GDT: Sabres @ Blackhawks, 1/17/23, 8:30 pm, ESPN+ and MSG

[Stoner]

1 hour ago, dudacek said:

Not telling you or anyone how to be a fan, and apologies if it was taken that way.

We all make decisions on how we wish to interpret the data we receive. I find people’s tendency to move the goalposts away from things that can be interpreted as positive to be frustrating.

Buffalo fans are 38 year old virgins. Until the long sought desire is consummated there ain't gonna be no satisfaction in just seein' a nice bootay.

[LTS]

1 hour ago, dudacek said:

Not telling you or anyone how to be a fan, and apologies if it was taken that way.

We all make decisions on how we wish to interpret the data we receive. I find people’s tendency to move the goalposts away from things that can be interpreted as positive to be frustrating.

I did not take it that way at all.  I blathered on about my viewpoint but ultimately I wanted to make it known (probably doing a very bad job) that you should not question being around here as you had indicated in your post.  Don't let the grumblings of the group get you down.

 

[JohnC]

2 hours ago, dudacek said:

Not telling you or anyone how to be a fan, and apologies if it was taken that way.

We all make decisions on how we wish to interpret the data we receive. I find people’s tendency to move the goalposts away from things that can be interpreted as positive to be frustrating.

One positive reason why there is more grumbling is that expectations have increased. That's a good thing. That in itself is an acknowledgement that this team has enough talent to compete in every game, even against the stud teams. As you have pointed out there is a sense of exasperation when the Sabres beat top tier teams, only soon after to falter against the lower tiered teams. 

[Pimlach]

28 minutes ago, JohnC said:

One positive reason why there is more grumbling is that expectations have increased. That's a good thing. That in itself is an acknowledgement that this team has enough talent to compete in every game, even against the stud teams. As you have pointed out there is a sense of exasperation when the Sabres beat top tier teams, only soon after to falter against the lower tiered teams. 

Yes, I have had a few rants lately because I have seen enough to know they should be better than these past few weeks of games.  

It should have been second nature for them to play a different third period in Chicago.  They don't seem to have anything in their playbook that protects a lead and forces an opponent into mistakes.  Instead we usually lay back and let them come to us (i.e. the 3rd period Chicago 6 on 5), or we attack like it is the first period of a scoreless game and make errors to give up bad goals (Winnipeg 3rd period).  Having to score 4 goals to get a win is a problem, and it is not all on the goalie, they have one style of play.  That translates to a non-Deluca .500 team and about 85 points.  

I have heard people here say that they will learn to win later, after they develop a few more players.  Almost as if they believe this is all part of Granato's strategy, that he can turn on the defensive part of the game later.  That is not ever going to happen.  They have to learn to win right now, in order to better develop players.   I would love to interview DG and ask him his thoughts on the defensive part of the game and making situational adjustments.  

Edited January 19, 2023 by Pimlach

[dudacek]

23 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Yes, I have had a few rants lately because I have seen enough to know they should be better than these past few weeks of games.  

It should have been second nature for them to play a different third period in Chicago.  They don't seem to have anything in their playbook that protects a lead and forces an opponent into mistakes.  

Don’t disagree with your point that they need to be better in those situations.

It should be said that the Hawks had 10 3rd period shots despite score effects and both goals were wrist shots from the blue line. They didn’t give up a ton.

Nine times out of 10 they win that game despite the way playing exactly the same way.

The issue is leaving the door open for that 10 per cent chance when they could have closed it.

Edited January 19, 2023 by dudacek

[JohnC]

9 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Yes, I have had a few rants lately because I have seen enough to know they should be better than these past few weeks of games.  

It should have been second nature for them to play a different third period in Chicago.  They don't seem to have anything in their playbook that protects a lead and forces an opponent into mistakes.  Instead we usually lay back and let them come to us (i.e. the 3rd period Chicago 6 on 5), or we attack like it is the first period of a scoreless game and make errors to give up bad goals (Winnipeg 3rd period).  Having to score 4 goals to get a win is a problem, and it is not all on the goalie, they have one style of play.  That translates to a non-Deluca .500 team and about 85 points.  

I have heard people here say that they will learn to win later, after they develop a few more players.  Almost as if they believe this is all part of Granato's strategy, that he can turn on the defensive part of the game later.  That is not ever going to happen.  They have to learn to win right now, in order to better develop players.   I would love to interview DG and ask him his thoughts on the defensive part of the game and making situational adjustments.  

Don't misinterpret what I am going to say: Having a team loaded with young players can be exasperating because of their tendency to be inconsistent. Beating good teams and then being unfocused and undisciplined against lesser teams drives me crazy. But that mercurial personality shouldn't be a surprise considering the youthful composition of this roster. It wasn't that long ago that many of us (including me) thought that the Cozens's line with Quinn and JJ were an emerging second line for us. Then the two wingers seemed to vanish on ice. It's maddening but is part of the growing up process. I'm confident that in the not too distant future those two youthful fingers are going to become impactful NHL players. 

You, I and most of the followers here recognize that this roster still isn't a full roster. It has its holes. The good news is that it it's fuller and more robust than it was than last year, and the year prior. We're getting there. But it's going to take a little more time. As I said in a prior post the increase in expectations is more of a good thing than a negative thing. 

[Thorner]

7 hours ago, dudacek said:

Kinda goes against the point of sport in my opinion: the games are entertaining because they aren't predictable.

The fun should be fuelled by the tension, the joy by the victory. 14 and 3 should make people happy

The fact that it doesn't for so many has had me reconsidering the amount of time I spend around here.

 

Firstly, and most importantly, don’t reconsider.

- - -

Secondly, if this is more Bills centric, I withdraw this post. Bills should be full on enjoyment imo, win is a win is a win type stuff - you are in the promised land as fans: competing in the playoffs with a shot to win. This *is* it, this is what it’s all about, truly.

If it’s more Sabres centric, forgive me but this comes of slightly promo-esque re: why aren’t the fans showing up? 

Absolutely correct that the fun is fuelled by the tension: but that’s only an established case when the tension, as much as not, ends up breaking the right way. The right word for that tension, imo, is “foreboding”, when your muscle memory naturally knows, for decades now, that it’s much more likely to break one way 

Edited January 19, 2023 by Thorny

[Thorner]

I have been touting for years now that, if you need a championship to justify all this, not only are you setting yourself up for disappointment, you are allowing for the very real possibility you’ve engaged in an illogical pursuit for the duration of your life that would have been better left untouched. 

I think it serves to admit there’s a real mathematical possibility it never happens. In my humble opinion, in order for it all to be worth it, any member of the fandom need to be able to find joy by other means: that the journey, like @dudaceksays, and the camaraderie, like I always say, are what makes it worth it. If there’s no satisfaction until a championship is achieved, and you are comfortable with that, you are a better gambling man than me.

So having said all this, what the Sabres have been is on the other absolute extremity. I’m MORE than happy to settle into a lifetime of making the playoffs in-line with the mathematical average (half the time) and enjoying a run here and there, even if we never male it all the way. Oh well. 

The Sabres...it’s just so funny, they haven’t even been close to giving us that, any time in recent memory. I truly believe there are plenty of people, plenty of fans ready to embrace even just the NORMALCY of a REGULAR NHL franchise and the inherent ups and downs that implies. We really aren’t asking for a lot, we *already are* the one with perspective. Struggling to find joy in a team that’s *still* losing more than they win isn’t indicative of lack of perspective. Those that can say, “ah, this is what it’s all about” NOW, with THIS kind of “success”, that’s even better: you truly are going to siphon the joy from any situation. Honestly that’s a great thing. 

I’m hopeful. I think we are headed to being that “can make the playoffs” team, year in and out. But it’s been so long, anyone free of frustration at this point by any right should be the outlier, imo 

 

[dudacek]

12 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Firstly, and most importantly, don’t reconsider.

- - -

Secondly, if this is more Bills centric, I withdraw this post. Bills should be full on enjoyment imo, win is a win is a win type stuff - you are in the promised land as fans: competing in the playoffs with a shot to win. 

If it’s more Sabres centric, forgive me but this comes of slightly promo-esque re: why aren’t the fans showing up? 

Absolutely correct that the fun is fuelled by the tension: but that’s only an established case when the tension, as much as not, ends up breaking the right way. The right word for that tension, imo, is “foreboding”, when your muscle memory naturally knows, for decades now, that it’s much more likely to break one way 

It’s simply about baggage preventing one from enjoying things that should be enjoyed.

There’s a whole continuum of experience and I respect everyone’s right to choose what makes them happy along that arc.

Choosing to be unhappy with a 14-3 season because your team isn’t beating teams decisively enough is a wasted opportunity in my opinion.

[Thorner]

10 minutes ago, dudacek said:

It’s simply about baggage preventing one from enjoying things that should be enjoyed.

There’s a whole continuum of experience and I respect everyone’s right to choose what makes them happy along that arc.

Choosing to be unhappy with a 14-3 season because your team isn’t beating teams decisively enough is a wasted opportunity in my opinion.

Oh I agree re: 14-3

- - -

Your “baggage” comment really got me thinking. 

I wonder how I would feel about this Sabres season if I could somehow view it purely through the prism of an Independent Event. No lingering baggage from past franchise failures, not considering the franchise beholden to that, purely analyzing and expressing. It’s such an interesting question and thought.

My initial impression is that it might be somewhat of a double-edged sword. I think we are in 22nd place? I’d probably be thinking “well, we’re ok.” My brain perhaps occupied much more by dwelling on what could be, going forward, with no frustration due to the expectation it might collapse due to past precedence. So happier about it, in a way? But on the other side of the coin, SO MUCH of the positivity is drawn from the hopeful comparison *to* that past: looking for little signs pointing to how it’s different. 

It’s probably all part and parcel. Things feel worse because of how long we’ve been in the desert, but the good developments also feel better than they should because of the comparison to relative ineptitude. 

WORDS! 

 

Edited January 19, 2023 by Thorny