JP51

It does and I am guilty of this, but our takes and our anger rages the longer it goes on... but yet we still care and wonder why... its really sad actually. I just can't believe it has gotten to this level... my god, my first hockey game when I was 5 I was in the Oranges watching Schoenfeld take Cashman thru the Zamboni doors... I was hooked and hockey was everything.. the players were just beloved.... to go from that to this... is just incomprehensible...

Well I dont think that what you describe is all of it by anymeans... even the refusal to go out an salute the fans... but that certainly is an indicator.... I think the general visceral attitude that we as fans have and the media at this point cannot possibly be endearing... just emotionally as a player... to be constantly booed off the ice or read how horrible you are even if it is true cant possibly make them feel affinity... rather the opposite... probably feel almost like these people railing you everyday are the enemy... or certainly less than friendly.... that being said... I dont think the players hate the fans... I think they get it... I think the acrimony is much more weighted to the fans regard for the players and management than vice versa... although Adams press conference was definitely showing the wear and tear on the relationship... he seemed pissed off, defensive and condescending... Is what I am saying true... no clue... just a feeling especially regarding the internal views of the players and management... I think clearly there is acrimony in the fan base towards the team... and deservedly so..

Fair

Its on the GR website... I have heard others say that in passing which is why I brought it up... but this to me really isnt a serious statement nor are people beating war drums... When I heard it I just thought it peculiar and wanted to see if others were thinking like that... as far as Dahlin this is not a guy who I screw with mentally the talent level is rare... so taking the C away I think would be destructive . From my perspective Hamilton is a fair reporter at times but he is emotionally involved and is subject to letting those emotions creep into his reporting when he gets pissed. So, I dont put a lot of stock in that...

Quite honestly, less of an issue with Cozens, he at least gets pissed off when we lose.... Power and Muel are completely indicative of what this team is about... have the physical capability to play the game properly like real hockey players but not the will... they either hide or are injured at the first sign of contact... clearly based on management choosing them we see what they value in a skater...

and skate like Dorothy Hamill... but he will have great hair... assuming its a he. LOL and maybe the best 2 way.

This is where I am at... for the love of God do not give him control over our assets with his incompetence and complete lack of vision. No more... let someone competent come in and assess this cluster. and when the person trading them is clueless.

When EP says stuff like this in response to why is there an problem with you and JT Miller, it scares me that we are just getting another talented guy without the DNA to be a player that is part of the solution... maybe its just a sound bite... but I would prefer if he was the one who wanted to win so bad and they were calling him hot headed... jmo “He’s a skillful player (JT Miller) but he’s, I don’t know if emotional is the right word. He wants to win so bad sometimes he maybe gets too hot-headed, if that’s the right word. He cares a lot, and he just wants to win.”

I like you was in the Tuch camp... and again I completely see that they gave it to Dahlin... but I honestly dont think revisiting that decision would do anything to improve the team. I think like inkman said unless he was universally despised in the locker room etc... and I dont believe that to be the case... but if you take it away you are literally trading him at some point. I dont think that is the answer either unless it was part of a massive trade that landed you the best player in the deal like the Turgeon/Lafontaine trade.

Actually I hated what they did to Rolston totally unfair making him Cannon fodder

Well this tells me this guy would fit the Sabres motif to a tee https://www.sportskeeda.com/us/nhl/he-wants-win-bad-gets-hot-headed-when-elias-pettersson-gave-honest-description-canucks-teammate-j-t-miller-s-personality

Agreed but none of them at equivalent positions

I could not have said it better... the time to pick a Captain other the Dahlin was before you picked Dahlin... now... taking the C away means he likely needs to be traded... and I dont think that helps us unless it involves McDavid... and we know how likely that is to happen.

In Order Incompetent Ownership - not hiring the right people with the right vision, skimping on resources, sending a message that we wont do all we can to win scouting cuts, video scouting etc.... Eichel surgery, handling of Reinhard, O Riellly, Montour etc... Fan Boy decisions that had major effect on operations etc.... Incompetent FO - lacks vision with regard to what it takes to win, team is not balanced and comprised of too many perimeter players, bad trade decisions, grpss mismanagement of assets, refusal to take responsibility, denial.... which then transfers to ..... Skaters - I wont call them hockey players because they are not overall, they are skaters, wont do what it takes to win, do not have the DNA or the mental makeup to over come adversity, tends to blame or take it out on others, lots of words of self reflection, little real awareness dont despise losing enough, but they all have really nice hair and are quite pretty... LOL we need people without a full set of teeth 🙂 Development - too many critical players who would have helped this team succeeding elsewhere, too many young players not seasoned enough, too many young players whose psyche's are destroyed because of the situation, lack of veteran leadership and example and really bad coaching. Coaching - an amazing array of incompetent coaches, this also goes back to ownership, the Rolston, Housley and Soccer GM hire and maybe even trying to resurrect Nolan are the most baffling to me and reek of cheapness and fan boyness (I think I made a new word) again back to ownership. In the end it wasnt good enough, too inconsistent, too incompetent to have the players believe they were part of something destined to succeed with adult supervision... I mean how can anyone take Phylis Housley seriously when he talks about "getting to the tough places on the ice" . Stop talking Phil you lost me at tough... Palm trees - in case you didnt know we dont have Palm trees in Buffalo and that is the reason players wont come here... has nothing to do with any of the above for going on 2 decades... but in the end this viewpoint and assessment of the state of events from our mis management illustrates the defeatist, lazy, weak, arrogant attitude that pervades this organization like an irremovable stench... how can you possibly win when your leadership already thinks you lost.

I like Hamiltons insight into the room... but you are right, he is a homer until he gets pissed then he loses it... I agree, I dont see Dahlin as a natural leader but in the end to me they needed to make that decision before the C went to him and give it to Tuch at that point. At this point taking it away I think makes it worse. I think its too late for that.

He has good insight but there is a fan boy component to him and you can tell he is good and frustrated and wearing his emotions in his reporting for sure.

Belushi could... "was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor! "

When I read Hamilton say that it is becoming apparent that Dahlin couldnt lead this team I immediately thought... get him a better team then...

anchovies, water cress and cilantro

I am kinda with you... I am just not sure with this group it would make a hill of difference... but I am seeing stuff out there... and management is clearly at a loss for what buttons to push... sad we are here... but we are. Not gonna lie... I can totally see this

Question... I dont get the sense that the players hate Dahlin, are you thinking differently?

So, several months ago I posed this question... ultimately saying not now... but... if you get halfway through the season and the team is floundering and in the basement... is this something to consider.... well here we are, halfway thru the season with the team floundering and in the basement... do you think taking the C away from Dahlin is an option or will this do nothing and destroy/lose the player.... From my perspective, I always thought Tuch was the leader... but I get why Dahlin gets the C. I personally dont think moving the C does anything but lose the player... but what do you all think... I am now reading articles calling out Dahlin for being unable to lead this team... but I am not sure anyone could...

LOL I am not sure they chuckle.. but definitely roll their eyes in disgust... the relationship between the fans and the players definitely has reached the level of acrimonious... another reason I am not sure this can be fixed in its present form.

Honestly, worried that if he raised his voice they would break down in tears.... not sure this is a group that yelling at will get the desired response... I think they crawl deeper into their hole... so fundamentally, the team in its basic construction is so mentally fragile that to me by and large it is not salvageable even when he tries to hold players accountable... literally I just dont know what he does... I almost feel like they want to be shot and put out of their misery overall... at least a lot of them... I wish for a retool... but I am not convinced that there isnt major gutting to be done... this is a quandry that is bigger than teaching defense and yelling at players... its a fundamental core issue that we have a bunch of skaters and very few hockey players. The reincarnation of a young Scottie Bowman couldnt fix this.

I agree, I understand Cozen's struggles... but in the end this is one kid that cares or at least used to care... then they put him thru the meat tenderizer that is this abject cluster and my have destroyed him. I do have hope for him... but not under this incompetent cluster.