JohnC

There are a variety of leadership styles that can be successful in all fields of endeavor. You don't necessarily have to be an outwardly forceful or loud leader to lead a franchise. A good leader surrounds himself/herself with quality people and empowers them to do their jobs. I have been a harsh critic of TP. I really don't know what the freak he is doing and where his head is at right now. As a new owner I was willing to give him more time to learn how to navigate in new waters. My patience has been exhausted. I'm tired of him and his incompetency. I'm not demoralized to the point of giving up on the team. I strongly believe that with the right person at the helm who is capable of making some judicious moves that this floundering franchise can get back on course. Is Jarma that type of person? I don't know. What I do know is that he would be better than what we got. The owner's stubbornness is not only self-sabotaging but as a fan is tough to take.

I agree with you that technically the too many on the ice call was correct. But from a discretionary judgment call I thought it was a bad call. And as you point out, with the Tompson/DeBrincat engagement both of them were battling, so the judgment of a no-call was the right call. Although, if that type of throw down happened in the middle of the game, a penalty would likely be called. As you note, the calls evened out.

You don't have to be an organizational analyst to recognize organizational instability. Never ending turmoil from constant changing of staff shouldn't be a surprise. The leadership standard in any organization is set by the top of the pyramid. In this case, from the owner and the lackeys he has hired. When you are in a competitive endeavor it isn't a surprise that long-term failure creates a stress filled environment. It is evident with the players and even with the fans. The Sabres have been an unstable franchise since Terry P bought it. Lurching from one approach to another. What's the solution? It's not something magical. It's a basic concept that is evident to anyone who has a flicker of intelligence: hire the right people and empower them to do the job. If it doesn't work, then you hold them accountable for their performance and replace them with people who might be better options. There are no guarantees that the next option will work. However, you are guaranteed to fail when you continue on with failures. Common sense 101.

Too many beers intensify one's reactions.

The play of the game was McCleod’s shorthanded goal. It kept us in the game and was the pivot point for the win. Tage played like his life depended on the outcome. He showed a lot of intensity and emotion. I have been waiting for Kesserling being paired with Power. Can’t make any judgement off of this game. Can this team hang on until we get some players back? I’m not talking playoffs as I am respectability. It would have been easy to quit in this game when the score was 4-1. They didn’t. That’s a tribute to their character. Dahlin’s play was flat but understandable. His presence alone considering what he has going on in his life should be inspirational to his mates. He chose to be with his teammates when he could have been back home. He definitely cares. There have been a lot more downs than ups in this disappointing season. For the moment, this is a game I will appreciate. The ending took me by surprise.

In general, we are in accord. Roster construction is inextricably linked to the culture on the team. As you point out, it is not simply about accumulating talent as it is getting the right talent/people in the room. In any line of work, getting the wrong mix of people can become detrimental to the atmosphere that also takes away from the production of the right people in the room. Having the right mix also applies to the staffing within the organization. If not, you are going to have internal conflict that affects the output of the franchise. There will be too much push/pull instead of everyone understanding the necessity of moving in the same direction. The problem with the Sabres is that it is headed by a third-rate owner who put together a third-rate organization. Until the organization is properly staffed with the right people, it will continue to falter. It isn't about luck or unluck ---- it's about competency. There should be no surprise that a hollowed-out organization staffed by feebly talented people results in failure. It starts with the owner!

The problem with the Sabres revolves around talent and roster construction. The origin of those deficiencies has to do with the GM and staffing in general. The caliber of the facilities has nothing to do with this failed franchise. Pervasive organizational ineptitude, starting with the non- talking owner , is the sole reason why this franchise has been sunk for a generation. It should be noted that the players who worked their way out of this sad-sack franchise cited a chance to win and not the quality of the facilities as the reason to get out of dodge.

What’s worse than his poor public speaking is his self-sabotaging hockey decisions. In any business recognizing what you don’t know and finding the right support staff to help you is critical. It’s not his non-talking that has crippled this forlorn franchise, it is his inexplicable hockey decisions, mostly pertaining to staffing, that has left us with this hockey carcass. It is so stupid and inexcusable!

Losing is corrosive. The players who have been here are dispirited. Playing for the Sabres has sucked the joy out of playing a sport that they love. You can see it in their play when dealing with adversity. I’m hoping that the young players don’t get contaminated with this pervasive negativity. It’s so sad how a fool owner has destroyed this franchise with his horrendous staffing decisions. What’s the solution to getting out of this deep rut? Before there can be a roster shakeup there has to be a major shakeup in the front office and coaching staff, and then give them the ability to make the personnel decisions with a fresh perspective. The Sabres are a mocked and irrelevant franchise. I mostly blame the fool and stubborn owner. There are a cadre of people who reflexively cite excuses for this lame franchise. I’m not one of them. This fiasco of a franchise is of its own doing. The motto of this franchise seems to be : Stupid in leads to stupid out.

Is Jarmo currently actively or at least collaborating on personnel decisions? Was he a Pegula recommended addition or was it a KA add after being instructed by the owner to find an experienced staffer to help him out? It is not a healthy organizational situation to be in where you have staff waiting in the wings (maybe so?) because you then have people looking over their shoulders worried about their status and influence. Terry Pegula has created a third-rate organization, and the results are proof of that dysfunction.

My niece's daughter who was 13 years old had her schoolmate and best friend pass away from contracting viral meningitis. I'm not saying this to be morbid or dramatic but, as you are doing, pointing out how serious this illness can be. You never know when you can be facing unexpected misfortune.

If Tuch is dealt, it is unlikely the immediate return will make this a better team, at least for the near term. Even if the return is getting an appealing young player back, the already young Sabre roster won't be much better. It would not surprise me if Tuch rides out his contract and puts himself in a situation where he can test the market. What will the front office do? If it doesn't believe it can get a deal done, they will deal the approaching free agent player for a discounted value. This scenario has played out before as the Reinhart deal illustrated. How do you think that Dahlin and Tage will respond to the roster setback? I can see the same "Jack" get me the freak out of here scenario playing out again. Continued disfunction and incompetence are the hallmark of this cartoonish franchise.

The biggest fault that can be attributed to Pegula isn't providing enough financial support for the franchise as it is hiring bad staff. If you hire a bad GM who hands out bad contracts, that is a money loser from an investment on the dollar calculation. If you hire a coach when there were better options for the position, regardless how much you pay for your selection, you are not only not getting a return on your investment in salary, but you are also not getting the results on the ice resulting in less fan support causing additional revenue loss. The bottom line is that management ineptitude costs you more money. It's stupid and a consistent theme during Pegula's tenure. When one is stubborn you don't learn from your mistakes.

The problem isn't lacking the urgency as much as it is having the ability to translate that urgency into production. I assume you watched the Carolina game and many others. This team, especially after being subjected to a number of injuries, simply isn't good enough to maintain the puck in their zone, even with a man advantage. Compare how other teams handle the puck without sloppily losing it as the Sabres often do? Even if one doesn't have much knowledge in the sport (count me in that unschooled group), it was evident to the untrained eye that Carolin was the better team. The problem with the Sabres is that it is an assembly of parts that don't properly fit together. The parts value is greater than the team value. This is where we are at and have been for quite a while. When you have the same people at the helm steering the ship it shouldn't be a surprise that they become stuck on the course they have unwisely set. There is a bland sameness to this Peugla franchise that is dispiriting.

Terry P. Would make significantly more money with or without a write off if he had a serious team. The fan support and revenue generation would be much higher. The obvious fact based on his record is that his own ineptitude has cost him money.