Pimlach

No beaver hat, but I like hats. Partially bald on top/front - I call it an enlarged forehead. My heart is strong thankfully. Wife thinks the Sabres are a waste of my time and therefore keeps a running list of jobs for me to do.

What I see different with Thompson this year is speed. Last season he played faster and was much stronger on his stick too. He was different, more decisive, determined, and driven. Injuries to him and line mates are only a part of it. He needs to reduce the dangling and lateral moves and drive faster and harder to the net more often. He needs to play like he is bigger and stronger than the competition, because he is. I am going to say this AGAIN, repeating what I said right out of the gate. They wasted the camp and preseason. They looked at all their coveted prospects for too long and did not drill the vets and NHL players enough. Contrast this to Florida and the things that Maurice recently said. The Panther players all worked harder in camp than the coaches were going to work them. They came in with a mission. Our guys coasted while Adams and Granato looked at every dam draft pick and prospect ad nauseum. Then they ran a 3 man goalie tryout that extended into the first 2 months of the season. Add the injuries and the slow starts and we were toast right out of the gate. Worse, they put in a "defensive aspect" to the "system" and that confused them and that killed what they were good at. They should have been practicing the system changes instead of looking at 19/20 year old kids. The team was completely unprepared to make a playoff run. The FO and the coaches and the players all talked about playoffs but did NOTHING to enable it to happen. Adams in particular sat on a young and flawed roster with such arrogance, as if his prospects are all difference makers. We saw glimpses of Savoie, Kulich and Rosen in the NHL - none of them are ready and I don't expect them to be ready next year either. Adams needs to wake up and improve the NHL roster and make these kids beat out a real NHL player to get to Buffalo. Back to Thompson - he plays parts of games at a decent speed, if he does not score right away he reverts to floating. Playing with KO and Skinner is not helping him. Given the line he is on, I would like to see him play faster and harder and actually hog the dam puck more. Drive to the net, not away from it. Look at the video Tage, drive to the net and get to the slot, not away from it. Grrr.

Anybody know Roy Buchanan? Criminally underrated guitar player. A blues player that was at his best playing live. Known for incredible tone and unique picking styles to get those tones. Give it some time if you can. If you play guitar then you really need to listen to some of Roy's work. The great Jeff Beck was greatly influenced by Roy, and Jeff dedicated a song to him on his Blow by Blow album.

For Mrs. Punch I change peaches to melons (cantaloupes). <duck if she see this>

From what I know, they knew what was going on but did not drive hockey decisions or get involved in drafts, trades, etc. They trusted the people they hired, Imlach and Bowman, because they hired people that won at the NHL level and that knew a lot, obviously more then they did. I can't see Scotty Bowman asking permission to make a trade or make a draft pick. Even when they hired Meehan, a first time GM, they knew they had a solid guy. He stayed in Buffalo and went to Canisius and UB to get a law degree. Then he worked for their team lawyers (Bob Swados) firm, then he helped Bowman on the contracts side and became AGM under Bowman. So even that hire, although a first time GM, was a hockey guy that they knew had a big brain.

Yes. That and get them fired up, get them sweating like a boxer before the opening bell, and get them ready to take a lead. Especially at home, the mindset should be we will score early and often. Our fans will be intense. Then we will strangle your game and score off of your mistakes.

How about this, which is without the benefit of going inside the Sabres, doing a real evaluation to see what is going on, and purely on my view as a fan: 1. Adams can do a lateral (maybe) move to run the business side, making room for the new NHL experienced GM. Karmonos will be one of the people interviewed for the GM position, but not the only one, real competition will also be brought in to interview. I say this because Karmonos may be the best qualified guy to even consider coming to Buffalo, and it shows the smart young bucks out there that growth from within is possible. 2. The new GM and Adams will be the direct reports to Terry, but the coach will report to the GM. 3. The new coach search will prioritize NHL experience and have a proven track record of winning. He would be picked by the GM and he will be allowed to select his own coaching staff. The new coach will have input to the GM on the roster. Any good coach will want this anyway. 4. DG will be offered a developmental coaching role, not on the bench, but helping the development of NHL/AHL/ECHL players and monitoring prospects in Jr, NCAA, etc. I expect DG would pass on it but this is a way to play to his strength and keep him while on his current contract, and maybe it enhances the draft and develop side. 5. The analytics side can remain and so can the rookie scouting. Maybe some upgrades to the pro scouting are in order too. This is a way to get fresh and more experienced NHL level hockey people into hockey operations, to expand hockey operations, and still offer opportunity for the talent we currently have in the FO. Terry and Kevyn, if you are out there, I usually get paid for advice, but feel free to use any of this. Just fix this team before there is nothing left of it.

Finishing checks - not every team does this. Just the good ones and the ones that play as a team to get beyond their individual talent/skill level. EJ does it. Clifton does it. Zemgus sometimes does it. Dahlin sometimes does it. KO sometimes does it. Tuch sometimes does it. Cozens and Krebs do it on occasion. That is not nearly enough.

Good running list and good comments. There is more to add, but to maintain decorum I will refrain.

I have to agree that the presence of the owner attending the working level meetings of the GM and his staff can be a problem, especially if the feeling is they have to placate him and make him the smartest guy in the room. That just kills growth, innovation and makes people want to move on. Does Terry have the personality to be in there "making the sausage" while not stepping on the creativity, skill, and knowledge of the staff? We can only look at the results to derive an answer. In another life I was an Executive level Director for a huge corporation and I can tell you when a VP or a P came to my meetings the staff tightens up. The staff will tend to not say anything out of line or that can be perceived as stupid/wrong, etc. That is not how you brainstorm to get the best ideas and decisions. Some Sr Execs do have great leadership skills and can go anywhere and make people feel comfortable and valued, some are the opposite, some are in between. I sure don't know were Terry falls in this, but based on the results of his tenure with the Sabres, I would recommend that he has his meetings with his direct reports to set high level strategy, and then stays out of the next level working meetings.

Oh, that guy was also a space cowboy, a gangster of love, and Maurice. Taking you back, but what is a "pompatus of love"? Note he is playing the guitar lead with a slide and probably a wha-wha pedal. For years I thought he used a talk box (like Peter Frampton) . Still cool stuff ...

We are down to Dahlin, Clifton, Joker, Byson, and 2 Johnsons. Clague is the 7th D. That does not mean we are going 7/11, or we are saving the team, or replacing anyone, or anything else. Every team carries at least 7 defensemen on their roster.

Well the first NHL hockey team that I liked was the Boston Bruins. I saw young Bobby Orr skate circles around everyone and that was it. The Buffalo Bisons of the AHL were my favorite team, then the Sabres once they were born in 1970. The Sabres became my team and Gil my favorite player but before that the Bruins were. That was 58 years ago, at times the Sabres and Bruins were rivals and I completely dropped the Bruins of course. But a little part of me still likes them going back to 1966-67. It’s not a crime.

Good morning Teammates, Punch checking in , late. I missed the game. Took the family out to dinner to celebrate my son’s birthday. Did not see a minute of the game. This thread tells me everything. 1. Sabres fail to show up at home again - same situation as all season 2. Sabrespace infighting continues to grow - this is getting old. 3. Harringtons comment on Florida’s camp/preseason compared to the Sabres is spot on. I have said this from the beginning of the season and it is documented many times - This team was not prepared to make a playoff run. Preseason was a joke that bled into a 3 goalie tryout in the regular season. Our best players were not ready from the start. Coaching is not NHL caliber, there is no system, the book is out on how to beat this team. The losing culture crept back in. Losing is ok again. I am as frustrated as anyone. Adam’s is staying. Granato is staying. More prospects will be moving up next year if they cannot make trades and acquisitions the way “normal” teams do.

There is evidence of interference all over the place, it is just hard to separate fact and fiction. Putting Kim in charge was interference. There was that ROR trade that had to happen before the bonus kicks in. Right now, Pegula may not make any decisions to override Adams because he does not have too, so far. Adams complies with his wishes, he doesn't spend near the cap, he doesn't sign high priced free agents, he doesn't trade for expensive players, he doesn't hire high profile coaches and execs. That all came about came after he fired JBOT, who he and Kim gave a vote of confidence to just weeks prior to his firing. Why was he fired? Because JBOT would not comply with their new plan - remember the speech "from now on we will be economic and efficient".

Watched the news about the shootings at the KC Parade. I grew up in a rough and tough part of Buffalo and never experienced violence like we have today. We the people really need to fix this gun problem. Our politicians wont do it.

The layer above the GM (PoHO) is good to isolate the owner from the GM - which is what we need in Buffalo.

Wow. The Power pile-on continues. He is 21 years old and playing big minutes in a tough position that most that age could not handle. Blame Adams for drafting him if you don't like him. Blame Adams for signing him to an $8.35M seven year contract after one season. I think he will come around.

Good luck Marvin. Start looking at other opportunities and maybe you can contract for yourself or through another firm. I retired in 2021 before I hit 63. I still had some fire left, but did not agree with the corporate culture changes so rather than be antagonistic towards it I left. I got calls from a company that is in my old companies supply base. So I consult to them on occasion. Worked 400 hrs in 2022, 360 hours in 2023 - that is enough for me. Depending on your age and what benefits you need you may be better off going that route.

Hate to break this to you guys, but Arby’s sucks!

I assume this is a joke? Kaleta is no coach. Matt Ellis as GM and I just might burn my 1970 vintage Sabres Jersey. ... and probably after the best candidates come off the table.

Why? Happy wife, happy life. That is why.

You need a beer or two, or three.

The Sabre are more likely to win if Reinhart does not do well. So I hope he gets 0 points and is -4 today.

Many a sports wife had to be convinced and many were sad to leave, but you are right, the winters are rough, especially if you have not been exposed to it.