Canceled Practice

[pi2000]

6 minutes ago, sabills said:

Naw, thats a bad point. Either it hurts your team or not. I searched for them BECAUSE they were the top four teams in the league. If I go and find one for literally every team do you get to draw the line of "Well they're good so they can do it." or "Well see, thats why they were bad"? What if I find one for a team who was bad the year before but then was good that year? That one from the caps is from 2017, who went out in the second round the year before; did they 'earn' that break? Or was it retroactively ok because they won later?

I'm not even saying you're ABSOLUTELY wrong. Maybe something happens in that last practice that really puts them over the edge. Or maybe something happens on the bonding trip that gels them as teammates. There's no way to know. Worrying about it, calling them soft, and saying "I CAN'T BELIEVE NOONE ELSE IS UPSET ABOUT THIS" is wayyyyy over reacting.

I CAN"T BELIEVE NOONSE ELSE IS UPSET ABOUT THIS

[That Aud Smell]

57 minutes ago, North Buffalo said:

His hockey sense is usually spot on.

48 minutes ago, sabills said:

This is really part of the reason I don't think he's a troll. Dude knows his stuff, just wish he'd post more about that.

Jesus Christmas, as though any of us can forget for a single blessed day around these parts that pi played da cawlidge hockey.

 

[North Buffalo]

Despite Pi’s statement about a team coming together and generally I agree, practice helps gell a team... as others have said, this is a young team and I dont think you want to drill the fun out of a team... dont have a problem necessarily with a day off though the timing is a little off.  Part of it is the late cuts imo wanting only those who will be on the big club and the guys have been worked hard since the start of camp.  Could be Housley read the tea leaves and realized they needed a break.  We will see how they start out.... 

[That Aud Smell]

58 minutes ago, sabills said:

To me it should be. Jumping into topics solely to cause trouble, annoy people, and get them off topic? Sounds like you're not trying to be a member of the community, you're just starting sh*t for your own amusement.

See, but trolling isn't an all or nothing proposition. It takes place on a continuum. I think everyone around here trolls at least a little bit, from time to time. Myself included!

What you're talking about is on the extreme end of the spectrum. And, yeah - can result in the ban hammer.

[WildCard]

6 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

Jesus Christmas, as though any of us can forget for a single blessed day around these parts that pi played da cawlidge hockey.

 

I mean it's far from the most abused trope around here

[sabills]

3 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

See, but trolling isn't an all or nothing proposition. It takes place on a continuum. I think everyone around here trolls at least a little bit, from time to time. Myself included!

What you're talking about is on the extreme end of the spectrum. And, yeah - can result in the ban hammer.

Right, either pi beleives what he's saying with intense conviction, or he's playing the long con, haha. This isn't an isolated incident.

[dudacek]

I think this is more significant than a lot of you are acknowledging. I also think it is a good thing.

Due to the constant losing, the franchise lost the joy of coming to the rink, the love of playing the game that remains the best and highest motivator. Housley and Botterill have dedicated the summer to knocking that down, and rebuilding that camaraderie and purpose and mission that had gone missing.

If they just had a day off, I’d say bad call. if they cancelled practice to cement some team-building and bonding, a recognition that these are the guys that survived boot camp with you, your brothers who you will be battling with and for, then great move.

It’s been missing and we need it back.

Edited October 2, 2018 by dudacek

[...]

2 hours ago, dudacek said:

I think this is more significant than a lot of you are acknowledging. I also think it is a good thing.

Due to the constant losing, the franchise lost the joy of coming to the rink, the love of playing the game that remains the best and highest motivator. Housley and Botterill have dedicated the summer to knocking that down, and rebuilding that camaraderie and purpose and mission that had gone missing.

If they just had a day off, I’d say bad call. if they cancelled practice to cement some team-building and bonding, a recognition that these are the guys that survived boot camp with you, your brothers who you will be battling with and for, then great move.

It’s been missing and we need it back.

I said it better.  ?

[LTS]

3 hours ago, pi2000 said:

Those are arguably the top 4 teams in the league.... understandable that they can afford to goof off for a bit before the season.     IMO, Buffalo isn't at that point yet where they can afford to skip practice time.

One might say that top teams know how to handle stress in players and as such it might be wise for a team to try those means.

After all, the past few years they didn't and ended up last anyway.  But yes, I can see how THIS time it would make a difference.  The 10 new faces in the lineup last year certainly benefited from the extra day of practice.

You're grinding the axe handle at this point.

 

Edited October 2, 2018 by LTS
editing for grammar... before someone dismisses the whole point over it

[pi2000]

11 minutes ago, LTS said:

One might say that top teams know how to handle stress in players and as such it might be wise for a team to try those means.

After all, the past few years they didn't and ended up last anyway.  But yes, I can see how THIS time it would make a difference.  The 10 new faces in the lineup last year certainly benefited from the extra day of practice.

You're grinding the axe handle at this point.

 

The season hasn't even started yet and they get a break?  Fine.

You want to skip a practice 2 days before the season?  Fine.  

Then I expect them to look like a well oiled machine on Thursday night.   

If they look ragged and unorganized... if special teams fail...  if they can't break the puck out, or enter the zone...  then they should've spent more time practicing.     I find it extremely difficult to believe they have it all figured out at this point of the season.. but maybe they do.    I'll give them the benefit of the doubt on this one and leave it at that.  

[Eleven]

33 minutes ago, pi2000 said:

The season hasn't even started yet and they get a break?  Fine.

You want to skip a practice 2 days before the season?  Fine.  

Then I expect them to look like a well oiled machine on Thursday night.   

If they look ragged and unorganized... if special teams fail...  if they can't break the puck out, or enter the zone...  then they should've spent more time practicing.     I find it extremely difficult to believe they have it all figured out at this point of the season.. but maybe they do.    I'll give them the benefit of the doubt on this one and leave it at that.  

If they're sh!tty, it's because they're sh!tty.  Not because of whatever happened or didn't happen today. Just relax.  Try to breathe through your nose.

[Andrew Amerk]

Wowie is the one with these guys every day. I trust that he knows what they need, more than any of us armchair coaches. 

Whether that is another hour of practice, or spending the day trying to find the best Buffalo Pizza, he’d know best. 

[SwampD]

FTR, I don't have a problem with anyone questioning anything this coach, or GM, these players, or even this franchise does. They have given us no reason to give them any benefit of any doubt.

Hope they had fun. Hope they win on Thursday.

[That Aud Smell]

1 hour ago, Eleven said:

If they're sh!tty, it's because they're sh!tty.  Not because of whatever happened or didn't happen today. Just relax.  Try to breathe through your nose.

A-freaking-men.

If the team doesn’t look the part of a well oiled SC contender by Thursday, which it almost certainly won’t, it won’t be because they weren't on the ice today.

An insistence that the team nonetheless be on the ice is a product of an outlook unduly concerned with meting out punishment. For past failings. For past sins. 

This team will be good, or it won’t, for a host of reasons. Taking a day after a hard camp won’t crack any reasonable list of reasons for not being good. And as someone suggested upthread, this choice could play a minor role in getting the team headed in a positive direction.

[apuszczalowski]

10 hours ago, WildCard said:

Hookers and blow. No better way to bring a group together than a night where if anyone talks about it you have full rights to kill them

Thats saved for when they are in Vegas in the next few weeks. 

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Imagine pi's reaction if they actually cancelled a practice.

[pi2000]

7 hours ago, N S said:

Imagine pi's reaction if they actually cancelled a practice.

[PerreaultForever]

bruins playing Caps tonight (and being out skated and blown out right now) so why wouldn't you want your team to be well rested and ready to go? non issue. judge them by the on ice performance tomorrow. If we come out slow or flat, it'll be a long season.  

[matter2003]

On 10/2/2018 at 10:15 AM, WildCard said:

I don't know, I wanted to make a practice thread. Anyways, thought this was weird. Maybe an announcement coming?

 

@BillHoppeNHL
The #Sabres have canceled today's practice.

Didn't want to take a chance with Eichel getting injured in the practice before opening day...

[pi2000]

Do I even need to say anything here?

[Eleven]

13 minutes ago, pi2000 said:

Do I even need to say anything here?

Your opinion wasn't intelligent two days ago and it isn't now, regardless of the result.

Edited October 5, 2018 by Eleven

[Randall Flagg]

If pi has the secret that can be simply applied in one practice and can change the result of the games, I have no idea why he's posting here and isn't rolling in the millions given to him by NHL teams for that secret.

[pi2000]

I'm not saying I have any answers. 

My point then and now is that it's not wise for the last place team to cancel a practice 2 days before the opener.  

The proof is in the pudding.

 

11 minutes ago, Eleven said:

Your opinion wasn't intelligent two days ago and it isn't now, regardless of the result.

So you're happy with their game tonight?  Nothing they need to work on... say... in PRACTICE!?

[That Aud Smell]

Correlation. Causation.

They could do two a days with Richie Cunningham — ain’t nothing gonna change.

[Randall Flagg]

13 minutes ago, pi2000 said:

I'm not saying I have any answers. 

My point then and now is that it's not wise for the last place team to cancel a practice 2 days before the opener.  

The proof is in the pudding.

  

So you're happy with their game tonight?  Nothing they need to work on... say... in PRACTICE!?

That's not what proof is.