mjd1001

Its not that I think they don't care. I just think they aren't good enough. Its not that I think Ruff is a bad coach, its just the things he is good at are not a match for this roster. He might be asking them to do the things they can't do. Its not that they totally don't have heart. If anything I think they have gotten better in that part of their game. I think its again, they aren't good enough. The roster isn't good enough, AND the parts that are good don't mesh well with each other. For me that is most of the failings of this team. IF they change the GM, coach, most of the front office, this team will not be good enough to go on a deep run magically. The new guys have to fundamentally change a large part of the roster. -Samuelsson should not have games where he is your best D-men when you have 3 other guys picked in the top 5 overall. -Tuch is a very good winger, but hes not a great one, is more of an analytics darling than how it translates on the ice, and I think he is STARTING to show a tiny bit of a sign of being past his peak because inconsistency is creaping into his game. -Tage is a premier goal scorer. Top 20 talent in the league. He cares, but his still set is NOT one where he can do it alone. He's not a superstar Alpha. -Dahlin is good, very, very good. But he isn't the McDavid of D-men. He's not a generational player. -Their goaltending is average (at best), probably below average. Every guy they have tried over the last few years. -I tried to convince myself Quinn was getting better. He's not. He's bad. A veteran journyman winger might not score as many goals (or maybe he would) but the team would be better with one of those guys instead of Quinn. He is a negative overall when on the ice. This team has some talent. They have some good pieces. But they have too few stars and no truly effective superstars. They aren't good enough, the roster simply hasn't been put together well.

The worst part for me is that something needs to be done, ANYTHING regarding the front office/decision makers. The ONLY thing that isn't OK is to let things go this long and not make a change. If a change was made, we can debate is the new GM the right guy? Was it correct or not to bring in a POHO? Should a bigger purge of the front office or scouting department have happened (50% of the guys gone or 100% gone?) Stuff like that. The only thing this fanbase doesn't want is no action...yet that is the ONLY thing we get. This franchise doens't appear to be going anywhere. A reset is needed, on ice included. Unless this team lucked into a vezina quality goaltender that is. Let say somewhat this team squeeks into the playoffs, then what? Is this roster EVER going to contend for a cup (again, unless they get that Vezina goaltender)? Statistically and at their ages, you are getting "peak" Thompson and Norris. Tuch is at his peak and probably starting to decline. You dont' really have a bunch of 'stars in waiting' that will pick up from the older guys and take this team to the next level.

The 3 goalie thing I think is an issue. You HAVE to move one, dont' sit around and wait for a good deal. From most interviews over the years I have heard with Goalies, either during their career or after their career, they almost always mention as the #1 guy you want work, you want to play games to get into some kind of 'groove', and as a backup, you need to have a different mentality. I think Biron even said a few times there are some guys who are BETTER as backups than they would be as #1's, and some #1's, that no matter how good of an attitude they had, simply would not play as well if they got infrequent starts. Its kinda like with baseball pitchers. Some guys can be releif guys who go in whenver you want them, but other guys almost NEED to be starters. Mentally they want to know what days they will pitch and what days they will have off. Remove them from that role and the may not be as good, let alone they are going to be a lot unhappier with their role. This isn't a video game where your goalies have 'ratings' and they will play to their ratings no matter how often or infrequently you play them. I think its hurting all 3 goalies, and the team, by prolonging this. Sometimes I think this front office thinks they are plugging guys into a video game rather than playing 'real life' hockey. This team, this management causes self-inflicted wounds.

.590 point percentage is what gets you into that last playoff spot in the east right now (96.8 point pace). As of this moment, for the Sabres to get to that level, they have to win the next 9 in a row. 9 wins in a row and you will 'probably' be in 8th in the conference. They are tied for least points in the confernece. They have the worst point percentage in the conference. They have the worst goal differential in the conference. They have lost 4 of their last 6 and this is with them getting mostly healthy. So much for the injury excuse too. This team could be 100 percent healthy, or they could have a record number of injuries...it doesn't seem like it would matter. Either way they would/will finish 10 points out of the playoffs (at least)

No, not what I am saying at all, but if that response makes you feel better about your argument, go for it.

Yeah, and the other 98% of the time UPL plays that I do. Watch means nothing I guess. How about When he allows soft goals. When he gets beat cleanly on non-screened shots from 20 ft out that he should be ready for. When he gets beat to the outside of his pads because he can't get over quick enough. All those times over the past year and a half... Those mean something too. He has been so bad that at some point he has to play exceptional to make up for all of his bad play in the past.

I stopped watching after the 1st just to check in now. UPL with a .820 save percentage tonight....are we all close to being back off the UPL bandwagon?

To answer my original question, Zucker and Doan combined have 6 PP goals combined (in 132 minutes of PP ice time) The rest of the forward group has 6 PP goals combined (in about 380 minutes combined) Also Zucker has 24 of his 42 shots from the front of the net (57%) Josh Doan has 47 of 73 of his shots from the front of the net (64%) They go to the front of the net. The rest of the team, by contrast, has 150 of 662 shots from the front of the net (22%). Now that does include D-men...however Among forwards, Quinn is at 25% (much better than last year actually, last year he was 8.3%), Tuch at 33%, Thompson at 26%, McLeod at 20%.... Actually, the Sabres as a team are taking more shots from the front of the net than they did last year for sure, but still, Zucker and Doan are leaders in doing that, and the production from them shows. He goes to the net. His 'untapped' potential would be to get slightly stronger on his skates and work on the quickness of his hands/release. But unless there are major changes to this roster, he should always have a spot as the guy who 'goes to the net' and gets garbage goals (they still all count!)

Zucker and Doan are really the only 2 guys this year. Just how bad would the PP be without them?

I corrected my original post...I can't tell from the replay if it was Benson or Norris that dropped coverage. Either way, it was one of the forwards.

A follow up to the Defensive positioning. Before the goal was scored, you can see Timmons stay with his guy, Bryam went to the boards (as a D-man could/should rather than a forward deep in the zone) and Benson (or was it Norris? I thought Benson but this says it was Norris) 'kinda' picks up the front of the net. In the next screenshot, Timmons is still with his guy (he played that exactly as he should). Byram was out of the play because he was circling back, but thats fine because he was coming back from the boards. Until Byram circles back, the Forward was covering the front of the net/Connon and he NEEDS to keep doing that. It was Benson who lost his guy. This one is not at all on the D-men. They did their job. Forward coverage made them look bad for all that are blaming Timmons/Byram.

This is just what I mentioned in another thread befor where the Defense takes too much blame. The puck went into the corner down low and then up the side, Byram went after it. Timmons was left alone in front of the net. When Byram is on the near boards it is the job of a FORWARD (probably the center or the near side winger) to cover for him. Its perfectly fine for the D-mean to go to the boards, I'd RATHER have a D-man down there than a center, but it is the forwards job to cover for them. Timmons didn't do much wrong, he had to cover 2 guys in front of the net because of lack of support. Byram did nothing wrong, he went to the boards under the dots to chase a puck that is on the FORWARDS, not Byram or Timmons. Watching the replay, that looked to be on Benson, everyone's 2-way hero. It was Benson, or maybe Norris (can't tell from the replay this visualizeer says it was Norris) was the closest guy to the front of the net, as a matter of fact about 2 seconds before the goal was scored Byram was already on the boards and Benson was right near Connor. For some reason he 'floated' away from him and no one covered him.

Ok, just 2 minutes later and Krebs, Greenway, and Malenstyn are out there again already, this time for a longer shift. Maybe Lindy DOES anticipate this is the line he wants the use the most tonight?

A minor gripe, but I don't understan starting with Krebs, Greenway, and Malenstyn. Yeah, there is 'setting the tone' I guess, but their shift lasted a total a 19 seconds and nothing happened. You are on the road, so the Jets are going to match your lines not the other way around. Whatever line you envision getting the most ice time for you, your 'best' line, is going to get matched by the Jets anyway, so just put them out to start the game.

OK, UPL in net. I still don't trust him. Last year his play probably turned me on him more than any other player I can think. I would rather they moved in for spare parts a week ago. But, they didn't and he's in net now. So...play a good game. Maybe steal a game for a win. Those of us that don't trust you, win that trust back. If Ruff and the front office want him as the starter, then be a starter. no softies tonight.