GDT: Buffalo Sabres @ Carolina Hurricanes, 7 pm ET, 27 February 2025, TV FDSNSO, MSG-B, FDSNSO, Radio WGR AM 55

[gilbert11]

6 hours ago, Pimlach said:

Smashing sticks and it’s only the 2nd period. 

Byram doesn’t play much defense.  

We have too many offensive defensemen.   They’re fine in supporting an offense that’s 13th in goals scored, but when goals against has you ranked 23rd, you’re not going to win a lot.   I’m sick of watching games like today where an opponent has an easy goal alone right in front of the net.   If Power is not going to use his hulk of a body, he’s worthless.
 

The offense of 2 seasons ago was fun to watch , despite still not being enough to make the playoffs.   Last year’s team was not fun at all to watch.  This team is about in the middle of the two.  Sometimes there’s enough offense to be in and win some games and be entertaining.    Other times, being dominated offensively and defensively is not entertaining.

[bob_sauve28]

3 hours ago, Sidc3000 said:

Being positive, you should try it. It's gotten me far in life. 

Sit around and grouse, moan and complain, ya, winning traits 🤣

[bob_sauve28]

8 hours ago, CallawaySabres said:

I did not get to watch the game but they lost 5 to 2 and only had 15 shots on net? That sounds like a pretty pathetic performance to me.

Oh you didn't watch, ok 

[LGR4GM]

It's kinda fun watching recency bias in motion. 

[Archie Lee]

On goal one, Gilbert can’t transition up ice before we have secured a clear zone exit. Goal two looked like a bad bounce for Byram. Neither goal is one you can blame on your goalie, but I’m sure UPL would want at least one back. I think his technique has slipped this year and he is opening up too often and easily. This is likely a confidence issue caused by plays like this happening far too frequently. Goal 3 came after the soft penalty on Benson (as someone else asked, doesn’t the opponent actually have to trip for there to be a tripping penalty?). We had a terrible start against pretty much the last team you want to have a terrible start against. 

[Archie Lee]

1 minute ago, LGR4GM said:

It's kinda fun watching recency bias in motion. 

I think there is a lot of that. There will be legit contenders who will have similar games in Carolina before the season is out. Actually, Carolina has been scuffling lately before this game.

In the small picture, it’s just a loss in an 82 game season. The problem with the Sabres though, is that it can be real difficult to not see any loss or setback in the context of 14 years out of the playoffs. It is why it is so important to end that streak. It is why it has been an enormous error by our owner and GM to not make ending the streak a maximum and ultimate priority. Losing will always negatively impact a culture. Winning is the answer.  

[Wyldnwoody44]

48 minutes ago, bob_sauve28 said:

Being positive, you should try it. It's gotten me far in life. 

Sit around and grouse, moan and complain, ya, winning traits 🤣

Idk man, I'm pretty salty and I do ok 😜😂

Also, womp.

They are who we thought they were. Nice rah rah story, but this team doesn't have the chops. 

[CallawaySabres]

1 hour ago, bob_sauve28 said:

Oh you didn't watch, ok 

I was planning on it and then saw that it was two to nothing on my phone and my son and I went straight to Game of Thrones the rest the night. 
 

I refuse to watch them when they clearly look like it will be a disappointing showing.

[sabremike]

1 hour ago, Archie Lee said:

I think there is a lot of that. There will be legit contenders who will have similar games in Carolina before the season is out. Actually, Carolina has been scuffling lately before this game.

In the small picture, it’s just a loss in an 82 game season. The problem with the Sabres though, is that it can be real difficult to not see any loss or setback in the context of 14 years out of the playoffs. It is why it is so important to end that streak. It is why it has been an enormous error by our owner and GM to not make ending the streak a maximum and ultimate priority. Losing will always negatively impact a culture. Winning is the answer.  

Big picture: We are bottom of the east and 4th from bottom overall. We somehow are out of the playoff race in a year where almost every team in the east still has a shot. 

[sabremike]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

It's kinda fun watching recency bias in motion. 

By recency bias you mean people being conned into thinking this team isn't complete garbage by a small run of good results every single team has every season correct?

[klos1963]

11 hours ago, bob_sauve28 said:

Oh well, I still like the way they played tonight. They acted like they belonged. 

Outshot 37-15 .

Belonged where?

[bob_sauve28]

4 minutes ago, klos1963 said:

Outshot 37-15 .

Belonged where?

They lost to a really good team in their rink. So what? 

They are young and getting better. Love this team 

[LGR4GM]

25 minutes ago, sabremike said:

By recency bias you mean people being conned into thinking this team isn't complete garbage by a small run of good results every single team has every season correct?

No, I mean ppl talking about how awesome the team was after Anaheim and than going on chicken little after the loss to Carolina. The team is bad, they won't make the playoffs, we know why. 

[Pimlach]

13 hours ago, sabremike said:

Big picture: We are bottom of the east and 4th from bottom overall. We somehow are out of the playoff race in a year where almost every team in the east still has a shot. 

The somehow is the 13 game losing streak.  Dahlin was hurt or out, Power and Byram failed to pick up the slack back there, I can through Mule in there too.  All of them play defense poorly.  We have Dahlin so having both Byram and Power is redundant.   One of them should be traded.  Of the two, I would move Byram.  Power still has more potential should he decide to get stronger and grow a pair. 

The other thing about the losing streak is the coaching and front office.  I recall a lot of panic, extra days off, lots of line shuffling, and of course the lack of a GM move culminated by Terry's pep talk in Montreal.   The whole organization from players, coaches, GM, owner is responsible for another ruined season.  

The key players that I could move on from are: Byram, Muel, Cozens and probably Quinn. 

Edited Saturday at 03:10 AM by Pimlach

[Drag0nDan]

11 hours ago, EM88 said:

J.J.Peterka has played the majority of his minutes this season with Either Tage Thompson or Dylan Cozens as his center.

With Tage Thompson as his center and Peterka on the ice, the team has a +22 goal differential this season.

With Dylan Cozens as his center and Peterka on the ice, the team has a -8 goal differential.

With Anyone else other than those 2 with Peterka, in limited minutes, the team has a +5 goal differential.

His production and overall play changes quite a bit depending who he shares the ice with.  As is the case with many players on this team, Peterka is a big time postive player for this team when not forced to share the ice with Cozens.

Watching last night, i tried to really watch cozens when he was on the ice and man... He is really rough.  He's sloppy in puck battles.  Never has a plan it seems.  Consistently trying to pass pucks through the other team.  It's a real drag.  The entire line he plays with seems to be unable to ever find any space.  

Even when he makes a nice play on the backcheck - he turns it over on the breakout.  It's just a really chaotic (mostly bad) experience watching him right now.  

 

[Sidc3000]

3 hours ago, bob_sauve28 said:

Being positive, you should try it. It's gotten me far in life. 

Sit around and grouse, moan and complain, ya, winning traits 🤣

I’m generally positive in life. I can be positive about some of the players on the team. I won’t be positive for the team as a whole. The team is not good at all hence why they’re 29th in the league. 

40 minutes ago, Drag0nDan said:

Watching last night, i tried to really watch cozens when he was on the ice and man... He is really rough.  He's sloppy in puck battles.  Never has a plan it seems.  Consistently trying to pass pucks through the other team.  It's a real drag.  The entire line he plays with seems to be unable to ever find any space.  

Even when he makes a nice play on the backcheck - he turns it over on the breakout.  It's just a really chaotic (mostly bad) experience watching him right now.  

 

Well worth the $49 million the Sabres will eventually pay for him

 

 

[Archie Lee]

42 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

The somehow is the 13 game losing streak.  Dahlin was hurt or out, Power and Byram failed to pick up the slack back there, I can through Mule in there too.  All of them play defense poorly.  We have Dahlin so having both Byram and Power is redundant.   One of them should be traded.  Of the two, I would move Byram.  Power still has more potential should he decide to get stronger and grow a pair. 

The other thing about the losing streak is the coaching and front office.  I recall a lot of panic, extra days off, lots of line shuffling, and of course the lack of a GM move culminated by Terry's pep talk in Montreal.   The whole organization from players, coaches, GM, owner is responsible for another ruined season.  

The key player that I could easily move on from are: Byram, Muel, Cozens and probably Quinn. 

Looking back at the losing streak, the Adams press conference was after game 4 I think. It was a low point among many low points for the franchise. I am certain that having your GM come out and say that the team’s environment is so bad (losing, geography, financial opportunity) that he can’t get good players to agree to join the team, had to be demoralizing. This was a factor in the streak lasting as long as it did, in my view.  

Years ago, another team that I follow in a different sport, was in a similar position of being a league doormat for years. They do not play in a destination city. They somehow convinced a veteran coach with a winning track record to take the vacant HC position. When he was asked why he took a seemingly thankless job in an undesirable location, he stated:  “I’m a coach, not a tourist.”  That’s what I would like a Sabre veteran to say.  It would have no credibility coming from Adams. I want a player to say “I signed here because it’s a great place to live. I want to play where the game matters. I can get all the palm trees and sunshine I want in the off-season and when my career is over.  If you don’t want to come here, FU. I’m sick of this loser mentality”.

It’s going to take someone to stand up and change the culture. Adams had his chance. 

[Sidc3000]

42 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

The somehow is the 13 game losing streak.  Dahlin was hurt or out, Power and Byram failed to pick up the slack back there, I can through Mule in there too.  All of them play defense poorly.  We have Dahlin so having both Byram and Power is redundant.   One of them should be traded.  Of the two, I would move Byram.  Power still has more potential should he decide to get stronger and grow a pair. 

The other thing about the losing streak is the coaching and front office.  I recall a lot of panic, extra days off, lots of line shuffling, and of course the lack of a GM move culminated by Terry's pep talk in Montreal.   The whole organization from players, coaches, GM, owner is responsible for another ruined season.  

The key player that I could easily move on from are: Byram, Muel, Cozens and probably Quinn. 

UPL definitely isn’t playing like a #1. Lindy did him a huge solid pulling him after 2 goals to help his sv%

[LGR4GM]

2 of Byram, Power, Jokiharju, and Samuelsson need to go. How Adams accomplish that, is not my problem.

I'd pick 1 of Power or Byram, and I will ship out Muel because he never stays healthy and frees up cap. 

[HumanSlinky39]

1 hour ago, Pimlach said:

The somehow is the 13 game losing streak.  Dahlin was hurt or out, Power and Byram failed to pick up the slack back there, I can through Mule in there too.  All of them play defense poorly.  We have Dahlin so having both Byram and Power is redundant.   One of them should be traded.  Of the two, I would move Byram.  Power still has more potential should he decide to get stronger and grow a pair. 

The other thing about the losing streak is the coaching and front office.  I recall a lot of panic, extra days off, lots of line shuffling, and of course the lack of a GM move culminated by Terry's pep talk in Montreal.   The whole organization from players, coaches, GM, owner is responsible for another ruined season.  

The key player that I could easily move on from are: Byram, Muel, Cozens and probably Quinn. 

Until Adams is shown the door, hearing that they were given the day off after Uncle Terry's pep talk will be the exact moment I knew without a doubt this team was going nowhere with the current regime. They had just lost their tenth straight and took a day off which of course was followed by a 6-1 drubbing to Montreal. That's what happens when you're not a serious hockey organization.

Despite recent indications of some growth, I still think this is a fatally flawed roster and will never sniff the playoffs as currently constructed. I've softened on my stance of it being necessary to move on from Lindy following the season. Last night wasn't pretty, but they've still won 6/8 and are playing better in the aggregate this month. If this can continue until the end of the season, I'm on board Lindy getting another year. But, we still need a new GM and I would love to see a restructuring of the FO to include bringing in a serious POHO. Somebody needs to implement some accountability within the organization and it starts with firing the guy that built this roster in his image only to see yet another season of fits and starts and overall failure.

Edited Friday at 04:13 PM by HumanSlinky39

[spndnchz]

Excecut  not there

thats on the coach. That’s the players 

[Drag0nDan]

1 hour ago, Sidc3000 said:

I’m generally positive in life. I can be positive about some of the players on the team. I won’t be positive for the team as a whole. The team is not good at all hence why they’re 29th in the league. 

Well worth the $49 million the Sabres will eventually pay for him

 

 

I always think - at least tage is underpaid for pretty much the same time so it balances out a little bit.  Like if Tage got 10M AAV, and Cozens was at 4M it wouldn't feel like such a huge waste of money.  I'm just not sure where to go with the player, he's never been a good shooter, his passing is so-so, and his on-ice vision has cratered.  

Him and Quinn are roughly the same age... but there's 2 extra seasons worth of games for Cozens that just suggests that this is just who he is.  With Quinn, he seems small and lost out there (like he doesn't feel confident on where he needs to be).  But he is a solid shooter, seems to be a fairly good skater, which is something to build around.  He's had some injuries as well that seem to have stunted his development.  I'm not sure what you can build from cozens other than a bottom 6 winger, which is not a good use of 49 million.    

[EM88]

2 hours ago, Drag0nDan said:

Watching last night, i tried to really watch cozens when he was on the ice and man... He is really rough.  He's sloppy in puck battles.  Never has a plan it seems.  Consistently trying to pass pucks through the other team.  It's a real drag.  The entire line he plays with seems to be unable to ever find any space.  

Even when he makes a nice play on the backcheck - he turns it over on the breakout.  It's just a really chaotic (mostly bad) experience watching him right now.  

 

Agree.

He basically plays pond hockey. He either does not want to play in a system or is incapable of.

[Drag0nDan]

Just now, EM88 said:

Agree.

He basically plays pond hockey. He either does not want to play in a system or is incapable of.

[bob_sauve28]

2 hours ago, Sidc3000 said:

I’m generally positive in life. I can be positive about some of the players on the team. I won’t be positive for the team as a whole. The team is not good at all hence why they’re 29th in the league. 

Well worth the $49 million the Sabres will eventually pay for him

 

 

Young team! They will

get better