GDT: 3/10/2022, Vegas Knight @ Buffalo Sabres, 7pm ESPN+ 📺 and wgr 📻

[Pimlach]

20 minutes ago, The Ghost of Yuri said:

Don't kid yourselves:  Kevyn had already identified Sam for a trade probably even before he was GM.  That's why as GM he only signed him to a one-year deal; he knew it was Sam's last season in the blue & gold.

Bots failed to extend him when he had the chance.  By the time Adams got in there Sam was ready to go rather than do another rebuild with a third rookie GM.  So the played out the year and played well, making no waves, setting himself up to get out.  

[JohnC]

18 minutes ago, The Ghost of Yuri said:

But the WHY of all of that was Jack.  It was the fans lustily rejecting the past Sabre and heartily throwing their support to the current Sabres.  But don't kid yourself, the Sabres' game was all about the response directed toward Jack.

I hope the Knights miss the playoffs this season and every season Jack plays for them.  I hope he never plays a playoff game in his life.

I agree that the fans were more involved with responding to Jack than they were to the game. And I consider that to be sad state of affairs. As I said before I was ecstatic about the win rather than some post game comments from a player who stated what he felt. The fans are entitled to express their feelings; and the player is entitled to do the same. 

Edited March 12, 2022 by JohnC

[Carmel Corn]

7 minutes ago, The Ghost of Yuri said:

He wasn't happy about not having a good enough team around him to make the playoffs; when Kevyn said fine, then let's do it right, Jack's was response was "I don't want to be part of another rebuild."  Okay, then be part of the gradual fall into mediocrity with VGK.

Agree!  If healthy, then yes VGK is a playoff caliber roster....but Pacioretty (33), Marchessault (31), Pietrangelo (32), Stone (29), McNabb (31), Lehner (30), etc. suggests that VGK may be looking at their own rebuild soon...and hopefully by then our Sabres are playoff contenders.

[Doohickie]

49 minutes ago, JohnC said:

It was well known that Jack wanted out. I don't blame him for not wanting to be part of another rebuild... Jack is in a better situation for himself as are the Sabres considering the situation.

First part:  I don't care what he wants, he signed a contract with the Sabres.  To me it's that simple.  I tried not to care if he was an ***** as long as he was our *****.  But as soon as he punched out he became just another ***** to me.

The second I don't accept.  That was the impression when he was traded but with the Knights riding a 3 game losing streak and on the brink of falling out of playoff contention, is his situation with the Knights any better?  Honestly I hope he goes his whole career without playing in a playoff game. 

With the changes Kevyn Adams made once he got the green light to do his rebuild, if you add pre-injury Jack (you know the one that decided he wanted out), manage to retain Ullmark or another decent goalie, and the maturing young core, I really think the Sabres could have cracked into the playoffs this year or next.

But Jack wanting out, leading Adams to try a quick playoff build with the likes of Hall, Staal, Rieder, etc., set the real rebuild he wanted to do back a year.  Had it started a year earlier I really believe we would be either on the brink of or in a playoff position right now.

So yeah, I DO blame him.

Edited March 12, 2022 by The Ghost of Yuri

[Doohickie]

1 hour ago, Carmel Corn said:

Eichel ends up scoring VGK's first goal from in front of the net

I just watched the replay.  Why in blazes was Eichel so late on the rush?  Yeah, he probably scored because of that but how come he wasn't part of the initial line rush?

[PromoTheRobot]

1 hour ago, JohnC said:

I live out of town. Other than a short visit for a funeral I have not been in town for years. I watch most of the Sabre games on Directv's Centre Ice. So what's your point? 

I just wondered if you lived close enough to go to games and if you have. 

[SwampD]

Had to watch this again.

That Krebs goal was beautiful.

Edited March 12, 2022 by SwampD

[woods-racer]

10 hours ago, JohnC said:

Much of the dramatic decline in attendance in Buffalo is due to a decade of a poorly run franchise. Look at the team's record over the past number of years? That's the biggest contributor to the decline in attendance. That's the reality. 

Correct, much of the decline. How much is the border being closed? 20%? Mandates 20%? Being bad 40%? Do you think there would have been that many people there with the mandates still in effect?

The number of fans were there is also largely driven by, because they could.

[carpandean]

9 hours ago, JohnC said:

I agree that the fans were more involved with responding to Jack than they were to the game. And I consider that to be sad state of affairs. As I said before I was ecstatic about the win rather than some post game comments from a player who stated what he felt. The fans are entitled to express their feelings; and the player is entitled to do the same. 

My biggest issue with Jack's statement was the "only took seven years" part, which is patently false.  I haven't been to a lot of games over those seven years, and none over the last two, but at the ones that I did go to, the fans were very engaged.  I was at the 10th game in "the streak" (against the Sharks), and it was crazy loud the whole game.  In fact, the only issue was that the really loud "1, 2, 3, ..., 9, 10 ... WE WANT 11!" chants came too early in the 3rd before the Sabres blew the lead.  Fortunately, the pulled it out in overtime.  If Jack had said that he hadn't heard it that loud in years, or something like that, it wouldn't have been a big deal.  As you said, a poorly run team has caused an undeniable decline ... consistent losing will drain the most ravenous fan base.  Instead, he literally said that the fans weren't engaged at all during his entire tenure ... horse s**t!  A player isn't entitled to express "feelings" that are lies, especially when they're shots at the fans, not management.

 

[PASabreFan]

It was hyperbole to make a point. Again, he wasn't wrong.

[carpandean]

4 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

It was hyperbole to make a point. Again, he wasn't wrong.

Again, yes he was.  Never engaged in seven years is wrong.

[JohnC]

1 hour ago, carpandean said:

My biggest issue with Jack's statement was the "only took seven years" part, which is patently false.  I haven't been to a lot of games over those seven years, and none over the last two, but at the ones that I did go to, the fans were very engaged.  I was at the 10th game in "the streak" (against the Sharks), and it was crazy loud the whole game.  In fact, the only issue was that the really loud "1, 2, 3, ..., 9, 10 ... WE WANT 11!" chants came too early in the 3rd before the Sabres blew the lead.  Fortunately, the pulled it out in overtime.  If Jack had said that he hadn't heard it that loud in years, or something like that, it wouldn't have been a big deal.  As you said, a poorly run team has caused an undeniable decline ... consistent losing will drain the most ravenous fan base.  Instead, he literally said that the fans weren't engaged at all during his entire tenure ... horse s**t!  A player isn't entitled to express "feelings" that are lies, especially when they're shots at the fans, not management.

 

The setting wasn't a court where statements have to be scrupulously and antiseptically accurate. His post game comments were made after a hard fought game where he was booed throughout. You don't think that emotions and some resentments can be exhibited in that type of setting? Let's get real here! The fans are entitled to express their feelings. And they do. And players are entitled to express their feelings. And they do. 

A player is honest in saying how he feels after a hard fought competition. What did you expect? A lawyerly response? He could have responded with an inauthentic pablum of PR platitudes. He didn't. Fans expressed how they felt about him throughout the game; and he expressed how he felt after the game.  What is wrong with that? 

[JohnC]

3 hours ago, SwampD said:

Had to watch this again.

That Krebs goal was beautiful.

When watching Krebs play the talent is evident. He is a young player who needs to get stronger. There are episodes where you get wowed by his playmaking ability. And then there are spells where he is outmuscled off the puck and in his defensive responsibilities. Tage, Mitts and to a lesser extent Dahlin struggled early on keeping up with stronger NHL players. It took time for them to get stronger. Now you can see the results where they physically match up with the opposition. And the same issue applies to Quinn. Especially for Quinn and Krebs offseason conditioning is going to be critical for next season success. 

[PASabreFan]

2 hours ago, carpandean said:

Again, yes he was.  Never engaged in seven years is wrong.

He said "get in the game." Fans in that arena can "get in the game" but it takes extraordinary events like long winning streaks, playoffs, Eichel's return. Jack noticed and it bothered him and like a lot situations in life it only came out when passion was high.

[GoPre]

I know this is a bit late, but this guy nailed it.