Jason Botterill Please Listen to the 5-5:30 PM WGR Segment with Travis Yost

[...]

As soon as the segment is on their site, I'll post it.  It was a brilliant break-down of the Sabres' current state with measured and properly analyzed solutions for the problems the team faces.

Sorry, I don't have the details in my brain.  He said the goal-tending has under performed 5v5, that we're over utilizing low-value players, too many replacement or below-replacement level players.

Edited March 6, 2019 by ...
The Ghost of Dwight Drane

[...]

 

[...]

Here's the link to the audio:

 

https://wgr550.radio.com/media/audio-channel/3-5-travis-yost-tsn-schopp-bulldog

[Kruppstahl]

I love Travis every time he comes on their show and listened intently today.

Here's the thing.  Travis is much more informed into what's going on with the Sabres than their owner is.

That's a problem.

 

[Claude Balls]

3 minutes ago, Kruppstahl said:

I love Travis every time he comes on their show and listened intently today.

Here's the thing.  Travis is much more informed into what's going on with the Sabres than their owner is.

That's a problem.

 

Pegula knows two things about ice hockey

1. It's played on ice

2. He had a hockey arena built for Penn State. 

Edited March 5, 2019 by Claude Balls

[dudacek]

I’m happy to see someone finally focusing on the goaltending.

its hardly the only issue, but it really seems to have gotten a free pass during our free fall.

To me, the biggest single difference between the streak and the fall is how our goalies were making multiple clutch saves and not letting pucks leak through them during the streak. The past month or two it’s been the opposite. Since Jan. 1 Ullmark has a 894 save %. Hutton’s is 893. That’s 49th and 50th in the league among goalies with 5 or more games since the calendar turned. Those are worse numbers than what Lehner put up for us last spring whenhis personal demons were about to break him.

It’s interesting what people choose to focus on and to overlook. If it had have been Lehner in net since New Year’s playing exactly the same games, the bile about him would be unreadable.

Edited March 5, 2019 by dudacek

[Tondas]

What frustrates me the most about this team is an uncanny ability to miss the net.  I find myself longing for Pommers to shoot directly into the goalie's crest.

[PromoTheRobot]

You can pick any goalie you want. If you don't fix what's happening in front of him, the results will be there same. 

[dudacek]

Just now, PromoTheRobot said:

You can pick any goalie you want. If you don't fix what's happening in front of him, the results will be there same. 

Like clockwork.

[PerreaultForever]

17 minutes ago, dudacek said:

I’m happy to see someone finally focusing on the goaltending.

I'm just going to toot my own horn a little and say I said ages ago the biggest difference between the team during the win streak and after was goaltending, and I was shot down by numerous people on this board saying I had no idea what I was talking about. So now that the radio says it, it must be true. lol. 

[inkman]

3 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

I'm just going to toot my own horn a little and say I said ages ago the biggest difference between the team during the win streak and after was goaltending, and I was shot down by numerous people on this board saying I had no idea what I was talking about. So now that the radio says it, it must be true. lol. 

Keep the ego in check ?

[Torpedo Forecheck]

Sabres goaltending= Sub Par/ Below Par/ Not good enough/sieve like

[PerreaultForever]

10 minutes ago, inkman said:

Keep the ego in check ?

hehe. I wondered if you'd do that. :)

[Kruppstahl]

Travis suggested the save percentage for the last 2 months or so was alone  bad enough to support a lost 6 points in the standings.  

But let's not forget his much larger points which were: 1) this team is just not good or one with enough talent to be a playoff team.  2) Neither Botterill or Housley have given an "A" effort this season. 3) the measure of a HC should be his ability to find ways to give minutes to the best players and steal minutes away from the bad players.  Housley hasn't done that all year long and continues to make fundamental mistakes in terms of who is on the ice and for how long. 4) Unlike other organizations trying to put it all together, like Edmonton, the Sabres are not particularly strapped b/c of a lack of cap space.  We should have the ability to move players and Travis suggested that deals are there to be made and we have a lot of contracts that actually can be moved.    We should not have to "pay" other teams to trade for our player contracts with additional draft picks or other capital to offset the trade. 

So, where's the movement?  If Sabotka is on this team next year, my head will explode...and he very well might be.

This organization does not adequately assess talent or efficiently use the talent it has.

He also points out that our window for success is RIGHT NOW.  Yet Botterill is on the "lets take our time" plan.

 

Edited March 6, 2019 by Kruppstahl

[French Collection]

18 minutes ago, Tondas said:

What frustrates me the most about this team is an uncanny ability to miss the net.  I find myself longing for Pommers to shoot directly into the goalie's crest.

I like ERod but he missed the net on many good scoring chances yesterday.

I find they are trying so hard to go bar down that they go over the net on many shots. I know goalies are good but you need to hit the net.

[PromoTheRobot]

21 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Like clockwork.

Sorry. It's true.  

[...]

9 minutes ago, Kruppstahl said:

Travis suggested the save percentage for the last 2 months or so was alone  bad enough to support a lost 6 points in the standings.  

But let's not forget his much larger points which were: 1) this team is just not good or one with enough talent to be a playoff team.  2) Neither Botterill or Housley have given an "A" effort this season. 3) the measure of a HC should be his ability to find ways to give minutes to the best players and steal minutes away from the bad players.  Housley hasn't done that all year long and continues to make fundamental mistakes in terms of who is on the ice and for how long. 4) Unlike other organizations trying to put it all together, like Edmonton, the Sabres are not particularly strapped b/c of a lack of cap space.  We should have the ability to move players and Travis suggested that deals are there to be made and we have a lot of contracts that actually can be moved.    We should not have to "pay" other teams to trade for our player contracts with additional draft picks or other capital to offset the trade. 

So, where's the movement?  If Sabotka is on this team next year, my head will explode...and he very well might be.

This organization does not adequately assess talent or efficiently use the talent it has.

He also points out that our window for success is RIGHT NOW.  Yet Botterill is on the "lets take our time" plan.

 

Thanks for the better summary, @Kruppstahl.  This post is totally worth repeating, especially for those who haven't listened to the audio.

[dudacek]

12 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Sorry. It's true.  

Objectively, it's not true. Not all goalies are the same.

Dominik Hasek in not in the hall of fame because Smehlik was great at getting the puck out and Varada was money when it came to putting it in the net. Randy Ireland is not a footnote because Perreault sucked.

The NHL is tight and hockey games can be won and lost by a whiff on a routine play or the right save at the right time.

Edited March 6, 2019 by dudacek

[Crusader1969]

52 minutes ago, dudacek said:

I’m happy to see someone finally focusing on the goaltending.

its hardly the only issue, but it really seems to have gotten a free pass during our free fall.

To me, the biggest single difference between the streak and the fall is how our goalies were making multiple clutch saves and not letting pucks leak through them during the streak. The past month or two it’s been the opposite. Since Jan. 1 Ullmark has a 894 save %. Hutton’s is 893. That’s 49th and 50th in the league among goalies with 5 or more games since the calendar turned. Those are worse numbers than what Lehner put up for us last spring whenhis personal demons were about to break him.

It’s interesting what people choose to focus on and to overlook. If it had have been Lehner in net since New Year’s playing exactly the same games, the bile about him would be unreadable.

100% agree.  With all the heat directed at Risto/ Scandella and secondary scoring, the biggest issue may have been missed.  

[...]

5 minutes ago, Crusader1969 said:

100% agree.  With all the heat directed at Risto/ Scandella and secondary scoring, the biggest issue may have been missed.  

I think all of the issues weigh nearly equally, but this is a glaring issue for sure.  Yost mentioned that the numbers he has have been adjusted for player influence - so what is the problem?  Do these two just suck?  Or is it something else?

[Taro T]

1 hour ago, dudacek said:

I’m happy to see someone finally focusing on the goaltending.

its hardly the only issue, but it really seems to have gotten a free pass during our free fall.

To me, the biggest single difference between the streak and the fall is how our goalies were making multiple clutch saves and not letting pucks leak through them during the streak. The past month or two it’s been the opposite. Since Jan. 1 Ullmark has a 894 save %. Hutton’s is 893. That’s 49th and 50th in the league among goalies with 5 or more games since the calendar turned. Those are worse numbers than what Lehner put up for us last spring whenhis personal demons were about to break him.

It’s interesting what people choose to focus on and to overlook. If it had have been Lehner in net since New Year’s playing exactly the same games, the bile about him would be unreadable.

Since Hutton got injured both goalies had a significant drop in performance.

Not particularly new news.

[dudacek]

53 minutes ago, Kruppstahl said:

Travis suggested the save percentage for the last 2 months or so was alone  bad enough to support a lost 6 points in the standings.  

But let's not forget his much larger points which were: 1) this team is just not good or one with enough talent to be a playoff team.  2) Neither Botterill or Housley have given an "A" effort this season. 3) the measure of a HC should be his ability to find ways to give minutes to the best players and steal minutes away from the bad players.  Housley hasn't done that all year long and continues to make fundamental mistakes in terms of who is on the ice and for how long. 4) Unlike other organizations trying to put it all together, like Edmonton, the Sabres are not particularly strapped b/c of a lack of cap space.  We should have the ability to move players and Travis suggested that deals are there to be made and we have a lot of contracts that actually can be moved.    We should not have to "pay" other teams to trade for our player contracts with additional draft picks or other capital to offset the trade. 

So, where's the movement?  If Sabotka is on this team next year, my head will explode...and he very well might be.

This organization does not adequately assess talent or efficiently use the talent it has.

He also points out that our window for success is RIGHT NOW.  Yet Botterill is on the "lets take our time" plan.

 

Yost didn't really break the first bold down, but to me doesn't this start and stop at Risto?

We have three good forwards, who — far and away — get the bulk of ice time. Rodrigues' ice time has gone up as he's shown he's deserved it. Scandella's has dropped. Housley has been forced to feed minutes to three inconsistent kids (Tage, Casey, Rasmus) as part of the organizational development plan. And the rest of his forwards aren't good and get similar amounts of ice time.

Yost said it himself: we have too many bad players. Why does Sobotka get the minutes he does? Who the hell else are you going to use in those situations? Probably Larsson and Girgensons, who are the guys who do get those minutes.

As for the second bold: Botterill made exactly the types of moves Yost is calling for in Skinner and Montour.

Final bold, the window for success is RIGHT NOW? When our #2 centre still isn't shaving, our goalie is a rookie and our franchise cornerstone defenceman is 18? Jack Eichel won't be good forever, but there is a reasonable chance he'll be good for another 10 years.

Edited March 6, 2019 by dudacek

[dudacek]

9 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Since Hutton got injured both goalies had a significant drop in performance.

Not particularly new news.

All I've been reading here lately is Housley is awful. Scandella is awful. We have to trade Risto. And Botterill is sleeping.

[Taro T]

3 minutes ago, dudacek said:

All I've been reading here lately is Housley is awful. Scandella is awful. We have to trade Risto. And Botterill is sleeping.

There definitely are themes that come through louder than others.  That said, my 2 biggest laments continue to be (well, right behind not getting a true 2C ;)) Hutton's injury and Eichel's injury.  Eichel finally is playing like he did prior to the injury, but that in itself isn't enough to overcome 1-2 weak goals most  games.

Have also been on the ship Scandella out bandwagon.  But not to simply punt him, send him  out as part of a package to improve the forwards.

[...]

29 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Since Hutton got injured both goalies had a significant drop in performance.

Not particularly new news.

I don't think Yost or the WGR gang are trying to break news, they're trying to get a handle on all of the problems the team has, why they are problems, and what the course of action should be to address those problems.