PerreaultForever

Proof that good coaching and a solid defensive system can take you far. It's never just about talent. Are you paying attention Terry?

I said when he was hired and I first heard him speak I believed his timeline was much longer than ours and with the tear down his plan was playoffs in 5 years and then presumably perpetual playoffs like the Bruins and Leafs etc. now. I was hoping that was wrong, but it appears that the 5 years from when he was hired idea is more correct and IF they do make moves and add this off season it will look to be true. It's either that or they are just BS artists and totally incompetent which is also quite possible.

So let's address this point by point. 1) negativity to players comes from poor efforts and losing. They win and they get much love. They work hard and they get even more love. Nobody drives anybody out of town (we do not have that power). I've seen every Sabres game this year and every Bruins game. Bruins were booed by their own fans 3 times if I remember correctly. Once quite loudly. Nobody complained or left town. They worked harder. Sabres were booed a few more times, but not really much louder or much more often. Certainly not sustained. 2)"elsewhere" players are treated better? You must be f'n kidding me. The bar is so incredibly low here. You want to see scorn for your own team and players go look in on a Flyers site sometime. Bruins fans are far more critical. The standard on other teams is much higher. At least most teams. Sabres media is incredibly soft as well. Softer than the team, and that's really soft. 3)Detroit wrong? Detroit was 11 points behind us last year and they are still alive down to the wire (but will probably just miss). They passed us and they have not had the #1 overall draft pick once, not to mention twice. Best they've had is 4th overall. They are better than us. Not a lot better, but better. 4)Young as an excuse? They CHOSE to be young. It was a management decision and thus they can be held accountable for it and they do not get to use a self fulfilling prophecy as an excuse. The reality is the team is poorly coached, the team is pampered and spoiled and not held accountable (the bar is too low), they keep hiring inexperienced management that learns on the job and makes mistakes. They keep changing plans and deconstructing and then reconstructing in a perpetual cycle. They play soft and have inconsistent efforts. They are simply a badly run organization and a bad hockey team and without changes, they will be the exact same thing again next year.

Well at least Kyle looked pretty bad. I'm not running Cozens out of town, but he did giveaway the puck in OT and that was the mistake that cost the game.

No, because he wasn't that good before it either. He hasn't been good all year. imo he does not see the entire ice surface well, he does not pass particularly well or at the right time, and most of all he is physically weak. You see Kulikov knock him off the puck tonight and onto his butt? He's weak. Many times he wants to play an in tight game, and he has the puck skills to do it, but he does not have the strength for it. I thought he'd grow more and have more muscle by now but he hasn't. He's lanky and it seems like that is how he will stay.

Well I believe what you said originally was stupid, but I saw no reason to insult you or say that. I guess we are different.

Scored one, cost us one. It's a wash. Same in a few of the other games since he's returned actually. He can score, and he might become really good in the bumper PP position but he has much to improve on still. Next year will tell the true tale (assuming he's healthy).

Thank you so much. I appreciate your kind words and well thought out reply. Good job.

Kind of fitting that Reinhart would score the winning goal at the end of this season (with a nice assist from Cozens I might add!) Only thing that would have been more fitting would be if he'd done it on Levi and it was the game that ended the playoff dream (?). Wasn't a terrible game though. They are playing better than they did earlier in the year, but that's the same as last year. Late season end of season all too late - again. Penalty on Cliffy was BS. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy in Cousins. Seen Tkachuk, Bennett, Lomberg (who didn't play today I think) and Cousins himself throw hits like that on multiple occasions this year and in last year's playoffs with no call at all but whatever. If it was a playoff game I'd actually be upset. One more to go and then we can go through the exit interviews.

I do believe that. I believe Adams believes that too. I believe Pegula believes that as well. I think they drink their own Kool-Aid and they all (many of the players as well including Dahlin) think that they are extremely talented and it's just that they are young and it's taking a little longer than they thought but they believe they are talented and on the right track and everything is fine. I do think they believe that, yes.

If Florida wants some tune up for the playoffs hockey this might be an interesting look into how close or how far the Sabres are from playoff ability but I suspect this will be a tame affair and Florida will float a little, especially if they get up early. I am interested to see if they let Kyle on the ice though. He hasn't played much for them yet. Maybe they want to rest a vet for the playoffs so they give him a look in this one. Would be kind of funny if he scored.

So Matt Moulson should have been captain because he invited Jack Eichel to live with him? All this proves is Dahlin bought a big house and has a lot of empty rooms.

Well you can do that obviously, but I don't think it's right. When we enter into the realm of "I think he misspoke" you're basically just making things into what you want them to be. Maybe he did misspeak, but maybe he didn't. Maybe he's completely arrogantly deluded? Maybe he's dumb. Maybe he's being sarcastic. Maybe he's lost in translation. Maybe.............. any number of things. I think we have to take them at exactly what they say and try to read anything they have said as objectively as possible. If any player truly misspeaks, he has plenty of opportunities in the press or on social media or other interviews to clarify and correct it. If he doesn't say something different somewhere I have to take what he said as what he meant and not read into it or interpret it for him. My personal view is that this franchise pampers these guys so much and strokes their egos so much they do in fact believe this stuff. They buy in to what the team is trying to sell us rather than a work ethic work harder we weren't good enough ethic.

and always travel in pairs I guess.

The name and logo stay with the old owner? Damn, I really thought the Utah 'yotes had a good ring to it. What are they going to call them then the Salt Lake Slickers? The colours could use a change though, that's for sure.

I still remember he took on Kevyn Miller who was a true heavyweight and held his own. His size and the size of his giant hands makes me not worry about him entering any fight. I just hope he develops the desire and compete that I envision and if he does he will dominate.

I can't speak for everyone but what you say isn't true for me. I base it on more than that. I watch how he's elevated his game at times (lead by example), I noticed how it was him with RJ not Dahlin (remember that?), the way he does his own version of the goalie hug. There's lots of little things that are on camera, in addition to his community connection and desire to be here. I don't see these things from Dahlin post game and I don't see him leading during the game either. He is a star player and he does compete, but I see nothing on camera that says leader. the locker room could of course be different. As I said, I expect it to be Dahlin but I think it should be Tuch. Maybe I am biased and haunted by the fact that I thought it should have been ROR and not Eichel and I was right and I'd hate to make the same mistake again.

Probably, and I wouldn't be surprised if he has a sophomore slump and an uneven development. I just hope we don't ruin him and he becomes like some of the other slackers. The guy is different and he stands out because of it relative to the others. He's been coached differently and his attitude is different. Kid is a hockey player and he brings it. He is without a doubt the best thing about this bad season.

I'd prefer a Gallant or some other veteran coach out there but the Lindy with Peca idea has appeal. I would actually be willing to roll the dice on Peca as head coach right off. Unproven, yes, but he was my favourite Sabre in his era and he played the right way and hard all the time. If he can bring that ethic to this team we might be okay. He'd need some good assistants though. A good PP guy and a good guy to work with the D primarily.

Maybe, but he's not too old to still emerge as a decent goalie as well. Lots of late blooming goalies out there. Goalies are weird. I would have kept him in the system myself. As for Stone, ya, so blatant. League needs to drug test him in the playoffs though imo. I have a feeling they jam him full of pain killers and meds for the playoff run to keep him going.

Why shouldn't he? Guy has huge hands and a really long reach, plus the height. I'm not saying he should go out and fight the Rempes and Oliviers of the league but he can and should handle his own battles now and again and also aid smaller team mates if the situation arises. He's fine. There are quite a few big name goal scorers in the last few decades that also drop them. Nobody has ever said he's not strong (at least I don't think so) just that he chooses not to use it far too often (and that's not about fighting that's just about getting in front and asserting his will physically or finishing his checks). He could be a dominant force if he wanted to. Wish he wanted to. Nothing wrong with a Gordie Howe hat trick now and again.

Yes of course. I do remember the Sabres brain trust saying "they know better" and I believe Pegula felt he had made a mistake listening to hockey people. Why listen to fans? Absolutely no point, Sabres know better, just look at the results. Geniuses!

yes. sometimes, iffy, unknown. (to the bold) I have no idea who cares the most or who is the best locker room motivator. A captain does not have to be the most talented player on the team. Boston named Marchand, not Pasternak for example. It likely will be Dahlin but I'm no sure that's the right choice. To the Rick Martin Award Winner -" “The Rico” is presented annually to the player who fans believe best embodies what it means to be a Buffalo Sabre based on on-ice excellence, resiliency, and dedication to the community." Is that not what the captain should be??? Dahlin didn't win it.

So I guess Torts hasn't lost the room in Philly? They looked really good against the Rags. Weird.

Tuch doing the final game fan appreciation thing made me wonder.........................