Quint

I wish Jacob well and hope he does great wherever. I feel badly that Sabre fans hounded him all this time.

I compare it to McD/Dorsey trying to change Josh Allen's mindset. Asking him to do or not do things that he's used to doing has hampered his extreme skillset and his ability and instinct to score. That and the busted wrist must have effects on the precision he shows with his hands. Not to mention a lot of errant passes that aren't in his wheelhouse. Plus he's pressing.

I was listening to a discussion about other teams' cultures, I forgot where... Teams like Chicago, NJ, NYR and others have HOF players come back in meaningful roles with their organizations and make accountability an issue by projecting their sheer excellence in the room. The Sabres on the other hand don't seem to have any coaches that carry weight in the room. The last one was Ruff but that model was abandoned. We've discussed guys like Matt Ellis, who has never led a PP and was a mediocre player, leading our team into the abyss. He might know what to say but as for motivating these guys to be a Sabre...he was a journeyman with no particular shine or reputation to him. I always wondered why Gilbert Perreault has never had a meaningful role with the team. Could he not be a better PP coach than Ellis? Is it because he still has poor command of the English language? Is it because he just relied on instinct and he can't explain instinct to players? (The story Danny Gare told about him...Danny once asked for help on his moves and Gilbert said: "Danny, I don't know how to do dem, I just do dem.") Does he have personal problems? I know Gilbert has been on and off with the organization but why was he never given a chance? Just singing at certain games is a real shameful waste of talent. There are other ex-Sabre greats like Hasek, Andreychuk, Peca, Dudley, Luce, Ramsey, Meehan, and many more who might make the Sabres players more accountable and more Sabre-like, as in recapturing past pride and success. As we have discussed many times, the Sabres organization used to have pride in being a tough out as a small market. Before Pegula, the Sabres were a very respectable franchise, and were fourth in all-time winning percentage among all NHL teams. The Pegula era has dropped them to 12th. Maybe Pegula by his being the Hindenburg of Hockey has thrown any kind of hope of progress out the window. The best I can offer at this point is if Pegula sells the team.

This is my point.

I was watching the Sabres trying to score against Vejmelka with poor results last night...Maybe it was a fever dream, but I thought I noticed Tage playing on the PK. If this is true, why would Granato put him at further risk with the wrist injury from a blocked shot on a PK still hampering his play? Someone please confirm. Our top scorer is still working on his hands, which is a major part of his offense, which is so important for the Sabres. I know he's a good PKer but he cannot be risked with this kind of duty anymore. He's too valuable.

Sometimes a C ruins a player. Too much responsibility. Some players would rather just play and not have that additional weight on their shoulders. The Sabres have had a poor track record in the Pegula era and any captain would take on all that losing and to turn it around would be a monumental task. I don't think Dahlin is that guy. I think he'd rather just play. Perreault was the same way. The last good Sabres captains I remember were Peca and Drury. But the team already had something going. But that's the type of player I'd look for ... clutch, durable, functional and with leadership. Tuch IMO might be that guy but he gets hurt too much. I'm firmly in the camp of baffled with this team. Captain of a sinking ship...tough decision.. btw I don't think KO would be wanted by any other team in a trade.

Subtext: Their goalie outplayed our goalie.

For a Dorsey effect, I'd like a firing. Our pp coach needs to go yesterday.

Whatever happened to Thompson? Is he still hurt? He's ice cold.

If you're a goaltender...tend the goal!!

I've had multiple concussions and that teeth-rattling hit MacKinnon laid on Skinner looked like one to me.

Either hit someone and hurt them or get hit and get hurt. Our players have to make the choice.

I'd like to see Quinn back and skating with Peterka and Cozens. Then I think we'll start to see some fireworks with Cozens.

I was one of the very few people here who didn't think the Sabres were going to reach the playoffs this year so I'm not that disappointed with this year's regression. I didn't think the goaltending was addressed and I didn't think the upgrades went far enough. I didn't envision this level of injuries but bottom line, this is a fragile team. So far. I've voiced my disapproval for Pegula and the way he does business with the Sabres. His failure to be there at RJ Night said it all for me. He phoned it in because of "logistics." Were we supposed to clap for what he said on that giant TV screen? I've resigned myself to the sad realization that this organization is going nowhere under Pegula. We have to wait and see when he sells it. Until then, I think we're going to have to deal with the young players with no experience, the coaching with no experience and the GMing with no experience. All presented to us with the mirage that our wonderful organic, homegrown product is being produced for us right under our very eyes and will explode when the time and development is right. What's missing though is that there needs to be whole lot more losing that has to take place in order for that to happen. Excessive losing is a soul crushing thing for players, ruining their budding confidence and ultimately results in more losing and that nobody outside the organization wants to come here. So the Pegula Sabres merry-go-round keeps turning and us embittered fans somehow keep caring. But after twelve years, the expectations and enthusiasm are very tempered and if they win fine. But don't expect them to win the next game.

Seems like the Sabres go from super-competitive in select games v Bruins, Rangers, Aves and Leafs to not competitive at all. Sigh. I didn't expect them to win against the Aves and I wasn't able to watch the game but from the comments, everyone is fed up with being the NHL laughingstock. It appears they were never in this game. The continuous pattern of being scored on multiple times early in games is a pattern they can't seem to shake. Other teams are smart and pick up on tendancies like this and plan for it. Buffalo needs a new owner. This one hasn't worked out. The NHL chose this bumpkin for us, maybe they can take him down. How many more years must we suffer?

Whatever happened to Thompson?

I'd have to say that playing Levi three times in a row, after bringing him up from the AHL after losing Lukkonnen to injury is a real indictment on Comrie.

Where's Stephon?

Can't wait for Tuch and Quinn to come back.

We need an azzkick but unfortunately, Granato doesn't look like he can break an egg.

So let's see... Buffalo now has: Johnson, & Johnson, Samuelsson, Olofsson, Benson, Thompson, Bryson and Robinson, not to mention Grigensons, Clifson and Roson. I'm beginning to see a pattern here.

Maybe that last period v Detroit woke this team up.

Could be a steal!

I predict bottom line that the Bills miss the playoffs by one game. And that game was the Patriots.

But is he as good as Danny O'Regan?