Second Line Center

Any Brind’Amour talk needs to stop. He’s not leaving Carolina. My PFP. The only choice for me. Peca. He’ll bring in McKee. All these guys have done is win. Everywhere they go and everywhere they’ve coached. “Safe” coaching picks and talk about patience and growth are fantastic justifications for job security. Need guys that want to argue and get heated when they disagree as they push each other to be better. Every second of every season the mantra should be “URGENCY.”

We don’t have enough “hate losing more than love winning” guys. Because most have done nothing but lose in the NHL - but they’re some of our key guys: Dahlin, Skinner, Cozens, Tage, Joki, Zemgus, Okposo (he’s forgotten what winning is). Thats 7 guys that have known nothing but losing - yet got paid. And that’s fine. But this is dangerous territory here. Power, Benson, JJ, Quinn - they can’t be around this for anymore. The pressure they’ll put on themselves in October….I mean they can’t handle playing at home. They can’t handle being down 1-0. Coach has to go. That or core pieces need to get moved.

This organization couldn’t make Eichel, Reinhart, and ROR work. 3 Stanley Cup appearances and 2 Cup wins among them since they left. I know this isn’t breaking news…. But something is really really really wrong here. The culture is losing. That’s the culture we established since the tank. That’s the culture we’re continuing to foster. Adam’s plan is making it worse. The objective in the NHL is to win. The mantra around this group and thus built in excuse to justify jobs for Granato and Adams is “we’re developing.”

Until Owen Power becomes what he’s supposed to this team is in trouble. A lot to ask but it’s a fact. I’m not down on him….D men take a little time and early in their careers there are ups and downs. But until Dahlin and Power become what we expect them to we are going to underachieve. A new head coach can fix a lot of this.

Trading him. Done with this. Best ability is reliability.

Victor Olofsson.

Is it the same leg as the Achilles?

Sounds like a tightrope procedure imo. Ankle maybe.

Absolutely looked like an ankle or maybe knee. Hope it’s just a sprain and he’ll be back sooner than later. I can’t take anymore doom and gloom with this team especially with Quinn. Who’s probably my favorite player on this team rn.

Have to go roughly 24-9 the last 33 games to have a shot. Not impossible.

Benson has 1 point since December 21. That’s 12 games. Total rookie wall.

I’m going to argue the OP is on to something but it’s just not because of the Sabres. They're a big part of it sure. But really, the league is just full of the same player playing the same game doing the same things. I couldn’t tell you the “identity” of 75 percent of the league. I’m not sure what that even means anymore. And to me, that’s what’s stale.

If your best players aren’t your hardest workers your team will not reach its full potential. Dahlin can get like this to. Another minus 3 tonight and minus 13 on the season.

UPL should have been in net tonight and that might be the problem with this team. There has absolutely been some “deal” with KA and Levi to get him here. Because this just doesn’t make any sense. And Levi might be my favorite prospect ever. Reality is he hasn’t earned the playing time yet while UPL has. I thought for sure coming off the 41 save win 3 days ago it would be him tonight. They aren’t good enough to platoon these 2 like this.

Peca probably brings McKee with him. Just sayin.

If you believe the talent is there then it’s all coaching. Bylsma had us flirting with a 90 point season I believe. It’s irrelevant. I know it’s been 13 years. But the reality it’s been barely 3 in the Adams era. He should be on the hot seat by January 2025 and Granato as soon as this season if there isn’t significant improvement before games become pressure less and meaningless in March when we’re 12 points out.

Tage and Cozens: Cozens is 6’3 and 180 lbs. Get him to 200. Tage is 6’7 and 218. Should be at about 230. Would like them to focus less on agility and more on strength/size. Cozens more so than Tage

24-25 Head Coach Not sure he’d want to come here.

“That’s just 12 years of frustration.” This guy has got to go. This team goes nowhere as long as he’s here. Same Skinner. I love the guy, but career losers got to go. Analytics can’t account for any of this.

This team is about to go on one of those 10 game unbeaten streaks. It feels like it - Quinn back. Skinner Tuch and Thompson look healthy. And Levi outside of Columbus (they all stunk) has been much better. It’s a flawed team. I don’t like the captain situation and I think it’s not physical enough. But Okposo responded tonight and maybe the team has realized how serious the situation is with the “fire DG chants” they didn’t think we’re possible just 2 months ago. Like a wake up call.

Need a lip reading

This team makes no sense.

Yea if I’m disappointed in Clifton I’m very frustrated with Samuelson. I don’t get it. He looked like our most important player for almost a full season. He has to be playing thru something. That btw is the problem with him the injuries.

I can’t ignore the minus 8 he’d been up to that - what the recent plus 4 tells me is since Thanksgiving DG is not using him against the opposing teams top 1-2 lines perhaps how he was the first 22 games. I’d have to dig to see if his minutes have been cut. But regardless he was brought in to be a top 4 guy. He’s being paid like it. “Bruins coach Jim Montgomery occasionally expressed frustration with Clifton's play, telling reporters that the defenseman was taking too many risks and not sticking to the team's structure. Montgomery's system put more restrictions on defensemen compared to that of Boston's previous coach Bruce Cassidy, who was behind the bench when Clifton made an instant impact as a rookie in the 2019 run to the Stanley Cup final.” https://buffalonews.com/sports/sabres/connor-clifton-joins-sabres-defense-corps-on-3-year-contract-in-free-agency/article_17cb2924-1831-11ee-8abb-ff81b497c749.html Yes he’s not what’s wrong with this team I’m just saying he’s not helping imo.

Conner Clifton is absolutely terrible At :58 misses a horrendous attempt at a hip check you never see anymore. Barely 10 seconds later the weakest attempt to clear as this shift is gone on over a minute. Just because he was with Boston doesn’t mean he was good. His game stinks. He can be physical and that’s all I’ll say.