Pimlach

There are no good combinations on the bottom 6. None. Rousek should have been called up as as a plug in for Girgs. Simple and straightforward. That is what he projects to anyways and he has showed us he is responsible defensively, which is what we needed to replace more than anything else. Kulich or Rosen could have had their shot under better circumstances. I don't know who makes these decisions but they are DUMB.

That was me. That 3rd line is making me crazy. On the positive side, Peyton Krebs was the only player to finish not negative against the Devils, he was even in +/- after 16:32 of ice time. I still think if we were run like an established and legit team he would be in Rochester, but hey, that's something for him to build on.

Those are just the OT games. The are many more L's that never got to OT where we took the lead late in the fourth quarter and lost on the last drive - such as the New England and Denver games just this year.

I like McDermott but the body of work speaks for itself. Good, but not great. It sure looks like he peaked as a HC in Buffalo.

Same with our Bills Backers table. The defense has closed out games very rarely. You just knew what was coming.

This would of course never happen. Until we are all but eliminated Meatballs stays and he gets to feel all the pain and suffering that we feel. When he gets whacked Appert gets the reigns to finish it out. Then in the off season the BN releases news that Adams signs Brind'Amour to coach the Sabres, only to recant the story the next day after it is leaked that Adams would not agree to fix the roster to his liking. By then Gallant will be gone, and they sign Appert from the bargain bin and sell it as keeping consistent with the master plan of building from within with people that want to be here. Appert will retain Matty and the boys .... { I wake up). Now my nightmare ends, or does it start all over?

Sarcasm intended no doubt? You need a sarcasm gif or I am going to start taking these posts as signs of compliance.

On game day I am usually optimistic. Not today. That Devils game, and the Bills failure to secure a critical win, have me down. I don't think they have much of a shot tonight but you never know what this team is going to do on any given night. Is Greenway back? That will help. Anyone know why they just didn't plug Rousek into Girgs spot? That is supposed to be his kind of role right? I don't want to see the line of Rosen-Jost-VO ever again. If I am a defensemen and playing behind that group I will shoot the puck straight at their heads the first time any of them fail to support. Other than that, good luck tonight. Especially to UPL, he will need it. But we have a better prospect pool, right?

We keep seeing stats that say our goaltending is not the biggest problem this year yet people keep blaming the goalies. The forwards are a completed mess. The lines keep shifting and there is no consistency in them from game to game. This was the year we "learn defense" in the Granato system. I don't see it. I see the forwards playing slow and thinking too much - that is not team defense. We have 4 forwards that are just not good enough to be on an NHL playoff team. At least three of them play every night. Last game we had too many AHL players on the roster at one time and NJ took advantage of them. The bottom 6 started bad and is worse due to injuries in the top 6. The AHL forward prospects are not ready. Management did not add NHL depth.

This and so much more. I just heard something on as Schoop and Bulldog. Bill are first team in NFL history to get 500+ yards, win the turnover differential, and still lose. Another memorable gut wrenching loss. Coach getting a lot of flak, and he should. The players are also not making enough plays.

Yes, we have had some defensemen leave here and play quite well. Scandella for one. Bogo, I guess. Montour was just entering prime, he has had a huge post Sabre improvement.

Who counts an expected goal occurrence? What is it that is being counted anyway? Seems like the forward lines you are paired with has a lot to do with expected goals. If you mostly paired with the Krebs and Jost line you have little chance. Lots of complaints on Power. He gets lots of minutes. This suggests he is our best defender in 5v5.

It would be so Pegula-like to hire Peca. A publicity stunt that might work, or not. And yes, newbies like Granato tend to chirp what the party line is. Crusty guys like Gallant and Laviolette do not. I prefer crusty. Peca really needs a few years with Laviolette IMO. Right now the Rangers are riding high, and he got to see and be part of a system installed in one off season. Laviolette will be adding to it as he goes. Sooner or later the Rangers will hit a rough patch, there is much learning to do when that happens. He should stay where he is but of course, he will jump at the promotion.

What about the bench bosses that are already employed but coming available? Can’t talk to them yet. It’s too early to do a thorough evaluation of all possible coach candidates. A thorough search is going to take time and maybe go into the off season. In the normal world, Adams should be just as worried as Granato. He put this roster together and he said that this roster is an attempt to get us to the playoffs - our first goal of the season. Adam’s needs to get on the phone and start looking for ways to improve this team right now, his top prospects are not ready. No coach could win under these circumstances with yesterday’s lineup. Did you see the Rosen-Jost-Olofsson line give up two goals in their first two shifts. I am sure you did because you cited Clifton’s -2; but he and his partner were pretty much playing alone out there. Who makes these decisions? It would not be flashy, but Rousek might have been a better choice to replace Girgensons. They play the same game and Rousek held up pretty good defensively in his last call up. Biro would have been a better choice than Kulich, he has played a few games and he potted 2 goals. The two kids were totally lost, Rosen did not even want to possess the puck, the opposite of his game in Rochester. I am sure they will show more at some point but playing them both in a depleted roster was stupid. Who came up with that? Adams or Granato or both? Granato’s days are already numbered. Adam’s needs to fix something, that is his job.

Firing him during the season won’t fix a thing. I have no desire to see Matty Ellis coach my team. After the season he should be evaluated and if there are better options, proven options especially, then you move on.

It’s 100% safe to say that any other owner could do no worse.

Peca is ready like Phil Housley was. Some amateur level experience, some NHL assistant experience Brind’Amour has 7 years NHL assistant experience + 5 years as an NHL HC. His teams were successful. He already turned around a losing club. He has an NHL track record. Using ALL of your own information Brind’Amour is miles ahead.

So we are pretty much in the same place as last year but does it feel like the best of the season is coming? Will Quinn and Tage be as effective as last season? Did you expect to be younger this season than last, and still challenge for playoffs?

He will be if he isn’t already. Johnson was literally being chased and hunted down by Smith on one shift. It was later in the game, which made it even more ridiculous. Lindy is known for sending guys out there to intimidate. Not that he does it more than his peers, but he does do it and he certainly did last night.

It took until the 2nd period, but then I heard Kulich’s name twice in one shift. He had a shot attempt too. That was it. With our depleted roster playing Kulich and Rosen, along with Benson, Johnson and Levi, all at once does not seem like a smart thing to do. He is 19 and he played like it.

Michael is a great guy but no. He has 1 year behind an NHL bench as an assistant. Just no. Gallant is there. Brind’Amour will be a possibility, he knows Adams. There are other former coaches. NO MORE ROOKIE HEAD COACHES.

@PAsabresFan, You can’t blame the fans. And I’m too old to make a reasonable contribution.

You don’t have to tear it down. We have a viable core already. Just use a portion of your boatload of picks and prospects to get real help. Get rid of dead weight. Get an NHL coach. We need the GM to get to work.