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ska-T Chitown

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Posts posted by ska-T Chitown

  1. Buffalo Bills 2024 Thread

    in The Aud Club

    Posted

    2 hours ago, Night Train said:

    FWIW...Players who have met with Bills..no doubt a lot more. Had small college star WR Ryan Flournoy from SE MIzzou St. in today for a workout. Also Troy Franklin of Oregon.

     

     Buffalo Bills

     

    Kamren Kinchens, Safety, Miami (COM)

     

    I am in idiotic 'Canes fanboi - so I would not mind if we got him in round 2. Not the next Ed Reed, but he played pretty well in college. 🤷‍♀️

  3. End of 23/24 season msg from this fan......."steady as she goes, stay the course".

    in The Aud Club

    Posted

    2 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

    I posted this in another thread, but it applies to your post. I agree most of what you said.  And yes, Krebs and Cozens can get better/get back on track, but something is very worrying:

    -As in my other post, optimism hit is peak around here on March 2, Sabres had just won 5 of 6, beat Vegas 7-2, and were above the .500 points per game mark. I'd honestly say that was the point of peak optimism and things went bad since then. In 17 games since then, Thompson scored 11 goals in those 17 games and 20 points, and has been a plus 11.  BUT...Krebs and Cozens.  Starting that stretch, the stretch that was going to determine whether you made the playoffs or not...They both played 18 games, both had 1 single goal each in those 18 games, and were both minus players.  

    I don't even know if i believe what I am about to type - but for discussion's sake ... any chance we know the total goals for and against while Krebs and Cozens played? ie - if they (and their linemates) did not score much, but also did not find themselves on the ice for too many of the other teams' goals - it might not be as bad as first blush?

    That said - your point about "key" offensive players disappearing when it matters is not lost. (Also, for fun, read that last sentence as though they are players who offend, vs generate offense, lol)

  8. End of 23/24 season msg from this fan......."steady as she goes, stay the course".

    in The Aud Club

    Posted · Edited by ska-T Chitown
    fixed a "there" to a "their" and almost reported myself, lol

    2 hours ago, Scottysabres said:

    .For as much as an overwhelming majority of the fan base want change, outside of maybe some asst. coaches, the roster is where that change will occur. There are real time improvements that have been made, and to not acknowledge them while our frustration grows just doesn't feel right.

    1. Goaltending.......inside organizational growth has improved this position. No need to get in to the particulars, we all watch it.

    2. Defensive corps.......improved, the 2nd half of season gaa says it all, and while it's a complete effort, the defense has improved.

    3. Forward ranks........we all know the skill talent is there, need on ice leadership towards what some call grit, others call heart. For myself, it's called individual accountability from each player to dig down game after game to apply a full 60 min. effort. Leadership on the roster is critical for this in my opinion ad Donny can't throw on a jersey and join the in game action. Sure the coach can do some, make adjustments, hold players accountable, but it's the players that need to self police their own play imo.

    So, from my view, we stay the course, continue to build the maturity of the roster, add those character leadership players in the off season and beyond. I'm very optimistic about this current teams future. I see an upward mobility in the standings in our immediate future.

    "Steady as she goes, stay the course".'

    Here's what I will offer ... in a vacuum, your post might not be so bad.

    But the abstract truth, from where I sit, is that the team is not good enough. For whatever reason, it just isn't. This has probably happened to far better teams in the annals of sports history, but here we are.

    On paper - we have strong goal tending, but it is unproven and this was really the first time UPL played this well. Maybe he is finally fully recovered from his hip surgeries, etc etc, but it could also be a one and done.

    On paper - wow, our D! <pause for dick jokes> FIVE first round draft choices! TWO first overall!

    On paper - ohhh that sweet sweet forward corps! Some big guys, some small skilled players, some determined role players! Hell yeah! Multiple former 40-goal scorers, slick passers, and some guys who know their way around the full 200' length of the ice. Oh, and the kids! Obviously we don't have any McDavids or Bedards, but krikey the skill sets on these youths is pretty impressive! Some of them were over a point-per-game in the A <pause for butt jokes> before coming up to The Show.

    Our coach?! Man, Tage and Rasmus have really found their game under him. Saved their careers.

    What did all of this get us? DeLuca 500, if we are lucky. 

    OK - that was a bit sarcastic ... and I like the players (as the people I imagine they are), but it is like making a cake and thinking the taste is just off (last season), thinking "hmmm - lemme make that again, I must have used a pinch where I need a bit more", nope still not good (this season), and then making it ONE MORE TIME just to be really really sure the recipe is off. Our recipe is off, time to try something else. I think there are enough good things about the team that a few well-placed moves could have great results, but we can't simply run it back and hope it fixes itself 😞 

    • Like (+1) 1
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  9. Sabres @ Dallas - Tuesday, April 9, 2024 - 8:00 PM (EDT)

    in The Aud Club

    Posted

    4 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

    and I hope you realize Detroit plays Washington and Pittsburgh in their next two games so there is virtually no math through that. 

    You know what ... I just got done leaving you a really complimentary reply in another thread and now I regret it! 😉

    Your logic and kill joy has no place in a Sabres game day thread where their season is hanging on literally ... by a thread (like a really thin one that is pretty much frayed all the way thru). We are Sabres fans, so clearly logic does not apply and killing joy seems to be the only thing this team is good at on a consistent basis 😞

    • Eyeroll 1

  10. Rumor: Brady Tkachuk available

    in The Aud Club

    Posted

    1 hour ago, PerreaultForever said:

    That's the reverse logic so I assume you're trying to be funny or take a shot but the point holds. There are lots of first round picks who never become what they were projected to be. Wright might still become a decent player but he's a disappointment at this stage. 

    The thing is if you are going to trade prospects you have to move them at a point where the other team still thinks they have high end value. You have to make that decision when you think they might not be that guy or not as good as you hoped but also not seen as a bust yet by the other guy. It's tricky and as a fan I get you never want to lose a potentially good player. 

    But I don't want another season of "look at all these guys we have coming in the future". I want a team on the ice that can make the playoffs and win in the playoffs. To get there we need to let a few prospects go and take our chances on that. The roster does not have a good veteran mix. It lacks leadership. It's a ship with no captain and it has leaks. I don't even want a draft pick this year. Trade it. I'm really tired of "next year". 

    Your point makes sense to me - no real NHL value. They have perceived potential value which will value greatly and likely be highest amongst the home town fan base.

    Also, I totally agree about willing to do pretty much anything to improve the team. JFC ... 13 yrs is all but a few decimal places away. I long for the day when a 'top prospect' needs to sit in Rochester for 3 or 4 years because there is simply no room for him on the roster. Sure, we get glimpses of what is to come when he gets called up for a brief injury fill in ... but boy will he be awesome once we have a spot for him. While also acknowledging that is not entirely how the NHL functions anymore, with superstar contracts and salary caps you need some entry level contract 'kids' who overperform if you are going to make any real noise.

    Anyway - love the discussion, some really great points!

  11. Sabres @ Dallas - Tuesday, April 9, 2024 - 8:00 PM (EDT)

    in The Aud Club

    Posted

    23 minutes ago, MattPie said:

    Probably not, but we're in "these 4 teams all need to lose the rest of their games and the Devils need to be worse than we are ". I didn't bother to check to see if those 4 teams play each other, if so I *think* we're  mathematically out.

    We have 79 points with a cap of +8 = 87 pts

    Detroit is 84 +10

    Pitt is 84 + 8

    If Sabres lose (max drops to 85) and either Detroit or Pitt hits 86, it is over.

    If Sabres win out and tie with Pitt, Det, Wash, Philly, NJ with 87 points, NJ is the only team that would have more RWs - we have the tie-breaker at 87 points against 4 of the other 5 teams.

    All that to say ... math has not eliminated us yet - but it is NOT on our side.

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  12. Question about left handed vs right handed shot

    in The Aud Club

    Posted

    I am surprised none of the "still playing at a high level" folks have chimed in. I grew up slapping a tennis ball around in my driveway in some hand-me-down old school roller skates, so how I learned is very irrelevant (but follows the baseball analogy closely).

    I asked a couple of guys this morning at rat (shinny) who had played some college puck - they emphasized the exact opposite of a lot of the thinking I am seeing here - dominant hand on top allows for better stick handling and puck control. While stick handling, your bottom hand is supposed to be fairly open and loose, all the rotation of the stick (and thus the blade) comes from you top hand. Naturally, if you want to emphasize stick handling and puck control in your development programs, you would encourage the kids to play dominant hand at the top of the stick.

    Since the world is roughly 90% righties and he NHL is only 70% lefties, there is obviously a fair amount of players who did not follow the 'current wisdom'. 🤷‍♀️

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  13. GDT - Flyers @ Sabres - Friday, April 5, 2024 - 7:00 PM (EDT)

    in The Aud Club

    Posted

    2 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

    We are all like that at times. With me its Krebs and Cousins (although I think they, especially cousins, is finally playing better.)

    The team isn't in the playoffs. Its been a while. Yeah, no one likes that, but making changes, changing players, changing coaches, that isn't always the answer.  It may be the answer at times, it may make us feel better because "something is being done" but often times, that terrible word (patience) is what you need just a little more of.

    Yeah, all fair points. I also don't begrudge any Sabres fans that are out of patience. I mean, this is bordering on ludicrous at this point!

    • Like (+1) 1

  14. Question about left handed vs right handed shot

    in The Aud Club

    Posted · Edited by ska-T Chitown

    I feel like I read somewhere that the Canadian and European development programs used to make fun of the Americans for trading control (dominant hand on top) for power (dominant hand low). After decades of getting wiped by the Canadians and Euros, USA hockey gave in. From memory, Patty Kane was one of the first wave of American kids taught this way. (This is the internet so I reserve all rights to be completely 100% wrong about anything I just typed ... but it feels true).

     

    **OH - I also have a really great book about the 1980 Olympic team (The Boys of Winter) and the Russians played dominant hand on top because they did not take slap shots ... they did not take slap shots because they did not have very many sticks and did not want to break them. There is a part where they talk about how at every tournament, the Russian team would ask the other teams if they could have a few sticks after the tournament.

  15. GDT - Flyers @ Sabres - Friday, April 5, 2024 - 7:00 PM (EDT)

    in The Aud Club

    Posted

    1 hour ago, JohnC said:

    Some people get invested in a narrative on a player and are incapable of altering their opinion as time goes by and the circumstances change. There were zealots here who wanted to dispatch UPL for a retread goalie not too long ago. The same resistant line of thinking applied to Mitts.  While I was a wait a longer UPL guy , he is playing way beyond my expectations. I was more invested in Levi. And the book on him is far from being completed.  

    I think almost everyone does it with someone or something at one point or another.  Normally it is because one person wants another person to be something they just aren't. This is just as true in real life as it is with sports fans. Owen Power is a solid defenseman who is figuring out how his game applies in the toughest, most skilled league in the world ... gosh!

    • Like (+1) 1

  18. GDT - Flyers @ Sabres - Friday, April 5, 2024 - 7:00 PM (EDT)

    in The Aud Club

    Posted

    1 hour ago, JohnC said:

    Some quick thoughts on this game: UPL would be my first star. He is solidifying the notion that he is a good #1 goalie in the league. He was the difference in this game for us where the Flyers had the edge territorially. 

    I like the pairing of Dahlin and Power. I still don't understand the negativity toward Power. Too much criticism is directed toward his style of play. He's not a banger, and never will be. 

    Quinn is good and is going to be a core player for us. His injuries and loss from the lineup for much of the season really hurt us. 

    Benson is becoming a fan favorite. He's arguably our best forechecker. He and Quinn on the same line has a lot of potential. 

    Granato called a time out to excoriate his team. It had an effect!

    I like Clifton's game. He was a good pickup. 

    A win is a win. One game at a time until the clock runs out. 

     

    You mean Mr. +3 tonight? Ha, yeah, I am with you - but haters gonna hate.

    • Like (+1) 1

  24. Complaint Thursdays

    in The Aud Club

    Posted

    Cranked something in my shoulder playing hockey ... feels rotator-cuffy. It is not awful, so we'll see. I know too many people who have had partial tears where they are told to just live with it 😞

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