Connolly vs Winning games

[inkman]

I know Tim is talented and all but I'm starting to wonder if it's just a coincidence that Buffalo has come out flying the last two games without him. I just like the chemistry and make-up of the team much better without him in the line-up. Am I crazy or on to something?

[Claude Balls]

I know Tim is talented and all but I'm starting to wonder if it's just a coincidence that Buffalo has come out flying the last two games without him. I just like the chemistry and make-up of the team much better without him in the line-up. Am I crazy or on to something?

Peters didn't play the last two either.

[darksabre]

Peters didn't play the last two either.

 

Peters isn't supposed to make a difference.

[Bmwolf21]

I know Tim is talented and all but I'm starting to wonder if it's just a coincidence that Buffalo has come out flying the last two games without him. I just like the chemistry and make-up of the team much better without him in the line-up. Am I crazy or on to something?

A real quick look at the numbers - going off Timmy's game-by-game log on TSN and the Sabres' schedule/results page on ESPN - shows these records:

 

With Timmy: 21-20-7

Without Tim: 13-8-4.

 

It's late, so I offer no guarantee about the accuracy of these numbers.

[repster]

I know Tim is talented and all but I'm starting to wonder if it's just a coincidence that Buffalo has come out flying the last two games without him. I just like the chemistry and make-up of the team much better without him in the line-up. Am I crazy or on to something?

 

I think Tim is less than what he could be if he was healthy, but I think he helps the powerplay. Even though we won the last two games handily, the powerplay was 2-16. If he plays Wednesday, he will have had a week off, and I would expect good things from him (i.e. puck possession and point production) since they only play 2 games in the next 9 days. He might be a problem again in a couple of weeks against Ottawa on the Thursday, but I guess time will tell.

 

He definitely lacks in the grit department though, and it seems like those who are playing without it (vanek and max tonight were both -1) aren't helping put the puck in the net lately...

[Claude Balls]

Peters isn't supposed to make a difference.

Sure he is. He is supposed to go out on the ice and "spark" the guys with his ridiculous fighting style. And don't tell me after all the goal he scored this year he doesn't contribute. :blink:

 

That is not a typo. <_<

[2ForTripping]

Tin Man Tim was scratched because Lindy didn't want to muck up the chemistry from the previous nights. About time he realized that you need chemistry with your linemates. Here is to hoping he puts his experiments aside and see how long this chemistry bubbles and eprks along. Better living through chemistry.

[deluca67]

Tin Man Tim was scratched because Lindy didn't want to muck up the chemistry from the previous nights. About time he realized that you need chemistry with your linemates. Here is to hoping he puts his experiments aside and see how long this chemistry bubbles and eprks along. Better living through chemistry.

I hope that is true. It really hurts the team that TC can't practice or be relied on. This is crunch time and the team needs to come together. Hopefully they have over the past couple of games. Why screw with it. If TC can't be a full time member of this team then they should shut him down.

[SabresFan526]

I am one of TC's biggest critics. I still can't believe he's getting $2.9 million a year to play about 50 games or less. And he got that for playing 2 games last year. However, there is something to be said for his contributions. When he's not in the lineup, the PP is awful. Just in the last 3 games. We got nothing on the PP including a 5 minute major against Pittsburgh. We scored one PP goal out of 9 chances against Carolina, and we got one PP goal last night on a 4-on-3. If he's in the lineup, we lose some grit, but when he's out of it, the PP is a disaster. So, I don't know. There's no doubt he adds something, but again we've also been playing without Spacek and Kalinin in addition to Connolly so that might be why the PP has become such a disaster. Oh well. Time will tell. I like the lineup we have and I like the 4th line with Stafford-Mair-Kaleta. However, I would not be opposed to playing Connolly with Vanek and Kotalik and scratching Max, but who knows?

[bob_sauve28]

The question is, what do we do with him? It appears we have a lot of quality forwards who are only going to get better. Tim is an excellect player when he is healthy. Do we take the chance that he stays healthy and keep him or try and trade the guy? The worst case senerio might be he plays all next year, is good, stays healthy, signs a big long term contract and then gets hurt again. Does the NHL have a Lemon Law?

[Wraith]

Please. Every time Connolly gets hurt we have this discussion, and every time he comes back he reminds us why he's in the lineup. We all know about his problems staying healthy but when he is in the lineup he is consistently one of our better players.

 

Max, on the other hand...

[inkman]

A real quick look at the numbers - going off Timmy's game-by-game log on TSN and the Sabres' schedule/results page on ESPN - shows these records:

 

With Timmy: 21-20-7

Without Tim: 13-8-4.

 

It's late, so I offer no guarantee about the accuracy of these numbers.

If you just include SOL with the L's it the numbers are intriguing:

 

With Tim: 21-27

Without Tim: 13-12

[Bmwolf21]

If you just include SOL with the L's it the numbers are intriguing:

 

With Tim: 21-27

Without Tim: 13-12

I was thinking the same thing, but I got attacked on here a few months back when I posted that the Sabres were technically a sub-.500 team if you count the OTL/SOL as losses (which would be true right now as well - 34-28-11 becomes 34-39.)

[R_Dudley]

I hope that is true. It really hurts the team that TC can't practice or be relied on. This is crunch time and the team needs to come together. Hopefully they have over the past couple of games. Why screw with it. If TC can't be a full time member of this team then they should shut him down.

I agree with that as well, it hard to build the consistentcy if the parts are always changing and we especially need it down the strecth here if we are going to make it to the playoffs and hope to play some solid hockey, call it honing the system they will need to play ..

[apuszczalowski]

Timmy has one good year in his career and all of the sudden he is this great, skillful player who is important to the team. I remember a time before his 1 good year that everyone was saying they would trade him for abag of pucks (pretty much the same as we all say about Peters)

 

Timmy can't stay healthy, and he is a hit to the head away from being out for another season. This is one of those areas where management has screwed the team, they paid Tim way too much for one good year. By the end of his contract, he may have only played the equivelant of a season and a half if he suffers another injury

[wonderbread]

I am sick of Tinny Tim, shut him down. He plays sporatically and it alters the way this team plays. This team needs some continuity! Connolly doesn't help this at all.

[Doohicksie]

I wouldn't go do far as to say I'm sick of him, but I think the Sabres need a powerplay makeup that doesn't include him. He just misses too many games.

 

Also he seems like he's suffering from Afenigenomentia the last few games he's played- instead of carrying the puck in on the power play and then dishing off to a teammate to set up the PP, he has developed a propensity to try to take it all the way to the goal. When the PK realizes this, they collapse, recover the puck and dump it down the ice.

[jwcolour]

It appears we have a lot of quality forwards who are only going to get better.

 

We should remember during this thread that this is a good problem to have.

 

Atleast opposed to not having enough quality players and struggling to fill the roster with good guys... It sucks but someone has to sit out be it Tim or someone else.

[Buffalo Fan]

I would say that it is too volitile for this young team to have Timmy inserted in and out of the lineup. Especially if the team makes it to the playoffs. I said it earlier in the year...I think they should shut him down and have the surgery.

[bottlecap]

he should be a PP specialist only. whether we have room enough on our team for that I'm not sure. if he's running around with chips on his hips or whatever, he'll probably be more vulnerable to a hit to the head.

A full-time Kaleta over a part-time Timmah.

[Chief Enabler]

I wouldn't go do far as to say I'm sick of him, but I think the Sabres need a powerplay makeup that doesn't include him. He just misses too many games.

 

Also he seems like he's suffering from Afenigenomentia

 

 

verb:/ (adverb); also known as afinogmental, or maxomental. the action or excessive puck control with extreme tunnel vision for extended lenghts of time resulting in fumbling turnovers and uncontrollable ranting. Can be contagious with side affects of groin pulls and mild concussions. also see~Conolleyitis or Spinoramentia.

[carpandean]

he should be a PP specialist only. whether we have room enough on our team for that I'm not sure. if he's running around with chips on his hips or whatever, he'll probably be more vulnerable to a hit to the head.

A full-time Kaleta over a part-time Timmah.

They should run him as a third-line center when he's playing. That is where Lindy has been sticking players on his sh*t-list, so they should see limited 5-on-5 time, leaving him for use primarily on the PP. By no means should Timmy being in mean that Kaleta should be out. There are a lot of other guys that should go out first (unless we have 24 players and he has to be sent down to keep someone else from being put on waivers.)

[nfreeman]

They should run him as a third-line center when he's playing. That is where Lindy has been sticking players on his sh*t-list, so they should see limited 5-on-5 time, leaving him for use primarily on the PP. By no means should Timmy being in mean that Kaleta should be out. There are a lot of other guys that should go out first (unless we have 24 players and he has to be sent down to keep someone else from being put on waivers.)

 

I agree -- if Connolly is back next year (which I think will be the case), my preference would be for him to be the #3 center, with an offseason acquisition as the #1 center, Roy as the #2 and Goose as the #4. There is no way we can count on Connolly as a top 2 center. He's just too fragile. I have to believe Darcy understands this.

 

Having said that, I'm very happy with Connolly and, say, Kotalik and Bernier as our third line.

 

As for Kaleta -- he has to stay in the lineup ahead of MacArthur and Peters (as well as Paille and Stafford when they are slumping). Kaleta is a real factor in every game he plays. That hit he put on Coliacovo that led to the turnover and Stafford's goal was amazing.

[K-9]

If you just include SOL with the L's it the numbers are intriguing:

 

With Tim: 21-27

Without Tim: 13-12

 

Who was out of the line-up during the games we lost WITH TC in there?

 

Winning/losing with or without Connolly in the line-up is not a static thing. There are a host of other variables at play at any given time. I'm just starting with other players who were out injured while TC was in.

 

GO SABRES!!!

[R_Dudley]

Who was out of the line-up during the games we lost WITH TC in there?

 

Winning/losing with or without Connolly in the line-up is not a static thing. There are a host of other variables at play at any given time. I'm just starting with other players who were out injured while TC was in.

 

GO SABRES!!!

 

thats a good point and does need to be taken into consideration to give a fair analysis but one thing is pretty clear, the constant changes and shuffling on a young team like ours cannot be good. Alot of these guy's are still finding themselves and consistency is IMHO the best thing that can happen right now,,, lets let him really rest and get back to the way Lindy used to play it... No changes when things are going good and then only when you need that change to shake it up...