GDT: 3/4/21 Sabres at NY Islanders 7pm ET

[Carmel Corn]

Just now, John Tucker said:

No doubt... They'll doing the exact same thing Seattle too!

Can we engineer a "swap" to send Seattle this current team RIGHT NOW and we'll take the expansion team rights in 2021-2022?  "Seattle Sabres" has a ring to it.

Oh wait a minute, forget it....Botterill part of the Kraken organization....he would have to stay in Seattle.

[Marvin]

2 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

Waitaminnit, waitaminnit, waitaminnit.  I thought that Skinner was benched for not playing "above the puck."

You can't be an attacking team if you are trying to play low-event hockey above the puck.  I see no push up ice, pressure in the offencive zone, or anything in any game which makes it look like they are trying to be an attacking team.  This sentence is constructed to be as passive as the Sabres.

[John Tucker]

4 minutes ago, Carmel Corn said:

Can we engineer a "swap" to send Seattle this current team RIGHT NOW and we'll take the expansion team rights in 2021-2022?  "Seattle Sabres" has a ring to it.

Oh wait a minute, forget it....Botterill part of the Kraken organization....he would have to stay in Seattle.

I would bet a boatload of $$ that the Krakers double our win total next year!!

[GASabresIUFAN]

17 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

Except that 65 is probably not going to do it. In our division, Philly is in 4th currently getting almost 66% of available points (almost a 74 point pace).  Even if the Sabres got hot and took some points away from the rest of the division in doing so...it looks like you are going to need at least 70 points to be 'likely' to get that last spot.

For the Sabres..that means playing the rest of the season getting about 78% - 79% of available points...which means they have to play the entire rest of the season as the best team in the NHL.

who cares if they need 65, 70 or 100 pts to make the playoffs.  That ship has sailed.  Not happening.  That means the "season" is over.  Now it's time to evaluate what you have (both kids and vets), set new goals such as getting back to hockey 500 hockey (aka 1 pt per game), see if a new voice can motivate the team and try to build to next year.  Sad but true.

Time for KA to relieve RK of his coaching duties, play the kids, trade vets in hockey deals if possible etc...

[Billznut]

51 minutes ago, KC Scouts said:

Its funny......nobody is defending Ralphie-boy anymore. A couple weeks ago you had some people still defending him. Where did they go? 

There are still a few just waiting for a win or two so they can pipe up their defense of RK again. But sadly those wins won’t come. Now we just wait for our brain dead owners to finally realize  their head coach is a dead man walking. They will be the last to know. As usual. 

[Brawndo]

 

[Carmel Corn]

13 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

 

In 2017 Phil Housley said " “I think the guys will be excited to play the brand of hockey I bring … it’s an attacking mindset, playing with speed, pace and playing fast that’s a five-man attack. We have to play great defense, but if we can get five guys involved in the attack, it puts the odds in your favor.’’  

Maybe the Sabres need to stop dreaming about being an "attacking" team and find another recipe for success.

[Cal Naughton Jr]

I hate Ralph Krueger. I hate him so much

[darksabre]

1 minute ago, Brawndo said:

 

That old nugget about the Sabres medical staff being just the absolute worst never seems to go away does it?

[Marvin]

1 minute ago, Carmel Corn said:

In 2017 Phil Housley said " “I think the guys will be excited to play the brand of hockey I bring … it’s an attacking mindset, playing with speed, pace and playing fast that’s a five-man attack. We have to play great defense, but if we can get five guys involved in the attack, it puts the odds in your favor.’’  

Maybe the Sabres need to stop dreaming about being an "attacking" team and find another recipe for success.

The more I evaluate the rosters and considered their styles, the more I think Housley's style is correct for this team.  That was one of the reasons I wanted Lindy - it is the same system he prefers with a decently skilled team.

[Billznut]

32 minutes ago, Gatorman0519 said:

In my dream world Gallant will be named coach by tomorrow night. 

I’d agree but no one in this league with any decent reputation wants anything to do with the Pegulas and this clownshow organization. That’s why they had to settle for RK in the first place. 

[LGR4GM]

I just listened to Krueger talk about Risto... please fire this man. He's a menace. 

3 minutes ago, Cal Naughton Jr said:

I hate Ralph Krueger. I hate him so much

Yup. 

[7+6=13]

4 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

I just listened to Krueger talk about Risto... please fire this man. He's a menace. 

 

I believe he thinks he comes off as philosophical but it wreaks of arrogance to me.

[miles]

[SabresBillsFan]

48 minutes ago, John Tucker said:

Definitely... But in all fairness, the NHL provided them a quality roster on a silver platter right from the get go, and then they traded some of em' for high picks.  

Not all of that is true. Florida and Minny were key contributors to the success of the Golden Knights. Smith and Marchy from Florida and Tuch and Haula from Minny. A lot of teams made a lot of blunders when handling the expansion list. Come on Theodore from Anaheim. Guy is unbelievable plus you had the motivation that they were pieces nobody wanted. I’m in Vegas so I know firsthand. Been a season seat holder since day 1 and this team plays hard plus players want to play here. 

[bunomatic]

Ralph talks like the ‘ system ‘ is foolproof. Ralph that would mean that every other coach in the league ( or at least in this division ) is not capable of out coaching you or devising a strategy to beat your system. We all know thats an untruth. And in doing so you throw the players under the bus when you say they are having breakdowns in the ‘ system ‘. You put it all on the players shoulders. True the players should shoulder some of the blame but Ralph no coach in this league is infallible and most certainly you . Its obvious you think this losing is below you by your arrogant statements. Get out of town. 

[rickshaw]

28 minutes ago, SabresBillsFan said:

Not all of that is true. Florida and Minny were key contributors to the success of the Golden Knights. Smith and Marchy from Florida and Tuch and Haula from Minny. A lot of teams made a lot of blunders when handling the expansion list. Come on Theodore from Anaheim. Guy is unbelievable plus you had the motivation that they were pieces nobody wanted. I’m in Vegas so I know firsthand. Been a season seat holder since day 1 and this team plays hard plus players want to play here. 

I love the Golden Knights. Vegas is our happy place ( well it was and will be again)  and I loved watching them and wished my Sabres were like them. I even thought of switching allegiances but it’s too difficult to switch teams. I just decided I’d cheer for them and not worry about a Cup Final battle ( I mean, Sabres, Cup?)

But yeah Vegas management made some good moves and capitalized on some major unprotected blunders by other teams. 

[gilbert11]

1 hour ago, John Tucker said:

No doubt... They'll be doing the exact same thing for Seattle too!

It’s been too long to remember, but I think when the Sabres and Canucks joined and for some latter expansion, the expansion pool consisted of like 4th liners, 3rd D pairing, backup or even Minor league goalies.  Also Some older players. Ex: Sabres selected Don Marshall, who was 38.  He did score 20 goals in the Sabres first season.

[gilbert11]

1 hour ago, mjd1001 said:

I only watched a few minutes of the game.....shots 45-18......for those who watched the whole game was the game actually THAT lopsided?

Way to help out the rookie goalie!  45 shots?! 

[Broken Ankles]

1 hour ago, Nitro60 said:

Dahlin was a -4 tonight.  Risto -3.  UGLY

 They looked as bad as their stats reflected. Risto hasn’t been great since his return from COVID-19, but he also hasn’t been God aweful, until this pairing with the other Rasmus.  I’m getting really tired of waiting for Dahlin to show me why he was selected first overall.  I can’t explain why but the simple fact that this season is a ***** tire fire and he’s played like shite night in and night out, but yet he finds the importance of wearing his sweater like McDavid is really starting to irritate me.  A few things on this. First, it’s supposed to be a violation of Rule 9.5 which governs all protective equipment, including pants. Players are not permitted to tuck their jersey into their pants in such a manner where the top padding of the pant and/or additional body protection (affixed to the pant or affixed to the player's body) is exposed outside the jersey. The back uniform number must not be covered or obstructed in any fashion by protruding pads or other protective padding."  Give him a penalty for delay of game.  
   Second, you are not elite.  You are not in the same stratosphere as McDavid or Malkin, and therefore exceptions cannot and should not be made for you.  Pull your ***** sweater down, and learn how to play Defense.  You know, the thing that is your primary function while on the ice. 

Guard, protect, shield, defend.   What are things Rasmus Dahlin has not done this season?? 🛎  🛎  🛎 

I can remember when I thought by the last year of his ELC he would be ascending like that of Doughty, and we would have to consider a Jack-like extension.  Now I dread the thought of paying him Sam Reinhart-like bridge deal.

[Second Line Center]

Krueger might be the worst coaching hire in Buffalo sports in the last 40 years.  

The losing is one thing.  

The regression of Dahlin, Skinner, Jack, and to some extent Hall (1 goal every 20 games?), is making this even worse.  

Put Adams behind the bench.   

Decide on a President and go from there.  

[gilbert11]

Sunday’s game is national on NBC.  Could an embarrassment on national TV finally result in some changes?

[bunomatic]

2 minutes ago, gilbert11 said:

Sunday’s game is national on NBC.  Could an embarrassment on national TV finally result in some changes?

One would hope. I’m calling it. Rock bottom. 7-1 loss.

[SabresBillsFan]

4 minutes ago, bunomatic said:

One would hope. I’m calling it. Rock bottom. 7-1 loss.

Hope they get blown out. Ralph needs to go and they need to hire someone that can actually coach and light a fire under their *****. What I don’t get is why the players don’t call their own meeting and say we need to hold each other accountable.

[Zamboni]

5 minutes ago, SabresBillsFan said:

Hope they get blown out. Ralph needs to go and they need to hire someone that can actually coach and light a fire under their *****. What I don’t get is why the players don’t call their own meeting and say we need to hold each other accountable.

Maybe they did but didn’t broadcast it, Telegraph it, share it, tweet it. Etc ...