PerreaultForever

That's not it for me. It's not about whether they are doing a little better or worse than last year, about an uneven progression, for me it's about HOW THEY PLAY. In that regard I see no progression at all.

There is absolutely zero chance Skinner could play for Torts. Torts would talk about "needing to make subtractions" very quickly if he was here. There are quite a few players on this roster that Torts would "go off on". Power is young enough and perhaps malleable enough that Torts could save him. Tage would irritate him I think. He, like me, would want him to throw a check now and again. Use that big body for more than snap shot wristers from a distance. Tage might be good enough to still play for Torts, but it would be a constant irritant for him. But Skinner, lol, that'd be worse than it was with Kreuger.

Why does he get this excuse and the others don't? He's paid to be elite every night. If he's not, he's not earning his money either. He is horrible defensively on numerous occasions this year. He's regressed to his Kreuger era game.

He's not asleep. It's what he wants. "run and gun". He is clueless, not asleep.

I was listening to a Bruins podcast in the background today and they were in part discussing their win over the Sabres. The guys said (paraphrasing) "I don't know what's going on over there. There's a ton of talent but they have absolutely no structure at all. They play defense about as good as my beer league." and the other guy says "Levi looks like a promising goalie but he's really young and not ready and his D just stands there and does nothing." Make of that whatever you want but I'd say that's an assessment/observation from outside the bubble. Thing is, this never changes and they keep promoting a nonsensical run and gun philosophy and thus we see the perennial results no matter who the players are. Eichel's a solid 2 way player in Vegas. Reinhart is playing like a team MVP. Risto plays solid shut down defense (most of the time). They were the problem right? They were the guys that had to go so we could get all these "prospects". It's all so damn obvious, but Pegula is stuck on what he wants and he's killing the thing he's supposed to love.

There are two things which make the number of prospects irrelevant though (unless they are used as trade capital). 1. The team can't/doesn't play team defense and thus doesn't win no matter who it is in the line up. Johnson pointed this out a few games into the season but it hasn't changed. 2. There are simply too many of the same guys and no good role players (maybe Greenway, but not really). We need DIFFERENT players coming up not more of the same.

Well that's it though right? No points for "trying" in the NHL. He didn't make the deal(s) so he failed. I see other things from other GMs that have succeeded so you measure it against the average maybe and if you're below that you should be fired as you have failed. I saw Casey DeSmith was playing goal for Vancouver the other night against Philly. Apparently he's been good there and Vancouver is good. Didn't Montreal get him basically free from Pittsburgh as a salary dump and then they flipped him to Vancouver? There's GMs doing their jobs. There are LOTS of examples of moves better than those made by KA.

Time for a new owner.

Stop dreaming. KA won't add anybody of note and won't make any blockbuster trade either. They might even be stupid enough to try to roll Kulich and Rosen as part of a 4th line.

Seattle wins 3-0 in the classic though. That was far more entertaining than watching the Sabres. Figures they'd drag Heart out as a musical act. The fish throwing at the beginning was kind of dumb though imo. It's an over used Seattle thing. Not as dumb as their gum wall, but still, over used. idk how they kept that ice going. It's warm out west here. Carbon footprint has to be pretty high on that I imagine. I find that kind of funny with how "green" conscious people are out west here and their Climate Pledge arena they normally play in. That's the world we live in though. Might as well just smile and laugh. Sober today. I still hate the f'n Sabres.

Not to pick on you personally but lots of people are always saying things like this but where's the evidence? Where's the evidence of all the failed attempts? We have nothing. There is no reason to give him the benefit of a doubt and assume he has done anything of the sort at all. Sure he might have made a few phone calls but for all we know every trade he's tried he sticks to ridiculous asks and other teams just laugh at him and say thanks but no thanks. I told you guys at the start of the year that Comrie would easily clear waivers. All these people saying "oh no he will be claimed" not a chance. These guys are all crap and nobody wants them, especially at the price of their contracts like Jost. Nobody wants a 2 million fringe player. Olofsson's garbage too. I remember people saying we should get a 2nd, even a first. Just ridiculous. If you can't make the starting line up for a garbage team like Buffalo, trust me, nobody wants you. The only guys who get picked up are role players like Ottawa snapped up McEwen (who scored against us even) but we don't have any of those so nothing to worry about. "bodies were needed" Yup. It is a graveyard after all. Buffalo, where careers go to die.

I f'n hate this hockey team. I really do. WTF is wrong with them? Every year, every time, the names change sometimes but it ends up the same. They came out to play hockey and the Sabres? idk, I guess they wanted to go for a figure skate. Bunch of soft pussies. This was Ottawa. Ottawa! They're not even any good. Their 4th line dominated us. Their 4th line!!!! WTF is wrong with this team. You know, tons of you won't like this, but for all his talent, sometimes Dahlin is a piece of sh&t defenseman. Fourth Ottawa goal he's standing in front of Levi, doing absolutely nothing but watching, doesn't take the man in front who has all day to make a textbook tip and all Dahlin is doing is watching and screening Levi. Then, and this is the part that really got to me. Then, after the goal is scored, HE shakes his head like it's someone else's fault or the universe conspired against him. No dude, you just didn't earn your pay cause you didn't do anything. Ya, I'm drinking tonight. Sue me. idc and I hate this team. Bunch of sh&t waiting for the next flush.

Czechia isn't very good, but Kulich is definitely their best player.

More likely Adams gets to spin this and say "see, these moves prove that the best way is to just draft our own players. If we bring players in they disappoint. Our plan is better." Seriously, wait for it.

That's part of why I have a bad feeling. This team has a tendency to relax after a win and think "oh, it's all good now" and they forget you need to work EVERY night and against EVERRY TEAM. Back to backs with travel are hard to begin with and Ottawa should be motivated. I imagine they see this as a must win themselves. IF we bring our good game this could be a really good hockey game. Playoff intensity. Should be. Not sure it will be.

Oh man, it would be grumpy but also probably a fun night along with the constant "remember when they used to.........." and all the things from way way back when the franchise was actually good and how much it contrasts with now. Makes me think of that shot of Perreault and Gare up in the stands a number of games back. They both looked a little grumpy themselves.

I have a bad feeling about this game but who knows, Ottawa has had quite a few bad games this year too.

Huge mistake. Saberspacers are the worst. Especially the old guys. I wouldn't trust any of them. Most of all the guys who talk about the French Connection. Steer clear of them.

No they don't. Several of them play for the Leafs.

Maybe if he becomes a heavy hitting pugilist he will find a role but as a power forward forget it. Way too slow.

Ottawa will be tougher. I really liked the way Cozens went to the net front in this game but if he does that against Ottawa I suspect he will get smacked. Hopefully the team will rally and support if that happens. That might mark a small shift in the right direction.

I understand your sentiment, and to some extent I feel the same way about athletes. Their personal lives are none of my business be they good or bad, BUT, at the same time, is there any real point in you telling people that you don't care about Tage's baby? I mean if you don't, that's fine, so why say anything at all in the thread? Do you really want us to care that you don't care?

Mystery solved. Glad he missed that game for a positive reason and not a bad one. As for lack of sleep, he got the cash, unlike us plebs he can get the nanny and the au pair and the personal assistant and whoever else he needs to get him and his wife through the baby jail years.

Well Appert didn't do anything to deviate from the Granato plan. Basically rolled the same lines. I suppose you could say he favoured the Cozens line over the Thompson line but otherwise everything was pretty much by the book so I wouldn't read anything into this at all. The "stress" comment made me chuckle though. Thought of Tony Soprano having a panic attack.

Small and slight. That was the knock and why he dropped. He plays very fast as his strength, but that also leaves him vulnerable. He has to get stronger AND learn when to turn it up full and when to keep his head up.