ska-T Chitown

Is this finally the type of national embarrassment that spurs action? I won't pretend to know what that action should be - but JFC ... seeing national broadcasters openly mocking your team, if that doesn't make something click somewhere in someone's head? Oy, we really are toast.

I guess when all the Sabres are laying on the ice after tripping over each other there is no one left for the Avs to hit?

I was told multiple times by multiple members of this esteemed council that our problems would go away if we could just hit more ... I DEMAND ANSWERS!

at least i won't be tired tomorrow ...

I actually did notice Murray; he was usually the worst skater on the ice. I mean from a technical standpoint. Watching a Krebs or even shiny new toy Robinson in on the forecheck or playing the harasser in the AZ zone as they were looking to break out, Murray was noticeably less smooth with this skating; forward, backward, and certainly the transitions to and fro. For all his lack of ice time, at least Rosén looked quick out there. I know it is a small sample size ... but has something clicked with VO? He has been solid lately.

It seems rare when Benson has a shift where he is not either stealing the puck or causing a give away with his hustle. Kid knows where to be on the ice as good or better than anyone on the team.

Sabrespacers: Dammit GMKA, get me a big fast forward who bangs around in the corners and makes the other team nervous!! Be cool if he scored a little, too. GMKA: <does that, with decidedly less fanfare and certainly no pomp> Sabrespacers: No. Not that one.

Krebs also looked like a man possessed out there tonight! One fewer boat anchor and he was flying!

There was a big article on ESPN+ a few weeks back. It varies, but the so far a maximum of 5 teams not in playoff positions by American Thanksgiving have made it in any given year.

Seeing the video clip earlier - I remembered how friggin' infectious his smile and enjoyment of the game are! Sabres will be a better team when he is fully back.

I feel like nearly every pass I saw in the first period (did not really watch the second period) from the Sabres that went more than 20 feet was a bad pass. Either off the mark or right into a cluster of Wings around some poor unsuspecting (unaware?) Sabres forward. Maybe a combo of the aforementioned subpar D-men and the Wings savvy vets reading the passes like some of those old school golden books, but the ones aimed at the real young kids.

life long buffalo sports fan ... you wanna lose? I can deal with that - so much practice ... but at least freakin' try? On the plus side, my tears of apathy really opened up some hidden notes in this bourbon! 🥃

Not even the slightest hint that they are trying. <sad trumpet noises>

This. This x 1000 ... you hit me right in the feels, cuz I had been carrying that around with me for a few weeks now, then you spoke my truth.

Isn't it supposed to be "roh-say-en", but the marble mouths can't spit it out? There is one of those fancy slashes over the e.

1:08 in ... so close!

I thought I remembered they were lower based on points %, but it is very likely I am mistaken on that ... honestly that does not sound so bad!

There was an article on ESPN plus yesterday (?) that noted since 2016, a minimum of 11 of the 16 teams in playoff spots at American Thanksgiving have made the playoffs. Largest deficit made up was 7 pts. They did not get into how many other teams the Fortunate Few have leapfrogged to achieve this, but by points the Sabres seem OK-ish - but by position in the standings it appears bleak. None of the "models" from whatever fancy sites projected the Sabres as one of the outsiders to make it this year ... but I'd doubt their models were right too often in the previous years, either. <shrug emoji thingy>

I think the Sabres will soon (lol) be a very good team for a long time, but yeah - a few more carefully selected cagey veterans would not hurt, for sure. I might quibble a bit with it changing the approach, in that it might just be a different implementation since the coach would adjust parts of his message or style to accommodate the addition of wiser voices on his team? But, overall - agree that the exact mix of players they have now is not ideal.

I've gone back and forth on whether or not to comment, but what the heck, why not? With the caveat that I am certainly not a manager (coach) to world class athletes - I really don't think the "toughen them up! No more fun! No more Mr. nice guy!" view is all that relevant to either the Sabres (or any professional sports team, for that matter) or in the non-sports world. I presume that no one who posts to this board is in any team meetings or generally privy to anything that really goes on between the coaches and players and amongst the players themselves, so "there is no accountability" is just internet speculation - which is totally allowable and honestly other than cat videos, what else is the internet for? So, fine. But from my experience I just don't see that hard-lined approach working as well as it used to. The evidence in the non-sports world grows daily that managing people based on their individual communication styles and their strengths while coaching them to improve not only their weaknesses but to also enhance and broaden their strengths is far and away the most effective way to manage young talent. I have seen it a lot in my career (I am in the nuclear engineering world, so while they are not world-class athletes many are actually amongst the brightest individuals in their field) and I know business schools and high-end management schools at fancy universities sing the praises. Most of these kids (cuz yeah, even a 26 yr old is still a kid to me - lord knows I was a hot mess in my mid-20's) are not the "grew up on the pond and at 11 were sneaking in hockey practice between shifts at the steel mill or coal mine" types. Most (not all) have been in special programs and toted around by dedicated parents for more than a decade ... they DO feel special, because they are. If you are on the active roster of an NHL team (accounting for roster moves and some rounding errors) you are what, among maybe the 500 best hockey players in the world? There are exceptions, but I think we are seeing more and more of the hardline coaches going by the wayside because it simply does not mesh with how the players need to be coached today. It is a valid opinion if people think that is a shame or that kids are too soft - but it does not change the reality that these are the players the coaches have to work with. I associate those types with the coaches/leaders who eventually cross a line and are increasing being fired or asked to "step aside" or "take on a different role" as their transgressions are revealed. All of them? Of course not, but are they more likely? I think so. None of this is to say DG is the right choice or that he and his staff are actually doing things correctly ... somehow my feathers got ruffled by general sentiments I inferred from several posts ... and honestly I actually had to take a break to do actual work and I am not even sure that the point I set out to make is still there, but I typed a lot so I think I owe it to myself to post it. Heck, might even spur some good discussion?

Glorious weather in Chicago today and I got to start my morning off with some Stick-n-Puck on the very very fresh ice at the 'Hawks facility. Everything's coming up Millhouse! 🌞

In general, isn't HOF also based somewhat on your production compared to your peers? Since entering the league in 2010 (and winning the Calder), Skinny ranks #12 in goals and #49 in points. Sounds very good ... but not great?

This is sorta what I thought, but I never thought of Holzinger as a skating innovator, so I was curious what others thought. Thanks!

It is kinda funny - all the youtube channels rave about MacKinnon, McDavid, and others and how they use their crossovers to generate such speed ... watching that clip Holzinger probably takes ... 2 forward strides from his own blue line all the way to the opposing goal - the rest were crossovers to generate that McDavid-like speed. Been a hockey fan for 40+ years, but never really paid much attention to things like mechanics until 7 or 8 years ago when I started playing as an adult - I'd be curious if anyone with far better "how-to" knowledge than me remembers when this really caught on? First page of results on google reveal nothing on the history (so it must not be on the internet) and a few old grainy youtubes of Gretzky did not make it overly clear if he used them.

I live in the midwest now ... "ranch" is the official dip/sauce/dressing/drink of everything and I hate it. I can tolerate it (barely) when a place offers "ranch or blue cheese" with something "Buffalo" - but so many places just say "with Ranch" and look at you like you have done unspeakable acts to a close family member if you enquire as to the availability of the correct sauce.