Pimlach
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Posts posted by Pimlach
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On 4/17/2024 at 10:35 PM, Sabre The Cup said:
We can agree to disagree then.
If there is anybody hopelessly unqualified for the position in the NHL, it is him.
It would be interesting to see what the average age, prior Front Office experience (what jobs and how many in years), and any coaching experience in years, for the 32 GMs in the modern NHL.
But I am too lazy to do that work.
Another easier way is to look it up for just for first time GMs like Adams.
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5 hours ago, xzy89c1 said:
They should have made the playoffs. Poor coaching account for more than the difference in us missing out. If we had an average power play we would have made playoffs. Never won 4 games in a row. Woefully unprepared most nights. Each night in NHL you prepare for your opponent. What matchups will work and which will not. What to Watch for in their breakout, in your d zone etc... We were not doing that. If you watched closely at home, granato would not utilize last change. He would change at same time or before the other team. Idiocy. At least make it seem like you are concerned with other team and matchups.
Other teams were prepared for us. Forecheck hard because as soon as d gets possession sabres forwards leave the zone. pressure d into bad pass and watch for d to d behind the net. If you are carrying puck from neutral zone hold it as any backchecking is occurring they go to wrong player and the D will back up into the goalie before they will step up.
Other teams easily pushed us around and when that happened team disappeared. There was one game I think against Pittsburgh where we started off great and had a lead. Pittsburgh started getting involved after whistle and pushing sabres around. Game was over then. We wilted.
Can we please put to bed the idea Okposo was some great leader? He has barely seen the playoffs in his career. He was a mediocre player his entire run in buffalo. You never heard anything about him taking players aside and letting them know play was unacceptable.
Coaching was not good enough but I think we learned two more important things.
1. The team severely lacks internal leadership - including KO, ZG, and EJ (who had very little skin in the game). Players need to lead themselves, and practice hard because it the right thing to do, and get themselves ready to play at puck drop of period 1. This is not all on the coaches. Players leading players is not simply not there. It is more than pep talks, it is about not letting anyone down. It is about having leaders that are not afraid to call out their buddies.
2. Our GM saw the problems and did not address them. Adams talked about their work in camp, the "arrogance" he detected, his lack of moves in the off season, his lack of moves in the regular season, the teams issues with handling controversy, the consistent inability to be ready to go at puck drop, and players not being pushed hard or held accountable by coaches and other players.
He saw a country club and he saw arrogance and he didn't do anything.
Now he is allegedly looking for a taskmaster type coach that will fix it.
Do what McDermott did. Take away the games, the music, and any the distractions in the facility. Work is work. Put up signs - Commit to being better. Stop making videos. The PR is the hockey game and winning at home, and whatever else they do within the community. I know I don't care how funny they are. It is time for this group to grow up.
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There is a lot of discussion on the interviews this year. Why not, it’s was a disappointing season that led to Granato’s firing.
I typically think of these interviews as not very much. Veterans tend to know how to talk to the press better than young players. Players are down and mostly just going through the motion in the interviews.
This year’s interviews seemed different and much more scripted. Adam’s talked to the team about their coach’s firing before the media did. Almost all of the talking points in his presser came out in the player interviews. Bad camp, better competition in practices, push the players harder, push each other harder, accountability, better starts to games ….
This are the guys that protected Granato and snubbed the fans. Now that he is gone, they all pretty much repeated the Adams talking points.
I heard player after player say “new veteran coach”, “push us harder”, “more intense practice”, and “accountable”. Only a few had fresh comments that went off the script. I think Granato might be pained hearing some of this, but that’s part of hockey coaching.
Some of the Buffalo media asked long run on sentence questions that had the answer they wanted in the question. I call them leading the witness questions. Young players fall for that.
Lots of people voicing opinions on the next Captain based on these interviews. I don’t think you can find a Captain from these interviews.-
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1 hour ago, PASabreFan said:
How am I supposed to work with the old ladies the rest of the night with raging wood? They'll think I've been sampling from the med cart (again).
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2 hours ago, Night Train said:
I thought he was a head case 2 years back with long stretches of struggles. Last year looked like he was turning the corner. Then major regression this year. Was it no Quinn for most of the year ? The fight ? He needs a new coach more than anyone.
You thought he was a head case when he was a 20-21 year old second year player whose rookie year was the shortened by the messy Covid season?
Last year he was very good, 31 goals and 68 points at 21-22 years old is very good production. He centered two rookies,You are a tough audience.
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30 minutes ago, GoPuckYourself said:
You stated "What was Ruff supposed to do go fight Lucic", correct? So what was Granato supposed to do with our current roster, go out there and show them how to compete? Line up at LW and try to score goals for them? Can't you say this about any coach?
Uh. A little different circumstances here but ok.
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Just now, GoPuckYourself said:
So the same goes for Granato then right?
What don't you get from my last sentence? Ryan Miller was calling out the team in the post game interview after he got ran. All this happened under Ruff's watch. So now because you want Ruff as a HC all the ***** he was let go for didn't happen?
Yes, I recall Miller doing that. I did not get that from your post though.
I have no idea if Ruff lost the locker room as a result of that, but probably not. I don’t understand what any of it has to do with Granato either.
I actually would prefer Gallant or Berube instead of Ruff as my first choice. But if Ruff is selected, as I suspect he will be, I won’t hate it.-
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On 4/17/2024 at 5:36 PM, PickaPecaPickles said:
I'd like to see Krebs center a line with some offensive talent before tossing him out with the bath water. I recall he centered for Quinn and JJ in Rochester for a brief stint and did well with them (4 + 11 = 15 in 18 games). His +/- was terrible then, but he ended this season with +2.
They did that this year prior to and then after trading Mitts. He doesn’t put up scoring numbers.
Trading him alone won’t get much and you are essentially giving away a young player. Use him in a multi-player package deal and say you are throwing in a former 1.
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On 4/17/2024 at 3:15 PM, Buffalonill said:
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You could see Cozens getting unglued by the booing and the losing in the very game he stupidly took on Hathaway.
The kid wants to earn his paycheck and he wants to win.
Maturity and experience will fix things
Adams provided the big contract, and Adams needs to get some veteran help for the younger players before he ruins them (refer to the Trotz comments).
Adams should go to a sports psychologist.
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He had one really bad stretch. When he sat out a few games he came back much better.
He has to use his body more, that is an obvious fact. He is too timid.
I think that overall he was ok, but the expectations for him are higher than he could achieve.
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5 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:
Maybe not that much. The stadium is being built. PSLs are being sold. The Bills are more regional. Didn't Kim Pegula say there wasn't that much overlap?
The PSL story is not over and may have long lasting bad consequences. The stadium is state funded. The Bills are not any more regional than the Sabres - the games in Toronto proved that, Toronto football fans overwhelmingly cheered for the Bills opponents.
Kim Pegula proved several times over that she does not understand the fan base or sports management in general.
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5 hours ago, GoPuckYourself said:
Didn't Ruff lose the locker room after Lucic destroyed Ryan Miller? Isn't he the same coach to where Miller was calling out people afterwards?
Was Ruff supposed to go out there and fight Lucic himself?
The Sabres had Sekera, Pommer, Gaustad, Vanek, and Myers on the ice. No one would drop them with Lucic who warded them all off.
I do not understand what your last sentence means?
Whatever it was, this incident was a signpost of bad that still haunts this franchise.
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1 hour ago, PromoTheRobot said:
From the "be careful what you wish for" department: Who is goin to spend $650MM to $1B to keep a franchise in Buffalo? Sure, there might be another billionaire from the Buffalo area with a crush on the Sabres. (Although look at the way we treated the last one.) It's way more likely, especially with how Ryan Smith was able to pressure the NHL to sell him the Coyotes, that some out-of-market group would start sniffing around the Sabres. And if you're Terry, how tempting would it be to take a billion with the added bonus of no arena upgrades you have to pay for?
Would selling the Sabres to outside interests that relocate them sour his thing with the Bills?
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8 minutes ago, inkman said:
Finally someone making some sense. I’ll come around on Rasmus but boy does he sound like a lost puppy.
Yes. They are all lost to some extent. Dahlin wearing a C next season is like putting the weight of 13 years of failure and dysfunction on a 23 year old. A kid that at times tries too hard to do too much.
I think Tuch will handle it better. We don’t have any other choices on the roster right now.
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8 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:
Doesn't matter because it isn't happening. Peca fits almost none of the criteria that Adams laid out at his press conference.
I think it will hurt Peca's career trajectory to go to Buffalo right now, its a high risk job for a first time coach.
He should stay under Peter Laviolette's capable wing and continue to learn.
Adams needs help. Which is probably why he is looking for a NHL vet coach. There are always good prospects without NHL HC experience but they cannot help Adams.
Sad state of affairs and quite ironic- our GM's learning curve is slowing down the teams development.
I can see Lindy getting the nod.
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I want Brind'Amour - this is the guy we need and Carolina will be crazy to let him go.
I voted for Gallant because he will connect with the players and teach them to play better as a team - which is what they need. Then he gets fired for pissing off Adams (for complaining about the roster), or TP (for saying bad words), but he will have helped them evolve at least.
I like Berube but I don't think he will work for Adams and Pegula unless he has no other offers.
I think it will be Ruff because Adams knows him, and he and TP will know what they are getting. Like Gallant, Ruff will make a strong impact for about 2-3 years.
Quenville will not pass the TP test.
Sullivan, if available, has the Pittsburgh thing that Pegula likes.
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3 hours ago, inkman said:
After they just spent how many months (years?) floundering and failing because someone wasn’t mean enough for them? Oh boy.
It is not a question of being mean. It is more about pushing them harder, being consistent, and fair, and following up.
You don't like Dahlin, that's fine. But this is not a Dahlin problem.
We could post quotes from every other player interview. There are red flags in all of them.
Their comments speak to the culture and the leadership void.
This is group dynamics at its finest. Put a group of workers, or a sports team, together and let them run themselves. The most influential people in the group will eventually set the standard for the group. The problem is that on some teams/groups these influencers (leaders) may not be the right ones to achieve the team goals. They may be influential, but if not directed properly they could do more harm than good.
Clifton touched on why this doesn't happen in Boston. CULTURE. LEADERSHIP that extends outside the locker room all they way to the top. Organizational goals are clear and not compromised for individual's.
Every players' interview that I have watched has the same elements in it:
1. They we not ready to step up from the very start (bad camp, bad preseason, slow start, no changes made to fix it)
2. They learned hard lessons when it was too late to recover and after the fact
3. They are all begging to be led, and pushed, and are at a loss on how to achieve a higher standard as a group.
The 3rd one key. The players can train individually the entire offseason to make themselves better. Most have been doing that since they were 14. It takes the coach to put them together and get them better as a team. That means how to play as a unit (structure) , and what happens when you don't play that way (accountability).
They like Donny. They are trying not to blame Donny, but reading between the lines they are. The jokes about the country club are probably true.
The Kevyn Adams presser tells that he knew there was a problem and still let the season spiral away. I have been begging for a proven NHL veteran coach. I am convinced that Adams needs this person just as much as the players do. He is learning to GM on the fly. Adams is struggling with pro personal moves and trades. I well respected veteran coach can help.
This is not a Dahlin problem. His quotes show me he lacks experience and knowledge on how to do it, but wants to be part of fixing this program.
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8 hours ago, GoPuckYourself said:
Ask UPL if it helped him, as soon as he knew his job was on the line he elevated his game. Why Granato didn't implement this after what it did for UPL is beyond me.
What? when was UPL's job on the line? He came out of camp as the #3, I guess? It is really hard to tell what the camp and preseason were trying to accomplish, but he was the last of the 3 goalies to get a shot. They could have waived him and he would have been claimed immediately (there were 4 teams that needed goaltending) and we would all be crying about it today. Thankfully, Adams knew he would lose him.
UPL got better because he worked hard and got finally got the opportunity and things came together and yes, our team defensive game got a little better too. Not because of any direct benching by DG or Adams.
The problem with the goaltending was that Levi was not ready and our GM was too arrogant to admit it and forced him into the #1 seat. They promised him games, is that not crazy? They played him 4 straight and he got hurt. Then they went to Comrie, who had a few good games and then he became the real Comrie as expected. Finally UPL got some games and he emerged as the #1 in late December.
Every serious hockey fan knows this - they just needed to improve on Comrie with a true #1, and let UPL and Levi develop at the pace that they could. UPL should have started the year as the 2. Levi should have started in Rochester, and Comrie should have been replaced with a better veteran option until one of the kids emerged. But Comrie is a "nice guy" so in the world of DG and Adams he gets to stick.
Kevyn Adams promising Levi games was another stupid move. We wonder why the young kids appear to be "entitled and arrogant", look at the way things were run this season.
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13 hours ago, Believer said:
"I think a lot of times this year, we got away with some stuff that we shouldn't have gotten away with," he added. "I think if you clean those things up, then it sends a message."
Who thinks Ruff would have let that juvenile fan rebellion stunt go on for two weeks?…
Would bet a bunch he would have benched the ringleaders without hesitation to send a message to the team, the fans, and the town.
Ruff would have told them right from the start that the fans pay the bills, so they are free to boo or chant "fire Lindy". So there would have been no ringleaders, and no benching's, and no story.
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22 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:
I love everything Cliffy says here and he's absolutely right. They need structure and accountability and a hard nosed driving leader/coach but that constant smirk makes me think he knows this is all BS - until it isn't.
The smirking towards the end of the interview was the classic defense mechanism because he was stumped on what to say. He likes DG, he likes the team, he knows they lack certain things and he knows not to air too much information to the press.
I like Clifton in the 3rd pair. I want another version of him for the top 4, someone bigger and better, but with the same jam.
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51 minutes ago, Buffalonill said:
There's just something fishy about that dude .
Great coach then kaboom
It is weird that he had back to back 0.600 winning percentages with LVK and NYR and no job. I hear he drives players hard but is a players coach, he apparently does not work as well up the chain.
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On 4/16/2024 at 11:43 AM, msw2112 said:
Brind'Amour-Peca would be a great duo. I'm not sure I see it happening. I could live with a Ruff-Peca duo, with the idea that Ruff is an older guy who might put in a couple of years to change the culture, then pass the reins onto Peca. Or even something like Ruff-Appert. Maybe set it up where Ruff will coach 2 years, then turn over the reins to the younger guy and move into a front-office job. I don't know if something like that is realistic, but I do think it could work.
What you’re talking about happened. Roger Neilson took over for Scotty Bowman in 1980 as coach in the same manner you described.
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54 minutes ago, Billznut said:
Dahlin, Thompson and Tuch all mentioned the players needed to be pushed more, more accountability etc. Those are three of the biggest “leaders” on this team now and going forward all admitting motivation and accountability wasn’t there this year. Something a lot of posters all mentioned and complained about frequently. Quite an indictment of the players and coaching staff indeed. Certainly sounds like a disciplinarian coach is incoming and is sorely needed.
This is sounding more like a team a coach like Gallant can motivate and help get to the next level.
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NHL Playoffs (First Round) discussion
in The Aud Club
Posted
I stink at predictions but here goes:
Florida over Tampa in a barnburner
Boston will rake up the Leaves
Rangers storm the Capitol(s)
Canes blow away the Island
Vegas upsets the Stars
Avalanche in Winterpeg
Nucks beat Nash
Oil spills onto La la land