PerreaultForever

and who's decision/fault is that? It's always NEXT year with this team. That's unacceptable.

Pretty much the same as the Tampa game really, we're just on the other side of it this time. We don't come out with home ice determination and they dominated the third, as Tampa did. We lose most of the board battles and net front is, as always, the biggest problem. Rookie goalie was rookie goalie. Good one play terrible the next. Benson showing that he is clearly not physically ready. Cozens is back in form and Peterka is definitely getting there, but parts of this roster are not pulling their weight. This won't get it done. I really don't get this team though. 3 goalies on the roster but we are going to do what? Play Levi for every one? Makes no sense to me.

Briere struggled initially and took on a rigorous training program to add muscle to his frame. Physically he was a different player than Benson. It's a different era and little lightweights do better earlier but they can also get smucked. This place will lose it's s%%t if Marchand takes out Benson the same way he took out Hughes (or something similar from someone else). I worry about that with a kid this young and slight (for pro hockey)

I wouldn't fault Kuemper, Ottawa was just busting through the Washington D all night. Washington is slow, old and yesterday's news. They might try to manhandle a few teams here and there (maybe the Sabres) but they were not good. Ottawa on the other hand I've seen a couple times already and they look well balanced and play the right way. If I was a betting man and I had to choose Sabres-Wings-Senators for a playoff spot, right now, I'd bet Ottawa. Could change later.

I didn't mean let him go as in fired, just as in what happened. They didn't value him enough to keep him. Elevate him. The bad cop metaphor was probably not a great one but I was just trying to illustrate a contrast with Granato. Peca always had this driven steely eyed determination and I think he still does. His standard is very high and I think having that guy with Granato would have made us better and better sooner. I think it was a huge mistake. Sabres head coach one day? Maybe, but if we let him go now why would you think that would be a consideration later? He could end up coaching anywhere now.

I don't disagree, I just think these young guys need more guidance and more leadership. If there was a better mix of veterans and kids in the line up I wouldn't even have started this conversation. I also don't want to spend a decade watching them learn from their mistakes. I want them to be a team that knows what it takes and how to win in the playoffs as soon as they get there.

We're still going to see a lot of the back ups I think and we have to take advantage of that while we have it. Vladar was pretty good a year ago but he's definitely back up caliber.

Especially since we are likely still mostly under the radar. Teams on road trips are still going to look at us and think the easy game or at least easier game on a trip to Toronto next or New York or wherever. We have to be harder to play against at home and we have to take every single home game as must win.

I do want the alumni helping the players I was just responding to the post saying they do a lot with the alumni in the community. It's hard for me to compare and judge what "a lot" is when you don't see it. That was sort of a side comment. The issue for me, in the simplest terms, is how do you best create that idea of pride in the jersey when the jersey has been a joke for a decade? I think more continuity with the eras we were a winner in would be a way to help make this a reality. I also think it's too easy for this team to doubt themselves if there is adversity (which there will be) and what culture has been rebuilt is very fragile. We were tight and basically folded in the third last night and if that had been a playoff game with 5 on 5 OT we would probably have lost. 3 on 3 favours us luckily. The "fun" stuff you mention isn't a bad thing, I'm not against fun, but I do think we have plenty of that and maybe need more serious work ethic first and foremost. Fun should be after that, not before it. imo

I don't think so. I don't want to have a long argument about last night's game, we obviously saw it differently, so we shall see over the home stand here if we can or will play better defense or not. There are games we should, and have to, win here.

I don't live in Buffalo so I accept that I might be unaware of some of their events. I guess what I'd say to that then is the franchise has to do a better job of getting those things up on youtube or other social media and getting that out front and center more. Other teams seem to have a lot more out there.

I don't disagree with this. I just don't think he's done enough. I said a few years ago we should target guys from winning cultures like Boston, get them in the locker room, so Clifton is an example of that. Just don't think one or two guys is enough.

It's not about "magical outside help" or "excusing failure" but rather reminders and images of what is possible. What was, and what can be again. We don't have enough veterans with any continuity to a winning era (it's been too long) and there's just not enough wise old wisdom or lead by example or whatever you want to call it so doing more visible and direct things with alumni would be an important addition imo. I think we agree on that aspect. It's not the solution, but it might be a necessary additional aspect.

What you say is true, but I still believe in the mentor relationship. I think having guys who won as a Sabre and enjoyed being a Sabre in their time would have important messages and words for these kids who in many cases weren't even alive to see it or remember it. It's an element that's missing imo and I think that falls on Pegula and how they run the franchise.

I know I know, I'm getting repetitive on it. Wish we had a new Peca on the roster too. That would change everything.

I want a full shift from "learning experience" to "not good enough". It's not there in his speech. Most of all though, what I want Granato to do isn't about words, it's about a defensive system where the forwards actually do something. Every year we are on about the defensemen and to some extent the goalies and the real biggest issue consistent all these years is the forwards and their mentality. We just don't "play the right way" as they like to say on other teams and until we change that we won't win. I just don't think Granato can get it done at this point.

I'm not going to suggest we need Torts style, but Philly did come out strong for their home opener despite their lack of talent. It was a high energy high effort game and the fans went home happy. Philly will lose this year because they lack talent but it does seem they've gotten rid of most of their garbage and the effort level is high end. So when people say the "old school" no longer works that just might not be true. Either that or the myth of Torts and the reality are two different things. I also think Granato is too reserved and too nice. There should be more accountability and consequence at this stage. It's hard to bench people with a thin roster and nothing but kids to plug in but there has to be consequences and the bar has to be raised for the team and it's culture to progress. Once again, I would say letting Peca go was a huge mistake. Peca had that ethic and sort of gravitas. They could have made him bad cop to Granato's good cop (in a way) and helped raise the bar that way. Peca would have been a great role model.

This is what I'm talking about. We had it, we lost it, we need to get it back. The question is on the belief that it "is coming" or not. Chicken and egg. I'm not sure we can get it back the way we are doing it. Mike Peca behind the Rangers bench is going to bug me all year I think.

idc how much you laugh your a## off (is that even possible?) and I said he was a very good player but that word "super star" gets tossed around too easily imo. Crosby was a superstar. McDavid is a super star. Bedard might become one. Perreault was one. LaFontaine maybe. Probably. Only two Sabres I'd put in that category. Word gets tossed around too easily these days imo.

and yet, Philly shut him down totally tonight and shook him up a little as well. Very good player, yes. Superstar? Hmmm, not so sure. but, but....Torts is a dinosaur out of step with modern hockey so that can't be possible can it?

I didn't think it was his "fault" at all. The forward (I forget which line was on at the time) should have been covering Hagel. Hagel wasn't Clifton's responsibility in that situation. The low shot total is partly because Tampa was shooting all over the place and missing the net a lot. Maybe they were trying for corners thinking Levi is small but they were missing the net and so the "shots" weren't counting. As for 8th best, that was LAST year. That is not them this year. The D did however, struggle in the one on one battles but so did the forwards. Tampa was winning the puck in the board battles all night long and since it was kind of a dump and chase affair from them it gave them an edge in our end on numerous occasions. Fortunately, Levi was controlling his rebounds, and their finishing touch was absent.

So one tonight. A play where he had his man boxed out at the side of the crease but the forward didn't pick up his man in front. Sure, all Clifton's fault.

Well that's true, but we do have several winning eras. We've been good in the playoffs and been to the cup final. We were a pretty good franchise before the last 12 years. I just think it might be useful if the history was more front and center and the kids could say "I want us to be more like those guys". Tuch probably appreciates that, but since we don't have many veterans on the team having alumni come in and talk about what it takes to be a winner would help this team. I think it would anyway.

So will it be Comrie or UPL next game? I assume they won't go Levi 4 straight.

I actually think they didn't play much better/different than in the first 2 games it was just that Tampa is struggling offensively right now and really misses Stamkos. They are not the team they were and very definitely could be the one that drops out of the playoffs this year. We are trying to be a little more physical but we still lost most of the board battles and they got their cheap point because we failed physically around the net as we usually do. Giving the teams we might be fighting with for the playoffs loser points could kill us end of the season. Levi was good in the third. Good rebound control which was important as Tampa was trying for the garbage goals all night. We dominated the 3 on 3 as I expect we will often as we do have talent and they like open ice. Hopefully the OT goal gets Cozens out of his funk. 1-2 is better than 0-3 but we will have to be better than this.