PerreaultForever

I was googling around and found this 2021 article by Larry Brooks. Quotes Biron in it. Main thing in his opinion is the development model. https://nypost.com/2021/03/20/why-quebec-is-no-longer-an-nhl-goalie-factory/ That one focused on Quebec. This slightly older one from the CBC focused on Ontario basically says the same thing. European development model for goalies is better. UPL gets mention here. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/ohl-trades-hockey-1.5011453 So they've kind of figured out the reason. I'm surprised they haven't done more to address it.

That is a surprisingly weak list. I wonder why that is? Expensive goalie equipment parents can't afford? Lack of glamor in the position at an early age? Coaching? It's definitely a puzzling thing.

There are a lot of Russian goalies in the league aren't there? As well as Scandinavians. I'd have to look over all the rosters and think about it (and I will admit to being too lazy :)) but there has to be more Canadian goalies than that. I'm blanking though so maybe there isn't. That's kind of weird now that I think about it. I wonder why.

If I remember correctly Pat hired Tim to work under him but then something happened and Pat quit or was pushed out. I don't remember any clarity on what happened, I assume people signed NDAs. Tim without a smarter boss above him was a recipe for disaster.

I'm not debating that aspect. What I'm saying is that Murray got full control and proceeded to ***** things up royally. There might still be an argument as to why Lafontaine left, but I think there has to have been some sort of conflict over direction and the "plan" at that time. In any event, I think we will agree that Murray was a bad hire and a rookie GM like that should have never had the control he had and the ability to make all those poor decisions he made. If only they'd hired Rick Dudley above him, it might have ALL been different..........................

So you're suggesting that in a few years Levi will be one of the top 3 Canadian NHL goalies in the league? That's quite optimistic, and we can only hope that you are right.

Pity they haven't given Levi more games. Hofer was garbage but I guess they view Levi as a green rookie. Disappointing.

I think TP is the only one who knows what really happened and with NDAs and whatever I doubt any of us will ever really know, but the power structure shifted and so did the direction. It was a bizarre moment and the franchise did change after it.

and some of us (many?) still believe Lafontaine out Murray in was the launching point of the entire crash and burn that followed.

I know, and all I'm saying is that is rhetoric until it's reality. I didn't say he CAN'T coach defense, just that so far he hasn't. It's time to add that. So the verdict is yet to be determined. I still think it's backwards. Offense comes naturally to a lot of these guys. It's what they like to do. Playing a team defensive system is much harder, but necessary for success, especially in the playoffs. Defense second might work though idk. Cassidy seems to have Eichel etc. playing better D than ever before so I give it the benefit of a doubt in terms of which comes first as a plan. Do you at least agree that we were close enough and are scoring enough that now is the time for that defense and now is the time to compete for the playoffs and definitely not have another "developmental" year next season?

It is a sad list in hindsight, but at the time, I do understand some of the logic. Rolston - kind of just there and available. It was a cheap and easy hire at a point where they were in transition. I doubt he was considered a long term solution. Nolan - an attempt to turn back the clock and bring back that lunch bucker work ethic idea. With a lack of talent on the roster I can see how this seemed like a good idea. It actually wasn't a bad idea imo but Murray turned him into a fall guy on a stripped roster that nobody could have succeeded with. He was used and abused by the organization. Bylsma - Well we all know who number one choice was and Murray was all in on that with a long term deal. When he played us to get a deal in Toronto Bylsma was plan B as he was available and had had success in Pittsburgh. I know it was a boring style, but it wasn't a terrible idea and Vegas and Dallas are both playing similar hockey to what Bylsma preached. We failed as a team, but I don't think he was a terrible coach. Housley - I totally get the logic. Successful assistant, alumni, preached the new era fast style driven by a mobile D. We see that all over the league. We had Dahlin coming in. Seemed like a sensible hire but maybe a bit of a gamble. Obviously he couldn't handle the head job but in the "we don't want an old dinosaur vs. new era thinking" philosophy I think it made sense. Kreuger - boggles the mind. I can only come up with one rationale. They were all in on Eichel and it was all about motivating Eichel to be like McDavid so a former coach with some sort of personal motivator resume seemed like a good idea at the time. he talked a good talk and fooled them in the hiring process. His hockey coaching was devoid of anything beyond a simplistic basic philosophy not that different from the old left wing lock which is archaic to say the least. Absolute garbage hire. Going to add, Granato - Long resume, but not at the NHL head coach level so in many ways not that different from Housley. He's another cheap hire and although he's a good teacher (and could be a solid assistant on any team or coach at college level) his head coaching ability is still a question mark. This team has not yet shown any ability to play a structured defensive game and until they do, they won't get far even if they have a lot of young talent. As an example I will briefly mention Montour. I've been watching him closely since one, I don't really care who wins, and two, I've been trying to figure out why he's so impactful there and was so bad here and I think I've figured it out. He was always a good skater and had an offensive upside, but here he was always running around and getting caught out of position. Reason was a lack of team support. When a rush failed or a check happened he was scrambling back to cover his spot. On Florida there's always a forward dropping into his spot and taking over his coverage. They recognize the rush and have adapted their game to his talents (and flaws). It's the system, not the player. Similar thing for Gudas. In Philly I remember him running around hitting people and also getting caught out of position. In Florida, again, someone drops into his spot. If we signed him, without a proper defensive systemin place, he's just going to look like Risto. Granato might still show us he has it all, but it is time for this team to learn defense to go with that dynamic scoring that we've already started to see. If not, he's going to be added to this list of failures.

Oh no, I get it. I totally get it. Remember I follow the Bruins as my B team and chat with some of them a little. I know full well how they talk about the Sabres. Benchmark team for failure for sure. However, I'd say we are such a huge failure we've kind of been dismissed as irrelevant. Leafs are still the most mocked team there too. It's a misery likes company thing and after your failure you just feel a little better when they continue to fail as well. I actually wonder why the Leafs aren't the MOST hated team by Sabres fans. I know there's playoff history with the Bruins and Canes and way back Montreal, but the Leafs proximity should make them the most hated by definition and thus the team to scorn and ridicule the most as well. But I think it's the Bruins still but I could be wrong. If we ever get really good again I'll know for sure.

lol, for a fan you really seem to hate them 🙂 I've been a fan for decades so the last decade has been frustrating and somewhat unbearable. I'd guess it's the same for you. What if you were young though and just started following them say 10 years ago or even less. Then they'd be an underdog. Or better yet, if you just started being a fan of hockey and chose the worst team cause there was only one way up, then they'd definitely be an uinderdog. Anyway, regardless of what happens in Buffalo, I still enjoy watching the Leafs suffer, and you should try it too. There is some satisfaction in it.

Well, even if he can't play it's good experience for him to see the facilities, get to know the other prospects who might be Sabres team mates later. Just adjust and get used to things. Let the coaches evaluate him up close and give him a list of things to work on in the off season. It's just good.

I do see your point, I guess I just view it a little differently. I see it akin to those classic and maybe cliche stories with the rich kid spoiled varsity guy and the poor downtrodden underdog and you want to see that spoiled brat fail and the underdog rise. So even when the underdog hasn't risen there is some satisfaction in seeing the rich kid not do much better. Sort of like that.

Ya, Nashville's an interesting one to watch. Trotz coming in, one would assume he will want to rebuild in that hard nosed work ethic mold he's always coached with but whether or not they are building or still tearing down is hard to say. They weren't that far off even with the tearing down so they might see themselves as just a few players away. idk. Will be interesting to see what they do.

I'm sure Chicago's tear down is over. They got what they wanted. Now we see how fast they try to rise. I suspect they will be busy in free agency unless they trade for somebody to offer cap relief to some team. It's easy to get to the cap floor. Lots of teams want to dump salaries. They could (for example) get Hayes from Philly for cheap and to have a veteran center as Bedard adjusts, grows, and gets ready to take over. Lots of other options.

Veleno's play was brutal. He needs to be suspended and kicked from the tournament. Almost as brutal was Quinn's defensive effort on the Hischer goal. That was some Jack Eichel style work in his own end. Canada's roster is horrible. Lucic looks absolutely pathetic. I think I can skate faster, and I'm over 60. idk why they bother if this is the best they can throw together.

Florida definitely seems like the team of destiny this year. Everything going their way.

Depends how you measure it. If you want to measure it by a rinky dink badly run organization that makes poor decisions and can't even spell the name of alumni, then we are it. If you want to measure it by a team that has a huge fanbase, massive merch sales, full houses, money all over and makes moves to the max and STILL fails, then it's them.

No, we do, and it's for one simple reason. No team in any sport gets as much favorable media coverage and "this is the year" talk as Toronto does. When you think you're that special and you do no better than those little incompetent teams (that would be us and Vancouver among others) you earn extra ridicule.

This would not surprise me at all. Even after all the massive Toronto media discussions it's still muddy on if he was fired or quit but it seems he was offered a contract extension, then he talked publicly about the I'm not sure I have to sit down with my family thing and with that lack of gung ho commitment they decided not to offer the extension after all, so in a sense he got himself fired. They were all in this year and other than finding a goalie through some miracle they've kind of run out of variations around the big 4. They had the added D and the checkers and the shutdown guy and despite all the adds just one round win . Dubas knows it's over, and there's nothing they can do but tear it down (or at least part of it) and do it differently and that likely means 2 steps back before any steps forward. So he preferred the exit so that something like Ottawa might still be in his future as he won't be there for the downfall.

Orlov seemed to fit in quickly in Boston and looked like a popular guy. I'd guess he has a good personality and might be a decent leader or mentor for this. It's going to take a lot however to get him to not go back to Washington. I'd make a big early offer to Orlov but pivot quickly to plan B as I think it's a longshot at best. With all the Russians coming, it might be the end of Girgs. You know how those Latvians feel about Russians 🙂

Ya, but it is. Just so happens that both teams play a similar shutdown style. I predicted this to be a boring series and so far it is as expected. Thank the coaches. It's not exciting hockey, but it can be winning hockey.

Good. We need all the D men in the system we can get.