GDT GDT: Buffalo @ St.Louis; 8:00 pm et, NBCSN

[darksabre]

 

 

 

"Sabres coach Lindy Ruff was angry about his team's tepid response to goaltender Ryan Miller being run by Boston's Milan Lucic, but real fireworks may be in store if the NHL doesn't clamp down."

 

http://www.si.com/nhl/home-ice/2011/11/14/lucic-disciplinary-decison-may-prove-pivotal

 

That's it?

[Iron Crotch]

I vividly remember those teams from a few years ago absolutely sleepwalking through games. No energy. Just sitting there quiet on the bench and rolling out for listless shift after shift. Remember the monster losing streak in January (?) of Lindy's second-to-last year that led up to the Pommer trade? I actually think we've improved in the energy and "response to crap" department. But, we still have a few guys who lack heart. I agree that someone should have helped out Little Tyler - either Myers or Girgs, I think. Does Girgs ever fight?

[Two or less]

I think back to how bad the LA Kings were in 2007 and then I get less worried.

 

That team was bad but had a 19 year old Kopitar score 60 points and a 21 year old Brown score 17 goals. Meanwhile 24 year olds Frolov and Cammelari also put up a ton of points.

 

Thats real talent. What we have is lots of speculation and hope. I understand what you're saying here but i don't really think it fits. Our best young talent- Girgensons 6pts in 17 games, Foligno 3pts in 12 games, Hodgson 2pts in 17 games. Larsson has 0g in 34 career NHL games.

[Eleven]

That's it?

 

I don't have all day...I got you a quote from a national sports magazine.

[qwksndmonster]

I think Nolan is a great guy, but it seems like there are at least a dozen guys on this team having their worst NHL seasons.

That has been unexpected.

Hodgson, Moulson, and Gionta are all terrible, but they weren't last season. Hodgson and Moulson are trying really hard and finishing checks, they're just not effective at it one bit. I think part of the reason why Hodgson looks so bad (other than him being a wiener) is that Nolan thinks all he needs to do his try hard and he'll be a good player. Moulson's game as a finisher is really hard to watch when there's nobody on the roster to feed him.

 

Tough game for Myers last night. Never once looked settled after he lost Gorges. OTOH, the Zadorov Ristolainen pairing single handedly made the game watchable. Mike Weber played tough and solid all night. He looked like Backes against Backes a couple times. Maybe Weber just plays terrible every other year.

 

Final thoughts: Nikita gave me a ###### and Gus needs to fight people more.

[Weave]

What we have is lots of speculation and hope.

 

Truer words have never been spoken in SabreSpace.

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

I was actually excited about the team in 2005-06.

 

The 2006-07 Sabres were cowards....

 

1) Ovechkin nails Briere from behind. He admits it was dirty and knows Briere is not a fighter so challenges Drury multiple times who would not go. Briere then waits until another game and hides behind Campbell to spear OV

 

2) Kaleta turtled and slewfooted 95% of the time if the guy was over 140lbs.

 

3) Mair hit a half dozen guys from behind into the boards

 

4) The supposed courageous brawl, Lindy sent 3 goons after a line with more talent than the Sabres have had for 25 years. Emery had Biron in a totally prone position and could have humilited him, but laughed it off and let him up. His reward was to have a useless good come and try to fight him. That was embarassing. If a man takes a shot at you, you don't go after his daughter.

 

 

And last night......I wasn't so upset that Myers didn't fight, but Mike Ramsey had to be spinning in his grave on that 3rd goal. I know he's still alive, but he may have killed himself knowing he once wore the same jersey.

Edited November 12, 2014 by Ghost of Dwight Drane

[darksabre]

 

 

I don't have all day...I got you a quote from a national sports magazine.

 

That suggests Lindy was mad and that he expected the league to handle it. Sounds like he never had any expectation that his own team would handle it.

 

Would have been nice to see Lindy bench the non-responive. We both know that didn't happen though.

[Weave]

 

In 2015 say we draft 2nd 14th and 18th. That's Jack Eichel, Jordan Greenway, Evgeni Svechnikov. I just made a top line with those picks alone. Also 2 of them will be NHL players according to the percentages and in this draft all 3 should be. We will be better next year but miss the playoffs. 2 years from now we will be better but just make the playoffs. Three years from now... well lets just say I wouldn't bet against us.

 

I think you are overestimating next year (at least), and by a good bit. Best case scenario is we have one of the top 2 2015 picks to make the team and struggle like nearly every top pick does in their first season, a rookie top 6 RW that will struggle (Armia), and another rookie center in Grigo that will struggle. And those are best case additions to the squad.

 

That suggests Lindy was mad and that he expected the league to handle it. Sounds like he never had any expectation that his own team would handle it.

 

Would have been nice to see Lindy bench the non-responive. We both know that didn't happen though.

 

I'd like to know how that team responds if it had courageous players. I didn't like Lindy's "we'll let the league handle it" statements after every incident, but I suspect they were said at least in good part because Lindy knew there wasn't anyone with the ability to respond on the ice.

[LTS]

I don't care if they are different. You hit my guy, I spear your guy. They took liberties with our players all game. Once that's out, the rest of the league knows your an easily intimidated bunch of sissies. The only way to combat that is with extreme violence. You hit my guy, I take out your stars knee. You slash our guy, face first into the glass. Hope you don't get up.

 

How sad. A guy gets hit hard and you immediately want to cause permanent physical injury to someone. Perhaps your emotion is getting the better of you. The Sabres responded as needed. It's unfortunate that the lack of true hockey skill o on this team has led you to desiring actual physical harm on others just to the team you root for might have a chance to win.

 

Given your apparent response levels you prefer the play of Patrick Kaleta and Matt Cooke. You'd be gone from the league in less than a season. Your coach would be fined large sums of money for your actions. You'd probably be able to do that once before you were released from the team.

 

It's wrong. There is no justification for it. None. If you want people responding to violence with extreme violence then you should spend your time with MMA or something.

 

Yup, token response is not acceptable given the past month of embarrassment. Moulson was softest of the 5 I thought. I want to see someone snap. And if it's Kaleta, blah, he hasn't been in the line-up. Moulson, Hodgson, Gionta, Stafford is who I'm looking at. Top 6, veterans, who are absolutely terrible right now. Show some effin pride. They are embarrassing the jersey.

 

Stafford has already dropped the gloves a few times this season, including at least once when it was totally not necessary. Completely irrational thinking to say someone should snap just because they are on a crappy team.

 

 

I fear that after getting humiliated by the Wild on Thursday a fair share of posters on this board might go and try to burn down FNC to show what they feel is an appropriate response for this team.

 

Sigh.

[Jsixspd]

Your kidding right or did u hit your head on something. Not trying to piss u off but I highly doubt they will be out of the bottom ten that quickly. Even with McDavid that's a lot to ask a young player and if they get Eichel instead who knows if he leaves college right away.

 

I'm just going by the Gold Bar Standard of Rebuilds - Chicago - After a lot of debate in the Tank Thread, it seemed like most would equate the Sabres 2014-15 season with the 2006-07 Blackhawks season.

 

2007-08 - they improved substantially to a winning record - but didn't qualify for playoffs.

 

2008-09 - they made it deep into the playoffs

 

2009-10 - they won the Cup.

 

Worst case, this is equivalent of the Blackhawks 2005-06 season. That puts the first playoff season out to 2017-18.

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

I'm just going by the Gold Bar Standard of Rebuilds - Chicago - After a lot of debate in the Tank Thread, it seemed like most would equate the Sabres 2014-15 season with the 2006-07 Blackhawks season.

 

2007-08 - they improved substantially to a winning record - but didn't qualify for playoffs.

 

2008-09 - they made it deep into the playoffs

 

2009-10 - they won the Cup.

 

Worst case, this is equivalent of the Blackhawks 2005-06 season. That puts the first playoff season out to 2017-18.

 

Which season of the Thrashers, Blue jackets, Oilers, Islanders does it put us?

[Jsixspd]

Which season of the Thrashers, Blue jackets, Oilers, Islanders does it put us?

 

You don't have faith in the Tank 'N ReBuild?

[Weave]

You don't have faith in the Tank 'N ReBuild?

 

Faith vs. evidence. It just now struck me that The Tank is like religion.

[MattPie]

I was actually excited about the team in 2005-06. The 2006-07 Sabres were cowards.... 1) Ovechkin nails Briere from behind. He admits it was dirty and knows Briere is not a fighter so challenges Drury multiple times who would not go. Briere then waits until another game and hides behind Campbell to spear OV 2) Kaleta turtled and slewfooted 95% of the time if the guy was over 140lbs. 3) Mair hit a half dozen guys from behind into the boards 4) The supposed courageous brawl, Lindy sent 3 goons after a line with more talent than the Sabres have had for 25 years. Emery had Biron in a totally prone position and could have humilited him, but laughed it off and let him up. His reward was to have a useless good come and try to fight him. That was embarassing. If a man takes a shot at you, you don't go after his daughter. And last night......I wasn't so upset that Myers didn't fight, but Mike Ramsey had to be spinning in his grave on that 3rd goal. I know he's still alive, but he may have killed himself knowing he once wore the same jersey.

 

#1: It was in Ottawa. $OTTERCOACH, having last change, sent out his skill line against the goons on the ensuing face-off from when their goon-lite went after the team captain.

 

#2: Emery wasn't exactly shying away from Peters, he could have skated away and I'd be pretty surprised if Peters still goes after him.

 

You're reaching.

[qwksndmonster]

I think you are overestimating next year (at least), and by a good bit. Best case scenario is we have one of the top 2 2015 picks to make the team and struggle like nearly every top pick does in their first season, a rookie top 6 RW that will struggle (Armia), and another rookie center in Grigo that will struggle. And those are best case additions to the squad.

TM can still trade for somebody, which will happen before next year. And I wouldn't bet on either McDavid or Eichel struggling next year.

 

Faith vs. evidence. It just now struck me that The Tank is like religion.

Pretty much all professional sports are like religion.

[Hoss]

 

Pretty much all professional sports are like religion.

 

Just a much lower body count.

[Eleven]

Just a much lower body count.

 

Well, in North America, anyway.

[Robviously]

I think you are overestimating next year (at least), and by a good bit. Best case scenario is we have one of the top 2 2015 picks to make the team and struggle like nearly every top pick does in their first season, a rookie top 6 RW that will struggle (Armia), and another rookie center in Grigo that will struggle. And those are best case additions to the squad.

Sabres are probably adding Grigo, Armia, and Reinhart as forwards next year and that's before you consider anyone we might draft.

 

GMTM is going to have to make a bunch of moves for our 2015-2016 team to make any sense.

[inkman]

That suggests Lindy was mad and that he expected the league to handle it. Sounds like he never had any expectation that his own team would handle it.

 

Would have been nice to see Lindy bench the non-responive. We both know that didn't happen though.

Lindy did a lot of complaining about what the league should do and how they don't do enough. At some point he needed to realize the help ain't coming and get his players to take the initiative.

[Eleven]

Lindy did a lot of complaining about what the league should do and how they don't do enough. At some point he needed to realize the help ain't coming and get his players to take the initiative.

 

[bcsaberks]

 

Stafford has already dropped the gloves a few times this season, including at least once when it was totally not necessary. Completely irrational thinking to say someone should snap just because they are on a crappy team.

 

 

Stafford tackling McNabb is the only fight I see. He didn't even throw a punch. But OK, it's a start. http://www.hockeyfights.com/fights/124934

 

Irrational? They should have a lot of frustration with their performance, it's an embarrassment. Moulson is doing nothing, does he just shrug it off and blame it on his teammates/coaches? Show us it's bothering you! Please! The hard work story is nice. zzzzzzzzzzzz. We're gonna work harder. Whatever, so does every other team. Show me some emotion and I'll keep watching. Otherwise I'll find something else to do with my time.

[LTS]

Stafford tackling McNabb is the only fight I see. He didn't even throw a punch. But OK, it's a start. http://www.hockeyfig...m/fights/124934

 

Irrational? They should have a lot of frustration with their performance, it's an embarrassment. Moulson is doing nothing, does he just shrug it off and blame it on his teammates/coaches? Show us it's bothering you! Please! The hard work story is nice. zzzzzzzzzzzz. We're gonna work harder. Whatever, so does every other team. Show me some emotion and I'll keep watching. Otherwise I'll find something else to do with my time.

 

One fighting major. He also went after another player earlier in the season who delivered a hit on a teammate. Sorry, I don't recall which one. He was penalized for it. Not a fighting major but I think roughing was called. He did it in the preseason as well.

 

I think classifying him in the not going anything category is incorrect. Hodgson on the other hand? He defines it.

[Eleven]

One fighting major. He also went after another player earlier in the season who delivered a hit on a teammate. Sorry, I don't recall which one. He was penalized for it. Not a fighting major but I think roughing was called. He did it in the preseason as well.

 

I think classifying him in the not going anything category is incorrect. Hodgson on the other hand? He defines it.

 

Though it pains me to say so, I do believe Drew Stafford was the guy who jumped on Neil after Neil hit Drury.

[Drunkard]

Though it pains me to say so, I do believe Drew Stafford was the guy who jumped on Neil after Neil hit Drury.

 

Yes, he did. That was before he became cemented as a member of the core though and before he made his "we've got guys for that comment" when he was interviewed about defending teammates after another incident regarding someone on our team getting cheapshotted (not sure if it was the Lucic-Miller incident or another one). He has defended a teammate since then but it's not exactly common.