PerreaultForever

I really wish they'd have kept Peca as an assistant and then we could have fired Granato this year and seen if things would change with Peca as an interim. As is I see only one good move and that is hiring Lindy Ruff. It's the best PR move, it conjures history, it signals a new era (or return to an old) and if Lindy can't get this lot to perform better you might as well scrap it all. Would he take the job? Probably not. My dream? Pegula hires Pat LaFontaine as senior advisor for all hockey operations and retires to Florida and then we can all pretend all of this never happened, just a dream, a really really really bad dream.

Clifton will say "obviously it was a disappointing year and something I'm not used to but I'm excited about next year as we have a lot of good guys here........." etc. as he takes his pay to the bank, enjoys his time off, and makes plans for leaving town in 2 years. Byram will say "it's disappointing not to be in the playoffs but I'm looking forward to playing with these guys next year for a full season. I think we can be a really good team here..............." etc. as he calls his agent and makes plans for a tough negotiation and contract hold out or trade. The "next year" stuff will all be very predictable.

or a Reinhart or an Eichel. It's not about that though. We have tons of talented players. We have 2 first overall picks and more first rounders in the line up than any other team. We have a poorly constructed roster though and we don't get the maximum out of them.

Worse than the Coyotes imo. Maybe worst in all of pro sports (although the Jets are in the running). The whole approach has been wrong since Pegula got here and this coddling of players to get them to want to here is backasswards.

I've pointed to this Nashville comparison a few times already. It's glaring in terms of contrast. There are other examples of high standards. Montgomery in Boston had his number one team in the division doing wind sprints the other day because they lost 2 games in a row and looked "not playoff ready". Torts benched his captain. Team woke up. Buffalo? It's a day spa.

Of course they like him. He doesn't make them work and doesn't hold them accountable. What's not to like if you're a floater? Granato is one of the worst coaches currently employed in the NHL. Continuing with him is absurd. He has done nothing to justify that. We are underperforming to the level of talent on the roster.

When were they "real good" this year? You mean that one game against the Leafs?

and yet studies on happiness show that Canadians are happier than Americans and those Scandinavian countries with taxes much higher than even Canada are the happiest of all. There is something to be said for having various stesses of life removed by having strong public systems and safety nets in place. Taxes pay for that. Now every country is different and every piece of geography has it's own pressures and issues but just holding onto your precious dollars and not paying taxes isn't the be all and end all of life. You pay one way or you pay another. You have to compare the whole social picture rather than just looking at a number. No need to get political and if you like where you live best of all that's great, but that happiness measurement is a real thing and can't be dismissed. The same thing holds for hockey players. There are quite a few Canadian players who prefer staying in Canada. Maybe Winnipeg is cold and isolated enough to have issues and maybe some don't want to speak French in Quebec but Toronto and Vancouver are certainly not going to have any issues, taxes and all. Lots of players go back to where they came from, especially those Swedes, after they retire. Some still live there now and just stay in condos here while playing. Remember Hasek saying he wanted his son to grow up in the Czech Republic? There are a LOT of happiness related reasons for people to want to be places, and Tavares got to fill out his PJs so he should shut it.

I thought this article explained it well. https://theconversation.com/baltimore-bridge-collapse-a-bridge-engineer-explains-what-happened-and-what-needs-to-change-226716 Bottom line is really that the size of the container ships has increased so dramatically that older bridge safety standards are no longer adequate. The ships are simply too big and heavy now. I mean just look at all those containers. Never saw anything like that 30 years ago or back when this bridge was built.

No that is totally incorrect. Some of them were in fact paying no tax or less tax than average people. Hiding money in foreign places. There were several prosecuted and loopholes closed. No doubt many are still getting away with it. Couldn't give a toss about Tavares. I'm sure he still has net more money than me and you together, even with the added tax. Boohoo.

Or he cares too much and won't stop meddling/controlling it when he knows nothing about hockey.

I guess your only other option is to develop a medical condition.

It is in Canada. Not where he is though I guess. I think there's a lot more drug testing at work in the U.S. than in Canada in general. We don't do a lot of it at all.

Can't say for sure about these specifics but they did close some tax loopholes a few years back. That started when the whole look at how much tax is being evaded using overseas Cayman Islands type things. The public was outraged at examples of rich guys paying less tax than ordinary people so they went after a ton of loopholes. Tavares may have been caught up in that so I guess his Leaf PJs ended up costing him. I have no sympathy for him. As for players not wanting to play in Canada that is already a thing for some and we all know how no tax states like Florida get an advantage but I doubt it affects much. Matthews, McDavid, lots of big name Canada signings. They can make money other ways up here due to the popularity.

Ya, I guess if you are being drug tested that would sink you. I'd be tempted to find another job 🙂

buy out. just like that. To the second sentence though I don't agree that greenway is suited for the 3rd line. The numbering maybe doesn't matter but if your lines are numbered down by ice time (1st line gets the most) Greenway, on this roster is most suited as a complimentary second line piece. They seem to be stuck on balancing lines rather than assigning roles and it's a strategy I disagree with. How the players fit together in their roles matters more to me than isolated individual ability. Skinner is of no value to me. 1000 games this year (are they having a celebration?) and not one playoff game. Is that just bad luck or is it partly because of him? I know my answer.

and it should be. Now really, seriously, does ANYBODY find that first period acceptable at this stage and does ANYBODY still think Granato shouldn't be fired? To me it's so past the question of a debate it's ridiculous. He should have been fired months ago. Edibles?

Which is why you need good coaching. Good coaches can teach dumb guys to be good at their assigned roles. I'm not saying high hockey IQ isn't real or doesn't exist, I'm just saying it's over used these days and is over valued. Skill is skill, low hockey IQ just means you need more teaching and mentoring.

Don't take this personal, but "high hockey IQ" is such a bulls$$t term these days. bet they are really good at video games too.

I have given this some thought last few days and imo there is absolutely no question Granato needs to be fired. I've thought about the team and who is on it and where they are in their development and you can look at things one of 3 ways. 1) The team has the players/talent to make the playoffs but the coaching failed them. or 2) the talent just isn't there, they aren't very good, and thus it's not the fault of the coach who has done the best he can with the roster, or 3) it's some of both. I personally think it's partly 3) but really mostly 1). The amount of talent we have is better than a lot of teams currently in playoff positions. Maybe if we didn't have the UPL step up you could say it's the goaltending but that doesn't hold. We have better goaltending than many of the teams ahead of us. We simply have a failed system, a failed team dynamic and a failed work ethic at times. It's the coaching. Nobody will convince me that Philadelphia or Washington have more talent than we do. They simply have better constructed rosters and they are better coached. They play hockey the right way. There's no reason, if properly coached, that this roster couldn't play like that with the added bonus of higher skilled players and thus, one would conclude, even better results than them. It's the coaching. I will give another example I heard today which some will hate as it's the Bruins again. First place in the division. They lost 2 games in a row. Montgomery has them doing punishing wind sprints in practice and they come back with a playoff style game to beat Florida. Montgomery said he didn't think they were playoff ready before that game and had not played up to their standard. The difference is glaring and obvious. Adams should also be fired for 1) sticking with Granato, and 2) constructing a roster lacking proper leadership and balance. imo, given who is available, I think the best plan for the Sabres would be to hire Lindy Ruff as coach with some say in roster construction and personnel. Gallant is also out there, but maybe Lindy is the right answer for this team and it's history. Would he take the job? Maybe not. He has a chunk of NJ money owed so he can relax, but if I'm running that team I'd find a way. There's no obvious KA replacement I can think of but Pegula needs to step back and let a new experienced GM run the show. Just sit back and enjoy the results. Can he? Doubt it. But it has to happen. Sticking with the current plan will not lead to success. It's time to make the big change. Before it's too late and we see another tear down and another "plan".

Big game for the loser cup. Two teams that were supposed to make a playoff push but failed, let's beat them and be the lesser loser.

It's not that Cozens Quinn Peterka was/is a terrible idea it just seems to me they can't decide what they want and Cozens keeps getting asked to be different things rather than focusing on him being one good thing. He has shown signs of being capable of being a 2 way player and shutdown guy and his PK with Greenway has looked good so isn't it time we decided yes, he's now our ROR (roughly speaking) our 2 way 2C and let's make him that and place him on the best version of that line we can? Or is he our 2C offensive guy again making plays for scoring wingers? It's like they can't decide and to me it's dumb. Trading Mitts contributes to that hole on the roster. If Krebs is their plan for 2 way shutdown center we are in trouble.

Also at 64, I feel the same way so since we can't buy each other a round you have a beer on me tonight and I will have one on you. To wrap this up, I don't think there's only one way, and there are exceptions, but in general I think the Sabres are rushing young players and I think it hurts their development rather than helping it. Having said that though, I'm not sure Rochester is the kind of teaching ground it should be. It seems like a team that is designed to mirror the Sabres style (or desired style) rather than teaching players to fix their major deficiencies or weaknesses. We have so many skilled offensive guys we should be playing shutdown hockey down there so they can play 2 way when they get to Buffalo.

Oh yes you know inside my mind and what I believe and you are the superior view because you question everything. lmfao. You know nothing about me. Young players need to be taught. That's a simple fact. Even the greats need to learn things when they hit the NHL. If your NHL team is just a big training camp all year sure, maybe it works and they get the individual attention to details they need, but if your NHL team is busy trying to win hockey games you need to send these kids to school. I will tell you what is true Mr. Questioner, and that is you have lived in the Sabres bubble for far too long.

Granato really stuck on that Peterka-Cozens-Quinn idea isn't he. Peterka was looking good with Thompson and Tuch and Greenway paired with Cozens was a solid 2 way combo but whatever, they are stuck on their vision of the future. have at it.