mjd1001

It was a pretty bad shot by Quinn that got him that goal, pure luck. But on the bright side, he took it from the front of the net. Yes it was on the PP, but he went to the front of the net which is the biggest thing he needs to do in the offensive zone.

Jack Quinn played well against Ottawa last year, 3 goals in 4 games last year. For his career vs Ottawa, 10 games 3 goals (all last year), 2 asissts, -5. (full season that would project out to 25 goals, 16 assists, and a -41)

That is the best case scenario for me. If they win by multiple goals AND control play, I'll at least have a shred of hope again they have a chance of turning this around quick.

I understand the concept, but to many people you're just rooting for the Jersey to a large extent. If the players aren't good enough, and some people legitimately don't like the management, or the ownership, or both, then it's not really your "team" to them, but rather some unlikable imposters that are temporarily filling in that role. I guess that's a long way of saying the team to some people isn't just the name or the Jersey, it's everything and everybody that encompasses it... And if you don't like a large part of that, I could see not rooting for it or them. Especially if you have a strong opinion that those people temporarily failing allows the organization to hire other people to make your team better. The reason I thought this was a good time for a poll... It seems like there's a lot of people that are openly rooting for chaos. I'm not 100% there yet, but I could thoroughly understand wanting massive change to this team being more important than a win to move you to 1-3 on the season. If someone feels that way I don't find it embarrassing at all.

Changed it to just win and lose. If people want to explain the reasons why, I guess they can do so in the thread by posting.

To answer my own poll, I'd say I want them to win tonight, but tonight's game might be the biggest swing game of the season in getting me to change my vote. If they lose tonight, it's going to be really hard to look anything positive at this season at all. But let's say they win tonight, by multiple goals, and look really good doing it. I'll be able to convince myself, at least temporarily, yeah, they can turn this around.

I'm just curious where everyone is on this right now. Ultimately most of us want the team to win but... I can understand some people wanting as many losses in a row right now, because they think that this team will never be good without major changes, and we need to get to those changes quicker. Can't see themselves to ever root for a loss ever. I just thought a poll might be interesting to see where we are right now.

I haven't watched the games live, but I did watch them on replay, so take this for what you will...just my opinion. I think through 3 games Tuch is playing like he normally does, with ONE exception. He's staying away from the net on the offensive zone. Everything I saw when watching him, his skating, his forcheck, seems the same...the one thing that stood out is he is just keeping to the perimeter on the offensive zone a lot more than he did last year. He doesn't have many shots yet, but if you look at a heat map of where he has taken them from, it backs this up.

I'm not sure why people still think Cozen is good. Even some of the people in Ottawa (some, not all) are starting to think he's not as good as they hoped. I posted this in a thread the other day, but since he got to Ottawa, he's played 30 games, has 7 goals and 13 assists and is a -10(including playoffs, not preseason of course). Thats an 82 game pace of 19 goals, 35 assists, and a -27. Yes, a -27 on a team that made the playoffs last year. And I'm not sure what the numbers look like this year, but some of his deeper dive analytics....the guys he played with in Ottawa last year had their numbres get worse after Cozens started playing with them. Batherson is the guy that they put with Cozens the most. Batherson's Corsi% is down 4 whole percentage points with Cozens vs without him. Fenwick down almost 5 points. Shots down 3, expected goals down 8! Scoring chances down 5, High danger down 3. Maybe tomorrow Cozens will have a good game. Maybe after tomorrow he will turn the corner and become a good player. But right now he is a bad player. Teammates get WORSE when he is with them vs when they are with anyone else. There are plenty of things to criticize the Sabres for that are legit. Some people just don't do the work.

That 2011 year is the year he took over the team. Tehcnically he was owner during those playoffs, but he came on board that season when the coaching staff, roster, everyting was set before he bought them. He had very little if any input to any part of that team. Once he started having input and makign decisions, that is when the drought started. Since his first full season where he actually started making decisions, that is when they haven't made the playoffs since. So the team hasn't played a full season that he has been in controll and made the playoffs.

Adams time is up, but you are putting way too much of this on just one person.

That would be the worst case scenario for me also. I've gone from last year and even this summer. Hoping for an Alex Tuch extension... To about a month ago. Thinking... I'm on the fence about it.. to now today thinking I'd rather have them not extend him unless it's the most team-friendly deal ever. With the way this franchise works... That's probably going to trigger them to give him the biggest extended contract in franchise history... At the exact time they shouldn't. You also have to remember that we have a lot of arguments on this board as to who is the bigger problem... Adams... Or the owner.... But remember if they do sign him to an extension that's absolutely ridiculous and crazy that that it doesn't get done without The owner's approval and blessing.

I'm thinking... There might be a good general manager out there that would love to take the Buffalo job with certain conditions. Why? There might just be some people out there who enjoy the rebuild. Also, you do have assets on this team that are very good or can be used to bring in other assets to help with the rebuild. Now what are those conditions and how come they haven't happened yet? The top of the list for me would be to sign a contract and have it written that this person has total control over the hockey department.0 They can hire and fire coaches and staff and front office members at will, and they don't have to run trades or draft picks by the owner. I just don't think our current owner will allow that to happen or anything even close to it.

For the last few years I have thought their O-line is overrated. We hear from many places it is one of the best in the league. I haven't seen it. The analytics say they are good at pass blocking, but what I see is a QB who isn't as mobile as Josh would be sacked at least 2 times per game more than him. I also see the OL in the run game sometimes open some holes vs bad run defenses who are tired AND playing guys off the line to defend against the pass...but I don't see them doing much at all against any run defense that is above average or is actually trying to stop the run.

Isn't that what was supposed to happen 2 years ago when they took all the 'cap hits'? Wasn't this year supposed to be the first year they were able to have more flexibility, to build the roster without one hand tied behind their back (with regard to the cap?) I have a feeling you have a top 5 player in Josh Allen, and the rest of the team is average-to-below average. (meaning they would struggle to be .500 with a middle of the road QB). -They should have lost to the Ravens (they were outplayed most of the game) and apparently they are the only team that can't tackle Derrick Henry and have holes blown through their D-line by the Ravens -They blew out a terrible Jets team -They let a pretty bad Dolphins team stick around way too long at home. -They were outplayed at times and honestly needed a few breaks to beat a bad Saints team at home. -Lost to the Pats at home -Last nights loss to the Falcons. They are not a good team. Even with Josh Allen, they have a 'good' record but don't look all that great. They need to look at some coaching stuff and make some changes in the bye week, and hope some of the injured guys returning and guys coming off of suspension are real difference makers.

The high danger area is right in front of the net according to NHL edge stats. 0 (ZERO) of Alex Tuchs shots this year through 3 games were taken from high danger areas in front of the net. Last year he had 68 taken from right in front of the net, and another 13 taken from the side of the net but very close to it. Tage Thompson, This year he also has 0 (ZERO) shots taken from right in front of the net, where last year he had 41 on the season. Your 2 best scorers are not going to, or at least not getting off shots from the front of the net. As for the team as a whole, those 'high danger' areas right in front of the net...last year they had 520 shots from that area (or 6.34 per game). This year they only have 7 total among the whole team, or 2.33 per game. Last year, 22.83% of the teams shots were from in front of the net. This year, its only 11.86%. I know its only 3 games, but this team is not going to the net, the entire forward group has seemingly turned into perimter players. (also a side not, so far through 3 games they have ZERO speed burts of skating recorded over 22mph...last in the league. Last year they weren't great, but they had 61)

When that other guy plays, he is better than Cozens. When that other guy doesn't play, the question becomes is Cozens better than the guy that replaces that other guy? Its not really 'one' guy replacing Norris, as the minutes are split up. You could say Kulich moves up the lineup, and at this point I'd take Kulich over Cozens as he makes far less mistakes. If you go by the theory of the minutes are split, I'd still take 1/3 McLeod (despite him playing awful the first 3 games), 1/3 Kulich, and 1/3 whoever else. That combo doesn't bring that much less offense than Cozens did the last few years, but they still make a ton less mistakes. I don't know if we have short memories or not, but Dylan Cozens in some cases single handedly ruined games for the team with blind passes, turnovers, and mostly being totally out of position allowing goals in close games for the Sabres last year that they lost by 1 or 2. Cozens needed to go, he wasn't going to contribute here. If he turns it around in Ottawa, good for him (by the way, he's not turning it around yet in Ottawa. He's played 30 games there now, 7 goals, 13 assists, and a -10...and 82 game pace of 19 goals, 35 assists and a staggering but famaliar -27 on an Ottawa team that has been better than Buffalo) In other words, he is still who he has been. The real question is, should the Sabres have taken 'futures' for Cozens instead of Norris? A mid-to-late 1st rounder and/or a prospect?

As I said before, most things with Pegula after the first year or two of ownership have been about (or a combination of) being a.) Cheap b.) a shortcut c.) about nostalgia d.) about him not hiring anyone that will talk back to him

With a lot of other advantages in Florida that do not exist in Buffalo. Not all... For many of the mistakes his franchises made since pegula has taken over was because of shortcuts... Rushing things... Doing things for nostalgic reasons... Doing things because they're cheap... Or convenient. Most failed moves had at least one of those qualities... If not multiple ones.

Then you trade for them or you wait until the off season. If that is the best thing to do long-term... In my opinion is that's the way I would go, I'm not going to pass up that just because I have to wait a few months.

No, not like them at all. Well maybe a little bit like the reputation housley had. I'm talking about finding a team that's very successful... Looking at the assistant coaches.. And not just as a fan but as somebody close to hockey... Identifying and assisting coach who is exposed to a winning culture... And who has a reputation for working well with players, being a rising star, maybe instrumental in running one of the best penalty killing or power plays. I don't know who that is... But you have 60 to 100 assistant coaches out there to choose from. Identify one, throw some money at them. I'm not a big fan of "old man hockey". If the team is going to fail, I'd rather have them fail looking toward what the game might be in the future, not trying to play how it was played 5 to 10 years ago.

Not me. I don't want any of the retreads that aren't good enough to have a current job despite history. Find me someone up and coming again. I know housley kind of had that reputation but... This team needs a total blowing up and starting over and I want someone who's at least interesting... If not innovative and keeping up with League trends as a coach.

I mean.. not to go too far down this rabbit hole but I'm not sure why Pegula wants to keep this team and not sell it. He's got a crumbly old arena... But his NFL franchise is moving into a shiny new Palace. The hockey team has a dwindling fan base and whoever's left is in an uproar... While the football team has even the most casual fans stumbling over themselves to buy more merchandise with the logo on it. Anytime he spends with the hockey team... He could probably just as easily be more around the football team and be getting more national attention and adoration. The football team generates so much more revenue and is worth so much more... Pardon me thinks why does he even want to bother keeping the hockey team.. just find somebody to sell it to in facilitate the sale. That.. And at least for the next couple of years his life becomes so much more enjoyable. Maybe he can even keep a very small minority stake in the hockey team... Just so he can still be acknowledged as a minority owner and get his luxury box seed if or when he wants to show up to a game.

I think it's both at the same time just in different ways He's too involved and that he wants to take part in every decision... He has ideas of his own and he has people around him that enable those bad ideas... Including his fingers on the roster. It's not enough because he doesn't put the time in... The research in himself... He doesn't have enough conversations with people and the organization who are experts in a certain field. Basically to him, the sabres are like a fantasy hockey team that he spends 5 minutes thinking about but then wants to make all the decisions. He's too involved... But doesn't put the time in.

I'm not liking McLeods game all that much recently. I thought at the very end of last year, his overall play (defensive positioning) slipped a tad, but I chalked it up as a 'blip' in an otherwise breakout season. His positioning and play in all 3 zones seems to not be up to where it needs to be in the first few games this year also. I like McLeod, big fan, but something to watch.