The next captain of the Sabres will be/should be

[PASabreFan]

9 hours ago, dudacek said:

He did it because he was the Rick Martin Award winner.

Anyone who doesn't think it's going to be Dahlin hasn't been paying attention.

Neither has anyone who doesn't think it should be Dahlin.

I honestly wonder if there's some weird mix of Euro-bias and people who are still thinking of 18-year-old Dahlin when this conversation happens.

He's the best player, the hardest worker, the guy who sticks his nose in the most, and the guy who cares the most.

I hope the "stand-up for his teammates" crowd was watching how that meeting of the minds at the end of tonight's game got started.

If his name Stemhavolinski and he had a five-o'clock shadow the poll would be unanimous.

Lovely take.

[GoPuckYourself]

This "youngest team in the league" bit is getting really old. Who's fault is that? They had a chances to upgrade Okposo/Girgensons/Olofsson  with better veteran leadership and they chose to re-sign those guys. They had a chance to upgrade the defense group with better veterans and they signed Eric Johnson and Connor Clifton, Clifton is a bit better but Eric Johnson was horrendous. They had chances to sign a veteran goaltender and went with Comrie again plus nothing was done in the offseason when Jack Quinn was injured which forced Benson into the lineup at 18 years old. Mismanagement all over this roster is why we are without playoffs for a 13th straight season and Adam/Granato add 3-4 years of the continued sucking. If we would have surrounded this young core with solid veterans instead of going the 750K route this team wouldn't have missed the playoffs by a point or missed this year imo. 

I stongly feel that if we retain both Adams/Granato for even a half season then this team will have to be completely rebuilt once again because the way we attain players, non leaders, players with skill but no will is starting to trickle down to everyone in the locker room and you can hear it in every interview now from Dahlin stating "We thought this was going to be easy" to Tuch stating "We're the youngest team in hockey" and Thompson yesterday stating "There was too much expectation", these to me are all words of non leaders again imo, I don't see a true leader on this team as of right now.

Edited April 12 by GoPuckYourself

[inkman]

10 hours ago, dudacek said:

He did it because he was the Rick Martin Award winner.

Anyone who doesn't think it's going to be Dahlin hasn't been paying attention.

Neither has anyone who doesn't think it should be Dahlin.

I honestly wonder if there's some weird mix of Euro-bias and people who are still thinking of 18-year-old Dahlin when this conversation happens.

He's the best player, the hardest worker, the guy who sticks his nose in the most, and the guy who cares the most.

I hope the "stand-up for his teammates" crowd was watching how that meeting of the minds at the end of tonight's game got started.

If his name Stemhavolinski and he had a five-o'clock shadow the poll would be unanimous.

His hit started it but he’s gotta grab someone there.  All your teammates did, not doing so shows that you aren’t in it with them.  I will sheepishly admit that I may subconsciously have an anti-euro bias.  The beard thing is probably the same.  If dude could grow one like Tuch, I’d probably like him more. Stupid, yes. It’s 52 years of my brain subconsciously interpreting beard=man.  

[PASabreFan]

GPY it's not just that the braintrust (ahem) wants the youngest teams in hockey it's that so called leaders on the team are parroting the phrase when asked to explain failure. Dahlin just did it, which disqualifies him even more in my mind (in addition to the blond hair and blue eyes and funny way of talkin').

Someone else nailed it. We don't have a captain on the roster. Maybe it's not a problem or maybe it's exactly what KA needs to be getting this summer.

[dudacek]

29 minutes ago, inkman said:

His hit started it but he’s gotta grab someone there.  All your teammates did, not doing so shows that you aren’t in it with them. 

Guess I gotta rewatch, but my memory was Dahlin being heavily engaged with someone in the scrum while the linesman was draped all over him and TJ Oshie was jumping on his back. Then he and Oshie got engaged directly with more official interference.

He was definitely in the thick of things.

[dudacek]

 

 

Yep, 26 was basically grabbed by the official from the beginning but he was swinging and his gloves come off.

Basically, it should have been him and Oshie, but Strome and the ref grabbed Dahlin and Clifton grabbed Oshie

Edited April 12 by dudacek

[That Aud Smell]

4 hours ago, Weave said:

Anti-Euro bias? Or you can’t let go of 18yr old Rasmus?

Neither? In his intensity, Dahlin reminds me a bit of Vanek -- just super wrapped up in his own thoughts, in his own head.

And I swear I've seen Dahlin make the #VanekFace

 

 

[Weave]

3 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

Neither? In his intensity, Dahlin reminds me a bit of Vanek -- just super wrapped up in his own thoughts, in his own head.

And I swear I've seen Dahlin make the #VanekFace

 

 

It was rhetorical, and referenced Duda’s bad take.

Vanek, hmmmm?…… more evidence.

[That Aud Smell]

8 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Yep, 26 was basically grabbed by the official from the beginning but his gloves were off and he was swinging.

Not that it matters, but 26 is just bracing for impact with his forearms up around his head as the Capitals come flying in. The linesman comes around and grabs him, I think, in an effort to protect him from a 2-on-1?

[PASabreFan]

What an absolute farce.

[That Aud Smell]

Just now, Weave said:

It was rhetorical, and referenced Duda’s bad take.

Vanek, hmmmm?…… more evidence.

I missed that context. Gotcha.

[Pimlach]

On 3/11/2024 at 2:50 AM, Huckleberry said:

Won't happen this year, maybe Byram who knows.

Byram??? 

He is 22 years old with 162 NHL games.   Take away his first week or so and he looks like a middle of the road second pair guy at best.  He is not Captain material.  

Giving it to Byram would be a huge slap in the face to Dahlin.  

[dudacek]

54 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

Not that it matters, but 26 is just bracing for impact with his forearms up around his head as the Capitals come flying in. The linesman comes around and grabs him, I think, in an effort to protect him from a 2-on-1?

My point was that Dahlin hardly seemed “not in it with them” like Inky suggests. He was engaged the entire time with 2 caps and a linesman. (Unlike a certain #8)

This one shows Dahlin starting things in response to Oshie’s hit on Tage.

 

Edited April 12 by dudacek

[Pimlach]

1 hour ago, dudacek said:

Guess I gotta rewatch, but my memory was Dahlin being heavily engaged with someone in the scrum while the linesman was draped all over him and TJ Oshie was jumping on his back. Then he and Oshie got engaged directly with more official interference.

He was definitely in the thick of things.

Oshie threw a late and overly aggressive hit on Thompson at the end of the period.  That started it.

Dahlin came in and blasted Oshie.  That escalated it.

Many Caps and officials pour in on Dahlin.  Dahlin was held by an official while Oshie threw punches at him.  #17 also threw punches at Dahlin while Dahlin was being held.  

Clifton was strong enough to pull Oshie out of there and hold him.   Cliffy and Oshie would be a good fight actually but it was obvious that Oshie did not want Clifton, he wanted Dahlin.   

Patch and OV both had Thompson, when OV saw that Thompson was in a battle with Patche pulled away and he stayed out of it.   The Caps had an extra guy out there with UPL in the net. 

Thompson pummeled Pacioretty with at least 6 good shots. 

Greenway grabbed Wilson.  Their fight was short.  Greenway lost his balance and fell before Wilson could really tee off.  Wilson was content to go just go home with a takedown on the scorecard. 

Dahlin did not start the fight but he came to Thompson's aid and escalated it.  

Now Thompson knows that he can throw'em, even though he probably shouldn't.   

For those who think that Thompson is not strong and in really good shape, they are wrong.  

 

Edited April 12 by Pimlach

[Doohickie]

11 minutes ago, dudacek said:

This one shows Dahlin starting things in response to Oshie’s hit on Tage.

And then Dahlin pitchforks Oshie down, Patches comes in toward Dahlin but Tage takes on Patches, and that's how Tommer ended up with Patches.

[PerreaultForever]

7 hours ago, SwampD said:

Yeah, but,… fans are stupid.

Yes of course. I do remember the Sabres brain trust saying "they know better" and I believe Pegula felt he had made a mistake listening to hockey people. Why listen to fans? Absolutely no point, Sabres know better, just look at the results. Geniuses! 

[PerreaultForever]

2 hours ago, Pimlach said:

Now Thompson knows that he can throw'em, even though he probably shouldn't.   

For those who think that Thompson is not strong and in really good shape, they are wrong.  

 

Why shouldn't he? Guy has huge hands and a really long reach, plus the height. I'm not saying he should go out and fight the Rempes and Oliviers of the league but he can and should handle his own battles now and again and also aid smaller team mates if the situation arises. He's fine. There are quite a few big name goal scorers in the last few decades that also drop them. 

Nobody has ever said he's not strong (at least I don't think so) just that he chooses not to use it far too often (and that's not about fighting that's just about getting in front and asserting his will physically or finishing his checks). He could be a dominant force if he wanted to. Wish he wanted to. 

Nothing wrong with a Gordie Howe hat trick now and again. 

[SwampD]

27 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

Yes of course. I do remember the Sabres brain trust saying "they know better" and I believe Pegula felt he had made a mistake listening to hockey people. Why listen to fans? Absolutely no point, Sabres know better, just look at the results. Geniuses! 

My point is that nobody knows what goes on in the room. None of us have any clue as to who the leaders are in the room. We’ve already covered this in the thread about the post game celebration. Fans like Tuch because he’s from WNY and wants to be here. They have no idea if he would be a good captain or even if he is a good leader now. To say it shouldn’t be Dahlin because of some fan voting marketing scheme is even more genius.

[SwampD]

Ftr, I would prefer a forward who is worthy of the captaincy. I don’t think he’s on the team, yet.

[No Goal]

7 hours ago, PASabreFan said:

GPY it's not just that the braintrust (ahem) wants the youngest teams in hockey it's that so called leaders on the team are parroting the phrase when asked to explain failure. Dahlin just did it, which disqualifies him even more in my mind (in addition to the blond hair and blue eyes and funny way of talkin').

Someone else nailed it. We don't have a captain on the roster. Maybe it's not a problem or maybe it's exactly what KA needs to be getting this summer.

Oh, let's bring in a hired gun like Steve Ott or Ryan O'Reilly to be our captain. That would guarantee success and long playoff runs. Oops

[Pimlach]

3 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

Why shouldn't he? Guy has huge hands and a really long reach, plus the height. I'm not saying he should go out and fight the Rempes and Oliviers of the league but he can and should handle his own battles now and again and also aid smaller team mates if the situation arises. He's fine. There are quite a few big name goal scorers in the last few decades that also drop them. 

Nobody has ever said he's not strong (at least I don't think so) just that he chooses not to use it far too often (and that's not about fighting that's just about getting in front and asserting his will physically or finishing his checks). He could be a dominant force if he wanted to. Wish he wanted to. 

Nothing wrong with a Gordie Howe hat trick now and again. 

I have read here many times that Thompson needs to hit the weight room.  He has been doing that for years.  He is strong but not versed in the skill of hockey fighting and he doesn't need to be.   

I agree with you.  Maybe this bout will wake him up to the fact that he can push around opponents if he has too.  He can create space using more than his reach.   

I was refreshing to see them handle themselves well against a tough veteran group like the Caps had on the ice.  

[Shoot da Puck]

On 3/10/2024 at 5:23 PM, Rasmus_ said:

Dahlin is the right and only choice.

 

 

[Thorny]

9 hours ago, PASabreFan said:

GPY it's not just that the braintrust (ahem) wants the youngest teams in hockey it's that so called leaders on the team are parroting the phrase when asked to explain failure. Dahlin just did it, which disqualifies him even more in my mind (in addition to the blond hair and blue eyes and funny way of talkin').

Someone else nailed it. We don't have a captain on the roster. Maybe it's not a problem or maybe it's exactly what KA needs to be getting this summer.

What did Dahlin say? I heard Tuch parrot it but missed have missed it

[dudacek]

1 hour ago, Thorny said:

What did Dahlin say? I heard Tuch parrot it but missed have missed it

Well there’s this unforgivable comment

“I want the Buffalo Sabres in the playoffs, and I’m never going to give up, and I think we’re close,” Dahlin said prior to Thursday’s 4-2 win over the Washington Capitals in the home finale at KeyBank Center. “I think we are a really good team. I think we’re the youngest team in the league, so, well, it sucked that we didn’t get in, but we have learned so many things from this year that we have to bring into next year and get better.”

[PerreaultForever]

8 hours ago, SwampD said:

My point is that nobody knows what goes on in the room. None of us have any clue as to who the leaders are in the room. We’ve already covered this in the thread about the post game celebration. Fans like Tuch because he’s from WNY and wants to be here. They have no idea if he would be a good captain or even if he is a good leader now. To say it shouldn’t be Dahlin because of some fan voting marketing scheme is even more genius.

I can't speak for everyone but what you say isn't true for me. I base it on more than that. I watch how he's elevated his game at times (lead by example), I noticed how it was him with RJ not Dahlin (remember that?), the way he does his own version of the goalie hug. There's lots of little things that are on camera, in addition to his community connection and desire to be here. I don't see these things from Dahlin post game and I don't see him leading during the game either. He is a star player and he does compete, but I see nothing on camera that says leader.

the locker room could of course be different. 

As I said, I expect it to be Dahlin but I think it should be Tuch. 

Maybe I am biased and haunted by the fact that I thought it should have been ROR and not Eichel and I was right and I'd hate to make the same mistake again.