Who is most responsible for the "streak"?

[jBuds]

Who is most responsible for the winning ways down the stretch?


Couple nominees:

In tune with the song and dance of failure within mixed with the failure of still not being bad enough, let’s try to pin the blame on the culprit most responsible for the biggest, most mind-numbing, irrelevantly meaningful streak of gaining points in the standings.

Defendant One: Ted Nolan

Defendant Four: Johan Larsson
He became the de facto top-line center down the stretch, and his forechecking, presence in front and in the corners, decent play in his own zone and contributions offensively were directly impacting the outcome. He and Defendant Two have formed a respectable duo.

Defendant Seven: Andrej Meszaros
An entire season of frustration slowly changed after the trade deadline, and in the final stretch of destiny, Meszaros decided to unleash a level of play that is both a personal best and respectable league wide. It couldn’t have come at a worse time.

It's pretty strange that we would be angry that people have done things that contribute to winning ways, but that's the predicament we are in. What are your thoughts? In the event it happens, do you pin it on one person, named or not named?

Click to read more...

 

[26CornerBlitz]

Arizona and Toronto.

 

[jBuds]

Arizona and Toronto.

Internally!

 

[Ness]

Nolan/Meszaros. **** both of them.

Can't hate on Johan. If anything, I'm glad to see him playing well because he is young and looks to be a promising 3rd line center.

 

[Beerz]

Internally!

Arizona and Toronto

 

[EichHart]

The fans for cheering when the Sabres lost in OT to Phoenix.

/thread

 

[wunderpanda]

Murray built the team to be better than last year. 52 points last year, 52 this year so far.

 

[BornBuffaloFan]

lol... they started from the bottom and they are here....

our team is a bunch of ****** bags

 

[haseoke39]

Murray built the team to be better than last year. 52 points last year, 52 this year so far.

This is the only answer. Everyone else is doing EXACTLY what they should be.

 

[Zman5778]

Arizona and Toronto.

This is pretty much the correct answer. Both externally and internally.

 

[Husko]

By "streak" you mean 2 games right?

 

[26CornerBlitz]

This is pretty much the correct answer. Both externally and internally.

Ding!

 

[jBuds]

By "streak" you mean 2 games right?

Yes exactly.

Or the hypothetical scenario that sees it extend further, simultaneously assuming all impacting factors maintain course

 

[My Cozen Dylan]

Defendant One: Ted Nolan

Verdict: Guilty.

Nolan is clearly out to smite the fans and the GM. Evidence beyond reasonable doubt.

Defendant Two: Tyler Ennis

Verdict: Not Guilty.

Heart and Soul Player every game. His game hasn't changed recently. Evidence circumstantial at best.

Defendant Three: The Fans

Verdict: Not Guilty by Reason of Sanity.

Yes, you read that right. We are sane, we care, we want long term success. Evidence 40 years running.

Defendant Four: Johan Larsson

Verdict: Not Guilty.

He's a young player fighting for his future with the organization. Evidence contrary to point.

Defendant Five: Mike Weber

Verdict: Guilty.

He's Ted Nolan's biggest buddy right now. Motivating for wins, insulting the fans. Evidence beyond reasonable doubt.

Defendant Six: Matt Ellis

Verdict: Not Guilty.

Ellis has always been the heart and soul leader with no talent. His points last night were fluke. Evidence circumstantial.

Defendant Seven: Andrej Meszaros

Verdict: Guilty.

It's obvious he's playing well on purpose. He only came here because Murray overpaid. He coasted the whole season and is now Nolan's newest apprentice. Evidence beyond reasonable doubt.

 

[ZeroPT*]

This is the only answer. Everyone else is doing EXACTLY what they should be.

I say this as politely as possible but if the Kane-Myers trade didn't happen then you'd be signing a completely different tune. That trade offended you so much that you went into a quasi-suicidal state for like a week and have proceeded to say "well Murray might do this trade" to any ridiculous trade offer on the trade board. It has completely clouded your judgement. If Murray's goal were truly to finish 30th, then the team he's put together has done a fine job of it. Its the fact that a 3rd of the league decided to magically suck this one year for some odd reason.

 

[haseoke39]

I say this as politely as possible but if the Kane-Myers trade didn't happen then you'd be signing a completely different tune. That trade offended you so much that you went into a quasi-suicidal state for like a week and have proceeded to say "well Murray might do this trade" to any ridiculous trade offer on the trade board. It has completely clouded your judgement. If Murray's goal were truly to finish 30th, then the team he's put together has done a fine job of it. Its the fact that a 3rd of the league decided to magically suck this one year for some odd reason.

What the **** are you even talking about? I'm talking about players and coaches don't tank, only management does, and only management can be judged for the success or lack thereof. This is petty ********.

 

[haseoke39]

Quasi suicidal, is that just a standard putdown now for anyone we disagree with? I think we lost the Myers trade badly, you don't, get on with your life.

 

[ZeroPT*]

Quasi suicidal, is that just a standard putdown now for anyone we disagree with? I think we lost the Myers trade badly, you don't, get on with your life.

You were genuinely depressed, went on a bunch of threads over on the main trade board and quite literally embarrassed yourself. I'm not the only one who thinks so.

Don't you remember saying "I would send them Kane and Bogosian back for Myers. They can keep the change"

Remember? Yeah. I do. So does everyone else on the board.

What the **** are you even talking about? I'm talking about players and coaches don't tank, only management does, and only management can be judged for the success or lack thereof. This is petty ********.

well that just doesn't make any sense whatsoever. Look at what Murray has done this year. He's done everything in his power to strip down this team to scrubs and AHLers. How can he be at fault if they still don't finish last after all that tear down? He can't. The "fault" is no ones. It's the fact that Toronto and Arizona (especially Arizona) did it too. Murray has no control over external matters. Most games we won are pure luck and shootout wins. No one in the organization can be at fault for straight up ********.

 

[haseoke39]

You were genuinely depressed, went on a bunch of threads over on the main trade board and quite literally embarrassed yourself. I'm not the only one who thinks so.

Don't you remember saying "I would send them Kane and Bogosian back for Myers. They can keep the change"

Remember? Yeah. I do. So does everyone else on the board.


well that just doesn't make any sense whatsoever. Look at what Murray has done this year. He's done everything in his power to strip down this team to scrubs and AHLers. How can he be at fault if they still don't finish last after all that tear down? He can't. The "fault" is no ones. It's the fact that Toronto and Arizona (especially Arizona) did it too. Murray has no control over external matters. Most games we won are pure luck and shootout wins. No one in the organization can be at fault for straight up ********.

He's the only one who can be blamed. And no one saw anyone else trying to tank this year, huh?

I'm not hiding from the fact that I think Myers for kane and bogosian is a good deal. I think Myers is a potent 2 way #1d and we moved him for complementary pieces. But that's for nothing to do with nothing in this thread and your message is basically hey haseoke I think you're an embarrassment and should get the **** of the boards. So thanks for that.

 

[haseoke39]

It's like no one said over the summer he was putting us in dicey territory. Or in November-December. It's like no one predicted we'd be in trouble because it would be crowded at the bottom this year.

And for all that, read what the **** I'm saying. Murray could look like a genius if we finish last by a point. That's perfection. It's just, he's on a high risk, high reward path, and were gonna have to see.

 

[ZeroPT*]

He's the only one who can be blamed. And no one saw anyone else trying to tank this year, huh?

I'm not hiding from the fact that I think Myers for kane and bogosian is a good deal. I think Myers is a potent 2 way #1d and we moved him for complementary pieces. But that's for nothing to do with nothing in this thread and your message is basically hey haseoke I think you're an embarrassment and should get the **** of the boards. So thanks for that.

jesus hell no. That's not at all what I was trying to convey. I'm sorry if I offended you or something but in now way shape or form did I intend to imply that.

It's like no one said over the summer he was putting us in dicey territory. Or in November-December. It's like no one predicted we'd be in trouble because it would be crowded at the bottom this year.

And for all that, read what the **** I'm saying. Murray could look like a genius if we finish last by a point. That's perfection. It's just, he's on a high risk, high reward path, and were gonna have to see.

November-December were a bunch of shootout wins. The thing over the summer? I don't think many bought that. Most were saying the team was still easily the worst in the league but still improved over last year.

At least that's how I remember. How can you blame Murray though? He's done everything he can. He's like us at this point. He can't do anymore. He traded like 90% of the competence of the roster. We have Larsson as a 1C and Meszaros,Strachan AND Benoit playing over 20 minutes. He's stripped this roster so much, nothing else could've been done. He did his part. No one could've predicted Arizona losing their two best forwards getting major injuries AND trading away Yandle. It's out of his control. If we finish 30th, no one should get any blame. Not Nolan, Not Murray, not anyone. It's because we got out tanked by Arizona.

 

[haseoke39]

jesus hell no. That's not at all what I was trying to convey. I'm sorry if I offended you or something but in now way shape or form did I intend to imply that.




November-December were a bunch of shootout wins. The thing over the summer? I don't think many bought that. Most were saying the team was still easily the worst in the league but still improved over last year.

At least that's how I remember. How can you blame Murray though? He's done everything he can. He's like us at this point. He can't do anymore. He traded like 90% of the competence of the roster. We have Larsson as a 1C and Meszaros,Strachan AND Benoit playing over 20 minutes. He's stripped this roster so much, nothing else could've been done. He did his part. No one could've predicted Arizona losing their two best forwards getting major injuries AND trading away Yandle. It's out of his control. If we finish 30th, no one should get any blame. Not Nolan, Not Murray, not anyone. It's because we got out tanked by Arizona.

I'm fine with acknowledging all this would be easier if no one else was trying to tank. But I'm not okay with pretending none of this was foreseeable or that there were no other options. If no one is responsible, then hey, a Mulligan for everyone. I'm not saying fire Murray, I'm just saying someone in the organization has to be considered somewhat responsible for execution of the biggest part of the organizational plan. If the team improves over last year in a year when everyone knew teams would be tanking, and that costs us the cornerstone of the rebuild, yeah, that goes somewhere. Murray is the only option, IMO.

 

[Djp]

Lightning....

 

[ZeroPT*]

I'm fine with acknowledging all this would be easier if no one else was trying to tank. But I'm not okay with pretending none of this was foreseeable or that there were no other options. If no one is responsible, then hey, a Mulligan for everyone. I'm not saying fire Murray, I'm just saying someone in the organization has to be considered somewhat responsible for execution of the biggest part of the organizational plan. If the team improves over last year in a year when everyone knew teams would be tanking, and that costs us the cornerstone of the rebuild, yeah, that goes somewhere. Murray is the only option, IMO.

I'm sorry but if I went back to August 2014 and said "Arizona will trade Michalek,Yandle and Dubnyk (who has been fantastic in Arizona) for no one on the NHL roster, in addition to losing Boedker and Hanzal to serious injuries that they would be our main competition for 30th." I'd be laughed out of the room and or be called a tinfoil hat model.

I guess you can say it was foreseeable, but it's a whole lot of convenient things happening. He was proactive. That's all I ask. He's done his bit. He's actually done more that I thought he would. In terms of tank, the Myers deal was a net loss. both goalies got dealt, Stewart got dealt, he's done what he can. If he sat on his hands, I would strongly agreed. But once again, the main thing with Murray, and the main reason as to why I like him and want to go forward with him is proactivity.

 

[haseoke39]

If you said a couple teams would end the season in the 50s for points I think a lot of folks would have said sounds about right. Don't have to predict the specific players traded from Arizona for there to be some value to that.

I agree he's done a lot. I think the most likely thing is in a week we're gonna be saying he did it perfectly - brought in leadership, built a culture and let the kids develop in as positive an environment as he could under the circumstances. If I'd been in charge, Id gave been a lot more conservative. I probably wouldn't have brought on gionta, gorges, moulson. I'd probably have routinely scoured the waiver wire for whoever we could nab that would keep talent on the farm. I might have even sent down ristolainen.

Would it have been the better course? Well, I'm 88% certain or whatever the odds are that it wouldn't have been.

But if we miss eichel, maybe it would have. High risk high reward.

I just don't buy this no one saw it coming and nothing could have been done anyways stuff. If we miss mceichel, it will have been because management misjudged. Not a huge error in judgment, but huge in impact, and it has to be part of how they're assessed.