What was broken, what changed?

[Kruppstahl]

I've been trying to figure this out for the last several weeks now.

We had that horrible start to the season and it looked like the same old team.  Since then, we have shown that this is NOT the same old team.

"Culture" IMO doesn't exist.  It's just stuff sports fans talk about.  So what's different?  

Better talent on the ice and if you had to point out 1 thing, a consistent first pass coming out of our own Defensive Zone to generate offense going the other way.

That, and all the key players are a year older and stronger.

Even "superstars" like Eichel or Dahlin are really just babies not ready to play in the NHL when they start out.  The sooner the whole lot of them hit 24 years old (?) the better they will all be.

Even Risto is now a much more developed player in terms of physicality and confidence.  He's not a young kid anymore in the way he plays.

Before the season started, I thought we would see a big jump this year but NO PLAYOFFS....now it seems like the playoffs could be a possibility!  I am hoping we will get to experience that "game day buzz" for our first playoff game in many years come April.

I've forgotten how great that is!

 

[Robviously]

3 hours ago, Kruppstahl said:

I've been trying to figure this out for the last several weeks now.

We had that horrible start to the season and it looked like the same old team.  Since then, we have shown that this is NOT the same old team.

"Culture" IMO doesn't exist.  It's just stuff sports fans talk about. 

Ironically, I only think culture exists in sports because it exists in literally every other aspect of human life.

[SwampD]

We didn't have a horrible start to the season. We lost the first game to a really good team. 

[Doohicksie]

6 hours ago, SwampD said:

We didn't have a horrible start to the season. We lost the first game to a really good team. 

First 4-game homestand:  2-2.  Not great, but nothing to be ashamed of.  Next 5 games was the left coast road trip- an easy win against AZ, then a couple ugly losses.  A come-to-Jesus meeting and line shakeup and they've been on fire ever since.

[dudacek]

6 hours ago, SwampD said:

We didn't have a horrible start to the season. We lost the first game to a really good team. 

That game was nowhere near the mess the bruised and battered psyches of this board made it out to be.

Just like the three inspiring wins we’ve just peeled off are a couple bounces from being a three-game losing streak.

It’s such a fine line. And it is nice to finally be good enough to walk on both sides of it.

[miles]

i will throw in my 2 cents as i was very negative on the team last year. i felt the gave up too often. I think the initial cause was poor goaltending. they knew that any mistake by them would result in a goal because it did. i havent ever seen a goalie as bad as "you know who". I feel like they felt no lead was safe. 

I believe that 100%. there was a game last year, the team was playing really well. Someone made a turnover, which lead to a goal. It seemed like they were just deflated and they gave up. 

I also believe there was a "talk" with jack. he seemed to kick it up after that. 

 

[GASabresIUFAN]

Lehner and Johnson were clearly an issue last year.  Also the lack of healthy defenders.  Look how much better we are with a healthy McCabe and Bogosian.  It also helped that Baloo isn’t a tire fire this season and Nelson is playing solidly.  No more Falk, Tennyson, Gorges also doesn’t hurt.

Also welcome to the board.

[nucci]

On 11/11/2018 at 9:59 AM, bob_sauve28 said:

The key difference is talent, not culture, IMO. Better goaltending, better defense with Dahlin, improved Bogo and no major injuries yet, and the addition of Skinner and Sheary. Okposo is back at top level, ERod has emerged and Jack and Samson are a year older. 

simple as that....

[bob_sauve28]

1 hour ago, nucci said:

simple as that....

I was talking to my friend who is on a beer league team. He said they were all arguing and losing, then this really excellent player joined the team, they started winning and all the arguing, finger points etc. just stopped! 

[Weave]

3 hours ago, bob_sauve28 said:

I was talking to my friend who is on a beer league team. He said they were all arguing and losing, then this really excellent player joined the team, they started winning and all the arguing, finger points etc. just stopped! 

Pi?

[bob_sauve28]

49 minutes ago, Weave said:

Pi?

No 

[GASabresIUFAN]

By the way, 2 more goals by Sabres D (Nelson and Bogo) and 4 pts total.  We now have 7 D with a goals this season.

[Taro T]

1 hour ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

By the way, 2 more goals by Sabres D (Nelson and Bogo) and 4 pts total.  We now have 7 D with a goals this season.

Yep. 7 D have seen the ice this season & all have at least 1 goal & 5 have 2 goals.

[GASabresIUFAN]

We are looking more like Nashville with each passing game.

[LGR4GM]

8 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

We are looking more like Nashville with each passing game.

Gotta give Housley credit, the defense is playing much more aggressive hockey and it is paying off. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

3 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

Gotta give Housley credit, the defense is playing much more aggressive hockey and it is paying off. 

How did those words taste?  Just wait until he gets 6 guys who can effectively play his system.  Right now I’d argue that we only have 3 (McCabe, Risto and Dahlin).

Anyone else catch Jack saying that it has become like a family in that locker-room during the post game show?  

Edited November 20, 2018 by GASabresIUFAN

[LGR4GM]

They tasted dark and chocolaty with a hint of vanilla. 

[SwampD]

1 minute ago, LGR4GM said:

They tasted dark and chocolaty with a hint of vanilla. 

We wont tell Josie.

[Ho-Chi-Sock]

If Housely or Eichel are reading this, it appears as if Mr. Mittlestadt is cyber bullying Sweet Rasmus. Poor lil' fella.

[North Buffalo]

25 minutes ago, Ho-Chi-Sock said:

If Housely or Eichel are reading this, it appears as if Mr. Mittlestadt is cyber bullying Sweet Rasmus. Poor lil' fella.

He was talking in an interview recently about how close theve gotten.  He is Oscar to Rasmuses being Felix... Apparently Ras isnt very good a fortnite

[Randall Flagg]

I'm glad Rasmus is bad at that dreadful game. 

[dudacek]

I figured the three most important things that needed to be fixed from last year’s roster were:

Fragile goaltending, Even-strength scoring, Puck-moving defence

Carter Hutton is the antithesis of Lehner: mentally strong and never rattled. He’s like a boulder rolling down hill.

Jeff Skinner leads the NHL in even strength goals. 

If one measures offence by points, the Sabres have three first-pairing defenders so far this year; Dahlin, Ristolainen and McCabe all rank in the top 40 in scoring. 

Edited November 24, 2018 by dudacek

[Ho-Chi-Sock]

Ullmark was just telling Rayzor about how important it is when EVERYBODY's buying into the game plan.

A comment we heard many times in the past was that not everyone was following the coach's directive.

Hmm...

 

EDIT: Eichel: "We stick together, and I think it says a lot about the guys in the room"

Edited November 25, 2018 by Ho-Chi-Sock

[GASabresIUFAN]

One thing I’ve noticed is that our passing is so much better.  

[PerreaultForever]

3 hours ago, Let's Go B-Lo said:

Kane is still hoisting his 40ft wristers while Skinner, a player with far less rep for getting dirty has been scoring rebound goal after rebound goal.

Skinner is simply a better fit for Eichel and kudos to JBot for identifying the type of player Eichel needed as a winger.

So many positive changes it's hard to argue with anything already listed but let's not forget Bogo. Everybody wrote him off and many asked could we buy him out and such and he's top 4 D and a solid team leader. If you think back to when Housley was hired, Bogo said he loved Housley's philosophy and felt he could thrive in it. Injury kept him out last year as we know, but it seems now he was right and he's bringing it. Along with McCabe playing solid hockey and Dahlin (did you see that blind behind the back pass? guy is so fluid at 18 he really could be the best ever in time) our D has gone from one of the worst in the league to a solid group that generates offense. An amazing change which, along with Skinner and the goaltending is a big big part of it.