Pimlach

Biggest reasons we are not better than last year. In order of severity. 1. GM - stood pat and did not improve the team when there were glaring needs at goaltending, RHD, and forward. Neglecting a replacement for Quinn was a massive failure. 2. Coaching - Every team knows how to play Buffalo and the Sabres coaches have no answers. A massive failure was to focus on scoring and to "install defense" later; when they tried to "install defense" they hurt the offense. It is clear DG has a minor league staff and we rely on player skills more than on a team approach to playing the game. We cannot employ even one system effectively while winning teams can play several. 3. Not ready - They wasted camp and pre-season farting around with long term prospects and 3 goalies while reading their press clippings from last year. They talked about winning but did not do the things needed to win. There was no work done and it showed. They started slow and passive and never got on track. A few minor injuries really exposed the lack of NHL depth at forward. The mentality of this team is still the same - they take most nights off, they can't figure out how to get ready for home games, they start slow and fall behind almost very game, and they play like they expect to lose. 4. Drop off in play - Thompson, Tuch, Cozens, Samuelsson and Power all with massive drops in production and overall play. Some of it is due to injuries but not all. Non of this requires more patience from me or anyone else. IT actually requires less patience and more urgency. - GM - The roster improvements can be made by trading assets from the prospect pool to fill the gaps on the roster. Not sure if Adams has it in himm but he need to made a few moves. Sitting around waiting for prospect will kill the current core, its already killed the fan base. - Coaching - this staff has shown they have taken this group as far as they can. Recommend a serious coaching search, bring in a proven NHL coach, let him pick his assistants and give him some say on the roster. - Players -some of the core players have seen their play drop off this season. Was it realistic to think Tage was going to have a third career year in a row? Was it realistic to think Cozens could get 30 again, or Tuch 35 again? Was it realistic to think that Clifton could be a 4 when he was a 6/7 at Boston? Was it realistic to think that Levi could be a #1 goalie in his first full NHL season? More balance is needed, it has been said many times by many people - there too many of the same types of players on this roster. I have little patience left. I am ready for a new coaching staff led by a veteran coach with a strong NHL resume. If Adams cannot get a coach AND fix the roster then I will be be ready to replace Adams too. If Pegula cannot demand more, and figure out who to hire to get more, then he should just sell the team. This has gone on for WAY TOO LONG! As a Buffalo Hockey Fan since pre 1970 I am not going to stop watching, but I have stopped liking this team this season. Changes are required. Start with the entire coaching staff.

What is 13 years compared to eternity? I could do that time standing on my head.

Sabres will have to break him of that habit. We shall see.

Eight years. Matt 'the Stain" Ellis.

True, coaching and the GM. They paid Risto to be a top 4 and were not going to be happy with him as a bottom pair. Mistakes by the GM and they lacked coaching, of course when you hire a soccer coach what could go wrong? But we have a nice locker room. Speaking of coaching Weber and Peca are doing ok.

Good reality check.

If Adams does not pick his brain for an assessment on everything then he is indeed not the man to run this team.

Come on Inky. That is spin. Matty Ellis runs the PP, imagine if he ran the bench. Appert was brought in to see if he can spark something AND because there is zero confidence in the current staff.

First paragraph is major double speak. The staff gets judged on their outcome, FULL STOP. No need to continue You watch the team, you see the stats. Yet you go on to say “no reason to believe any of our coaches are incapable or out of their league”. Have you watched the power play? I know I’ve seen enough. None of our coaches have ever had NHL success. The team is in disarray. The talent exceeds the results. What more do you need? No matter if Adams decided on the assistants or if Granato did, the results are terrible. It’s not working and it should be fixed. The only questions are, is their a qualified replacement willing to step in, and if so when is the best time.

Unless there is a plan on how the team takes the next step, including bringing in an NHL proven coaching staff, then no. It is sad to caveat it, because the results certainly warrant a change but this organization is so dysfunctional that I am afraid of what could be next.

The shots from miles away from the blue paint says it all. Sabres forward rarely go to the net.

Would love to know what is going on and who thinks what in the Sabres FO. Levi should have started in the AHL, and a NHL goalie should have been brought in before camp started, and the only off season work was who is #2 between Comrie or UPL. Adams loves his prospects and he wanted to see Levi stick to justify him not locking up Ullmark, and all his "blocker theory" garbage. We wasted much of the off season and the preseason looking at 3 goalies and splitting hairs. Meanwhile the team was not ready to start the season. Even if Levi was better than UPL/Comrie, which he clearly is, he was not ready to be a 1 in the NHL and that is the folly of this entire situation. He should be playing and developing as a #1 in the next level up from NCAA - the AHL. This is not that hard.

Krebs over Greenway? We have bunches of prospects that are similar or better than Krebs. Who do we have with Greenway's size and defensive game?

Briere and Torts are getting a lot more with less talent. Torts has been called a dinosaur here. He is getting more wins from hard work and "balls" than I expected.

Couture is 34. How is he better at 35 than Mitts or Cozens? He won't be. Greenway is not a guy I trade when I am looking to improve the size and grit factor on this team. We have a load of talented forwards, more than we can absorb, that we could package for vets in their prime.

Probably not, but Dan was especially bad yesterday. He called Canada, Cah-nat-ah, and he was lost during the broadcast numerous times. Puck position means nothing to him. When the team is playing bad, his terrible PBP makes it things even worse.

They just put together an experienced FO but Martin is a placeholder interim coach. He will make them play defense first, and be accountable to each other, but expect that next year they take a serious look at Gallant, Berube, and a few others.

That’s it for me Gents. It’s been a pleasure. Happy new year !

Perimeter shots that the goalie can see. We overpass, never get to the dirty areas, we don’t drive to the net, rarely screen, almost never get a rebound …

Dahlin will be ready to go in another year. He will be quieter about it than Eichel. Just head a trade rumor with Dahlin going to Anaheim. Don’t believe it though.

Many of the shots we from far away, from the places that rarely get you a goal.

Remember when Mike Robitaille would do the post game and admit when they sucked ?

Dan signs off with we have more great games coming up in the new year. Duffer starts with, “we are still looking at the elusive 2 in a row”. Marty comes back with how many FO changes Ottawa has recently made, and how their coach stymied us with the trap. Nothing about accountability of OUR TEAM, OUR COACHING, OUR FO, OUR OWNERSHIP.

Uh, no. Krebs would die. Tkachuk fought Tuch this year. Look that one up.

What? Even you are saying that? Who is your first move?