GDT: Buffalo Sabres @ Edmonton Oilers. 14 January 2019 @ 9:00 PM EST on MSG.

[eman]

9 hours ago, Andrew Amerk said:

If what Ray said is true, that the team was “lifeless” at practice, he did nothing to motivate them or adjust that. 

The PP has been atrocious for how many games now? HCPH has done nothing to adjust it. The fact that he had the 4th line out there on the PP, instead of using that time to tinker,  just shows what he is as a coach.

Not only starting Hutton - but leaving him in after 3 and 4 goals - bad coaching.

It may not be a world-beater lineup, but there’s enough talent there to beat a team like the Oilers. He’s not the right man for the job. 

Plus, Edmonton sucked in the first period but their coach made adjustments to combat that during the intermission and it worked.

[eman]

9 hours ago, ... said:

None of the these points make sense - these are all reasons you've come up with to justify a boogeyman. 

Each player has a contract and, ideally, some semblance of pride.  They should motivate themselves.  I don't disagree a good coach should be able to pump up his team at times, but, those speeches really only happen in the movies.

The PP has been an on-going problem.  And I'm sure they've been totally ignoring it.  And the players don't matter.

Are you serious?  Ullmark got lit up, too.  You leave in a goalie as long as you can to try and allow the goalie - and team - to recover, individually, and as a team.

I think, clearly, there WAS NOT enough talent out there to beat the Oilers tonight.  They sucked.  They had no life and no urgency.  

We've all been down this road, now, too many times to be fooled by the boogeyman approach to coach firings.  How about some real reasoning, some real evidence that supports the torches and pitchforks.

I  beg to differ, all those points make perfect sense. You can stick with coach Phil, I do believe he will at least start with this club again next season. i expect he will be fired next season also (if he makes it through this one) Lets see how it plays out.

[MakeSabresGrr8Again]

19 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

I wasn't happy during the 10 game streak. There were signs of trouble during it. 

Really?

GDT - Sabres @ Pittsburgh - November 19, 2018 - 7:00 PM (EST) - 8:00 PM (AST)

LGR4GM replied to New Scotland (NS)'s topic in The Aud Club

Hockey is fun again and I might cry.

[LGR4GM]

6 minutes ago, Wyldnwoody44 said:

Or Evan Rodrigues

Speaking of Evan, he has played 73% of his 5v5 TOI with Sobotka. They have a negative corsi, negative Goals For%, negative HD Corsi. They start in the offensive zone only 23% of the time. Talk about wasting and offensive talent in Erod. 

I will admit that Erod should not play with Casey. It isn't good in the 50 minutes they spent together. Evan with Johan though... great pairing and should be together more than the 105minutes they've gotten 5v5

1 minute ago, MakeSabresGrr8Again said:

Really?

GDT - Sabres @ Pittsburgh - November 19, 2018 - 7:00 PM (EST) - 8:00 PM (AST)

LGR4GM replied to New Scotland (NS)'s topic in The Aud Club

Hockey is fun again and I might cry.

Oh wow I was happy for one moment! Thanks for reminding me. 

[eman]

9 hours ago, ... said:

Do we always have the wrong players leading the team?  Do we always have the wrong coaches?  

I think it all starts with the GM. 

Yes, it is the bad coaches. Rolston? Bylsma? Poor Nolan was here for a tank as they sold out the roster from beneath him. Enroth was keeping them in games and they got a few points: GONE! Neuvirth plays well and got them a few points: GONE! We passed on Julien- Montreal will make the playoffs, we aren't going to catch them, we passed on Gerard Gallant, I wouldn't be surprised if Vegas goes deep in the playoffs again this season and Babcock saw something he didn't like with this franchise and headed North. Yes, we have had crap coaching. I don't buy that this roster is this bad. Not for one second.

[eman]

1 hour ago, nucci said:

and to think I read here that tanking and becoming the worst team in hockey will be worth it in a couple of years

and I do believe, that mentality went against what Pat LaFontaine wanted to do, which is why he left. he did not want to tank to rebuild this club.

[SABRES 0311]

19 minutes ago, Wyldnwoody44 said:

Or Evan Rodrigues

Or Jack Eichel

[LGR4GM]

1 hour ago, nucci said:

and to think I read here that tanking and becoming the worst team in hockey will be worth it in a couple of years

You really want to start this again? I am seriously asking.

[SABRES 0311]

3 minutes ago, eman said:

and I do believe, that mentality went against what Pat LaFontaine wanted to do, which is why he left. he did not want to tank to rebuild this club.

 

1 minute ago, LGR4GM said:

You really want to start this again? I am seriously asking.

Oh no you di’nt 

[nucci]

3 minutes ago, eman said:

and I do believe, that mentality went against what Pat LaFontaine wanted to do, which is why he left. he did not want to tank to rebuild this club.

I concur except he did bring in Nolan...who I think is a bad HC but I agree LaFontaine did not want to tank

[eman]

35 minutes ago, MakeSabresGrr8Again said:

How is it that they were able to coach them to a 10 game win streak and make all of the SS world happy?

EDIT: I wouldn't worry too much, these last few games we lost because of some"bad" bounces.

Early in the season. Opponents have made adjustments when the Sabres come to town. Phil needs to make adjustments now also. Hitch did during the first intermission of last night's game as the Oilers were terrible. The subsequent result speaks for itself.

[MakeSabresGrr8Again]

19 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Speaking of Evan, he has played 73% of his 5v5 TOI with Sobotka. They have a negative corsi, negative Goals For%, negative HD Corsi. They start in the offensive zone only 23% of the time. Talk about wasting and offensive talent in Erod. 

I will admit that Erod should not play with Casey. It isn't good in the 50 minutes they spent together. Evan with Johan though... great pairing and should be together more than the 105minutes they've gotten 5v5

Oh wow I was happy for one moment! Thanks for reminding me. 

Don't you hate when that happens?

[LGR4GM]

Just now, MakeSabresGrr8Again said:

Don't you hate when that happens?

Being happy for a moment? no, i enjoy being happy. 

[MakeSabresGrr8Again]

9 minutes ago, eman said:

Early in the season. Opponents have made adjustments when the Sabres come to town. Phil needs to make adjustments now also. Hitch did during the first intermission of last night's game as the Oilers were terrible. The subsequent result speaks for itself.

But the stats?  Don't they show we out-played them? 54 -24 in shots attempted, or something like that. This was just a game where they played like Pu.

[SABRES 0311]

Just now, MakeSabresGrr8Again said:

But the stats?  Don't they show we out-played them? 54 -24 in shots attempted, or something like that. This was just a game where they played like Pu.

Stats don’t matter. The more advanced the more irrelevant. ?

INCOMING!!!!

[MakeSabresGrr8Again]

1 minute ago, SABRES 0311 said:

Stats don’t matter. The more advanced the more irrelevant. ?

INCOMING!!!!

Fire in the hole!!!

[eman]

1 minute ago, MakeSabresGrr8Again said:

But the stats?  Don't they show we out-played them? 54 -24 in shots attempted, or something like that. This was just a game where they played like Pu.

We certainly did outplay them in the first period.  Oilers were terrible but got a couple of deflected goals to give them an undeserved lead. Once the second period started, we got owned and that just snowballed. This is why I don't believe the roster is all that bad. I believe it really is the coaching and how you rebound and adjust. Not seeing Phil doing that.

[LGR4GM]

I'm basically over trying to explain stats and their uses. I think the great shooting percentage debate of 2018 did that to me. 

[MakeSabresGrr8Again]

38 minutes ago, eman said:

Early in the season. Opponents have made adjustments when the Sabres come to town. Phil needs to make adjustments now also. Hitch did during the first intermission of last night's game as the Oilers were terrible. The subsequent result speaks for itself.

So are you saying that Phil is a good coach and he makes other teams have to adjust to him?

16 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

I'm basically over trying to explain stats and their uses. I think the great shooting percentage debate of 2018 did that to me. 

Thank you.

[MakeSabresGrr8Again]

28 minutes ago, eman said:

We certainly did outplay them in the first period.  Oilers were terrible but got a couple of deflected goals to give them an undeserved lead. Once the second period started, we got owned and that just snowballed. This is why I don't believe the roster is all that bad. I believe it really is the coaching and how you rebound and adjust. Not seeing Phil doing that.

These are the reasons I "don't" believe its the coaching or at least not all on the coaching.

What you said here is that we out-played them in the 1st period only to come out of it behind the 8-ball.....so we came into the game evidently, "motivated". 

If anything is on the coaching it would have to be the PP and 2nd period play. Those are the things that seem to have troubled us ALL season long. But the roster could play into that some also. Our middle six has been atrocious all season and this doesn't seem to be something coaching can fix. It will get better in the near future, hopefully. 

Not seeing Phil adjusting doesn't mean anything. Why should he have to adjust if he's forcing the other team to adjust?  The players aren't playing the system for an entire game on any given night. Why can they compete with Tampa but not with Oilers? 'Canes? Blues?. I think that's more on the players than coaching. The coach doesn't play the game and throw pucks up the middle of the ice to turned over. I've seen some pretty bad decisions on the part of the players in many games.

[LGR4GM]

Are you seriously asking why a team should make adjustments? I think the answer is pretty obvious. 

[Stoner]

2 hours ago, ... said:

Maybe Mother Earth is a sadist, loved having her depths penetrated, and is upset that Pegula left her so quickly.  Now she's a psycho stalker, causing the laws of physics to mutate during Sabres games to invoke pain.  Until Terry comes back.

Maybe Fate has pointed the finger at us to write the book on how the concepts of world peace through understanding, highly advanced societies without using natural resources, and truly enlightened, spiritually free individuals forming one worldwide mind can all come together through Sabres hockey, but Fate is angry none of us have started writing that book, let alone recognized the mandate (until now).

He never stopped fracking her. I think at this point she's had enough and just wants to go to bed.

[eman]

26 minutes ago, MakeSabresGrr8Again said:

These are the reasons I "don't" believe its the coaching or at least not all on the coaching.

What you said here is that we out-played them in the 1st period only to come out of it behind the 8-ball.....so we came into the game evidently, "motivated". 

If anything is on the coaching it would have to be the PP and 2nd period play. Those are the things that seem to have troubled us ALL season long. But the roster could play into that some also. Our middle six has been atrocious all season and this doesn't seem to be something coaching can fix. It will get better in the near future, hopefully. 

Not seeing Phil adjusting doesn't mean anything. Why should he have to adjust if he's forcing the other team to adjust?  The players aren't playing the system for an entire game on any given night. Why can they compete with Tampa but not with Oilers? 'Canes? Blues?. I think that's more on the players than coaching. The coach doesn't play the game and throw pucks up the middle of the ice to turned over. I've seen some pretty bad decisions on the part of the players in many games.

No what I'm saying is, the Sabres are improved over last season (most likely marginally, not hugely) Edmonton stinks and when you see a club like Arizona beat them, you know that they do. Hitch however, is smart enough to see what needs to be adjusted and did just that in the first intermission and the Sabres got owned by a not so great club for the rest of that game. did Phil counter punch with some adjustments? NO! (again) I do believe the middle six would improve under a different coach but that remains to be seen as we are both just speculating. All I can say for certain, is that this club has gone back to its old ways once again under coach Phil. I don't think Buffalo was as motivated as Edmonton came out sluggish once again. Hey, Hitch made adjustments: Final score: Edmonton 7- Buffalo 2 (with Lucic and Kassian doing damage) Not sure what else you need to know.

[Weave]

What changes were noticed in Edmonton’s gameplan or lineup that lead you to believe Hitch made some strategic changes in the 1st intermission?

 

Asking for a freind.

[...]

1 hour ago, eman said:

No what I'm saying is, the Sabres are improved over last season (most likely marginally, not hugely) Edmonton stinks and when you see a club like Arizona beat them, you know that they do. Hitch however, is smart enough to see what needs to be adjusted and did just that in the first intermission and the Sabres got owned by a not so great club for the rest of that game. did Phil counter punch with some adjustments? NO! (again) I do believe the middle six would improve under a different coach but that remains to be seen as we are both just speculating. All I can say for certain, is that this club has gone back to its old ways once again under coach Phil. I don't think Buffalo was as motivated as Edmonton came out sluggish once again. Hey, Hitch made adjustments: Final score: Edmonton 7- Buffalo 2 (with Lucic and Kassian doing damage) Not sure what else you need to know.

What are you talking about?  He did make adjustments during the game.