mjd1001

Lindy Ruff may be a good coach. I think he is. Any doubt I had listening to him talk about hockey and I think he is. When he talks to the media, he talks differently than Granato. He talks about what needs to change. He identifies what went wrong and how to change it. He talks about how players are playing well and what needs to be done when they aren't. He brings up things that I haven't thought about, and I haven't heard on this forum from anyone else (specifics). I think he knows hockey, he knows how to coach, and the game has not 'passed him buy'. BUT...there comes a point where what do you do if you aren't getting through to the players? What else can be done? My impression, and this is the positive spin on Lindy....is that he identifies a problem with the team or individual players, talks to them about it, addresses it, it gets 'fixed' for a game or two, but then the players just keep falling back into the same habits in short order? If as a coach you address an issue, take care of it, but the players keep on doing it in the future, what else can you do? And I know on this board I'm back to blasting Cozens (and Quinn) like almost never before, but they make SO many bad plays without the puck. They are so awful and bring negatives to the team when they aren't scoring (and they sure aren't doing that), that why do you keep playing them? Why does Cozens continue to get the 3rd or 4th most ice time on the team? Why are they near the top of the team in offensive zone starts? Why does Cozens, DYLAN COZENS, lead your forwards in power play ice time? (and Quinn is 6th, being a fixture on your 2nd unit)? I'm flabbergasted by Lindy continuing to roll those guys out there. Nothing says they are doing anything besides hurting the team. The stats (production and plus-minus), even the advanced stats that are 'good' have to be taken with a grain of salt knowing their zone starts and their low shooting percentage. They devastate their own D-men and hang them out to dry making them look worse than they are. All I can think is that Lindy is getting strong encouragement, if not direct orders, from above to keep playing them (Adams or Pegula or both). It doesn't make sense that Lindy would just roll them out there like he is otherwise.

Deep down when I take emotion out of it, I agree with you. Despite what others think, I think the Defense of this team is pretty good/good enough. Now, they SHOULD be playing better. My top 2 issues on the Defense are: 1.) Samuelsson. It looked like at one point he was going to be a top 50 stay-at-home rock back there. He isn't available and he is nothing of the sort. 2.) Dahlin. He's the best D-man on this team overall, but 1.5 years ago he looked to be on his way to being elite, Norris level. Hes good, but you aren't paying him and didn't draft him #1 overall to be 'good'. He needs to control the game from the back end and he isn't doing that. Clifton I'm happy with as a 3rd pair, 15 minutes per game at the most guy. Power has HUGE up and down games, but I'm fine with his 'progress'. Bryram isn't a perfect defender but I'd be happy with him extended. Forwards are an issue. Cozens and Quinn are the 2 players most responsible for this team not being a playoff spot right now. As I mentioned other places, its not just their lack of production. They aren't producing. They are making more mistakes without the puck than ANY other 2 players on the team. And that lack of production is coming with them taking up Power play time and getting 55-60% offensive zone starts. They are the 2 players most responsible for sinking the team. Tuch is not an issue now, but going forward, I think you need to think long and hard about how much you pay him and for how long when his deal is up at the end of next year. Right now you are getting 'peak' Alex Tuch. That is a good player. Not a great one. When his next deal starts, he's going to be on the downside of his career. Tage, for all his faults and injuries, is worth every dollar you are paying him at $7m per year. If you can sign Peterka for less than that, I think he is well worth it. Benson is an interesting one to me. Many here love his game. Many here say he is the only one who shows up night to night. But, EVENTUALLY I need more production from him, and while it seems the refs have it out for him, some of the penalties he takes are really really dumb. A purge may not be required, but what is required are move RIGHT NOW to make this team better. You can't get to the point before January 1st where you are basically writing the season off because you are so far out of it and looking foward to 'maybe' playoffs in the spring of 2026. Because right now if they don't fix things, our best hope as fans will be to look foward to MAYBE seeing a playoff game in 2026. If you listen to 590 out of Toronto (the radio station in North America that probably focuses on hockey as much as anywhere), the Sabres are 50% laughing stock, and 50% irrelevant. The thing is when they get brought up, both of those things are brought up at the same time. Over the decade plus of the drought, the hosts and 'insiders' were never at the level with those 2 things with the Sabres that they are now. Around the league, the overall opinion of the Buffalo Sabres I think is as low as its ever been. Even when they team was taking, when the team was as bad as they were in the Dahlin Draft year, at least the opinion around the league was 'in a few years, they will have enough talent they will be good'. Just 2 seaons ago Elliote Friedman said on their show something like "Buffalo is going to be really hard to handle with Dahlin, Power, and Samuelsson back there really soon" Now, nothing. No comments like that. This team just isn't on anyones radar anymore as a threat this season or anytime in the near future.

I truly think that if Quinn and Cozens did not play at all this season, and instead the Sabres inserted 2 $3-4m per year vets that played decent positionally and were career 10-15 goal scorers, I think this team would have won a couple more game and would be in, or very near, a playoff position now. The goal is not to slide into the playoffs and then lose and be out in a week. So yeah, the team 'needs' more than just those 2 being replaced. But they are taking up minutes, offensive zone starts, PP time and not producing, basically at all. In addition, they are both turning into massive liabilities without the puck. Replacement level guys (competent journeyman 3rd line guys) would be better for this team at the moment.

4.) 2 forward to replace Quinn and Cozens on the roster

I don't think that would happen, that is the problem. For better or worse, the league was falling over itself to keep a team in the phoenix market. They don't care at all about a passionate fanbase in a small city (if they did Quebec city, with a much nicer/newer Arena than Buffalo, would have a team "back there" already). The league cares about market sizes like Houston (closing in on 8 millon), Atlanta or Phoenix (5+ million and growing), Austin, Orlando, Charlotte, San Antonio, Austin San Diego and others (2.5-3+ million) more than they do about Buffalo (Metro size 1.1million)...and it looks at Money (most of those markets have an area "GDP" of 3-6 times what Buffalo has). If Buffalo did lose the Sabres, in no way, in no world do I see them moving in front of Atlanta, Houston, Phoenix, or a 2nd GTA team. No way.

I'm not saying you are wrong but......so we are purging everyone and every thing BUT Pegula, and HE is the one in charge of picking the people below him? And if that DID work out, maybe we could hope for the playoffs in another 4-5 years from now? Not saying it wouldn't be the best answer, but wow, that would be depressing. If they did that and that extends this droubt to close to 20 years (It likely WOULD) Can you imagine those of us who had a Toddler in the house who was just about to enter 1st grade the last time the team made the playoffs, and the next time they make it it might not be until they are adults, out of college and possibly married with their own kids on the way.

That is the impression I have of him. When things get back, hide behind a coach, a GM, a president of the team and get away from the criticism. And if that criticism becomes to great, I picture him as the kind of guy who sits in the back room and things/says "I'll show them ALL". Not the kind of guy that will take criticism, not the type of guy who will step up into a tough situation. In corporate terms, he is much more of a "BOSS" than he is a "LEADER" of an organization.

On Quinn, the turning point of the game last night was McKinnons goal just a couple minutes into the 2nd period to put Colorado on the board. From that point on the Sabres certainly played 'holding their sticks too tight'. I watched the replay of that goal now from not just the broadcast angle, but a few different angles.... -I think Clifton was the D-man that tried to move the puck out of the zone when McKinnon got it, but at that moment, Quinn was the closest forward to McKinnon. If you watch, the D-men were covering the front of the net (I'm good with that), Kulich was backchecking and taking the guy into the corner with the puck (good thing for a young guy to do), McLeod was covering the high slot on the other side of the ice (exactly where I want him), and Quinn was on the boards covering the area where McKinnon and the D-men were. --next as the puck goes up the boards towards McKinnon Clifton comes out from in front of the net to help out with the puck (no problem with this) but Quinn takes off up the ice. The puck is still in the Sabres D-zone and there are 2 Sabres players with 3 Colorado players within 5-7 feet of the puck. Both Kulich and Clifton are now tied up on the boards...so Quinn is the ONLY player left on that part of the ice (near the puck) to cover both McKinnon and the D-man. Quinn takes up off the ice and basically leaves McKinnon 100% uncovered. Without the winger (Quinn) there, McKinnon gets the puck, turns around and scores. As McKinnon took the shot, Quinn was the only Sabres player not in the Defensive zone, AND not only that but he wasn't even on the defensive side of the red line. With a 4-0 lead, I think being the only guy who is available and free to cover Nate McKinnon when the puck is in your own zone is more important than trying to break out of the zone so you MIGHT be hit with a breakaway/stretch pass. Oh, and the 2nd Colorado goal? Cozens. He doesn't get the benefit of the doubt with me. I haven't seen an angle showing exactly what happend to him, but Tage hustled back and almost got back into the play. Cozens was off in the offensive zone corner, and instead of hustling back, he slowly skated toward the bench and made a line change right as the goal was being scored. He was caught VERY deep in the offensive zone when Colorado got the puck and could not, or would not, (or both) get back into the play. I even think he got off the ice a second before the goal was scored and Tuch just stepped foot on the ice, so Tuch got the 'minus' on that goal and Cozens didn't. Again, I can't find a replay of that entire goal from multiple angles, but it doesn't look good for Cozens there either. After watching the replays and the goal visualizations of the first 2 colorado goals...the 2 goals most important in leading their comeback....if I had to pinpoint the forwards who were the most out of position, the forwards who made the worst plays on both of those goas......Quinn, and Cozens. Those 2 hurt this team in so many ways. Honestly the Sabres would be better off with 2 guys who make under $3m per year have a ceiling of 10-12 goas a year but play an honest defensive game. This team would have a better chance of making the playoffs with 2 guys like that replacing Quinn and Cozens.

The toxic part of it seems to be coming from the fans toward the team, and the team/organization/owner doesn't seem to care, or at least wants to hide from it. And as I say the toxic part is coming from the fans, that is no shot at the fans, it is well deserved and if the fans WEREN'T thinking/acting that way, it would be a bigger problem. The team deserves it. What would make me feel better (other than winning right now?) 1.) Pegula shows up at a press conference, takes questions, and basically says in the open the situation isn't acceptable and he will be available on a somewhat regular basis to talk (at least show he cares) 2.) Cozens and Quinn. Sit them. I don't mean for one game I mean for a while. I'm pretty sure you have a handful of guys in Rochester that will play better than Quinn, and while you may not have guys in Rochester that will have an overall better 'ice presence' than Cozens, his play and production is just not acceptable. It would be a sign, a signal to fans. Will sitting Cozens long term help the team win? Maybe not, but right now I'm at the point with this team that the "message" is more imprortant than a couple more points that will insure you miss the playoffs by 8 points instead of 15 points. 3.) You are going to make unsold, at least 300 level tickets available for $10 each until the team makes the playoffs. For those who already bought tickets, you give them freebees or a partial refund. Will the team not get revenue sharing because of it? probably not, but Pegula, this is YOUR fault more than the fans fault. Pegula should NOT expect, at this point, to keep making his money at the expense of the fans. 4.) while you are at it, cut the concession prices in half. Nothing like going to a game and getting taken advantage of to watch this product for going on a decade-and-a-half. If you aren't going to win, the above would be a start for me. Will any of that get done? I doubt it. and why would I want it done? To show that Pegula cares for the fans who support his team and will do things he isn't comfortable with to show it.

We all know the issue with Cozens and Quinn. The 2nd highest paid forward on your team and the young, up-and-coming scorer who would be his winger on your 2nd line. We know how poorly they are playing and producing. But to put some numbers on it: Over the last 2 seasons before this year.... -combined they scored 72 goals in 262 games. That 'combo' production is equal to expecting 45 goals between them over a full 82 game season together. They collectively shot 12.3% And they are both 'young' so you would expect them to keep getting BETTER than they have been. This season though 25 games.... -combined scored 6 goals in 49 games. That combo production is equal to expecting 20 goals between them over a full 82 game season together. They are shooting collectively 5.4%. (yes, these are your 'top 10' draft pick forwards who are entering the prime of their career) Those aren't 2nd line numbers. They are barely 3rd line numbers. They are what you would put up with on a 4th line..... Oh wait, on your 4th line you would probably not even do that, as they are a combined -15 through those 25 games, an that pitiful production is with a pretty good amount of power play time, and they are both getting almost 60% offensive zone start times. Oh, and Cozens is getting almost 18 minutes of ice time per game and, until recently, Quinn was over 15 minutes per game. So, their numbers and production are, quite frankly pitiful. Put that in the context of the ice time the get, the power play time, and the offensive zone start percentages...and that 'combo' that you were expecting to be your 2nd line...those 2 together might be 2 of the most disappointing players in the entire league. So here is my 'positive spin'. All the things we are all complaining about today...Pegula, Adams, the defense, any other player......ALL of those things could be the same, but if Quinn and Cozens just weren't 'sucking' so much right now, this team could/would probably be a playoff team right now.

Actually, if I looked at the standings after now watching the beginning of the season I would not feel that way. I'd feel more like "Ugh, more of the same". With a new coach, Tage being healthy, Quinn and Peterka and the Defense a year older, and a full season of UPL as your starter, I would expect more of than this by almost 1/3 into the season.

I have argued with many that I think the problem is more Pegula than Adams or any other GM. We can go back and forth on who is the biggest problem all day. But yeah, I think MOST (not all but most) will accept that Pegula is at least some sort of problem. It just feels like, and over a decade of missing the playoffs seems to confirm...that this team is in need a a major reset. A reset bigger than trading any few players can bring. A reset bigger than bringing in a new GM can bring. It needs all of that and probably more (Pegula). This thought enters my mind quite a bit: Selling the team means moving the team. Yeah, I can see that as a possibility. But, just how crazy would it be that the day a new owner took over, and said he would make this 'hockey heaven', and that the 'sole reason for the existence' of the team was to win the cup, and that money wouldn't be an object 'I'll drill another well'....just how Ironic would it be that it would be THAT guy who said THOSE thing that immediately put the team on the road and drove the car himself... to no longer being in Buffalo?

I'm a little different there. I like watching other teams. Normally I would think win or lose of course the Sabres games are more fun/more interesting. Right now, I usually enjoy, legit enjoy watching a mid-week game even if its Columbus vs Philly more than most sabres games. Not joking at all.

Last nights game hit a little harder than I thought it would. Yeah, I was upset and unhappy after the game last night like many, but usually what happens is I wake up the next morning and I'm thinking "on to the next game, its just a night's entertainment" And this was to a team that is 'middling' in the standings now. Against a team that lost 3 of their last 4 games. That was outscored 18 to 7 in those games. THAT team you faced and you had a 4 goal lead, and were told 'just don't blow this for 2 periods after they put their newly aquired BACKUP goalie in." I woke up this morning and I don't feel that way. I don't feel like I did last night, but I woke up this morning just not caring as much. Thinking 'its not worth the time'. Normally I'd say "if you are going to lose at least score some goals and I'll be entertained" . But... A game like that is just NOT enjoyable to watch at a fan, at all. The logical side of my brain says something like....If you wake up one day and they are in a playoff 'spot', then its ok to tune in to the next game. That means they are at least playing slightly above average to maintain that spot. Now I could say, if they get back into that playoff spot they have to win some games to just get there and do you want to miss that? Well, yeah, I can watch the highlights if I miss a game they win. But right now, last night was the night I 'hit the wall' of thinking of canceling the cable subscription for the year. (50%+ of the reason we have it is for Sabres games). I figure I can watch highlights. I can even watch the 'condensed games', look at the stats..read bout the team if I want in the mean time, its just not worth the time to even give up watching a 'decent' sitcom on tv with the family over the Sabres games. It usually takes a lot for me to get to this point every year. And sometime I 'get here' and take some time off, but eventually come back to watching the games after I fully accept its yet another 'wasted season'. But this morning, this is the FIRST morning I have felt this way this early in the season. So, as of right now I feel like I'm going to stop making the games 'appointment viewing' and skip some, maybe skip alot, until I wake up in the morning before a game and they are back INTO a playoff spot. They are now 25th out of 32 teams in the league, they are a minus goal differential team, they again have a losing home record. In other words, just 25 games into the season, they are totally irrelevant, they do not matter to anyone in any other city in the league. Right now the 8th spot in the east is at .540 point percentage. Buffalo is down to .480. It would take 4 wins in a row to get above .540 right now. I need them to 'prove it'. Entertainment of tuning into a hockey game with a team wearing the 'colors of the area I live in' isn't enough for the moment.

Yeah, but I'm getting a bit tired of giving Benson a pass. He's making as many mistakes as most forwards and not producing much lately.

They have allowed 34 shots on goal in just UNDER 2 periods. Not good.

I'd be more than happy having Adams make a trade if Pegula is out of the area and the trade can be made without his input/oversight/suggestions/opinions.

I really see not much of anything positive from Quinn. If he's not scoring, the best you can hope is he doesn't hurt in other areas. Does that mean I don't like him? No, it just is he's a guy I don't notice out there at all unless he is scoring. He's the guy on the team that you don't even see until a goal is scored, and then you look up and it was him. If he's not scoring at least 20 goals a year for me (and hopefully more), he is of little use.

I "Love" all the eyerolls on any comments sayhing the issue is more Pegula than Adams, and the people looking to pin all of this on Adams. Wake up. Pegs has had 4 different GM's. 8 different 'coaching teams' (Ruff now here 2 times). He's made a lot of moves in the front office. Multiple 'presidents'. He's the constant. Turning a blind eye to the real problem, its obvious, its been Pegula. Adams might be awful at being a GM, he might be OK, he might be good, he might be bad but getting better but still 'not good'. Doesn't matter. Pegula is the issue and if he doesn't change how he does things, any turnaround or march into the playoff is going to continue to be a lot harder simply because of him.

I agree with you 100%, there should be a 'non interference' policy with the Sabres also. But for some reason, he doesn't want that. Remember the last GM before Adams and why he got fired? There were direct quotes from both Terry and Kim saying they fired Botts because they felt "they weren't being listened to" in terms of hockey related decisions and they wanted more input. So yeah, you had a guy that came up with a different organization, bred to be a 'hockey guy', not a 'business guy', with experience with a winning team (Botts). Was he going to be a great GM? Well, he wasn't give much time but he was fired because the Pegula's had a different vision for the 'on ice' product and he wasn't receptive enough to them or made them feel 'heard' enough.

Again, he has been active in the decision making for the Sabres, even on personal decisions. I'm not going to run though it again on here, but in several recent threads, there are stories, quotes directly from him, that he doesn't WANT to get out of the way in Hockey. He wants to, and continues to be directly involved in many (not all, I'm sure not picking one 4th liner over the other) hockey decisions.

As is my main issue with Pegula, and why firing Adams likely won't change anything. In Football, there are more layers to separate him from the product on the field, in Hockey, Pegula wants to be involved, and he isn't going to hire someone who will tell him to 'butt out' of the hockey department. How can the team get better when you may need a new hockey department, but the one person who may be able to change that hockey department might be the single biggest problem with it?

Tenacity and grit...I'm not sure what the definition of those things are or how they translate to wins. I'll say this, I wish this team had ONE heavyweight to drop the gloves with anyone that had enough skill to play a regular shift. Just give us one, is that too much to ask? So yeah, I want that. But in terms of everyone else, yeah, some guys have it some guys don't. Most teams are like that. But that isn't the only issue with this team: We keep hearing that Lindy says to them "you are going to lose games, just don't let one loss turn into a losing streak" Yeah. This team has 13 losses. Nearly half of them (6 of them) have come in their two 3-game losing streaks. In those 6 games, they have scored the following: 1 goal, 1 goal, 1 goal, 0 goals, 3 goals, 0 goals. As much as this team needs more 'tenacity' and 'grit'....more than that they need more scoring out of Cozens and Quinn. The team is "OK" when Tage gets on a role, but you shouldn't have to expect him to play like a 50-60 goal scorer all the time just to score enough to make the playoffs. He's not a $14m per year player. He is a $7m per year player. You need offense from some other places. This team gets shots. They are near the middle of the league last time I checked in terms of quality scoring chances. They are good enough in terms of how many goals they allow. I'm not sure how much more 'grit and tenacity' help, vs having your current guys be slightly better at converting their chances.

not when there are 100 other players in the NHL making more. You are getting the production from him for what you are paying him. They haven't really been the problem with my goals against though. Neither of the first 2 goals scored were there problem. One was a bad bounce off of/near Joki, and the SH goal was the entire unit having their 'box' turn into a triangle...and that was primarily because of the forwards.

I don't have a huge problem with the play of Power and Dahlin and any of the D-men right now. Sure for $11m per year I want Dahlin to score more but they aren't the reason this team is losing their games. Quinn, Cozens, the lack of production lately from Peterka and Thompson....that is where the problem lies right now.