matter2003

Some of it is maturing into their bodies and learning how to use it in that way because they never really had to since they were always the star players on their teams.

Plenty good enough. When they want to be. You don't go from looking like the Harlem Globetrotters on Ice 75% of the time last year making teams look ridiculous for most of the game to "not good enough" overnight. How many times did we watch teams hemmed in their own end for 2 minutes at a time as the Sabres cycled the puck, skated circles around them and had a shooting gallery going on? This team is playing with no desire, no confidence and no "get up and get it" right now. They are playing as if they are looking over their shoulder for something bad to happen and then when it does they get into a "Oh no! Here we go again!" mode. Then by the time they snap out of it and actually start playing, they are down 2,3,4-0 and it's too late most games. Sure they have some "almost" come back games and a few actual comeback games(like the Pens game), but this is not a way to win consistently in the NHL. They have no direction, no structure, Granato has them unsure of what to do now because they aren't playing their style from last year but aren't really playing a defensive style either, they are kind of in No Man's Land trying to play both and it's not working. Honestly, he just needs to let them go back to how they played last year. They have the talent to outscore a lot of teams, that might have to be good enough this year. Granato told them to play fearless last year and they did...this year they are playing FEARFUL and you can't win like that. Honestly if I was Granato I would have my video assistant make a highlight reel clip of their goals from last year when they looked at their best and have them watch it and tell them this is who you are now go play like it.

They deserve every single one of them no matter how many there are. No excuse for what we have been watching this season.

Ownership has everything to do with it. Just ask the New York Knicks under James Dolan and the Washington Redskins/Football Team/Commanders under Dan Snyder. Owners can meddle in everything from who gets a big contract, to who is on the team, to who plays in games, how much time coaches/GMs get to turn things around(aka they want IMMEDIATE RESULTS even when there is no basis in reality to expect them), to anything else you can think of and often times DO. You make the very very wrong assumption that owners simply hire a person to do a job and then remove themselves from day to day operations. On good teams that happens, on bad teams it doesn't many times and is the reason why their teams never see much success.

He obviously must have worked very hard at this because he was terrible for 3 seasons...kudos for him on knowing where the improvements in his game could come from and working hard to correct them.

That was due to COVID restrictions/cancellations and then when things got back to normal he was rehired. The Schopp and the Bulldog interviews with him when they play the college play by play call to some big fight he got into as the intro for that segment is freaking hilarious

Come out, dominate and kick the proverbial crap out of the best team in the NHL?

Tuch was walking around pregame singing "I'm the man, I'm the man, I'm the man...yes I am, yes I am, yes I am!"

True, UPL made the highlight reel save, but Shesterkin was the only reason the Sabres didn't have 8 or 9 tonight...he made some pretty incredible saves in his own right from point blank areas. That one timer he had I thought was a sure goal...still don't know how Shesterkin got over to make that save

Happy we aren't getting much if anything in the Eastern Burbs this time. We get buried enough, let someone else have their turn.. And it's relatively late in the year for the first big snowfall, almost December, so you have kinda lucked out.

Sabres, Bills and Bandits. When I followed baseball growing up, I was a Mets fan and it was the only time I got to celebrate one of the major sports winning a title(1986). Still remember watching that Bill Buckner game going crazy and waking my parents up late at night.

Mighty Taco

What's next? A shot clock in OT?

They do it on the 0.0005% chance that it COULD give them an advantage whether it actually does or not.

And if you don't think the other team knows that you have a wrist injury within 2 minutes of watching you warm up whether they know it or not from an injury report, I don't know what to tell you. I mean, I used to know who was hiding an injury on the other team in warmups playing soccer in grade school, but you think pro athletes/coaches/trainers/staff aren't going to be able to figure it out? C'mon man.

I watch lots of hockey. I don't freak out about day to day lineups when there are injuries you are dealing with. It happens. Plug someone in the best you can and move on. Quinn coming back soon will help alleviate some of the concerns, although it might take him a month or two to get back in the flow.

I find it so crazy that the NFL, NBA and MLB all give you pretty much the exact injuries, if not from the team, from beat reporters/national media reporters that have sources that the team allows to leak info out. Why the NHL deems this as some secretive thing I have no idea. It's irritating to the fans who want to know what is going on with the players and it really doesn't give any competitive advantage. Pretty obvious by watching someone for a minute or two warming up if there is an issue they are trying to hide from the opposing team.

People really worry about game to game lineups way too much. Every team in the NHL deals with players out, it's not unique to the Sabres.

I thought all those regional sports networks went bankrupt last year?

All I gotta say Mostly to do with they play very well on the road and terrible at home. Regardless of the team. It's a road game, they will play well like they always do.

Don't worry, they are playing on the road so they will play well.

wow...Sabres are playing a lot of *wink wink* to the player games with the injury designations and playing musical chairs. KA and DG: "Brandon, we really like your game but you are going on IR today." BB: "What? Why? I feel fine!" KA/DG: "No Brandon, you have a lower body injury that is going to need a few weeks to heal." BB: "What!? But I was just out there at practice skating around just fine! You saw me coach!" KA/DG: "Listen, we have to call up Savoie or he has to get sent down to juniors and we don't want to do that. Don't worry, you are still getting paid at your NHL rate while on IR here. Look at it as a win-win for everyone involved! So if anyone asks, what is the issue?" BB: "I have a lower body injury that is going to need a few weeks to heal." KA/DG: "I knew you'd see it our way Brandon!"

This would do nicely tonight...

hard to make the playoffs by being an elite road team and one of the worst home teams in the league(5th worst last year, only teams worse were the 4 teams that finished 30+ points beneath them in the standings---quite pathetic)