What Now?

[French Collection]

Well, they have a huge challenge now.

This is a point in the season where they pull up their work boots and find the inner resolve to work together and win as a team.

Find a way to stay in games to get a point or two to remain within reach of a playoff spot.

Tuch will be back, Tage will be back and so will Quinn.

KA might move someone better than Bloom for someone better than Stillman.

[Curt]

10 minutes ago, Gatorman0519 said:

I’m not sure we grasp how insane the whole front office is when you put a young kid in the pipes right away and expect him to carry the load and get us to the playoffs. It’s sheer madness. And that’s one of many bizarre decisions. 
 

In normal organizations, he would have done at least a year in the AHL (probably two) and they would have signed a dependable vet on a 2-3 year contract. 
 

it’s madness. 

Yup.  You at least put him in the AHL and if he is awesome there for half a season, give him some NHL games in the 2nd half.  At least make him show it at the lower level.

[LabattBlue]

How did KA believe that Levi was ready to handle at least 40-50 games, and then to make it worse, Plan B was UPL & Comrie?
 

He should be fired for this alone, but now he will compound the problem, by refusing to give him time in the AHL. 

[DarthEbriate]

What now? Opportunity. Mitts gets to play 1C and get an extension or at least get something better through arbitration.

[inkman]

1 minute ago, DarthEbriate said:

What now? Opportunity. Mitts gets to play 1C and get an extension or at least get something better through arbitration.

Yep.  Mitts and Cozens need to step up as 1C & 2C and keep the ship afloat.  They can do it.  We’ve seen it over the last calendar year.  It’s up to them to take control of the top 2 lines. Sprinkle in some Kulich and Rosen where needed.  Make a delicious sauce.  

[Radar]

43 minutes ago, LabattBlue said:

How did KA believe that Levi was ready to handle at least 40-50 games, and then to make it worse, Plan B was UPL & Comrie?
 

He should be fired for this alone, but now he will compound the problem, by refusing to give him time in the AHL. 

Not sure I'm ready to say fire him but he definitely deserves to be scrutinized over the handling of the goaltending needs for this team.

[Mango]

9 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Sadly I don’t think there is much KA can do at this point to save the season.  

So what can he do now?
1.  Send Levi down.  KA needs to take the pressure off the kid and allow him to figure it out. Might as well give Cooley the backup role for now.

2.  Call up Kulich and Rosen.  What could it hurt? We are down to 5 productive forwards - Mitts, Cozens, Skinner, JJP and Greenway.  Hard to make 3 capable lines out of 5 forwards.  

3. Hit the phones. Find out who is available and at what cost.  

4. Re-think the PP.  With TnT out, we have a unique opportunity to try a whole new approach to the PP. Lets try running in through Mitts in the middle.  Lets use Greenway to set up screens.  
 

I missed this one. After the way we played the Pens, then the state of the Bills, a Bruins beating would have hit me pretty hard.

Did Cozens finally have a good game? 

I imagine there was likely a lot wrong with last night. 

[Norcal]

It's gonna take a competent GM to get out of this. 

The goaltending isn't sustainable for a full season.

If I was GMKA i'd send Levi down asap with the plan to leave him there this season.

I'd jump on the phone and trade for a vet G who can hold down #1 duties this season and include one of UPL or Comrie in the deal, if they'll take em.

It's gonna cost something, atleast a pick and prospect they'd rather keep. 

D stop using Tuch and Tage on the PK and look for some help in the form of a guy or two to eat those minutes and not much else. 

I'd call up Kulich and give him some games.

I know its still early, there may be time to salvage the season but I'd do something! Can't do nothing imo. 

 

 

 

[thewookie1]

1 hour ago, Gatorman0519 said:

I’m not sure we grasp how insane the whole front office is when you put a young kid in the pipes right away and expect him to carry the load and get us to the playoffs. It’s sheer madness. And that’s one of many bizarre decisions. 
 

In normal organizations, he would have done at least a year in the AHL (probably two) and they would have signed a dependable vet on a 2-3 year contract. 
 

it’s madness. 

There wasn't any this offseason that actually went to UFA

[Stads]

12 hours ago, Brawndo said:

Matt Ellis would be the most likely candidate 

I couldn't deal with Rob saying, "Talked with head coach Matty Ellis during the break. He says they need to settle down, stick to the game plan, and start getting to the dirty areas. They hope to cut into this 3-0 deficit."

[nucci]

5 minutes ago, Stads said:

I couldn't deal with Rob saying, "Talked with head coach Matty Ellis during the break. He says they need to settle down, stick to the game plan, and start getting to the dirty areas. They hope to cut into this 3-0 deficit."

and get pucks to the net....because how the hell else do you score?

[atoq]

21 minutes ago, thewookie1 said:

There wasn't any this offseason that actually went to UFA

This is the worst argument. Goaltending has been a problem since KA was hired years ago in 2020, and he's only let the position get weaker since then.

[mjd1001]

13 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

The waiting for Levi plan isn’t working.

The forwards are lost and injuries continue to hamper the group.

The PP is a mess.  

This team is teetering on oblivion after just 16 games.

The Bruins proved tonight that the distance between the 2 teams is the Grand Canyon.

What now? Fire coaches? Bring up Rosen and Kulich? Trade for forward help?  Hope Quinn returns early somehow! 

Despite a growing call for it, I don't think firing the coaches fixes things.

Levi needs sometime to adjust.  That might be things click for him later in the year, or it means he needs some time in Rochester, I don't know. but if he IS going to adjust its going to take time.

Tuch hasn't been right since camp, all season he hasn't been himself.  He missed time in Camp, he missed practice time in the first couple weeks, he is missing time now. He has to have some kind of nagging injury, again, TIME will fix that, a coaching change won't.

Thompson.  Same thing, a slightly slow start but they he started producing, now he's dealing with injuries. A coaching Change?  Not going to fix that.

Cozens...a slow start, now he's playing with a shield, not sure if that impacts his game or not.

As I said other posts, Dahline is playing very good. HOWEVER last year he was playing great and had stretches of Elite play.

I'm not typing this saying Granato should be extended and have a guarantee of not getting fired, but firing him doesn't help Tuch or Thompson heal, it doesn't help Tuch has been playing with something all season it seems. Unless you think a coaching change will immediatly make Levi play like he has a season more experience and it will do something to make Dahline and Cozens increase their level of play...well, I just don't see how it changes things much except gives us fans something to hang our hat on for a little more hope.

Its pretty apparent Tuch has been playing (or trying to) play most of they year through something. Thompson is hurt. Quinn is hurt.  Samuelsson is ALWAYS getting hurt.  It sucks, but most teams will have their play take a step back when they are going through that.

[Thorny]

10 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

Sabres are caught in a Mobius loop. No matter which direction they take, they end up in the same place. 

There is only one constant through all of this and you know who he frakkin' well is. 

I’m honestly getting to this point. It’s a very well established common denominator. We’ve been historically bad since he took over outside the first few months 

[Thorny]

3 hours ago, Mango said:

I’ve been asking this for a bit. 

Given how common trades are much more common in the NHL. How long it takes draft picks to evolve into NHL players. The sheer number of leagues to manage your own prospects in and scout for new ones?

Does managing your amateur scouting department alone make you a good GM?

Im tempted to put this one on Adams more than Meatballs

 

It’s almost assuredly on Adams. The only caveat being if he’s a glorified yes man to Terry 

2 hours ago, Gatorman0519 said:

I’m not sure we grasp how insane the whole front office is when you put a young kid in the pipes right away and expect him to carry the load and get us to the playoffs. It’s sheer madness. And that’s one of many bizarre decisions. 
 

In normal organizations, he would have done at least a year in the AHL (probably two) and they would have signed a dependable vet on a 2-3 year contract. 
 

it’s madness. 

Particularly because we literally structured the whole time line around the kid 

[rickshaw]

5 hours ago, Night Train said:

This. Too many players who avoid the physical game and won't play 200 ft.  Outright gutless many nights. 

Last night Greenway basically did nothing with his big body. Letting Dahlin get roughed up should be an absolute no-no yet nobody does Jack. And I think, now that I’ve thought about it, we are known as a soft team and other teams know it and unfortunately so do the refs, so until we become tougher, and meaner, it isn’t going to change. (Major run on sentence there, my bad)

[Thorny]

2 hours ago, French Collection said:

Well, they have a huge challenge now.

This is a point in the season where they pull up their work boots and find the inner resolve to work together and win as a team.

Find a way to stay in games to get a point or two to remain within reach of a playoff spot.

Tuch will be back, Tage will be back and so will Quinn.

KA might move someone better than Bloom for someone better than Stillman.

Agree. No reason this needs to be over 

2 hours ago, LabattBlue said:

How did KA believe that Levi was ready to handle at least 40-50 games, and then to make it worse, Plan B was UPL & Comrie?
 

He should be fired for this alone, but now he will compound the problem, by refusing to give him time in the AHL. 

bUT wHo eVeN wAs tHeRe?!

[Stads]

55 minutes ago, nucci said:

and get pucks to the net....because how the hell else do you score?

Matty Ellis is big on pucks to the net. Also likes to play a "hard" game. Wants to always go down 2-0 because it's the hardest lead in hockey. Have a full-team effort and play for 60 minutes

Please feel free to add your favorite cliche

[rickshaw]

1 hour ago, Mango said:

Did Cozens finally have a good game? 

 

He looks like he’s still recovering from the all-star vacation. 

[Thorny]

1 hour ago, Norcal said:

It's gonna take a competent GM to get out of this. 

The goaltending isn't sustainable for a full season.

If I was GMKA i'd send Levi down asap with the plan to leave him there this season.

I'd jump on the phone and trade for a vet G who can hold down #1 duties this season and include one of UPL or Comrie in the deal, if they'll take em.

It's gonna cost something, atleast a pick and prospect they'd rather keep. 

D stop using Tuch and Tage on the PK and look for some help in the form of a guy or two to eat those minutes and not much else. 

I'd call up Kulich and give him some games.

I know its still early, there may be time to salvage the season but I'd do something! Can't do nothing imo. 

 

 

 

Yep. It’s salvageable if they want it to be 

[bob_sauve28]

Soldier on and win the next game! 

[Mr. Allen]

2 hours ago, DarthEbriate said:

What now? Opportunity. Mitts gets to play 1C and get an extension or at least get something better through arbitration.

Mitts is seeing $$$$$ with this news.  Hopefully we can afford him now.  

[GASabresIUFAN]

The Levi situation is the goaltender version of Mitts.  Mitts signed after his college season ended and was excellent with 5 pts in 6 games.  The next season Jbot threw him to the wolves and although he survived the season, it was pretty clear he wasn’t NHL ready.  

Levi signs after his college season and was mostly excellent in his 7 game tryout.  KA anoints him the no.1 G and it’s clear now he’s not ready for the job.   Like Mitts before him he should have been sent down.  Let’s not make the same mistake twice.  Send Levi down and let him earn his way back. 

It’s sad when UPL is the best option, but that’s the bed KA made for us and the team.  

[Goldseatsaud]

Ted Sator

[Thorny]

27 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

The Levi situation is the goaltender version of Mitts.  Mitts signed after his college season ended and was excellent with 5 pts in 6 games.  The next season Jbot threw him to the wolves and although he survived the season, it was pretty clear he wasn’t NHL ready.  

Levi signs after his college season and was mostly excellent in his 7 game tryout.  KA anoints him the no.1 G and it’s clear now he’s not ready for the job.   Like Mitts before him he should have been sent down.  Let’s not make the same mistake twice.  Send Levi down and let him earn his way back. 

It’s sad when UPL is the best option, but that’s the bed KA made for us and the team.  

That’s a nice comp