GDT: Blue Jackets @ Sabres Feb 4, 2025 7:00PM

[Pimlach]

1 hour ago, Carmel Corn said:

Somebody more talented than me should create another rafter banner that says “Youngest team in the league for 14 years”

Can you imagine if the Phantom Sign Makers were still around and allowed to make their signs?  

[Porous Five Hole]

2 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Who would have thought that Lindy makes a coaching decision that hurts building the team culture.  At the star of the season I would not think it is true but Lindy is done.   He needs to go.  

 

I started a thread saying Lindy has lost his fastball and wow did people disagree. But more people are agreeing with me now. 
 

I love Lindy, but this train has derailed.  It’s time. 

[That Aud Smell]

17 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

I still don't know if the fight did much to change him.

Most things about him were the same before the fight and after:  Shots per game, high danger chances, ice time, clutch scoring (or lack of it), hits, usage (PK and PP), his stats on skating speed, 'speed burts'...so many things are the same, or very close before the fight and after the fight.

Only one single thing changed in a meaningful way from the year before...his shooting percentage.  I mean, is it possible that the fight impacted just his ability to shoot accurately and nothing else?   I guess, maybe? Its strange that would be the only measurable impacted:

Cozens shooting percentage 2022-23:  14.7% (81 games))

Cozens shooting pre-fight 2023-23:  14.3% (11 games)

Cozens shooting post fight: 8.4% (120 games)

Yeah. I don't think I'm talking about stats. But thanks for digging those up.

He was on track to having a game that features real grit and snarl -- and an occasional spirited bout when circumstances required it.

Not so much anymore.

[CallawaySabres]

48 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Matthew Fairburn‬ ‪@matthewfairburn.bsky.social‬

"The Sabres addressed the lack of response to the hit on Tage Thompson in a team meeting. Alex Tuch and Dylan Cozens both were emphatic in saying that won't happen again. Cozens said there were a lot of guys who wished they were on the ice when it happened."

Too

Late...

[matter2003]

11 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

I believe this.  

Who would have thought that Lindy makes a coaching decision that hurts building the team culture.  At the star of the season I would not think it is true but Lindy is done.   He needs to go.  

 

 

Yes...and bring whatever other coach in that will not be able to do anything but lose with this same group of players just like every coach brought in since it started has.  When are you going to WAKE UP and realize it ain't the coaches that are the problem here.

[shrader]

My lunch today is order #72. He’s playing. 

[Stoner]

11 minutes ago, shrader said:

My lunch today is order #72. He’s playing. 

Don't eat the clam strips... unless you also want to be down and out later.

[WhenWillItEnd66]

Did Clifton play last game?? I do not remember

[Broken Ankles]

Dearest Rachel,

  I take pen in hand beneath the dim glow of candlelight, the winter wind howling through the barren trees as though mourning all that has passed. But alas, this season has been naught but a test of my endurance, each game a fresh skirmish upon my spirit. We fight as though possessed of valor, yet fortune, cruel mistress that she is, oft forsakes us. The barracks stand as a lone sentinel, besieged without reprieve, and though our young warriors wield their sticks with all the might of seasoned soldiers, the enemy is ever relentless. Though the battles rage on, and I am weary from the illegality of hits sustained in our last contest. Yet, my love, I must confess that my heart is torn by matters beyond our pending fight against the Ohio brigade.  I now question the loyalty of my own men. Specifically First Lieutenant Samuelsson. The decision to not engage in coercion or a flanking maneuver is troubling. I expect less if anything from Corporal Power or Private Kulich, based on their age and experience. I also have misgivings about General Ruff for a decision to not attack the weakest of our enemy with a small infantry lead by Sargent Gilbert.  Our resolve is weak in body and mind.  

 I know not how much longer this campaign shall keep me from you, but let it be known that no distance nor despair shall dim my devotion to you, to our home or to my  fans.  

Captain Tage Thomas

100th volunteer infantry regiment

[Hawerchuk]

Sabres will pull off the upset on my birthday. 4 in a row,  here we go!!

[WhenWillItEnd66]

The BJ's are in horrible shape health wise. Buffalo needs to take it to them hard for 60 minutes and they got themselves a 4th win in a row.

[matter2003]

4 minutes ago, WhenWillItEnd66 said:

The BJ's are in horrible shape health wise. Buffalo needs to take it to them hard for 60 minutes and they got themselves a 4th win in a row.

Won't matter...they are going to be stopped at win #3 like a brick wall.

[...]

3 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

Tage Thompson is not on the ice for the morning skate. But hey, Lindy got his win. 

These are not causal events and aren't worth connecting: Tommy Dangles being hit and possibly out of tonight's game isn't the foundation of the complaint that the team is soft and prioritized a win over a response to the hit. It's the response (or lack thereof) that leads to the complaint. The hit exists separately from the response, so I don't see how the hit itself can be tied to the win.

To elaborate, Dangles was hit regardless of what would happen afterward. The team could have responded and still won, then would there be a complaint? I'm sure someone would find a way to complain about it.

If the team had lost (without responding), then they'd be accused of being twice as soft because no one responded to the hit on Dangles and the episode caused them to mentally crumple.

If the team responded and then lost, then someone would complain that the team should have let winning the game be the response. And what if one of our softies was injured while responding, or someone did something dumb to be suspended, or both - which is highly likely, frankly. Now someone would complain that winning should have been the response and that Lindy must be losing his mind because he sacrificed players X and Y in addition to Dangles for a culture-building exercise ("whatever that is," the complainant would interject) when they need wins badly.

 

Edited February 4 by ...

[North Buffalo]

1 hour ago, Pimlach said:

I believe this.  

Who would have thought that Lindy makes a coaching decision that hurts building the team culture.  At the start of the season I did not think it is true but Lindy is done.   He needs to go.  

 

dont bother unless you get rid of Adams

[pi2000]

Team, family, warriors—today, we stand on the edge of something extraordinary. Four games.  A chance to prove to ourselves and to the world that we are unstoppable. This isn’t just about winning; it’s about creating a legacy. It’s about showing up, again and again, and refusing to accept anything less than greatness.

Let’s be clear: winning one game takes talent. Winning two takes focus. Winning three takes heart. But winning four? That takes something deeper. That takes an unbreakable spirit. That takes a team that refuses to quit, no matter the odds, no matter the pressure, no matter the noise.

Think about what’s at stake here. Four wins in a row isn’t just a number—it’s a statement. It’s a declaration that we are a force to be reckoned with. It’s proof that when we come together, when we fight for each other, when we give everything we have, there’s nothing we can’t achieve.

But let’s not sugarcoat it—this won’t be easy. Nothing worth achieving ever is. There will be moments when the pressure feels overwhelming. There will be times when doubt creeps in. There will be challenges that test us, push us, and force us to dig deeper than we ever have before. But here’s the thing: we’ve already done the hard part. We’ve already proven we have what it takes. Now, it’s about finishing what we started.

This is our moment. This is our time. And I need every single one of you to believe—not just in yourselves, but in each other. Look around you. These are your brothers. This is your family. And when we fight for each other, when we trust each other, when we leave everything on the ice for each other, there’s no limit to what we can accomplish.

So, let’s break this down. One play at a time. One shift at a time. One period at a time. We don’t need to focus on four wins right now. We just need to focus on this game. The next moment. Because if we take care of the little things, the big things will take care of themselves.

And when we win that first period, we’ll build momentum. When we win the second, we’ll build confidence.  And when we win the third? We’ll build a legacy. A legacy of resilience, of determination, of excellence. A legacy that will inspire everyone who comes after us.

So, let’s go out there and give it everything we’ve got. Let’s play with passion, with purpose, and with pride. Let’s show the world what this team is made of. Let’s make history.

Four games. Four wins. One team. One mission. Let’s do this together.

Now, who’s ready to fight for four? Let’s go!

Edited February 4 by pi2000

[That Aud Smell]

4 minutes ago, pi2000 said:

Team, family, warriors—today, we stand on the edge of something extraordinary. Four games. Four opportunities. 

....

Now, who’s ready to fight for four? Let’s go!

Like, what happened to you, dude? 

I'd lay even odds that some other hockey fan managed to hijack this account.

[Weave]

4 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

Like, what happened to you, dude? 

I'd lay even odds that some other hockey fan managed to hijack this account.

Fever dreams from the same bug that is ravaging the Blue Jackets.

[LGR4GM]

1 hour ago, CallawaySabres said:

Too

Late...

 

[Stoner]

35 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

Like, what happened to you, dude? 

I'd lay even odds that some other hockey fan managed to hijack this account.

I think the boredom of being a Sabres fan is so searing (lightly pan frying?) that it has born from its tenderloins some of the juiciest...

Ah ***** it.

Edited February 4 by Stoner

[PromoTheRobot]

2 hours ago, inkman said:

Yes and yes 

Queue (Cue?) up a big fat Sabres loss 

Not only are the Sabres winning tonight, they will win Saturday in Nashville and go into the break on a 5-game tear.

[steveoath]

Boo jackets, go sabres. 
 

Rosen double hat trick

[Pimlach]

1 minute ago, matter2003 said:

 

Yes...and bring whatever other coach in that will not be able to do anything but lose with this same group of players just like every coach brought in since it started has.  When are you going to WAKE UP and realize it ain't the coaches that are the problem here.

I'm awake.   It appears your terse response is telling me you blame the players? 

On the surface that is a pretty easy conclusion but looking at a macro level I disagree with it.  Over the years the players are the only thing that has come out of the organization that is good.  Look at all the good players in the league that came up as a Sabre.  You can make an ALL Star team out of former Sabres.  I believe there are still many good players on this roster.  

I blame Ownership and the Front Office above all else.  If you ask me if I prefer to keep the players or the coaches, that is easy, I'll keep the players.  The roster is not good enough but moving some of the current players and some of the prospects to add what they need is very doable for the right GM.  A complete rebuild is not needed, the last rebuild has not been finished yet.  

This current coaching staff with Lindy and Granato's holdovers have done a very poor job by any measure.   This season the team is worse than last.  They were supposed to learn accountability under Lindy.   The lesson - accountability is worth less than two points.  

There is the age old adage in sports that you can't fire all the players, so you fire the coach.  Lindy didn't create the mess but he isn't showing he can fix it either.  

Is this a strong Sabres roster?  No.   Are there some good players on the current roster?  Absolutely yes.  I have no doubt at all that many of the players on this team can go somewhere else and have good or even great careers.  

Conversely I have serious doubts that Appert, Wilford, Ellis and whoever else they have will ever become a successful NHL HC.  

 

[inkman]

35 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Not only are the Sabres winning tonight, they will win Saturday in Nashville and go into the break on a 5-game tear.

And still be in last place in the conference.  What difference does it make?  They threw the season away losing 13 in a row.  Every person who has ever said the word Sabres should have been fired 10 times over.  What on Earth are we doing here? 

[inkman]

If there is some exaggerated over the top feistiness from the Sabres tonight, I’m going to laugh out loud.  It would be so Sabres to get called out and then have Peyton Krebs fight Zack Aston-Reese at puck drop.  

[Dreams Burn Down]

7 minutes ago, inkman said:

What on Earth are we doing here?