PerreaultForever

I know we bitched about the "tough" division going into this season but stop and think about the usual one. Tampa, Florida, Toronto, Boston, even Montreal......so like no, no chance of the playoffs there.

That's wishful thinking. Sabres will take one look at that resume and say "player development? never heard of that" and send him on his way. Smart hire by Washington. Peca led and played the right way. If he can pass that on they're set. Same logic that thinks all this team needs is a coaching switch, cause we've never tried that.

Now who says these guys aren't learning? Dahlin smashed his stick down in fine Eichelian fashion at the end of the game. (same team, same problems, same result)

maybe they read our thread on that 🙂

It's funny, maybe it's generational, but I don't want more space. I want more contact. The soccer comparison was a good one, and I don't want hockey to become soccer. As for the nets, you don't need bigger nets if you make the pads smaller.

lol, maybe against the Sabres, but in most games the cycle usually ends in nothing more than a blocked shot or an easy shot for the goalie to stop. The game is still about net presence and getting in the dirty areas. The Olofsson style scoring threat only exists on power plays with the added open ice.

Changes to hockey rules always remind me of the Dr. Suess kid's book, I forget the title but I'm sure you all read it or had it read to you once upon a time. The king has a mouse problem so he gets cats then he has a cat problem so he gets dogs etc etc and then he needs mice to get rid of the elephants. Hockey went like that imo. Way back the nets were on big spikes and didn't come off easily so people were reluctant to crash the net cause they'd get hurt. To stop the injuries they made the nets come off easier and then they crashed in and goalies got hurt so they protected the goalies more. So much that the goalies started to come out and stick handle (almost) and so they had to limit goalie movement area but they still got huge pads and big creases. There was more with icings and D men getting hit which reduced aggressive dump ins and forechecks and I won't bore you with the whole history, but one change leads to adaptation and not all changes lead to what they wanted. You want more goals and more entertainment shrink the crease back, shrink the goalie equipment back, allow more contact in front (both ways) and the problem will be fixed (for everyone except the Sabres who don't go anywhere near that area). We might even lose the word "cycling" which is the worst thing that ever happened to hockey after the trap.

So no Risto vs. Ovi action, that likely would have been the most entertaining part. No reason to believe this will go well.

I totally agree with the proper development idea. He looks ready now. I think Borgen was one of the better players we had in the last 2 games and on the 4 on 1 he made the right play and took away the pass. That alone puts him ahead of Montour imo not to mention Miller who after all his years should know better than to thrust his stick in front of a shot coming in on an angle. Nothing good ever comes from that. Borgen hit a guy good too in an otherwise hitless Sabres game. He's the solid physical presence we need and deserves better unless of course they're trying to lose.........................

Ya, I'd go with this. It's a lot easier to hate a guy who makes 9 million and does nothing (for example) then to hate on lower paid guys. The lack of a work ethic is the key. That's why most everybody likes Lazar. The top part of the roster just doesn't seem to care, and they look like they're playing to not get hurt rather than to win.

I'd assume he saw, or his agent pointed out, Skinner's big year and then contract and was convinced he could get similar numbers and big money signing wherever next year. Now he's probably on plan B. Wait for a good deadline deal and use a playoff run to generate interest in next year's contract. and maybe look for a new agent............

You're taking it too far with the caricature. Nobody says they have to be kicking cans and yelling in faces, but they do need to have the toughness and authority to bench "stars" when they don't play properly and they need an organization that will back them in that. Brind'amour and Carolina was a good example above. Torts with Dubois and then Laine got taken down a notch right away. Florida shipped out the people Quennville didn't want and now they're playing great. Here, the inmates run the asylum, and that's a recipe for failure, as we all see.

You know it says a lot about a game when even the "collision of the game" is lame. I got nothing else to say. All the same. Slight bit of effort in the 3rd, too little too late.

I'm not going to critique that. It's the right answer from a veteran player who knows what to say. Much better than Tage last night saying we have to "play the same way". Of course i's just words, but they are at least the right ones.

Here's the difference though. Briere and Drury were hard working guys with pride. Drury was a natural born leader. I can picture that room with Ruff yelling saying we have to get more net traffic and Drury echoing that and Briere doing it. Who on this team has that attitude? Wasn't that Housley? But that team couldn't keep pucks out of our net. Our D was terrible then, so are you suggesting we shouldn't have fired Housley? Cause it seems to me we've tried 3 different systems and styles with Eichel and Reinhart on this team and none of those has led to wins. What we lack is desire and heart, not talent. Neither of these players can play NHL hockey. Coach ain't going to fix them. Thompson has to use his body/size and Mitts has to work hard and use his speed with that. They don't, they won't, they suck. Sure, when nobody checks them and lets them skate around freely they look great. But if a team kills penalties really well and still plays tough on them we need to throw Risto in front don't we, cause the rest of them are pussies. Isn't that exactly the Kreuger philosophy? Build up those fragile egos and define their roles. That's exactly what he does, but NOTHING motivates this bunch of lazy selfish losers and I doubt there is a coach out there who can. Blaming coaches is easy but it rarely fixes a problem that runs this deep.

I can't defend Ralph, and I think Steve Smith is useless, but I don't see how a new coach can fix this. As has been said, we've had many, and the results and attitude is always the same. It's the players, not the coach. If Torts came here, which I doubt he would, do you think Eichel, Reinhart, Skinner etc. would all buy in to his way, or do you think he'd have to bench half the team? I'd love to see it, but it ain't going to happen. If you want a coach with a new attitude you need new players, and you have to endure the tear down (like Ottawa) to get there.

Yup. I don't get mad any more either. It's almost comedic some nights but otherwise there is a definite lack of entertainment. I know nobody wants it, and a few still cling to some sort of hope that we're close (although I don't see how or why but they do) but we added a star player to the roster in free agency and we STILL can't score 5 on 5. It's absurd and the ONLY possible solution (and it's not guaranteed) is to tear it all down and start again. It's clear this foundation cannot be built upon. I feel bad for players like Cozens who have to come into this and endure it. Possibly get ruined by it, rather than going to follow their dream on a team that tries, cares, and wants to win. Whatever this is, it isn't that.

Islanders had an easy time of it last night so it's possible they come out over confidant and sloppy. In order to have a chance we need to come out with high energy and a fast start and get a big early lead. Trouble is we usually start slow. If they get up early they will shut us down same as last game. PP could save us. They seemed over focused on Eichel last time and Olofsson was open a lot (hence his goal). If they don't adjust that it's a possible vulnerability that can be exploited.

You watched the same game as me and you're seriously suggesting we were in this game and just a shot or two or bounce away from a victory? Wow. I am speechless. Or were you being sarcastic?

I think this definitely plays into it. With a lack of leadership and a, shall we say, familiarity with losing, these guys lack the pride in the jersey they need to rally and play hard. It's looking like many of them have already decided this team has no chance this year and look like they've checked out, either for good (wanting out) or at least for this season. The only guys trying are the really young and the fringe guys who need jobs somewhere next year. If fans were booing them they might at least be embarrassed into a tiny bit of effort. maybe.

here's the thing that bugs me the most (and it happens often). First period intermission interview (this time) with Tage. They're down 2-0 and clearly not in the game at all compete wise and the praise/excuse interview leads to Tage saying they just have to "keep playing the same way". Not the first time or the first player to speak like that but I have to wonder do they really think they play well? Do they actually think they're doing the right thing(s)? It's a losing culture and a clueless organization top to bottom. Never, ever, ever, have I seen a Bruins game where they were down by 2 saying we have to play the same way. It's always we have to be better in some way. I know, this may seem like nothing, but I actually think it's everything.

I think the first part is simple. They don't battle for the puck, they don't win puck battles. They don't compete plain and simple. In a wide open game or if they have a man advantage they're not horrible, but give them any kind of defense they have to fight through and they quit and many become passengers. So the second part is trickier, why is that? The coaching? Maybe, but it's a thing that's been here through many coaches. The players? maybe. We get some new ones every year and sometimes they seem okay for a while but in the end it's the same. Most of them quit and coast like they caught the disease. Lack of leadership? Definitely, but that shouldn't be enough by itself should it? In the end, whatever the reason, they never seem to care and they all too often lack effort. It's a broken culture, and it has been since we got these owners. So I'm going to say it's that.

Boy does this team suck. Seems like none of them care either. No effort at all. Only positive thing I can say is Borgen wasn't horrible. I had the Florida battle on the tv while I was streaming this piece of crap. Boy what a difference.

is it just me or does that sentence seem odd? I mean don't get me wrong I'm glad he's recovered but "aches and fatigue for more than a week" isn't really "lethal". I'm wondering what kind of meds he got to recover this soon at his age. More and more this thing seems like a class based illness and if you get the good (expensive) meds you're fine. I could be wrong. He might just have a healthy immune system.

is that the 6 D we have to play with? Yikes.