Why Can't This Team Score?

[qwksndmonster]

Yeah I thought this was the consensus. Skates, hits, shoots. Little else.

Perfect for Larsson's wing.

[Stoner]

For those who are afraid to look it up, yes, this team is nestled snugly between the two tank seasons in terms of goals. And those teams were near-historically bad in offense.

 

13-14: 1.91 GPG

 

16-17: 1.93

 

14-15: 1.96

 

Sadly, those figures do include one goal for winning a shootout.

[ubkev]

13-14: 1.91 GPG

 

16-17: 1.93

 

14-15: 1.96

 

Sadly, those figures do include one goal for winning a shootout.

Not for this season, they don't!

[bob_sauve28]

Samson has almost disappeared

[Tondas]

Samson has almost disappeared

 

Sadly, he has regressed this year.  Comparing him to seveal rookies THIS year, regressed badly.

[mjd1001]

I'm not only puzzled by this, but this team has (so far this year) become almost unwatchable for me. When I try to watch the games, I am VERY bored almost right away.  

 

So what can we hope for?

 

-Reinhart is playing through an injury, this isn't just a long term slump and that will change as the season goes on.

 

-Jack returns and starts playing like a guy who can get close to a point a game.

 

-Guhle continues to develop, and he becomes a top-flight offensive D-man, hopefully starting next year.

 

-Nylander adjusts to the professional NA game and his stats blow up in the 2nd half of the season in Rochester, and he becomes a viable offensive threat for the team next year.

[Tondas]

On a positive note, Carrier has looked impressive.  Coincidence he was not one of the 3 sent down to Roch?

[Taro T]

Samson has almost disappeared

Seems to be suffering the "sophomore slump" as he's being asked to do more this year than last. He seems to be a bright kid; he'll snap out of it sometime this season. Hopefully sooner than later.

 

Figured he'd avoid it & McCabe would succumb to it. Looks like that call was backwards. :oops:

[GASabresIUFAN]

Can we call the Kane/Bogosian trade a big fat fail?  

 

Here are the numbers

Kane 69g 20 15 35pts -15 no pts this season

Bogosian 94g 7 24 31 -20 no pts this season

Kasdorf - backup goalie in Roch

 

Myers 108 14 33 47 +20

Stafford 110 30 28 58 -16 (only 1 pt this season)

Armia 53g 3 9 14 +2 (4 pts this season)

Lemieux (AHL 6 pts in 15 AHL games)

Jack Roslovic (10 pts in 12 AHL games ytd)

 

I think GMTM has to make a move soon to keep this train from rolling completely off the track.  We need a catalyst on D.  

[Jsixspd]

2 weeks ago, the team seemed to be playing great - what the heck happened?   Or was it just one of those hot streaks even a bad team can have?  

[TrueBlueGED]

2 weeks ago, the team seemed to be playing great - what the heck happened? Or was it just one of those hot streaks even a bad team can have?

I'm leaning towards the latter, but to be fair, that team had a healthy O'Reilly, Kulikov, and yes, Bogosian.

[Thorner]

2 weeks ago, the team seemed to be playing great - what the heck happened?   Or was it just one of those hot streaks even a bad team can have?

 

We won something like 4 in a row in the 14/15 tank year. On the back of guys like Matt D'Agostini.

 

Maybe we should sign him.

[mjd1001]

It is early in the season. There are a lot of examples of teams that played pretty awful for half the season, then got it together and made the playoffs and did very well in the playoffs.  HOWEVER, when you watch this team...even during their winning streak...they just seem lifeless and lacking in talent.

 

The bad part is....this team tanked and tanked HARD, probably more so than any other team in memory.  Yet it seems like MOST of the other 'bad' teams from the last few years (Toronto, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Calgary) are at least equal to the Sabres in overall talent (with maybe a brighter future) and they are ALL more exciting to watch.

[Jacque Richard]

And lacking fire as well. Finesse team

[JJFIVEOH]

And, with that 5-4 Vancouver win, the Sabres are officially the lowest scoring team in the league, the only team below 2 GPG. 

[LGR4GM]

And, with that 5-4 Vancouver win, the Sabres are officially the lowest scoring team in the league, the only team below 2 GPG. 

I figure Bylsma has until just after Christmas. He will get a month with Jack back but I think by the time this season ends we will have a new coach. My Bylsma Bunker is fortified at this point. 

[TrueBlueGED]

I figure Bylsma has until just after Christmas. He will get a month with Jack back but I think by the time this season ends we will have a new coach. My Bylsma Bunker is fortified at this point.

I hope you're right, but I have a real problem thinking Bylsma will be fired less than two years into a five year contract.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

I hope you're right, but I have a real problem thinking Bylsma will be fired less than two years into a five year contract.

 

It's only money, so Mr. Pegula wouldn't care, but the real problem in my mind is that the firing of the coach would mean that Mr. Murray would be admitting a mistake and that is not likely to happen.

[MattPie]

Seems to be suffering the "sophomore slump" as he's being asked to do more this year than last. He seems to be a bright kid; he'll snap out of it sometime this season. Hopefully sooner than later.

 

Figured he'd avoid it & McCabe would succumb to it. Looks like that call was backwards. :oops:

I wonder how much of it is Reinhart is playing Center now and was on the wing most of last season. That's another big step and surely has some growing pains attached.

[Hank]

I wonder how much of it is Reinhart is playing Center now and was on the wing most of last season. That's another big step and surely has some growing pains attached.

That's a fair point. Still, way too little production. I liked when he was with O'reilly and okposo

[JJFIVEOH]

I figure Bylsma has until just after Christmas. He will get a month with Jack back but I think by the time this season ends we will have a new coach. My Bylsma Bunker is fortified at this point. 

 

You're right, I think his leash is getting shorter by the day. 

[Jsixspd]

I hope you're right, but I have a real problem thinking Bylsma will be fired less than two years into a five year contract.

As do I.  

 

 

A big question  - who is available that replaces Bylsma, mid-season?   The replacement has to be someone as good, or better, for it to make sense mid-year.  Otherwise, what's the point?  If no one better is available, it probably makes more sense to tough it out until the end of the season, then start looking for a replacement.      

Edited November 14, 2016 by Jsixspd

[Doohicksie]

Supposedly, DD spent the season off studying the game and had come up with some new ideas.

 

To date, he really hasn't shown any innovation, and in fact has regressed back to a coaching style that led Pittsburgh to relieve him of duties.

 

If I'm GMTM, I remind him that part of the reason he was hired was because DD said he'd discovered a new zen of hockey systems.

 

If I'm GMTM, I tell DD to show me the zen, the innovation, or he will be sent packing.

 

Unless the next coach of the Buffalo Sabres is available, though, I wouldn't let DD go just to shake things up.  Replacing DD with something worse just means the rebuild regresses.  Dropping a new coach in just to be different would set this team back considerably.

[spndnchz]

Supposedly, DD spent the season off studying the game and had come up with some new ideas.

 

To date, he really hasn't shown any innovation, and in fact has regressed back to a coaching style that led Pittsburgh to relieve him of duties.

 

If I'm GMTM, I remind him that part of the reason he was hired was because DD said he'd discovered a new zen of hockey systems.

 

If I'm GMTM, I tell DD to show me the zen, the innovation, or he will be sent packing.

 

Unless the next coach of the Buffalo Sabres is available, though, I wouldn't let DD go just to shake things up.  Replacing DD with something worse just means the rebuild regresses.  Dropping a new coach in just to be different would set this team back considerably.

 

THIS.

[Doohicksie]

I think if I'm GMTM I simply tell DD that, injuries or no, the Sabres make the playoffs this year or he's gone.