Sabres at Capitals 7 pm MSG

[bunomatic]

1 minute ago, DarthEbriate said:

After next game we're 1/4 of the way through the season. Currently, Olofsson has 6 goals

Eichel, Hall, Reinhart, Skinner, and Okposo have combined for 6 goals. Reinhart has half of them.

Ralph couldn’t coach a pride of lions to  eat a lame gazelle. Nobody on this team can score in Ralphs system. Oddly enough these games remind me of premier league football where scores are often 1-0 etc. It is absolutely terrible to watch. There’s no getting around that. Once again this team is a laughing stock. When will the Pegulas ever learn ?

[Broken Ankles]

2 hours ago, inkman said:

I’m just going to post the saddest songs I can dig up until this shitshow ends

I would like to commiserate.  My feelings: 
“Belly-up and arch your back
Well, I ain't really falling asleep, I'm fading to black”.  

[Second Line Center]

20 minutes ago, DarthEbriate said:

After next game we're 1/4 of the way through the season. Currently, Olofsson has 6 goals

Eichel, Hall, Reinhart, Skinner, and Okposo have combined for 6 goals. Reinhart has half of them.

 

Our 5 on 5 has been atrocious.

 

There is zero leadership on this team.  You can't look at guys that have been here at the forefront of losing and all around horrendous hockey teams and take them seriously as leaders.  Reinhart.  Eichel.  Risto.  Nothing against them as players.  Together, the loser runs too deep now. 

ROR winning the Cup might have actually sent this group into an irreversible tailspin.  "See what happens when you leave here?  And who the heck thought this Tage Thompson was good??"  

Whole thing has to get blown up.   

[Thorner]

25 minutes ago, DarthEbriate said:

After next game we're 1/4 of the way through the season. Currently, Olofsson has 6 goals

Eichel, Hall, Reinhart, Skinner, and Okposo have combined for 6 goals. Reinhart has half of them.

Maybe it’s a team building issue and not so much one of net-talent - something we don’t talk about as much. Maybe we have too many natural playmakers and not enough pure goal scorers 

[Pimlach]

I missed tonight’s game.  Sounds like a snoozer.  24 shot for each team.  
Still no 5v5 goal   

Zzzzzzz 

Edited February 19, 2021 by Pimlach

[PerreaultForever]

3 hours ago, Thorny said:

Maybe because of the division alignment (barf - hate using this one) one of the OT losses becomes a W in the usual Atlantic. Reasonable, if arguably irrelevant. 

I know we bitched about the "tough" division going into this season but stop and think about the usual one. Tampa, Florida, Toronto, Boston, even Montreal......so like no, no chance of the playoffs there. 

[Trettioåtta]

I get people are blaming Ralph for this.

But no matter how janky a system is, the players should be scoring more than they are.

Jack is on pace for a 13 goal season. Most of his points feel like they have been secondary assists.

if players play this poorly it is also on them.

[nucci]

7 hours ago, Gatorman0519 said:

It’s tough to figure out a way out if this.  Plus we are straddled with some really bad contracts. I see no end in sight.  

signing Thompson and Girgensons to multi year deals not a smart move. 

7 hours ago, dejeanneret said:

Jeff Skinner 18-19:  82 games-40g-23a-63p

Jeff Skinner 19-20, 20-21:  71 games-14g-10a-24p

The guy has been a scoring machine for most of his career.  A head coach plays his best players to their strengths.  Perhaps it wasn't the best move signing him to $9m AAV.  But he sure as heck is worth more than what he is producing right now.  That's on RK.

This team has scorers and guys that can make plays.  Olofsson, Hall, Eichel, Reinhart, Skinner, Staal are all guys that can put up 20+ goals and 50+ points.  Not to mention Dahlin looking completely lost.  6 goals from our D-men in 72 man games?   Ralph is either using a system that isn't allowing them to play their best hockey, or not allowing players to play to their strengths.   There is no other excuse.  None.  

Krueger needs to be given an admin role and we need to bring in a HC that can use these players to their strengths and allow them to play fast and produce.

Why?

[Thorner]

2 hours ago, Trettioåtta said:

I get people are blaming Ralph for this.

But no matter how janky a system is, the players should be scoring more than they are.

Jack is on pace for a 13 goal season. Most of his points feel like they have been secondary assists.

if players play this poorly it is also on them.

The fact there there are many, many entities who deserve their fair share of blame, to me is an argument for the people at the top being the biggest problem. 

[Radar]

3 hours ago, Trettioåtta said:

I get people are blaming Ralph for this.

But no matter how janky a system is, the players should be scoring more than they are.

Jack is on pace for a 13 goal season. Most of his points feel like they have been secondary assists.

if players play this poorly it is also on them.

This, again, starts at the top down. Not at players up. Not giving players a pass but must be fixed top down.

[Sabre fan]

truth is Buffalo was lucky to get the Pegulas as they have provided money and a clear desire to win. They have allowed spending to the cap and have tried numerous times to listen to "experts" who have told them to hire exGMTM, exGM JBotto, numerous coaches and truth be told they have a ton of money invested in the Sabres. No other team blames owners when there is a problem.  If not for the Pegulas this team may be in Quebec or some other place right now. I can assure you they are just as frustrated as any of us with how bad this team is. Maybe the first step should be to hire a president of hockey operations like Brian Burke or someone who has years of experience and will hire the proper people. It is absurd to even suggest that this team is as bad as they are showing right now and clearly there is yet again a "who's in charge" issue...the old saying fits here..the inmates are truly running the prison and the inmates are being paid very well to do so. This truly is a country club  atmosphere here...clearly players don't give a s**t...just about getting paid every two weeks. Sad...

[Torpedo Forecheck]

Poorly constructed club to my optics. We don't have even size, toughness and grit and haven't for a long time. I see us behind, the goalie pulled and the crew of periphery players we have on the ice -(no one can dig the puck from corners ,the boards, or get to damn scoring zone)- and I conclude we lack players willing to do this. The problem with that is I hear a coaching staff that tells them to be patient and wait for the play on the PP. We are a circumvent club is my conclusion.

[Eleven]

MSG is replaying the game right now in case anyone wants to watch it again.

[Weave]

9 hours ago, Thorny said:

Maybe it’s a team building issue and not so much one of net-talent - something we don’t talk about as much. Maybe we have too many natural playmakers and not enough pure goal scorers 

I think you are on to something here.  Except I don't think it's too many playmakers.  I think it is too much finesse, not enough dirty noses.  There is a balance to be had.  This team is out of balance.

[Radar]

4 hours ago, Sabre fan said:

truth is Buffalo was lucky to get the Pegulas as they have provided money and a clear desire to win. They have allowed spending to the cap and have tried numerous times to listen to "experts" who have told them to hire exGMTM, exGM JBotto, numerous coaches and truth be told they have a ton of money invested in the Sabres. No other team blames owners when there is a problem.  If not for the Pegulas this team may be in Quebec or some other place right now. I can assure you they are just as frustrated as any of us with how bad this team is. Maybe the first step should be to hire a president of hockey operations like Brian Burke or someone who has years of experience and will hire the proper people. It is absurd to even suggest that this team is as bad as they are showing right now and clearly there is yet again a "who's in charge" issue...the old saying fits here..the inmates are truly running the prison and the inmates are being paid very well to do so. This truly is a country club  atmosphere here...clearly players don't give a s**t...just about getting paid every two weeks. Sad...

I know the owners maybe saved the franchise for Buffalo although Golisano had a lot to do with that. Also, the reason for not having a president of hockey ops? The owner. He opted not to. I personally think the Pegulas check most every box with the exception of hiring people who will work well with them but firmly still in charge as opposed to hiring someone qualified to run the team and stepping aside to allow them to make hockey decisions. The Pegulas are better fans than they are at running a hockey team in my opinion.

[Sabre fan]

1 hour ago, Radar said:

I know the owners maybe saved the franchise for Buffalo although Golisano had a lot to do with that. Also, the reason for not having a president of hockey ops? The owner. He opted not to. I personally think the Pegulas check most every box with the exception of hiring people who will work well with them but firmly still in charge as opposed to hiring someone qualified to run the team and stepping aside to allow them to make hockey decisions. The Pegulas are better fans than they are at running a hockey team in my opinion.

long story short this team needs a President who knows hockey NOW for starters (new coach wouldn't hurt either)

[SwampD]

Fans of every team blame the owners. New York wouldn’t have sports talk radio if it weren’t for callers complaining about the owners.

Edited February 19, 2021 by SwampD

[Thorner]

4 hours ago, SwampD said:

Fans of every team blame the owners. New York wouldn’t have sports talk radio if it weren’t for callers complaining about the owners.

It’s a fair point - though I think the worrying thing in this regard is the amount of times we’ve heard allusions to the fact management types don’t want to work under the Pegulas. That’s what Brawndo’s been referencing. It becomes more of an issue when the smoke is coming not just from the fans, but from those in the same line of work-ish. 

How much of the fact that there was zero interview process for the most important hockey ops role on the team, that all of the hires and connections seem to be local, is due to the Pegulas wanting to stay in house, and how much is because they have to?