Big Guava

Someone needs to come in with Pineapple

Meh, that team was not mentally weak. Lacking some toughness maybe, mentally weak? Never. Mentally weak teams don't go on the road in ECF game 7 down 4 defenseman and take a lead into the 3rd period. Ended up losing but not due to being mentally weak, Carolina exploited the weakness on D finally.

You can both be good at developing young players and still not be good enough to take them to the next level. There is no way to know if that's the case before hiring them. First, you have to get the players to develop. He did a pretty great job at that. Then you have to see if he can take them to the next level. He failed at that. So be it. I openly said it was time for Granato to go as the season wore on and it was obvious the team was not moving forward as expected. That doesn't mean that AT THE TIME he was hired when Dahlin looked lost and so did multiple other players on this team that he was not the right hire to get them back on the right track to develop properly. And for the most part he has done an exceptional job at developing them. He was a development coach for USA Hockey after all. Unless you have some crystal ball that you are keeping all to yourself, you didn't know either.

I'd love to see Ruff back...this mentally weak team would suddenly be galvanized from the inside out.

Ones that use common sense? Seems that is in short supply these days.

To develop young players? It makes tons of sense. Did you see where these same players were under Kreuger? And they didn't "know" he wouldn't get them to the playoffs...I mean My God, one point/win away last year and we act like they finished in dead last. Get a grip dude.

He WAS the right guy to get us to this point where we are close...now we need the coach that can come in and take us to the next level.

Pressure plays into it. Some of their worst games over the past 2 seasons have come in big game opportunities with potential playoffs on the line.

Of course...no pressure anymore so they win

So let me get this straight. I am supposed to believe a pretty smart guy like Pegula sees how successful the Bills have been when he isn't interfering but yet ignores that and tries to interfere every chance he gets with the Sabres? Is that what I am supposed to believe based on your opinions? I find that stretches the bounds of believability and credibility.

Funny he doesn't seem to be doing that with Beane and McDermott.

So 2 longtime, well-respected assistant GMs didn't know more than the owner? C'mon man...you can't be serious about that. Get real.

It's assuredly also on the coaches. It's their job to make sure they are ready to go and if not there needs to be consequences. It happening so often tells you the players could care less because there's no consequences to them starting out slow so frequently. If your boss told you, the next time you come in more than 5 minutes late I am going to write you up and then the next day you come in 8 minutes late and nothing happens, how seriously are you going to take that "threat"? Not very.

This has been a thorn in the side of this team far too often the past 2 seasons. They simply are not ready to play at the beginning of the game. First period goal differential this year is -33. Second period goal differential is +7. Third Period goal differential is +24. There is no explanation for this and it falls squarely on coaches that don't have them ready to play and players who don't have any fear of the coaches because they allow them to not be ready to play without any consequences night in and night out.

He leads the AHL in save percentage at .929 Well at least the Amerks are in the playoffs...although they tried hard not to clinch today giving up a 4-0 early 2nd period lead to win 5-4 in a shootout.

And that's that for the season.

I would bet if a right handed kid wasn't given any instructions and just told to go shoot a puck most of them would shoot "left handed" because it feels more natural. IMO, right handed people shoot "right handed" because they are taught that is the "correct" way, not because it feels normal.

Did they think the game started at 3 or something?

Take him to Wahlburger's to celebrate! He leads the AHL in save percentage at .929

Well I know I'm not an NHL player but I am a right handed person who has always shot left handed and it feels way more comfortable that way to me. When we used to play pickup hockey people always asked me if I was left handed and I was like nope, I just always have shot this way and it feels normal to me.

This might be the whackest fight for the last playoff spot ever... 8th place team has a legit shot of getting in with 88-89 points.

Granato isn't going anywhere with an extension that hasn't even started yet. Now the assistants should be fair game.

Supposed to be over a million people here to watch it...essentially for a few days our Population will double in size

From the biggest Dyngus Day celebration in the world in WNY... We don't need much of a reason to party, so it's not surprising ours is even bigger than the ones in Poland. Everyone is Polish today here...I am sure the Polish Falcons hall down the street from me will be packed from like 11am thru well into the night...luckily I don't need to drive past it... Anyone else have any celebration plans or to go see the parade?

Well...the Sabres have more home wins already than they did last year when they had one of the worst home records in the NHL... 18-18-1 this year, so basically slightly under .500