GDT Sabres at Ottawa 3/26/19 7:30.

[eman]

11 minutes ago, MakeSabresGrr8Again said:

You're absolutely right!!!!

In 3yrs we'll have a cup and ROR will still be a good player.?

I would bet the farm that in 3 years there will still be no Cup in Buffalo. Maybe a playoff appearance if we're lucky but that is all.

[MakeSabresGrr8Again]

1 minute ago, eman said:

I would bet the farm that in 3 years there will still be no Cup in Buffalo. Maybe a playoff appearance if we're lucky but that is all.

I'd be happy with that (not satisfied but...) and I'd still be happy that ROR is a good player too. God I hope he gets traded to Tampa.

[eman]

4 minutes ago, nucci said:

what kind of cup?

A Reese's Peanut Butter Cup.

[MakeSabresGrr8Again]

1 minute ago, eman said:

A Reese's Peanut Butter Cup.

Calder?

Maybe that's what we need to do.....drop this team down to and AHL level and start over with an expansion draft.

[eman]

1 minute ago, MakeSabresGrr8Again said:

I'd be happy with that (not satisfied but...) and I'd still be happy that ROR is a good player too. God I hope he gets traded to Tampa.

I would love to see the Sabres in  the playoffs next season. Again, all we can do now is basically sit and wait again. Lets see what Jbots and ownership can come up with for 2019-20. I honestly wish them much success. I wanted that for Phil as well. I was happy when they hired him. I'm sorry it didn't work out well. I could see this type of free fall if the team had a rash of injuries but the fact that the Sabres look like they've folded the tent against clubs who aren't fighting for a playoff spot, proves to me at least, that Phil isn't the guy.

[eman]

3 minutes ago, MakeSabresGrr8Again said:

Calder?

Maybe that's what we need to do.....drop this team down to and AHL level and start over with an expansion draft.

It would be nice to see Rochester make a deep run and give those young guys down there a taste of playoff hockey and its own type of grind. I am also cautiously optimistic that maybe, just maybe, Chris Taylor (and I know next to nothing about him really) might be our future coach who the guys will want to play for and bust some ### for. Here's hoping! It is obvious we are a tired fan base that deserves so much more.

[MakeSabresGrr8Again]

1 minute ago, eman said:

It would be nice to see Rochester make a deep run and give those young guys down there a taste of playoff hockey and its own type of grind. I am also cautiously optimistic that maybe, just maybe, Chris Taylor (and I know next to nothing about him really) might be our future coach who the guys will want to play for and bust some ### for. Here's hoping! It is obvious we are a tired fan base that deserves so much more.

People here are requesting an experienced head coach....not that the Pegs are listening to the fans though.

[Kruppstahl]

7 minutes ago, MakeSabresGrr8Again said:

Calder?

Maybe that's what we need to do.....drop this team down to and AHL level and start over with an expansion draft.

Relegation!  That's brilliant! 

That is exactly what this team needs.  I bet we'd look fantastic against American league competition.

With regard to Botterill: he has already amply demonstrated he is an inept tool for anyone who has bothered paying attention.

He has fielded two horrible squads, orchestrated one of the worst trades in franchise history, may well fail to retain Skinner on favorable terms, and very few of his boys look like they are going to be worth a damned in this league.

IMO he does not deserve another shot.  He should be gone along with Housley.

Having said that, I fully expect Pegula to be oblivious to this, and that he will retain Botterill.

Which simply means the misery will continue, the rebuild will take even longer, and another year of Eichel's career will be flushed down the toilet.

 

 

[eman]

3 minutes ago, MakeSabresGrr8Again said:

People here are requesting an experienced head coach....not that the Pegs are listening to the fans though.

I think right now, I want an experienced ex-head coach also and give Taylor 1 or 2 more seasons in the A to see if he is for real. If they cannot get an ex head coach to sign here but are done with Phil, then perhaps turn to Chris and see what he can do. I truly believe this club with all its shortcomings, still had a shot at the playoffs if they would have made the coaching move at New Years. It is when the Sabres show a complete lack of compete in games and repeat 4 to 5 times a game the same mental errors that concerned me with Phil.

[MakeSabresGrr8Again]

2 minutes ago, eman said:

I think right now, I want an experienced ex-head coach also and give Taylor 1 or 2 more seasons in the A to see if he is for real. If they cannot get an ex head coach to sign here but are done with Phil, then perhaps turn to Chris and see what he can do. I truly believe this club with all its shortcomings, still had a shot at the playoffs if they would have made the coaching move at New Years. It is when the Sabres show a complete lack of compete in games and repeat 4 to 5 times a game the same mental errors that concerned me with Phil.

Soooo....you're already firing the experienced ex-head coach in 1-2yrs so you can promote Taylor?

You must be with the side that thinks coaching isn't the problem and never has been and won't chamge things around here.

Do you live in North Tonawanda next to the carousel Museum?

Edited March 27, 2019 by MakeSabresGrr8Again

[eman]

5 minutes ago, Kruppstahl said:

Relegation!  That's brilliant! 

That is exactly what this team needs.  I bet we'd look fantastic against American league competition.

With regard to Botterill: he has already amply demonstrated he is an inept tool for anyone who has bothered paying attention.

He has fielded two horrible squads, orchestrated one of the worst trades in franchise history, may well fail to retain Skinner on favorable terms, and very few of his boys look like they are going to be worth a damned in this league.

IMO he does not deserve another shot.  He should be gone along with Housley.

Having said that, I fully expect Pegula to be oblivious to this, and that he will retain Botterill.

Which simply means the misery will continue, the rebuild will take even longer, and another year of Eichel's career will be flushed down the toilet.

 

 

The Eichel factor worries me also. We are wasting his talents and his efforts of late concern me. I am worried he will bolt the first chance he gets and light it up with some other club. He has terrific skills but I feel a seasoned coach who may be a little tough on him, may be just what the Doctor ordered to make him true Captain Material. Sure we need a talent upgrade but we need to play a more physical brand of hockey as well. We have seen glimpses of the Sabres doing this from time to time and it seems to work whenever they want to do so. This "stick checking" type of defense drives me nuts as opponents drive to our net. That needs to most definitely stop.

[grinreaper]

56 minutes ago, New Scotland (NS) said:

Hey guys and gals,

14,000+ time caller here in NS.

I have no time to check anything other than the final score.

By that count this would appear to be one of the most stinky of all the stinky games the Sabres have played this season.

Would that be fair?

I'll hang up and listen.  Thanks.

They played well enough to win the game excluding the 2 times they made glaring mistakes and let in 2 goals each time in a matter of minutes.

[eman]

2 minutes ago, MakeSabresGrr8Again said:

Soooo....you're already firing the experienced ex-head coach in 1-2yrs so you can promote Taylor?

Only if 1) the experience head coach cannot get improved play out of the existing group &

             2) Chris Taylor is "the real deal" as a head coach in Rochester and gets that club to the Calder Cup if not winning it (or at least has Rochester playing at a high points pace every season)

The jury is still out on Taylor. The jury has already convicted Phil Housley and he is guilty as charged.

[Doohicksie]

1 hour ago, MakeSabresGrr8Again said:

And yet we have more points in the standings without BOTH of them.

If you're talking about Bergie, I'm not sure that's right.  Wasn't he with he Sabres for most (or all) of the 10-game win streak?

[MakeSabresGrr8Again]

5 minutes ago, eman said:

Only if 1) the experience head coach cannot get improved play out of the existing group &

             2) Chris Taylor is "the real deal" as a head coach in Rochester and gets that club to the Calder Cup if not winning it (or at least has Rochester playing at a high points pace every season)

The jury is still out on Taylor. The jury has already convicted Phil Housley and he is guilty as charged.

Sooo like I said , you firing him already.

This group will not be the same come next year(hopefully) so it will be an impossible task.

[MakeSabresGrr8Again]

3 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

If you're talking about Bergie, I'm not sure that's right.  Wasn't he with he Sabres for most (or all) of the 10-game win streak?

Wait a minute....aren't we SUPPOSED to remove the streak for verifications? LOL

And thus goes the idea that Bergie had any effect on this roster and the ROR trade was "for nothing in return".

Edited March 27, 2019 by MakeSabresGrr8Again

[eman]

Just now, MakeSabresGrr8Again said:

Sooo like I said , you firing him already.

This group will not be the same come next year(hopefully) so it will be an impossible task.

Not necessarily. I do believe Quenneville would have tightened up our defense perhaps to the point where we may have gotten more points this season. Perhaps even a change in attitude. Again, staying with Phil IS NOT the answer. I even like Guy Boucher. He got short shrift from an owner perhaps more brutal than TPegs. (yet Ottawa shut us out under "old school" Marc Crawford)

5 minutes ago, MakeSabresGrr8Again said:

Sooo like I said , you firing him already.

This group will not be the same come next year(hopefully) so it will be an impossible task.

So you're saying: No playoffs for the 9th straight year?

[MakeSabresGrr8Again]

15 minutes ago, eman said:

Not necessarily. I do believe Quenneville would have tightened up our defense perhaps to the point where we may have gotten more points this season. Perhaps even a change in attitude. Again, staying with Phil IS NOT the answer. I even like Guy Boucher. He got short shrift from an owner perhaps more brutal than TPegs. (yet Ottawa shut us out under "old school" Marc Crawford)

So you're saying: No playoffs for the 9th straight year?

Not saying that.

Just saying that "improved play" doesn't mean playoffs necessarily and "this group" will have changes, therefore a Mission Impossible" theme is in accordance with your post.

[eman]

2 minutes ago, MakeSabresGrr8Again said:

Not saying that.

Just saying that "improved play" doesn't mean playoffs necessarily and "this group" will have changes, therefore a Mission Impossible" theme is in accordance with your post.

Again, all we can do is sit on the sidelines for another off season and see what transpires (or doesn't) and watch some playoff hockey that does not include the Buffalo Sabres. Going to be interesting to see who (if anyone picks up Guy Boucher and/or Joel Quenneville and will they make a difference to the club they coach?)

[MakeSabresGrr8Again]

22 minutes ago, eman said:

Not necessarily. I do believe Quenneville would have tightened up our defense perhaps to the point where we may have gotten more points this season. Perhaps even a change in attitude. Again, staying with Phil IS NOT the answer. I even like Guy Boucher. He got short shrift from an owner perhaps more brutal than TPegs. (yet Ottawa shut us out under "old school" Marc Crawford)

Have you seen our defense play in their own zone? and do you realize that 2 of our Dmen are in our top 5 in scoring? Do you want to take away that scoring on a challenged team when it comes to that aspect? 

[eman]

2 minutes ago, MakeSabresGrr8Again said:

Have you seen our defense play in their own zone? and do you realize that 2 of our Dmen are in our top 5 in scoring? Do you want to take away that scoring on a challenged team when it comes to that aspect? 

Yup, they stick check opposing forwards and hardly touch the body. Weak and out of position. I saw the Ottawa goals. Brutal D. Did you watch? Our goaltenders can only hold us in for so long. by the way, I though our goal scoring was up this season according to certain posters on here? (an area of improvement no less from posters here) Are we now scoring challenged?

[Pimlach]

11 hours ago, klos1963 said:

They have a different coach, new #1 goalie, a couple rookies in the lineup. It's a different team and he is a leader on a playoff team.  They also passed off some dead weight to the Sabres.  All things aren't equal year to year , so if you don't give him credit for helping his team have success it just sounds like sour grapes.  Would be be a better team with ROR and not having Sobotka , Tage and Berglund for that time, I think we would be. But ROR can't play goalie  or as a defenseman so we likely still would have issues. He wasn't what was wrong with last years team.

I live in St Louis.  The feeling here is that they are far better than last year.

 

Better coach, ROR addition for Berglund and Sobotka, Robert Thomas coming on strong (Thompson was expendable), Berglund gone (he was not a fan favorite and made to much $), and most of all they found someone that may potentially be the best goalie on the league right there on the farm. 

 

 

[Pimlach]

8 minutes ago, MakeSabresGrr8Again said:

Have you seen our defense play in their own zone? and do you realize that 2 of our Dmen are in our top 5 in scoring? Do you want to take away that scoring on a challenged team when it comes to that aspect? 

Our defense without Bogo and Risto looked terrible last night.  Scandy, Nelson and Pilut did nothing to clear the net --- three easy goals by unchallenged Senators at Hutton's door step.  Borgen looked better than any of these guys. 

I think we have seen enough of Nelson.  Scandella is a marginal 5/6, he should be traded.  Pilut is too small for my liking.  I know his Corsi numbers are not bad but if we keep him he need to partner with a grown up full sized NHL defenseman. 

Next year:  Dahlin, Bogo, Montour, McCabe, Risto,  and someone else not named Nelson/Hunwick/Scandella/ Pilut

 

 

 

[MakeSabresGrr8Again]

24 minutes ago, eman said:

Yup, they stick check opposing forwards and hardly touch the body. Weak and out of position. I saw the Ottawa goals. Brutal D. Did you watch? Our goaltenders can only hold us in for so long. by the way, I though our goal scoring was up this season according to certain posters on here? (an area of improvement no less from posters here) Are we now scoring challenged?

We have been scoring challenged and the D has helped improve that to a point, but yes we are "still" challenged. I agree that we need to add some toughness to the D and where that comes from is anybodies guess.

[inkman]

1 hour ago, Kruppstahl said:

Relegation!  That's brilliant! 

That is exactly what this team needs.  I bet we'd look fantastic against American league competition.

 

Maybe not?