Sabres have trouble with good teams

[sabres121879]

Hello everybody. Im new to this forum. It seems really cool though. I just can't get past the problem the sabres always have with good teams. It just seem that they get pushed around by bigger better teams. The Flyers and the Bruins just had their way with our smaller squad. And I am the only one that is fed up with Derek Roy and his stupid decisions? Actually i'm not cause I read an article today that really ripped Roy and the Sabres horrible play the past two games. Here is the link Buffalo Sabres struggling against better competition It really gives it to Roy, and he deserves it. All he does is make stupid decision after stupid decision with the puck. Blind passes and he always tries to take on the other team by himself. It's time to trade Roy and get bigger down the middle.

[2ForTripping]

Troubles with teams that are talented, hell we play down to lesser teams as well. Welcome aboard friend

[Derrico]

Hello everybody. Im new to this forum. It seems really cool though. I just can't get past the problem the sabres always have with good teams. It just seem that they get pushed around by bigger better teams. The Flyers and the Bruins just had their way with our smaller squad. And I am the only one that is fed up with Derek Roy and his stupid decisions? Actually i'm not cause I read an article today that really ripped Roy and the Sabres horrible play the past two games. Here is the link Buffalo Sabres struggling against better competition It really gives it to Roy, and he deserves it. All he does is make stupid decision after stupid decision with the puck. Blind passes and he always tries to take on the other team by himself. It's time to trade Roy and get bigger down the middle.

 

Here are Roy's stats for the past three seasons

 

2006–07 Buffalo Sabres NHL 75 21 42 63

2007–08 Buffalo Sabres NHL 78 32 49 81

2008–09 Buffalo Sabres NHL 82 28 42 70

 

The guy makes $4 mil per, has 12 points in 14 games, I'm alright with him. Is he a hard hitter that digs in the corners? Absolutley not but he is second on the team in points. Welcome to the board but I HATE it when people on here say that we should trade this guy or that! Come on, if you have an acutal trade idea or something to that effect than fine, but we're not trading our second leading scorer and reliable 65 to 75 point guy for nothing. What bigger guy do you think that we could get for Roy that would improve this team?

[JJFIVEOH]

Come on guys, don't you think you're jumping the gun a little bit? I mean, it's two losses in a row. Granted, I was just as unhappy as the rest of you at the lack of effort the last few games, but it's early in the season and we're still one of the top teams in the league. Overall points we're not in the top, but if you look at points per game we're still one of the best teams. So if Roy and the others are playing that poorly, what does that say about the rest of the teams in the league? Every team will go through a couple of slumps, not to mention the fact that the flu bug has hit the team pretty hard. Last year the flu bug hit them late in the season which really hurt things.

 

IMO, I think the front office was smart to keep most of the team together. I think in order for any team in professional sports to become successful the key is to keep the core of the team together for a long period of time. Most teams nowadays are "buying" championships and lack the consistency to be competitive year after year. The best way for a team to get better is to keep everybody together and learn from experience. This team is still young and I think that there best days are still ahead of them. Most of our core players are signed to long term contracts and we should see the same players for years to come. How many teams in pro sports can say that? We don't need to make any major changes, we as fans just need to be patient.... they will come around (as tough as it is to wait, lol.) We've got the talent and experience will only make them better.

[inkman]

I just can't get past the problem the sabres always have with good teams.

Hasn't the largest problem the last couple of years been that they struggled against bad teams? The Sabres should have problems with good teams, they aren't as good.

[LabattBlue]

Most of our core players are signed to long term contracts and we should see the same players for years to come.

I'm not so sure this is a good thing. You may have already seen the best that Roy, Vanek & Pominville have to offer. The problem is that their best efforts have led you to missing the playoffs two years in a row.

[Foot In The Crease!]

I'm not so sure this is a good thing. You may have already seen the best that Roy, Vanek & Pominville have to offer. The problem is that their best efforts have led you to missing the playoffs two years in a row.

 

WE NEED TO GET RID OF VANEK!!!!! He is the biggest waste of 7+ mill a year the nhl has ever seen

[North Buffalo]

WE NEED TO GET RID OF VANEK!!!!! He is the biggest waste of 7+ mill a year the nhl has ever seen

 

 

Maybe, but when he is in shape and working hard he is great. Not sure what is up with him right now, but agreed I don't like it. And while I don't think getting rid of Roy is the answer, I would like to see a couple of guys at the level of Zach Kassian come up. These guys need to play with more a chip on their shoulders, they are way too affable and it appears trying to avoid injury, except Ironically Hank Tallinder. Sekera isn't tough enough and I would like to the big guy show his nasty streak. Some of what we are seeing is the need for our D to hit.

 

The problem Connolly, Vanek and Stafford are once again playing like they are going through the motions so that they don't get hurt. At least Roy hustles with abandon. Pommonville doesn't hit either and Mac could use a few pounds but seems willing. That is the six guys on the top two lines. I say trade Stafford and Connolly. We need to get skill guys that have a pair. Right not they are playing like they have old man cahoonahs.

[Rip Titwide]

As far as individual players are concerned, I dont have too much of a problem with most of the team. I think this year everyone seems to know they have roles. Grier's grinding style has been a huge lift to Hecht who can work the puck by the boards, Myers and Hank seem to be on the same page, and Montador while not flashy is at least steady.

Vanek has frustrated me though. He picks up his PP goals but just disappears during these physical games. Does he too need a mucker? Its not an indictment on Roy, but after 4 or so seasons we kind of know what our franchise scorer is all about.

MY main gripe is that the players added (Grier and Montador) have that characteristic of toughness. And with no Peters (I know he was a terrible fighter) we've gone a different direction. The team has tried to sell us all on "team toughness". But what I saw in Boston, I couldnt describe as team toughness. Willingness, sure, as evidenced by 3 players playing the role of punching bag, but there was nobody on the BUF bench who was enough to take on Thornton once and for all or whoever that punk was that mistook Hecht for Rob Ray. I like the aforementioned Grier along the boards team toughness, but Im just not sold on the theory that it can neutralize a bigger physical team that will punish you for pushing back. I give Gaustad Rivet and Montandor credit for what they do, but they clearly dont strike fear in a Chris Neil. Kaleta has to pick his spots at best, and Mair for whatever reason not been himself since about mid season last year. Excuse me for rambling about this toughness thing, but it was hard to watch the end of that game Saturday when you know the spark they were looking for was squashed pretty easily.