LTS

Still debating getting tickets for tonight and driving in.... although my son may be going with a friend so at that point I'd just stay home. We shall see what happens.

It was a time like many other times in Buffalo. The fans were upset. The players needed to compete more. The coaches were pointing out the positives in their 30 second press briefings. Things were bleak, like a mid-winter day on the shores of Lake Erie. The grey skies and snow flurries mounted a full on assault on happiness. There was not an ounce of cheer to go around. No one had hope. The Sabres would be back at again, wearing their home blues, the perfect metaphor for the fan base. A team that had so much promise at the beginning of the season. A team that had earned itself a $10M contract player. A team whose leading scorer was able to go anywhere he wanted at the end of the season. Again, like so many other times, Buffalo fans would see a great team asset leave them right when they needed it most. But this game was more than just another 60 minute money grab for a lot of rich people. This was the game before Thanksgiving. The game would feature a homecoming, just in time for the holidays, for one former Sabre. Marcus Foligno and Tyler Ennis, both thankful, were away from the losing culture in Buffalo. They were coming back to town as part of a team that didn't accept losing (despite having never won). Everyone predicted that the arena would be empty. It was Nov. 22, the day before Thanksgiving, one of the busiest nights of the year for most bars. Why go to the Sabres game and pay $9.50 for a beer when you could go to the local watering hole and hang out with friends and family throwing back frost beverages for $3 a bottle? The answer, as always, because Buffalo. Because in Buffalo, the bars are open until 4am. Because in Buffalo, the party doesn't start until 11pm. The fans were left with two choices, they could either attend the game and then go out, or they could glide into the evening by resting up. For some the idea of resting up was a $10M idea. Why put forth the effort to go to the game when no other fans were putting forth the effort? Why not look to the sky and ask some deity "Why us?" Why not just shut it down and say, the rest of the fans are not pulling in the same direction, I'm not going to be the best I can be if everyone else isn't. Indeed, it was a bleak time in Buffalo for the sports fan. But one fan had an idea. He'd start a game day thread and at least try to bring a little life to the party. He'd still do his best even though he knew it was nowhere near as good as others. He'd create the thread because even a tiny spark can start a fire. Perhaps this game day thread would spread the fires of fandom far and wide. Perhaps, just for once, on the eve before everyone gives thanks, the fan base would show up with hope. Perhaps, it would spread into the locker room, and for once this group of players, who had worked so hard but achieved so little could taste success. In the locker room before the game the players would resort to horrible puns like "Let's not play like turkeys tonight. Let's stuff the puck down their throats like the last bits of the seven-layer jello mold and the pumpkin pie. Let's mash them into the boards like potatoes. We will leave them bloodied, like cranberry sauce drizzled across the white dinner plate. Let's go out there and gorge ourselves on good hockey and when we are done we will know that there will be leftovers. We'll take those leftovers into Friday night. We'll take the wishbone and snap it like a certain players collar bone. We will continue with our leftovers until Christmas. It will be a great time for fans. We will celebrate the 12 games of Christmas and then turn out the lights in NYC on Jan 1." Welcome to the game boys and girls... it's time to get busy. Someone will post what assuredly will be lines, in some order, that will in no way reflect the actual TOI at the end of the game. Let's have a great GDT on here. Let's argue like family on Thanksgiving. Let's let PA and WildCard have too much wine and get all riled up calling people like me hopeless. Eleven is probably drunk already. d4rk will be close behind. Some dude with a chicken on his head is going to show up and post pukey faces. We'll have the 5th of November represented even though it's the 22nd. There will be intelligent takes from people in Florida and some spirited ones from people in GA. Early on we'll hear from our relatives from across the pond and then late into the night they'll regale us with stories of much ale consumed. Some dude from Sweden might even show up, and we'll go nuts. It all ends with some Smelly guy. I know I didn't call out everyone here. You are all awesome in your own ways. I am thankful I get to debate with most people on here. Even if we disagree you help keep me interested in what my viewpoints are on hockey and by doing so you keep me interested in the team and the game I love. Enjoy the game tonight everyone. Throw a few back and be thankful that we have a team to root for (or jeer for) and that without them we'd be left with an emptiness inside much like the people of Idaho. I mean seriously... who the hell do people from Idaho root for?

It boils down to this. Either you understand what happened on that goal and what led up to it or you don't. I think you can go looking for anything and potentially tie it in to fit some narrative that Jack is lazy. In this case you now what to call him out for a long shift when most of the PP unit was on the ice for 2 minutes and it was probably a coaching decision as to how long they were out there. You can ignore everything that has been laid out and just call him lazy. There is no conversation to be had at that point. If you want to believe he was lazy on that play despite any discussion that states the opposite it's your choice. I used to coach a kid who skated really hard all the time. ALL THE TIME. This was great at the younger levels because most kids didn't understand positioning. As kids began to pass more this kid looked like a chump on the ice because he'd basically be the man in the middle and never be near the play. Sure he was hauling butt around the ice but he was never in the right position. There are times when skating at 100% top speed is not required and in fact a really stupid idea. In this case I'm seeing people now saying he was gliding back, yes he was. It was not an incorrect thing to do at that point. If he skated hard he'd be out of position. He's where he needs to be and he's waiting for a opponent to come into his coverage zone. Now get out the damn horse.gif.

Maybe I saw this here... maybe somewhere else. A reason to like Hitch. http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/stars-coach-ken-hitchcock-revealing-injuries-lets-stop-dance/

I think we're at a good point. Anything more and someone is going to have to get that horse.gif out. :) It's the analysis of a single situation. It's fair to say Eichel is lazy. It's just not necessarily fair to say he was lazy on that play. It's like saying Bartolo Colon is not an overall home run hitter, but he did hit a home run. And it was not meant to be more than that. :)

Can i be the guy who triggers the goal horn? I'm pretty lazy and don't want to have to do much.

It's only a terrible look if you refuse to acknowledge: He was on the ice for over 2 minutes already and was not just standing around. The player coming off the bench is his defensive cover. He's gliding because he did skate hard enough to get back to cover the 3rd guy high. He's resting himself to use energy to get the puck out of the zone without having to ice it. All of these things are done to help prevent a bad situation. He certainly can't help that they scored. He can't help that Antipin was caught too low in the offensive zone and forced a slight 2 on 1 that caused Beaulieu to have to play off Williams farther than he should have. Look at this way. If that puck is a save with a rebound or into the corner then Eichel would have to defend against fresh legs of Carolina. If the puck does not go in the net and stays live, Eichel is in perfect defensive position to play the 3rd guy entering the zone.

Except he wasn't on the 3rd line, so whatever. At some point you just want a dumb ass reporter to STFU you just tell him whatever he wants to hear. Eichel had the highest TOI on the team..overall and ES as near as I can tell. How can anyone say he was demoted? There are enough problems that are real, let's discuss those. I watched about half the game between driving all over Rochester, etc. I saw some positives and I still see a team that has, for years, been unable to get out of their own zone and dominate play for long stretches. That said, it's good to hear people are in Buffalo and scouting. I am sure it's Kane and perhaps moving Kane away from Eichel was done as a way to show that he's capable of playing with more than just one player.

So, you know last year I blasted Eichel for his laziness. I have done it this year. I watched the video and examined the evidence. Here is what I see. 7:27 - penalty against Justin Williams (I incorrectly said Faulk before) 7:27 - Eichel on the ice 5:14 - Justin Williams scores Eichel had been on the ice for over 2 minutes including the goal mouth scrum. It's not like he was standing around. He was at the left point on the 7:27 face-off. He was around the goal mouth half-way through the penalty and he's on the other side of the ice at the face off dot when the pass out of the zone gets flipped by him. When Williams gets the puck just past center ice (already turned up the ice) at 5:20 there are 6 seconds before he scores. You guys all think Eichel is going to get back into the zone after a 2 minute shift? Moreover, since it's not HIS defensive coverage he should go cover Beaulieu's man (Antipin is busting his butt and gets back into the play just as Williams shoots). As I said.. Eichel's coverage responsibility is the FRESH Hurricanes player crossing the blue-line when he crosses it. Sorry, in this case I don't see him being lazy or out of position. I do think Housley employs some old school tactics when necessary. I don't know it, but I believe it. The media portions I don't give much credence to because it's all a psychological game at that point. If you have a team that's doubting itself and struggling perhaps the last thing you want as a coach is the media to be trying to tear apart the players more. Hard to say really. The twitter post was a Michigan Mile conditioning drill. I never used it as an "again" drill and I don't know that it is being used there in the same way. Maybe it is and I missed something? https://www.hockeyshare.com/drills/drill.php?id=203170?hs_a_id=1010 I've implemented my fair share of "again" drills. Those are usually the entire team skating at once and just going back and forth between the boards.

Pominville scored his goals from Jack's passing. But I do think the combination is designed to get Eichel out of the zone and create 1 on however many and then dish if needed.

Well, to be fair, it has been repeated by other expansion GMs. In year 1 the team has no expectations. It is likely the only year in hockey a group of players will have very little expectation to win. In addition, I hear harping on how they most important thing they do all year is win at home. The road doesn't matter but to cement themselves with the fans they need to win at home. They've been doing that as well. I think there are definitely other aspects that play into their success but it certainly doesn't hurt. I agree. In this situation if Jack hustles back so hard that he can get to Faulk then he most likely leaves the trailing Hurricanes player (near the blue line) open and assuming Faulk is good enough he simply puts the pass back to that guy who then walk down the slot and takes his shot. You can pick on his body posture, but here's what I recall. He had been on the ice for the power play and had been out there for awhile. The puck is now in his zone and he can't make a change. He knows he's going to need the energy to get the puck out of the zone so if he has a slight opportunity to conserve energy he should take it. That stance says, I'm gliding into the zone, in position, and conserving energy to get the puck back out so we can make a change. There are times when Jack should be hustling and he wasn't, but I don't see this being one of them.

That will be the tell tale sign. My guess is that he'll ride the lines that are producing.

The GM was interviewed and he said it's largely because they are playing with no pressure. There is ZERO expectation of winning in the first season so the players aren't carrying any baggage. They are supposed to not be good so every time they succeed it's just a bonus. It's not expected. Something similar to the response you'd have running a 9.85 100m dash compared the response Usain Bolt would have. Gabby has been fired from many jobs for players tuning him out. Coaching isn't about a single message, it's about the right message at the right time. Great coaches know how to alter the message. It's people management and as a manager it is highly unlikely that you will get a team that thinks 100% the way you do as the leader. You have to know how to manage the personalities. If you have a mix of personalities that are so diametrically opposed that you lose one group as a direct result of gaining another group then you have a bad culture. You can't win that way. Some players will never need the kick in the pants to be motivated. They are harder on themselves than you can ever be and having you harp on them incessantly will do nothing more than get them to tune you out. Other players need the kick in the butt because even though they've been successful they have a tendency to not achieve 100% all the time and slack off when they can. If the Sabres locker room situation isn't the problem then you have to look at what could be demotivating at a higher level. It's hardly the fans. Is it ownership? Players have said that the Pegulas are great (even when they aren't in Buffalo anymore). Is it lip service? It might not be the ownership either. Right now I think its group of players who are feeling a lot of pressure to succeed and players are all trying to do it in different ways. You get 1 guy on the ice who tries to do something more than what they are asked to do and it's just as bad as getting 1 guy on the ice who can't do what he's asked to do. I think the Sabres have a combination of both going on and as such they look completely out of sync and they don't look like a team. Part of it is that they lack talent where needed and another part is that those who have talent are trying to be more than they are (Eichel included). Eichel should not be concerned about the fans wanting him to shoot. He should be concerned about the team winning. But he hears that people want him to shoot more and now he's trying to do that, perhaps even shooting when he shouldn't. That's the easy one to point out, but I think it's across the board.

Of course this was coming. O'Reilly assisted on Kane's goal in the last game. Clearly the magic is there. ;) Let's be real... does anyone look at Pouliot - Larsson - Okposo as a second line over Pominville - Eichel - Girgensons? The Michigan Mile drill. I love it. Used it with my kids last year. It's a great conditioning drill. Especially if you start yelling times out and get the groups to compete against each other.

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.