Pimlach

Can you imagine if the Phantom Sign Makers were still around and allowed to make their signs?

I believe this. Who would have thought that Lindy makes a coaching decision that hurts building the team culture. At the start of the season I did not think it is true but Lindy is done. He needs to go.

My problem with this thought is that he had players that expressed to him that they wanted to go out there and respond and he stopped it. Instead of letting them do it, which might actually have helped the group take another step toward being a tighter team, he put out the PP and he told them to get a goal. His plan was to "get even later", but he thought they needed the goal first. He said it and it is just so flawed. I object more to Lindy's thought process and his interview, than to what actually went down on the ice.

Kind of like not letting Benson play for Team Canada. Those 18-21 year old 180 lb forwards are valuable to the Sabres.

Gilbert? So it appears that Olivier can do what ever he wants.

And he told the media (which is like telling the league) that Tage was Ok way too soon. A concussion can come and go and have effects that last more than one day. The league already ruled no further punishment to Noesen.

I do agree with your bolded comment when the big hit is a clean hit. But the big hit was dirty, late, unnecessary, on purpose, caused injury, and was made by a player that was head hunting all game. Our coach had the last change and he had Gilbert on the bench. So he could have address Noesen after his late and vicious cross check hit on Zucker. Lindy knew about it and saw it. The response on the ice for the Thompson hit was a bunch of “I didn’t see it” comments. Additionally, there was no response once they did see it, which is viewed around the league in a negative way. The worst part of this situation is not the fan reaction, not the media reaction, it was the response of the Sabres coach afterwards. Lindy’s own words - he wanted a power play goal first, then he would send guys out to “ get even”, and to do it you “just grab a player, any player”. None of that worked out for Lindy although his goalie bailed them out and he got his critical points. Every player in the locker room was rocked by the event. It sure didn’t sound like a win in the post game interviews. The team has some talent but they are in last place because they are weak. Mentally weak, physically weak, and poorly coached (tactically weak). This team’s lack of response goes far beyond fighting.

The last 30 games looks like an anomaly. No pressure. Roster maybe absorbed a few more rookies. Whatever. For next season the GM will make a few minor moves. The players will be overconfident while making cute promotional videos in the off season. A few more players will regress and the team will start poorly, then fade completely, and be out of the race by Christmas.

While I agree, the conversation is Deja Vu. Only the Sabres were a mostly different group of players before that, and before that …

Which press? Buffalo News.? Hockey News had a neutral story this morning.

Greenway probably helps if he is on the ice at the time, but its likely he is not. If Lindy sticks with his openly stated plan which was, "get a goal on the PP and then get even", then Greenway would have done nothing. I hate that Lindy said that and I think that is a bush league response. My opinion is that you address it first and then you move on. Clifton would have been much more likely to go after Noesen, in my opinion. Clifton is only a middle weight but he is a better fighter than Greenway and probably Gilbert too. You expect a heavy focus on getting bigger and stronger in the off season. Maybe so. It is obvious they need it. But why does Adams get to learn his job on the fly? His issues with roster construction are criminal and he has does nothing to warrant a 6th year.

To me Ruffs post game interview was a circular ramble. Others might think he has the wisdom of Abraham Lincoln. I don't.

If the Devils miss the playoffs by one point then the two points matters. I don't see it happening unless they collapse.

Definitely seen worse hits but still, who had the benefit of the replay? No one. Since when do hockey players need that much evidence to bring justice? Noesen had taken other runs and cheap shots. This was building up for awhile.

My guess is Gilbert and Dahlin.

Agree. But if his sole intention was to rest them he would have cancelled it yesterday after another hard fought (see the pun) win. He sarcastically alluded to no practice to the media. Harrington says it was cancelled 52 minutes prior, so I think the players were there and talking about it. I think the hot kitchen means maybe not all the players were on board with the decisions made. The Columbus game should be interesting.

Dirty players have to be kept in check. You won't stop them from being a pain to play against, you probably won't stop them from being dirty, but you have to contain it and address it. Noesem was running our players every chance he had. He should have been addressed after the hit on Zucker. Lindy commented on the chippy play an the strange calls the refs made and didn't make. He had the last change and he had Gilbert on the bench, but he did not use him. I think he felt that the Devils were too skilled to risk playing Gilbert.

If Pegula set the teams direction to that fine level of detail then forget ever winning. I don't think he does or that he can be bothered with those details. If he is truly a hockey guy then he understands the role of fighting. The lack of toughness and accountably started with the Lucic hit on Miller. It was 2011, Pegula's first season and Ruff was the coach. In 2024 Lindy was supposed to bring in NHL experience, accountability, and a team that is harder to play against. Under Lindy they are were all but eliminated by Christmas, they are entrenched in last place in their conference, several young players have regressed, they consistently play worse as the game goes on, they freeze up and blow big leads all the time, and now apparently he decides when the players can fight or not. Someone pointed out his teams record defending a third period lead. It is the worst in the league, ironically Granato's was among the top. I like Lindy and appreciate his history with the team but yesterday was the end for me. He does not look like a coach that will fix this team. In his defense he didn't want to get swept by the Devils and he knows he has to defend his record after the season. So given that the 2 points mean a lot to him. Some of us think the teams reputation and culture mean more.

I take it you never played? Having to fight will absolutely deter a dirty hit. Why is everything that you disagree with a “narrative”? I have not read one word to even suggest a bench clearing brawl. That is your narrative. Lindy blew it by not immediately sending out Gilbert. He told us why he added him to the roster and then he fails to use him. His defense of his decision in his post game interview was incoherent. At least he took the players off the hook by telling us they were ready to respond. I’ll give him credit for standing by his incorrect decision. If your captain is on the ice bleeding and possibly concussed you put Gilbert out. Why is that hard to understand? So Gilbert gets a 2, a 5, and a 10. Big deal, they play 4 on 4 and then they get a power play. Was Chris Drury more valuable than Tage Thompson? Are two points that valuable to a team that is last in their conference with no legitimate shot at the playoffs? If the Sabres did the same thing to Hughes do you think the Devils would have not responded and been happy with a 5 minute power play? There is no defense for his decision to hold back his players response. If this spills over into next season it is completely because of Lindy’s poor decision yesterday.

Which team needed the 2 points more? Lindy’s second term has been a failure. The team is worse than last year. At a minimum, he was supposed to help improve the culture. His post game interview was a disjointed rant. He actually was sarcastic about giving the boys Monday off. It’s sad to see actually.

Remember, Lindy just told his guys all about the value of Rob Ray to his team. He said that Ray always put the teammates first, right? I guess they forgot already, and so did he. How quickly that changed. Lindy’s post game comments were inconsistent, defensive, and short sighted. First he said two guys on the bench were ready to go answer but he didn’t want a penalty. A far cry from the “run him” philosophy he had when Drury got hit in the head versus Ottawa. Which Sabres team had the better culture? Which team needed the two points more? And so the Sabres didn’t answer because Lindy wanted the 5 min power play. He said they would need it. That’s great faith in his teams ability to hold a 2 goal lead. And with all his excuses, his team gives up a shorty, and then takes two more minor penalties, while almost choking away yet another 3 goal lead going into the 3rd. The biggest folly was that his team won and he is up there making excuses and being irritable and defensive. Did the postgame interviews feel like a victory? Anyone get a good feel from watching them? Lindy yells at a reporter for asking about the lack of response message. Then he does a very strange 180 flip by saying that Noesem was gone but “you can answer by picking a guy, any guy”. WTF is he saying? The media room got quiet upon this big contradiction. Which is it Lindy? Gilbert was dressed and ready, but apparently Lindy wasn’t. Let’s not forget that the Devils were not done. Kulich gets blasted next and he limps off the ice. Still nothing, we really gotta get those 2 points. They were lucky to win, and the win was mostly due to UPL playing brilliantly. Victory was achieved but the tone in that locker room was not a positive one, I think many of the players regret the lack of response, and they should. Tage has made several on ice immediate responses for players, but we didn’t have the “right players” out there apparently and our coach really valued those two points over his teams reputation and culture. Ironically, this was something he was brought in to fix. The Rob Ray messages were quickly forgotten.

Because Ray likes getting paid. Just know that Ray would have done the exact opposite. But he can’t criticize the team on the air. After the hit Seigenthaler (#71), first takes a path to Kukich who backs away, then he takes a stick poke at Muel to let him know he would be ready to go. The ref stepped in then not before. Watch the replay. Samuelsson skated around in circles. The two points means little, the season is over with the exception of building the culture for next season. No response is the current culture. It wasn’t just the hit on Tage. The hit in Zucker was late and dangerous. The hit on Kulich was unnecessary. The team is weak and flaccid.

I don’t think they won 4 in a row last season either. ?? Im hanging on to my house and all the accounts. I’m not a gambler.