GDT: Buffalo Sabres @ Toronto Maple Leafs 12/15/24--MSG, TSN--5PM Puck Drop

[LGR4GM]

Watched the highlights... 

[Thorner]

Franchise is hilarious tbh 

[ska-T Palmtown]

8 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

Which brings us back to xG numbers. If your xGF% is 40.8% and you consistently run with that, you will not and I mean WILL NOT, be a playoff team. That makes you a bottom feeder. I don't care about the boxscore last night, all the advanced metrics that we blab about show us 1 very important thing, Buffalo is a bottom 1/3 team in shot quality and hd chance creation. They simply do not get shots from the difficult areas at higher rates compared to their peers. 

Buuuuuuuuuuut - If I am reading that right, we WON vs the fancy stats. We scored 0.92 goals ABOVE expected while Toronto was 0.09 BELOW. Woo!

[MISabresFan]

On 12/16/2024 at 2:49 PM, PerreaultForever said:

That sounds nice but how? Seriously, how? 

If the GM rewards mediocrity with big contracts and doesn't make any big moves what control of the country club locker room does any coach have? None. The GM has to give the coach power to sit people and subtract people. He needs options and Ruff has very few. Who will he play if he sits Cozens? How will that be better? 

Seriously, you're the coach, what do you do?

It is not easy, never coached at that level but in HS and College (baseball).  It is a two way street - coach and GM (AD).  Coach doesn't need to play the contracts just the best players.  As a person / coach you have choices.  Replace Cozens - depends on what Ruff is looking for from his players.  There is always some one he can put in his place.  We are all replaceable.  Needs to communicate with the GM tell him - hey he has to go, I need this or that in a player, whatever it might be.  Communicate and do not waiver - be consistant.  They (players / locker room) will see right thru it if you dont.     

[PerreaultForever]

11 hours ago, MISabresFan said:

It is not easy, never coached at that level but in HS and College (baseball).  It is a two way street - coach and GM (AD).  Coach doesn't need to play the contracts just the best players.  As a person / coach you have choices.  Replace Cozens - depends on what Ruff is looking for from his players.  There is always some one he can put in his place.  We are all replaceable.  Needs to communicate with the GM tell him - hey he has to go, I need this or that in a player, whatever it might be.  Communicate and do not waiver - be consistant.  They (players / locker room) will see right thru it if you dont.     

That's what Torts did in Philly. He told Briere all the guys he wanted gone and I think they got rid of them all. They never gave a coach here that sort of input. As is, who does Ruff replace anybody with? Some other green rookie with limited or no NHL experience. That's not viable. So hands tied. 

[MISabresFan]

3 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

That's what Torts did in Philly. He told Briere all the guys he wanted gone and I think they got rid of them all. They never gave a coach here that sort of input. As is, who does Ruff replace anybody with? Some other green rookie with limited or no NHL experience. That's not viable. So hands tied. 

Would you prefer a Torts or Ruff right now?? Thats a coach's call, whether he uses a rookie, ahl lifer,   or not,.  There are always choices.  

[PerreaultForever]

7 hours ago, MISabresFan said:

Would you prefer a Torts or Ruff right now?? Thats a coach's call, whether he uses a rookie, ahl lifer,   or not,.  There are always choices.  

I'm on the record saying I was in favor of the Torts plan and I've been keeping an eye on Philly to compare rebuilds. At the point of the Risto trade Philly was a dire mess and then they tore down and started over under Torts Briere and Jones. Fans are getting impatient there but at the moment (although they are not good either) they look closer to me. 

Right now Ottawa seems to be the team ready to grab the moment. Ullmark is playing lights out for them and their confidence is growing. Sabres could and should have been them.