GASabresIUFAN

As Kulich is currently the No.1 center is it really far-fetched that Adams would leave him there if he continues to be effective? In my projected lineup, I had Kulich "demoted" to 2C behind an acquired center and people gripped. Remember Adams is the GM until further notice and he is sticking to his youth plan despite all the evidence that it isn't really working. I also stick by my earlier statement that the offense currently isn't the issue. The only way this team moves forward is a better commitment to playing defense. That starts with better in zone D player which can only be accomplished with new partners for Dahlin and either Byram or Power.

No. Tage can always be moved back to center and you'd still have McLeod, Krebs, Lafferty and TNT to handle the center duties (assuming Cozens is traded). The key IMHO to making the playoffs is improving team defense. The Sabres are 12th in goals scored this season with 164. 12th! The offense, despite the terrible PP and questions at center still scores enough to win. However, the Sabres have allowed the 5th most goals at 177 GA. Fix the defense, get the differential positive and the Sabres will be a playoff team. The Sabres current differential is -13. Every team with a + differential is in a playoff position except TB and they are 1 pt out of playoff spot with 2 games in hand.

Why did they acquire Malenstyn and sign Lafferty. I thought they were supposed to bring speed and toughness to the lineup? Why is Gilbert playing if not the help with the physical aspects of the game? Beck is 6'3 210. He should be able to help settle issues.

Isn't the lack of response by both the players and coaches a sign of them not caring either.

Maybe we'll trade him and then re-sign him this summer.

Bingo! 2011/12 was Lindy's last season of his first go around as Sabres' coach and the first season of missing the playoffs of the current playoff drought. The hit on Miller occurred on 11/11/2011. After the Ottawa game the Sabres were 10-5-0. They then went 9-19-5 in the next 33 games and the drought had begun.

As I wrote in the OP the response didn’t have to be a fight. Picking up the physical play, aka doing to the Devils what they started doing us, would have been an adequate response. Instead they folded again like a cheap tent. Only UPL prevented a loss.

I was thinking about the Brownschidle brothers as I wrote the OP. They were the first Amherst guys to make it. As a kid playing in the Amherst leagues, they were the guys we looked up to.

Did you watch the play of the 2 teams after the hit on TNT. The Devils took over the game and that included knocking the Sabres all over the ice. The Sabres crawled into a ball and stopped executing. It was hard to watch. The PP featured a shortie and other opportunities for the Devils and no O zone time for the Sabres PP. As I wrote in the OP the win didn’t matter. What mattered was the team standing up for themselves and each other.

Lindy cancelled practice today.

The funny thing is that it was Lindy who sent the goon squad out against Ottawa after Neil's cheap shot to the head of Chris Drury. No one remembers who won or lost that game, but everyone remembers the response of the Sabres to the cheap shot. Lindy knows that the win was less important than the message that the Sabres are up for any fight. Sadly even Lindy has been beaten down by the sad culture of this team.

The Lucic attack on Miller and the Sabres lack of response to it was the first step down the road to where the Sabres are now. That is at the bottom of the standings for 14 years with no real plan to improve. Yesterday two cheap shots, one on Zucker and then one on TNT, both by Noesen I believe, went unavenged and graphically illustrated that nothing has changed in 14 years. This franchise still lacks a spine and without one they’ll never improve. Lindy’s stating at the press conference that winning was the best response is simply BS. For a team at the bottom of the conference standings with zero hope of the playoffs the win is meaningless. For a good culture to grow, the team must stick up for each other. They must become tougher and legitimately harder to play against. Teams push the Sabres all over the ice because they know no response is coming and the Sabres proved that again yesterday. The Adams administration has paid lip service for years to getting tougher. Adams would say that he added Greenway, Gilbert, Stillman, Eric Johnson, Robinson, Clifton, Lyubushkin, Malenstyn, Lafferty and Kubel to help accomplish that goal. The problem with all these acquisitions is that almost none are more than depth players or roster filer. Only Greenway arguably plays more than a depth role and he’s oft injured. Of the guys still on the roster from that list who stepped up after Zucker and TNT hits ? None ! The response didn’t have to be a fight either. It could have been hard checks on Meier and the Hughes brothers. The response could have been picking up the physical intensity and checking every Devil at every opportunity. Instead the Sabres rolled over, gave up a shortie, wasted a 5 minute PP and allowed the Devils to pick up their physical intensity. Only sterling play by UPL preserved the victory. I honestly don’t know how to fix this soft losing culture in the Sabres. However, I do know that Lindy not allowing the few guys who allegedly wished to step up to step up sends the wrong message to the locker room.

Why aren't TNT , Keller & Jason Robertson on the American squad? I don't get Trocheck, Kreider or Nelson making the squad ahead on any of those 3 players.

As you know, I'm all for acquiring 2 RHD to play in our top 4. As to Zegras, I agree that he probably isn't a true no. 1 center. However, he is a gifted playmaker, is on a more reasonable contract @ 5.75 for one more year and then he's still an RFA. Injuries have also slowed him this year and last and therefore he'd probably come much much cheaper than Pettersson. From a Sabres perspective, he's only a 1 year commit if his game doesn't return to form, but if he does get things going again, then he's an RFA which we can re-sign long-term is desired.

From the OP. I guess reading isn't fundamental. Gionta was near the top of my list with Orpik. When I expanded it out to Syracuse and Ithaca Dustin Brown went to the top of the list with Gionta because of his 325 goals and 712 points in 1296 games and 2 Cups

I bought a Kennedy Jersey to celebrate a WNY kid playing for the Sabres. I thought then he’d have a nice career in Buffalo but then arbitration happened.

Correct. This team isn’t making the playoffs and showing a spine was more important than winning. The old Lindy knows this.

I’m sure their coaches can’t wait to play him 10 minutes a night like we do.

What about Brooks Orpik. 1000 games, 2 Cups and what a great shutdown D Ithaca’s Dustin Brown also comes to mind. Nearly 1300 games 700+ points and 2Cups. Do we consider Ithaca WNY or central NY. It is West of Syracuse.

Isn’t Malenstyn supposed to be our resident tough guy? Greenway is out, but what about Samuelsson?

The new Sabres team bus

How do you get a 5 minute PP and respond with absolutely nothing to the cheap shot on TNT. They won, but talk about a “win” that illustrates all the problems with this franchise.

Obviously Patrick Kane is the best NHL player born or raised in WNY. He leads WNYers in goals, assists and games and is a first ballot HOFer when he becomes eligible. I was watching the inept 5 min pp and my mind began to wander. I was thinking about Gilbert being from Buffalo and how most of the guys from WNY were depth or AAAA players with some notable exceptions. Names like Marchant, the Foligno brothers, the Gionta brothers, Stempniak, Callahan and Amherst raised Brooks Orpik came to mind. If we expand the definition of WNY to extend to Syracuse or Ithaca we can add Tuch, Dustin Brown and Connolly. Anyone else? So who is the 2nd best player born or raised in WNY?

What is Joki worth in trade at the deadline? A 3rd or a 4th? Less?

Poor Finland.