Pimlach

Jacques Martin is still in the game? I suppose he will be demanding and will try to wake them up, maybe get them to play harder and be more consistent, but interim means interim. This is actually his 3rd time being a mid season interim replacement in the NHL. Granato will survive the year. Unfortunately he just got extended but I really think it is time to move on and bring in a coach with proven NHL success. Looking at Laviolette in NY, he had no trouble installing a system that included offense and defense and special teams in one off-season. We have to get the NHL club out of the developmental mode, that is for Rochester. Granato is a great guy and he did a fine job to the point that he can. He has not been given a full NHL roster either but his system, and his glacial pace of teaching it, is not NHL level. IF you are not improving you are getting worse. We are getting worse again. Teams just know how to stop us and we have no counter.

I believe that @PASabreFan's GIF signifies he is not convinced that adding Quinn does anything substantial at this point. Think contrarian.

All this talk about Columbus being bad. They are, but Buffalo at home scares no one. This is a game they have to come out strong dictate the play. With Levi in net I like our chances. Now, if Tage and Tuch also show up we might be able to do some damage.

Bryson waived is logical. I wish him well. I just hope they are not rushing Quinn. They clearly rushed Tage back, but a thumb is much different than Achilles.

Nope. Terry came up with Efficient, Effective, and Economic when describing to the media why Boterill was fired. Recall that JBot was given a vote of confidence as GM, Terry liked him and publicly supported him. Shortly afterwards, JBot was fired for not wanting to comply with the new business plan, which looked nothing like a hockey plan. Adam’s agreed to carrying it out, Terry knew him and liked him, he was a rising star on the Business side of the operation, so he made him GM after an exhaustive search of ZERO candidates.

Agree but let’s add that he has taken a beating to get to this point and he came out stronger. He stood on his own and he pushed back and has earned respect in the league. There was no help for him either. Not like the GM getting Horton to teach Schoeny. Dahlin is a Norris Level player, a premiere talent, and he is still just getting started. His contract tracks with his play and his worth.

I can tell you I’m not throwing in a towel and I have high expectations for the lineup we have. Concerning Benson, he keeps making plays and creating, he is outplaying some opponents and most of his teammates. So sure, play him in the highest level he can handle, but they better protect him. Whoever is on the ice with Benson better jump into any fracas and answer for any action taken on him. My beef is with the FO for being in the position where they can’t spare him for a short time in the first place. It’s Bush. I can see @Brawndo ‘s point but coming at it with a bit of scorn for Adams.

I am very happy that Benson is playing so well and that Adams drafted him. He looks like a future star. I see nothing to celebrate in the decision to not let him play in the tournament It’s a sad state of affairs that he is so important to the team at 18 years old that he can’t miss 5 games and play for Canada. It’s a sad indictment on the Sabres, not on Benson. I never expected him to make the top 6, or even the top 9 if we had a healthy lineup. Again, this was supposed to be a playoff run. He will say he wants to stay with Buffalo. What he really wanted we will never know. What is best for his development has already been decided and there is no going back now.

Pretty sad conversation regarding Benson, the Worlds, and the job KA did in the off season. On teams serious about the playoffs, Granato would probably be fired by now. On some of those teams Adams would be fired too. Benson is already becoming a victim of playing for this backwards run organization. He looked very good in camp, giving him a few NHL games was fine. Logically, an 18 year old would then he go back to juniors then to Worlds, etc. But this is the Buffalo Sabres and somehow he emerges as one of their better and more reliable two-way wingers on the team. Pretty sad statement about the rest of them. So now people with a hockey conscience and a long term view feel bad that the kid misses out on playing for Canada and possibly winning a championship - all because the Sabres need him now, so that the FO can continue to communicate that they are "trying" to win. Let's keep in mind that they need to play ~ .670 hockey to meet the playoff goal.

Rugby style play in the NFL.

Yes. I agree with this. I am skeptical on Dallas but I hope the beat the tar out of Miami. Great to see the Bills OL and entire running game starting to gel under Brady. It would be great if Brady can redefine our offense to take pressure off Allen.

This points out a big problem with the Sabres. It’s no wonder so many fans here get immediately attracted to Benson and, I dare say, Eric Robinson. They are miles apart in talent but they both are still fresh from the outside of the Sabre hockey culture. They both play like they care and that gets noticed. It should NOT be noticeable that they care. That should already BE the culture.

I will of course pull for Dallas, but keep in mind that Dallas has been bad on the road. Miami is going to see how we ran on Dallas. Miami has two real good running backs plus the explosive WRs. I’m a Dallas skeptic.

Cook had a Thurman Thomas type game. We needed that.

That reminded me of old fashion football. In Buffalo, in December, and in the rainy elements. The Bills OL and DL dominated the LOS. Allen played good again, but did not have to carry them, which has been rare. Just a great win. Let’s keep it going. Peaking in Dec/Jan is what gets you a shot at the prize.

Don't know anything about the stuff in bold.

I thought you were a Star Wars fan?

Yup. Tage is overhandling the puck, making too many moves, passing up open shots, and obviously pressing. His game away from the puck was pretty good before the injury but it is not good right now. I would describe his play away from the puck as coasting, strolling, and gliding around while using his stick, not his body, to check. Tuch - pretty much the same. Benson is making that line a #1 line right now.

It happened because we sucked for so long that the AHL team had minimal NHL ready asset's. Adams has done a admirable job drafting and filling up a pipeline but the NHL ready players are already on the team - Savoie, Kulich, Rosen, etc. are not ready and they bring similar skills to what we already have. Lots of rookies - Quinn, Peterka and UPL last year. Levi, Benson, and R Johnson this year. We are saturated with youth to go with an already very young Core that has never won anything and never had to lead at this level. Adams does not want to bring in Vets that "block prospects" or that cost anything. That is how it happened.

I cant go there. Errors like that happen. They have much bigger problems.

Well if they are ahead in the standings then their rebuild is ahead, no? Plus they beat us head to head twice. We probably have a longer list of shiny good prospects though but I am looking at results in the standings as the measure. Never mind that we have been rebuilding for 13 years, we started our latest attempt to rebuild at about the same time as East Conference teams Ottawa, Detroit, Montreal, NJ, and Philly. Detroit is in front right now. Montreal as beaten us twice and is ahead in the standings. In the Metro division the Flyers and the Devils have passed us too. Ottawa is still struggling like Buffalo.

Could be worse - Smyth, Would, Adkinson, Hodgeson ...

Adam’s biggest obstacle by far is the guy above him. The man with the boastful start as a NHL Owner has followed it up with a track record of organizational confusion, historical losing, managerial incompetence, destruction of a once loyal fan base, absenteeism, and a complete lack of commitment to excellence.