Pimlach

Ellis is still promising from what I see. Hindsight says asking him for 3 in a row against a desperate veteran team was a lot, play Lyon and maybe he, being a veteran, knows what to say to the slackers in front if him.

He messed up on the first goal. Rebound control is a work in progress. He kept them in the game in the second period. I didn’t study the goals he gave up in the 3rd, the Flames dominated play the entire period. Hardly seems worth it to watch it twice.

If any other hockey market had to deal with the Pegula era Sabres the team would be moved because no one would care or support the Pegula product. But Buffalo is a small market and lives in fear of losing this team. If the team moves the odds of getting another one are not good. Should this continue another 5 years I think that will be enough to break the spirit of this abused fan base. Can you imagine a 20 year drought? Going to games in that facility and losing for this long is torture.

Maybe not. But I’m thinking that this terrible team culture is unique to Buffalo. No NHL team has a worse reputation either. The Blues and Flames came limping into Buffalo and won. Both teams on backs to backs, both teams playing back up goalies, both team have less talent, and both wins were dominate. These teams knew that the Buffalo game could be wins, and they did everything they could to make it happen. The Sabres players lacked the maturity, leadership, and self awareness to be ready and win the obvious games that they should. Home games at that. Culture is important. Culture is defined by what you do.

Some funny comments, but I have nothing against this guy. The problem is not Geertsen, it’s the people who thought he could help.

No front office changes will be made until the season is over. By then the Bills will be done and Terry can unveil his next new plan. If the team completely quits on their coach then Ruff could go, and Appert can get his look. Adams fate will be decided after the season.

No one gives executive advisors free rein. One aspect of the job is to provide alternatives based on your past experience, current research, and know how. No has to listen or follow the advice either, your advice could simply serve to make the full time execs feel better that other views an alternatives were considered. If Dudley had free rein to hire and fire he would actually be the POHO or GM and he would be accountable for the results of his decisions. That said, Dudley would have been a good guy for the Sabre to have. Zito in Florida hired him for advice, and rewarded him by putting his name on the cup, so he must be pleased with him, but Dudley does not to run the show. Duds is not easy and he is not a pushover. He is considered an “old school” hockey guy. Terry might not want that.

Peterson was ok, but I'll take Don Luce on the dot for a key face-off under pressure. I will go on to add that the Selke voting in the early days of that trophy was a joke. A big injustice was Bob Gainey winning the first 4 Selke's. Look at the voting in those years and look at the stats of the top vote getters. Luce and Ramsey had multiple years in that stretch that were statistically better than Gainey. One year Gainey even won it as a minus player, while both Luce and Ramsey had 20+ goals and over +20 in +/-. I think the voters today are more accurate today than back then. Gainey was a very fine player but the Montreal/Canada hype machine helped him with the voting.

I forgot Bylsma. He turned out to be a mediocre HC, but he has a Cup in his resume. He was hired because of the Pittsburgh connection, as were a lot of front office strap hangers in the tank era. I did not include Ted Nolan because LaFontaine put him in as HC, and Terry did not listen to Nolan or support him in any manner.

Tuch is on a 28-30 goal and 65 point pace. Pretty good considering all the injuries, instability, and line changes. He is a +1 and he has been solid defensively and on the PK. But many fans here think that he is not playing good hockey. I also thought that the home town connection would help get him signed to a good contract BEFORE the season started. Good meaning coming in at 6-7 years at $8M. I actually thought Tuch would take a bit less to help him get out of Buffalo if needed. Now the Kempe deal is pointing to even more years at $10-11M. That is too much for a last place team that is facing another rebuild. Given that the Sabres are looking at a new GM, new head coach, and another retool at the minimum, I would now consider trading him before the deadline. I do think he is one of the better players on the team and his play this year is pretty much who he is. I also think this contract stuff is a distraction for him, and his wife probably wants out too. Vancouver is her home town BTW.

LaFontaine - first time POHO Murray - first time GM Kim Pegula- first time whatever it was she did while running the Sabres Boterill - first time GM Housley - first time HC Krueger- HC for a few months, fired, became a soccer coach in Europe, then hired by Terry in a bizarre move Adams - First time GM Granato - first time HC Ruff - retread Sabre and a lazy hire instead of doing a structured coach search There are no different reasons. He keeps doing the same thing - He keeps losing. He keeps hiring people that he can control. He keeps settling for cheap and easy hires. He will not hire anyone that is headstrong on how to do things. He fears he will be cut out. He has not hired a proven winner yet.

Terry has yet to hire a legitimate hockey GM to run hockey operations. Most of us here knew Adams was not only unqualified, but was his puppet. Look at his past hires, almost all are out of the league for good. Losing the 3rd period 4-0 at home, to the worst team in the league, on a back to back, right after playing their best game of the season - it was predictable and it just happened one week earlier against St Louis. The players just do not want it enough, the coaches are being ignored, it’s past the time to flush the coaching staff.

They were on a back to back.

Colorado is good. Da’ Flames are 32nd.

As expected our MSG cast said nothing, they tried to spread good cheer, and then move along. The owner and POHO (OPOHO) is In Houston living it up with the NFL spotlight on his team.

Worse is the fact that the Sabres are rested and the Flames are on the road on a back to back. Amazingly poor to lose the 3 period. It says a lot about the team, none of it good.

Culture won again tonight. The Flames still have it, just like the Blues, those teams are down, and yet they know they have to beat Buffalo to get 2, and they do it.

5 -2 Incredible. wow

Calgary looks like a team with 3 fourth lines yet they are winning by 2 with 11 mins left

It’s going to take a lot to get even one point.

He had a goal taken of the board.

Ugh. Huberdaeu with a play.

Byram used his speed. He can fly.

I’m on my 3rd scotch and the wife gave me the look. Hey, I took her out to a concerto and missed the Edmonton game. Ok back to thi game. Take the step Sabres. You are on your turf. Win this game. Let’s see who steps up. Muel, Thompson, Ellis so far.

Ok. Much better 2nd period but still not enough. Need more shots and more speed. Stop the silly passes and destroy this goalie. Ellis did a lot to stop a disaster. Let’s support him better by playing the 3rd period in Calgary zone, put them away and get 2 more points.