GDT: 4/07/24 Buffalo Sabres @ Detroit Red Wings 1 PM, TV: TNT and Radio

[Pimlach]

2 hours ago, 7+6=13 said:

This is the Ruff residence,  who may I ask is calling?

If that is the plan then interview Ruff, Gallant, Berube and at least one highly regarded up and coming guy.   Make this the job coaches want.  

Have real criteria in place BEFORE the interviews start.   

Evaluate based on the criteria , then pick a coach.  Support the coach and give him freedom to go his way, and take his inputs into the roster.   
 

In other words, run a professional organization.  

[WhenWillItEnd66]

So we are done with the playoff nonsense,  right?

[Pimlach]

2 hours ago, Crusader1969 said:

The last couple of games have proved that there are a couple of players who should not be in the opening night line-up

1) Jeff Skinner - the stink of 1000 games and no playoffs is much too strong to ignore

2) Henri Jokiharju- minus 2 within the first 5 mins.  Both times with soft D.  (Yes I know that Quinn made terrible passes on both). Then the penalty that led to the 3rd goal 

The bottom 6 needs a lot of work. - only guys on the roster right now that should be considered are Greenway, Krebs (though that's not 100%), Girgensons (4th line winger).  Meaning you could see 4 or 5 new faces to fill out the bottom 2 lines 

 

Yes.  I think 8 players in total need to be upgraded.  Luckily many are bottom 6 so not too hard to do that part of it. 
 

I wish we had a grown man on defense somewhere.  Give me Clifton’s jam in a heavy weight body and include hockey brains and winning pedigree.  That is why I ponder the Mitts for Byram trade. He is not that guy.  Maybe he is better than I see?   But we need the guy I describe in the top 4.   Mule isn’t physical enough and he gets hurt a lot - I hope he could be that guy. 
 

Replacing Mitts is a priority.  

[Pimlach]

2 hours ago, pastajoe said:

Time to start playing Comrie to improve their draft position.

Might as well give the home game to Levi.  

[pastajoe]

12 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Might as well give the home game to Levi.  

Nah, keep him in Rochester where he’s needed to help the Amerks try to win the division.

[Billznut]

40 minutes ago, WhenWillItEnd66 said:

So we are done with the playoff nonsense,  right?

There will still be a couple stragglers guaranteed. 

[Billznut]

3 hours ago, Pimlach said:

Hey, they drafted  Benson at 13 last year and he made the team.  What does that say about the level of our forwards?  
 

Looking forward to see what Adams does with this coaching staff.  
Looking forward to how Adams handles Byram’s contract.  
Looking forward to see how they replace Mitts.  
Looking forward to acquiring a big, tough, hard hitting heavyweight defenseman.  
Looking forward to adding a power forward.  
Looking forward to fixing the 4th line. 

Looking forward to Adams replacing the 8 worst players on this team next year.  

If Adams accomplishes 10% of your list, I’ll be SHOCKED. 

[OverPowerYou]

Well, it’s back to football season 

[HOUSE]

Great 

Another wasted season

[JustOneParade]

1 hour ago, Pimlach said:

If that is the plan then interview Ruff, Gallant, Berube and at least one highly regarded up and coming guy.   Make this the job coaches want.  

Have real criteria in place BEFORE the interviews start.   

Evaluate based on the criteria , then pick a coach.  Support the coach and give him freedom to go his way, and take his inputs into the roster.   
 

In other words, run a professional organization.  

I completely agree with you Punch. But I feel like any competent, demanding coach will want to turn over a chunk of this roster. And we now know that isn’t in KA’s plan. So the interviews will end quickly. Thus I think your process would need to be under the oversight of a new GM.

[GoPuckYourself]

3 hours ago, pastajoe said:

Time to start playing Comrie to improve their draft position.

They clearly dont need to they're losing just fine without him.

[JustOneParade]

Honestly I’ve been conflicted for a while about the possibility of the Sabres making the playoffs. On one hand it would be important for the players and coaching staff to experience playoff hockey for their continued growth. On the other hand, after watching playoff hockey for the last few years, the Sabres as presently constructed would get physically abused. It would be really hard to see.

[PerreaultForever]

4 hours ago, Claude Balls said:

It's just a waste of money at this point.

at this point? It's been at this point for 13 years. 

[Gatorman0519]

No GM survives 4 years with no real significant improvement in the standings right?  

[PerreaultForever]

1 hour ago, Pimlach said:

Yes.  I think 8 players in total need to be upgraded.  Luckily many are bottom 6 so not too hard to do that part of it. 
 

I wish we had a grown man on defense somewhere.  Give me Clifton’s jam in a heavy weight body and include hockey brains and winning pedigree.  That is why I ponder the Mitts for Byram trade. He is not that guy.  Maybe he is better than I see?   But we need the guy I describe in the top 4.   Mule isn’t physical enough and he gets hurt a lot - I hope he could be that guy. 
 

Replacing Mitts is a priority.  

I totally agree with you on Byram. He is like what they already have and he does not have the strength needed. I prefer a D that plays more D but Adams seems to think it's all about speed and puck movement and not about defending. He just shuffled issues around with what was available. Now we have a hole at center. 

I mean think about it, our top center is a converted winger. He's fine on the offensive side of things but he doesn't defend well overall. Number two is an underachiever in Cozens who is playing at a 3 or 4 C level this year. I hope he will bounce back, but he's not a top line guy for sure. After that it's just garbage. We really need TWO centers minimum imo. 

2 minutes ago, Gatorman0519 said:

No GM survives 4 years with no real significant improvement in the standings right?  

He shouldn't. 

[Pimlach]

48 minutes ago, JustOneParade said:

Honestly I’ve been conflicted for a while about the possibility of the Sabres making the playoffs. On one hand it would be important for the players and coaching staff to experience playoff hockey for their continued growth. On the other hand, after watching playoff hockey for the last few years, the Sabres as presently constructed would get physically abused. It would be really hard to see.

They would grow up quicker if that happened.  

[Claude Balls]

56 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

at this point? It's been at this point for 13 years. 

I could give it a couple years, but yeah, at this point, 10 years has been way too many. I haven't paid for a ticket since 2015. Last game I was at was when Evander Kane lobbed a pass up to Eichel who had a clean break away against Carolina's Cam Ward and scored the OT winner with 1 second left. I thought that was a sign of times to come. Wow was I wrong. 

[inkman]

1 hour ago, Pimlach said:

They would grow up quicker if that happened.  

I just don’t think you can have a team of passengers.  That’s what the Sabres are. I guess Dahlin might not be but I find him very hard to like. Just not my style of player.  If they had a Tkachuk, Jenner, Doughty, Trouba, Larkin, someone of that ilk, I’d live with Dahlin’s game.  

[OverPowerYou]

Is everyone going to jump on the predators bandwagon in a week or so?  I know I may be. There was a lot of talk about their GM not putting up with their crap and then turning the team around. I like that style and that’s what we need here. That’ll be a team to keep an eye out come playoff time 

Edited April 8 by OverPowerYou

[Stoner]

4 hours ago, Billznut said:

There will still be a couple stragglers guaranteed. 

Odds are down to 49%.

[thewookie1]

2 hours ago, inkman said:

I just don’t think you can have a team of passengers.  That’s what the Sabres are. I guess Dahlin might not be but I find him very hard to like. Just not my style of player.  If they had a Tkachuk, Jenner, Doughty, Trouba, Larkin, someone of that ilk, I’d live with Dahlin’s game.  

Not sure how Dahlin doesn't fit your standards; he has a lot in common with Doughty 

Also Larkin is completely different from all the rest listed.

[Doohicksie]

5 hours ago, OverPowerYou said:

Well, it’s back to football season 

I'm fortunate to live in Texas Rangers country (although they lost tonight, but still leading the AL West at 6-3).

[Buffalo Super Fan]

What a pathetic first 8 minutes of the game. Don Granato has to go and replaced by Lindy Ruff. I wouldn’t fire Don Granato I would create a new hockey position hockey coaching consultant Lindy Ruff. Don Granato is still the head coach but do what the Miami Marlins did to force there GM Kim Ng out taking her power away to force her quit because she would have to answer to a newly created position take Don Granato power away. The Don Granato contract just says he is the head coach which he still would be but with no power. Lindy Ruff is on the Sabres bench to overrule Don Granato with Lindy Ruff having final say so Don Granato quits so you don’t have to pay him a dime if he quits if he doesn’t we continue with Lindy Ruff coaching consultant. Let Don Granato go to court he won’t win because no one is firing him to sit home and collect a salary let him help run Sabres practices with Lindy Ruff. That is what I would do to get out of the Don Granato contract extension. Don Granato has too much of an ego he will quit it’s human nature in my opinion. Go Sabres! Let’s Go Buffalo 

[\GoBillsInDallas/]

[LGR4GM]

18 hours ago, mjd1001 said:

Which means they are a lot better once you hit the first intermission, meaning the coaches are great at making adjustments.  It can be argued either way.  To me wins and losses, goals scored vs allowed across the entire game matter, when goals are scored vs allowed mean virtually nothing compared to the totals across the entire game.

The coaches suck. The first period killed them. Who gives a rat fart in a cat5 if the coaches adjusted after. 

"With four games to play, the Sabres have allowed 94 goals in the first period this season, the most of any team in the NHL. They have a first-period goal differential of minus-33 this season. They’re 7-21-1 when they allow two or more first-period goals this season."

https://theathletic.com/5397959/2024/04/07/sabres-red-wings-playoffs?source=user-shared-article