Cascade Youth

I don't see how you can argue that Botterill was lucky/"fortunate" re: Skinner but deserves full blame for things like ROR/Berglund losing their love for the sport. Maybe Botterill was just "unfortunate" that those events occurred? Just seems disingenuous to me to take a move that worked out well for Botts and call it "luck" - it exposes your entire position to a claim of bias.

Much has been made about secondary scoring and it's an issue, for sure. The power play is completely ineffective as well. The Sabres also haven't been getting the lucky bounces they were getting early in the season. But from my (admittedly amateur) vantage point, the issue is clearly the defensemen. 2-5 times per game, at least, they make GLARING, BASIC, PEE WEE-LEVEL mistakes. Muffin passes in front of their own net (Pilut last night, Scandella against Edmonton). They are passive. They lose focus. They sit and watch the play happen as if they're spectators. They fail to pinch. Risto looks like he's suffering from overuse; Dahlin is still learning the game; the rest of these guys are just not very good. I'm wondering whether the increased offensive responsibilities Housley's system puts on them is just too much for these guys - they aren't able to contribute offensively while also keeping track of basic defensive assignments like staying with their man (Scandella is the biggest offender - he needs to sit in the press box ASAP). I'm starting to wonder whether the blueline isn't a bigger need than another forward who can score. I think it might be. The Sabres' leaky defense lost them the game last night. Just my two cents - don't worry, I don't plan to start threads too often.

Maybe he resents the way RG makes his name sound “clownish.”

I am sooooo tired of the well-meaning, negligent irrelevance of the Pegula organizations.

If Housley can’t get the defense to focus for 60 minutes than why is he here? That’s supposed to be his STRENGTH.

Rolston Nolan Blysma Housley Maybe it’s time for a skilled, experienced coach?

I love Risto - but he’s kind of a bonehead.

Why do that?

Um, he’s Matthew Barnaby without the daddy issues?

You can’t pull the defense. Hutton can only stop the straight ahead shots, his confidence is shot.

PULL HIM PHYLLIS

No really Hutton is caput.

Hutton has lost his fastball.

Every time Shears scores this season the announcers remark, “Boy did he need that!” Also the no-look-between-the-legs pass by Dahlin to start that break - SICK

Their 5 on 3s are even worse - all year - they are so afraid to take shots, and when they do they often miss the net which is the worst thing to do on a 2-man...

That was one of the best games I’ve seen this team play in about a decade. Shift after shift of intense focus and smart play. They’re just a couple of players short of where they need to be, it’s painfully obvious. They need one more sniper (Sheary just cannot score) and one more center (Sabotka was the worst, least physical player on the ice). I liked KO’s game and I liked Pommers’ too for that matter. Reino is still getting better which is really exciting. Dahlin had one of this best games as a pro. Girgs and Larsson are key role players. Pilut belongs. They are soooo close...

Back to sleepwalking. Bogo with a no look pass to the front of his own net. C’mon fellas.

Or they get emotional during a tough game and think ok, at least it’s safe to vent about it on a fan message board, and weren’t expecting a sanctimonious beat-down in response...

Dahlin is getting taken to school tonight.

All good ideas. Some of those things have almost happened during the franchise's history, which makes your post particularly well thought-out.

I guess I don't know what happened, that's true. There could be a perfectly good reason for him to no-show on the team to a degree that was so egregious that he didn't even contest his contract being voided. I'm not being sarcastic - I guess there is a world where he had a legitimate non-medical issue that warranted ripping up his entire contract. What that possibly could be, I'm struggling to come up with. Any ideas?

You know who pissed me off during last night's game? Berglund. I'm watching Mitts skate around with no confidence, Tage working his tail off and playing at a higher level than he ever has, and the Gigs-less group of 3rd and 4th liners trying to kill off the extra skater and clear the puck over the last few minutes, and I'm thinking - man, too bad Berglund quit on the team, they could use him out there right now. Quitters piss me off.

Tage “Tigger” Thompson played his best game as a Sabre tonight. He is really becoming a weapon, you can see the confidence growing and I can see this kid becoming a 20-goal scorer easily. Sheary needs to finish. Been an issue all year. Risto is irreplaceable. Seemed like Mitts had almost no ice time tonight - he’s really struggling to find his game. Skinner is a special player and I’d really hate to lose him. Both of his goals were self-generated plays that almost no one else makes. Can’t believe we stole him away in the first place. Don’t let him leave the building.

This team is going to slide right out of the playoff race.

Been saying it - they don’t hate losing, enough. Not enough of them anyway.