Second Line Center

UPL should have been in net tonight and that might be the problem with this team. There has absolutely been some “deal” with KA and Levi to get him here. Because this just doesn’t make any sense. And Levi might be my favorite prospect ever. Reality is he hasn’t earned the playing time yet while UPL has. I thought for sure coming off the 41 save win 3 days ago it would be him tonight. They aren’t good enough to platoon these 2 like this.

Peca probably brings McKee with him. Just sayin.

If you believe the talent is there then it’s all coaching. Bylsma had us flirting with a 90 point season I believe. It’s irrelevant. I know it’s been 13 years. But the reality it’s been barely 3 in the Adams era. He should be on the hot seat by January 2025 and Granato as soon as this season if there isn’t significant improvement before games become pressure less and meaningless in March when we’re 12 points out.

Tage and Cozens: Cozens is 6’3 and 180 lbs. Get him to 200. Tage is 6’7 and 218. Should be at about 230. Would like them to focus less on agility and more on strength/size. Cozens more so than Tage

24-25 Head Coach Not sure he’d want to come here.

“That’s just 12 years of frustration.” This guy has got to go. This team goes nowhere as long as he’s here. Same Skinner. I love the guy, but career losers got to go. Analytics can’t account for any of this.

This team is about to go on one of those 10 game unbeaten streaks. It feels like it - Quinn back. Skinner Tuch and Thompson look healthy. And Levi outside of Columbus (they all stunk) has been much better. It’s a flawed team. I don’t like the captain situation and I think it’s not physical enough. But Okposo responded tonight and maybe the team has realized how serious the situation is with the “fire DG chants” they didn’t think we’re possible just 2 months ago. Like a wake up call.

Need a lip reading

This team makes no sense.

Yea if I’m disappointed in Clifton I’m very frustrated with Samuelson. I don’t get it. He looked like our most important player for almost a full season. He has to be playing thru something. That btw is the problem with him the injuries.

I can’t ignore the minus 8 he’d been up to that - what the recent plus 4 tells me is since Thanksgiving DG is not using him against the opposing teams top 1-2 lines perhaps how he was the first 22 games. I’d have to dig to see if his minutes have been cut. But regardless he was brought in to be a top 4 guy. He’s being paid like it. “Bruins coach Jim Montgomery occasionally expressed frustration with Clifton's play, telling reporters that the defenseman was taking too many risks and not sticking to the team's structure. Montgomery's system put more restrictions on defensemen compared to that of Boston's previous coach Bruce Cassidy, who was behind the bench when Clifton made an instant impact as a rookie in the 2019 run to the Stanley Cup final.” https://buffalonews.com/sports/sabres/connor-clifton-joins-sabres-defense-corps-on-3-year-contract-in-free-agency/article_17cb2924-1831-11ee-8abb-ff81b497c749.html Yes he’s not what’s wrong with this team I’m just saying he’s not helping imo.

Conner Clifton is absolutely terrible At :58 misses a horrendous attempt at a hip check you never see anymore. Barely 10 seconds later the weakest attempt to clear as this shift is gone on over a minute. Just because he was with Boston doesn’t mean he was good. His game stinks. He can be physical and that’s all I’ll say.

This might also come across to some as insulting but I’m sorry - Okposo is a good ambassador to the game. But he is just a God awful captain. Sure the guys like and respect him. Because he is the anti Mark Messier. He didn’t give you a look on the bench if you had a bad shift or loafed and immediately regretted all life decisions up to that moment. This team has not had a legit captain since the guy in my profile pic. Okposo is captain by default. The worst kind of setup. The coach and captain can’t both be “friends” to the guys. Half these kids on the roster were 10-13 years old the last time Okposo was actually good - in his contract year. This isn’t his fault. It just shouldn’t be his job. KA absolutely bungled this. It also showed the kids they needed that “here is how you do things in the NHL the right way” guy. Not a real sign of trust to a group you think is ready. We need more than that - this team needs Dahlin to be captain asap.

Have we had one of them players only meetings yet?

This game absolutely gets a coach fired. Is this for real?

Time to fire the coach. This team is toast.

The last collection of Sabre greats have coaching or front office roles with other organizations. Briere Drury Peca Grier It was the After the Whistle show that was discussing making sure legacy players stuck around. My theory as to why they aren’t (not necessarily those guys) but “the tank” turned off everyone. The subsequent ROR trade and Cup win further embarrassed a team that already had a reputation - and it’s one that goes back decades as just a hole no one wants to play in anyway. Folks in Buffalo don’t want to hear that but it’s the truth. And my fear is Terry’s approach to folks who feel that way about our organization and city is basically “to hell with em.” Adam’s main job has been to end that perception and he’s started by stock piling elite talent. It starts in Rochester. I think this was just unrealistic to believe this was the year. And if you don’t believe that then the coach needs to be fired. Talented roster? Not winning. That’s on the coach.

4 of those top 9 are under 22 years old. 3 of our D men are under 23 years old. I think we just overestimated how good they’d get in a short time. It’s not realistic. They aren’t surrounded by the right pieces to show them how to compete every shift on D especially and with some toughness. Roster construction has been - let’s just roll with our highly skilled inexperienced easy to play against young guys - where the D is also too young and will be up and down. Then on top of that let’s not get a legit goalie to allow them to feel free to take chances. AND on top of that we have a coach that’s great at developing players but not so much countering what other coaches are doing to us.

Have to essentially go 36-20 to just get to 94 points. I’m not even sure that would be enough. This is decision time KA.

Unacceptable

He even said if we blew it up and tore it down there would be “suffering.” Did he know it could be 12 plus years worth?

Faceoffs matter.

A serious GM would have moved Olofsson, KO, Girgensons, and yes Skinner to. They all contribute one thing that this team needs to get rid of immediately - career losers that haven’t won anything.

Someone needs to be fired.

They skipped Bylsma. Which makes this all the more perplexing - it isn’t just inexperienced coaches We need almost a whole new bottom 6. Our current group of forwards 4-9 should be in the bottom 6. Definitely good enough but a better top group pushes them down.