PerreaultForever

So I guess Kulich and Rosen learned what it means to be a Buffalo Sabre. That was pathetic. Just truly pathetic. The only thing ALMOST as sad was New Jersey's response to the Clifton hit that put Hischer out. Smith really showed him with that 2 minute wrestling minor. You know I watched Florida Boston a few days back and Florida hammered MacAvoy constantly and almost hurt him bad for the suspension hit and that guy wasn't even important and didn't miss any games. So good luck to you New Jersey, enjoy this one cause it ain't going to last and you have no chance come playoff time. Since I watch the Bruins too (as you know) I was also amused looking at little Rosen wearing 63. I'm going to think of him as bizarro world Marchand. The exact opposite (and completely useless). Sabres are the laziest hockey team in the NHL They have absolutely no concept of how to play defense at all. Games like this make me hate this team. Such a waste of time watching them. Damn you Perreault, Martin, Gare, Dudley, Ramsey (etc). If it hadn't have been for you guys I could be free of this shite.

Similar styles. No reason not to win if we come at them with speed and some physicality.

Bruins are exposed. Tenacious speed and their D falls apart. They are starting to look like the old and slow team many expected before the season started. I don't see them going far in the playoffs and if they continue to play like they did this weekend they might not even make the playoffs despite the big early cushion they've built.

They lost to Columbus today. Clearly not playing at the level they did last year.

I'm going to suggest a possibility based on an examination of Linus Ullmark. He was inconsistent and average when he was here. When he first went to Boston he was not good and he let in several bad goals. As communication improved, he got used to his D and he learned he could trust and rely on them he got better, played bigger, gained more and more confidence and won a Vezina. In the playoffs, the Boston D cracked under the Florida pressure. He lost his edge, overplayed the puck again and was not the same goalie. See where I'm going? The relationship between the goalie and their D is key and a team with solid structure and good defense leads to even better goaltending. Our goalies do not have that and feel they have to do too much. For example, if UPL or Levi leave a rebound and it gets banged in by some guy moving past our D, he starts to think I can't leave that rebound and he tries too hard to eat the puck and that might not be the best way to make the save. Ullmark on the other hand just gets some part of himself in the puck's way and he feels confident Carlo or MacAvoy or whoever will take that rebound away. I'm being a little reductionist to illustrate the point but I think that's the general crux of it in terms of what you're asking. Improve our team D and the goaltending will magically improve drastically.

He may be hands off but his choices for management show a clear desire for a particular direction and his decision(s) not to leave the team hierarchy in the charge/care of an experienced hockey person who demands standards and accountability determine a lot about this franchise and it's failure. But F Eichel.

But you could be bothered to tell me that. lol. Troll on.

Because they weren't "bad" signings. They plugged holes and filled needs with the best available options. They now have a decent mix of vets and youngsters with some degree of leadership. DeBrincat a huge part of that of course. Watching him I see some similarities to what Benson might be. Time will tell.

That was a pretty good comeback and probably one of the better games of the year as a whole. Felt more like real hockey. Both Pitt goals the result of sloppy D turnovers that simply shouldn't happen (first Samuelsson then Dahlin) but otherwise a decent team game. Clifton with a heck of a play likely preventing a scoring chance. All the haters need to watch that one on a loop. Balanced effort from the whole team really. Don't think either team looks like a playoff team but it's a start.

Detroit dominates the Bruins today in Boston. Yup, you guys were right. KA knows what he's doing and that Yzerplan was pure insanity. (and you know who that's addressed to).

Totally agree with this. I have been saying this for ages. Cozens is constantly tossed around and expected to carry a line. He sometimes ends up with garbage to carry. The kid has been put through it since day one and his development path has been forged by his determination more than handling him properly. I guess they had Quinn Cozens Peterka in mind before Quinn's injury, but why they haven't left Peterka with him is beyond me.

It's true, but the off season was the time to do that. Aside from a waiver pick up I don't think you are going to find what you want out there on the market unless you make a huge overpay and we wouldn't do that (at least I think we wouldn't). Calgary is likely going to unload closer to the deadline but I don't see many teams right now looking to remove any of their bottom 6. The guys in play right now are going to be over priced vets who teams want to unload for cap space come deadline. The type of guys who WERE available in free agency. Not now. Maybe Perry is. Not many though.

This thread would be better titled KA botched goaltending and we are paying the price. The notion that Levi would just come in and play like an allstar was absolutely dumbass.

I would be shocked if anybody picked up Bryson on waivers.

Not true. He wasn't playing well BEFORE his injury. For whatever reason(s) he's not playing as well as last year but that brings up the usual Sabres problem. You can't bench poor play (aside from a fringe guy) because they have no real replacements. and thus no accountability. If Kulich is playing that well, by all means bring him up for a look but not to replace Cozens. As bad as he has been, after Mitts he's the best center we have at the moment.

I wrote what you read too. Seriously, how does that question further a debate in any way?

Not entirely. I don't see all the U.S. networks any more (cut the cord ages ago) but NBC has a youtube feed and the dramatic tone and way they cover even the simplest stories has me laughing a lot. Contrast it with Canadian news on the CBC or CTV and you will see what I mean. Two identical stories, one will cover it like a serious event the other LIKE THE SKY IS FALLING AND WE ALL COULD DIE DIE DIE................... They have lost perspective entirely. Walter Cronkite is rolling in his grave.

I'm sorry but that bar is too low for me. 16 teams make the playoffs the other half fail.

Is this factual (cause if it is it explains a lot) or are you just wagging your own back end and pulling things out of it?

This is Granato's 3rd full season and 4th if you count the partial. How many NHL coaches get to return if they have 4 losing years? Seriously asking. Any?

You play in the AHL if you're not good enough. Simple as that. I agree on exactly what you said about Benson. That is why I have "reservations" with him staying. Levi needs 2 and maybe even 3 years of solid AHL work imo.

Textbook case of how to blow a point (to a conference competitor). Prior to that one of their best games of the year but they do not have what it takes when the going gets tough. Good to see the response to the physicality (even if Greenway can't fight either) and this version of Clifton was closer to the Boston version I thought we'd get all along but still not enough. Benson goal obviously a thing of beauty, even if the Washington D was out to lunch on it. I have reservations still but I guess he stays. On any normal team Levi would already be in the AHL but who knows what we do going forward. Power in a sophomore slump for sure. I thought this team learned from how they developed Samuelsson but sadly no, we are clueless developing D men. Fortunately he is talented enough he will probably eventually get it all together like Dahlin did but it'll be a rocky road getting there. Playoffs get further and further away..............

I think American news is crazy and it's driving the country crazy (along with the internet "news" sources as well of course). Constant drama and over reaction all the time.

Sounds like a pretty big fear based over reaction.

No, it's an indictment of not signing some solid bottom 6 forwards in free agency (or getting them via trades). I can't comment on Washington. Haven't seen them play. Have to assume they as still big, heavy but slow. Contrast in style, unless they have rookies I haven't heard of yet. Speed and the PP have to be there to get a win.