From Lucic to Noesen - The Sabre lack of backbone exposed again

[inkman]

1 hour ago, JP51 said:

I get that it could be coaching... or part of it.. it may be.. but I tend to agree with you... like, I watched Lindy Ruff play... Lindy understands the need to respond... I remember him taking an epic whoopin from Cam Neely in a response.. he didnt need to be told.... I think he understands the fragility of the team and is protecting it.. he had the luxury of not having to respond to our lack of response and a loss... which was possible... if the Devils got a 4th and won in OT, I suspect his response would be different... he had the luxury of pointing to the scoreboard... from my perspective hollow consolation... 

Bottom line, if you have to force a grown man to watch one of their best players and team mate get cheap shotted and do SOMETHING.... then you have a problem with roster construction not coaching necessarily... this is an immediate defense response that you have or you don't... you do not think about getting your @ss kicked you react to the attack and question your judgement later... (Lindy doesnt control that.. .he didnt tell the team prior... now boys.. if TT gets whacked with a cheap shot... back off)...  it happened and we didnt have the instinct to react... total roster construction.... 

Now, the necessary continuation of aggression through out the game that really deters these hits... that I would look more to the coach to say, I want their best player taken out of the play cleanly and hard every time... that also did not happen... so I see it as a combination... but I see it not as Ruff doesnt know more like he understands we are simply not capable... and fears that the escalation of aggression does not work in our favor over all. Back to team construction... back to the guys people are looking to get from us like Greenway, Cozens, Zucker etc... are the only ones that may have that in them... and it is valued...  we seem to find a player or two like that, identify it, and immediately get rid of them... See Marcus Foligno... et all... 

 

The guys you mentioned aren’t exactly who’d I’d want to seek retribution.  A real time on ice response, I can deal with those guys responding.  This roster as a whole still lacks the overall aggression a professional sports team requires. Hockey is a physical game, you need players that enjoy that part of the game. If you just draft a dozen shooters, well guess what you forgot?  Anyone who plays with any sort of edge.  I’m still lamenting the loss of Borgen.  A top 4 D that’ll hammer ya and drop the gloves in requisite fashion.   Instead we got 10 guys with lethal slippers.  To quote the enigmatic Derek Coleman, “Well whoopty damn do”. 

Edited 5 hours ago by inkman

[Weave]

Lethal Slippers would make an awesome band name.

[JP51]

38 minutes ago, inkman said:

The guys you mentioned aren’t exactly who’d I’d want to seek retribution.  A real time on ice response, I can deal with those guys responding.  This roster as a whole still lacks the overall aggression a professional sports team requires. Hockey is a physical game, you need players that enjoy that part of the game. If you just draft a dozen shooters, well guess what you forgot?  Anyone who plays with any sort of edge.  I’m still lamenting the loss of Borgen.  A top 4 D that’ll hammer ya and drop the gloves in requisite fashion.   Instead we got 10 guys with lethal slippers.  To quote the enigmatic Derek Coleman, “Well whoopty damn do”. 

Seriously, kinda scary thats literally the best we got...you can throw in Krebs and Benson... but seriously what are they gonna do...  so basically thats it... I mean maybe Dahlin has a little bit of a forced edge to him... but do you really want him in the box?  That would encourage teams LOL...   Malynstein if he is actually playing... might be a guy..  Gilbert ok... but they really dont want those guys on the ice for major minutes...  

[Porous Five Hole]

https://bsky.app/profile/llysowski.bsky.social/post/3lhehlvse7s2c
 

Quoting Lance since the post won’t embed.
 

The Sabres held a team meeting Monday to address that no one stood up for Tage Thompson after the hit by Stefan Noesen. Alex Tuch: "What happened last game won't happen again." Dylan Cozens: "I think there's a lot of guys who wish they were on the ice when that happened."

[Pimlach]

2 hours ago, inkman said:

I mean the exact same coach didn’t have to tell Ray, May and Barnaby what to do. Me thinks this lies a heck of a lot more on the players than the coach.  Having one or two guys on the bench “wanting to go” isn’t exactly where we need this team.  Every player needs to be like that.  It’s why you don’t build a roster of figure skaters. You need grown ass men who enjoy taking liberties with other players.  Guys that play with snarl and could lay out the opponent at any moment.  The Sabres have removed every single player that plays anything like that from their organization.  

My problem with this thought is that he had players that expressed to him that they wanted to go out there and respond and he stopped it.  Instead of letting them do it, which might actually have helped the group take another step toward being a tighter team, he put out the PP and he told them to get a goal. 

His plan was to "get even later",  but he thought they needed the goal first.  He said it and it is just so flawed.   

I object more to Lindy's thought process and his interview, than to what actually went down on the ice.  

[inkman]

9 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

My problem with this thought is that he had players that expressed to him that they wanted to go out there and respond and he stopped it.  Instead of letting them do it, which might actually have helped the group take another step toward being a tighter team, he put out the PP and he told them to get a goal. 

His plan was to "get even later",  but he thought they needed the goal first.  He said it and it is just so flawed.   

I object more to Lindy's thought process and his interview, than to what actually went down on the ice.  

And to then give up a shorty…

[Dreams Burn Down]

10 minutes ago, Porous Five Hole said:

https://bsky.app/profile/llysowski.bsky.social/post/3lhehlvse7s2c
 

Quoting Lance since the post won’t embed.
 

The Sabres held a team meeting Monday to address that no one stood up for Tage Thompson after the hit by Stefan Noesen. Alex Tuch: "What happened last game won't happen again." Dylan Cozens: "I think there's a lot of guys who wish they were on the ice when that happened."

These are simply words.  Show it on the ice.  They'll have their chance, too, as it won't be long before another player attempts a cheap shot against us.

[inkman]

15 minutes ago, Porous Five Hole said:

https://bsky.app/profile/llysowski.bsky.social/post/3lhehlvse7s2c
 

Quoting Lance since the post won’t embed.
 

The Sabres held a team meeting Monday to address that no one stood up for Tage Thompson after the hit by Stefan Noesen. Alex Tuch: "What happened last game won't happen again." Dylan Cozens: "I think there's a lot of guys who wish they were on the ice when that happened."

They can’t push that toothpaste back into the tube. Yall done ***** up.  Gonna have to live with the repercussions.  

[Porous Five Hole]

1 minute ago, Dreams Burn Down said:

These are simply words.  Show it on the ice.  They'll have their chance, too, as it won't be long before another player attempts a cheap shot against us.

1000% agree that the words are hollow. I didn’t want to opine on the quote in the same post, so I’m glad you said something. 
 

I guess I’m just left confused? I’m glad the players aren’t ignoring it.

But Lindy pretending he needed another goal first before a response on the ice is bonkers.  This team is cooked as constructed. 

[Stoner]

FTR on the ice... Zucker Power SamyooEL Kulich (per Bulldog on WGR).

On the ice: Tage.

[Porous Five Hole]

2 minutes ago, Stoner said:

FTR on the ice... Zucker Power SamyooEL Kulich (per Bulldog on WGR).

On the ice: Tage.

And Sammy got hurt watching Tage get hurt. You can’t make this stuff up.  

[xzy89c1]

On 2/3/2025 at 10:16 AM, GASabresIUFAN said:

Lindy cancelled practice today.  
 

 

If Harrington writes something it must be ignored. 

[LabattBlue]

It won’t happen again, until it happens again.   If you need a team meeting to address this, then don’t bother. 

[Stoner]

2 minutes ago, xzy89c1 said:

If Harrington writes something it must be ignored. 

Why?

He's basically the only truth teller left in Old Media.

[Mr. Allen]

40 minutes ago, Stoner said:

FTR on the ice... Zucker Power SamyooEL Kulich (per Bulldog on WGR).

On the ice: Tage.

How big is Power?  6’6”, 220?  And he’s that big of a wussy.  Dude missed out on having an older brother whoop up on him from time to time. 

[That Aud Smell]

1 hour ago, Porous Five Hole said:

And Sammy got hurt watching Tage get hurt. You can’t make this stuff up.  

He's a healthy scratch being afforded the courtesy of a phantom LBI designation.

[Weave]

Hot take

Mule is moved before next season, and his lack of response to the TT hit is a good part why.  In the past I’ve said I am concerned that his disappointing play has been related to giving up on the team.  I think his lack of response settles the idea in my head.  He doesn’t want to be here, and  Frackman don’t tolerate that.

 

Given Zucker’s response, I don’t think he’s coming back either, and becomes the #1 odds to be the Sabre moved out at the deadline.  He’s a mercenary.  I had hopes otherwise, but I don’t see him in the same light now.

[dudacek]

1 hour ago, Weave said:

Hot take

Mule is moved before next season, and his lack of response to the TT hit is a good part why.  In the past I’ve said I am concerned that his disappointing play has been related to giving up on the team.  I think his lack of response settles the idea in my head.  He doesn’t want to be here, and  Frackman don’t tolerate that.

 

Given Zucker’s response, I don’t think he’s coming back either, and becomes the #1 odds to be the Sabre moved out at the deadline.  He’s a mercenary.  I had hopes otherwise, but I don’t see him in the same light now.

 

I don't necessarily agree about the doesn't want to be here part, but everything else about Samuelsson seems spot on to me.

The reason he's not playing tonight is coming out of the team meeting, not any bumps or bruises suffered against Jersey.

And thank you for the Zucker observation. I'm not saying he's nothing but a mercenary, but there's a real tendency toward 'emperor has no clothes' thinking about certain players around here. No Sabre was closer to the Tage hit than Zucker.

Edited 1 hour ago by dudacek

[DarthEbriate]

2 hours ago, Weave said:

Hot take

Mule is moved before next season, and his lack of response to the TT hit is a good part why.  In the past I’ve said I am concerned that his disappointing play has been related to giving up on the team.  I think his lack of response settles the idea in my head.  He doesn’t want to be here, and  Frackman don’t tolerate that.

 

Given Zucker’s response, I don’t think he’s coming back either, and becomes the #1 odds to be the Sabre moved out at the deadline.  He’s a mercenary.  I had hopes otherwise, but I don’t see him in the same light now.

It's odd from Zucker, because earlier this season he got in retaliation fight. Based on PIMs it was either vs. the Kings or Islanders.

[CallawaySabres]

The spittenchiclets video of those ex hockey players talking about how pathetic the lack of response was....i mean, wow. It is actually embarrassing to be a fan of this team. They actually said they were angry watching it because they could not believe how spineless the whole team acted. 

They went on to say that if that ever happened to a team like Florida, there would have been 5 suspensions and Tkachuk would have taken his skate blade and sliced somebody. Thank goodness someone came out and said exactly how I feel. 

This Sabres team is gutless, talentless and I hope they get f$%#%*$ obliterated tonight (physically and on the scoreboard.)

 

[spndnchz]

2 hours ago, Weave said:

Hot take

Mule is moved before next season, and his lack of response to the TT hit is a good part why.  In the past I’ve said I am concerned that his disappointing play has been related to giving up on the team.  I think his lack of response settles the idea in my head.  He doesn’t want to be here, and  Frackman don’t tolerate that.

 

Given Zucker’s response, I don’t think he’s coming back either, and becomes the #1 odds to be the Sabre moved out at the deadline.  He’s a mercenary.  I had hopes otherwise, but I don’t see him in the same light now.

I seriously don’t think he wants to play Anywhere. 

[That Aud Smell]

52 minutes ago, dudacek said:

The reason he's not playing tonight is coming out of the team meeting, not any bumps or bruises suffered against Jersey.

Ding, ding, ding.

That said, how pathetic is it that he's being given the LBI cover? Just say he's a healthy scratch. JFC.

40 minutes ago, DarthEbriate said:

It's odd from Zucker, because earlier this season he got in retaliation fight. Based on PIMs it was either vs. the Kings or Islanders.

I'm open to the idea that Zucker was trying to be a paternal veteran and cover for the shmucks.

23 minutes ago, CallawaySabres said:

This Sabres team is gutless, talentless and I hope they get f$%#%*$ obliterated tonight (physically and on the scoreboard.)

Plenty of talent. Which is what makes the gutlessness so frustrating.

[Pimlach]

2 hours ago, Weave said:

Hot take

Mule is moved before next season, and his lack of response to the TT hit is a good part why.  In the past I’ve said I am concerned that his disappointing play has been related to giving up on the team.  I think his lack of response settles the idea in my head.  He doesn’t want to be here, and  Frackman don’t tolerate that.

 

Given Zucker’s response, I don’t think he’s coming back either, and becomes the #1 odds to be the Sabre moved out at the deadline.  He’s a mercenary.  I had hopes otherwise, but I don’t see him in the same light now.

I agree on Muel.   He just does not play like someone who cares and he was like that before Lindy got here.  I wonder who decided he gets an A?  Coaches, Adams, Players?    What a poor selection.   

Muel looked like he was in agony in the post game interview. 

So, it seems he was called out in the team meeting and he is now a healthy scratch.  Watching the video, Noesen was under the control of an official. But  Siegenthaler was there to keep anyone away and goading Samuelsson into engaging with him, he even shoved his stick at him, and Muel wanted no part.   Very sad to see this as we thought he showed a lot of promise in those first 57 games.  

Zucker, he seemed to be parroting his coach during his interview, he focused on the 2 points.  It is hard for me to understand were he is really coming from and if he really believes that.