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GDT: 11/9/2019 1pm ET Buffalo Sabres at Tampa in ModoLand


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1 minute ago, CallawaySabres said:

Talent is the problem,  end of story. This team doesn't need 6 new players every year, they need 4 of them to have talent. Johanssen and Oloffson were  the only forwards with any sort of talent that were added.....and that's pretty pathetic.

Reality is that this is a bottom 5 team....again

I think they will be more around 10-12th, which would sadly be a decent improvement.

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1 hour ago, Torpedo Forecheck said:

So we're identifying the teams problem as Jack shaking his head (Swedish media), rumors, and personal opinion "not mentally tough". Throw in lets send Dahlin to the AHL, and Mitts is always a  good whipping boy.

Might I point out; Eichel is Top 10 in scoring, Mitts is much improved, and Dahlin is a just turned 19 Yr old Dman who was the number 1 pick in the draft 1 1/2 ago. Burn the house down.

Might I also point out: Vesey, Sheary, Sobotka, Larsson, Girgs, Okposo might be able to add just a little bit. They don't score and as a bottom 6 forward could you at least have some guys who add some other intangible like grittiness, toughness, edge, agitation, muscle, physicality,heart?

This is hardly the first time I’ve called out Eichel.  Crosby was labeled a whiner when he started. He finally learned. He plays with an edge now and has gotten into a fight or two. This is where Jack needs to get to. If he gets up last night and pushes back I think it changes things.  Right now he’s looking around for someone else to stand up for him or to complain to the refs. He’s gotta stop that and show a different side. His scoring is fine, but there is more to it. Dahlin should sit a game, it might help him at this point. I’ve no problem with Mitts... he’s got a ways to go still but he’ll get there.

51 minutes ago, Curt said:

What’s becoming obvious to me is that there is a portion of this fan base that can not take losing any longer.  I can’t blame them, but they are also overreacting to what is likely a fairly normal period of poor play that average teams often go through.

I don’t think it’s proof of an impending downward spiral into oblivion.  It’s just the normal ups and downs of a very average NHL roster.  They just aren’t a great team.

They’ve always been around. The problem right now, for me, is not that they are losing. It’s how they are losing.  The roster has shown it can play better... it needs to do so. It’s not talent, it’s everything else.

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30 minutes ago, LTS said:

They’ve always been around. The problem right now, for me, is not that they are losing. It’s how they are losing.  The roster has shown it can play better... it needs to do so. It’s not talent, it’s everything else.


It is talent.  It’s a major factor.  Lack of talent can’t be hand waived away as a non factor just because they won a few games with the current roster.

Of course they can play better, but no team plays at the top of its game for 82 games.  That’s not realistic.  There are ups and downs.  Almost any team in the league can go on a nice streak when they are playing near their best and/or getting a bit lucky.

The difference is that the most talented teams in the league can still get somewhat decent results even when not playing their best.  Talent helps you win some games even when you are off your games as a team.  The lows aren’t as low.

The Sabres are not among the more talented teams in the league.  When they aren’t playing well, they are going to lose most of the time.

Compare to Tampa for example.  When Tampa isn’t playing well, they still win about half their games, while Buffalo will sometimes lose 6 out of 7 when not playing well.  That’s because of the difference in talent.

Edited by Curt
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Oh no we suck gain......

Or maybe still not enough talent ? 

https://www.tampabay.com/sports/lightning/2019/11/09/lightnings-fourth-line-pours-on-goals-in-win-over-buffalo-in-sweden/

I know we say we don't number lines on Sabre's but when you look at ice time and roles it often still shows that kind of distribution.   

IMHO we just don't have enough of that yet across all lines. 

Adversity has arrived. 

We will soon learn a lot more about this team.  

I am interested to see how RK handles this and the players that need help.  

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9 hours ago, Wyldnwoody44 said:

I went to 1 game, the Sabres "home game" and the in game stuff was all Tampa. Let's go bolts chants on the screen, all TBL highlights, etc. I would have expected that in Saturdays game, not the game I paid to go to. 

It wasn't helped that the crowd was 70% lightning fans (which surprised me) they did bring buffalo's Stupid goal song over for the few times they did pot the Puck. 

Lastly, I expected some European flare from the crowd (like in soccer) especially being in Sweden, but that was nowhere (this part isn't on the league or Sabres). It was quiet and dull mainly except for the TBL started chants from the jumbotron. 

The Sabres play like doo doo, just exacerbated the night. 

-it was cool to see Swdedn, MODO, all the guys, etc. I just won't go to another neutral site sabres game again, unless I happen to be in the country already. 

I see.  Thanks.

 

I moved out of WNY in 1981.  I go back a lot, sometimes monthly,  but I do not live there. 

Not neutral sites but I have ZERO joy from watching the Sabres on the road.   I was in So .Cal from 81-87.  I used to see the Sabres in LA every trip out and the Kings almost always beat us back then.  My record in St Louis is really, really bad.   I have never seen a win in St Louis in and have been here for over 25 years.  The few games I missed were wins in the Pat LaFontaine era.   I have seen us play games in Washington, Columbus, Pittsburgh, Chicago, St Louis and LA Kings - no wins.  A few ties.  My Bills record is much better, thanks to the Jim Kelly era. 

Buffalo sports teams test fans to their limits.

 

More bad news.  I have tickets for Bills Cowboys on Thanksgiving. 

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5 hours ago, Torpedo Forecheck said:

So we're identifying the teams problem as Jack shaking his head (Swedish media), rumors, and personal opinion "not mentally tough". Throw in lets send Dahlin to the AHL, and Mitts is always a  good whipping boy.

Might I point out; Eichel is Top 10 in scoring, Mitts is much improved, and Dahlin is a just turned 19 Yr old Dman who was the number 1 pick in the draft 1 1/2 ago. Burn the house down.

Might I also point out: Vesey, Sheary, Sobotka, Larsson, Girgs, Okposo might be able to add just a little bit. They don't score and as a bottom 6 forward could you at least have some guys who add some other intangible like grittiness, toughness, edge, agitation, muscle, physicality,heart?

This response seems to assume that these are recent observations re: Jack.  And they aren’t.

Regardless of where he sits in league scoring, it is perfectly legit to point out significant flaws in Jacks game, which is exactly what this is.  Especially when that flaw has not improved at all over the course of his career to date.

Dahlin gets more rope.  He’s alot younger.  But it’s also perfectly valid to be concerned about the seeming backwards trajectory of his defensive game this year.

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10 hours ago, Curt said:

Yeah, I understand why you might feel that way, but 2-3 weeks/6-8 games ago you were one of those saying that this was the start of something great and that Krueger had changed things.

What was your expectation for the team before the season in terms of points?  What is your expectation now?

Naive optimism and hope. Before the season I did say I simply had no idea how it would go. I saw a good scenario where Krueger was a Barry Trotts type genius, Johanson played great, Vesey came alive in a contract year, goaltending finally emerged, Cozens was so good he stayed, Mitts got better, Dahlin got better etc. It all came together finally. But I also saw one where it all fell apart. 

My expectation now? I simply have no idea, but similar to that recent Buffalo News article posted here there are seriously troubling signs emerging so until it proves wrong (if) the pessimism is back. It really feels right now like it's going to be more of the same.

Back to Eichel and leadership, I was thinking if somehow magically he got traded to Boston and Chara retired, he would NOT be their captain. He'd be their second line center. Just for perspective. 

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27 minutes ago, Cascade Youth said:

Here’s a question: how many Sabres players, over the past five years, have materially improved their games?

McCabe, maybe Reino (maybe).  Any others? Organizational development under JBotts and the coaches he’s hired has been a real weak spot.

If you think McCabe and Reinhart are “maybe”, then it’s obvious any other players listed you’ll strongly disagree with.... yikes.

besides, the list is quite short as to who was here 5 years ago, and is still here.
Eichel, Reinhart, Risto, Larsson, Girgensons.

And the term “marginally” is quite subjective. 

 

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12 minutes ago, Zamboni said:

I

If you think McCabe and Reinhart are “maybe”, then it’s obvious any other players listed you’ll strongly disagree with.... yikes.

besides, the list is quite short as to who was here 5 years ago, and is still here.
Eichel, Reinhart, Risto, Larsson, Girgensons.

And the term “marginally” is quite subjective. 

 

I said “materially” and I mean within the last five years.  Doesn’t have to be players who have been here five full years.  Who has this organization improved?  

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7 minutes ago, Cascade Youth said:

I said “materially” and I mean within the last five years.  Doesn’t have to be players who have been here five full years.  Who has this organization improved?  

My bad...

materially. From their draft year, or being traded to us (Larsson), snapshot from 5 years ago. To now, All have improved their overall game. Some more than others obviously. And again materially is a subjective term. What you think is the benchmark for materially may not be that for someone else. 

Edited by Zamboni
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58 minutes ago, Cascade Youth said:

I said “materially” and I mean within the last five years.  Doesn’t have to be players who have been here five full years.  Who has this organization improved?  

This is hard to answer because like you say, many have not been here for 5yrs (including JBotts and coaches) but i see it a different way. So let me ask you this....how many players have come into this organization that have lived up to expectations and improved this team as much as we hoped?

I'd say Skinner and likely Montour, with the verdict still out on Johansson/Joker/ Miller. Not Sheary, Scandella, Vesey, KO, Hutton, Lehner, and the list could go on. Coming to a losing team that is deficient in talent doesn't help them to succeed but the hope is that they help us to be better. So far not too much of that help has arrived and these guys are hopefully placeholders for the guys we ARE developing. I also think that Mitts is coming along, maybe a little slower than some hoped for, but none the less he is developing.

Guys like Sheary, Vesey, Scandella, Hutton, KO, etc, these were the guys who should have already been developed before they got here. Then there's ROR who played close to his potential but did he make us better (we were the worst with him)? All we can say for sure is "how bad would we have been without him?

Basically, I think we have to wait ( I'll take "What does a Buffalo sports fan do" for $500 Alex) to see how the organization is developing the young players like Cozens, Johnson, Laaksonen(sp?), 6K, Pekar, etc. Hope is that these kids can replace the dormant players on the roster.

Some other teams aren't doing much better with all their top picks in recent years either. Oilers seem to be finally making a little noise after seemingly 100 number 1 picks. Devils are meh. The Laffs will never win the cup before us (thanks to the Hockey Gods that we all pray to).

Sorry guys....all this talk about not adding talent to the team and I totally forgot about Vlad.

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1 hour ago, Cascade Youth said:

Here’s a question: how many Sabres players, over the past five years, have materially improved their games?

McCabe, maybe Reino (maybe).  Any others? Organizational development under JBotts and the coaches he’s hired has been a real weak spot.

Eichel, Reinhart definitely.  McCabe, Mittlestadt very debatably.........

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2 hours ago, Cascade Youth said:

I said “materially” and I mean within the last five years.  Doesn’t have to be players who have been here five full years.  Who has this organization improved?  

I think the fact that the list is so few of 5 year players, that to me speaks volumes.  Our sample size is so small because we either fail at developing and/or trade them for a supposed better return...which is also debatable in terms of how well that has gone.  Not to mention that our track record of drafting bona fide NHL talent is not so good.

Edited by Carmel Corn
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Finally got to see this one as well.

 

Vesey again making some nice plays.

Dahlin does not look good.

I like the idea of Montour, just not sure about the actual player yet. And him getting the only penalty during that scrum was ridiculous.

Boy, the officiating was,... curious. They need to rewatch this game and learn from it because they were ***** terrible.

Hutton was not good.

Can’t score unless you hit the net.

Yet another late period goal. Just a killer.

Jack continues to look awful and not use his line mates. The one time he actually passed to someone 5v5 it ended up in their net.

Outphysicalled yet again.

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