R_Dudley

Well that's interesting. So is this the beginning of no more Mr. Nice Guy or more akin to reshuffling deck chairs on the Titanic? Seems like a lot of you are looking at this as the tip of the iceberg for additional moves coming. I guess it's only logical to assume it took this long because they were shopping him and even offered to eat salary as I read in one of the links on this thread. I am not so sure anything else is imminent. It took them this long to even make this one move. If we somehow start to look better and not lose everyone of the next 4 games i see nothing happening till next year. If we do still look as bad and continue to lose then i agree more moves have been discussed and are queued up waiting to happen and maybe one more before the 12/19 holiday roster freeze.. Do we start another betting thread on the whose next? it Sux that unless they figure out how and start playing some real hockey this seems like that's all we have to talk about up to the trading deadline.

Well I was at the game. I will say that at least they were competing and looked more like a hockey team. Not a total embarrassment. They still had their lapses and against the Pens they ended up in the net. It still befuddles me how they can look so lost one night and reasonably competitive the next. That is definitely on the players however I still think they need a coach that holds them accountable game to game shift to shift. The Sabres are getting no respect from any of the teams they face. They are considered fragile and easy to rattle into making mistakes and that is exactly what we have seen. The players are the ones that need to flip that script by being harder to play against and not so easily exploited. Until then teams will just continue to play them that aggressively taking away time and space with no fear this team can make them pay for that aggressive style. I think that's my last in person game till this team starts play consistently and competes on a regularly.

You lucky dogs. For shame, i have misspent money that could have been better used for xmas and soon this evening time with tickets to tonight's exhibition game here in PGH at PPG place. Yes i said exhibition because these sabres don't hockey.. Was a competitive game that I could at least share some playful banter with my co-workers and Pens fans here too much to ask, alas I see it was a fools blue and gold I had hoped for. I will be there but I never have felt this uninspired to go watch and root for a team I grew up loving... Thank you and may I NOT have another, not for this collection of so called hockey players...

Start playing on your toes more than your heels. Fail fabulously trying.. Play with effort and show some energy, Play with enthusiasm, Play the body not the stick check whiffs we have seen, Practice "to their arms fall off" passing till you can finally hit the tape over 50% of the time, Practice " " shots hitting the net Practice " " One timers instead of always trying to settle the puck before shooting. Practice " " moving up the ice as one unit with multiple options for the basic forecheck systems most teams use. Set your lines and let them play together for more than one game minimum of 5 games or even the 7 game blocks Phil said he broke the season into. Find another goalie....

Yeah that caught my eye to this morning and I also thought WTF is he doing anywhere near this team. shouldn't the coach or Jbot be teh ones talking to certain players. This belongs under PA's whats wrong with Dad thread, if uncle Russ is butting in his 2 cents saying things to just certain players whats that all about. Does jack have a direct pipeline to ownership, sure smells fishy. We keep hearing players talking about accountability but if management is coddling certain players I think this is not lost on the team. If your Stars paid the most are allowed to coast why should others paid less feel like they should do more. Yeah something is rotten and its at the core and that is definitely some core still there lurking in shadows...

Ok told you so doley noted. I am inclined to agree because this positive bs pablum being dished out doesn't cut it for me anymore either.

I have been following this team since 1975, ok not always real closely all those years but enough to know how they were playing. This is without a doubt historically the worst Sabres team in my 42 years of following this team. This is the bottom as far as I am concerned.

Well then let's play Sherlock here and if that's not the problem and can eliminate the other obvious nots whatever is left is the problem?

That makes sense and I do think the system change requires more hockey instincts like seeing the whole ice, processing and picking the smart play. They are not doing that and it is now real obvious.

Yes but how did some get dumber over the last season? If that's the case then they are not thr right guys for Housley's system. So back to ground zero who goes players or coach? Round and round she goes where she stops nobody knows.

Coaching has to take some of the heat here. If you got lemons you have to make lemonade. If you do not have the players to execute your system and they aren't getting it you have to tailor it down to what they can do. These guys look horrible and so out of sync, no hockey sense at all horrible passes. They were actually better last year. Not sure how that can be

Pittsburgh panned Jbot up in the box. Said some nice things about how he helped the Pens and deserved this chance but had his work cut out for him. Jbot looked very frustrated. We know he he can't be happy.

Wow this team wouldn't beat their own farm team. I would place my money on the Amerks

Our first real scoring chance of the game and of course we can't capitalize. Do the Sabres players know they are getting no respect from any of the teams they face. Can't they show some pride and play with some desperation. This team does not practice a one timer because they never use it

So according to Pens announcers everyone is aware of Sabres troubles defensively and with any semblance of coordinated sustained play. They are getting the Rodney Dangerfield treatment, No respect or fear in playing them very aggressively all over the ice because they choke and give up possession.

Another high glove chance short handed. Almost

Hah no worries none of us are responsible for this debacle. The pens announcers are talking about how odd and incredible it is buffalo's d has no goals this far into the season given their coaches carrier and skill at that and his record with Nashville.

They are only showing the penguins broadcast here. Jay just telestrated the whole Crosby goal. Showed 2 camera angles. Ristorante had plenty of safe options as he pointed out. He made the riskiest play across the front of the net. There is no situational awareness with these guys. WTF happened they have been taught better than this their whole hockey career. Also on the kuhnhackle goal they interviewed him and he said Malkin told him to shoot high glove side. Sid did the same, that's the book going around on boy Robin that and getting him to move due to his penchant for overcomitt. What happened to the goalie coach on this team is everybody not doing their job. Wow I can't believe I'll be sitting through this sham of hockey team live here in Pittsburgh tomorrow. This team wouldn't compete with the baby pens. So much for all the talk of playing with desperation unless they count desperate to get off the ice.

All right you sucked me back in but I'm going to blame you if they suck so bad tonight I am shamed into not wearing my sabres jersey to the hockey game tomorrow :P :P

Decisions, decisions... Since I am going to the game here in Daberg tomorrow, do I watch the game tonight and spoil the illusion that I could actually see a good solid well played game here tomorrow night? Could I watch too clunkers in row and still have a good time with the 2nd being in person ? I guess I could root for the Pens and then not be disappointed if they lost.... Such a conundrum... Lets go Sabrequins...

That is what I was going to suggest as well. They were number 1 last year using that system so you would think the coach could just fall back to that and the players would also be able to acclimate back to it pretty quick. What they have been doing this year has been just F'ugly.

Nice find, Captain nostalgia. Wow that brought back some memories.how many obscure players could you name, I recognized Tucker, was that also Christian Ruttu, Of course their was Paul Cyr and Bill Hajt. Housley with those sun glasses I guess his future was so bright he needed them shades.

As unfortunate and hard to accept that reality may be I agree with everything you say except the bold quote above. It sounds like winning is not a goal. If not a goal it is a desired outcome of numbers 1 through 4 as we agree playing not to win is the wrong way to learn to play the game. Just reference the "is the tank worth it" thread for those points.. I agree with whomever i saw post there is a recipe and balance that should field a competitive team while still working towards those goals and that should be part of the plan and may still be but injuries may be keeping that from our view for now due to the lack of quality depth and experience in the new system. At least I hope that's what is going on, Hope is a wonderful thing if you can hang onto to it..

Yes sir I agree. It was the best of times and the worst of times. Please sir can I have some more? Its nice to see some honest optimism balancing out the depressing pessimism that can easily flourish is these trying times.

Yeah I agree or that's what hindsight shows me as well now. I also have to wonder how the multiple coaching choices and changes played into this mess. Would a single solid/good coach on board through all the lineup changes playing the same system from the farm up be yielding slightly better results at this time even with the current lineup. I would think the right quality coach would've but that assumes the GM and coach shared the same vision and plan on what they were doing and how. We now know XGMTM said he left the coaching to the coaches, ignored Nolan and just talked with Blahsma but it never gave the impression it was a concerted concerted planning discussion. That's why we have to give JBOT and Wowie the time to implement their plan because at least it appears they started out on the same page with one.