GASabresIUFAN

By peeing in their diapers

So Gilbert starts the game with a fight! Why?

From Matt Fairburn at the Athletic. “1. The aftermath of Noesen’s hit was the latest indication the Sabres still have a long way to go when it comes to showing the rest of the league they won’t be easily pushed around. Luckily Thompson is OK. That may be part of the reason Noesen won’t face discipline from the league after getting a match penalty. It should be pointed out Alex Tuch was livid on the bench when the hit happened and got an interference penalty for a hard hit shortly after that. Tuch fought Devils defenseman Brenden Dillon earlier this season when Dillon laid a high hit that concussed JJ Peterka. I’d bet Tuch was one of the players Lindy Ruff was referring to when he said a few guys on the bench wanted to go after Noesen right away. That doesn’t absolve the rest of the team, but Tuch deserves some credit. Beyond a fight or a retaliatory hit, the Sabres could stand to play with more emotion and snarl in their game. Rasmus Dahlin said they need more pushback. That’s been an ongoing conversation with the team, and this will only make it louder.” https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6111340/2025/02/04/sabres-nhl-salary-cap-contracts-trades/

During his first tenure Lindy had guys like Ray, Mair, Grier, McKee, Barneby, etc. He had guys who would keep opponents from taking liberties and who would quickly settle things on the ice. He didn’t usually have to many instances where the Ottawa game type response was necessary.

Yes, especially for the contract he's on. He's on pace for about 50 points this season. However don't expect him back.

And what was possession time? What were the scoring chances and the high danger chances? NJ had at least 6 hits in the final minute of the game as they tried to tie the game. According to naturalstattrick.com. the Devils had a 4-0 scoring chance edge and 2-0 HD chance edge on the Sabres in the 3rd period.

That C core is currently 12th in the NHL in GF despite a terrible PP and the less than ideal C group. I fully agree that Adams needs to enhance the centers, but scoring is not really the issue with this team. Defense is the bigger problem.

As Kulich is currently the No.1 center is it really far-fetched that Adams would leave him there if he continues to be effective? In my projected lineup, I had Kulich "demoted" to 2C behind an acquired center and people gripped. Remember Adams is the GM until further notice and he is sticking to his youth plan despite all the evidence that it isn't really working. I also stick by my earlier statement that the offense currently isn't the issue. The only way this team moves forward is a better commitment to playing defense. That starts with better in zone D player which can only be accomplished with new partners for Dahlin and either Byram or Power.

No. Tage can always be moved back to center and you'd still have McLeod, Krebs, Lafferty and TNT to handle the center duties (assuming Cozens is traded). The key IMHO to making the playoffs is improving team defense. The Sabres are 12th in goals scored this season with 164. 12th! The offense, despite the terrible PP and questions at center still scores enough to win. However, the Sabres have allowed the 5th most goals at 177 GA. Fix the defense, get the differential positive and the Sabres will be a playoff team. The Sabres current differential is -13. Every team with a + differential is in a playoff position except TB and they are 1 pt out of playoff spot with 2 games in hand.

Why did they acquire Malenstyn and sign Lafferty. I thought they were supposed to bring speed and toughness to the lineup? Why is Gilbert playing if not the help with the physical aspects of the game? Beck is 6'3 210. He should be able to help settle issues.

Isn't the lack of response by both the players and coaches a sign of them not caring either.

Maybe we'll trade him and then re-sign him this summer.

Bingo! 2011/12 was Lindy's last season of his first go around as Sabres' coach and the first season of missing the playoffs of the current playoff drought. The hit on Miller occurred on 11/11/2011. After the Ottawa game the Sabres were 10-5-0. They then went 9-19-5 in the next 33 games and the drought had begun.

As I wrote in the OP the response didn’t have to be a fight. Picking up the physical play, aka doing to the Devils what they started doing us, would have been an adequate response. Instead they folded again like a cheap tent. Only UPL prevented a loss.

I was thinking about the Brownschidle brothers as I wrote the OP. They were the first Amherst guys to make it. As a kid playing in the Amherst leagues, they were the guys we looked up to.

Did you watch the play of the 2 teams after the hit on TNT. The Devils took over the game and that included knocking the Sabres all over the ice. The Sabres crawled into a ball and stopped executing. It was hard to watch. The PP featured a shortie and other opportunities for the Devils and no O zone time for the Sabres PP. As I wrote in the OP the win didn’t matter. What mattered was the team standing up for themselves and each other.

Lindy cancelled practice today.

The funny thing is that it was Lindy who sent the goon squad out against Ottawa after Neil's cheap shot to the head of Chris Drury. No one remembers who won or lost that game, but everyone remembers the response of the Sabres to the cheap shot. Lindy knows that the win was less important than the message that the Sabres are up for any fight. Sadly even Lindy has been beaten down by the sad culture of this team.

The Lucic attack on Miller and the Sabres lack of response to it was the first step down the road to where the Sabres are now. That is at the bottom of the standings for 14 years with no real plan to improve. Yesterday two cheap shots, one on Zucker and then one on TNT, both by Noesen I believe, went unavenged and graphically illustrated that nothing has changed in 14 years. This franchise still lacks a spine and without one they’ll never improve. Lindy’s stating at the press conference that winning was the best response is simply BS. For a team at the bottom of the conference standings with zero hope of the playoffs the win is meaningless. For a good culture to grow, the team must stick up for each other. They must become tougher and legitimately harder to play against. Teams push the Sabres all over the ice because they know no response is coming and the Sabres proved that again yesterday. The Adams administration has paid lip service for years to getting tougher. Adams would say that he added Greenway, Gilbert, Stillman, Eric Johnson, Robinson, Clifton, Lyubushkin, Malenstyn, Lafferty and Kubel to help accomplish that goal. The problem with all these acquisitions is that almost none are more than depth players or roster filer. Only Greenway arguably plays more than a depth role and he’s oft injured. Of the guys still on the roster from that list who stepped up after Zucker and TNT hits ? None ! The response didn’t have to be a fight either. It could have been hard checks on Meier and the Hughes brothers. The response could have been picking up the physical intensity and checking every Devil at every opportunity. Instead the Sabres rolled over, gave up a shortie, wasted a 5 minute PP and allowed the Devils to pick up their physical intensity. Only sterling play by UPL preserved the victory. I honestly don’t know how to fix this soft losing culture in the Sabres. However, I do know that Lindy not allowing the few guys who allegedly wished to step up to step up sends the wrong message to the locker room.

Why aren't TNT , Keller & Jason Robertson on the American squad? I don't get Trocheck, Kreider or Nelson making the squad ahead on any of those 3 players.

As you know, I'm all for acquiring 2 RHD to play in our top 4. As to Zegras, I agree that he probably isn't a true no. 1 center. However, he is a gifted playmaker, is on a more reasonable contract @ 5.75 for one more year and then he's still an RFA. Injuries have also slowed him this year and last and therefore he'd probably come much much cheaper than Pettersson. From a Sabres perspective, he's only a 1 year commit if his game doesn't return to form, but if he does get things going again, then he's an RFA which we can re-sign long-term is desired.

From the OP. I guess reading isn't fundamental. Gionta was near the top of my list with Orpik. When I expanded it out to Syracuse and Ithaca Dustin Brown went to the top of the list with Gionta because of his 325 goals and 712 points in 1296 games and 2 Cups

I bought a Kennedy Jersey to celebrate a WNY kid playing for the Sabres. I thought then he’d have a nice career in Buffalo but then arbitration happened.

Correct. This team isn’t making the playoffs and showing a spine was more important than winning. The old Lindy knows this.

I’m sure their coaches can’t wait to play him 10 minutes a night like we do.