sabresouth
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Posts posted by sabresouth
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Well, if our goaltending can hold out and we beat Columbus and then beat Detroit (must win). We will be in pretty good shape. At least for the short term. That would get us pretty close with a lot of games still to go.
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Good win. We definitely had a tuff time against a bigger team. Finally our goaltending stole a game. This is the kind of goaltending we will need on a consistent basis to make deep runs into the playoffs. I hope UPL has turned the corner.
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1 hour ago, Berg said:
We have been evaluating talent for 12 years, while others achieve results in a couple of years or in the first year.
I generally like the new management, but the fact that we have not had a good goalkeeper for several years spoils all the achievements. Anderson, at 41, plays better than any of our young goalkeepers.
The NJ Devils are a prime example. They last made the playoffs in 17-18. They have been in the toilet with us the past three seasons. They are currently second in the league this year. It can be done.
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We have missed the playoffs for ten straight years. This fact requires that KA needs to have some urgency with this rebuild. That means deviating from "the plan" when necessary. I'm not talking about going out and doing something stupid or anything. But we have a ton of cap space and more potential talent coming up than we have room for. I believe if KA would have been just a little more aggressive these past couple of off-seasons, we would be in the hunt for the playoffs this year. But since KA is rigid in "sticking to the plan" we get to "wait till next year ". Kinda getting old. I know, patience.
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1 hour ago, LTS said:
And that always comes back to who? Who was the upgrade? I feel like all options have been debated and reasonably shown to not have been possible. Perhaps Husso, but no one knows if it was possible, just that the Sabres did not get him. Ullmark's name is thrown around and until this season was not the starter, did not have these numbers, and routinely was injured. No one would have projected Ullmark to be this, and if he was injured, then people would be complaining that the Sabres did not have ANOTHER goalie.
As stated by other posters, this past off-season was relatively baren of good goalies. And you will have to forgive me as for my memory of the previous two off-seasons. I don't know what was available or not then. I think KA made the mistake of not picking up one earlier when available and now he can't find one. You just can't give KA a free pass on this . He has had three years and this is the best that could possibly be done? I don't think so.
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2 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:
However at some point you have to adjust your plan. Plans aren't written in stone because players develop at different rates (or not at all), circumstances change and a good GM changes with it. We have one of the top offenses in the NHL. This is clearly ahead of schedule. So what. That should be treated as great news. Instead it's being treated like it's a problem. Tage the last 2 games is already trying to do to much because he knows that if they don't score 5 we don't have a chance to win. The defense because of injuries and poor depth is in shambles. Your coach can not longer trust the depth D to play a significant role. The waiting for a prospect to develop into an NHL goalie has failed.
So we are at a crossroads. KA can either properly support his team and turn this season into a positive experience or he can flush another season down the drain, continue to instill a losing culture, wasting another year of the prime of the team's quality young players and further alienate the fanbase. Not surprisingly he is going down the second road.
I honestly think he is afraid of making a mistake. Since the solid trades of the old core, he has taken the "value" approach to his acquisitions. Last year he signed only low cost veterans looking for a place to stay in the NHL. This season he spent a little more on Comrie and Bush, but really hasn't received any value on those contracts. His sole in season move to date has been to claim another forward on waivers. He did try to get experienced goaltending, but was unable to convince the goalies to waive their NTCs to come.
Sadly to fix the roster issues with his team he is going to have to take a risk. He is going to have to move some of the forward depth in the organization to secure better depth in goal or on defense or become a much better sale person and learn to convince players with a choice that Buffalo is again a destination and that will include an overpayment or two contract wise.
Given his inability or unwillingness to deviate from his set plan, at best I think this team is on the verge of being done for the year and won't be playing any meaningful hockey come February for the 12 straight year. At worst rebuild 3.0 is in danger of already failing because the system doesn't have any close to ready D (ok maybe one if Johnson signs that is a huge if) to build depth from and Levi, while an excellent prospect, may still be 2-3 years from making an NHL impact. This is not a smart plan.
Also just as a reminder, if we draft successfully and get 2-3 good players from every draft, it can still take 10 years to build a team solely through the draft. Does that make sense to anyone as a good plan? All good teams bring in outside help through trades and FA signings. Many of these acquisitions are key pieces of the puzzle.
Agree 100%. Couldn't have said it better myself.
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We all can see it, the team can see it. They are playing well enough offensively be a playoff team. They just need a little help. As stated above there are at least defensmen out there. Will they help, not sure but what we got aint working. I just don't want to see the kids get discouraged and give up on the season. That is a bad precedent to set. KA expects them to give 100% every game. I just want KA to give 100%. Maybe he is. It just doesn't feel like it.
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4 minutes ago, LTS said:
And therein lies the issue. Those who believe it was as an important a priority and what the organization actually planned for. But then again, the trick is identifying which goaltender would have been the Sabres savior. People tend to look at the positivity of this season and forget that even a year ago, or two years ago, and certainly three.. the Sabres were not a place where players would choose to go. We still debate whether players want to come here today.
So.. who are they getting without overpaying.. and if they overpay, what impacts does that have on the current situation?
Your points are valid. We are debating hypotheticals. There is no way to know how things might be different. Just looking at this season though. If we had a true number one goalie, I believe we would be in the playoff hunt right now. And after this long playoff drought we are just frustrated that a known position of need was not addressed for this season. I felt like before the season started we could be a playoff potential team with a goalie upgrade. So if I as just a fan could see that than why couldn't KA?
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11 minutes ago, LTS said:
Bear sucks.. simply suggesting he should have been an option undermines your take. Reilly, I think we all agree, was a tad confusing.
This is so unlike the you I remember, even the angry you.
There really wasn't anyone good who was available that would have solved the problem.
Jake Allen... c'mon man. See my comment on Bear above. Jake Allen suuuuucks. Remember when the Sabres lit him up?
Being near the top in scoring in the league is not moving forward? A team that has 109 goals right now after 28 games.. who had in 2013-14: 157 goals, the following season: 161 goals.. that's like 1.96 goals per game... right now they are at 3.89.. that's not progress.
Oh right.. the record.. would you rather have the teams from 2013-2015 or this team?
Yes, it's been a long time.. the fan carries that weight with them if they so choose. But there are reset buttons in sports franchises, it happens.
It wasn't a priority. The priority was building the scoring talent along with the right D. That exists... now
It's not so much the more.. but the experience. This team lacks experience to deal with the adversity. The more likely comes with a change in about 3-4 players from this current roster... and then the younger players end up staying in Rochester longer.
To the bold. I believe that it should have been just as important a priority at the same time. Surely he can chew gum and walk at the same time.
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11 minutes ago, Porous Five Hole said:
I meant that I was invested in our back and forth.
I understand your position. I don’t think I’ll live forever, nor may I get to see fruit of another slow rebuild. I might be sick and I’m terrified.
But there’s room for nuance and I don’t fault the GM in the same way you do…and you haven’t provided a reason to be up in arms to regarding the goaltending position.
Go Sabres.
We all have. I’m just asking for the lack of a move where GMKA effed up. Surely there’s one for all this vitriol. Can you point to it?
It's an impossible to answer that, none of us were in the room when negotiations were going on. But when you have a glaring need at arguably the most important position on the team and we are in our third season with subpar goaltending I have to say KA has failed. Trying doesn't cut it at this level. You do what it takes to get it done. There have been goalies out there over the past three years. It should not take that long to fill a position.
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I have been of the opinion that we were a number one goalie and two defensem from being a playoff caliber team. But I think we need more. When we have three injuries to our starters we can't win games. The eight game losing streak and this last game to pit (I'm sure there are other games as well). I know one wasn't an injury (Skinner) against pit but our record is abysmal when we have a couple of injuries. We have got to get a couple more competent dmen and forwards for call ups.
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8 minutes ago, Porous Five Hole said:
Ok so now I’m invested. You’re going to die on the hill that the Sabres should have signed a career backup in Jake Allen, who has sported a 2022-23 line of 8-10, with a .896 save percentage and GAA of 3.40?
I hope you see that half the league is looking for what the Sabres are looking for at the moment. This is not enough to roast the GM.
KA has had multiple seasons to upgrade the goalie. I've been calling for that for at least 2 years. I'm sure we could have gotten one by now if it had been a true priority.
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2 minutes ago, Eleven said:
I hope you're right.
You are absolutely right about the double standard. Crosby would never get a suspension for that and he's a dirty player. I remember last year or the year before he came up behind a Sabre player and put his stick between his legs and just slammed it up against him. It might have been Jack he did that to. I can't remember. I have despised Crosby since that day.
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3 hours ago, LGR4GM said:
Now this, this I would argue. But I'm not gonna bother too and I don't think we see the same thing from Mitts tonight.
Ok, I don't agree.
And "play 3 periods" is a cliche. Pittsburgh the veterans didn't play 3 periods.
I catch myself saying bold part sometimes about the sabres. But you are absolutely right most games never see a team play 3 complete periods. We played only two and the pens only played one and ended up winning the game. As doohickie said we would have won the game if we had scored a couple of goals in the first. Had a little bit of bad puck luck.
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I would be willing to bet Skinner feels bad about it as well and has made amends with his teammates and coaches. It was the heat of the moment thing and just about every player in his career does something like that that cost the team a win. I'm in noway excusing his actions. I would feel more aggravated if this was a chronic thing. He does a pretty good job of being our pest to other teams. I believe this is his first incident as a sabre. I think someone has said it's been 10 years since his last suspension. I hope the team can put this behind them and focus on winning this game tonight.
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Over all I have been well satisfied with KA. I just believe he miss handled the whole goalie situation as thorny said about ullmark. And then I don't think he expected the young guns to be this good this fast. I believe we are two good defenseman or one good goalie away from making the playoffs. I believe KA's time-line was playoffs next year. It's just sad to endure one more year of not making it when we are this close. I just believe he could have been a little more aggressive in this past off-season and we would be well in the hunt for the playoffs.
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8 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:
Has he not tried though? And has he been able to add a goalie of substance in October, Nov, or Dec? Nope because teams don't trade then.
If ppl want to say Adams move to fix goalie havent worked, fine that is true. But for the love of hockey stop with the slowness to act hasn't done anything, has had years to fix it and hasn't done it stuff. He's tried and failed but stop acting like he has ignored the position like some moron who doesn't get it.
No, I'm just saying that it hasn't been a high enough priority for him. I think he could have tried harder and succeeded if he really wanted to. I run cattle and sell cattle at auctions all the time. The buyer is the one willing to pay the price and that is what it is worth. The other bidders stopped bidding because it wasn't a high enough priority for them to buy that particular steer. The same goes for KA. We have plenty of assets and if you are willing to pay the price you can get what you need. I believe that we can make the playoffs this year. What price is KA willing to pay to make that happen. I don't think we would have to break the bank to get it done. I also would be willing to pay more for a given player than other teams because of the position we are in. It's hard to overpay if it gets you in the playoffs. It's was mentioned up thread that we have players in development that we don't have room for. I'm not saying go crazy out to lunch trades. KA might not can do much now but he could have this past off-season.
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1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:
I know you have pushed this but trades like the one you want early in the season are exceedingly rare. Teams simply don't trade much in October-December. End of January you might start to see some movement.
Come on now, Adams may have flaws but he isn't sitting on his butt not doing anything. It just doesn't fit who he is.
I disagree. KA has had two plus years to fix the goaltending and hasn't done it yet. My only knock against KA is his slowness to act at times to an obvious need.
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1 hour ago, GASabresIUFAN said:
The trade should have happened when Mule went down.
It’s time for KA to get off his behind and fix the D.
And goaltending
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Not sure if this has been mentioned up thread, but I think the Jost, Krebs swap of lines has been a net positive.
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Let's Go Buffalo
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Unfortunately we don't have playoff caliber goaltending. Until that is fixed, it's going to be an uphill battle. I know defense can help with goaltending, but I can't even remember the last time one of our many goalies over last season or so far this season has stolen a game for us. Having said that I agree with K-9 it's not over till mathematically eliminated.
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I kinda like this move. Gives Krebs som veteran influence and gives CM and VO a little bit more intensity. It's worth a shot for a couple of games and see how it goes. Maybe they can conjure up some chemistry.
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6 minutes ago, Andrew Amerk said:
Once again…who is this magic savior goalie that people think is available?
I don't know, but he's had three years to find him. That's more than enough time.
GDT: There could have been a hockey game tonight but then Taro had to get cranky and screw with the weather.
in The Aud Club
Posted
I live 30 miles east of texarkana. We got down to 5 degrees with no snow as well.