LTS

This game feels like the Sabres are hanging over a cliff while we watch the rope they are clinging to slowly fray until it snaps and they fall to their doom.

These are good points. They are the ups and downs that occur during a season and I'd like to think he's taking all of it into account. In my mind, the difference between an excuse and a reason on why something happened boils down to whether it was in one's control or not. The other aspect of this is that while these players understand that the club has not made the playoffs in 12 seasons (potentially 13), they are not responsible for the vast majority of those seasons. So, part of the pain is wanting to change that but knowing that the plan of the people who've been here slightly longer is to take an approach of youth first. Finally, youth is a reason. Experience provides the wisdom on how to handle the myriad situations that occur during a season. It's not enough to want do something and it's not enough to know simply how to do it. it takes experience doing it, to do it well. As fans it still does not change the frustration. My frustration is with ownership primarily for failing all of these years. The GM for getting out over his skis with this playoff talk garbage. Certainly there are other frustrations to go around but they are limited compared to the first two.... especially the owner.

It does. And Granato is a bit closer to the problem. But even he can't make people expect to win. That comes from confidence and each player has in themselves and their teammates to execute. I know people like to talk about Herb Brooks excellent speech and its absolutely iconic, but that speech alone doesn't translate across the full game. Certainly how Brooks coached that team to believe in themselves matters probably as much as the speech itself. But I don't want to dissect Granato here as his statements have to be different than a players. I think Tuch, by saying he doesn't want to offer excuses, is prefacing that while he has to acknowledge how young the team is, he doesn't want to. I see that as a statement outward that had the team had a little more experience they could be better. At the same time, he isn't throwing his young team under the bus. He's building them up and keeping their confidence higher. The team is absolutely playing with more confidence but as we saw during the Detroit game, it's easy for them to lose it. Perhaps I am off, but I read Tuch's statement as a way to not undermine his teammates while still throwing a little shade at how young the team is.. and how it only got younger. Being one of the older guys on the team I have no doubt he wants to be in the playoffs, not just for the Sabres and Buffalo but very much for himself. And of course.. it's all media speak.. so there's only so much I put into it all. I don't hate this at all. I'm not sure Tuch was responding specifically to the Detroit game as it sounds like he's just commenting on the overall state of things. I would 100% expect him to reflect on the Detroit game and simply say, "We weren't good enough." A a general reflection I go to what I said above. Great discourse on this. Love that we can have this kind of discussion. Thanks to both of you.

Last night, as the game started, I sat on my couch with the game on mute while talking to my wife who had just returned home. I saw the Eberle goal and told her that I guess I won't stay up tonight. I even mentioned that I might stop down to my PC and see how SS was doing. Then Thompson scored... and then another and another and then I knew I was going to stay up. Sadly I could not stop down last night but on night's like this the GDTs are the best to read. It did not disappoint. I'm not going to critique the game... they won, that's what matters to me. For at least one night... or at least early morning, I can be happy.

What do you want him to say instead? I'm not sure what you expect, but your first critique has to do with something he does not control. He doesn't choose who is on the team. I'm not necessarily defending Tuch here, but I'm not sure what people expect to hear from a player.

You clearly are missing the entire point. Your commentary is simply not how to treat others around here, subject and posters regardless. The fact of the matter is you are being completely disrespectful of another forum member and also taking a broad swipe at "hockey posters". It's not all good... it's all wrong.

There are a lot of wacked out NFL players... WR's seem to be chock full of interesting personalities. Perhaps Diggs likes stirring the pot as some sort of statement on the drama of social media and the general public's desire to engage in it. Then again.. perhaps he's just bored. Or... he's wacked out.

Would you consider yourself happy with the current Sabres? I could be misinterpreting the posts of all the people on here who consistently retread the lack of veterans, goaltending, Granato's skills as a coach, KA as a GM, Pegula as an owner, but it seems to me like those people are unhappy and come across as choosing misery with the franchise. If you'd like to classify it differently by all means contribute to the conversation. If you just want to take a shot at me, then great, I can take it. If I can keep the Sabres from making miserable there's not a chance in hell you'll succeed.

55 years.. seriously. We've been gifted with some quality, long term broadcasting in this area. Something that should never be overlooked.

I don't know that Levi fixes things, maybe he does. I do think the team is playing confident and has confidence in UPL to help bring even more confidence to their play. I missed the last game Comrie played but I'd like to see if the Sabres alter their style when he's in net.

I don't see enough of Seider play.. but Dahlin has 49 points Seider has 34 points Dahlin is -4 Seider is -9 I've never felt like something dynamic could happen when Seider has the puck. I'll take Dahlin. There's nothing wrong with Seider, but I'd take Dahlin.

Hey.. each of us can choose whether we want to look at what's happening now and choose misery by reminding ourselves of the misery earlier in the season and the off-season or choose to be happy that at least they are playing well. No right answer, but I know I don't let teams make me miserable, there's enough in life to do that. They win, I am happy. They lose, I am ambivalent. That said... I'll take a dark horse playoff run to aid in offsetting the miserable things in real life.

Admittedly it's now been awhile but I seem to recall he was a regular fixture in front of the opponent's net during the WJC. I liked that about him.. actually using his size for something. Be curious to see how it goes in Rochester.

I've heard that part of KA's performance bonus is tied to thread lengths at SabreSpace. 24 25 pages so far on a trade... KA's going to Sizzler.

Yeah.. but his return won't be much more than a 6th or 7th round pick. If they can get more than that I would be amazed and I am sure KA would take it.

But.. that was then. How often do coaches (any of them) engage in that behavior today? (not the changing of the lines.. they all do that). Yesteryear doesn't win today. last year everyone was all on about how great the Devils were and how they turned it around so fast... fast forward to now. Brunette is the notable difference.

No one really. but the trade won't be about the pick for Buffalo so much as moving EJ to a playoff team where his experience may help and to do right by a long time player by giving them a run in the playoffs.

Well, technically it's Ivan Ivan Ivan. So perhaps people thought it was just Ivan Ivan and everyone was like.. "Meh, there's another guy with 3 Ivan names."

Well... he had a full NTC.. so perhaps they didn't want a Taylor Hall repeat... and it's Tarasenko.

Green agree button if in the past you mocked Mitts for not being able to do a pull-up or how useless he was and are now in this thread dumping on this trade. I'm curious how many will self-identify. The purpose is only to demonstrate that what we think in one moment may be completely turned around in the future. Deep breaths.

Indeed. Although one might argue that if you are not in a position to support a child you should not have one. But the innate desires of humanity are to survive and procreate. The closer one is to not being able to achieve that goal the more stress will naturally be felt. Furthermore, not being able to take care of oneself leads to additional health issues. A downward spiral to be certain. Yep. Although I'd suggest NC see what they can get with their own $13 tax. My wife stopped teaching because when our daughter was born the cost of child care for two children was almost enough to wash out any salary benefit. it made way more sense for my wife to not work and take care of the family at that point. Better quality of life for everyone.

Is there another brother that no one is talking about? If and buts... Stop projecting next year when it hasn't happened yet. Work with what is... The thing about this trade that I find interesting is that it was made... now. The Sabres did not have to trade him now. He was an RFA and they had all summer to try and get a better deal. The Avs clearly would want to make a deal and apparently Byram was enough to get it done in KA's eyes. We'll never know what he could have achieved in the off-season where trades tend to be a little bit meatier. All of that aside, I am a Byram fan and I think he has significant potential. The addition of another LHD is intriguing. I don't lament losing Mitts as much as I liked what he finally developed into. Clearly this is not a trade for that changes the Sabres right now and is one made for next season. So I'll see what else happens with the team before starting next season. In the end only the results of the team matter. This year was not good enough. I'll say this.. at least Adams made a hockey trade. A real one.

And if that's the market.. people here better get ready for the 2026 7th round picks to start rolling in for the Sabres. Will Tarasenko slot into Reinhart's spot on the right side with Barkov or will they keep that top line together? Hmm.

Optimist.

It doesn't bother me that people make money. Who can blame someone for making a good living because millions of people are willing to pay some amount of money for them to play a sport, act, etc. If someone can be part of a product or create a product that nets them incredible amounts of money and they are willing to do what it takes to be part of that product then good for them. At the same time, if you buy into the product you are part of the product lifecycle and as such it really reduces any argument one might have against the product itself. In your example above your friends paying $13 doesn't seem like much, but it is a combined situation. If they are staunchly against actors and actresses they should not support the movies because they are supporting those people and their actions. It may only be $13, but it adds up. If a person isn't willing to own their actions at a personal level then they are just expecting everyone else to shoulder the burden. It's a cop out. Putting it into context, if all the taxpayers in NYS spent $13 a year on movies and instead donated that $13 to the NYS Teachers Association to be directly distributed to one of the roughyl 205,000 public school teachers it would be enough to give each teacher an estimated $677. It might not seem like a lot, but it will help offset what teachers shell out of pocket for teaching supplies. Similarly, I don't want people to be injured but I don't place any greater value on what Von Miller goes through from an injury than anyone else.. It's dismissive of "normal" people to say it's not something they could do. There are people who are in physical therapy every day working to get back from an injury and most of them don't have massive paychecks to protect their financial status regardless of what happens. Those people have added mental strains about how they pay their bills, or make a living if their leg or arm doesn't heal.