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It's the scoring, stupid?


PASabreFan

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7 hours ago, jad1 said:

He's better than a point-per-game player on a team that can't score.  He's 9 points clear of the 2nd leading scorer on the team.

Even games where this board claims he's the worst player on the ice, he still posting 2 assists.

I get he's the shiny object on the ice, but calling out the only point-per-game player the Sabres have had over the last 12 years in a thread about scoring doesn't make much sense.

The Sabres have 3 legit top 6 fowards on the team.  That's why they're not scoring.  No team can make the playoffs with one strong line and 3 weak ones.

Want to fix the Sabres scoring?  Fill out the second line with legit top six foward talent.  That's what's really wrong with this team.

 

These are good points.  From a scoring perspective, I think when you watch him play you can see how close he is to being even better than he is now.  Whether he can get to that next level remains to be seen. Perhaps when the team has a few more players.

The big knock is his play on defense and away from the puck.  I think this translates into people being down on him overall. It's not necessarily wrong either.

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8 hours ago, jad1 said:

He's better than a point-per-game player on a team that can't score.  He's 9 points clear of the 2nd leading scorer on the team.

Even games where this board claims he's the worst player on the ice, he still posting 2 assists.

I get he's the shiny object on the ice, but calling out the only point-per-game player the Sabres have had over the last 12 years in a thread about scoring doesn't make much sense.

The Sabres have 3 legit top 6 fowards on the team.  That's why they're not scoring.  No team can make the playoffs with one strong line and 3 weak ones.

Want to fix the Sabres scoring?  Fill out the second line with legit top six foward talent.  That's what's really wrong with this team.

 

Those things aren’t mutually exclusive. You can be a point per game player and still not hustle or still mope and complain when things don’t go your way. You can be a great hockey player with a ***** attitude, and that’s what Jack is. But if you have a ***** attitude and don’t carry yourself well, it doesn’t put you in a position to criticize. Jack can’t yell at somebody to hustle (which a normal captain would) because he doesn’t hustle. 

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18 hours ago, IrwinNelson said:

Do you think the way Jack’s playing puts him in any position to criticize? I certainly don’t. He’s one of the biggest culprits of what’s wrong with this team. None of that is made up, unless you just haven’t been watching. 

So if he criticizes anyone during the game, he has no right.  He doesn't have the right because he's not a captain.  

Our fan base just makes stuff up to be upset about. 

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7 minutes ago, 7+6=13 said:

So if he criticizes anyone during the game, he has no right.  He doesn't have the right because he's not a captain.  

Our fan base just makes stuff up to be upset about. 

Yup. I think Jack has some work to do but he isn't lazy and he has every right to call out anyone on the team. 

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I think Eichel has the right to call people out on the team.  He should.  if someone points out his flaws, he should own and accept them as well.  That's holding each other accountable.

If no one says anything, that's a much bigger problem.  That's giving up.

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3 hours ago, IrwinNelson said:

He can criticize, it just would make him a hypocrite. 

You're saying he's not and that he shouldn't.  So there should be no problem.  Yet you create a problem by saying he shouldn't only because he can't to avoid hypocrisy.  

You can't be satisfied. 

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There are three guys on this roster who have scored more than 25 goals in the NHL and for two of them it was six years ago. Three more have hit 20 and one of them did it stapled to Sidney Crosby's hip.

We have only three guys capable of scoring at top six levels at this point of their careers, and three regular forwards who aren't likely to hit 15 goals combined.

 

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More scoring is needed, but when you break down the roster, it is going to be hard to find what they need in a trade.  What do they need?

First line looks set.  Sign Skinner, keep him with Eichel.  

Second line...Reinhart looks like he is producing more and more without Eichel.  Can he do even better with Eichel?  Sure, but this team needs SOMEBODY to produce on a different line, and I think he is it. But find him a Center or another winger than can give you 20 goals and 50+ points with him. Can that be Mittlestadt and Olofson next year or in 2 years?

3rd line.  Sheary and Thompson, maybe Erod...next year...whatever combo you use..can you get 40-50 total goals out of a third line? Do any of those guys contribute enough to do it with another year experience?

4th line.  No idea.  I like Larsons play, but you need to get 15-20 goals, MINIMUM out of this line.  

 

So what do you REALLY need up front for scoring?  A 2nd line player to put in 20 or so goals playing with Reinhart. Who is that?  Is a trade a long term answer for more goals on the 4th line?  Do you need a 3rd liner or is what you have on the team (and in the system) enough?

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11 hours ago, IrwinNelson said:

Those things aren’t mutually exclusive. You can be a point per game player and still not hustle or still mope and complain when things don’t go your way. You can be a great hockey player with a ***** attitude, and that’s what Jack is. But if you have a ***** attitude and don’t carry yourself well, it doesn’t put you in a position to criticize. Jack can’t yell at somebody to hustle (which a normal captain would) because he doesn’t hustle. 

Moping and attitude criticism coming from a fan is the most useless criticism in sports.  Fans aren't on the benches or in the locker room, so complaints of those type should be dismissed out of hand.

As far as hustle, in addition to being a point-per-game player, he's the team's best face-off man and is at the top of the league in zone entries.  He also kills penalties.  That means he's on the ice for defensive and offensive zone starts, and he's often the guy lugging the puck when he's out there. The dude hustles.  He could, however use a 2nd center to help carry the load.

Again, Eichel is the shiny object on the team, so he's subject to criticism.  But when talking about Sabres and their anemic offense, blaming Eichel for the team's issues makes no sense. 

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This topic is OLD. A NEW topic should be started unless there is a VERY SPECIFIC REASON to revive this one.

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