Scottysabres

Remember the AHL Marlies with Toronto's developing talent last year? Yea, a few of those guys are up with big club now and enjoying success with Matthews. A winning culture in the AHL, if even only experienced for a season by some, is still a sure fire confidence builder. Buffalo's AHL pipeline: they are sure to loose Baptiste next season as he joins the big club. Fasching and Bailey may need another season in Rochester, but there looks to be a good handful of draft pick coming to join Rochester next season, including a few defensemen. Question: So, what's Murray's plan to achieve a winning culture in Rochester to help maximize these prospects success ratio? Answer: I personally don't see a plan. These next 18 months with this organization are pivotal. I am feeling uneasy with Murray at the helm.

He's been rehabbing with Caitlin Jenner has he now? :/

Yes, we know, the truth hurts. Let it out, it's all going to be ok......there there now, let it out..... :O

No. He does know what to do next........prepare for more suffering. :) The only significant move i can see Tim Murray making is with Anaheim. They are going to have to move 1 defenceman for a forward to maximize their expansion draft protection. My money is on Fowler for Kane. The trade for both parties makes to much sense.

This would be the epitome of the Buffalo sports fan conscience and would be funny.........if it weren't true :( Edit: and sorry promo, but swamp one upped ya.

Nolan is a better "players" coach than Bylsma. Ted would undoubtedly have this team playing "fired up" hockey. Which in my opinion is exactly what this team needs. Bylsma's system sucks. Here is what I see just about every game. - Defensive zone breakouts fail, the long pass isn't working at all. - complete lack of puck support both in the O & D zones. (What few times I do see it they still lose possession most of the time) - breakdowns in coverage in the D zone, both by forwards and defensive players. - poor neutral zone to O zone transition and entries. - complete disappearance of urgency in loose puck battles, especially foot races to loose pucks. - poor pinching decisions by defensemen, especially in the 3rd ad the urgency kicks in to do something, anything to attempt offense. - lack of, especially in the mid to lower 6. Lets face it, Eichel, Ennis and Carrier are the top wheels on this team with Kane a close 2nd tier. Not exactly inspiring a fast game and that is one of the main problems that needs to be addressed. - poor line changes, not just timing by the coach, but watch the games, no sense of urgency for players coming off the ice to hustle up to do so. - poor shooting aim both from the outside and the points. - no one on the ice setting the example to set the pace and be a driving force, a difference maker. There is more i am sure but those are the main ones I notice. Coaching is a large part of the problem here in Buffalo right now, but not 100% of it. We have Eichel©, Reinhart(RW) and O'Reilly©, Okposo(RW) as staples on our top 2 scoring lines. It is abundantly clear we need Afinogenov speedsters on the LW of each of these lines. Hopefully one's will show up that take puck possession to new levels. I see Kane as a 3rd line LW'ers on a cup team. But getting the players is up to the GM. So is getting a coach to use them properly to maximize success. Firing Bylsma is like putting a band-aid on a gash requiring 20 stitches. Its only going to cover part of the problem and without the tree moss under it to help the healing process, the infection that had started will only get worse, IMHO.

It is as good a way of putting it as any I've seen.

True, as a team fan it is magnified to an extent beyond the other 29 clybs, I concede that. But I can think of a half dozen games (including a few shootouts but not limited to them) where Lehner had either killed the momentum or out right lost the game. I don't see him having success here in Buffalo given where the team is at this time.

Exactly. The tank is not over. Just another example of GM Tim Murray's inability to prove himself as a successful GM. I realize there is a drum beat with everyone of my posts, but I urge all who read them to pause for a moment and consider the evidence currently at hand. He was looking for a 3 year turn around, but at what price? While I'm not concerned about losing Zadorov, Grigeranko,or Compher considering ROR was the return, I am concerned about losing the draft picks in the Kane/Bogo and Lehner trades. So far, Bogo has been a disaster and Kane is an off ice disaster waiting to happen. Not worth the price of admission for roughly 20 - 25 goals a season. Lehner, there is already a thread on him. Rochester is sub par as well. I'd rather have the assets (defense please) getting ready to join and change the farm teams fortunes while continuing development. But, what's done cannot be undone. Another season I suspect is coming of sub par hockey before we turn a corner.

I'll concur with this, but only to the extent on his save %. Every starting goalie lets in a stinker now and then. The problem with Lehner is his are more than others and at game pivotal times. I have to agree with the UP here, he's not a starter we need and furthermore, a 1st for him and Legwand (a 1 year cap dump) was beyond over payment. It is my opinion Tim threw Uncle Bryan I real bone there. That in no way benefited Buffalo. The only saving grace is Petersen in the pipeline, and yet still a ? and years away. What a waste of assets. Just another testament to the gambling prowess of Tim Murray. To Tim: Tim, do yourself a favor, stay away from the casinos.

Given the comments pre-draft on Connor by Murray combined with show casing him in a couple of games at the arena, I'll agree to disagree with you on that one. As for your concerns on your other point, very valid. I didn't expect playoffs, but given the past 2 seasons it's clear regression has set in, injuries or not. There is a very real culture problem in Sabreland right now. The players, management and ownership are establishing a losing culture and that falls squarely on the GM. He made the personnel decisions we see behind the bench and on the ice. And while I understand Terry Pegula was a part of the process, he hired Tim Murray as GM, which in that position is most certainly an advisor on hockey personnel decisions and made those decisions. Murray's plan to build "his team" and is on full display. Call me unimpressed with his hockey prowess.

It was clear from the outset Connor McDavid was the target Tim Murray was looking to rebuild around. That didn't happen. The draft before that was a weaker class but I believe Buffalo got the best offensive player available in Reinhart. Eichel is a different story however. Great talent, he should mature in to a nice piece. Okposo and O'Reilly are excellent top 6 pieces. They are missing 2 top 6 LW'ers and 4 defensemen. That's on Murray. The goalie......straight out, Lehner sucks. His softies deflate a team trying to build a winning culture. Last bight was a prime example of this. Murray gave a 1st for this clown and there were at least 2 good players available at 21 overall, Colin White and Travis Konecny. Either of those players would have added depth to the pipeline. And what did Murray get for that pick. A cap dump of David Legwand and the sub par goalie we now have, Robin Lehner. I firmly believe Tim likes Lehner, but I also firmly believe he threw his uncle one hell of a bone. Lehner is not the answer in net for us. That trade was just bad, no other way to put it.

Hey all, new here but long time reader. I have good friends from the Pittsburg area who are telling me Dan Bylsma heavily stifled the Penguins offensive capacity while he was there. While I realize this team has had injury issues this season, there is something going on here. This team should be better than this. Anyways, I'd like to see Bylsma removed and a new system installed to work the strengths of our players. Just my take is all.