inkman Posted January 15, 2007 Report Share Posted January 15, 2007 I really think this team needs something right now and I propose a shake up. Nothing earth shattering just a little tweak here and there to light a fire under some of these guys. I really think they could use a little more physical play on the back end as well as up front. I haven't really been following the league as much as I used to. I would really like to see the line up look something like this: Pominville-Briere-Hecht Roy-Drury-Gaustad Afinogenov-Connolly-Vanek Mair-______-Kotalik Lydman-Tallinder Campbell-Spacek Kalinen-______ The blanks are obviously where I'd like to put more physical players. If Kotalik needs to be traded to aquire one of these types then substitute Novotny or Paille. I like Teppo and Nate but I'd rather see a more brutish type of D-man there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted January 15, 2007 Report Share Posted January 15, 2007 You gotta lot of ifs there... Can anything be done until Henrik, Paul, and Tim get back? I feel it can't and shouldn't! You can't properly diagnose a problem when the complete unit is not there... It might be one of these components that is messing the "engine" up. Kinda like saying: "Lets rebuild the motor... While willfully knowing you are running on 5 cylinders instead of all 8 because... 3 spark plugs aren't in the engine!" So... I say NOTHING... We limp home till it gets the proper parts! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inkman Posted January 15, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 15, 2007 I still feel like this team is soft and come playoff time it may come back to bite them in the arse. I never thought I'd say this but the loss of Mckee, Grier and Dumont has left a void that is not entirely being filled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted January 15, 2007 Report Share Posted January 15, 2007 I don't know if that is true... I like the quote about "can't hit what you can't catch." My thought is to stay the course because the Sabres haven't really been a full line up since Nov... Sure there were times getting HT back... But, went down again... Now PG... I want to see what will happen over a course of 4 or so games when HT comes back to make the judgement... See how that effects things... Even without Connolly we can't judge... Call me foolish... The Sabres haven't "really" "fallen" in my eyes... Just mid-season doldrums... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apuszczalowski Posted January 15, 2007 Report Share Posted January 15, 2007 I don't know if that is true... I like the quote about "can't hit what you can't catch." The problem is teams have been catching them and showing their weakness It looks as if the way to beat the Sabres is with a physical game. I don't think its time to panic yet, but its definitly not a time to sit back and say "we'll be much better when Tim and Henrik are back in the lineup". Something will need to get done if this team does not want an early exit from the playoffs like the Sens last season, and just saying Henrik and Tim will turn them, around is wishful thinking. This team needs to be able to win with or without them because you never know when one of them might go down again. And I would prefer that if one does go down, it doesn't sink the ship Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bmwolf21 Posted January 15, 2007 Report Share Posted January 15, 2007 I still feel like this team is soft and come playoff time it may come back to bite them in the arse. I never thought I'd say this but the loss of Mckee, Grier and Dumont has left a void that is not entirely being filled. Scored only two goals in each of the last four games...lost 3 straight and 5 of last 7...move along, nothing to see here... Seriously, I think there are two major problems and two areas of concern with this team right now: Problems: 1. Effort/Focus - Too many nights where we take a period or 2 or 2 1/2 off, and not exclusive to the latest slide. 'Nuff said. 2. Specialty Teams - PP has gone from a problem area to be corrected to an aspect that is starting to actively cost us games now. Areas of Concern: 1. Grit - I had no problem with the loss of Grier and Dumont over the summer...but now it looks like we are missing something. I'd love to see someone like Shean Donovan in a Sabres uniform... 2. Health - As much as I want to believe that HT and TC are going to come back, pick up where they left off and stay healthy the rest of the year, there is no way we can know that is going to happen for sure. As much as I want to see him back in the lineup, I am not counting on Timmy at all right now. Until I hear he is suiting up, I am going to assume he is not coming back, and I think the Sabres should look at it that way too. That way they are dealing with the team as it is now, and not as they hope it will be. After all, TC could be one big hit from retirement, and HT has been snakebitten as of late. When you're winning, problems get overlooked, glossed over, minimized, whatever by the fans and media, and when you're losing, those same issues get magnified. Some of these issues, such as the effort/focus, are things that we have all been complaining about all year - the only difference is that now the Sabres aren't winning in spite of poor efforts and bad PP... Again, I am not saying we should panic - the season isn't lost, no one should be fired or traded (yet) - but I am also saying we shouldn't be sticking our heads in the sand and chanting "just a rough patch, no big deal..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted January 15, 2007 Report Share Posted January 15, 2007 The problem is teams have been catching them and showing their weakness It looks as if the way to beat the Sabres is with a physical game. I don't think its time to panic yet, but its definitly not a time to sit back and say "we'll be much better when Tim and Henrik are back in the lineup". Something will need to get done if this team does not want an early exit from the playoffs like the Sens last season, and just saying Henrik and Tim will turn them, around is wishful thinking. This team needs to be able to win with or without them because you never know when one of them might go down again. And I would prefer that if one does go down, it doesn't sink the ship Fair enough... I don't see this as a third straight loss... It was a SO loss true... Like an old-fashioned "tie" in my book... Lets just see where this "slump" takes the Sabres... My rose-colored glasses tell me that this game was a move back up... How would people be thinking if it was a tie?... No SO, just like the old days? In those days, ties where a sign that you maybe snapping out of a funk... Yes... Boston got an extra point... No biggy... Like the Top Gun quote about "slamming on the breaks and they fly right by"... I just have a feeling that is what the team has in mind... Panic button or not... Sure seems people are getting queasy... I am not even at the main deck rail yet getting ready to heave... But, I might be getting close to slowly make that walk topside... :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sabresnutinphoenix Posted January 15, 2007 Report Share Posted January 15, 2007 Briere and Biron for Boumeister and Jokinen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrimFandango Posted January 16, 2007 Report Share Posted January 16, 2007 I see the best way at fixing the Sabres is giving them something to play for. Remember the stretch in late february to mid march last year where the sabres looked absolutely terrible. It was because they had essentially dropped out of contention for the 1st overall seed and were going to be relegated to the 4th seed because Philly was nowhere close enough to catch them in the standings. I think they are coasting like they did that month. They will work on fine tuning the last month of the season, or they will start playing hard once their 1st overall spot is in jeopardy. Like it or not, that is how i see this streak of iffy play. They will snap out of it when needed. (I hope.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted January 16, 2007 Report Share Posted January 16, 2007 I see the best way at fixing the Sabres is giving them something to play for. Remember the stretch in late february to mid march last year where the sabres looked absolutely terrible. It was because they had essentially dropped out of contention for the 1st overall seed and were going to be relegated to the 4th seed because Philly was nowhere close enough to catch them in the standings. I think they are coasting like they did that month. They will work on fine tuning the last month of the season, or they will start playing hard once their 1st overall spot is in jeopardy. Like it or not, that is how i see this streak of iffy play. They will snap out of it when needed. (I hope.) That is what I have been trying to say. If the team blows a big lead in the standings... Things will get squared away. I don't want them to blow the lead though. The Habs seemed to have cooled... The Otters are hot... But... Still there is so much distance between them in the divison. And it really isn't the conference... It really is the division being that the top three division winners get the top three seeds. Until the Senators or Habs catch them... They will continue to coast... Sorry guys... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bmwolf21 Posted January 16, 2007 Report Share Posted January 16, 2007 Not to flame you, but don't they have enough to play for now? The division crown, top seed/home ice in the playoffs, and the President's Trophy aren't enough motivation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saudi Arabia Rob Posted January 16, 2007 Report Share Posted January 16, 2007 I tend to agree with the mid-season doldrums. Right now, a lot of the teams they've just played...Tampa, Boston, Toronto, are working for that eight playoff spot and have turned it up. The one thing bugging me the most, however, is the PP and PK. That's something which has looked pathetic. If they were at least adequate, I wouldn't be too concerned, but they are awful. It's cost us some easy points. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LabattBlue Posted January 16, 2007 Report Share Posted January 16, 2007 I never thought I'd say this but the loss of Mckee, Grier and Dumont has left a void that is not entirely being filled. I guess size and character count for a lot more than we thought! To a lesser extent I'd even throw Pyatt's name in there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crestwood Posted January 16, 2007 Report Share Posted January 16, 2007 It's sounds crazy, but Grier is the one I miss most. Drury just isn't the same player without him on the wing. Gaustad certainly is a decent replacement for Grier, but I'd much rather have Gaustad taking faceoffs (instead of Novotny, maybe?). And once again, I know we've had this discussion, but seriously, why does Novotny get to stay up instead of Paille? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted January 16, 2007 Report Share Posted January 16, 2007 Not to flame you, but don't they have enough to play for now? The division crown, top seed/home ice in the playoffs, and the President's Trophy aren't enough motivation? NO. "One Team, One Goal" Enough said... And the stuff you mentioned isn't the Cup... Sure it can help you win it... But, I don't think the team is concerned with that aspect. IMO, they are concerned with getting to the playoffs and getting there healthy and winning it all. Sure, I would like the stuff you mentioned... But, I think this team sees the regular season as a charade... And to be honest, the NHL regular season has always been... More so in the old days when practically every team made the playoffs... This team can win on the road... Why do they need anything but the eighth seed... Sure, they don't want to mess with fire and miss the playoffs though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted January 16, 2007 Report Share Posted January 16, 2007 It's sounds crazy, but Grier is the one I miss most. Drury just isn't the same player without him on the wing. Gaustad certainly is a decent replacement for Grier, but I'd much rather have Gaustad taking faceoffs (instead of Novotny, maybe?). And once again, I know we've had this discussion, but seriously, why does Novotny get to stay up instead of Paille? Because he is on the roster to begin the season... Wouldn't he have to clear waivers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bmwolf21 Posted January 16, 2007 Report Share Posted January 16, 2007 It's sounds crazy, but Grier is the one I miss most. Drury just isn't the same player without him on the wing. Gaustad certainly is a decent replacement for Grier, but I'd much rather have Gaustad taking faceoffs (instead of Novotny, maybe?). And once again, I know we've had this discussion, but seriously, why does Novotny get to stay up instead of Paille? You're right, Drury isn't the same player without Grier - he's better. He scored a career-high 30 goals last year; this year, halfway through the season, he has 23. He was a -11 with Grier last year; now he's a +5. Missing Grier's grit and PK skills are one thing. An offensive force he was not, however. As for Novotny - I think he made the team for two reasons - he would have to clear waivers to go down; and the health of Connolly, as he gives the team more depth at center. NO. "One Team, One Goal" Enough said... And the stuff you mentioned isn't the Cup... Sure it can help you win it... But, I don't think the team is concerned with that aspect. IMO, they are concerned with getting to the playoffs and getting there healthy and winning it all. Sure, I would like the stuff you mentioned... But, I think this team sees the regular season as a charade... And to be honest, the NHL regular season has always been... More so in the old days when practically every team made the playoffs... This team can win on the road... Why do they need anything but the eighth seed... Sure, they don't want to mess with fire and miss the playoffs though... I don't think that's the case at all. This was Drury's quote before the season: Drury's message to his teammates will be to approach each game, be it in October or March, as if it could determine home-ice advantage in the playoffs. The first two times he and the Avalanche lost in the conference finals, they faced a do-or-die situation in Dallas. "So we went out and got the President's Trophy," Drury said of the year he got his name engraved on the Cup. "We were a good team, but we didn't waste any points anywhere. That's got to be our mind-set this year." (The Buffalo News, 10/4/06) IMO, any team that treats the regular season as a charade will likely find themselves watching the later rounds of the playoffs. The Sabres need to readjust their attitudes and focus and start taking each and every game, every period, every shift seriously, and start racking up the points again. If they aren't taking the regular season seriously, and are just waiting to get it going in the playoffs, then we will probably all be disappointed, because most teams can't just flip a switch and turn it on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hopeleslyobvious Posted January 16, 2007 Report Share Posted January 16, 2007 What needs to be done to fix the Sabres? At this point, nothing. I still think it's a slump. Let's see how they respond over the next few weeks. This has to continue a little longer for me to hit the panic button. If they don't show signs of improvement over the next few weeks, then something needs to be done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doohickie Posted January 16, 2007 Report Share Posted January 16, 2007 Fixing the Sabres, what would you do? I'll leave that to Lindy. He'll get 'em back on track, I'm sure of it. You may notice that while Nashville has caught up, no one is really streaking past the Sabres. And they're still best by 8 points in the East. It's a long season. Get a win or two at home going into the All-Star break and take it from there. I think if before the season started, anyone would have said the Sabres would be in this position at this point in the season you would be very pleased. They are right where they need to be. Yeah, they need to pick up the game they've been playing lately, but they will. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apuszczalowski Posted January 16, 2007 Report Share Posted January 16, 2007 I tend to agree with the mid-season doldrums. Right now, a lot of the teams they've just played...Tampa, Boston, Toronto, are working for that eight playoff spot and have turned it up. The one thing bugging me the most, however, is the PP and PK. That's something which has looked pathetic. If they were at least adequate, I wouldn't be too concerned, but they are awful. It's cost us some easy points. thats the problem. I can live with the Sabres losing games (cause they can't win them all) if they lose them by playing their best, but these losses and their play recently has been horrible starting with the PP and PK. Something needs to get done and soon, otherwise the could wind up as this years Senatorsor Red Wings and go from Cup Favorite to early playoff exit rather quickly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knightrider Posted January 16, 2007 Report Share Posted January 16, 2007 Thought this was interesting - Link The Sabres gambled that Peters could become a full time player this year. They lost. To fill in the blank, Paille is the best fit. The cap just won't let that happen. Keeping him in Rochester till the playoffs will also depress his value for next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inkman Posted January 16, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2007 Thought this was interesting - Link When you say, "Are we lacking size?", my mind wanders to a different place than what was intended. Although I have never stood wanker to wanker with another man, I guess I'm doing alright in that department. Who is the perv coming up with this garbage? :lol: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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