jad1

This criticism is kind of insane. We all knew what type of player Skinner was before Botterill re-signed him. He's not a grinder; he doesn't drive a line; he's not captain material. He's not Ovechkin or Malkin. He's a sniper. He needs a setup man. We all knew this. He was signed because he has the right skillset to maximize the team's $10 million investment in Jack. He was signed to play with Eichel. So what does Krueger do with the guy who was signed to play with Eichel? He doesn't play himwith Eichel. What does Botterill do to find a center to play with his expensive sniper? Nothing. Punishing Skinner for not doing the things we all know he can't do by putting him on a line with AHL grinders doesn't make any sense. Olofsson has complicated the issue by playing so well on the top line, so that makes the investment in Skinner even more sketchy. But does anyone really believe that Botterill would have done anything to fix the offense with that cap space if he didn't re-sign Skinner? And finally, Marty's suggestion to play Skinner with Eichel the last 10 games is just crazy. First, Krueger had the opportunity to do this when Olofsson was injured. Second, what if teaming Eichel with Skinner actually works? How stupid does the Sabres management team look, waiting 72 games to try something that worked so well last season? The criticism directed at Skinner should really be focused on Sabres management and its total lack of a roadmap to build the team.

Gee, who saw that coming.

That seems about right.

No doubt, but Hutton still has taken some insane angles in this game. It's like watching all the un-orthodoxy of Hasek with a quarter of the talent.

I would gladly accept that explanation.

Has anyone figured out what game Hutton is looking at tonight?

There's no bigger downer than watching the Sabres PP2 unit replace the PP1 unit.

Yeah, the whole 'in-game' management thing mostly escapes Ralph.

For the love of all that is holy. Pull this guy.

Steal a 2c at the trade deadline and this team will be on the right track. We need a Briere type trade right now.

The Leafs defense is really horrendous. Slow reaction time, all kinds of weird passes to the middle of the zone, no awareness to the forecheck. There's no way they win a playoff series until they clean up their own zone.

Shut down all the lanes but one on the bridge. Give 'em time to think about this one.

If they snag an edge rusher in FA, they could go CB in the first round. Put another lockdown guy out there with White, and have some protection if Trey's contract negotiations go sideways.

So how much money are the Sabres waiting on a goalie coach for Hutton?

Risto and Sheary were good. Despite his goal, Johansson wasn't great. This guy should not be on the first PP unit. Vesey looked like he was drunk tonight, so I'll give him a pass.

Too cultured?

Watch Hutton long enough and you'll see all kinds of crap you've never seen before.

I think Ralph is pulling a Lafontaine and trying to get the GM fired. Botterill reasons that Reinhart can drive his own line, so he doesn't aggressively pursue a legitimate 2C last off season. Ralph responds by glueing Reinhart to Eichel all season on the top line, while the 2nd line is a s###show. Botterill pays Skinner $9M/year for eternity, and Ralph drops him onto the fourth line. How many NHL GMs would be fired for paying a 4th line player $9M a year (hint: all of them). So maybe Ralph is playing the long con to get Botterill fired; or maybe it's just payback for making him deal with a 11/7 lineup too many times this season. Anyway, culture.

More like, he's as generally inept as Mojo.

And when Krueger scratches Bogosian and Miller on the same night, the team is stuffing $8 million of cap space into the press box.

Collapse coming in 3...2...1...

Vesey blows a primo setup from Eichel. Emblematic of Ralph and JBott weighing Eichel down with trash.

They raffle that spot off before practice. Everyone gets a ticket.....except Skinner.

I don't know. The team has no personality. Nobody plays hard for Krueger. The special teams are a mess. There are defensive breakdowns every game. The locker room is dead. Players are requesting trades after one benching. If Krueger was coaching this team with no Jack Eichel, how many wins do the Sabres have this year? 6? 7? Sabres games have the tone of a death March. Everyone, fans and players include, wait for the one mistake in the game that ends their chance for a win. The roster is to blame for much of this, but Krueger sure isn't doing much to help.

A key factor to sucking every night is the ability to tune the negativity out.