Are We For Real?

[mjd1001]

12 minutes ago, Bangarang said:

I would honestly be shocked if we win a single game out of our next five. We are well on our way to being one of the worst teams in the league again.

How Appert even has a job is incredible and yet we are talking about him being the next HC in waiting because if it weren't for bad ideas this front office wouldn't have any at all. 

If they come back from this road trip in last place in the conference, I'm ready to blow things up. 

Yeah it's early. Yeah they have injuries. Yeah they could still get back into it, but emotionally with regard to this team it's not fun anymore. 

And I'm the person that for the last few years... Once they have been out of things... Have said that I can enjoy the team on a night-to-night basis, just hoping to enjoy a single win. I think I've moved past that. 

There is all this fear about losing Dahlin, losing Tage, losing Tuch... Well guess what? Every other team in the NHL has made the playoffs since Buffalo has, and they've done it at some point without those guys. 

I'll give them this road trip. But if they don't do well on it... At least another tear down and rebuild, hopefully with different decision makers, can give us something to look forward to even if it's years away. With this team, that doesn't seem to be there.

Hope. Right now.... Especially if this road trip doesn't go well... I'd feel like an idiot if I still hung on to some hope with this front office and this roster. 

Up until last night I nervously watched every home game hoping the arena would be filled... Hoping that the fan base is supporting this team. A switch went off last night where now I'm hoping for an empty arena to force some kind of major change.

This road trip for me is not only the season... It is the short to medium term referendum on the entire franchise.

Edited 8 hours ago by mjd1001

[French Collection]

Time for a speech from Terry, to KA.

[Pimlach]

It’s too early in the season to overreact to how a single game or two impacts the standings.   They simply have to avoid two losses in a row and they need wins, not OTLs.   They can’t fall into the same old bad habit of accepting losses or this will unravel quickly   

This team takes periods off,  sometimes entire games off.  They lose to teams they should beat.  The outcome of the Blues game was predictable.  All the signs of a trap game were there  

The Sabres are poorly coached.   They start slow, they finish slow.  

The top 6 is a shambles right now, but even without the injuries it is not that good.  The center spine is a weak.  Josh Norris was a big and stupid gamble that a GM with 5 straight losing seasons should not have made.   

Thompson and Dahlin are not doing enough.  I fear more inner turmoil is brewing  

Goaltending will be the key.   History says Lyon will not hold up.  History says UPL is not good enough.  We have seen Ellis once and he stole a win yet he can’t get back on the ice.  

[PASabreFan]

21 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

It’s too early in the season to overreact to how a single game or two impacts the standings.   They simply have to avoid two losses in a row and they need wins, not OTLs.   They can’t fall into the same old bad habit of accepting losses or this will unravel quickly   

This team takes periods off,  sometimes entire games off.  They lose to teams they should beat.  The outcome of the Blues game was predictable.  All the signs of a trap game were there  

The Sabres are poorly coached.   They start slow, they finish slow.  

The top 6 is a shambles right now, but even without the injuries it is not that good.  The center spine is a weak.  Josh Norris was a big and stupid gamble that a GM with 5 straight losing seasons should not have made.   

Thompson and Dahlin are not doing enough.  I fear more inner turmoil is brewing  

Goaltending will be the key.   History says Lyon will not hold up.  History says UPL is not good enough.  We have seen Ellis once and he stole a win yet he can’t get back on the ice.  

Hoo boy. Should? Trap game? The Buffalo Sabres? Wow. But I wouldn't be surprised if our entitled players think that way.

Lyon was holding up. .915 save percentage through a decent sample size. UPL in goal is a mystery... well, maybe not. Terry ain't gonna pay all those clams to a backup (and I'll bet a hundred smackeroos that TP is the kinda guy who says clams).

10 home games, 82 point pace. They are not for real so far.

[Night Train]

Duff can prepare his speech for the End Of Season Dinner. Should be scheduled soon. 

[PASabreFan]

Just now, Night Train said:

Duff can prepare his speech for the End Of Season Dinner. Should be scheduled soon. 

[Pimlach]

34 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

Hoo boy. Should? Trap game? The Buffalo Sabres? Wow. But I wouldn't be surprised if our entitled players think that way.

Lyon was holding up. .915 save percentage through a decent sample size. UPL in goal is a mystery... well, maybe not. Terry ain't gonna pay all those clams to a backup (and I'll bet a hundred smackeroos that TP is the kinda guy who says clams).

Yes.   Trap game.   The Blues were playing bad, they were embarrassed the night before, so their coach took action.   Montgomery said his players should be breaking other players legs to get to the puck first.   He did not rest them, he skated them.   

Remember when Terry flew to Montreal, give his inspirational speech, cancelled the practice, and fly back to the big boat only to have his charges lose 5-1 to the Canadians?   As I recall the Sabres cancelled at least two practices during that winless streak of 13 game (11 loses and 2 OTLs).  

Instead Montgomery skated his team in between a back to back.  They worked on fundamentals, and then he benched two significant players.  Put good ol' Joe Hofer in net, who knew he had a SV of 1.000 versus Buffalo, and who knew he would pitch a shutout?   

I did predict the Blues would try hard to slow the Sabres down, limit their scoring chances, control the neutral zone, and wait for the Sabres to leak.  Looking at the Sabres depleted roster and all the factors leading up to this game, a Sabres let up was exactly what I expected from this group.  The Sabres coaching staff was completely outmatched putting out a jumbled mess of forward lines and another night with a totally impotent PP.  

Remember that recent game on TNT?    The praise that Ellis got, the positive vibes the Sabres created for one night with the National media.   Fast forward to now.   Since that night the Sabres have a bunch of "celebratory" OTL's that are keeping them alive for now.  That Ellis kid has not played another minute since that night either.   

UPL is back and he is making a lot more clams than both Colton Ellis and good ol' Joe Hofer.   That's the way it works in Sabreland.  

Edited 6 hours ago by Pimlach

[Weave]

11 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Yes.   Trap game.   The Blues were playing bad, they were embarrassed the night before, so their coach took action.   Montgomery said his players should be breaking other players legs to get to the puck first.   He did not rest them, he skated them.   

Remember when Terry flew to Montreal, give his inspirational speech, cancelled the practice, and fly back to the big boat only to have his charges lose 5-1 to the Canadians?   As I recall the Sabres cancelled at least two practices during that winless streak of 13 game (11 loses and 2 OTLs).  

Instead Montgomery skated his team in between a back to back.  They worked on fundamentals, and then he benched two significant players.  Put good ol' Joe Hofer in net, who knew he had a SV of 1.000 versus Buffalo, and who knew he would pitch a shutout?   

I did predict the Blues would try hard to slow the Sabres down, limit their scoring chances, control the neutral zone, and wait for the Sabres to leak.  Looking at the Sabres depleted roster and all the factors leading up to this game, a Sabres let up was exactly what I expected from this group.  The Sabres coaching staff was completely outmatched putting out a jumbled mess of forward lines and another night with a totally impotent PP.  

Remember that recent game on TNT?    The praise that Ellis got, the positive vibes the Sabres created for one night with the National media.   Fast forward to now.   Since that night the Sabres have a bunch of "celebratory" OTL's that are keeping them alive for now.  That Ellis kid has not played another minute since that night either.   

UPL is back and he is making a lot more clams than both Colton Ellis and good ol' Joe Hofer.   That's the way it works in Sabreland.  

There are no trap games for the Sabres.  There are no should wins.  Both of those terms assume the Sabres are the demonstrably better team, and they haven’t shown themselves to be demonstrably better than any other teams in the league in 15 seasons.

[Sidc3000]

1 hour ago, Pimlach said:

They simply have to avoid two losses in a row

That is literally what going to happen Saturday. They haven’t won in Raleigh since 2016. 

[DarthEbriate]

15 minutes ago, Weave said:

There are no trap games for the Sabres.  There are no should wins.  Both of those terms assume the Sabres are the demonstrably better team, and they haven’t shown themselves to be demonstrably better than any other teams in the league in 15 seasons.

The "this is how we play" mantra from the Ottawa game lasted 3 weeks.

The Sabres reality (at least until Benson and Norris are back to ice a top line) is the same as it has been. 

The standings today show the Sabres in last place in the East, having to jump the maximum 7 teams just to get to a wild card spot. And now is when their schedule actually gets difficult (on paper). The Death Star will be in range in 5 minutes games.

[Pimlach]

Just now, Weave said:

There are no trap games for the Sabres.  There are no should wins.  Both of those terms assume the Sabres are the demonstrably better team, and they haven’t shown themselves to be demonstrably better than any other teams in the league in 15 seasons.

100% True.  But I feel they took this game lightly.   I know how weak this club is emotionally and I know that they can be lazy group.   Hence trap game.