Mango

I am not sure we can realistically make the current contracts, plus Mitts/UPL, and the coming contracts of Levi, Quinn, and Peterka work. Next year we absolutely have to start getting way more value out of Power/Cozens/Thompson. Have to! Otherwise we are talking about letting players that are good today walk because somebody might be comparable tomorrow. I don't think this team can afford to let UPL walk. They have to lock him up.

Right, the fans and other orgs would not disagree with you. I am speaking in regards to what the locker room thought they were doing vs. what they actually did. They are a bunch of dumb-dumbs.

As much as these kids think they were defending their coach they likely cost him his job. As long as professional sports has existed any franchise can want to run it back as much as they want regardless of W/L until 1 of 2 things happen: 1. They lose the locker room 2. They lose the fan base. By telling the Buffalo News they were turning on the last few people who actually show up to these games that they were punishing them they sealed the fate of one if not a couple people in that building/locker room. Congrats guys, the guy you wanted to keep so bad? He will be fired because you couldn't keep your mouth shut.

You can zoom in and out as much as you want to find a lot of frustration with this franchise. Pegula is terrible in his tenure. Adams and Granato are the worst among his peers in his tenure. This roster as it it exists in this season is on pace for another historically bad record. Pegula: 13 years....Nearly double the longest playoff streak in league history. Ruined this franchise. And that isn't hyperbole. Adams: Longest tenured GM without a playoff appearance Granato: Longest tenured HC without a playoff appearance. 2023-24 Roster: The first Sabres team to not win 3 games in a row in a single season (sans shortened covid year). This might be an NHL first. I am about 1/3 of the way through the league and so far it is.

I had more fun watching last years team than I have in a decade. The bar is so low for me with this team right now. Play good, fun, entertaining, try-hard hockey and I can live with 90 point seasons for a while. This year is one of, if not the most disappointing year in the Pegula era.

I like Donnie. He was good enough to help some of these kids progress but not good enough to get the job done. I don't love calling him out live in real time. It is harsh. But I also get it. You lost to the worst team in the league 9-4 at home in a season that was supposed to be pushing the 100 point mark. We may very well finish below 80. The whole thing is a tremendous let down for everybody. Any org can want to stay whatever course all they want unless they either: 1. lose the locker room or 2. lose the fan base. As much as hearing a couple thousand people chanting for you to lose your job is a tough pill to swallow for everybody in the locker room, the final nail in DG's coffin was ultimately pounded in when the players told local reporters they were turning on the fan base. That is a sure fire way for at least one if not a few people to get fired. Had they limped through the season and silently hate forked this fanbase with a .500 record to close the year I think Donnie would have been back to coach them next year.

I think you are both right and giving this too much credit. Also Allen has been getting boo's since his rookie year. You don't have to be a vet to try hard/not give up.

My immediate follow up to this would be "You lost to the worst team in the league 9-4 at home. What is the locker rooms preferred reaction from fans after a game like that?" or "Even Josh Allen hears boo's occasionally and one of the first things he said this offseason was "I never want to play for anybody else. My number one goal is to bring a championship to Buffalo". Can you help explain the lack of resolve in this locker room compared to your local compatriots?"

I am not a big boo-bird myself. I don't love that all 23 people in the building called out the HC specifically. But also I totally get it. 9-4 loss to the worst team in the league gets some jeering. It doesn't bother me much either. Pro athletes have to have a thicker skin and a shorter memory. Of course this team can't get to the playoffs. If the team carry's the weight of some heckling after a bad game this long they'll never bounce back quick enough after losses to make the playoffs. "Hey that was my puck" - Dylan Cozens, probably (in Alexis Rose voice)

They won't score the first OR the second goal from now on.

Ha. I mean the fans said "fire the coach" and in turn the team snubbed them. What is the team going to do if management actually fires him?

A few reasons: 1. Luck - He just got lucky with McBeane 2. Allen - Part of this rolls into number 1. 3. It has been long rumored that both McDermott both have no meddling clauses in their contracts and that they themselves actively try and keep their org very separate from the Sabres org. If/When Allen retires and the sunsets on McDermott and Beane the Bills will plummet into a joke. I am certain of this. And the number 1 reason why I am OK with never ever moving on from the both of them together.

The more I think about it the more this likely makes some sense as to why this team can't win at home. Nobody and I mean NOBODY in this organization has a single ounce of "protect this ice" or "not in our house" mentality. Not one person from owner, to the GM, to the Head Coach, to the the 53rd skater in the pipeline.

I don't exactly know where to go from here. Lets say they fire Donnie in the offseason? These guys already told us they would protest.

Yeah 2-3 goals weren’t on him. I think he’s dealing with a LBI issue, and if he isn’t getting regular shots he’s likely getting a little cold in the net making the injury more noticeable. Just my $0.02

Guess we don’t have to worry about the solute today.

Weak effort from Skinner there. Very weak

Defense gave up the last two. I didn’t realize it was possible to hang your goalie out to dry with like 6 SOG. But here we are.

That was one of the more embarrassing goals. Guy trips and falls. Sabres still find a way to give the puck away with absolutely no pressure only to let a guy hang out in the crease and swat in a shot UPL actually made the save on. Sheesh

They’re pretty lucky this story came out on a kids day. Pretty easy crowd. Also good they get Anaheim. “Should” be a win. And it would be tough to turn your backs on kids. I expect this to end today. But won’t be surprised if they pick it back up.

I get that to an extent. But the flip side is that we are approaching March and this team hasn’t won 3 games in a row all season. Even if the Sabres were a top 3 team in the league the last 13 years, that kind of overall performance deserves boo’s.

I want to hear from every large extension and every looming extension on the horizon. Dahlin, Power, Cozens, Thompson, Mitts, Peterka, Quinn, UPL. Also Tuch but that’s in a hope to get a positive voice on this.

"Please come cheer us on we love it" - Rasmus Dahlin "Actually, fork you" - Rasmus Dahlin, also I hate that they are doing this. But I think I hate more that they thought it was a good idea to share this with the fan base. Like what is the expected reaction from us? Bow down and say "oh I am sorry"....And what does this roster do if they do indeed fire Donnie at some point? Do they turn on Adams/Pegula? Are they permanently disgruntled at the fan base and want to leave? I don't get how they rebound and this isn't the start of an unraveling. Like if they remove somebody from that locker room they like the team is going to protest? (All that said, much like my shirt talking with the 3 game winning streak. Now that I have put all this out there watch this team make a Cup final next year with Donnie and go on a 12 game winning streak to end this season)

I guess we found Jack Eichels burner. Thanks JohnC

Fans next Sabres game.