One goal again...enough is enough

[Stoner]

I'm the cat and trying to watch this team coached by Bylsma is the crying baby...

Between Modo and this, I am dying. Dying.

But we now know why. Bylsma said he was deliberately holding back because Jack was out. Our coach is crap. 

Has he dug his own grave? Either he produces now or... no bueno.

[LGR4GM]

Karmas a bitch, and its name is kitty

[Stoner]

Karmas a bitch, and its name is kitty

I watched the whole video, and the cat definitely was the instigator.

[pi2000]

If Buffalo somehow manages only 1 goal tonight, this board will implode.

[TrueBlueGED]

Has he dug his own grave? Either he produces now or... no bueno.

 

With fans, possibly. I find it odd that a guy who is pretty reserved with the media wouldn't try to downplay the return with a "he's only one guy" cliche and remind us we're still missing two of our top-4 defensemen.

[Jsixspd]

But we now know why. Bylsma said he was deliberately holding back because Jack was out. Our coach is crap. 

What?????   Link?

If nothing else, Jack's return should be a morale boost for the rest of the team;   heaven knows that Downbeat Dan Bylsma can't help cheer the roster up when they need encouragement or in a tough spot.  

[LGR4GM]

Well, he shouldn't be near the damn PK anyways

 

DD also saying on WGR that he can coach how he wants to now, with a fast game instead of slow responsible hockey

From the GDT. Dan Bylsma deliberately changed his team to be slower and more responsible simply because Eichel was gone. The man has to go. 

What?????   Link?

If nothing else, Jack's return should be a morale boost for the rest of the team;   heaven knows that Downbeat Dan Bylsma can't help cheer the roster up when they need encouragement or in a tough spot.  

[SwampD]

From the GDT. Dan Bylsma deliberately changed his team to be slower and more responsible simply because Eichel was gone. The man has to go. 

Again, that's not what he said.

[LGR4GM]

Again, that's not what he said.

then what did he say?

 

Never mind, I have the audio and I am listening a 2nd time to see if I misunderstood his point.

Edited November 29, 2016 by LGR4GM

[WildCard]

then what did he say?

 

Never mind, I have the audio and I am listening a 2nd time to see if I misunderstood his point.

Well let me know when you're done

[LGR4GM]

Well let me know when you're done

http://media.wgr550.com/a/117595656/11-29-sabres-head-coach-dan-bylsma-with-howard-and-jeremy.htm?&seek=9.069

7:52 mark of this

Edited November 29, 2016 by LGR4GM

[SwampD]

Well let me know when you're done

Jack was definitely a part of it but not the sole reason.

[LGR4GM]

Here we go

 

Jeremy: "Do you now go back to the way you want this team to play (after mentioning the return of Eichel, Kane, ROR)"

 

Bylsma "I think, initially you are going to work towards that for sure. I think we want to play a fast game, we want to play a quick game, we want to play a north game, and in the last 2, 3 weeks we've come off that and played a more responsible game. A more five man checking game. That let's you slow down the game a little bit with how you check, with how you play, and it slows down your offense in terms of the speed in which you can play and we definitely want to work towards being a faster quicker team. A team that has to deal with speed on multiple fronts. Not just how we skate but how we move the puck. And that is something that we'll slowly integrate and work back into our game when we get everyone fully healthy and back in."

http://media.wgr550.com/a/117595656/11-29-sabres-head-coach-dan-bylsma-with-howard-and-jeremy.htm?&seek=9.069

Edited November 29, 2016 by LGR4GM

[Taro T]

Here we go

 

Jeremy: "Do you now go back to the way you want this team to play (after mentioning the return of Eichel, Kane, ROR)"

 

Bylsma "I think, initially you are going to work towards that for sure. I think we want to play a fast game, we want to play a quick game, we want to play a north game, and in the last 2, 3 weeks we've come off that and played a more responsible game. A more five man checking game. That let's you slow down the game a little bit with how you check, with how you play, and it slows down your offense in terms of the speed in which you can play and we definitely want to work towards being a faster quicker team. A team that has to deal with speed on multiple fronts. Not just how we skate but how we move the puck. And that is something that we'll slowly integrate and work back into our game when we get everyone fully healthy and back in."

http://media.wgr550.com/a/117595656/11-29-sabres-head-coach-dan-bylsma-with-howard-and-jeremy.htm?&seek=9.069

So, unless Eichel was only missing in the past 2-3 weeks, he did not state that he went conservatively simply because Eichel was out. Pretty sure Eichel's been missing for ~8 weeks. ;)

[LGR4GM]

So, unless Eichel was only missing in the past 2-3 weeks, he did not state that he went conservatively simply because Eichel was out. Pretty sure Eichel's been missing for ~8 weeks. ;)

I think he is afraid. Eichel is a security blanket he likes to snuggle with. I think Eichel being out followed in game 10 by others scared him into the goal drought of 2016, a strategy that saw us plummet away from .500 hockey. 

 

I would like to add to that. Tim Murray is also responsible because he put together an absurdly thin defense group even with the known factor of Bogosians 15-20 game absence each season. 

Edited November 29, 2016 by LGR4GM

[Thorner]

Fickle and Einhorn

EINHORN IS A MAN!

[inkman]

EINHORN IS A MAN!

Your gun is digging into my hip

[Taro T]

I think he is afraid. Eichel is a security blanket he likes to snuggle with. I think Eichel being out followed in game 10 by others scared him into the goal drought of 2016, a strategy that saw us plummet away from .500 hockey.

 

I would like to add to that. Tim Murray is also responsible because he put together an absurdly thin defense group even with the known factor of Bogosians 15-20 game absence each season.

 

Pretty sure they're 2 games below an NHL 0.500. They haven't plummeted from 0.500, but rather a playoff spot. (And having won in Calgary & Vancouver like they should've would've had them at 0.500.)

 

Who wouldn't consider Eichel a "security blanket?" He definitely makes opponents look less scary. ;)

 

And, though the D corps looked extremely thin, getting Nelson out of the lineup has made that look like it has reasonable depth. (Though Fedun could turn into a pumpkin @ any moment & the D will once again look scary thin.)

 

None of which changes the fact that (based on the DB quote above) he didn't go conservative just because Eichel was out.

Edited November 29, 2016 by Taro T

[LGR4GM]

Pretty sure they're 2 games below an NHL 0.500. They haven't plummeted from 0.500, but rather a playoff spot. (And having won in Calgary & Vancouver like they should've would've had them at 0.500.)

 

Who wouldn't consider Eichel a "security blanket?" He definitely makes opponents look less scary. ;)

 

And, though the D corps looked extremely thin, getting Nelson out of the lineup has made that look like it has reasonable depth. (Though Fedun could turn into a pumpkin @ any moment & the D will once again look scary thin.)

 

None of which changes the fact that (based on the DB quote above) he didn't go conservative just because Eichel was out.

Fine, he went conservative because Eichel was out as well as other contributing factors. He instituted a strategy that failed his team and refused to correct it until Jack was back. That is a failure on him as a coach. 

[qwksndmonster]

I agree with Liger that Bylsma is scared. "Overwhelmingly conservative" is mayhaps more objective. But "scared" fits my emotions toward Bylsma much better.

Edited November 29, 2016 by qwksndmonster

[Taro T]

Fine, he went conservative because Eichel was out as well as other contributing factors. He instituted a strategy that failed his team and refused to correct it until Jack was back. That is a failure on him as a coach.

 

No doubt. Thank you very little for making me (and others) appear to defend him.

[Jsixspd]

Here we go

 

Jeremy: "Do you now go back to the way you want this team to play (after mentioning the return of Eichel, Kane, ROR)"

 

Bylsma "I think, initially you are going to work towards that for sure. I think we want to play a fast game, we want to play a quick game, we want to play a north game, and in the last 2, 3 weeks we've come off that and played a more responsible game. A more five man checking game. That let's you slow down the game a little bit with how you check, with how you play, and it slows down your offense in terms of the speed in which you can play and we definitely want to work towards being a faster quicker team. A team that has to deal with speed on multiple fronts. Not just how we skate but how we move the puck. And that is something that we'll slowly integrate and work back into our game when we get everyone fully healthy and back in."

http://media.wgr550.com/a/117595656/11-29-sabres-head-coach-dan-bylsma-with-howard-and-jeremy.htm?&seek=9.069

Should be unacceptable to fans, and the Buffalo media as well.  You don't stick your head in the sand and play super conservative because Eichel and a couple other guys are out - the motive needs to be to keep the season alive and the record acceptable UNTIL the top player returns.

 

I had mentioned in another topic a few days ago that I wondered if Bylsma's looking at Eichel as the savior of his own job?   That's just pathetic that a veteran NHL coach would view a talented rookie as his personal savior - but it seems increasingly clear that's indeed the case. 

 

Can we get Roy Ruffton back?   :rolleyes:

[Randall Flagg]

So, unless Eichel was only missing in the past 2-3 weeks, he did not state that he went conservatively simply because Eichel was out. Pretty sure Eichel's been missing for ~8 weeks. ;)

The issue is that even when he wasn't 'going conservative' (I struggle to really note the difference in offensive and neutral zone strategies between what we've seen the last 2-3 weeks versus what we saw 4 and 5 weeks ago) we couldn't score, outside of the Edmonton game and Winnipeg game there hasn't been good even strength play that generates chances and scores goals. 

I don't know what Bylsma's reasoning is in this stuff, I just know that his safe strategy has us in an ugly spot to try and climb out of, and he happened to pick the most boring possible way to dig the hole. I can't imagine it being much worse if he opened things up and I don't think he's altered his strategies much going back to game one last year in any event. 

 

Pretty sure they're 2 games below an NHL 0.500. They haven't plummeted from 0.500, but rather a playoff spot. (And having won in Calgary & Vancouver like they should've would've had them at 0.500.)

 

Who wouldn't consider Eichel a "security blanket?" He definitely makes opponents look less scary. ;)

 

And, though the D corps looked extremely thin, getting Nelson out of the lineup has made that look like it has reasonable depth. (Though Fedun could turn into a pumpkin @ any moment & the D will once again look scary thin.)

 

None of which changes the fact that (based on the DB quote above) he didn't go conservative just because Eichel was out.

NHL .500 doesn't mean much to me. They were a game away from that at the end of last season and were a solid 15 points below a playoff spot. We've won 7 of 21 games and we need to have an exceptional stretch just to be in the conversation at the end of the year. 

 

Edit: I'm not accusing you of defending Bylsma or anything, just so ya know. Just venting.

Edited November 29, 2016 by Randall Flagg

[SwampD]

As soon as I see players that can actually connect on a neutral zone pass, I will reserve judgement on what Bylsma's schemes there even are, cuz whoTF could even tell?

Edited November 30, 2016 by SwampD

[Randall Flagg]

As soon as I see players that can actually connect on a neutral zone pass, I will reserve judgement on what Bylsma's schemes there even are, cuz whoTF could even tell?

We've talked about this before I think. I don't expect these guys or the Penguins to connect on passes through the neutral zone going from point A by the bench to point B hitting a guy in stride through legs on the other side of the ice. The way he has his players set up zone entry plays, this is the only way to pass in the neutral zone. This isn't what the teams with good players do - They use heavy puck support and create plays that allow for shorter, obvious passes that their third line players are capable of as well as the top guys, that open up and create mini odd-man situations and allow easier zone entries. When I've bitched about teams like the Devils getting the zone and creating with ease despite their roster deficiencies, this is what I mean. The GREAT teams with great players have this setup that their whole roster can do, and then they have a handful of guys at the top that can turn these into dazzling displays, or decide to do things by themselves. We don't have the base puck support strategies that most teams have and our neutral zone play suffers as a direct result of that.

 

Believe me, our Folignos and Larssons and Girgensons and Okposos can be just as good at this as other teams' Stempniaks and Pirris and (insert literally any Devils forward that we saw doing things for two straight games we haven't seen from our guys all year) and Vermettes and other middle and bottom six guys around the league. They aren't put in a system that is conducive to those types of things, and so any neutral zone pass we see begins as low-percentage and the outcome is predictably bad.

Edited November 30, 2016 by Randall Flagg