GDT: 2/23/2022 Sabres at Canadiens, 6:30 pm CT (that's 7:30 ET for you Buffalonians) MSG, WGR

[Believer]

10 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

I asked who is out there right now to bring in. Not surprised you didn't answer.

Really??… I follow the Sabres not other NHL teams… Just not informed enough to answer your question…

Perhaps you are… Who do you think KA is targeting??… 

[PromoTheRobot]

9 minutes ago, inkman said:

Hoping there are some hockey trades to be had.  Maybe even get someone at the deadline we can pencil into the lineup next season.  Team needs another vet or two depending on who they lose in the next 3 months 

@Believer was referring to free agent signings. There is no one waiting for their phone to ring that we want to bring in. Trades are another matter. I could see a cap dump for a vet that can bring some of that to the Sabres. I don't see the Sabres trading legit assets for a player. Not this year.

[PromoTheRobot]

6 minutes ago, Believer said:

Really??… I follow the Sabres not other NHL teams… Just not informed enough to answer your question…

Perhaps you are… Who do you think KA is targeting??… 

He isn't targeting anyone right now. It's too early for that. We are not repeating the same mistakes Tim Murray made. This year is strictly for player development, here and in Rochester. At least a third, if not half, of the players on the Sabres now won't be here next year. You might see the Sabres take on a veteran contract in a cap dump. What would be the point of making any drastic moves this year? We aren't making the playoffs. If it's for next year, that can wait for the offseason.

[Believer]

4 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

If it's for next year, that can wait for the offseason.

Don’t disagree with much of what you say… but didn’t limit my remark to FAs or the trade deadline… Limited my remark to players with winning SC experience… Will bet he brings in a couple winners during the off season and next year (assuming Pegula gives him the dough) to accelerate the rebuild… with an expectation (real or fanciful) the Sabres earn a playoff spot next year… Just my opinion…

[eman]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

All coaching changes provide a temporary boost so nothing here surprises me. Montreal will come back to earth quickly due to their talent issues. The Rangers are not good, but they are getting elite level goaltending and it is masking a lot of their problems. 

I don't think Granato is responsible for having an exceedingly young roster with growing pains. I think that is just the reality of the situation. 

He is responsible for the system that they play (regardless of the talent provided) When I see a club like Montreal (devoid of talent as you say) just provide a clinic at outworking your opposition (despite the shots on goal- Buffalo's shots were perimeter) that is on the coach. Especially in 3 of the last 4 games. We are starting to see that trend again.

[eman]

1 hour ago, inkman said:

Hoping there are some hockey trades to be had.  Maybe even get someone at the deadline we can pencil into the lineup next season.  Team needs another vet or two depending on who they lose in the next 3 months 

I don't think there's anyone out there that will actually make a difference to this club and if so, would they sign here? Why? To get someone at the deadline means you give up someone of value (to get value in return), does that actually advance the state of this club in the long run?

[PromoTheRobot]

45 minutes ago, Believer said:

Don’t disagree with much of what you say… but didn’t limit my remark to FAs or the trade deadline… Limited my remark to players with winning SC experience… Will bet he brings in a couple winners during the off season and next year (assuming Pegula gives him the dough) to accelerate the rebuild… with an expectation (real or fanciful) the Sabres earn a playoff spot next year… Just my opinion…

Playoffs next year might be too optimistic.

[Doohicksie]

3 hours ago, Taro T said:

Why would you delete the thread?

It was spoken facetiously in response to "should burn the game tape" or similar remark.  I wouldn't really do that.  But I thought about it.  But I wouldn't.

[eman]

11 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Playoffs next year might be too optimistic.

 

11 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Playoffs next year might be too optimistic.

I agree. I just want them to be a legit challenger for that 8th spot, not a bottom 5 club again. I actually want to see a "hard to play against Sabres club" on the majority of nights, not just one out of every 4-5 games. If Don is "that guy" moving forward, they are going to have to show up on most nights for me to believe it and show progress. Right now there is regression.

[nfreeman]

1 hour ago, PromoTheRobot said:

It's not spin. Granato was THE INTERIM COACH last year. No amount of breath-holding and denial on your part changes that.

 

1 hour ago, PromoTheRobot said:

I asked who is out there right now to bring in. Not surprised you didn't answer.

Both of these are obnoxious.

[Doohicksie]

2 hours ago, Believer said:

2) Granato putting more emphasis on expectations… on winning despite our youth and roster holes

Granato has been focused on development last year and this year.  Next year the focus needs to shift on playing to win.

The next phase is winning culture development.

[eman]

15 minutes ago, The Ghost of Yuri said:

Granato has been focused on development last year and this year.  Next year the focus needs to shift on playing to win.

The next phase is winning culture development.

I am certainly willing to give Granato next year as it is also, in my opinion,  the year we will actually see what kind of coach he is. Some new and talented blood from Rochester in the lineup, some JAG contracts released and maybe who knows who else shows up but next season I expect to see definite improvement.

[LGR4GM]

5 minutes ago, eman said:

I am certainly willing to give Granato next year as it is also, in my opinion,  the year we will actually see what kind of coach he is. Some new and talented blood from Rochester in the lineup, some JAG contracts released and maybe who knows who else shows up but next season I expect to see definite improvement.

Granato can only do and say so much, at some point as Tuch points out, the players themselves have to find it internally. 

[SabresVet]

10 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Granato can only do and say so much, at some point as Tuch points out, the players themselves have to find it internally. 

Certainly.  Players say this, know it to be true, and yet coaches are fired long before a roster is overhauled.  

This is Adams' team now and the roster features at least 10 players he's acquired or re-signed from previous regimes.  The GM would be indicting his whole rebuild  shedding players before the HC. 

Much less problematic to take one on the chin, remove the HC (not advocating for that now) and move forward with another hire.   

[SHAAAUGHT!!!]

This is a fun thread to catch up on. 

I'd just like to add, IMHO, the Sabre's have been in rebuild mode for the last 73 years, the Sabre's lineup this game would have dominated an AHL team, and it's all someone's fault.

Am I doing it right?

[eman]

39 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Granato can only do and say so much, at some point as Tuch points out, the players themselves have to find it internally. 

But the Players on the Habs did do it for St. Louis and that was not the case for most of this season under Ducharme. Maybe St. Louis has something to do with the relentless forecheck and the blocking of shots eh Alec Tuch?

[CallawaySabres]

This is exactly why the Sabres will suck forever. Until they find out that hockey is a warriors game and they have to do whatever it takes to get the next level, they will be forever buried at the bottom of the Atlantic like you know what...

[Gatorman0519]

You will know when the Sabres turn a corner when fans start showing up.  They know.

[Taro T]

4 hours ago, SabresVet said:

I doubt anyone outside the organization knows for sure.  Then again, when you're drawing less than 8,700 per home game I wouldn't be optimistic.      

The gap between fan reality and team leadership reality has grown.  What is acceptable to a core group of hardcore fans isn't translating to the fans at large nor, I have to believe, team management.  The low home attendance is indicative of this, and those rebuilds you reference have worn thin whatever patience existed.

I still maintain that there is nothing to quantify Buffalo has improved this season beside the general claims fans make that the younger players are better.  Even if you take the W-L record out of that discussion, the defense isn't better.  The goaltending has been mismanaged as it has been for years.  Coaching, while an improvement from some, isn't at the level I think people expected.

 

To the bolded, absolutely.  But the team is actually aware of that and IS attempting to address that.  How successful that effort ends up remains to be seen, but they are working on it.

[spndnchz]

6 hours ago, eman said:

To even think that this new rebuild will be "the successful rebuild" (of how many rebuilds in the last 10 years? how many?) is sure folly. The jury is out on this coach as he cannot seem to make this team "all that hard to play against"- Donnie's mantra. We have been going through the cycle for 10 years now and while there are talented pieces in Rochester, inevitably, you need a good coaching staff to play under with a good system in place. I am seriously doubtful under Granato now. Compete shows up every 4th or 5th game only. The defence continues to suck ass under 3 separate  Sabre coaches now and God bless Owen Power, hope we don't wreck him like Ristolainen and end up giving him way too many minutes per game. So tell me when "the winning starts". Do fans show up at the turnstiles past November next season knowing "winning isn't a priority", yet again? Also, when you go into a season with that mindset, you breed a "losing culture" which is all too much the case in Buffalo. At the very least, regardless of the talent assembled, you should be playing hard and competing for the puck and we aren't seeing it all that often under coach Granato.

The return key called. It misses you. 👄

[LGR4GM]

2 hours ago, eman said:

But the Players on the Habs did do it for St. Louis and that was not the case for most of this season under Ducharme. Maybe St. Louis has something to do with the relentless forecheck and the blocking of shots eh Alec Tuch?

It's the typical coach bump teams get with a new coach. They'll regress

[Doohicksie]

 

[dudacek]

3 hours ago, SHAAAUGHT!!! said:

This is a fun thread to catch up on. 

I'd just like to add, IMHO, the Sabre's have been in rebuild mode for the last 73 years, the Sabre's lineup this game would have dominated an AHL team, and it's all someone's fault.

Am I doing it right?

Actually, the AHL thing is pretty interesting looking at last night’s lineup.

• Anderson, Tokarski, Pysyk, Asplund, Skinner, Mittelstadt, Thompson, Bryson and Jokiharju spent time last year as healthy scratches or on the taxi squad.
• Biro, Krebs, Fitzgerald, Samuelsson and Jankowski all played in the minors this year
• Hayden, Eakin and Bjork probably would not be dressing if this bottom-feeding team was completely healthy.
• Cozens is in his first full NHL season.

That leaves Tuch and Dahlin as unquestionable, full-time proven every day veteran NHL regulars.

Obviously Skinner and Thompson have proven themselves this year.

But it really is incredible when you look at it that way.

Edited February 24, 2022 by dudacek

[jad1]

5 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:

It's not spin. Granato was THE INTERIM COACH last year. No amount of breath-holding and denial on your part changes that.

Don Granato coaching statistics:

2020-2021 Buffalo Sabres HC

GP: 28

W: 9

L: 16

OL: 3

PTS: 21

PTS%: .375

2021-2022 Buffalo Sabres HC

GP: 52

W: 16

L: 28 

OL: 8

PTS: 40

PTS%: .385

Official NHL stats to prove that this is year 2 of Granato's stint at Sabres coach. 

So if you want to spin this in some way to justify some kind of narrative about how games that Granato coached don't really count, fine, we can debate those excuses.

But the fact is that this is Adams and Granato's 2nd year.  And from a quick observation of the results, their 2nd season looks surprisingly similar to their first "INTERIM" season.

[SabresVet]

1 hour ago, Taro T said:

To the bolded, absolutely.  But the team is actually aware of that and IS attempting to address that.  How successful that effort ends up remains to be seen, but they are working on it.

That statement was about the difference between how some die hard fans see the team and how front office and management likely does.  I suspect most fans are realistic and playing a wait and see game.