Hockey Heaven!

[Weave]

1 hour ago, JohnC said:

Let me add to my brief and less than illuminating response. Especially in the covid period, he was hemorrhaging money with his hockey and hospitality businesses. He responded by demanding an austerity strategy that was going to cut a lot of staff and gut the scouting department. The GM, Botterill, was not on board. So he was fired. I have little criticism for the owner for taking the severe cost cutting measures in an economically challenging time. I also would have had little problem with the KA hire to replace Botterill if it would have been on a temporary basis until he could find a more competent GM. This is the point of demarcation where the organization lost its way. That's not to say that the hockey people prior to the GM change didn't also make a series of bad decisions. 

The owner made an inexplicable and indefensible decision to hire an ill-equipped novice to manage a complex operation in a highly competitive field. That boondoggle decision by the owner has kept the franchise stuck in mediocrity. And so in my mind, the blame for the laughingstock state of this franchise is on the owner. The Buffalo area hockey market that includes southern Canada and parts of Penn. is a good hockey market. He has killed it with his foolish stewardship that has lasted for nearly a generation.  It's maddening and sad. It didn't have to be this way. 

 

I would say the point of demarcation happened much much earlier, the first time the owner chose not to prioritize winning.  Future instances of not prioritizing winning built upon the first instance.

But yeah, hiring inexperienced managers and coaches over and over have ruined this organization.

[EM88]

13 hours ago, Weave said:

The theory posted earlier that the owner is more involved because it is a tighter cash flow operation is a plausible reason why he is not willing to step back.

It’s close to the only thing that makes sense.

And it either a smaller operation and/or something he feels he knows a lot about.

10 minutes ago, DarthEbriate said:

Since the palm presser, has any Buffalo beat writer had the chance to ask Beane whether he talks to Pegula every day?

It is not just a matter of whether they talk everyday or not. That matters, but it is the substance of the conversation that is much more important.

[Mango]

17 hours ago, Gatorman0519 said:

If anything Lindy has fully exposed the mental fragility and softness of this roster. We simply lack real NHL players. 

Could you imagine these snowcones under Torts. They’d go from not saluting fans to refusing to get out of their cars in the parking lots. 

[Pimlach]

10 hours ago, #freejame said:

The problem isn’t Lindy, but he’s not the solution either and he’s upgradable. 

Not directed at you, but many people have lost sight of the “upgradable” aspect of the game. Good teams get better all the time. We hang on to too many of our guys. It’s why Lindy is fifth all-time in wins to begin with. 

The problem with upgrading the HC right now is that the root cause of the problem is not fixed.   

Why does the Sabres organization continue to fail?  the answer is not Lindy Ruff.   You know the answer.  Fix the root cause.    

[DarthEbriate]

9 minutes ago, EM88 said:

And it either a smaller operation and/or something he feels he knows a lot about.

It is not just a matter of whether they talk everyday or not. That matters, but it is the substance of the conversation that is much more important.

Certainly, and would be a natural follow-up question. The cadence would be the introduction and least interesting part. More interesting would be Beane's proper GM-redirect response. "This is clearly a hockey-related question and you're in the wrong press conference...." and then what would he carefully add from there, if anything, in talking about Pegula.

[Billznut]

Morning skate cancelled. Ruff to meet with media shortly. 

[HumanSlinky39]

Team's in a death spiral and STILL no moves, eh Kev?

[Dreams Burn Down]

1 hour ago, HumanSlinky39 said:

Team's in a death spiral and STILL no moves, eh Kev?

[mjd1001]

On 12/10/2024 at 1:27 PM, SHAAAUGHT!!! said:

How is it 1:30pm the day after the 7th loss in a row, second blown lead going into the third, and Kevin Adams still has a job?  
 

It is now crystal clear the lack of accountability starts at the very top. 

Its not about Kevin Adams, it is about the entire Hockey department, and likely Pegula's very involvement in it.

I have not been, and still am not for firing Adams without making MASSIVE other changes at the same time. Fire Adams, and it may be worse, as it may be used as a 'temporary move of 'doing something'' when in reality it just keeps the status quo the same.

Edited December 11 by mjd1001

[HumanSlinky39]

18 minutes ago, Dreams Burn Down said:

OH MY GOD, THEY KILLED LINDY!

[Believer]

Rangers dominate in our own building. 16 hits to our 4.

Word is out we are easy to push around. Dahlin is missed.

Ruff has to be berserk.

[Believer]

Gretzky just trashed Power for not getting that puck cleared.

”6 foot 6”, 220 lbs. You gotta clear that puck.”

Somebody out to point that out to the kid. The Greatest isn’t impressed with your effort.

[French Collection]

5 hours ago, HumanSlinky39 said:

Team's in a death spiral and STILL no moves, eh Kev?

He’s digging foxholes and fixing bayonets.

[Believer]

Oops.

Wrong thread.

Get in the game Believer.

[#freejame]

10 hours ago, DarthEbriate said:

Since the palm presser, has any Buffalo beat writer had the chance to ask Beane whether he talks to Pegula every day?

Why would they do that?

 

 

/s

[bunomatic]

57 minutes ago, Believer said:

Rangers dominate in our own building. 16 hits to our 4.

Word is out we are easy to push around. Dahlin is missed.

Ruff has to be berserk.

The ‘ soft ‘ aspect of this club is by far the worst in my mind. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

So is 8 enough to get Adams fired?

[Stads]

1 minute ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

So is 8 enough to get Adams fired?

[Thorner]

I mean come on now 

[Broken Ankles]

1 hour ago, Stads said:

Betty Buckley - underrated SMILF. 

[Crusader1969]

Adams needs to be fired tomorrow

i honestly think the Sabres need to rid themselves of anyone and everyone that contributed to the Eichel fallout

that ***** still stinks around the league.  Players and agents haven't forgotten how he was treated by the organization 

the only hope is a full reset of the front office.  Without change in ownership, I don't know if it's enough but it would be a start 

Adams downfall will be 

1) not letting eichel get the surgery

2) not finding Power a partner 

3) Eric Comrie 

4) paying his core before he had to.   Only Tage has exceeded its value 

 

 

 

 

[DarthEbriate]

What do they talk about in their daily conversations? How they've finally succeeded? It only took 14 years, but they finally destroyed a good hockey fan base?

[GASabresIUFAN]

How long until they announce a return to video only scouting?

[bunomatic]

24 minutes ago, DarthEbriate said:

What do they talk about in their daily conversations? How they've finally succeeded? It only took 14 years, but they finally destroyed a good hockey fan base?

Cruel and unusual punishment. Really, how could they fukc this up so bad?

Edited December 12 by bunomatic

[KC Scouts]

Just sat there in my seats tonight (surrounded by Rangers fans... mind you) and all I did was bitch about how bad they are