Addition by Subtraction

[DarthEbriate]

54 minutes ago, Indabuff said:

I'm tempted.  What to put where name customization goes...

Something tax-related. The Taxman, Tax Consultant, Tax Collector?

[Taro T]

59 minutes ago, Indabuff said:

I'm tempted.  What to put where name customization goes...

Isn't it obvious?  Custom.

[LTS]

Are those really for sale?  Because I would buy one.

[Taro T]

7 minutes ago, LTS said:

Are those really for sale?  Because I would buy one.

Probably.  Did a quick internet search on Buffalo Sabres Palm Tree Shirts and didn't see those particular ones right off; but did see some other cool ones.  So, am guessing those are real.  And they're spectacular.

[LTS]

1 minute ago, Taro T said:

Probably.  Did a quick internet search on Buffalo Sabres Palm Tree Shirts and didn't see those particular ones right off; but did see some other cool ones.  So, am guessing those are real.  And they're spectacular.

One link and bye bye money... assuming they are not egregiously priced.

[Taro T]

8 minutes ago, LTS said:

One link and bye bye money... assuming they are not egregiously priced.

Not the same shirt @Indabuff found, but pretty cool.

 

https://powerwy.com/products/buffalo-sabres-nhl-team-colors-tropical-palm-trees-and-team-logo-3d-hawaiian-shirt?utm_campaign=BSP.powerwy.com.Hawaii&utm_source=BSP.powerwy.com.Hawaii&utm_content=BSP.powerwy.com.Hawaii&msclkid=f64094e7c3d91f2f4926fc79bbc09cf5

 

Disclaimer.  Have no idea whether this site is any good or not.  But they must've paid the most to have Buffalo Sabres Palm Tree Shirts pull up their name in a search.  Haven't bought one; but am tempted.  Maybe that could be the theme for this year's Meet Up.

Edited Friday at 12:13 AM by Taro T

[Indabuff]

38 minutes ago, LTS said:

Are those really for sale?  Because I would buy one.

They are, $35, not sure on shipping.  Probably terrible quality but it's the message that counts.

https://derekryanlawrence.com/product/buffalo-sabres-palm-coast-personalized-name-hawaiian-shirt-derekryanlawrence-com/?_gl=1*tiv7aj*_up*MQ..*_gs*MQ..&gclid=CjwKCAjwkvbEBhApEiwAKUz6-yersfiFIiObLc2LqptVhIdrKIJkzf2kEePCsbvx9n3iRWZRXQCbpRoCsY8QAvD_BwE&gbraid=0AAAABAtTlvU6Zz_rcFF0GNqVD3zPlY7e_

 

2 hours ago, DarthEbriate said:

Something tax-related. The Taxman, Tax Consultant, Tax Collector?

Good call, the first thought I had was Taxes.

[LTS]

15 hours ago, Indabuff said:

They are, $35, not sure on shipping.  Probably terrible quality but it's the message that counts.

https://derekryanlawrence.com/product/buffalo-sabres-palm-coast-personalized-name-hawaiian-shirt-derekryanlawrence-com/?_gl=1*tiv7aj*_up*MQ..*_gs*MQ..&gclid=CjwKCAjwkvbEBhApEiwAKUz6-yersfiFIiObLc2LqptVhIdrKIJkzf2kEePCsbvx9n3iRWZRXQCbpRoCsY8QAvD_BwE&gbraid=0AAAABAtTlvU6Zz_rcFF0GNqVD3zPlY7e_

 

Good call, the first thought I had was Taxes.

Interesting.  They appear to be a direct ship company that will print anything on a shirt.  Shipping is $4.99 but it's coming from overseas I think (7-12 day transit time).

Might be worth pulling the trigger... debating.

[Pimlach]

23 hours ago, Indabuff said:

I'm tempted.  What to put where name customization goes...

You should add some golf clubs.  

[Pimlach]

22 hours ago, DarthEbriate said:

Something tax-related. The Taxman, Tax Consultant, Tax Collector?

A Turbo Tax arm patch with Federal Tax Only capability

 

[dudacek]

We want the team to be better defensively and harder to play against, right?

Here are some statistical comparisons (all #s 5-on-5, green=Sabres got better, red=Sabres got worse)

Cozens/Norris

• TOI: 17:04/18:21
• DZone starts 10.8% /15.4%
• Shot attempts against per 60: 60.56/60.94
• xGA per 60: 2.89/2.63
• Hits: 187/124
• Blocked shots: 35/34
• Takeaways 12/9
• Faceoffs 52.1%/54.6%

Peterka/Doan

• TOI: 18:11/13:31
• DZone starts: 10%/8.7%
• Shot attempts against per 60: 61.53/47.66
• xGA per 60: 3.0/2.0
• Hits: 27/45
• Blocked shots: 14/14
• Takeaways: 18/10

Lafferty/Danforth

• TOI: 9:53/14:23
• DZone starts 11.4%/13.8%
• Shot attempts against per 60: 57.82/60.44
• xGA per 60: 2.55/2.64
• Hits 84/125
• Blocked shots: 16/31
• Takeaways 5/7
• Faceoffs 50.4%/50.5%

Jokiharju/Kesselring

• TOI: 17:50/17:41
• DZone starts 10.7/9.06
• Shot attempts against per 60: 54.79/55:07
• xGA per 60: 2.54/2.35
• Hits 44/82
• Blocked shots: 44/65
• Takeaways 12/20

Clifton/Timmins

• TOI: 16:03/16:55
• DZone starts: 11.9%/9.2%
• Shot attempts against per 60: 63.39/56.56
• xGA per 60: 2.79/2.5
• Hits: 180/55
• Blocked shots: 81/79
• Takeaways: 23/11

[LGR4GM]

7 hours ago, dudacek said:

We want the team to be better defensively and harder to play against, right?

Here are some statistical comparisons (all #s 5-on-5, green=Sabres got better, red=Sabres got worse)

Cozens/Norris

• TOI: 17:04/18:21
• DZone starts 10.8% /15.4%
• Shot attempts against per 60: 60.56/60.94
• xGA per 60: 2.89/2.63
• Hits: 187/124
• Blocked shots: 35/34
• Takeaways 12/9
• Faceoffs 52.1%/54.6%

Peterka/Doan

• TOI: 18:11/13:31
• DZone starts: 10%/8.7%
• Shot attempts against per 60: 61.53/47.66
• xGA per 60: 3.0/2.0
• Hits: 27/45
• Blocked shots: 14/14
• Takeaways: 18/10

Lafferty/Danforth

• TOI: 9:53/14:23
• DZone starts 11.4%/13.8%
• Shot attempts against per 60: 57.82/60.44
• xGA per 60: 2.55/2.64
• Hits 84/125
• Blocked shots: 16/31
• Takeaways 5/7
• Faceoffs 50.4%/50.5%

Jokiharju/Kesselring

• TOI: 17:50/17:41
• DZone starts 10.7/9.06
• Shot attempts against per 60: 54.79/55:07
• xGA per 60: 2.54/2.35
• Hits 44/82
• Blocked shots: 44/65
• Takeaways 12/20

Clifton/Timmins

• TOI: 16:03/16:55
• DZone starts: 11.9%/9.2%
• Shot attempts against per 60: 63.39/56.56
• xGA per 60: 2.79/2.5
• Hits: 180/55
• Blocked shots: 81/79
• Takeaways: 23/11

Most ppl have focused on losing Peterka's offense. The Sabres need to reduce their goals against by 17% to sniff the playoffs, that's not a small feat. They also need to have more types of offense than simply RUSH. That's why Granato crashed and burned, once teams started to deny rush chances, there was nothing else. Florida is a good example of different types of offense. They can use the rush but they can also cycle and reload in the neutral zone. Since the playoffs sees tighter checking, this works great. Clog the neutral zone, reload, chip it in, recover, reload in zone up high and then work the cycle.

Now whether or not adding Timmins, Kesselring, Doan, Danforth to the mix is enough to vary how the offense can play remains to be seen. It also remains to be seen if Buffalo can actually play any type of strong checking game in their own end. They sucked at board battles, they give up the blue line ALWAYS under Wilford because they are afraid of everyone being McDavid, they allow cross ice passes because they puck watch and lose positioning. The wingers have a bad habit of not sealing walls and helping with breakouts and the Sabres don't win battle in front of their own net. 

Wilford should be fired. I personally expect a lot of struggling by Kesselring and Timmins because they will be like Byram at first, coming from a sound system to whatever the hell this monstrosity is. 

[dudacek]

I don’t think there’s any way to argue the Sabres didn’t look like a poorly coached team last year.

It’s the thing most likely to hold them back this year and the reason I think the most likely outcome of the season is a mid-season bloodletting of the brain trust.

The decision not to do it in April will likely not only cost the team this season, but also the next few as the new regime restarts the painful (and what should have been unnecessary) process of rebooting the core.

[Thorny]

26 minutes ago, dudacek said:

I don’t think there’s any way to argue the Sabres didn’t look like a poorly coached team last year.

It’s the thing most likely to hold them back this year and the reason I think the most likely outcome of the season is a mid-season bloodletting of the brain trust.

The decision not to do it in April will likely not only cost the team this season, but also the next few as the new regime restarts the painful (and what should have been unnecessary) process of rebooting the core.

Under no circumstance should the word “process” be uttered should the regime come to an end and a new GM instated. The Sabres can’t afford another reboot or rebuild. Whatever remoulding needs to be done has to be done with an eye on making the playoffs the immediate year and in no way invoke the context of “next few”.

There’s no rule you need to take a “step back”. Make moves based on winning in the now.

Edited 8 hours ago by Thorny

[DarthEbriate]

1 hour ago, dudacek said:

I don’t think there’s any way to argue the Sabres didn’t look like a poorly coached team last year.

It’s the thing most likely to hold them back this year and the reason I think the most likely outcome of the season is a mid-season bloodletting of the brain trust.

The decision not to do it in April will likely not only cost the team this season, but also the next few as the new regime restarts the painful (and what should have been unnecessary) process of rebooting the core.

After the exhaustive coaching search (or just promotion from interim label if Ruff is fired mid-season), will Appert be able to make them look like a properly coached team? Will Appert keep Wilford on his staff for "continuity" and because they're already familiar with each other? Would Appert be able to, and permitted to, get a more expensive and more playoff-experienced defensive coach?

[Taro T]

4 hours ago, DarthEbriate said:

After the exhaustive coaching search (or just promotion from interim label if Ruff is fired mid-season), will Appert be able to make them look like a properly coached team? Will Appert keep Wilford on his staff for "continuity" and because they're already familiar with each other? Would Appert be able to, and permitted to, get a more expensive and more playoff-experienced defensive coach?

Appert should've been canned this off-season.  That he wasn't and that IF there's a canning of the HC &/or GM too (much more likely to see the former than the latter) we'll see Appert in the "interim" HC role might be one of the few silver linings to come out of this.  Him taking over NEXT season screws next season up too; whereas him failing to appreciably improve the team's fortunes getting the job midseason MIGHT actually cause him to get jettisoned too when the season ends.

The sliver lining being that since somebody in management or higher up thinks he can do the job, his demonstrating what he can do might actually get them to change directions when this season ends.

100% am hoping the Sabres succeed this year.  Not necessarily expecting it and have little to 0 faith in several members of the hockey department.  So, IF they can't be good this year and aren't actually moving in the right direction; let it be ugly enough to get things moving in the right direction.  

[Weave]

4 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Appert should've been canned this off-season.  That he wasn't and that IF there's a canning of the HC &/or GM too (much more likely to see the former than the latter) we'll see Appert in the "interim" HC role might be one of the few silver linings to come out of this.  Him taking over NEXT season screws next season up too; whereas him failing to appreciably improve the team's fortunes getting the job midseason MIGHT actually cause him to get jettisoned too when the season ends.

The sliver lining being that since somebody in management or higher up thinks he can do the job, his demonstrating what he can do might actually get them to change directions when this season ends.

100% am hoping the Sabres succeed this year.  Not necessarily expecting it and have little to 0 faith in several members of the hockey department.  So, IF they can't be good this year and aren't actually moving in the right direction; let it be ugly enough to get things moving in the right direction.  

When was the last pre-tank team where there was so little faith in the upper organization?  Even after 87-88 Ted Sator, Gerry Meehan survived for awhile as GM.  This organization seems way more hopeless than even some of the teams historically bad seasons past.  This seems off the charts for Buffalo.

[dudacek]

31 minutes ago, Weave said:

When was the last pre-tank team where there was so little faith in the upper organization?  Even after 87-88 Ted Sator, Gerry Meehan survived for awhile as GM.  This organization seems way more hopeless than even some of the teams historically bad seasons past.  This seems off the charts for Buffalo.

 

It's not anything more than marketing.

They sold the tank, they sold Eichel and Bylsma, they sold Botterill and Housley, they sold Dahlin, the sold Krueger and Taylor Hall, they sold Granato and his blinding light brigade, the sold the return of Lindy.

Pro sports is sold on hope: when things don't work you press the reset button and sell the new beginning.

They've run out of things to sell and they've given up trying.

The fans are at the point they aren't going to buy anything other than wins.

[Weave]

36 minutes ago, dudacek said:

 

It's not anything more than marketing.

They sold the tank, they sold Eichel and Bylsma, they sold Botterill and Housley, they sold Dahlin, the sold Krueger and Taylor Hall, they sold Granato and his blinding light brigade, the sold the return of Lindy.

Pro sports is sold on hope: when things don't work you press the reset button and sell the new beginning.

They've run out of things to sell and they've given up trying.

The fans are at the point they aren't going to buy anything other than wins.

I get that, but seriously, when was the last time that the coaching and front office staff seemed so…….. incompetent.  I don’t think that Gerry Meehans perceived competence was related to team marketing.

[Thorny]

41 minutes ago, dudacek said:

 

It's not anything more than marketing.

They sold the tank, they sold Eichel and Bylsma, they sold Botterill and Housley, they sold Dahlin, the sold Krueger and Taylor Hall, they sold Granato and his blinding light brigade, the sold the return of Lindy.

Pro sports is sold on hope: when things don't work you press the reset button and sell the new beginning.

They've run out of things to sell and they've given up trying.

The fans are at the point they aren't going to buy anything other than wins.

I think pro sports is sold on the quality of product 

[dudacek]

6 minutes ago, Weave said:

I get that, but seriously, when was the last time that the coaching and front office staff seemed so…….. incompetent.  I don’t think that Gerry Meehans perceived competence was related to team marketing.

It can’t be results because the Sabres are coming off their best 3-year run of the past 15 years.

Posted mostly tongue in cheek, but the above is straight up factual.

2011-13 was marginally better.

The current run is also better than 02-04 and about the same as 06-08.

In terms of regular season results, this group feels worse than it is.

Edited 56 minutes ago by dudacek

[Thorny]

11 minutes ago, dudacek said:

It can’t be results because the Sabres are coming off their best 3-year run of the past 15 years.

Posted mostly tongue in cheek, but the above is straight up factual

Only nearly true because of one season carrying the weight for the following two that downgrade, and then downgrade

and also not true: 11/12/13 we averaged 89 points per (and made the damn playoffs, to boot) 

We’ve averaged 84.7 the last 3

(2013 of course a prorated total) 

You could have used 14 years as the cut off but alas you did not so 

Edited 52 minutes ago by Thorny

[Thorny]

And I’m glad you didn’t because Adams being probably worse than Murray and Botterill (looking at his full 5 years and not just 3) doesn’t stop him from being definitively worse than the competition when compared to a single real GM in Darcy 

[dudacek]

2 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Only nearly true because of one season carrying the weight for the following two that downgrade, and then downgrade

and also not true: 11/12/13 we averaged 89 points per (and made the damn playoffs, to boot) 

We’ve averaged 84.7 the last 3

I’ve clarified, but I’m not sure it matters to the point: wins and losses matter, but what matters more is how the team makes you feel.

Montreal fans like their team more than Torontos right now.

 

[Thorny]

Just now, dudacek said:

I’ve clarified, but I’m not sure it matters to the point: wins and losses matter, but what matters more is how the team makes you feel.

Montreal fans like their team more than Torontos right now.

 

It’s mostly the fact we are splitting hairs between bad and bad 

Better is still bad here. The reaction is going  to be more in line with the bad, not the fact it’s squint and you see it better than putrid