R_Dudley

Just watched that interview. I have admittedly not seen him in too many recent interviews but he seemed to a little defensive and edgy from the get go. i also didn't agree with him putting the focus on the last 10 games playing better in spurts and ignoring the team stopped performing well almost another 20 games before these last 10. Yeah I definitely can see and agree with what some are saying in the thread that comparatively speaking their is improvement or hope for growth in the changes that were made but trumping out the rookie excuse playing in prominent roles they haven't been in before didn't sit well with me. I would have liked someone to ask why did we put those players in that position when that's a likely outcome and not get a few more veterans to fill the gap to let the Rooks develop in Rachacha. I would prefer he man up and say they expected the year to be a throw away because they decided to put those players in that position. I would also have liked to ask him how that approach reconciles with what he said about building through the farm and letting the players learn how to win in the AHL vs losing in the NHL... but that probably would have not gone over with the PR they were selling...

I see other threads calling it toughness, heart, Intensity, not playing for each other, etc... Watching the NHL channel of ex Hockey players describe the Sabre's play of late they say they are playing without any urgency. Watching other hockey games and teams that's exactly what I see as well. Montreal, TO, Boston, Tampa, NYI, also now NYR, Hurricanes, Florida, playing on their toes playing with urgency and passion up and down the ice. Several of these teams are no bigger or much more skilled than the current Sabre's. Of course it starts with having players that have some of that in their DNA(hate to lose) but isn't that how all these guys supposedly made it to this level? But I also hear watching the NHL channel pundits talk about how coaching on these top teams demand it. If its not there players sit, are removed from prominent roles/given lesser roles. They promote the effort vs. the going through the motions under achieving. If a coach isn't consistent on what he expects, wants done and how he communicates and enforces it with all the players then how does the overall team respond if you don't manage everyone's time, role and chances the same. This is the Head coaches main job. This is where our coaching/management has not helped much this season. How long before players were or should have been sent to Rochester, players were taken off the PP1, moved to PP2 or off it altogether, playing the same players or lines for so many games when execution and performance wasn't where it needed or should be. That's where you create the teaching moments, assuming your position coaches work with said player for what is expected and reinforce things you know they can do better and what they can do to improve. Do you really have any other tools to motivate a players performance. If a player is happy sitting vs. playing because he wasn't playing right then do you really want him on your team? Having watched all season and doing all the same head scratching I have read here about which players are or are not playing in what roles on what lines, whose up vs whose down at this point I guess I am not real surprised. These Sabre's still do not look or act like a team that are putting forth the the same efforts, urgency and passion for what they do and for each other night in and night out. Sad its their profession but lately looks more like a beer league on too many nights.

Alex, I'll take don't think that way/practice precise shooting enough for $100. What happened to art of a wrist shot or one timer. Too often looks like trying to set up perfect when a shot on net, go to the net would be good enough. Now mind you like pool you still have to play the angles and anticipate based on practiced shot selection where the puck is more likely to end up. Also we almost always appear to be going top shelf and miss completely when getting it down low on goalie produces rebounds that work for goals. That's all i got PA. Discuss.....

Okay I know better than to bet for or against the Sabres so my bad. I won't really consider it a loss if I get to have a beer there from the pictures I have seen. Will provide plenty of notice around when this trip may be happening.

I will bet against that. The glove is down. Is this a gentle mans bet or for beers for either of our next trips across the ocean? (note my oldest son wants me to do a Germany trip sometime next year that this may be able to worked into.)

I hope Doohickie is as successful in GDT as PA has been of late. Not that we SS's are superstitious or anything (as I throw salt over shoulder, rubs rabbits foot, knocks on wood, crosses fingers and legs...) Another must win to keep pace or lose place.. Friday evening, no work tomorrow , game on, drinks flowing, sleep in allowed, i do work for the weekend. My Nephew NY Ranger fan is in town and going to the game with my brother, Brother-in-law, Daughter, Son in law and nephew and he never asked me if I would've come. So any single Ranger fan(he wears his NYR gear) you see with Sabre's fans named Paul please give em a rough ride... And Buffalo please do your part and beat em like dish Rag's!! Lets Go Buffalo, nothing but family bragging rights will do...

My heart says yes but my head and eye test says no and that's how I voted. Now I do expect them to keep us all engaged right up to the bitter end of season when we miss out by 4-8 pts. Then the final season reflection can begin of if we only had a PP that worked, a different 2nd line center, so-so didn't get hurt.we could squeezed out another 3-5 wins during the different down stretches how everything would be different

Hahaha, your rounding back into playoff form my friend, you must start the thread Friday. I can't start the thread, never fear Dudly is here I'll start the thread........ to the rescue Nice use of modern iconography and what you did their with pulling out the strawman analogy. Old is the new hip especially once they replace one....

LOL, Nice work. Its your GIF so then shall you dub that the "Ullmark Shake or the "Ullmark Shimmy" ? I personally like Shimmy but that's me...

Well stayed out of the GDT during but watched the game. Best complete game I have seen from this team in some time. Now that's how you play at this time of the year. There was a little running around during the 3rd that got me nervous but they didn't fall apart. And how about that Larry line. Finally looked to have some balanced line play. I also think Pilut played with more poise and looks better than Dahlin right now with the puck and his decisions on the ice (positioning and playing the puck, knowing when to step up,etc.). Very nice to beat a top team and start to build that team confidence again. Nice feeling when they play like we think they are capable of. Thank you sir may i have another....

Well we got almost 2 and 3/4 periods of solid play against the 1st place Jets team and now we get to see a test of the Sabres mettle with another 1st place team tonight. We will see if this team is up for the task. Agree with all those in the thread questioning some of Phils line-up decisions and who he puts on the ice in key situations as I don't see what his rationale is with certain players and why others why who may have more upside potential are not being given a chance. Lets win one against a team higher than us in the standings for the home fans. Hedi, heidi Ho, Let's go Buffalo !

As someone who has questioned Phil's head coaching for several months now I hope you kept a space for me in that HHole?

Was on a mini guys trip last Tuesday through late Sunday, Missed the games but peeked at the scores and determined didn't miss much. Back at it at work and stopping in here but still jet lagged so I'm not sure if I'll suffer them tonight or go to sleep and try and continue recovering from all that drinking and debauchery. Regardless I hope they win for the home crowd. Let's go Buffalo

"No_confidence" Sorry that's my vote and I kinda made it one word so rules are meant to be bent...?

This experimenting should have happened months ago when the streak ended and the wheels were not spinning instead of waiting for them to fall off and now be at this point in the season where its desperation motivated. Too many new unpracticed moving parts to expect this to magically click but hey lucky is better than good when you haven't been good.

So Oilers vs. Sabres comparison instead of Sabres vs. any other middling team because ? 1.) Nothing much else interesting to talk about 2.) We share the longest records for futility or failure to reach playoffs. 3.) We lost the no 1 for McDavid and got Jack for it. 4.) in 2007 we matched Vaneks 7 year 50 million contract offer instead of taking their next 3 years number 1's. Its all good because I would say for all of the above... Its clearly the Sabres for me because; they have almost shed all the bad contracts, they've built up the farm, they have restocked the pond, they still have lots of good draft capital, The management structure has a plan they shared and have been executing pretty well on it and our defense has lots more potential both on board and in the pipeline even w/o the draft capital to still spend. Now gimme a solid PP coach this year and this teams record would really reflect that we are better...

I know this is a trade thread however we have all seen how bad our PP has been and if Jbot doesn't want to use his draft capital for more talent then dad gummit why can't he improve his coaching with something like this... https://unionandblue.com/2019/01/21/columbus-blue-jackets-hire-martin-st-louis-special-teams-consultant/

While I agree those are all positions of need and add more talent where its needed that alone will not make this team a winner. If it was only talent then the top teams wouldn't need a coach. We have all seen very good coaches do more with less. At least having their teams play sound fundamental hockey. Reading through the post GDT threads its apparent many of the mistakes everyone keeps talking about the players make can be attributed to effort and execution. The great coaches in any sport have always been able to get the most out of their players. This team plays like Housley played through out his career soft, and easily disrupted. Their continues to a be a disconnect between the system they are using, the players needed to execute that system and the coaching needed to make that happen. Sounds simple right. My biggest disappoint continues to be I feel like we may have 2 out of the 3(management and talent base) but I am still not seeing the signs that's going to happen with the coaching.

Nice use of stats masquerading as charts, Ducks and runs for cover... Definitely interested to see if this team can back up their words from calgary game where they said they know now how they ened to play to be successful.. Lets Go Buff-a-lo..!

Wow. Well I am not a nerd stats guys(not condescending my term of endearment) or detailed Hockey strategy know every players fantasy/trade value or have the time to do detailed analysis of every topic discussed here by others. We also have a pretty healthy amount of razzing, snark and great humor that a lot of us have bandied about as well. Maybe that allows the discussions to get misconstrued into making it feel personal because I have seen a lot of very good exchanges prior with the people debating in this one. I voted stats should be allowed because I enjoy reading these various opinions and idea's even if i don't always agree with them. That's what makes this place more than any other board I have read and seen. Now i leave with a Dadism not to offend someone but because I am one. "Don't sweat the Petty things and Don't pet the sweaty things and remember they are all petty on a message board".

Yep a team that works hard for 60 minutes a game vs one that does about 20 comes out on top more often than not.

Yes. I read the WGR article this morning about the hard video session they had yesterday from the Oilers game and they were saying "just having a greater respect when we don’t have the puck that something bad could happen and we didn’t have enough respect yesterday and it cost us.” Is this some new coach speak for a politically correct way say discipline? That's what i have heard good solid coaches call it in the past for what I see lacking when the wheels come off. Discipline to keep on their assignment, discipline to not panic when facing a fore check with blind passes. Discipline in playing a tight checking game because a puck cannot do anything by itself. Now I am not naive to think that alone makes it work, It starts with the system and practice to know what to do in those situations and confidence that the system works and if you at least the match other teams effort your discipline/execution gives you a better chance at success than scrambling around. I just don't understand why doesn't this team have that since a lot of us agree here we are as skilled as the wild card teams now in front of us and the lesser teams below us that we regularly fail to meet their level of play. If a see a maximum, concerted, organized effort I can better rationalize the loss vs win its not even seeing that in so many of these last 2 months lost games that frustrates me about where this team really is. More talent definitely would be great but it won 't solve the discipline, team effort issues I continue to regularly see.

The only game we won recently and looked competent doing it was the lineup against NJD we won 5 -1 and Jack didn't even play. What were the lines for that game. When its not working with a single high scoring line you have to break it up and try different combinations. That and other teams double shift their best center across more than one line. That can create mismatches and more secondary scoring. I agree with whoever I saw in another thread say Phil made a decent assistant coach but he does not appear to have what it takes to be head coach... It looks more and more like that with his use of this roster. Hell I an am starting to think Ted Nolan could do better head coaching then what we are seeing from Wowie.

Okay so looks like they answered my question emphatically with the latest we forgot how to play fundamental hockey demonstration last night. I will also answer Imlachs question again from early in this thread of why we should think better of the Isles and Montreal than our beloved Sabre's and say it definitely is not a huge difference in talent but very simply to me a huge difference in coaching and knowing how to properly use what you got. Now i can step away form the keyboard for awhile and stop watching every game and aggravating myself when I switch between games like Montreal played in Boston and see how taking what you got and making it work is really done.

Well i played along with the superstitious change posting to change up their luck but truth be told was busy with family and work. I know i can't change the teams outcome with anything I do or do not do here. i can say that when this team plays a simple game, gives maximum effort across the board and minimizes the brain farts they do create their own luck a often a few more bounces their way follows. I also know if we had a coach that knew how to design and teach a PP we would also have had a few more wins than losses over the past 6 weeks. So here we are past the half way point and we are what our record says we are a playoff bubble team. So now we get to see how this team responds and can they do what it takes to make a run and make it fun... Lets go Buff-a-lo.