Pine Barrens Mafia Posted July 8, 2010 Share Posted July 8, 2010 I think the reason people are upset is that the free agency period thus far indicates that the Sabres believe that their core group is good enough. The Connolly/Stafford/Pominville ship has sailed for most Sabres fans. The sample size is large enough now that we know what they are...Yet Darcy seems to continue with the "internal improvement" model that in his mind has Gaustad scoring 26 goals, and Connolly racking up 105 points. This management group wasted one elite goalie's prime. Hasek was an introvert and a dick, but can you blame him for wanting out of the Derek Plante-era Sabres? Ryan Miller is 30, and the Sabres aren't a gritty 4th-liner away from winning the Cup. A little urgency would be welcome, but that's asking a lot of Darcy. I appreciate that they're trying to add some missing ingredients, and I appreciate that the team gives an honest effort almost every night. But the stars shine in the playoffs. Perhaps Vanek's absence vs. Boston made the ineptness of Connolly/Roy/Stafford/Pommer more noticeable. Perhaps. But then again, at times Vanek is a guy who fits right into that group of having a Houdini tendencies. They were a very good team when Miller was great. When Miller was average, they were nothing special. The vibe of the whole season from the fans was trying to figure out exactly what this team was. They won a division, which is cause for a celebration, as that is not a regular occurance. But they also never TRULY felt like a contender. Who knows, perhaps Darcy tried to bundle some of the dead weight together and make some trades when Chicago had their fire sale, and the interest was minimal. It's certainly possible. Maybe the fax machine's broken again? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billsfan89 Posted July 8, 2010 Share Posted July 8, 2010 For the Bills maybe, but for the Sabres this is very uncharacteristic of them to bring in a veteran player (35 is not that old) with grit and tons of experience in big games. This is the type of deal that good teams make at the trade deadline, like acquiring a Bill Guerin or Mark Recchi type player. This definitely isn't the missing piece for the Sabres, but it's solid signing. Looks like they are at least making an effort to get a little tougher... The Devils signed him right at the end of their training camp. He is a role player that any teams needs. Its a small move that helps a team over 82 games. Trust me the guy is a valuable guy that does the dirty work and you guys always complained about the Sabers being soft and not gritty well this guy is exactly what you wanted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongLiveRalph Posted July 9, 2010 Share Posted July 9, 2010 I understand that but don't a lot of teams have better 3rd stringers than Lalime? Lalime's record with Buffalo has been rough, but his stats have been okay. He had a .907 save percentage last season, slightly above his .905 career average, and a respectable 2.81 GAA. I'm not sure what else you'd want out of your backup, especially at 1-year, $600,000. It is well documented and cannot be discounted of how well-liked Lalime is in the locker room, and he has a GREAT relationship with Miller. Did you notice the one person Miller specifically cited during his Vezina speech? Yep, Lalime. It's highly possible that Miller is the real reason this team won a division last year (remember, they also missed the playoffs the previous two years.) Perhaps the 18 players in front of the goalie just aren't that great. When Miller was average, the team usually lost. Lalime is just average. He's had his share of duds in the Buffalo net, but he's also taken plenty of losses that had very little to do with him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayFinkle Posted July 9, 2010 Share Posted July 9, 2010 The guy was also one of the best faceoff men in the NHL last year. We sucked at faceoffs. Problem solved. Love the signing, but faceoffs are not his strong suit. I believe he was only a 50% faceoff guy, literally. With that said, it is probably an improvement over what we were doing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrader Posted July 9, 2010 Share Posted July 9, 2010 Lalime's record with Buffalo has been rough, but his stats have been okay. He had a .907 save percentage last season, slightly above his .905 career average, and a respectable 2.81 GAA. I'm not sure what else you'd want out of your backup, especially at 1-year, $600,000. It is well documented and cannot be discounted of how well-liked Lalime is in the locker room, and he has a GREAT relationship with Miller. Did you notice the one person Miller specifically cited during his Vezina speech? Yep, Lalime. It's highly possible that Miller is the real reason this team won a division last year (remember, they also missed the playoffs the previous two years.) Perhaps the 18 players in front of the goalie just aren't that great. When Miller was average, the team usually lost. Lalime is just average. He's had his share of duds in the Buffalo net, but he's also taken plenty of losses that had very little to do with him. And with all the complaints about Lalime, they still managed to win the division last year with him on the team. Now I know people seem to hate that defense lately since they got bumped in the first round, but that result clearly can't be placed on his shoulders. Best case scenario with a better backup option last year, they wind up as the 2 seed instead of the 3. Then they're right back in the playoffs playing Philly in a series that he has no effect on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wooderson Posted July 9, 2010 Share Posted July 9, 2010 Unfortunately, they also resigned Lalime as backup goalie, so automatically pencil in 8-10 games in the loss column. Miller loves Lalime, probably the main reason they brought him back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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