PerreaultForever

Ya, but it wasn't. There was nothing about this team that was "lethal" last year. If there had been, they'd have made the playoffs. As for beating Boston 3-1, Boston is not showing up every night. Tonight they played their defensively rigid and highly structured game. They are either getting old or pacing themselves on purpose for the playoffs, maybe both, but as I often say, it's not just about what the Sabres do or don't do on ice, there are 2 teams out there and what the other team does (or doesn't) factors in. Yes, we can lay absolute turd games like we did against Columbus, but we also get taken lightly often and thus get some unexpected wins. There may have been one or two, but I cannot think of a single time in the last.......decade?........where another team brought their A game with their main goalie and Sabres still dominated. imo the team is clueless and the plan is stupid.

I think it's a very legitimate and interesting question. I think he is serious about winning, all GMs are, but I do NOT think he is serious about winning right now. As fans we are all feeling it's overdue, and one point away has to mean playoffs or bust the next season right? But not to him. The "plan" they believe in is that they will build a long term contender no matter how long that takes but they will not deviate from that "plan". I think they firmly believe that top players can be developed playing in the NHL, rather than the AHL as a whole, and the timeline for them is in line with where Power, Levi, Benson etc, would be given normal/usual development paths. Hence, I think their timeline for actual "winning" is still 2-3 years away. They can't say that, because fans don't want to hear that, but BIG moves, BIG additions, nothing like that will happen for the next 2 years still. After that, MAYBE if they feel they have holes they will try to fill them, but otherwise I truly believe he will just keep plugging along with the same "plan" preaching patience and growth/learning experiences. It is imo complete and total b$$%%hit and destined to fail by perpetuating another cycle of loser culture.

Well, I guess you got your wish - sort of. He did get a whack in the beak. About as much as you can expect from the Sabres I think so congrats, you got your wish 🙂 Men against boys. No more, no less. I thought they nailed it in the second intermission. Sabres have "too many of the same guy". And the prospect pool is pretty much more of that same. One team skates fast, possesses the puck, stays around the perimeter and lets loose low percentage shots that are easy saves. The other team goes to the dirty areas rather than avoiding them and gets high percentage chances. Pretty much sums up the difference I think. The perimeter stuff doesn't lead to wins though and I think just about everyone here knows this by now, except Granato/KA/the Sabres themselves. Games like this give me the feeling that it'll be like this forever.

Sure, why not. Can't make that beak look any worse. Now who on the Sabres has the courage to do this? Ya, it's a tough question I know.

Canada dominated the Latvian game which wasn't much of a surprise. Cellebrini is really fast and shifty. Great passer. He looks like the real deal, at least in a one sided game anyway. Savoie was fine but hard to judge here. He definitely looks like more of a potential play maker than scorer, at least at this stage. If I was to critique him I'd say he tries to be too fancy and make one move too many, too many attempts at the perfect play rather than just straight ahead drive the net. He has to learn to keep it simple and shoot more or he won't transition well and might end up as an in betweener. But he was fine and the competition was lousy. Besides Cellebrini I thought Geekie and Wood were good for Canada. Arizona's probably happy watching this stuff so far.

Well the guy I wanted them to pick (Nate Danielson) looked pretty good as did the guy @LGR4GM told me was a horrible pick (Maveric Lamoureux) so I had a good day 🙂 Östlund is a really good skater but he looks really small. Slight of frame you might say. Needs to grow a lot. But he has skills.

Not sure what you mean by "go back to" as they really haven't changed much. When teams let them play that way(like the leafs did) they run and gun their way to victory. Problem is there are 2 teams on the ice. Good teams have the ability to adapt to what the opposition does. Sabres are a long way from that yet.

You have a nasty habit of telling people what they should and shouldn't do. Go back to ignoring me please.

This one is easy. If the Bruins give them open ice and let them skate, Sabres win. If the Bruins clog it up and dominate in net front Bruins win. Just that simple unless our goaltending craps out, which theirs likely won't.

That's why I used past tense.

Still think they should have let him go to the Worlds. They are going to burn him out, overuse him and he will hit a wall. Worlds would have been a good experience/reward for him.

Merry Christmas to all.

Well there was effort and it was a decent hockey game but you can see it's not so easy when the other team has a reasonably good goalie and they play a little defense. If this was opening night of the season I'd be thinking maybe this will be the year but at this stage we just can't not get 2 points on any night. I liked the way they blocked shots tonight though and the overall team effort but you won't win many games with that sort of inconsistent goaltending. It's still on Adams for not getting a proper NHL goalie for this season.

Rags coming off a bigger game against Edmonton. They might be looking past this game in holiday mode so anything's possible. Sabres might also be in holiday mode though. Still celebrating their big Toronto win. I expect a sloppy game on both sides and maybe a poor effort by one or both. IF we play well, coin toss.

I see him taking a job in the player's association but I could be wrong. Johnson? There aren't many veterans on the team so there's no obvious answers. No way to tell how the long term careers of these guys go. I'd say nobody right now but you never know. Leaders can still emerge and fringe players can have surprising careers as coaches and then GMs. There's definitely no Lindy Ruffs on the roster though that's for sure.

Philly showed what they are. They do not quit. To the talk in another thread, Kane actually looked pretty darn good imo. One of Detroit's best offensive players most of the night. The talk of him being done might be mistaken. The goaltending was a little suspect on both sides but it was a good game. Bruins on the other hand are on a slide. Maybe that decline is finally kicking in. Winnipeg dominated them tonight.

My whipping boys in order: Pegula Adams Granato Appert Ellis To the players you whipped. I don't blame Power for anything as he's a young kid and he's not being developed properly so what do you expect? You can't just throw every baby in the pool and expect them to swim. I don't blame Clifton because I have seen him succeed in the right system. We don't have a proper defensive system so he's lost. I don't blame VO because he's always been what he is and the expectation that he'd be something different is kind of silly and lastly I don't blame EJ as he's an old veteran who is past his prime so once again what do you expect? I could whip on some of the "star" players for their inconsistencies and deficiencies and lack of effort at times but again, what would be the point? Thompson is never going to hit anybody. Skinner is never going to play defense. and so on. At least they won't under this coach/system/philosophy.

We actually fully agree on something.

Question of degree. The fire coach was more specific than usual but they've been booed at home before. The fan patience for this coach has worn out. It's obvious the players like him, but maybe that's part of the problem. The whole atmosphere is a little too soft. If it woke them up for real, great, but I'm skeptical.

I think what you said at the top was true, and the lack of veteran leadership has been a problem for this team for a long time. It's just not there. The idea of them creating and growing a culture as a group is difficult if not impossible. They need mentors and leaders. The problem I have with the quoted sentence above is this isn't the first season this has happened for most of these guys. They can talk about how these boos woke them up but what about last year's boos? The year befores? How many wake up calls do they need and how long until they nod off again? Sure, they came out with speed and an aggressive offense against a team with terrible goaltending that decided not to play any defense at all so the result was wonderful. Let's wait and see if they can do the same thing to the Rangers and Bruins before we get too excited.

What you say is valid, but also, how many times has this already happened in the past? This isn't the first season where Dahlin has heard those "crazy" boos. How many wake up calls does he need? How much growing up does he need? That sort of comment might fit for a guy like Benson. Maybe even a Peterka or a Quinn but this isn't the first time for most of this crew. It sounds hollow to me and sounds similar to white privilege/Karen complaints in society. Sure, the fans are "crazy".

Only problem is they don't get to play the leafs every game.

I love it when they beat the Leafs and I knew they could. We do very well when we play teams that like to play the same way as we do and they let us play our way. You just need a little effort, which they had, and you can run right over them. Some horrific goaltending on display, fortunately most of it on the Toronto end. So glad the game turned and they stopped talking about how great Matthews is. That was getting nauseating (Sportsnet feed). I don't know much about that Gregor guy on the Leafs, but he is absolutely terrible. If that's his usual game he does not belong in the NHL. Now this was fun, and I'm sure Pegula feels he got a good dose of what he wants, but don't be fooled, this only works when we play another team similar to us that fails to play defense and lets us play the way we want. Against most teams, this will not work the same. But this was fun all the same, no question.

Hasek was a time traveller. He'd jump back 3 seconds before every shot. That's how he made those saves. Re-dos.

It is a coincidence. They have had a rash of injuries and most of all the Larkin thing shook them up a little. They were due for a fall off/leveling off as well after the relatively hot start. They've moved up to be a playoff contender, but they aren't that deep and are far from a top level team. Kane hasn't helped or hindered them imo. I suspect Kane signed his deal with a team near his current home to test out what he had left himself. If it goes well he'll be looking for a few more years from another team (maybe Buffalo will be on the list for sentimental reasons) maybe a contender, maybe just whoever offers the most money for his retirement fund. Doesn't really matter as he looks pretty much done. As for Marcus, well sure. I hated that trade as I just said coincidentally in the trade thread and a few years back I was advocating we should try to get both Folignos together to end their careers "home" and turn the attitude on this team around. Yes, I figured Nick had little left to offer on ice but the boys together and the leadership they'd have taught to Cozens and others would have been invaluable. Could have been one possible way to flip this thing in line with what this young talented group lacks. BUT, Sabres don't value that sort of thing. We prefer nice guys who think this is just a "sophomore slump". and so it goes on and on and on and............