Sabres Bad @ Home For 4 Straight Years - Make Changes

[Night Train]

8-16-4

17-18-6

17-20-4

12-16-1 this year

If a season ticket holder boos, I get it. Imagine that layout of $ to see no improvement. 

My hope is some trades now or in the summer. Talent has to be traded to get a different type of talent that can change the direction.  Trying to be positive long term. 

Can't defend the above record. Speaks for itself. Go Sabres but come on !  Win at home. 

[PerreaultForever]

Lack of effort some nights. Maybe too relaxed and cozy in that fancy locker room. 

Bad coaching and poor line match ups other nights.

Also, teams come in playing road hockey, which is tougher defensively and it frustrates their wide open style. Those same teams in their barns sometimes try to play more offensively for their fans which we do better with (sometimes). 

That's my explanation of it. There might be other reasons but I think those are the main ones. 

I still think we need a roster structured on 2 scoring lines, 1 checking line and a character line. Ideally all fast and all big, but their roles and abilities need to fit that format for success and then the coach has to utilize them properly. Right now we have 2 scoring lines (supposedly) a mish mash scoring line and a has been cast off line and it's been that way for a while, even with different names.

[Believer]

15 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

Lack of effort some nights. Maybe too relaxed and cozy in that fancy locker room. 

Bowman might have cancelled the charter flights for a handful of East Coast games… and put‘em on a Trailways Bus… An old  Trailways Bus.

Edited February 21 by Believer

[PromoTheRobot]

Let's play ALL road games. Problem solved.

[thewookie1]

23 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

Lack of effort some nights. Maybe too relaxed and cozy in that fancy locker room. 

Bad coaching and poor line match ups other nights.

Also, teams come in playing road hockey, which is tougher defensively and it frustrates their wide open style. Those same teams in their barns sometimes try to play more offensively for their fans which we do better with (sometimes). 

That's my explanation of it. There might be other reasons but I think those are the main ones. 

I still think we need a roster structured on 2 scoring lines, 1 checking line and a character line. Ideally all fast and all big, but their roles and abilities need to fit that format for success and then the coach has to utilize them properly. Right now we have 2 scoring lines (supposedly) a mish mash scoring line and a has been cast off line and it's been that way for a while, even with different names.

Not quite

2 scoring lines

1 multi-purpose line (defensively sound and still competent offensively)

1 Character Line (Vets, energy, checking, etc)

[mjd1001]

41 minutes ago, Night Train said:

8-16-4

17-18-6

17-20-4

12-16-1 this year

If a season ticket holder boos, I get it. Imagine that layout of $ to see no improvement. 

My hope is some trades now or in the summer. Talent has to be traded to get a different type of talent that can change the direction.  Trying to be positive long term. 

Can't defend the above record. Speaks for itself. Go Sabres but come on !  Win at home. 

Serious question...what 'type' of talent plays better at home than on the road? 

 

[Marvin]

34 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

 

Also, teams come in playing road hockey, which is tougher defensively and it frustrates their wide open style. Those same teams in their barns sometimes try to play more offensively for their fans which we do better with (sometimes). 

This jives with the Sabres doing well at home against teams who don't have a gear for "tight checking" like Toronto.

[DarthEbriate]

Now, take away all their "home" wins in outdoor games, big "get-up-for-Toronto" games, and black goathead games.

[GASabresIUFAN]

Further proof they don’t want to be here.

Sorry! It was to easy. 

[Kristian]

Play without home fans, because the fans are so meeeeeeaaaan, apparently.

1 hour ago, mjd1001 said:

Serious question...what 'type' of talent plays better at home than on the road? 

 

Another crest on the jersey seems to work?

[DarthEbriate]

1 hour ago, DarthEbriate said:

Now, take away all their "home" wins in outdoor games, big "get-up-for-Toronto" games, and black goathead games.

Took a bit, but here's my reworked record extracting the outdoor home game played in Canada and when wearing the black goatheads. I combined OTL+L for a true W/L record.

2020-21 = 8-20
2021-22 = 16-24 (TOR outdoor game)
2022-23 = 7-22 (no goatheads)
2023-24 = 7-12 (no goatheads)

38-78. That's a garbage home record (.328 winning %)

You want points percentage with OTL loser points to make you feel better?  .384 points %

That's worse than every Sabres coach not named Craig Ramsay (21 games) and Punch (expansion season +1). No coach has been below .421 since the tank started.

Edited February 21 by DarthEbriate

[PerreaultForever]

7 hours ago, thewookie1 said:

Not quite

2 scoring lines

1 multi-purpose line (defensively sound and still competent offensively)

1 Character Line (Vets, energy, checking, etc)

That's  a reach to say the least. 

[thewookie1]

2 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

That's  a reach to say the least. 

I was meaning what I'd want for the team not what they have.

[PerreaultForever]

33 minutes ago, thewookie1 said:

I was meaning what I'd want for the team not what they have.

Oh gotcha. I took it the other way and was like whhaattt? This makes much more sense.

[inkman]

12 hours ago, Kristian said:

Play without home fans, because the fans are so meeeeeeaaaan, apparently.

That appears to be happening naturally.  By the end of the season it’ll be no home fans.  

[Carmel Corn]

1 hour ago, inkman said:

That appears to be happening naturally.  By the end of the season it’ll be no home fans.  

Maybe that's the plan....home fans dwindle to just a few and eventually outnumbered by opposing team fans buying tickets.  Eventually each home game feels like they are "away" and we know the team plays better on the road (so to speak).  

[Night Train]

2 minutes ago, Carmel Corn said:

Maybe that's the plan....home fans dwindle to just a few and eventually outnumbered by opposing team fans buying tickets.  Eventually each home game feels like they are "away" and we know the team plays better on the road (so to speak).  

If the organ guy plays " Go Leafs Go " ,  arson immediately comes to mind. 

[JohnC]

14 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Further proof they don’t want to be here.

Sorry! It was to easy. 

How does a poorer record prove that some players don't want to be here? What it proves to me is that this team hasn't learned to adapt to a visiting team's more conservative/tighter road team style of play. There is a difference between being physically talented and having the required on ice intelligence to adjust to a different style of game. What's the remedy? A few additions need to be made to improve the mix and balance on the roster. 

[Pimlach]

I used to think it was a coincidence and probably the bi-product of a young team playing for a rebuilding organization that has had no success in over a decade. 

Last year I went along with the coaches explanation "young and nervous, want to do good for the fans, playing tight" which were all just excuses.  

This year the expectations were to win more and while the pressure is the same - they probably feel it even more.  

I don't buy into the "feel the hate" and "toxic environment" social media messaging.  Those are todays fancy words, pushed by irresponsible media.   

I can sense when I am there that the fans have a feeling of impending doom, such as "what will go wrong tonight?".   It used to be goaltending, but now the slow and lazy starts are the problem.   Just look at the first, second and third period scoring stats.  They wake up in the 3rd and its usually too little too late. 

Now because of this booing situation you have to throw in another factor, the players are not feeling good at home and pressing even more.  There is a massive lack of the right leadership behind the reasons that the team feels hurt.  We just saw evidence of it with the latest story - a secret senior player talking to the media about hurt feelings.   The young players should be told to just forget it, shake it off, it happens everywhere, and their focus should be on fixing their game.  That is it, over.  

Everyone can roll their eyes, shake their heads, call me a boomer or whatever but the ONLY ones that can fix it are the Sabres themselves.   Better preparation and focus.  Better leadership to hold everyone accountable.  More hard work and less "woe is me".  

Maybe someone on the staff should actually look at  each players routines on the road and at home and try to find something that might help them?   Instead Donnie give us his psychology 101 lessons.  

One more thing, they should be fining any player Sabre that purposely throws or break their stick, or shows any other such display of Bantam level hockey while in public.   They can give that money to charity.   This happens more with this team than I have seen in a lifetime.   

 

[Stoner]

38 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

I used to think it was a coincidence and probably the bi-product of a young team playing for a rebuilding organization that has had no success in over a decade. 

Last year I went along with the coaches explanation "young and nervous, want to do good for the fans, playing tight" which were all just excuses.  

This year the expectations were to win more and while the pressure is the same - they probably feel it even more.  

I don't buy into the "feel the hate" and "toxic environment" social media messaging.  Those are todays fancy words, pushed by irresponsible media.   

I can sense when I am there that the fans have a feeling of impending doom, such as "what will go wrong tonight?".   It used to be goaltending, but now the slow and lazy starts are the problem.   Just look at the first, second and third period scoring stats.  They wake up in the 3rd and its usually too little too late. 

Now because of this booing situation you have to throw in another factor, the players are not feeling good at home and pressing even more.  There is a massive lack of the right leadership behind the reasons that the team feels hurt.  We just saw evidence of it with the latest story - a secret senior player talking to the media about hurt feelings.   The young players should be told to just forget it, shake it off, it happens everywhere, and their focus should be on fixing their game.  That is it, over.  

Everyone can roll their eyes, shake their heads, call me a boomer or whatever but the ONLY ones that can fix it are the Sabres themselves.   Better preparation and focus.  Better leadership to hold everyone accountable.  More hard work and less "woe is me".  

Maybe someone on the staff should actually look at  each players routines on the road and at home and try to find something that might help them?   Instead Donnie give us his psychology 101 lessons.  

One more thing, they should be fining any player Sabre that purposely throws or break their stick, or shows any other such display of Bantam level hockey while in public.   They can give that money to charity.   This happens more with this team than I have seen in a lifetime.   

 

How bout the old get out of your hockey stance and stare at the rafters for a few seconds after missing a glorious chance as play continues?

Edited February 22 by PASabreFan

[SwampD]

I’ve been saying it for years and I’m getting a little upset nobody is listening to me, it’s wings.

They need to stop eating wings.

[GASabresIUFAN]

1 hour ago, JohnC said:

How does a poorer record prove that some players don't want to be here? What it proves to me is that this team hasn't learned to adapt to a visiting team's more conservative/tighter road team style of play. There is a difference between being physically talented and having the required on ice intelligence to adjust to a different style of game. What's the remedy? A few additions need to be made to improve the mix and balance on the roster. 

It wasn’t a serious comment.  Relax.  

Adams’ mantra is they have to want to be here. Well here is home, in Buffalo. However if the team continues to play poorly at home, then isn’t fair to ask whether they want to be there? 

[MISabresFan]

18 hours ago, Night Train said:

8-16-4

17-18-6

17-20-4

12-16-1 this year

If a season ticket holder boos, I get it. Imagine that layout of $ to see no improvement. 

My hope is some trades now or in the summer. Talent has to be traded to get a different type of talent that can change the direction.  Trying to be positive long term. 

Can't defend the above record. Speaks for itself. Go Sabres but come on !  Win at home. 

Don't Boo - Cheer for the other team.. Make it seem like a road game.  Maybe the players/coaches/GM will  get it then.  

[mjd1001]

2 hours ago, JohnC said:

How does a poorer record prove that some players don't want to be here? What it proves to me is that this team hasn't learned to adapt to a visiting team's more conservative/tighter road team style of play. There is a difference between being physically talented and having the required on ice intelligence to adjust to a different style of game. What's the remedy? A few additions need to be made to improve the mix and balance on the roster. 

Your explanation is as good as any. A few games, a part of a season, it makes sense, but a couple years of being better on the road?  I really am at a loss. You have the last change advantage at home.  You are used to the arena, the ice quality, the boards, the locker room.  You more often than not have not traveled as much.  there are so many little things that add up to, over the LONG run, being better at home.  

As you said, maybe its a matchup thing.  Maybe they play worse against other teams playing a 'road style game'.   There is something similar going on with the Leafs. They do poorly against 'bad' teams (Buffalo, Ottawa, Chicago, Columbus), so the fanbase in TO thinks the team doesn't get up for those games.  When really if you break down the games, its not the quality of the opponent the Leafs play bad agains...it is the STYLE.  If Toronto can easily outskate a team, they usually win. But when they play a young team (a worse team) but one that has raw talent AND forces the Leafs to put in a lot of effort in to outskate/out 'raw' talent them, they don't like that.

When Toronto plays a buttoned up/veteran team that 'plays the right way' but maybe has a handful of guys who lost a step, Toronto does well.  But put them against many high flying/fast skating, even undisciplined 'bad' teams....that is where they have a problem.   The Sabres may have something like that going on but with the style of game teams play on the road.

[Stoner]

1 hour ago, SwampD said:

I’ve been saying it for years and I’m getting a little upset nobody is listening to me, it’s wings.

They need to stop eating wings.

I don't think we're that far apart.