Detroit at Sabres, 11 February 2020, 7 PM MSG

[Torpedo Forecheck]

34 minutes ago, darksabre said:

We don't know anything about the quality of his shots.

By watching 85-90% of the games I am pretty sure he's not getting many easy ones like last year with Sam and Jack. And, with VO out it makes little sense to throw a finisher out there with some of the guys that Skinner has played the majority with.

[Doohicksie]

1 hour ago, PASabreFan said:

You and others are so obsessed with getting the band back together. Skinner's getting chances. But that's not enough. It's still RaKru's fault. The man can't win.

It's a results oriented business.  If we're not getting results, it would seem to be a good idea to put people together who've produced the results previously.

[Palm Trees And Taxes]

Have seen this in other sports at times, but I wonder of the new 9m contract for Skinner is causing him to put more pressure on himself. That 1st year after signing a monster contract, that can happen. Maybe Skinner settles down next year and returns back to form.

[darksabre]

46 minutes ago, Torpedo Forecheck said:

By watching 85-90% of the games I am pretty sure he's not getting many easy ones like last year with Sam and Jack. And, with VO out it makes little sense to throw a finisher out there with some of the guys that Skinner has played the majority with.

So Skinner can only score if the chances he gets are easy? Not great news.

[jad1]

2 hours ago, Doohickie said:

This is the frustrating thing about RFK:  He settled in and is so enamored of stability, he doesn't try mixing things up.  When he does, it's because he's iced an 11-7 lineup and then things are *too* jumbled.  Try Skinner with Eich for 2, 3, 5 games... with or without Reino on the other side, I don't care, but just keep whatever the line is together for enough time for them to gel.  With Olofsson out this would be the perfect time.  Instead Skinner gets moved to the 3rd line?  WTF?

I think Ralph is pulling a Lafontaine and trying to get the GM fired.

Botterill reasons that Reinhart can drive his own line, so he doesn't aggressively pursue a legitimate 2C  last off season.  Ralph responds by glueing Reinhart to Eichel all season on the top line, while the 2nd line is a s###show.

Botterill pays Skinner $9M/year for eternity, and Ralph drops him onto the fourth line.  How many NHL GMs would be fired for paying a 4th line player $9M a year (hint: all of them).

So maybe Ralph is playing the long con to get Botterill fired; or maybe it's just payback for making him deal with a 11/7 lineup too many times this season.

Anyway, culture.

[Kruppstahl]

25 minutes ago, jad1 said:

I think Ralph is pulling a Lafontaine and trying to get the GM fired.

Botterill reasons that Reinhart can drive his own line, so he doesn't aggressively pursue a legitimate 2C  last off season.  Ralph responds by glueing Reinhart to Eichel all season on the top line, while the 2nd line is a s###show.

Botterill pays Skinner $9M/year for eternity, and Ralph drops him onto the fourth line.  How many NHL GMs would be fired for paying a 4th line player $9M a year (hint: all of them).

So maybe Ralph is playing the long con to get Botterill fired; or maybe it's just payback for making him deal with a 11/7 lineup too many times this season.

Anyway, culture.

I have been thinking about something like this more and more lately.

There are a number of player usage/ice time decisions from Krueger lately that would suggest he and Botterill are not on the same page.

The amount of ice time Vesey got over Skinner last game is a great example.  That was either a product of Ralph trying to screw with Botterill, or total ineptness.  I think Ralph is too intelligent for that level of ineptness, so I think he's screwing with Botterill and/or they are not on the same page.

 

 

 

[Doohicksie]

1 hour ago, Ruff Around The Edges said:

Have seen this in other sports at times, but I wonder of the new 9m contract for Skinner is causing him to put more pressure on himself. That 1st year after signing a monster contract, that can happen. Maybe Skinner settles down next year and returns back to form.

Just like Drew Stafford, right?

[Doohicksie]

Of course we see Drew as an awful player because we paid him too much after one 31 goal season, but the dude had a .5 PPG, 15-year career; ain't nothing to sneeze at taken as a whole.  How many .5 ppg players do the Sabres have on the roster right now?

1 hour ago, jad1 said:

I think Ralph is pulling a Lafontaine and trying to get the GM fired.

As an aside, I'm a Presbyterian, and they have a rule that a pastor that resigns or is removed cannot be replaced by an associate pastor of the same congregation, to preclude such antics.

Edited February 11, 2020 by Doohickie

[LTS]

3 hours ago, darksabre said:

Yup. Skinner is on pace to match his shot total from last season. It's just that his shooting percentage is half for whatever reason. 

I think most of us expected a drop from the 14% and change he was shooting at last year, but I don't think anyone expected this much of a drop off. He's really just not getting anything in the net. It's wild.

Do you think those that are blasting Skinner will bring up how he will progress to the mean?  ?

[darksabre]

31 minutes ago, LTS said:

Do you think those that are blasting Skinner will bring up how he will progress to the mean?  ?

I've mentioned before that I expect him to rebound next year!

[Wyldnwoody44]

I'm up in 306 in case anyone is around and has some time to meet up in between periods 

[Kristian]

2 hours ago, Ruff Around The Edges said:

Have seen this in other sports at times, but I wonder of the new 9m contract for Skinner is causing him to put more pressure on himself. That 1st year after signing a monster contract, that can happen. Maybe Skinner settles down next year and returns back to form.

There’s always next year...

[thewookie1]

Skinner is likely to be better next year as most of his career he’s been 1 on 1 off since getting healthy.

[bob_sauve28]

So Red Wings get good goaltending, and starts winning. Coincidence? 

[Neo]

17 hours ago, Wyldnwoody44 said:

Gonna get a giant spaghetti Parm at chefs, and then head over to watch the skating dead. I'm sure the Pasta will be the highlight of the evening. 

I am 1,300 miles away from a night like that.   Setting aside the product on the ice, you are in hockey heaven.

[Tondas]

7 minutes ago, Neo said:

I am 1,300 miles away from a night like that.   Setting aside the product on the ice, you are in hockey heaven.

[Stoner]

Yippee!

[bob_sauve28]

Thunk

[Billznut]

3 hours ago, Doohickie said:

It's a results oriented business.  If we're not getting results, it would seem to be a good idea to put people together who've produced the results previously.

RK isn’t that smart quite obviously 

[#freejame]

Wow glad I tuned in for that.

[Scottysabres]

27 seconds in eh?

It's beginning to look a lot like top 3 pick, all the live long day...………….

[Kristian]

Glad I stayed up for this...

[Doohicksie]

Le sigh

[dudacek]

Vintage Hutton goal, that one.

[darksabre]

Why did Hutton move and why did no one tell him he had it.