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Great rant on WGR this morning


Cal Naughton Jr

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2 hours ago, mjd1001 said:

 

What kind of coach do Sam and Jack want?  They had one that is a nice guy (Krueger). A former star player (Housley), a guy who won a cup with star players on his team (Bylsma). Nothing has worked with them..and just who are you going to get out there that will take this team and coach it into a cup contender?

Run 2 coaches out of town.  Well on their way to running a 3rd out of town.  I'm not convinced anymore that any of those coaches had the wrong system for the players they had.  How may systems are there really in the NHL?  How many breakout schemes?  O zone setups?  Neutral zone tactics?  I'm calling bull ***** on it's a system problem anymore.  There is a stink in the locker room.

 

59 minutes ago, Cal Naughton Jr said:

This is the most talented team we’ve had in a decade

Well there is a high bar.

Actually, I think there can be some debate there.  Jack's rookie year had some pretty healthy talent too.

Edited by Weave
Whatinthehell did I do?
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10 hours ago, Cal Naughton Jr said:

Weird. I tried listening to it. And it won’t play for me. Do I HAVE to have the radio.com app to listen? Because I don’t.

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3 hours ago, mjd1001 said:

I think the team is not as talented as most fans think it is. I think fans in general think Eichel is better than he is.  He can be a star, but not generational at all.  I think Skinner is a below average NHL player. I think Halls best days are far behind him (his only 30 goal season of his career was 3 seasons and 1 knee surgery ago). I think Dahlin might be very good but he isn't yet, beyond him the current D-core is  well below average top to bottom.  You have an average to slightly above average goalie (who is hurt now) and a bad back up goalie. Olofsson is 1 dimensional, Reinhart can be good but not great.  Overall, I just think this team has below average talent up front...below average talent on the D-core, and the same in goal.  

To me, talent up front is when you can see a few 30+ goal seasons potentially from some of your forwards, at least rely on 25 goal season from a few of them.  Who has 30 goal talent up front (and I don't mean ONE time in their career, but something you can get a couple times in the next 5  years?)  Eichel?  Maybe, MAYBE VO or Reinhart?  thats not good enough.

You hire the best coach in the league (tell me who is available that they can get), and even then, with the teams current talent you are maybe competitive for that last playoff spot..but this this 'core' of players, you aren't going to be better than that.

I'm not saying that the coach may not be a problem..or that there aren't better ones out there. What I am saying is the talent on this team right now isn't good enough with anyone coaching for this to be a top tier team anytime in the near future.

I mildly disagree with this. There is certainly enough talent on this roster to be competitive. 

3 hours ago, Radar said:

The talent on this team I believe is better than you believe it is. Certainly better than it's performance. Sorry, I just think you're under evaluating our players.

I agree with this. There is no reason this roster should be getting shut out 2-3 games in a row or scoring only 14 goals in the last 9 games (7 came in 2 games against NJ). 

2 hours ago, Cal Naughton Jr said:

This is the most talented team we’ve had in a decade

I’d say this is the most talent on paper since 2009 maybe. That they are THIS bad is absolutely ridiculous. 

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1 hour ago, PerreaultForever said:

Who says he's on thin ice in Columbus? I've not heard that anywhere. 

Rumblings about the losing streak and the way their playing. GM is meeting with the media tomorrow to give him the dreaded vote of confidence. If their slide continues,  things could get interesting. 

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50 minutes ago, Andrew Amerk said:

I mildly disagree with this. There is certainly enough talent on this roster to be competitive. 

I agree with this. There is no reason this roster should be getting shut out 2-3 games in a row or scoring only 14 goals in the last 9 games (7 came in 2 games against NJ). 

I’d say this is the most talent on paper since 2009 maybe. That they are THIS bad is absolutely ridiculous. 

See the issue to me is...when I say the talent is overrated, I do mean that.  But even if the posters who disagree with me are correct...all I am hearing from them is stuff like....they have enough talent to not be shut out 2-3 games in a row.....or they have enough talent to compete for the last playoff spot.  

Did the team tank to just compete for the last playoff spot? Or to not get shut out on a regular basis?  I know no matter what you do you cannot be guaranteed a cup...but I want them to do whatever they have to do for the talent level on this team to be that they have the ability to occasionally dominate a game, and are considered at least a threat to go deep into the playoffs.  The talent is NOT here to do that...and to me that is not good enough...after all the high picks...the big money signings.....the talent sure is overrated and is not good enough for what they have done to get to where they are now.

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2 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

See the issue to me is...when I say the talent is overrated, I do mean that.  But even if the posters who disagree with me are correct...all I am hearing from them is stuff like....they have enough talent to not be shut out 2-3 games in a row.....or they have enough talent to compete for the last playoff spot.  

Did the team tank to just compete for the last playoff spot? Or to not get shut out on a regular basis?  I know no matter what you do you cannot be guaranteed a cup...but I want them to do whatever they have to do for the talent level on this team to be that they have the ability to occasionally dominate a game, and are considered at least a threat to go deep into the playoffs.  The talent is NOT here to do that...and to me that is not good enough...after all the high picks...the big money signings.....the talent sure is overrated and is not good enough for what they have done to get to where they are now.

I’m pretty sure the idea for this season was to at least be competing for a playoff spot - and right now, they’re miles from that. 

I also think the idea was to build off of competing for a playoff spot this season followed by much roster retooling to hopefully get even better - hence, why half the roster is on one year deals. 

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32 minutes ago, gomper said:

Rumblings about the losing streak and the way their playing. GM is meeting with the media tomorrow to give him the dreaded vote of confidence. If their slide continues,  things could get interesting. 

Where did you hear this?

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4 hours ago, Weave said:

Run 2 coaches out of town.  Well on their way to running a 3rd out of town.  I'm not convinced anymore that any of those coaches had the wrong system for the players they had.  How may systems are there really in the NHL?  How many breakout schemes?  O zone setups?  Neutral zone tactics?  I'm calling bull ***** on it's a system problem anymore.  There is a stink in the locker room.

 

Well there is a high bar.

Actually, I think there can be some debate there.  Jack's rookie year had some pretty healthy talent too.

I agree that there is a much more insidious rot persisting in the depths of KBC than the newest coach's newest system, and I loathe to be the guy that appears to be excusing an obviously-underperforming slate of players, but my sister has been tracking something really interesting and worth chewing on (proud of her!).

Of the last 7 games against teams not named the New Jersey Devils, the Sabres have scored goals in only 2 ways - on the power play, or from shots taken by defensemen within about 5 feet of the point. This stretch begins after the covid halt, goes 5 consecutive games, takes a break for NJ, and then returns vs. Philly again. 

On a period-by-period breakdown, the first stretch spanned 18 periods, or the equivalent of 6 games. 18 straight periods, and 7 consecutive non-Devils games and counting, of point shots and power plays being our only source of offense. 

Eichel, Hall, Reinhart, Skinner, Olofsson, Staal, Dahlin. Why can't these guys peel off the wall? What do they do in practice? It's not an effort thing, I see guys skating as hard as they ever have (which includes the obviously frustrating Eichel glides to the bench, but he's not visually exerting less effort than he was when he could do so much more than this, so that can't be it?) It has to be a practice thing, no? 

But even a focused effort of addressing this somehow and some way, at this point, would feel like doing nothing more than bringing a can of furniture polish and a belt sander to a burnt-down house that sits in smoldering ruins. 

Edited by Randall Flagg
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1 minute ago, Randall Flagg said:

I agree that there is a much more insidious rot persisting in the depths of KBC than the newest coach's newest system, and I loathe to be the guy that appears to be excusing an obviously-underperforming slate of players, but my sister has been tracking something really interesting and worth chewing on. 

Of the last 7 games against teams not named the New Jersey Devils, the Sabres have scored goals in only 2 ways - on the power play, or from shots taken by defensemen within about 5 feet of the point. This stretch begins after the covid halt, goes 5 consecutive games, takes a break for NJ, and then returns vs. Philly again. 

On a period-by-period breakdown, the first stretch spanned 18 periods, or the equivalent of 6 games. 18 straight periods, and 7 consecutive non-Devils games and counting, of point shots and power plays being our only source of offense. 

Eichel, Hall, Reinhart, Skinner, Olofsson, Staal, Dahlin. Why can't these guys peel off the wall? What do they do in practice? It's not an effort thing, I see guys skating as hard as they ever have (which includes the obviously frustrating Eichel glides to the bench, but he's not visually exerting less effort than he was when he could do so much more than this, so that can't be it?) It has to be a practice thing, no? 

But even a focused effort of addressing this somehow and some way, at this point, would feel like doing nothing more than bringing a can of furniture polish and a belt sander to a burnt-down house that sits in smoldering ruins. 

By practice thing, you are referring to the lack of practice right? Because they have none and Eichel got even less than others in training camp.

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1 minute ago, SDS said:

By practice thing, you are referring to the lack of practice right? Because they have none and Eichel got even less than others in training camp.

Perhaps - what is the practice scenario? Looking at schedule density I can see why they'd barely have any nowadays. I assume they got a couple weeks in during TC and the early season. Either way, the futility they have in trying to get off of the boards, compared to what Philly was doing this weekend and how much space every player was able to make and use at all times (and I don't necessarily think the Sabres looked that bad at defending, save for some stretches Sunday, and naturalstattrick seems to agree with this like they have the last couple of years) makes the Sabres look like they are playing a different sport.  


And this isn't new. I remember compiling stuff that suggested that they are the worst team at generating good looks for any 2 year span you could choose since the tank began. 

It just seems like it might have hit local minimum this year (they can't be as bad as the tank sabres, right?)

There has to be something off with the substance or style or lack of drills, repetition, something, that has made this the case so consistently. Something needs to build the fluidity and chemistry up that allows teams to do this, and even though BUF has had it rough this year, we have good players, many of them have been together multiple years, other teams have their own trials and tribulations, so where else could this blame be pinned? 

GR was on in the garage while dad was working on a car recently, and I overheard someone (Paul?) complaining that the Sabres always go offside in practice, and nobody does anything about it. I dismissed it at the time because sometimes I think Paul picks weird stuff to make a big deal out of, but what if the janky, strained, minimalistic offense is a reflection of neglected skills that could easily be crafted given the sheer volume of raw talent available?

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8 minutes ago, Gatorman0519 said:

The KA hire reeks of Ralph Wilsons hire of Buddy Nix "because I know him".

The KA hire reeks of the Pegulas saying who can we get to take this job and that we can control. It’s literally that simple. The Pegulas are getting everything they deserve with this clownshow organization. 

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Just now, Billznut said:

The KA hire reeks of the Pegulas saying who can we get to take this job and that we can control. It’s literally that simple. The Pegulas are getting everything they deserve with this clownshow organization. 

the last decent GM we had was Darcy... yikes

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1 hour ago, SDS said:

I would think if there’s a media event tomorrow then there would be an announcement, no?

No. I think it will be the old vote of confidence by the GM, which can be the kiss of death. My friend in Columbus thinks that Torts has somewhat lost the team. We'll see. 

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Torts is not going anywhere.  I've seen or heard no speculation of it.  He's the best coach they've ever had.  Any (mediocre) heights they've achieved were all under Torts. They just traded their top center when he didn't fit with the culture/system in place.  

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2 minutes ago, Thwomp! said:

Torts is not going anywhere.  I've seen or heard no speculation of it.  He's the best coach they've ever had.  Any (mediocre) heights they've achieved were all under Torts. They just traded their top center when he didn't fit with the culture/system in place.  

Well that makes it official then if you haven’t seen or heard anything. I simple google search says otherwise but that’s probably all fake news

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