WTF is wrong with this team?

[JackRyanLeafEichel]

Housley will be fires after this road trip.

[Marvelo]

Who was the power play coach last year? Bring him back now.

[bob_sauve28]

I don't know. The Jack and Sam bromance riding up on the bicycle built for two was a cool stunt that could easily be mistaken as a team builder. At least those two are close.

 

They never play together though. Just way too many times where two players were not on same page. They are not this bad. The west coast trip will help them

[CallawaySabres]

None of this matters anyway because if the Sabres ever make the playoffs again They will never get past the Patriots, I mean the Leafs.

[Marions Piazza]

They never play together though. Just way too many times where two players were not on same page. They are not this bad. The west coast trip will help them

I hope so, because there is a real chance of them being 0-6-1 before the next home game against the Canucks.  

[bob_sauve28]

That one play said it all for me: face off in Devils zone, ROR wins the draw, it goes between the two d-men, and Devil players races between them and almost scores a goal. They are just lost right now.

[darksabre]

That one play said it all for me: face off in Devils zone, ROR wins the draw, it goes between the two d-men, and Devil players races between them and almost scores a goal. They are just lost right now.

Reminds me of the Bluejackets before Torts came in. They were a -show and then he basically told them either win your battles or block shots with your face. 

[LGR4GM]

WTF is wrong with this team? In a youtube clip. 

 

[bunomatic]

Well at least there is the new Perrys ice cream flavour. The Buffalo Doh !

[North Buffalo]

Hard to watch, but again they are still learning new system... and Nashville was this bad too... gotta learn how to play all at once... it will happen.

[Doohicksie]

Well at least there is the new Perrys ice cream flavour. The Buffalo Doh !

 

That's a more appropriate name than what they're calling it:  Let's Dough Buffalo!

[bunomatic]

That's a more appropriate name than what they're calling it:  Let's Dough Buffalo!

Lets try 'Lets Doh Buffalo !' It has a simpsons feel as does the team this season.

[Ogre]

I think the real problem with this team is that they don’t have enough fans panicking over their performance after 3 games.

[Eleven]

All I know is that I don't have to / cannot watch them again until 10/20, so there's that.

[Samson's Flow]

All I know is that I don't have to / cannot watch them again until 10/20, so there's that.

Right, maybe they will just magically be better when we watch them again at the end of the month. A week of the fans not scrutinizing every aspect of their play might help the team learn the system.

 

Although if they end October with only a handful of points, it might be a tough crowd around here.

[Sabel79]

Right, maybe they will just magically be better when we watch them again at the end of the month. A week of the fans not scrutinizing every aspect of their play might help the team learn the system.

 

Although if they end October with only a handful of points, it might be a tough crowd around here.

I mean, torches and pitchforks are already being meaningfully hefted by a sizeable percentage...

[GASabresIUFAN]

It's not panic, it's a reality check.

 

We discussed before the season how dreadful of the bottom 2 forward lines looked.  Are we really surprised then that they have yet to contribute a thing?  Then there is ROR and KO.  If I expected any two players to step up to start a season with the right effort and attitude it was them.  What have they done 1 assist (ROR on a SHG) and -9 in 3 games.  Sam is also at goose eggs with -6.  

 

Maybe it will get better.  Maybe they'll bond on the left coast.  Maybe they'll actually start playing competitive and entertaining hockey.  Maybe!

 

One thing is clear to me already however, the new roster, while it had a ten player turnover is really not any better (or capable) then the old roster.  It's just a little cheaper.  Seriously, most of the turnover isn't from elite players.  Scandella is the only top two pairing/top 6 player and true upgrade.  The rest are bottom 6 forwards or bottom pairing or worse depth players.  Pommers should be a 3rd line forward and is Gionta's more expensive replacement.  Pouliot at best is a 3rd line forward (we aren't getting the best). Tennyson, Griffith and Josefson are AAAA players and should never make a competitive roster except as an injury replacement.  Antipin is a rookie learning a new language and playing in a new league.  Baloo is a bottom pairing D with serious in zone issues. Johnson is a career backup goalie.  Nolan is a 4th line grinder.  The hope was (is?) that someone from this group (Griffith, Antipin, and Baloo mostly) and maybe one of Girgensons or Larsson would step up a make a bigger impact then their slot on the roster.  Hasn't happened yet and probably won't.

 

I think we need to reshape our expectations.  This emperor again has no clothes.  Let' just hope for competitive games from here on out.  If we get to 80 points great as long as we see improvement over the season.  Maybe the upgrades needed to field a competitive are coming starting next year with Guhle and Ullmark.    Hard to write this with 79 games to go, but what I've seen that 1st 3 games is a team without enough talent again.    

[Samson's Flow]

I mean, torches and pitchforks are already being meaningfully hefted by a sizeable percentage...

No doubt. A 6-2 game will do that to you.

 

Being on the west coast out of the spotlight might do this team some good. 

[darksabre]

Right, maybe they will just magically be better when we watch them again at the end of the month. A week of the fans not scrutinizing every aspect of their play might help the team learn the system.

 

Although if they end October with only a handful of points, it might be a tough crowd around here.

They've got 5 games against western conference teams to figure it out before they have to play the Bruins and the Red Wings, who are divisional opponents. Those two games are going to be the litmus test. They can lose them, but they have to lose them the right way. If they aren't losing the right way at that point, then I'm going to start looking for Botterill to make some trades. 

[shrader]

They need to figure out something very soon because it's going to get ugly fast.  Getting booed off the ice in the second home game, the so called kids' day, is a sign of serious trouble.  And the thing is, short of a trade, there is no reinforcement coming anytime soon.  The kids need to be exposed to winning in the AHL.  There's no way they're going to be subjected to what's currently going on with the big club.

 

I'll give them credit for one thing though, at least they convince me pretty early in the game not to waste my time watching the rest of it.

[Samson's Flow]

They need to figure out something very soon because it's going to get ugly fast.  Getting booed off the ice in the second home game, the so called kids' day, is a sign of serious trouble.  And the thing is, short of a trade, there is no reinforcement coming anytime soon.  The kids need to be exposed to winning in the AHL.  There's no way they're going to be subjected to what's currently going on with the big club.

 

I'll give them credit for one thing though, at least they convince me pretty early in the game not to waste my time watching the rest of it.

I wish I was smart enough to switch over to baseball earlier. The Kane goal kept me watching until it was far too late. 

 

To think I planned my day around having all my house work done by 3pm to watch the hockeys.

[CallawaySabres]

I just can't believe I had more interest in the tank years than I do in this crap team. Never have I had such little respect for a group of players in all my Buffalo sports life. I have gone into numerous seasons with the Bills and Sabres knowing they would be bad but this is totally different. There are no answers for this team and they need to start trading players as soon as possible. The pipeline failed miserably and I don't see any other option than starting over. I can't believe I was so wrong about these players, just awful.

[Doohicksie]

I'll give them credit for one thing though, at least they convince me pretty early in the game not to waste my time watching the rest of it.

 

File that under "faint praise."

I just can't believe I had more interest in the tank years than I do in this crap team. Never have I had such little respect for a group of players in all my Buffalo sports life. I have gone into numerous seasons with the Bills and Sabres knowing they would be bad but this is totally different. There are no answers for this team and they need to start trading players as soon as possible. The pipeline failed miserably and I don't see any other option than starting over. I can't believe I was so wrong about these players, just awful.

 

Let's see how things work out over the next week or two.

[Sabre fan]

Right. This is where the turn around would need to come from.

 

It is funny that we are talking about Eichel this way, when if he played out the year exactly like this, he's paced currently at an 82 point season. We do truly expect a lot from him. The nature of his place within the franchise.

82 points when it don't matter...late in game when the score is 6-1. He will be paid to lead by example, and if that is leading by example, then it's no wonder we are 0-3. Jack looks like everyone else out there except anyone named Evander...lost, uninspired and just putting in time to get their big pay cheques. heck if we didn;t have that Evander guy, I can;t even imagine how bad this teamwould be right now. he's the only thing worth watching thus far

[Iron Crotch]

It's not panic, it's a reality check.

 

We discussed before the season how dreadful of the bottom 2 forward lines looked.  Are we really surprised then that they have yet to contribute a thing?  Then there is ROR and KO.  If I expected any two players to step up to start a season with the right effort and attitude it was them.  What have they done 1 assist (ROR on a SHG) and -9 in 3 games.  Sam is also at goose eggs with -6.  

 

Maybe it will get better.  Maybe they'll bond on the left coast.  Maybe they'll actually start playing competitive and entertaining hockey.  Maybe!

 

One thing is clear to me already however, the new roster, while it had a ten player turnover is really not any better (or capable) then the old roster.  It's just a little cheaper.  Seriously, most of the turnover isn't from elite players.  Scandella is the only top two pairing/top 6 player and true upgrade.  The rest are bottom 6 forwards or bottom pairing or worse depth players.  Pommers should be a 3rd line forward and is Gionta's more expensive replacement.  Pouliot at best is a 3rd line forward (we aren't getting the best). Tennyson, Griffith and Josefson are AAAA players and should never make a competitive roster except as an injury replacement.  Antipin is a rookie learning a new language and playing in a new league.  Baloo is a bottom pairing D with serious in zone issues. Johnson is a career backup goalie.  Nolan is a 4th line grinder.  The hope was (is?) that someone from this group (Griffith, Antipin, and Baloo mostly) and maybe one of Girgensons or Larsson would step up a make a bigger impact then their slot on the roster.  Hasn't happened yet and probably won't.

 

I think we need to reshape our expectations.  This emperor again has no clothes.  Let' just hope for competitive games from here on out.  If we get to 80 points great as long as we see improvement over the season.  Maybe the upgrades needed to field a competitive are coming starting next year with Guhle and Ullmark.    Hard to write this with 79 games to go, but what I've seen that 1st 3 games is a team without enough talent again.    

 

Good take. Our 10 new players amount to a whole lot of nothing. New doesn't always mean better. In some sense we just shifted bodies, but didn't find any difference makers.

 

Also, Beaulieu has no business being second on the team in ice time. WTF?! The pairings of: (1) Beaulieu-Risto, (2) Scandella-Tennyson, (3) McCabe-Antipin are atrocious. How is McCabe not better than Beaulieu?

 

BTW - both Samson and Okposo are a team-worst -6 with no points. Personally, I think Samson is terrible defensively and I'd much rather see him on Eichel's wing.