WTF is wrong with this team?

[Brawndo]

I'm terrified the brass will panic and force Botterill to fire Housley

I'm pretty sure Botterill would resign first. There is no chance in hell any coach worth anything would come here to coach if Housley is let go after one season.

 

Besides if the players fail to produce results for two coaches in one calendar year, the brass will have to focus their attention to the core group and the changes that need to be made there.

[Pokey Jones]

Not true, there are always former coaches out there with huge egos who will think they can come in and be the messiah. The only thing that'll happen is they will demand 4-5 year deals, but they will come.

 

You can blame the coach maybe for some disorganization or some bad line match ups, but you can't blame him for a lack of effort and quitting. This is not a new Housley problem, this has been the team identity for years.

 

CallawaySabres has the right idea, but facebook posts aren't enough. You guys that live in Buffalo should organize a protest, get some media coverage. Demand better. Just demand effort! Until the fans stop going to games and demand more, this train of excuses will keep going off the rails. 

[LGR4GM]

Yea... I actually don't care enough about hockey to let it ruin my life

[Drunkard]

Not true, there are always former coaches out there with huge egos who will think they can come in and be the messiah. The only thing that'll happen is they will demand 4-5 year deals, but they will come.

 

You can blame the coach maybe for some disorganization or some bad line match ups, but you can't blame him for a lack of effort and quitting. This is not a new Housley problem, this has been the team identity for years.

 

CallawaySabres has the right idea, but facebook posts aren't enough. You guys that live in Buffalo should organize a protest, get some media coverage. Demand better. Just demand effort! Until the fans stop going to games and demand more, this train of excuses will keep going off the rails. 

 

Feigned outrage and nonsense that a crappy team sets a bad example for children won't do anything but generate some meaningless platitudes from the PR department.

 

The only message that will do anything is empty seats and the erosion of the season ticket waiting list.

Yea... I actually don't care enough about hockey to let it ruin my life

 

Same here. I got the free center ice preview for a week with Directv and I watched this train wreck for 3 games. I won't be shelling out a dime to watch any extra. The Sabres and Bills stinking up the joint used to have a negative impact on me personally, but ever since I stopped being financially vested in both teams it's amazing how them both sucking has significantly less impact on my mood. I can post here all day without the mass hysteria bumming me out one bit but when I was shelling out $150 to watch the games, I'd get pissed off to no end.

Edited October 10, 2017 by Drunkard

[Pokey Jones]

Well if money is an issue for you personally I can see that, but personally I have enough so a tv package isn't a big deal. I like hockey, and if they suck really really bad I'll start watching other games with better teams and good match ups and whatever seems entertaining like I ended up doing last year. Not going to deprive myself of sports I love because my team sucks. (Can't speak to the Bills situation cause I'm not a fan of them - go Steelers :)) 

You're right though, people have to stop going to the games and the team has to know enough is enough. The excuse making has to stop. 

[Randall Flagg]

I'm far more interested in how far the hyperbole can possibly get before game 4 starts than why we had a bumpy road through the last six periods of hockey

[darksabre]

I'm far more interested in how far the hyperbole can possibly get before game 4 starts than why we had a bumpy road through the last six periods of hockey

:lol:

[GASabresIUFAN]

I have and will pay for Center Ice.  I record all the games and watch them when I have time.  The best thing is if they are sucking, I can either fast forward or delete and not waste my time.  On the other hand, if they play with some jump, I'll watch the game. I also end watching other teams like Nashville, so it's good for that as well.  I just wish they still ran the replays.  For $2 a game it's worth it.

 

The good news is that the turn around will happen.  I believe 2018/19 will be the next step forward.  We need to continue to clear the weeds.  I'm sure that Jbot and Housley told TPegs that the roster sucks and it will take time to get the right pieces.  I think they both get 3 years to move this team forward.

 

Edmonton sucked for nearly a decade until they got Draistal and McJesus (plus a good GM and some D).

 

Rochester's performance is the key.  Look back to 2004 when Rochester had Miller, Roy, Vanek, Pommers, Chris Taylor, Gaustad, Paille, and Thorburn (and a few games by Jbot himself).  That team dominated and then made the jump.

Look at the dominate Marlies from 2015-16.  Nylander, Brown, Kapenen, Hyman and Carrick all factored on that team, and then all jumped to Tor the next season. 

 

If Rochester does well and the guys mature, some of Malone, Smith, Nelson, Baptiste, Fasching, Bailey, Guhle and Ullmark could all make the jump, because we have serious placeholders that need to be sent packing.

[Drunkard]

Well if money is an issue for you personally I can see that, but personally I have enough so a tv package isn't a big deal. I like hockey, and if they suck really really bad I'll start watching other games with better teams and good match ups and whatever seems entertaining like I ended up doing last year. Not going to deprive myself of sports I love because my team sucks. (Can't speak to the Bills situation cause I'm not a fan of them - go Steelers :))

You're right though, people have to stop going to the games and the team has to know enough is enough. The excuse making has to stop.

 

 

It's not an issue of affording it. $150 is actually a great deal when you consider it covers 75 or so Sabres games (82 less the handful of Sabres games I'd already get anyway when they play on NBC Sports, NHL network, or the Canes since I live in North Carolina).

 

The simple fact that I was spending money on a product literally added to my anger. It's like paying for your own misery. Which is fine if you're into that kind of thing, but I'm not the ball gagger wearing type.

 

Once I stopped spending the money on it though my stress/anger/whatever you want to term it reduced big time. Or maybe the tank broke my spirit as a fan, even though I supported it and I was convinced it was the best way (definitely not the quickest) to avoid the perpetual cycle of mediocrity.

 

I think we can definitely agree that we've managed to avoid mediocrity though. A lot of improvement will be needed just to sniff mediocrity.

Edited October 10, 2017 by Drunkard

[mjd1001]

Nashville was 2-5-1 through Halloween of last season....

 

They lost 6-1 in their 6th game of the season, making them 2-4

 

They didn't get above .500 until November 17.....

 

They were pretty much a .500 team until the middle of January.

 

I'll be OK as long as we get some wins and don't have any more games like yesterday afternoon.

[darksabre]

Nashville was 2-5-1 through Halloween of last season....

 

They lost 6-1 in their 6th game of the season, making them 2-4

 

They didn't get above .500 until November 17.....

 

They were pretty much a .500 team until the middle of January.

 

I'll be OK as long as we get some wins and don't have any more games like yesterday afternoon.

Nashville was a playoff team the previous two seasons. That tends to buy you a little slack. This team has no goodwill in the bank.

[Thorner]

I have and will pay for Center Ice.  I record all the games and watch them when I have time.  The best thing is if they are sucking, I can either fast forward or delete and not waste my time.  On the other hand, if they play with some jump, I'll watch the game. I also end watching other teams like Nashville, so it's good for that as well.  I just wish they still ran the replays.  For $2 a game it's worth it.

 

The good news is that the turn around will happen.  I believe 2018/19 will be the next step forward.  We need to continue to clear the weeds.  I'm sure that Jbot and Housley told TPegs that the roster sucks and it will take time to get the right pieces.  I think they both get 3 years to move this team forward.

 

Edmonton sucked for nearly a decade until they got Draistal and McJesus (plus a good GM and some D).

 

Rochester's performance is the key.  Look back to 2004 when Rochester had Miller, Roy, Vanek, Pommers, Chris Taylor, Gaustad, Paille, and Thorburn (and a few games by Jbot himself).  That team dominated and then made the jump.

Look at the dominate Marlies from 2015-16.  Nylander, Brown, Kapenen, Hyman and Carrick all factored on that team, and then all jumped to Tor the next season. 

 

If Rochester does well and the guys mature, some of Malone, Smith, Nelson, Baptiste, Fasching, Bailey, Guhle and Ullmark could all make the jump, because we have serious placeholders that need to be sent packing.

Are we really starting to get to the point where we may very well go a full decade with no playoffs, in a league where it's better than 50% to make it?

[nfreeman]

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.

 

 

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

 

 

Nashville was 2-5-1 through Halloween of last season....

 

They lost 6-1 in their 6th game of the season, making them 2-4

 

They didn't get above .500 until November 17.....

 

They were pretty much a .500 team until the middle of January.

 

I'll be OK as long as we get some wins and don't have any more games like yesterday afternoon.

 

3 good ones here.

 

Everyone needs to keep his/her pants on.

 

 

Are we really starting to get to the point where we may very well go a full decade with no playoffs, in a league where it's better than 50% to make it?

 

*stage whisper*

 

This is why tanking is a bad plan.

[StuckinFL]

It's not that they lost 3 games. If all the losses looked like Montreal, most of us wouldn't be losing our minds. It's how absolutely and utterly TERRIBLE they looked the past 2 games. Other than Kane's play, can you name one positive takeaway (besides the fact that they're over) from either game?

[TrueBlueGED]

*stage whisper*

 

This is why tanking is a bad plan.

Toronto fans agree ;)

[nfreeman]

Toronto didn't set out to race for the bottom of the standings 2 years in a row like the Sabres did.  They stunk for years, accumulated some good players, then found themselves in position to tank at the deadline in 2016, at which point they traded a bunch of guys.  They ended up with 69 points -- a full 15 more than the Sabres had during the Eichel tank year.

[TrueBlueGED]

Toronto didn't set out to race for the bottom of the standings 2 years in a row like the Sabres did. They stunk for years, accumulated some good players, then found themselves in position to tank at the deadline in 2016, at which point they traded a bunch of guys. They ended up with 69 points -- a full 15 more than the Sabres had during the Eichel tank year.

Do you remember the goalies they trotted out there? And keeping Nylander in the AHL all year when he was clearly NHL ready. And sending Marner back to juniors. Etc. They absolutely struck out to finish last the year they got Matthews. The difference is they didn't have to compete with other teams for it.

[Randall Flagg]

Toronto didn't set out to race for the bottom of the standings 2 years in a row like the Sabres did.  They stunk for years, accumulated some good players, then found themselves in position to tank at the deadline in 2016, at which point they traded a bunch of guys.  They ended up with 69 points -- a full 15 more than the Sabres had during the Eichel tank year.

I agree with you in that I never want to tank again, but right from the summer before the 15-16 season the Leafs were tanking. They dumped all of their big players before that season ever started and loaded the roster up with hot garbage. It was as intentional a tank as either Sabres tank season was. 

[Pokey Jones]

It's not that they lost that matters as much as the fact that after losing bad, they came out with a no effort stinker. It's the culture and the attitude that has to be changed. If these guys quit this easily, they need to go. The stupid expansion team is better than us right now - that's ridiculous. 

 

Eichel says its a "must win" and then has zero shots on goal and I watched him quit skating on the back check several times. So who was leading us to the must win Jack????

 

I know Housley is a new coach and he wants to win the room, but my own feeling is the law has to come down. JBot should publicly state that Housley is the boss and the players need to play and anyone who doesn't will not wear the jersey. After that, Housley has to sit every quitter on the team even if it means we play the Amerks. They still don't respond they get train tickets out of town and we start over. Not for a "tank" but for a new attitude. 

 

Sometimes, an early road trip turns the tide. So this is it. But if it doesn't turn with this trip, the season's over, it is always tough to make up for a bad start and this team will not do it. So in that case, purge it all. 

[LGR4GM]

3 good ones here.

 

Everyone needs to keep his/her pants on.

 

 

 

*stage whisper*

 

This is why tanking is a bad plan.

Yea you need to stop. We get it you don't like the tank.

[nfreeman]

Do you remember the goalies they trotted out there? And keeping Nylander in the AHL all year when he was clearly NHL ready. And sending Marner back to juniors. Etc. They absolutely struck out to finish last the year they got Matthews. The difference is they didn't have to compete with other teams for it.

 

I agree with you in that I never want to tank again, but right from the summer before the 15-16 season the Leafs were tanking. They dumped all of their big players before that season ever started and loaded the roster up with hot garbage. It was as intentional a tank as either Sabres tank season was. 

 

Well, their goalies that year were Bernier and Reimer, both of whom were/are legit NHL goalies, albeit ones who didn't reach the heights some projected for them.

 

They traded Kessel before that season, but the rest of their moves (Dion, Polak, Winnik, Reimer, etc.) were made at the deadline.

 

My recollection is that there was a lot of speculation that year about whether the Leafs were tanking and whether they should tank, but that it was nowhere near as blatant as what the Sabres did.

[Randall Flagg]

Well, their goalies that year were Bernier and Reimer, both of whom were/are legit NHL goalies, albeit ones who didn't reach the heights some projected for them.

 

They traded Kessel before that season, but the rest of their moves (Dion, Polak, Winnik, Reimer, etc.) were made at the deadline.

 

My recollection is that there was a lot of speculation that year about whether the Leafs were tanking and whether they should tank, but that it was nowhere near as blatant as what the Sabres did.

Dion Phaneuf was traded before the season started, really close to when Jack sprained his ankle. Polak and Winnik were not adequate NHL players. It was a blatant tank. It is splitting hairs to compare it to our epic tank, when the argument is whether or not it was a real tank. It was blatant. They used the word suffering before it just like we did. 

[3putt]

Well, their goalies that year were Bernier and Reimer, both of whom were/are legit NHL goalies, albeit ones who didn't reach the heights some projected for them.

 

They traded Kessel before that season, but the rest of their moves (Dion, Polak, Winnik, Reimer, etc.) were made at the deadline.

 

My recollection is that there was a lot of speculation that year about whether the Leafs were tanking and whether they should tank, but that it was nowhere near as blatant as what the Sabres did.

But by your logic, they should have kept Kessel, Dion et al and brought up Nylander, and kept Marner all season. Win at all costs right? Then they would have been the same team that was irrelevant for a decade plus. The only difference between us and them is they landed Babcock and we didn’t. He accelerated their rise exponentially.

[Randall Flagg]

But by your logic, they should have kept Kessel, Dion et al and brought up Nylander, and kept Marner all season. Win at all costs right? Then they would have been the same team that was irrelevant for a decade plus. The only difference between us and them is they landed Babcock and we didn’t. He accelerated their rise exponentially.

Babcock and better players with better picks and moves.

[Drunkard]

Well, their goalies that year were Bernier and Reimer, both of whom were/are legit NHL goalies, albeit ones who didn't reach the heights some projected for them.

 

They traded Kessel before that season, but the rest of their moves (Dion, Polak, Winnik, Reimer, etc.) were made at the deadline.

 

My recollection is that there was a lot of speculation that year about whether the Leafs were tanking and whether they should tank, but that it was nowhere near as blatant as what the Sabres did.

Yep. They tanked the right way or whatever nonsense from what I remember from the talking heads. Then they got rewarded with the lottery win. Must be nice.

 

Can you imagine how different things would be if Matthews were a week older though? The Coyotes would have him instead of the Leafs so we wouldn't care if he was still lighting it up the way he has and Toronto would have had to settle for Laine or Puljujarvi. Still great prospects but you know they've gotta prefer how it went for them. I doubt their Nylander wouldn't look nearly as good for them if he was forced to center their 1st line without Matthew there.

Edited October 11, 2017 by Drunkard