Can This Franchise Be Saved? How Long Will It Take?

[pi2000]

Maybe Jack should call Phil up, go for a skate, and tell Phil how it's his job to step up and start coaching better. In terms of raw hockey talent, this Sabres squad is probably only a little below the league average (1.0 ppg caliber) yet is somehow producing at a Tank Year level (neighborhood of 55 points). Bottom of the league in both scoring and in Phil's supposed forte of defense. Unacceptable.

 

This.

[nucci]

Saved?

 

From what?

 

There is no risk of the team folding, or being moved.

From being a bottom team forever

[inkman]

Maybe Jack should call Phil up, go for a skate, and tell Phil how it's his job to step up and start coaching better. In terms of raw hockey talent, this Sabres squad is probably only a little below the league average (1.0 ppg caliber) yet is somehow producing at a Tank Year level (neighborhood of 55 points). Bottom of the league in both scoring and in Phil's supposed forte of defense. Unacceptable.

To be clear, PH forte is creating offense from the D, not playing defensive hockey.

[GASabresIUFAN]

To be clear, PH forte is creating offense from the D, not playing defensive hockey.

Agreed. His method of playing D is spending as much time as possible in the O zone.

[Doohicksie]

Agreed. His method of playing D is spending as much time as possible in the O zone.

 

Which would be fine if we spent more time in the O zone.

 

 

 

Although we have seen some extended periods of O zone play this year, moreso than in recent years past.

[Randall Flagg]

It might only take a season. 

The Colorado Avalanche last season finished with fewer points than we're pacing for. When we played them last year, at home, they looked a decade away from competence. Their average attempt to get out of their own zone was on par with our worst attempts this season, and even though the score was close, we destroyed them in that game. 

 

They just won their eight game in a row and are in the middle of the playoff race in the best division in hockey. I believe they'd be in if the playoffs started today. 

 

The amazing thing is that they only made minor moves in the offseason, they kept their "loser coach", they didn't trade Duchene until weeks into this season and they didn't get super-NHL-ready parts for him. 

Hockey is a weird sport, we have no idea how the Sabres will do moving forward.

[Thorner]

It might only take a season. 

The Colorado Avalanche last season finished with fewer points than we're pacing for. When we played them last year, at home, they looked a decade away from competence. Their average attempt to get out of their own zone was on par with our worst attempts this season, and even though the score was close, we destroyed them in that game. 

 

They just won their eight game in a row and are in the middle of the playoff race in the best division in hockey. I believe they'd be in if the playoffs started today. 

 

The amazing thing is that they only made minor moves in the offseason, they kept their "loser coach", they didn't trade Duchene until weeks into this season and they didn't get super-NHL-ready parts for him. 

Hockey is a weird sport, we have no idea how the Sabres will do moving forward.

Exactly.

 

This is why I need to hear the head honchos start talking about winning next season as the goal.

[That Aud Smell]

This seems as good a place as any to drop this question. (I'd thought about starting a new thread, and then thought better of it.)

 

Up until quite recently Colorado was right there with the Sabres in terms of persistent awfulness and disappointment.

 

Now they're ripping it up, in an apparently sustainable way.

 

How'd they do it? Any lessons the Sabres can learn?

[Brawndo]

This seems as good a place as any to drop this question. (I'd thought about starting a new thread, and then thought better of it.)

 

Up until quite recently Colorado was right there with the Sabres in terms of persistent awfulness and disappointment.

 

Now they're ripping it up, in an apparently sustainable way.

 

How'd they do it? Any lessons the Sabres can learn?

Addition by subtraction?

[dudacek]

I think the Avs - like the Knights -are showing that it doesn’t take as much as you’d think.

[GASabresIUFAN]

They dumped aging players like Bourque, Iginla, Tyutin and Beachemin. The got significant improvement from young players like Rantanen, Nieto and Zadarov. Added more youth who have performed in Kerfoot, Girard and Compher. These turned over 50% of the D group and they stuck with their head coach despite the awful season last year. They also got rid of locker room malcontent Duchene.

Edited January 22, 2018 by Georgia Flakt

[LGR4GM]

They dumped aging players like Bourque, Iginla, Tyutin and Beachemin. The got significant improvement from young players like Rantanen, Nieto and Zadarov. Added more youth who have performed in Kerfoot, Girard and Compher. These turned over 50% of the D group and they stuck with their head coach despite the awful season last year. They also got rid of locker room malcontent Duchene.

Is ROR, not a locker room malcontent per say, but perhaps just a debbie downer who doesn't lead?

[darksabre]

Is ROR, not a locker room malcontent per say, but perhaps just a debbie downer who doesn't lead?

Define "lead".

[LGR4GM]

Define "lead".

drag the hulking carcasses of his lesser teammates up to the NHL level 

[darksabre]

drag the hulking carcasses of his lesser teammates up to the NHL level

Seems like a lot to ask.

[Stoner]

I was struck by all the Dallas Stars love on the broadcast the other day — hell, I was struck by the Stars, period. I had to look at the standings to see that they are JAT on the playoff bubble. We really are not even part of the league right now.

[stenbaro]

My son was using our season tickets for only the 2nd time this year, and there were a couple of fans sitting behind him who after the  Sabres were down 2 zip in the middle of the first said " Ah back to the pit of misery again..Dilly Dilly"  This franchise is an utter joke, an embarrassment and whatever other horrific phrase to describe an abortion can be found.  I am angry and quite fed up, for christ sake an expansion team is in first place in the entire league and we are stuck at the bottom once again.. This is putrid.  I can not wait until I get my season ticket renewal form, I will have a burning ceremony. 

[Weave]

I was struck by all the Dallas Stars love on the broadcast the other day — hell, I was struck by the Stars, period. I had to look at the standings to see that they are JAT on the playoff bubble. We really are not even part of the league right now.

 

5 seasons now, innit?

[GASabresIUFAN]

My son was using our season tickets for only the 2nd time this year, and there were a couple of fans sitting behind him who after the  Sabres were down 2 zip in the middle of the first said " Ah back to the pit of misery again..Dilly Dilly"  This franchise is an utter joke, an embarrassment and whatever other horrific phrase to describe an abortion can be found.  I am angry and quite fed up, for christ sake an expansion team is in first place in the entire league and we are stuck at the bottom once again.. This is putrid.  I can not wait until I get my season ticket renewal form, I will have a burning ceremony.

 

I’d wait to see what deals Jbot makes between now and the draft to improve this team. Sakic turned it around last off-season, maybe Jbot can also. You’ll kick yourself if you give them up the year progress is actually made. That said, I’d find someone to share the tickets with. To much cost without spreading the risk.

[matter2003]

I think we have seen what many of us suspected all along...this team CAN be OK as currently built...maybe not good, but certainly way better than they have been when they just decide to play hard and listen to their coaches...they have done that the last 3 games and outscore the opponents 11-1...

 

There is no secret to what happened...watching them was like night and day from most of the other games the past 3 years...they were buzzing aruond...winning puck battles...winning puck races...tenacious along the boards and on the forecheck...getting back on the backcheck to break plays up...

 

It really pisses me off to think this is how they have been capable of playing all along and they just chose not to because they liked gliding through games and not working hard...

Edited January 26, 2018 by matter2003

[LGR4GM]

Sabres PR‏Verified account @SabresPR 8h8 hours ago

More

With his assist on Okposo's goal, Rasmus Ristolainen now has 13 points (3G, 9A) in his last 12 games.

 

Sabres PR‏Verified account @SabresPR 8h8 hours ago

More

Kyle Okposo's power-play goal gives him 15 points (4G, 11A) in his last 15 games.

Edited January 26, 2018 by SkuggaLiger

[GASabresIUFAN]

Sabres PR‏Verified account @SabresPR 8h8 hours ago

 

More

 

With his assist on Okposo's goal, Rasmus Ristolainen now has 13 points (3G, 9A) in his last 12 games.

 

Sabres PR‏Verified account @SabresPR 8h8 hours ago

 

More

Kyle Okposo's power-play goal gives him 15 points (4G, 11A) in his last 15 games.

 

Don’t forget Reinchuk has 5g, 4a for 9pts in his last 11 games and 3g, 4a in his last 5 games. Edited January 26, 2018 by Georgia Flakt

[Weave]

I think we have seen what many of us suspected all along...this team CAN be OK as currently built...maybe not good, but certainly way better than they have been when they just decide to play hard and listen to their coaches...they have done that the last 3 games and outscore the opponents 11-1...

 

There is no secret to what happened...watching them was like night and day from most of the other games the past 3 years...they were buzzing aruond...winning puck battles...winning puck races...tenacious along the boards and on the forecheck...getting back on the backcheck to break plays up...

 

It really pisses me off to think this is how they have been capable of playing all along and they just chose not to because they liked gliding through games and not working hard...

 

Maddening, innit?

[Doohicksie]

Don’t forget Reinchuk has 5g, 4a for 9pts in his last 11 games and 3g, 4a in his last 5 games.

 

:w00t:

 

***

Let's say for a moment that how the Sabres played the last three games is how they play out the season.  Obviously they won't win them all, but if they become that "hardest working team in hockey" again, like they were how many moons ago, is the franchise, in fact, saved?  If the last three games becomes the rest of the season, what changes to the Sabres need going forward?

[GASabresIUFAN]

Hardest working team still needs more talent, especially on D. Hard work only does goes so far.