nfreeman
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Posts posted by nfreeman
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1 hour ago, Claude Balls said:
And to be honest, not only do I think you don't know much about goaltending, but after reading many of your other posts, I don't think you know much about hockey in general. Sorry.
This is obnoxious.
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1 minute ago, Thorny said:
No like he literally set the roster with 3 goalies
sorry, do we not attribute roster construction to the GM anymore?
So you don't think DG was able to go to KA and say that a 3-goalie setup wouldn't work and one of them needed to go to Rochester? Or do you think he did so and was overruled?
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5 minutes ago, Thorny said:
Adams gifted him the 3 man rotation. That’s the functional issue
Do we know this? Or did Adams just tell DG, "here are your 3 candidates -- do as you like?"
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3 minutes ago, kas23 said:
It I “shouted it down”, I would’ve bolded it or maybe used the word “emphatically”. Trust me, the irony is not lost on me. But, sorry for having an opinion differing from another opinion. What was I thinking?
What?
You quoted an opinion you disagreed with and said "it needs to stop."
That is the freaking definition of shouting something down.
No one said you can't have a an opinion that differs from someone else's opinion. You just can't tell that person they aren't allowed to express his/her opinion.
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10 minutes ago, Claude Balls said:
I honestly believe this team would already be in the playoffs if UPL was named the #1 goalie back in October. Thanks Adams.
You may be right, but I think it was DG's call.
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5 minutes ago, kas23 said:
I don’t agree with this at all. It should stop. Okie was well-respected in the locker room. Maybe too much “best friend Dad” vibes. When the Sabres shipped him out, it sent a messages. Dad’s gone because you guys sucked. Look what you did. So, no more bull *****. It sent a message. In addition, perhaps the biggest message, with Mitts being shipped out, was “look, you could be next. Party is over.” Unfortunately, I don’t think Tage got the memo.
I agree with most of this post but emphatically not the bolded. Please do not shout down hockey opinions that you disagree with. No player on this misbegotten team is immune from criticism.
4 minutes ago, Brawndo said:JVB -- now that's a blast from the past. Good skater who was a crappy defender but, kinda like Olofsson, had one elite NHL skill -- a great slapper from the blueline.
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Luuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!
(Or is it Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu?)
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And Cliffy standing up to a much bigger guy.
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Luuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!
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I gotta say: I love the crowd delivering the "Luuuuuuuuuuu" cheer after he makes a big save.
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16 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:
Well that's fine, and maybe it'll work out but I'm just thinking ahead.
We will have a much clearer picture when we see what happens with UPL. That's the first cap/contract issue.
I said long ago I figured Mitts would get traded simply because they had an idea of how much they'd pay a 3C, they saw him as a 3C but he saw himself as a 2C and that was a great divide so he had to go.
Byram sees himself as a top pairing D. He is a top D guy for sure in terms of his offense. The issue for me is just Power and his contract. 30 million for 3 D is a LOT. I asked this earlier so for the capologists out there is there any team out there that has 30 million on their top 3 D? I don't think so. I could be wrong.
This is a legit concern, but I'd counter that (i) the cap will almost certain rise quite a bit during the span of the 3 contracts (assuming BB gets a long-term deal) and (ii) I don't think any team has 3 dmen who produce as much offense as those 3 presumably/hopefully will.
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10 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:
You didn't read everything I said obviously.
I have no issue with the talent. Byram is very good. I'm just looking forward and wondering how we make that work? Obviously there was a contract issue with Mitts so we got another player with a contract issue a year from now. That is the definition of kicking the can down the road.
A player needing a contract isn't necessarily a contract issue.
As I said upthread, it's quite likely that KA thinks -- probably based on, among other factors, conversations with the agents about money -- that Mitts isn't worth what it would've cost to keep him, but that Byram IS worth what it will cost to keep him.
In that scenario, Mitts presented a contract issue but Byram does not.
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My wife and I are really enjoying "Shogun" on FX/Hulu. Through 4 episodes I am giving it an A-minus.
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30 minutes ago, Pimlach said:
I thought Power looked good after he returned from injury, until last night. However, I thought he played afraid last night. He has no physical aspect to his game. None. Not only does he not hit, but he avoids being hit and he plays with his stick way too much. Two goals were on him.
He was right there when Fisher purposely jumped on UPL and he did nothing. So what happens, they jump UPL again The Wings were begging for it last night
Yeah, Power is only 21. Byram is only 22. Dahlin is only 23.
If Bryam has a huge year next season is Adams going to pay him or trade him? Mitts was moved in part because of salary planning. All Adams did was kick that can down the road for one year.
I agree with the concerns on Power. At some point I'd sure like them to find him a partner with some edge to his game, because Power doesn't seem to have it in his nature. Having said that, I am pretty far from feeling like Power is a bust or that they will need to trade him. He's a very young player with a very high hockey IQ IMHO and he'll improve every year.
I kinda disagree with the bolded. While I think money did play a role, I think KA's bottom line was that Mitts, although a good player whom KA would've been happy to keep at the right price, simply wasn't worth what it would have cost to keep him.
I also think there will be cap room to keep Dahlin, Power and Byram around long term if their play warrants it -- and that KA thinks their play will warrant it and is planning to keep all 3.
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20 minutes ago, Thorny said:
There’s “shambles” based on expected performance and “shambles” based on distance from success. I think my argument is consistent here because, even as captain of the “KA has failed so far” fan club, I’m also not the dude firing him and I’m also not the dude saying with a few prudent changes this can’t be turned around fast
you are correct I wanted JB canned but that’s not the same thing as thinking the franchise was in shambles relative to turn around to success: merely by way of how much we had failed relative to expectations
We absolutely should be a playoff team next year. We absolutely should have been this year. I wouldn’t be firing KA because he’s fallen incredibly short, I’d be firing him because it would be incredible we fell short so many times when distance from success was imminently achievable
I post a lot, I’m not sure how much more heavy handed I can be in driving home this point time and time again: the frustration comes from the fact this is ABSOLUTELY salvageable but we simply refuse to measure results in the now
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Frankly, and this is based on league wise results of the past, solid past precedent: a team with the will to act, with that will informed by competence, is very rarely more than a single offseason away from reasonably fielding a playoff team when it’s ~ a 50/50 proposition. And that team *should* be able to do it with 2 off seasons
Nearly 70% of the current league hasn’t gone more than *2* seasons sans playoffs
This will be Adams’ 5th offseason
I'm not disagreeing at all that this season represents an unambiguous failure by KA and DG, or that the overall evaluation of their tenure here is "below average to poor" or that both of their seats should be hot next season (although as I've said, I think DG should be fired this summer if not before).
I'm simply saying that I more or less agree with KA's description of the state of the franchise in 2020 as being "in a shambles."
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1 hour ago, Thorny said:
“In shambles” LMAO
4 years later 80% of our best players are Botterill guys
43 minutes ago, Thorny said:Also funny that Botterill was to keep his job if he merely cut costs. So apparently TP didn’t think the roster was in shambles at all.
It’s almost impossible to parse the sh*t these guys say, truthfully. It’s good we can ignore the noise and simply measure based on results
When KA took over, the Sabres had just completed JB's 3rd season. They finished with 68 pts in 69 games, utterly squandering Eichel's FIFTH season, in which he had finally emerged as a no-BS major star. This was also their first season under Krueger, who had been out of the NHL and working in another sport on another continent for 6 years before JB for some reason hired him.
JB had also just given Skinner a zillion dollars before Krueger reduced his output to 14 goals in 59 games.
It's true that JB would've likely kept his job had he agreed to TP's cost-cutting requirements, but IMHO that was very much a Covid-era move as the NHL entered a period with no fans and significantly declining revenues for the foreseeable future.
I think the vast majority of fans here wanted JB fired that summer and would agree with the "in shambles" description.
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14 hours ago, Thorny said:
The biggest rug being continually pulled over the eyes of the fanbase is that something needs to be “built”. Over a long period of time. Address the roster holes. Prioritize winning right now. The goal should be fielding a playoff team before “building” a cup winner
Now that is a Rayzor-level malapropism. Well done.
12 hours ago, Sabres73 said:"Sounds like they are preparing to miss again next year". I don't know what you were listening to dude, but that's a ridiculous comment for someone to make if they did indeed listen to it.
This has been a disappointing year, but I'm hopeful for many years of success coming. What is more disappointing has been reading flat out dumb comments this season from so-called fans spewing a lot of crap, in my opinion. I'm very disappointed in a lot of the posters on this site. Flame away.
This is obnoxious. Do not communicate like this here.
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18 hours ago, Big Guava said:
The dude is 20 years old. My God what the hell has happened to the IQ level of posters.
This is obnoxious. Do not communicate like this here.
17 hours ago, inkman said:I will stick giant things in my butthole if they make the playoffs
I'm not sure who benefits from this...
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1 hour ago, Thorny said:
What was the first embarrassment?
The stick salute boycott.
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Interesting observation from Mike Harrington:
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I definitely want them to try to win every GD game, simply to try to expel the losing culture that permeates this franchise.
BUT if they lose a bunch of games and a weak finish convinces KA to fire DG...
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28 minutes ago, Dr. Who said:
You'd think the decade plus of futility and bonehead dithering would be pretty embarrassing, no? But alright, let's hope Jed Clampett feels it enough to make changes. Until he steps away and let's tough hockey minds hold sway, so what? The fish rots from the head.
I think TP is definitely embarrassed about the team's results during his ownership tenure.
I also think that TP has made plenty of changes during his tenure and feels, with some justification -- since it sounds like he's heard feedback from multiple league sources to this effect -- that firing people too frequently is counterproductive.
IMHO the reasons for his failures boil down to (i) approving the tank and (ii) choosing the wrong GMs in Darcy, Murray and Botteril -- each of whom was very justifiable at the time, but each of whom also cost the franchise and the fans 3 or 4 years in the desert.
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1 hour ago, Second Line Center said:
I feel like he looked dejected. That there is more “wrong” that needs to be addressed then he was expecting.
Scoring down. The play of his top 2 centers has been inconsistent to poor - and that’s the biggest reason we are where we are.
But the Goalie and D situation looks good.
Finally should get a real Captain.
The team needs a change in its approach to the forward group - too small too passive and not skilled enough to make up for lack of physicality.
The team isn’t tough. Not physically. Mentally. They aren’t embracing the expectations. If this continues a new coach can deal with that.
Power and Tage are the key to this. If Tage gives us at least 85 percent of his last 2 years we’ll be fine. This Tage? Need to trade him. And Power needs to be better playing this many minutes.
If that happens, if Muel plays 65 plus games, and if UPL is the man then this team will make the playoffs next year. I’m not going to worry about the coach right now bc they aren’t firing him before say November. If we start slow DG will be gone.
He’s got one more shot whether we like it or not and Adams has to get 2 new forward pieces to play with the kids.
AND SKINNER HAS TO BE THAT GUY TO GO
Good stuff here. You should post more often!
1 hour ago, Huckleberry said:Don't think I will botter listening to same old excuses. The team as whole has been down this year.
He can say his top 2 centers had a down year , but why trade the one center pushing and challenging them to be better ?
Mitts, to his credit, was continuing to improve this season, and certainly most of his teammates at forward took a step back (other than JJP). But I don't get the sense that Mitts was challenging his teammates to be better. Just the opposite -- I think they are all too nice to each other and do not sufficiently hold each other accountable -- and maybe KA thought this was a bigger failing in Mitts, one of the (relatively) older vets.
Separately: I think its also worth noting that KA said multiple times at the presser that they aren't good enough and that they are unhappy with where they are as a team. I expect further changes.
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Well, we're all very justified in being PO'd with this franchise, but I thought the presser was fine. If you were expecting him to say that his roster stinks and they need a major overhaul -- I don't think that's realistic. And what was realistic, and true IMHO, was his statement that if they are going to improve as a team, most of the improvement will need to be internal, by the guys who are already there.
I agree with @dudacek that KA sincerely believes in his plan and most of this roster, and that he is willing to take steps that he thinks will improve the team.
We're certainly entitled to be skeptical about him closing those deals, or that the deals will be effective. I may go into despair if they limp to the finish line and nevertheless bring back DG. Still, the Mitts-for-BB trade was a major move, which gives hope that KA will be willing to make a similar move at coach if he thinks it's justified.
But vent if you need to vent. KA and DG deserve every ounce of opprobrium they get here for this utter and complete poop sandwich of a season.
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Staying the course - Comments from Season Ticket Holder Q and A
in The Aud Club
Posted
Let's chill out a bit in here please.