a bad luck last night is what i gathered.

Not really.

If anything they had good luck for not allowing more goals.

 

[brian_griffin]

Could've gotten a little more goals this game, a bit of a bad luck last night is what i gathered.

Not really.

If anything they had good luck for not allowing more goals.

Sabres generated few if any very dangerous chances. I remember 2 posts were hit (Scandella and ???). Also Sheary or Skinner walked out from behind the net (on a PP I believe). Either Skinner or Mittelstadt took a post-faceoff win by Okposo and had a good luck shot from the top of the circle. I can't recall any dangerous shot on transition or an odd-man rush, with the exception of Mittelstadt's shot from a stride past the blue line which led to the "high-sticking" scrum after Fleury saved it.

Their single goal in the last minute of play was a coin flip as to whether it would have been disallowed.

They were as impotent as a donkey last night.

 

[oldgoalie]

Sabres generated few if any very dangerous chances. I remember 2 posts were hit (Scandella and ???). Also Sheary or Skinner walked out from behind the net (on a PP I believe). Either Skinner or Mittelstadt took a post-faceoff win by Okposo and had a good luck shot from the top of the circle. I can't recall any dangerous shot on transition or an odd-man rush, with the exception of Mittelstadt's shot from a stride past the blue line which led to the "high-sticking" scrum after Fleury saved it.

Their single goal in the last minute of play was a coin flip as to whether it would have been disallowed.

They were as impotent as a donkey last night.

did you mean "mule"?

 

[darcyRegier]

This is what happens when you have to completely rely on a 21 year old center to produce every game and a goalie to keep the games close because the supporting cast isn't strong enough to pick up the slack when the aforementioned 21 year old and/or goalie have off nights.

Edmonton and Buffalo share a very similar problem...

 

[Zman5778]

My view:

Did we play poorly? Yes, of course. But I think we also have to give massive credit to Vegas too. They looked like the team that went to the Cup finals last night. We don't have the speed to keep up with them, nor the relentless work ethic.

This is what happens when you rely on youth. You get games like that. We've also legit won 2 games and have had Hutton steal us one. These things will happen with a young team early in a season. It doesn't mean the tank failed. It doesn't mean we're going to continue to suck. It simply means we're not there yet, and if anyone expected otherwise then I really don't know what to say.

If Jack/Sam/winger don't carry our offense, then it's on Skinner to do so -- and his line (with Mitts and Okposo) were easily the best of the night and were slightly unlucky not to pot one or two.

But our team as presently constituted and coached just can't compete with Vegas when they're firing.........or any top team.

 

[sabremike]

My view:

Did we play poorly? Yes, of course. But I think we also have to give massive credit to Vegas too. They looked like the team that went to the Cup finals last night. We don't have the speed to keep up with them, nor the relentless work ethic.

This is what happens when you rely on youth. You get games like that. We've also legit won 2 games and have had Hutton steal us one. These things will happen with a young team early in a season. It doesn't mean the tank failed. It doesn't mean we're going to continue to suck. It simply means we're not there yet, and if anyone expected otherwise then I really don't know what to say.

If Jack/Sam/winger don't carry our offense, then it's on Skinner to do so -- and his line (with Mitts and Okposo) were easily the best of the night and were slightly unlucky not to pot one or two.

But our team as presently constituted and coached just can't compete with Vegas when they're firing.........or any top team.

You would have a point if we actually were the better team in any of our wins, two of which came against the worst teams in the entire league. This team isn't "young", it's slow and terrible. Watch a game with any halfway decent team, then watch us. We look like a team skating and speed wise from the 1970's. If you want a "young" team look at Ottawa, a team that right now looks very respectable despite an off season that was the most embarrassing and spectacular tire fires in league history. If they can improve, if Montreal, Carolina, Jersey and even the Islanders can improve then why the heck am I asking for a miracle to see improvement? I'll get people to attack me for being negative but I was at least optimistic going into this season that for my birthday in November I am taking an 8 hour bus ride each way from Manhattan to Buffalo for the game vs. Tampa with the expectation that this team would be fun. Now I am almost dreading the thought of us getting boatraced in front of a half empty KBA while the only people who stay are doing so to boo the team off the ice. Closer to home I will be at the Garden on November 4th, and again the thought of being there in my Perrault jersey getting laughed at by mutants in the blue seats just brings me total sadness. I just want some progress this season, and I'm not even getting that.

 

[sabrebuild]

My view:

Did we play poorly? Yes, of course. But I think we also have to give massive credit to Vegas too. They looked like the team that went to the Cup finals last night. We don't have the speed to keep up with them, nor the relentless work ethic.

This is what happens when you rely on youth. You get games like that. We've also legit won 2 games and have had Hutton steal us one. These things will happen with a young team early in a season. It doesn't mean the tank failed. It doesn't mean we're going to continue to suck. It simply means we're not there yet, and if anyone expected otherwise then I really don't know what to say.

If Jack/Sam/winger don't carry our offense, then it's on Skinner to do so -- and his line (with Mitts and Okposo) were easily the best of the night and were slightly unlucky not to pot one or two.

But our team as presently constituted and coached just can't compete with Vegas when they're firing.........or any top team.

Quite the indictment. That our coach is on year two and he can’t get his team on the same page to play fast and aggressive.

I mean in two games against Vegas, at no point could you say they are far more talented. And yesterday was a clinic on how a well coached team can certainly have bad days, but can also look like a disciplined aggressive in your face team.

If people are curious what a good culture looks like, it looks like that. A team struggles to score for two weeks of the season, says ok, and keeps coming in waves.