GDT:Somethings Got to Give! Buffalo at New Jersey March 16, 2021 7pm MSG WGR

[Radar]

7 minutes ago, dudacek said:

What player, what coach, what hockey executive, what sponsor, and — most importantly — what fan?

They've used up most of the considerable good will capital this franchise accumulated over its first 40 years.

I don't think it is an exaggeration to say the future of the business is at risk.

I agree. They have very possibly run this franchise into the ground. It could be the Pegulas will be unable to revive it. It can't be an attractive job for anyone other than a hockey czar with full authority and the Pegula ego probably prevents that. They need to sell and if they don't I can't believe people will buy their product much longer.

Edited March 16, 2021 by Radar

[dudacek]

13 minutes ago, LTS said:

Buffalo is an established market that craves hockey. Everyone recognizes that. This ownership team has pretty much used up its capital, but the franchise and the city continue to be held in high regard by many.

This ownership group may be on its last legs barring some miraculous turnaround, but I think everyone comes running back if the Sabres return to even a moderate level of respectability. 

 

 

You are falling back on two premises that some might take for granted, but actually show no signs of being true:

• The Pegulas will eventually sell and/or
• The team will eventually get better.

Don't underestimate the damage that has been done as old fans literally die, current fans fall out of love, and new fans fail to be nurtured, or the damage that can continue to be done the longer this continues.

Sports fandom is like a marriage.

 

Edited March 16, 2021 by dudacek

[IKnowPhysics]

I can put my self in Kevyn Adams's shoes, understand his preseason roster he built, and then look at the bad injuries, the bad COVID, the bad schedule, the bad puck luck, having a taxi squad rotate into practices, not having enough practices, the fire-and-ice (mostly ice) goaltending, the brutal division, the time needed for new players to adjust, the time needed for coaches to make adjustments, the promising powerplay teasing what could be, and the god damned Amerks also getting COVID.  And it's simply gotten so bad, that all of that entire zoo of mitigating circumstances, excuses if you prefer, even if they're valid, still do not add up to how bad the team is right now.

[LTS]

1 minute ago, dudacek said:

 

You are falling back on two premises that some might take for granted, but actually show no signs of being true:

• The Pegulas will eventually sell and/or
• The team will eventually get better.

Don't underestimate the damage done as old fans literally die, current fans fall out of love, and new fans fail to be nurtured.

 

That's true, but I think the Pegulas eventually sell if they can't get it right.  At some point they will care enough to not be tied to what they've created.

The team will eventually get better.  But potentially not for awhile.

I agree with your last statement, but the love for hockey in Buffalo is not solely seeded by the Sabres.  I think having a team, in market, that can win back hearts will do so. 

By no means am I saying this ideal, it's anything but.  I just give a lot of credit to the fans of hockey in Buffalo and surrounding areas.

[Torpedo Forecheck]

1 hour ago, Flashsabre said:

To start the 3 rd period Lindy comes out behind the Sabres bench and Ralph to the NJ bench.  Sabretooth removes his head to reveal it is Darcy. The gang is back together in Buffalo!😛

And the Sabres immediately begin to dismantle Ralphs's Devils!

[dudacek]

25 minutes ago, IKnowPhysics said:

I can put my self in Kevyn Adams's shoes, understand his preseason roster he built, and then look at the bad injuries, the bad COVID, the bad schedule, the bad puck luck, having a taxi squad rotate into practices, not having enough practices, the fire-and-ice (mostly ice) goaltending, the brutal division, the time needed for new players to adjust, the time needed for coaches to make adjustments, the promising powerplay teasing what could be, and the god damned Amerks also getting COVID.  And it's simply gotten so bad, that all of that entire zoo of mitigating circumstances, excuses if you prefer, even if they're valid, still do not add up to how bad the team is right now.

I crossed out the stuff that every other team faced.

The puck luck I might buy before the COVID break; since then, they've generally been embarrassingly bad

Let's say the goaltending generously cost us 4 points and the division another 4. So we're a 25th-placed team instead of a 31st.

Yahoo

Edited March 16, 2021 by dudacek

[Zamboni]

I’m going optimistic with this one ...

 

Sabres ... 3

Devils ... 2

 

Hall, Skinner or Miller with a goal

[Radar]

25 minutes ago, IKnowPhysics said:

I can put my self in Kevyn Adams's shoes, understand his preseason roster he built, and then look at the bad injuries, the bad COVID, the bad schedule, the bad puck luck, having a taxi squad rotate into practices, not having enough practices, the fire-and-ice (mostly ice) goaltending, the brutal division, the time needed for new players to adjust, the time needed for coaches to make adjustments, the promising powerplay teasing what could be, and the god damned Amerks also getting COVID.  And it's simply gotten so bad, that all of that entire zoo of mitigating circumstances, excuses if you prefer, even if they're valid, still do not add up to how bad the team is right now.

????????? Sounds exactly what I would say as their PR guy. That's the spin I expect they may use actually.

Just now, Zamboni said:

I’m going optimistic with this one ...

 

Sabres ... 3

Devils ... 2

 

Hall, Skinner or Miller with a goal

Let's face it the odds are they have to eventually win one and this may be their best chance this coming week.

[sabremike]

My new goal is to call Ralph a wanker and have it be audible on the broadcast.

[Brawndo]

 

[Stads]

Bryson is one of few things that is watchable on this friggin' team. Thank you for taking that away

[Thwomp!]

4 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

 

Bryson demoted?

[Cheektorado]

33 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

 

 

Edited March 16, 2021 by Cheektorado

[Huckleberry]

Man I really hope we win this one, I don't want to be wondering if we will break the penguins losing record in 10 days.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

3 hours ago, Curt said:

The game in NJ.

Forget it.  He's on a role.

[Pimlach]

1 hour ago, IKnowPhysics said:

I can put my self in Kevyn Adams's shoes, understand his preseason roster he built, and then look at the bad injuries, the bad COVID, the bad schedule, the bad puck luck, having a taxi squad rotate into practices, not having enough practices, the fire-and-ice (mostly ice) goaltending, the brutal division, the time needed for new players to adjust, the time needed for coaches to make adjustments, the promising powerplay teasing what could be, and the god damned Amerks also getting COVID.  And it's simply gotten so bad, that all of that entire zoo of mitigating circumstances, excuses if you prefer, even if they're valid, still do not add up to how bad the team is right now.

The team’s core players make up a fragile group that has been known to give up when things get tough.  Every year they bring in role players (Staahl, Hall, Reider) and fringe players ( Akin, Irwin) that we think can help but the Core players know nothing but losing.   Maybe if the coaching staff was better this team would have stepped up, despite circumstances you listed, but I doubt it.  
 

So you either fire the coach or we trade off the core players.  I think we need to do both.  

[pi2000]

Bryson a healthy scratch in favor of Davidson?

That alone is a fireable offense.

[Broken Ankles]

38 minutes ago, Thwomp! said:

Bryson demoted?

RK literally said this morning on Wgr Bryson’s play was the reason for Joki’s healthy scratch.  Was Bryson that bad in the last game?  Wasn't everyone? 
And if Adam’s has a hand in this, then they just cannot get on the same page. 

[LabattBlue]

Win or lose, who cares.  This team is a mess, and there is no cleaning it up in-season.

[Scottysabres]

Incoming trade alert.

I've traded my diet and fat burning regimen for 1 day of Beam & Coke.

The Sabres play this season has forced this trade.

That is all.

[Zamboni]

Meh ... Probably a prescheduled rotational thing with the taxi squad. Not surprised.

[Thwomp!]

Just now, Zamboni said:

Meh ... Probably a prescheduled rotational thing with the taxi squad. Not surprised.

 

[Pimlach]

1 hour ago, pi2000 said:

==============================================================
BUF even strength goal differential through 27 games = -42
BUF even strength minutes played through 27 games = 1428.82
exp+/- is a function of %min played at ES and team ES goal diff
TRpm(team relative +/-) is the diff btwn actual+/- and exp+/-
%min is % of ES minutes played
==============================================================
Team  Player                   TRpm    GP    +/-  exp+/-  %min
BUF Jake McCabe                8.37    13     2   -6.37   15.2
BUF Riley Sheahan              7.03    26    -1   -8.03   19.1
BUF Curtis Lazar               3.01    25    -5   -8.01   19.1
BUF Jacob Bryson               2.74    11    -3   -5.74   13.7
BUF Tobias Rieder              2.62    24    -5   -7.62   18.1
BUF Rasmus Asplund             2.53     5     1   -1.53    3.6
BUF Cody Eakin                 1.84    26    -7   -8.84   21.0
BUF Kyle Okposo                1.80    22    -6   -7.80   18.6
BUF William Borgen             1.79     4     0   -1.79    4.3
BUF Henri Jokiharju            1.47    18    -7   -8.47   20.2
BUF Jack Eichel                1.46    21    -9  -10.46   24.9
BUF Tage Thompson              1.15    12    -3   -4.15    9.9
BUF Dylan Cozens               0.25    20    -7   -7.25   17.3
BUF Rasmus Ristolainen         0.05    20   -11  -11.05   26.3
BUF Jeff Skinner              -0.20    24    -9   -8.80   20.9
BUF Matt Irwin                -0.28    14    -7   -6.72   16.0
BUF Brandon Davidson          -0.95     5    -3   -2.05    4.9
BUF Brandon Montour           -1.07    25   -15  -13.93   33.2
BUF Casey Mittelstadt         -2.85    12    -7   -4.15    9.9
BUF Colin Miller              -3.68    25   -16  -12.32   29.3
BUF Taylor Hall               -4.42    27   -17  -12.58   30.0
BUF Victor Olofsson           -5.39    27   -17  -11.61   27.6
BUF Eric Staal                -6.84    27   -18  -11.16   26.6
BUF Sam Reinhart              -7.83    25   -20  -12.17   29.0
BUF Rasmus Dahlin            -12.95    27   -27  -14.05   33.5
==============================================================

VS

==============================================================
NJD even strength goal differential through 25 games = -3
NJD even strength minutes played through 25 games = 1261.55
exp+/- is a function of %min played at ES and team ES goal diff
TRpm(team relative +/-) is the diff btwn actual+/- and exp+/-
%min is % of ES minutes played
==============================================================
Team  Player                   TRpm    GP    +/-  exp+/-  %min
NJD Matt Tennyson              6.30    10     6   -0.30   10.1
NJD Dmitry Kulikov             3.95    24     3   -0.95   31.6
NJD Andreas Johnsson           3.74    25     3   -0.74   24.7
NJD Ryan Murray                3.66    17     3   -0.66   22.1
NJD Yegor Sharangovich         3.62    23     3   -0.62   20.6
NJD Janne Kuokkanen            3.52    20     3   -0.52   17.2
NJD Mikhail Maltsev            3.32    13     3   -0.32   10.8
NJD Travis Zajac               2.63    21     2   -0.63   21.1
NJD Nathan Bastian             2.60    25     2   -0.60   19.8
NJD Nicholas Merkley           2.13     5     2   -0.13    4.4
NJD Jesper Bratt               0.61    19     0   -0.61   20.4
NJD Will Butcher               0.32     8     0   -0.32   10.5
NJD Nico Hischier              0.16     5     0   -0.16    5.3
NJD Jesper Boqvist             0.10     5     0   -0.10    3.2
NJD Ty Smith                  -1.00    25    -2   -1.00   33.2
NJD Jack Hughes               -1.03    25    -2   -0.97   32.2
NJD Miles Wood                -2.27    25    -3   -0.73   24.5
NJD Sami Vatanen              -2.49    15    -3   -0.51   17.0
NJD P.K. Subban               -2.90    25    -4   -1.10   36.6
NJD Kyle Palmieri             -3.17    24    -4   -0.83   27.6
NJD Michael McLeod            -3.44    23    -4   -0.56   18.7
NJD Damon Severson            -4.91    25    -6   -1.09   36.2
NJD Pavel Zacha               -7.22    25    -8   -0.78   25.9
NJD Nikita Gusev             -10.60    17   -11   -0.40   13.3
==============================================================

 

So if we swap the minutes of Dahlin and Asplund we should be better? 

8 minutes ago, pi2000 said:

Bryson a healthy scratch in favor of Davidson?

That alone is a fireable offense.

RK is just bizarre.  Bryson had played well.  He can’t be tired. Really, the guy that should sit is Dahlin.  

[Scottysabres]

3 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

So if we swap the minutes of Dahlin and Asplund we should be better? 

TA traffic cone has had more success at defending than Dahlin has. And sadly it's  the truth.

 

 

[Torpedo Forecheck]

Bryson being out certainly reduces the chances off winning, that and NJ sees it as a chance to get 2 points against a dog ***** team.