pi2000

pack up the banner

He turned 21 less than 2 months ago. He's a young prospect and will continue to improve over the next 3-4 seasons or more. He does many things well for his age some exceptionally well. Are there more than a few things he needs to get better at? Absolutely.

Is it normal now to miss games due to paternity leave?

welp

coaching

Kudos to KA for not sending R. Johnson down to Roch, he deserves to play. Comrie might be begging for his release soon.

It's about resources. Pegula is currently all in on the Bills and will be for the next 2-3 years until they need to do some rebuilding... maybe sooner, idk. That said, I don't believe the Sabres will contend (be taken seriously by Pegula) until that time.

...and hence a coaching problem. Good coaches don't let their players get away with the stick waving and fly-bys. Granato lets it happen by not holding them accountable. Don't get me wrong, he certainly knows the game well enough to identify these things and provide corrective instruction.... however that's not enough. And now he's at a point where he just like "***** it, go play how you guys want to go play and let the chips fall where they may". He's essentially saying he's lost control of the group and it's up to them to decide how they want to play. What value does he provide other than "the players like me and want to win for me because I'm nice to them". That's loser talk.

If it's one or 2 or a small group of players who are not listening, then he needs to hold them accountable and limit their ice time until they fall in line. That said, I won't completely absolve the players... however, if the entire team is faltering, then that's either a system problem or a coaching problem, or both. This first third of the season seemed like a discovery process... can they reduce goals against by playing a more defensively responsible system? The answer was yes, but they sacrificed too much offense in the process. That, combined with some poor goaltending (thanks Kevyn!) and you're gonna be on the wrong end of it most nights... and Granato's answer is just "let's go back to firewagon hockey!". I don't see this as progress, it's regression. IMO the solution is two-fold... solidify the goaltending position and find a coach who can teach this young impressionable group how to play a winning brand of pro hockey.

So we're back to firewagon hockey which is fun, but isn't a sustainable winning brand of hockey. IMO, thi is an indictment of Granato and his staff... namely, their inability to implement a defensively responsible system while not completely neutralizing their ability to generate offense. This failed attempt has likely cost them a playoff birth.

They're all underperforming... both as individuals and as a team. That's 100% on the coach. The fact he's still here sends a message that winning isn't really all that important.... set your expectations accordingly!

I'd try a new HC and make a move for a veteran goaltender before trading any of the young core.

Standard recovery for achilles repair is 6 months (26 weeks). He's at 24 weeks 5 days. I have no medical training nor any specific reason to doubt the Sabres team of medical professionals.... I'm simply pointing out that his return, IMO, is sooner than expected and I hope he doesn't re-injure it as a result, ala Pacioretty who re-tore his at 23 weeks post-op.

Pacioretty returned to play at 21 weeks post-op and re-tore it at the 23 week mark. Quinn is currently 24 weeks post-op. So yeah, color thiis "rando" concerned.

I really hope this doesn't backfire. Achilles recovery is no joke, there's countless cases of athletes returning to competition too soon because they feel great, only to re-injure themselves and never be the same. My hope was they would proceed cautiously and keep him out until Feb at the earliest. Fingers crossed.

welp

He makes players around him better. That said I thought he was best served going back to juniors but he seems to be getting better and better each game as he adjusts to the speed.

He reminds me of Doug Gilmour, but man he looks like a little kid out there. He just keeps making plays tho it's incredible he dropped to 13th. It's exciting to think about what he can become after he matures physically. Kudos to KA for not passing on him like a dozen other GMs did.

Prove me wrong Sabres.

Some horrific turnovers, if Levi wasn't bailing them out this game could be over already.

This is the type of game they win and suck everyone back in... Like when they won in Boston not too long ago, and New York not long before that. The. the players say something... this is how we have to play, we figured it out, we're good... then lay an egg against the Coyotes Saturday night.

The players have to decide that losing is unacceptable.

I still watch every game. It's fun when they win, but I'm numb to the losing at this point. Much like the team itself, it doesn't really bother me when they give up a goal.

Good thing they scratched Ryan Johnson so EJ can play in front of his old team. If winning was the #1 priority, he'd be in the lineup.