Bucky Geason's Article Right on the Money

[Swedesessed]

How does anyone 'see' leadership up front? :unsure:

I mean really, the bottom line is the Sabres do not have the TALENT necessary to make it in a physical series.

Boston was a bad draw, the Sabres could beat the Devils, but when we drew Boston, it was obvious the Sabres were in trouble.

[PotentPowerPlay22]

Over the last two seasons, the Sabres have given up four 2nd round picks for an old/slow Rivet who at the time was under contract for 3 more years and two rentals in Moore and Torres.

 

Way to piss away high picks for an organization that always talks about having to build from within.

 

 

They also gave away a 1st rounder for rental Dainus Zubrus. I've been criticizing these types of moves for years, but Regier keeps doing them in spite of his consistent failures.

 

Outside of these errors the biggest misconception from the organization was the belief that the rule changes that were instituted a couple years ago would be enforced. They are largely ignored now (especially in the playoffs) and this is a detriment to the Sabres who have built a team that is small and speedy and "skilled". These little guys were supposed to excel under the new rules that would allow them to play.

 

The Sabres realized the league was beginning to loosen the rules enforcement last year. They constructed a team that is now out of place in the league and completely inappropriate for playoff intensity. Last years' draft was an indication that they now understand better, but Kassian,McNabb and Foligno are a couple years away.

 

This realization also led to signing Torres. The Sabres know they are too small and soft and they thought they could buy a Band-Aid for a 2nd rounder to give them a boost. They hoped Torres would add some toughness and grit up front for the playoffs, but unfortunately he has been a turd.

 

This is only the first round and the team looks very vulnerable. A Stanley Cup contender? NFW

[ntjacks79]

How does anyone 'see' leadership up front? :unsure:

I mean really, the bottom line is the Sabres do not have the TALENT necessary to make it in a physical series.

Boston was a bad draw, the Sabres could beat the Devils, but when we drew Boston, it was obvious the Sabres were in trouble.

Not that I disagree with your assertion that the Sabres don't have the talent necessary (I completely agree)... but if a 3-seed is "in trouble" in the 1st round against ANYBODY, then making the playoffs was a waste. We would have been better to be in the draft lottery. Do you think any of the other seeds 1-5 would have been "in trouble" against Boston? I don't. Well, maybe New Jersey. Not sure about them.

[Dave Dryden]

Not that I disagree with your assertion that the Sabres don't have the talent necessary (I completely agree)... but if a 3-seed is "in trouble" in the 1st round against ANYBODY, then making the playoffs was a waste. We would have been better to be in the draft lottery. Do you think any of the other seeds 1-5 would have been "in trouble" against Boston? I don't. Well, maybe New Jersey. Not sure about them.

I am sorry, with all repsect but this is just silly. NJ is losing to Philly, San Jose to Colorado, Vancouver to LA--Chicago has lost home ice to Nashville. Washington was almost down 2-0 to Montreal. Upsets happen all the time in SC play--a 3 seed having difficulty with a 6 seed happens all the time.

 

To say it is "a waste" to make the playoffs-- when it gets your players an understanding of what it takes to make the playoffs and playoff experience-- in order to get a higher draft pick is myopic. I mean why even live, you're just going to die anyway, why waste 70-80 years?

[nfreeman]

I am sorry, with all repsect but this is just silly. NJ is losing to Philly, San Jose to Colorado, Vancouver to LA--Chicago has lost home ice to Nashville. Washington was almost down 2-0 to Montreal. Upsets happen all the time in SC play--a 3 seed having difficulty with a 6 seed happens all the time.

 

To say it is "a waste" to make the playoffs-- when it gets your players an understanding of what it takes to make the playoffs and playoff experience-- in order to get a higher draft pick is myopic. I mean why even live, you're just going to die anyway, why waste 70-80 years?

+1

[SabresRepublic]

Hmmm Dave sounds like you finally see some of the same things some of us others here were saying about this teams make up before the playoff's ever began. Yeah watching some of the other series I see the Richards, Crosby, Parise's, Sedins, OV's of their teams stepping up and leading by example even Chara and Recchi for the Bruins. Sad to see we have no player who will do that for this team and inspire his team mates.

 

I am also disappointed in our coachs lack of a plan, answer or some creativity here after having faced the Bruins 6x this season. We clearly cannot match a physical game like the one Boston wants us playing and right now their rookie goalie and system is beating our goalie and system. In fact I think they really have outplayed us for most of the three games. I have also noted the system is not fairing so well right now in Portland with the AHL playoff's either. (e.g. It has been stated the farm team has been made to use the same system so the player's can make the jump easier when call ups are needed). So my observation is that maybe the system works reasonably well in regular season but with the players as currently constituted cannot stand up to playoff hockey.

 

So given the size and style of our player's why not try to speed the game up on the Bruins and use speed and skill(as Sabres republic would say) to either back Boston up or get behind the Boston defense becuase it appears we are not going to beat this Bruins team using the system when they with a rookie goalie are doing the system better then we are.

 

Come on Lindy time to show us why you won the Jack Adams before.

 

We need a Rick Dudley type of player to step up - Hecht was that kind of guy. Overall, the Germanic clan's absence has altered our chemistry somewhat. But I do NOT think it is over by a long shot. We can still go down 3 -1 and then win 10 in a row!

 

The playoffs are different is a phrase that should raise suspicion! Is it a code word for the school of thought (that's a real oxymoron) that posits increased excused actions on the ice like double handed slashes to eliminate from the game or to look away when an "aggressive" team's character causes high sticking incidents and otherwise chaos in contradiction to aptitude and skill without officiating control.

 

That's BS! No where in the rule book does it say that the enforcement of the accepted ice hockey common law should be relaxed except in the minds of a minority of officials and top management - the wizards of OZ. And of course Milbury and his ilk are suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome as a result of their prolonged competition with the Broad Street Bullies fomenting their minions to behave Neanderthal!

 

In the Olympics no one relaxed any rules - it was pure aptitude and skill. The mindset of this goon squad hockey in the post season is a stain on the sport and is a primary reason why it is marginalized in the wider sphere of sports!

 

Buttman and Colin as well as the ilk which includes Milbury, Melrose and there are plenty more including officials who espouse this mediocre adaptation of a world class sport must move on! UNACCEPTABLE!!

And, I do NOT think Darcy and Lindy should change to accomodate their bastardization of world class hockey!

 

GO BUFFALO SABRES!!!

[bob_sauve28]

Bucky is right! That time we beat Ottawa in the first round look how we did it. We had a guy score late in regulation to send the game to OT. We don't have a player like that anymore!!

 

And look how we won the series! A short handed goal in OT! We need players like those two to win it for us. Those players were leaders! They had skill. No players like that on this team :doh:

[bob_sauve28]

I am sorry, with all repsect but this is just silly. NJ is losing to Philly, San Jose to Colorado, Vancouver to LA--Chicago has lost home ice to Nashville. Washington was almost down 2-0 to Montreal. Upsets happen all the time in SC play--a 3 seed having difficulty with a 6 seed happens all the time.

 

And what is Chris Drury doing now? Besides counting his millions?

[Buffalo Wings]

Not that I disagree with your assertion that the Sabres don't have the talent necessary (I completely agree)... but if a 3-seed is "in trouble" in the 1st round against ANYBODY, then making the playoffs was a waste. We would have been better to be in the draft lottery. Do you think any of the other seeds 1-5 would have been "in trouble" against Boston? I don't. Well, maybe New Jersey. Not sure about them.

The only way I would have seen the Sabres "in trouble" against Boston was because of Rask. He had played well against the Sabres in their final two games (one in which he relieved Thomas) and I had a feeling he would steal 1-2 games in this series.

 

Here's the problem - except for the second period of Game 1, the Sabres were the better team until Vanek left the ice. It's as if they had a system in place, knew exactly what to do, and were executing it to a T. Then the plan was altered when Vanek got hacked and they stopped playing according to their game plan and didn't adjust well enough...if at all.

 

I'm not defending their overall play, but I still think they could have won last night.

[Mbossy]

We need a Rick Dudley type of player to step up - Hecht was that kind of guy. Overall, the Germanic clan's absence has altered our chemistry somewhat. But I do NOT think it is over by a long shot. We can still go down 3 -1 and then win 10 in a row!

 

The playoffs are different is a phrase that should raise suspicion! Is it a code word for the school of thought (that's a real oxymoron) that posits increased excused actions on the ice like double handed slashes to eliminate from the game or to look away when an "aggressive" team's character causes high sticking incidents and otherwise chaos in contradiction to aptitude and skill without officiating control.

 

That's BS! No where in the rule book does it say that the enforcement of the accepted ice hockey common law should be relaxed except in the minds of a minority of officials and top management - the wizards of OZ. And of course Milbury and his ilk are suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome as a result of their prolonged competition with the Broad Street Bullies fomenting their minions to behave Neanderthal!

 

In the Olympics no one relaxed any rules - it was pure aptitude and skill. The mindset of this goon squad hockey in the post season is a stain on the sport and is a primary reason why it is marginalized in the wider sphere of sports!

 

Buttman and Colin as well as the ilk which includes Milbury, Melrose and there are plenty more including officials who espouse this mediocre adaptation of a world class sport must move on! UNACCEPTABLE!!

And, I do NOT think Darcy and Lindy should change to accomodate their bastardization of world class hockey!

 

GO BUFFALO SABRES!!!

 

To paraphrase you, you think they should call more penalties than they are but not as many as the regular season because you realize playoff hockey is different.

 

I agree with that.

[Dave Dryden]

Bucky is right! That time we beat Ottawa in the first round look how we did it. We had a guy score late in regulation to send the game to OT. We don't have a player like that anymore!!

 

And look how we won the series! A short handed goal in OT! We need players like those two to win it for us. Those players were leaders! They had skill. No players like that on this team :doh:

My point was that at the time, they were playing a supporting role. I wrote they are good players, but if asked to do too much they wilt. I don't want Drury back, but Drury and Briere took lots of pressure off the Pominvilles, Vaneks and Roys. They seem to play better when they don't have to lead, but simply have to follow.

[SabresRepublic]

To paraphrase you, you think they should call more penalties than they are but not as many as the regular season because you realize playoff hockey is different.

 

I agree with that.

 

Your paraphrase is NOT what I am saying! I am saying that the goons of the world have their WWE and other venues were they can display their anarchistic tendencies. In the premier venue they call the NHL there are rules agreed upon post lockout - part of the CBO - that is being interpreted instead of applied!

The nature of putting on skates to compete on an ice surface requires aptitude and skill. In the absence of that you have goon hockey. Buttman, Colin and ilk are promulgating this attitude to the detriment of the vast (EDIT: overwhelming) majority of the hockey faithful!

 

If there is an infraction - call it! If there is an injury or an incidence that merits further review - do it!

Makes NO difference that it is SC playoffs! Nothing changes as far as officiating is concerned - as always it needs to be transparent!

 

GO BUFFALO SABRES!!!

[SwampD]

Your paraphrase is NOT what I am saying! I am saying that the goons of the world have their WWE and other venues were they can display their anarchistic tendencies. In the premier venue they call the NHL there are rules agreed upon post lockout - part of the CBO - that is being interpreted instead of applied!

The nature of putting on skates to compete on an ice surface requires aptitude and skill. In the absence of that you have goon hockey. Buttman, Colin and ilk are promulgating this attitude to the detriment of the vast (EDIT: overwhelming) majority of the hockey faithful!

 

If there is an infraction - call it! If there is an injury or an incidence that merits further review - do it!

Makes NO difference that it is SC playoffs! Nothing changes as far as officiating is concerned - as always it needs to be transparent!

 

GO BUFFALO SABRES!!!

I have never cared less about officiating than I do about it in this series. It has had no impact whatsoever in the outcome of the games.

[Chief Enabler]

This is what I got out of it:

 

Tim Connolly completed a common playoff double, disappearing during and after the game. Heaven forbid the longest-tenured Sabres forward would stand up and show some semblance of leadership without slithering away and needing a formal interview request. Apparently, he was comfortable with having his play do his talking for him.

 

Well, he was silent again.

 

Connolly failed to score for the 19th straight postseason game.

 

:ph34r: Dang!

 

 

I'm not defending TC's recent play, but this is a low rent cheap shot in my book. Look for the stat that makes someone look their worst and then run with it? It's also nice he failed to mention his 9 points. It's just "no goals in 19 games" because 9 points in 19 games isn't ominous enough.

 

TC missed the entire season (save 2 games) in 06-07. Then to be thrown into playoff hockey after not playing an entire year? For this he needs to be criticized for. What an ######.

Funny how it was the first thing out of Jack Edwards mouth on NESN in the first period; verbatim :blush:

[SDS]

Funny how it was the first thing out of Jack Edwards mouth on NESN in the first period; verbatim :blush:

 

what was?

[Chief Enabler]

what was?

Timmy's 20 game playoff goal-less streak. Edwards said it again in the third, basically everytime he touches the puck. Hopefully he'll say it again after he scores :thumbsup:

[SwampD]

Timmy's 20 game playoff goal-less streak. Edwards said it again in the third, basically everytime he touches the puck. Hopefully he'll say it again after he scores :thumbsup:

How'd that work out?

[Chief Enabler]

Eat me! :D i was just trying to sprinkle alittle hope......just alittle. :bag: