Formerly Allan in MD

It starts with the defense and goaltending. If you're not going to score a lot of goals, you're going nowhere if you don't have top tier defensemen and stellar goaltending. We're careless on defense and not a rock 'em sock 'em defensive team; so teams know they can feel comfortable on the attack. Plus Housley's thing is defensemen taking the offense. That's a risky proposition when few are supposed to stay at home and are perhaps not that adept at it. Plus, it puts significant additional pressure on your goaltenders. Finally, as good as Dahlin is at 18, he's prone to make mistakes. And he's made a lot of them that have cost us. For those who say the goaltending is not very good, I beg to differ. The jury is more out than in, in that regard. Getting outshot night after night wears on goalies. You can see the flashes of Hutton's frustration at times. Plus, until this season, Hutton was not a number one goalie and is thus playing a lot more minutes than he's used to. That combined with the nightly barrages is going to wear down any decent goalie. And Hutton is a perfect example of that as he's frequently shown how good he can be. Ullmark, on the other hand, is a rookie. He's still learning and has, as well, worn down following a decent early season performance. Goalies need help; this team doesn't provide much. When we won a lot of early season games by the skin of your teeth, that involved a fair amount of luck and breaks. Our success came early on and we didn't have enough offense to counter our deficiencies over a long period of time. Finally, Phil Housley is not a good coach. Over the course of two years, that's become quite obvious. And it's reached the point that he's clearly lost his team. Most players are clearly frustrated and simply playing out the string. If Phil's retained, it's because of inexperience, if not incompetence, on the part of management. Sabres fans deserve better.

The sooner the better. Be out there early looking at prime candidates.

We can't afford to win any more games. It's called addition by subtraction.

Coaches capable of getting the max out of their talent can be winners, even with less than outstanding talent. We have less than outstanding talent but Housley doesn't appear to have a clue about how to max it out.

If you're into rows of idling, stinking tour buses and oodles of Japanese tourists, Honolulu is for you. Otherwise, head to the Big Island and Kauai.

"Better late than never" doesn't work here.

But it's too late in the season to turn it around.

Mr. Mediocre Sabre hath spoken.

From the start, the Pegula's have failed to invest in expertise they clearly lack. It's led to years of spinning wheels with both the Sabres and Bills, although the Bills wheels have appeared to dramatically slowed down. The Sabres remain a nightmare, the spinning wheels almost off at this point. Housley can't coach; that's clear. Botterill is hot and cold, the latter predominating given the trade of one of the better centers in the league for a quitter, a loser, and a kid who should have been in Rochester most of the year. Plenty of elder statesmen, with solid experience, know hockey. Pay them for their advice and expertise instead of paying failed projects like Phil Housley.

Housley is a travesty but Botterill deserves a lot of the blame. Exhibit A: trading one of the better centers in the league for a quitter, a loser, and a guy who should have been in Rochester a good part of the year.

FIRE HOUSLEY NOW. AT LEAST IT WILL SHOW THAT SOMEONE GIVES A DAMN.

If the last two games have been against bottom feeders, what are the Sabres?

i'm sure Phil has a plan. ?

The problem is, it'll be another crap shoot in the dark.

Yes, that's what we get from this team: Peanuts.

How'd you like to be a Sabres goalie? Little help from the defense and no one wearing your uni can score. Like the Ottawa announcer said, Hutton never faced anything like this in St. Louis.

Hutton is helpless out there. Apparently as a defenseman Housley never blocked a shot, because his defensemen are clearly adverse to it.

Perhaps he'll figure it out after 257.

Yes, really. The Jersey announcers even said the penalty on Sobotka shouldn't have been called and initially agreed that Erod was pushed into the goalie, which he clearly was, on the disallowed goal.

Our tentative "power play" drives me nuts. Move the damn puck, Jack.

We lost to the refs tonight.

Housley also has lost the fans. I'd be shocked if he's retained.

Where/how?

Fine win but Jordan came out of the game late and was really hurting; could barely walk. Any word?

Grit and hit creates electricity.