LTS

Beauty! I think it's fair to say he does not. If he had any misgivings about Eichel I doubt he signs him to a contract. Unless of course you believe that Botterill was forced to sign him. Given the sheer ignorance of the Bills coach yesterday I have to wonder if there is a higher level input that is forcing the hand. That decision alone has made me seriously question what is wrong with these teams. The lack of leadership perhaps starts at the top? But, beyond that I want to focus on Eichel. I think the answer to the question is whether Jack is ever going to want to play as a teammate and accept his coach or if he is going to keep up the shenanigans until he gets his way. Right now it appears that when he wants to demonstrate a point on the ice he can do it. He'll do just enough to show he's talented and then slack away because the situation isn't right for him. The problem is deciding why it's happening isn't that easy. It could be Jack. It could be that they are upping the value of tradeable assets in order to improve the team for next year when they want to be really serious about winning. There are a lot of unknowns and head scratching decisions that are happening. You can go one of two routes, believe there are incompetent people leading things or believe that there is a plan behind the scenes. I can't decide which but I may get tired of trying to figure it out and just ignore the team for awhile. Eichel could easily be traded. I have no doubt about that. The current CBA is coming up for negotiation and I am sure a few owners might be thinking how they can drop large contracts by forcing the NHLPA hand just like last time. Until then it might be spend away and do whatever.

Upgrade it now... honestly. Why wait? I think you have to maximize the suffering for people when you can. By Christmas the teams could turn things around and then everyone will be mad....oh.. wait... nevermind. It'll be even more painful at Christmas time. Kind of like that time they DDOS'ed the Xbox gaming services on Christmas so all the kids with their Xboxes could not get online to play. :) Good luck.. keeping up with the security updates, etc. is important.

It's too bad the kid has various youth hockey items going on this evening that will occupy my time. Tonight should be a thrashing, and to top it off CBJ should start Bob in net just to make life even harder to live. I think at one point a few weeks ago I saw a stat that said CBJ's top 8 scorers were 23 and younger. Looks like that old school Torts can't relate to youth.

I agree with you as well. While frustrating it seems that the plan is to season the young guys in a sheltered environment and let a bunch of players suffer through another year in Buffalo. Move the parts that can be moved to obtain the longer term players. As such, Pouliot and Kane are the top targets there without a doubt. I think even Gorges and Falk might be traded, especially Gorges if a team thinks it could use a steady 6/7 D to shore up a young D corps for a Cup run. Those picks and potentially prospects are helpful to the future. The only player that can be moved now for a significant return is Kane. There's no doubt the conversations are out there. Does a team like Colorado take a shot at him if they keep winning? If Vancouver keeps winning are they willing to part with a bit more because they can probably sign Kane to a long term contract there (with Sedins coming off the books next season?). It seems to fit. Vancouver is a young team that's winning now and could use a player like Kane to shore up the team this year and into next. I think O'Reilly could be traded too if he'll pull enough of a return.

No, pulling the goalie down 1 is fine. However, in the other thread (and in other GDTs) you and others are lobbying for the Sabres to do it down by even more. My argument is that this team can't possess the puck and while some research shows that it is beneficial that research skips a few important things such as averaging in the odds of a top tier team scoring with the goalie pulled as opposed to a team like the Sabres. I had no problem pulling the goalie last night. It's just that what you saw happen is what is bound to happen to the Sabres and is exactly what happened a few games ago when they lost 4-1 when down 2-1 and pulling the goaltender twice.

Something something, pull the goalie. Oh yeah, this team can't control the puck long enough.

Yea. He'll get more elsewhere and a chance to win. Based on his play I'd like him here but I don't see it happening.

Why does he want to sign here?

The refs have swallowed the whistle. Man.

Wut wut wut?

Kane! He's good.

Because the,movies are so realistic. Well, if we're doing what it takes why not just injure the opponents star players?

Back from the bar. Had a few beers. Strong ones. Loved seeing the 0 SOG for most of the 1st. There is no beer strong enough for this. But I'm here with all of you. We must suffer together.

I'd say more like down by 20 points on your own 40 and having scored a single field goal on the only time they were able to cross mid-field. In short, the team wasn't doing anything at that point.

A sad sign of the times. :)

Wow. You're winning favors there. You really should be leaving if you want to start swearing at people who disagree with you and blaming them for your problems. I hope by leaving you can reduce your apparent angst against people and a hockey team and begin to enjoy the rest of your life.

Once again. You assume the increase in odds for scoring a goal is the same across all teams when a goalie is pulled. It's not. Just as the odds of scoring a goal on the power play is not the same for every team, the odds of scoring with the goalie pulled are not increased equally. As I said in the Red Wings thread, the Sabres can't beat teams on their power play. The puck ends up in their zone more often than in the opposition zone. The Sabres can barely keep it in the zone at even strength. In order to score you have to be able to possess the puck. A team as long as this one on the ice will not gain possession of the puck long enough to significantly increase their chances of scoring. A call for pulling the goalie with this team is pure desperation. I understand the frustration but I believe the last time the Sabres pulled the goalie they ended up with two EN goals against and I don't think anyone was surprised.

You can't use LEAGUE statistics to warrant a chance for this team. Perhaps on average to good teams it would give them a shot but the Sabres can't keep the puck in the zone when they have more guys on the ice than the other team. They can barely do it when they have the same amount. So, while I like all the research on pulling the goalie and I don't refute it overall, what I have not seen is research demonstrating the scoring chance when a team that plays like Buffalo pulls the goalie. It would seriously be a skate for Lehner to the bench and then turn right around and go back to the net like a duck in a shooting gallery

I'm sure this will be on TV at the bar I will be at tonight. I'm might have to try something stronger than beer goggles though. I'm about done trusting the process. The team needs a knock upside their heads.

I think it's fair to say the puck went in their zone. I wouldn't say we had it all that much.

And yes. I would bench Eichel for tomorrow night. I'm done with him until he decides to play for this team.

At least Rob is still humorous.

Beer goggles not helping. Not at all.

It's not picking her up. I just looked up the meaning of the commercial because I was sick of not understanding it. It's a really stupid commercial but I understand what is happening now.

He is. This is a team that's lost right now. Very lost. Everyone looks worse than they are.