[2024 NHL Playoffs - ROUND TWO]

2 hours ago, ... said:

I predict copious Boston goonery in the third.

This did not age well. 🙂

 

I think everyone here would agree that we all hope Ruff can make the Sabres into a team that doesn't quit when they are back up against it the way the Bruins showed it tonight. 

I think they will still lose the series, but if they get lucky in game 6, game 7s are always a who knows what will happen thing. 

[KO knew very early we didn’t have it - something was missing]

3 hours ago, JohnC said:

The Sabres were a flawed team from a deficiency in talent and from a construction standpoint. On top of those problems there were coaching deficiency issues. It didn't matter who the captain was and how he handled that role. It wouldn't have made much difference in altering the situation. There are a variety of leadership styles. Just because he wasn't publicly vocal doesn't mean that he wasn't a leader in the room. What I'm stressing is that Okposo recognized as did many players in the exit interviews recognized that there were serious foundational problems to this staff and team that had nothing to do with the leadership ability of their former captain. 

My recommendation is simple: Improve the roster by adding more talent to it. (It is the same recommendation that everyone else is offering.) That's the major source of this team's failure.  

Ya ya ya, but that's not what I said. I didn't say he'd have CHANGED things, but a good captain takes responsibility publicly. If he doesn't, nobody else does either. 

[KO knew very early we didn’t have it - something was missing]

This was my problem with him as captain, and our lack of leadership in general. Nowhere in there is there a sense of taking responsibility for that failure. There's questions, side blame, and lots of I don't knows, but nowhere does he say he failed as captain. 

[Seth Appert to join Sabres Coaching Staff]

7 hours ago, dudacek said:

He's not.

It's probably a reference to the fact New Jersey may be paying a portion of his salary.

Like if New Jersey owes him $3M this year and the Sabres signed him for $2M, Lindy would stlll be making $3M, with NJ paying $1M

Really? I was always under the impression that these contracts had clauses in them with releases if you took another coaching job. That's why a lot of them flirt with broadcasting for a year or two after firings. That's a double pay but if they coach they get a release. I could be wrong. Each contract is likely different but I don't know why a team wouldn't have that clause in. 

[Seth Appert to join Sabres Coaching Staff]

6 hours ago, Doohickie said:

Show me on the doll where the team hurt you.

13 years of abuse. You know I think the one that hurt the most (more than tanking) was how they folded up after that season starting, what was it 10? more? game win streak and it momentarily looked like we were on to something. Most other years we've just flirted with winning but that one felt real and I fell off that bandwagon hard. 

[2024 NHL Playoffs - ROUND TWO]

8 hours ago, SwampD said:

With good reason. How many videos of Marchand (who I like) have we seen over the years “getting away with something”?… a lot! And that hit that “set the tone” of the last game, was way worse than the hit that got Aaron Rome suspended for the rest of the Stanley Cup finals.

I love when they get beat with their own game.

Fair, except for one thing. It's really not their own game and hasn't been for years. Most long time Bruins fans have been complaining about how much they aren't that every season since. That was a heavy hard team (2011) . Most of their roster now isn't anything like that. 

[2024 NHL Playoffs - ROUND TWO]

Nichuskin that big of a deal for Colorado? Man they stunk. 

[Seth Appert to join Sabres Coaching Staff]

1 hour ago, nfreeman said:

You’re completely justified in doubting last year’s group.

But next year’s group now includes a HOF coach.

Lindy is going to be a huge improvement over DG.

I believe this as well but I'm not going any further than cautiously optimistic.  I would be more optimistic if Lindy had brought in 1 or 2 of his own people as assistants, whoever his own people might be. 

I can totally get why Lindy would want his last coaching job to be back in Buffalo, and he'd obviously want to end on a high note (whenever that end is) and retire a happy Buffalo Sabre. I just hope he still gets to assert himself and they listen to him and get him players he needs, rather than them expecting him to be the listener. 

If Tuch is named captain my optimism will increase. If it's Dahlin not so much. 

[2024 NHL Playoffs - ROUND TWO]

1 hour ago, Claude Balls said:

And they're also one of the mosted hated teams in the NHL. The only reason they show well is because they're an original 6 team. Same goes for Detroit, Chicago, Montreal, Toronto and the Rangers. People had very few choices. Rangers fans are close to outnumbering Canes fans in Carolina. 

I don't think so. The original 6 has impact compared to newer teams but I don't see many Detroit, Chicago or Rags jerseys either. Philly has some fans around here for god knows what reason and the Canadian vs. USA thing is real so there's some Calgary and Edmonton as well as the sea of Canucks.

A few years back I was talking to a guy who owns a sports collectibles store here and he said Bruins stuff always sells. 

Hated by many no doubt that's true but as was said earlier or in another thread, success leads to hate from other fan bases. 

All I know is October to April I'm a Sabres fan but every year all I have left in May (and occasionally June) is the Bruins. That's the Sabres fault not the Bruins.

25 minutes ago, SabresBillsFan said:

Love it when D’Angelo was yelling at him, probably calling him 4th line garbage player. I don’t want to see any of our former Sabres win a cup with another organization. 

Too late. 

[2024 NHL Playoffs - ROUND TWO]

19 minutes ago, SabresBillsFan said:

Glad they came back, can’t stand the ***** Rangers! Can someone tell me why no one hits the Panarian? It’s like Patrick Kane, nobody would hit the guy. Gee, it’s the playoffs lay this ***** out!

Rempe. 

[2024 NHL Playoffs - ROUND TWO]

1 hour ago, Claude Balls said:

So does everyone else outside of Beantown. ***** them. 

Sorry but if you watch any of their road games you will see they have the largest fan contingent at games of any NHL team (aside from when Leaf or Hab fans attend Sabres games. 

I even run into Bruins fans out here in BC all the time and they are public enemy number one after the 2011 cup. I have yet to see a Sabres jersey anywhere in the lower mainland. . maybe they are hiding. 

[2024 NHL DRAFT Talk]

4 minutes ago, Flashsabre said:

https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/2024-nhl-mock-draft-post-draft-lottery-top-24

I personally like Yakemchuk over Dickinson for D. 

[2024 NHL Playoffs - ROUND TWO]

7 hours ago, SwampD said:

These guys are super human. Pretty sure I’d be in the hospital for a week if I took that abuse. McDavid will play next game,… I hope.

Soucy's been an understated key signing Vancouver made. You can see how Seattle goofed on that one and he just quietly gets the job done (and now not so quietly :))

 

[Seth Appert to join Sabres Coaching Staff]

8 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

No sir.  They are about to reward your patience.

Well, I hope you're right, but I will believe it when I see it. 

The history, and the patterns you can see repeating say otherwise. Faith or belief is something I do not have in this group at all. 

[Seth Appert to join Sabres Coaching Staff]

Yes, this all does suggest they believe firmly that they know better and they believe in themselves and their view (and that's Pegula on down). No outsiders with differing views allowed and definitely no outside experienced people who might actually vehemently disagree with them. 

The more I think about this the more I dislike it so I'm going to stop thinking about it. 

So did Rochester have a good PP that made sense?

[Seth Appert to join Sabres Coaching Staff]

Well the optimism I had gained with the Ruff hiring just took a dip down (and mostly over the Appert in 2 years idea which ya, might happen). It's not that he's going to be a horrible assistant or anything, it's just that too much of it looks the same. I was hoping for a little change in direction with a McKee hiring or Peca back or something else new that signaled real change. 

Now they just have to do next to nothing in free agency, draft a speedy Euro forward with that first pick and then name Dahlin captain and then I can cancel my sportsnet subscription for real. 

[2024 NHL Playoffs - ROUND TWO]

Third string little Latvian goalie getting it done. Who saw that coming?

[Off-season Game Plan 2024]

1 hour ago, JohnC said:

If Skinner can be a 25-30 goal scorer on a third line, that would be terrific. I'm assuming he would get PP time in order to get into that scoring range as a third line player. How Ruff handles Skinner is an intriguing issue. As is how Skinner adapts to Ruff and what he expects from his new coach. As you point out, he is more of a lone ranger player than someone who blends in well with his line mates. But there is great utility in having a goal scorer who doesn't play on either of the top two lines. 

Lone ranger? He's not even Tonto. 

[2024 NHL Playoffs - ROUND TWO]

1 hour ago, stinky finger said:

Somehow I can't seem to muster up any empathy for the Bruins or Marchand. No bigger prick in the game. 

Of course. Totally understandable on a Sabres site. Doesn't change the facts though. 

[2024 NHL Playoffs - ROUND TWO]

Bruins were screwed by the refs but that's hockey. Florida is a dirty team but they are a smart dirty team. Maurice coaches them that way (think back, Winnipeg was dirty under him too), If you guys saw the Canadian broadcast they showed Bennet sucker punching Nies last year exactly the same way he took out Marchand. It's dirty as hell and if it was the Sabres you'd all be in uproar but because it's Marchand it's fine. Two years in a row you'd think the league with all their concussion nonsense would suspend for sucker punches to the head but no, Bennet can do what he wants. Okay, whatever. 

If the Bruins had more scoring talent and made it 3-0 early this might have gone differently anyway but they don't. Florida is the more talented team and would win regardless over 7. Now, with the refs help it'll be 5. 

Unless the Bruins perform free agency miracles, next season is the moment Sabres can take their place (and then get beaten up by Bennet lol)

[The Sabres should trade the 11th overall pick in the 2024 draft]

6 hours ago, Archie Lee said:

None taken. But you are not speaking for me when you conclude that Krebs, Joker and #11 (+) are unwanted. 

It's not that they would be totally unwanted, but you through Kadri in there and he's way above that. You want Kadri you're going to have to throw 2 1sts and more in the package. 

[Has the Adams rebuild failed completely?]

In general coaches get 2-3 years and GMs get 4-5 but it depends on the expectation level of the franchise and the level of success these people achieve of course. 

Prior to Adams, Pegula has given our GMs less time than this which would seem to indicate a level of impatience and expectation, but his decision to never turn the franchise management over to an experienced GM indicates his desire to control them. I personally think experienced candidates have said no thanks to that owner meddling situation. I could be wrong.

I am hoping that both Adams and Pegula respect Ruff enough to allow him to be the loudest voice in the room on major decisions going forward. In that way (to some extent) we will finally have an experienced veteran "in charge". 

One can hope.  

[The Sabres should trade the 11th overall pick in the 2024 draft]

6 minutes ago, Archie Lee said:

I could be wrong, but I think Laughton is a guy who maybe gets a late 1st or early 2nd, but I don’t think he is worth #11. As for who the Sabres could move the pick for, I really don’t know. It’s hard to come up with a good one for one (pick for player) example.

See, it's not easy is it? The hypothetical "Sabres should" argument is easy. A concrete actual possibility is much harder. Is Laughton really worth a low first or a second, quite possibly, but a higher first might actually get him on your team. 

6 minutes ago, Archie Lee said:

A lot of the ideas I come up with, seem that they might be laughable to some. Would Calgary do Andersson and Kadri (with say a $1 million retention) for Joker, Krebs and #11? Maybe we need to add something else?  We would need to buyout Skinner to make it work. 

No offense, but that's just ridiculous. Fans are always coming up with these ideas where we toss away what we don't want and get quality players back. It's just not happening. Adams is not going to "win" these trades if he actually wants to make this team better now, but losing these trades and making this team win is a net win. 

It's time for action. (Getting rid of Skinner would be a good start)

[2024 NHL Playoffs - ROUND TWO]

13 hours ago, Wyldnwoody44 said:

The Avs/Stars series to me feels boring, no retribution for the Benn hit, seems to be some sloppy passing and just not cutting it for 2nd round entertainment purposes. 

Stars play D first shutdown hockey, which is why they were such a good road team all year. It's not pretty, but it wins. 

[AHL PLAYOFF GDT - Amerks @ Crunch - Friday, May 10, 2024 - 7:05 PM (EDT) AHL TV, 950/95.7 WROC]

2 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:

And it worked well for much of the season. We're not taking about a last place team here. Tied for 1st in division . 7th best record in the AHL. 17-5-2-2 since March 1.

As for Syracuse, they played the Amerks 17 times and won 9. Two teams that were dead even all season that came down to one game.

Oh no that's all fair, but the point that matters to me is that the "full cupboard" can't get it done so I question how good that full cupboard is. That's all. No more no less.