A Sad and Painful Truth

[PerreaultForever]

I know a lot of people hate the Bruins. A reasonable hatred. Divisional rival, the Miller hit, history in general, etc etc. I know and I get it. But............

I watched the Bruins play the Jets tonight. Two teams coming off their breaks. First game back. Same as we were taking on Ottawa.  Watching this game I felt like I was on a different planet. They say hockey becomes real hockey after the allstar break and this was proof of that. When we started the season fast I wondered if we'd be able to keep it up when we got to this time of the year, I had just expected us to be close enough for that issue to matter. It didn't, but I digress.

Did anyone come out flat? No. Did anyone need time to get going? No. Did anyone not care? No.   This game was so different to what we had to endure it reminded me of what hockey is, what it can be, what it should be.

Both teams flying. Intensity. Effort. Big hits. Team/player responses to those hits on both sides. Blocked shots. Big saves. It was everything hockey should be and everything we simply never see. Watching this made me realize we are all under a delusion. If any of you think we are close, we just need a 2C or a few players etc, the answer is a flat out no. We are so far from being able to play this sort of hockey I don't think we can turn it around in a decade, yet alone a few years.

Everybody in this game was doing everything they could to win. Laine took a run at Chara!!! Can anyone imagine Reinhart taking a run at a guy like Chara?? Does anyone on our so called team respond to anything? We are a joke. 

I wish every single Sabres fan could have seen this game. If you have a way to watch it do so. Remind yourself of what hockey used to be for us. What it should be for us. What it clearly isn't.

The Sabres themselves should be forced to watch this game over and over and over until they start to get it. JBot should be forced to watch this game. Krueger and all his bulls*it positivity should be reminded of what wins by watching this. Terry Pegula should be forced to watch this. 

Why oh why oh why can we not even get remotely close to this???? 

I ask myself simply why am I still a Sabres fan? We have no French Connection. We have no Danny Gare, no Rick Dudley, no Jim Schoenfeld, no King Kong Korab, no Mike Peca, no Briere, no Drury, no May, no nothing. No heart, and no soul. 

We are a joke, and that is a sad and painful truth.

[Thorny]

Jets are horrible this year, their fancy stats are off the charts bad. Hellebuyck was holding them in early with a Vezina like performance but he’s tailed off. They probably don’t make the playoffs. They are a mere 3 points ahead of us and we have played one less game. Goal differential nearly the same, they sit 21s overall in league standings. It’s crazy they’ve only scored 5 more goals than us given their personnel. 

Just a side note. Boston of course is great. 

Edited February 1, 2020 by Thorny

[PerreaultForever]

18 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Jets are horrible this year, their fancy stats are off the charts bad. Hellebuyck was holding them in early with a Vezina like performance but he’s tailed off. They probably don’t make the playoffs. They are a mere 3 points ahead of us and we have played one less game. Goal differential nearly the same, they sit 21s overall in league standings. It’s crazy they’ve only scored 5 more goals than us given their personnel. 

Just a side note. Boston of course is great. 

Which is part of the point. They are not that much ahead of us points wise but they gave it their all. It was a great hockey game. We give that sort of effort we beat Ottawa 7-1 and Montreal 4-0 or thereabouts. but we don't.

[Tondas]

Just give me a team that I can be proud of, win or lose.  I can't stand the lack of heart, passion, effort, grit, determination, whatever you want to call it.  This team is soft as butter and melts just as quickly.

[Claude Balls]

The Sabres are a team of invertebrates, sans #9. They are a disgrace to hockey.

[Gatorman0519]

I agree. There is no quick fix to this.  Even with the right people in charge 4-5 years minimum to become a quality team.  It’s that bad.  You are lying to yourself if you think otherwise.  That means over half of Eichel prime will be wasted. 

[Radar]

8 minutes ago, Gatorman0519 said:

I agree. There is no quick fix to this.  Even with the right people in charge 4-5 years minimum to become a quality team.  It’s that bad.  You are lying to yourself if you think otherwise.  That means over half of Eichel prime will be wasted. 

Agree no quick fix. With the right people I think your timeline could be shortened to 2-3 years.

[Scottysabres]

And yet no word, not one, with all of the fan voices growing increasingly louder and louder, from the organization.

While I realize they are well aware of the situation, their silence is very telling imo. They don't have the answer's in my estimation.

One thing is obviously clear, a bobble head give away isn't going to sooth the animus of Sabres nation faithful this time. They are going to have to address the situation before Key Bank Center really does have masses of pitchfork and torches carrying fans storming the gates.

[R_Dudley]

I have Center ice because I am an out of town fan that I bought for Sabres games. I also get treated locally to all Pens games.

The difference I see like last nights Pens vs. Flyers OT or later watching the end of the VGK vs Canes because I like hockey is like night and day, kids vs men compared to Sabres.   

The secrets out, the rest of the league knows we are soft and if you step up the Physical play we shy away and wilt. Even hurt ourselves when we do try and check(See Skinner injury)

Crosby was out for months and Sullivan had the Pens playing like a team and even excelling while Sid was out.  If the Sabres had lost Jack for 2 months November till Jan. they would be in last place. 

I don't ever remember a time like this when so many of us long time die hard fans felt this way for this long...It does just numb you to the whole team and has me leaning to just watching the Pens for the rest of this season because I like to watch Hockey  what the Sabres provide is a cruel joke of an excuse for that.

[tom webster]

I’m as frustrated as anyone but anecdotal stories about specific games just put too much emphasis on said game. Every team has stretches of play like the last two Sabre’s games. The problem is the Sabre’s are missing the pieces that make those games just blips on the screen. 
No team plays an 82 game seasons at a high octane level.

[TrueBlueGED]

1 minute ago, tom webster said:

I’m as frustrated as anyone but anecdotal stories about specific games just put too much emphasis on said game. Every team has stretches of play like the last two Sabre’s games. The problem is the Sabre’s are missing the pieces that make those games just blips on the screen. 
No team plays an 82 game seasons at a high octane level.

I'm with you, but it's a losing battle trying to convince anyone.

[PerreaultForever]

6 hours ago, tom webster said:

I’m as frustrated as anyone but anecdotal stories about specific games just put too much emphasis on said game. Every team has stretches of play like the last two Sabre’s games. The problem is the Sabre’s are missing the pieces that make those games just blips on the screen. 
No team plays an 82 game seasons at a high octane level.

Can't agree. Those anecdotal games are reminders of what we should be watching. They are reminders of how low the bar is currently set. The contrast is telling. 

They illustrate the point that it's not just a few pieces we need, it's an attitude, a culture, an entire way of playing. Which goes back to Tondas's comment:

13 hours ago, Tondas said:

Just give me a team that I can be proud of, win or lose.  I can't stand the lack of heart, passion, effort, grit, determination, whatever you want to call it.  This team is soft as butter and melts just as quickly.

That's the real issue.

[bunomatic]

3 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

Can't agree. Those anecdotal games are reminders of what we should be watching. They are reminders of how low the bar is currently set. The contrast is telling. 

They illustrate the point that it's not just a few pieces we need, it's an attitude, a culture, an entire way of playing. Which goes back to Tondas's comment:

That's the real issue.

Agree

[Kruppstahl]

For the record, I loved the Lucic incident and the way it totally exposed our gutless, lousy, hockey team.  

I hated that squad almost as much as the current one.

 

 

[bunomatic]

1 hour ago, Kruppstahl said:

For the record, I loved the Lucic incident and the way it totally exposed our gutless, lousy, hockey team.  

I hated that squad almost as much as the current one.

 

 

You and I both??

[Cheektorado]

On 2/1/2020 at 7:16 AM, tom webster said:

I’m as frustrated as anyone but anecdotal stories about specific games just put too much emphasis on said game. Every team has stretches of play like the last two Sabre’s games. The problem is the Sabre’s are missing the pieces that make those games just blips on the screen. 
No team plays an 82 game seasons at a high octane level.

Bruins play every division game at "high octane".  Maybe the Sabres should try at least that.

[matter2003]

On 2/1/2020 at 8:01 AM, Radar said:

Agree no quick fix. With the right people I think your timeline could be shortened to 2-3 years.

Could be a quick fix if Cozens quickly becomes a viable #2 center next year.  That would fix a lot of ills on this team. By all accounts this kid is the real deal and should become a stud. Also do not need to worry about him being pushed around like Middlestadt...at 6' 3" he has enough of a frame to add 10-15 lbs of muscle pushing him to near 200 lbs and he is already considered pretty strong at 183 lbs.

 

Kind of sad because Middlestadt outweighs him at 198 lbs but he is a soft 198 lbs...he is not in the type of shape from a weight room perspective that will help him in games.

Edited February 3, 2020 by matter2003

[WildCard]

Just now, matter2003 said:

Could be a quick fix if Cozens quickly becomes a viable #2 center next year.  That would fix a lot of ills on this team.

I just can't see him making that leap from WHL to competent NHL 2C. If he makes it in the NHL next year he's getting 3rd line minutes and ~30 pts at best IMO

[matter2003]

2 minutes ago, WildCard said:

I just can't see him making that leap from WHL to competent NHL 2C. If he makes it in the NHL next year he's getting 3rd line minutes and ~30 pts at best IMO

Maybe, but players do make that jump and play well.  Depends on how he progresses, but I think he at least will start the year in Buffalo unless he has an absolute disastrous camp next year.

[Randall Flagg]

Cozens certainly could do that. In the meantime, a smart organization assumes it won't happen and builds the best possible roster it can, including in that potential position that Cozens could in theory impact, so that if it does happen, it pushes the team even further along towards cup contention status.

 

[TrueBlueGED]

11 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

Cozens certainly could do that. In the meantime, a smart organization assumes it won't happen and builds the best possible roster it can, including in that potential position that Cozens could in theory impact, so that if it does happen, it pushes the team even further along towards cup contention status.

 

No, not us. Instead of using assets to improve, we need to sit here pretending it's blasphemy to trade a 1st round pick who in 3 years might be a middle-6 forward.

[freester]

22 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

Cozens certainly could do that. In the meantime, a smart organization assumes it won't happen and builds the best possible roster it can, including in that potential position that Cozens could in theory impact, so that if it does happen, it pushes the team even further along towards cup contention status.

 

If Botteril is in charge, we are not a smart organization.  

[Getpucksdeep]

I watched some of the Flames V Oilers Saturday  - same feelings - envy and sadness that the Sabres haven't played in a game of that intensity in years.  Also not sure they have it in 'em, otherwise I'd expect we'd have seen signs of it by now.