Buffalo Sabres and NHL 2024-2025

[BADOLBILZ]

7 minutes ago, BillsFan4 said:

Nah, **** that. I still don’t want the team to be sold and moved. The team belongs to Buffalo, just as much as the Bills. This is a great hockey market. Its just been put through 14 years of crap.

 

Literally all Pegula needs to do is just take a ******* step back, hire competent experienced hockey people and stay out of their way. If he truly wants to win as bad as he supposedly says he does, he would do it.

 

 

I honestly believe that the Bills turnaround really started with the Bills mafia stuff.   I initially hated the goofy "mafia" moniker but having watched(in person many times) how the north side of Chicago kept the pathetic Cubs franchise alive by turning games into nothing more than a social event.....and thriving...... I always felt it was imperative for Bills fans to also somehow identify as a separate entity from the team.   It changed the dynamic of how the team and players viewed the fans.   Then the team wanted to profit from that fan solidarity and the players wanted to perform for it.  

 

There is a dynamic in place where the Sabres suck continues to mount and the fans feel increasingly victimized and then their voiced frustration only adds to the toxicity.   We saw it last year when the players were refusing to acknowledge the fans after games because they were bitter about booing.   With so many games I know that it's harder for hockey fans to separate themselves from the results while still supporting the franchise.   But that's the approach that's needed, IMO.  The organization is a joke........so don't take it seriously.   Unite around something different than the performance and results.   Easier said than done but it's been proven to work.   

[Jauronimo]

On 12/7/2024 at 4:37 PM, TheCockSportif said:

So, here's my own "where I'm (at)" thing regarding the Sabres.

 

The Bills have always been my team, and that's non-negotiable.

 

The Sabres?  Stallions?  Braves?  Just kinda there.

 

The Sabres had three major periods in their lifecycle, or at least in my life (yeah, I guess that they had their moments in the early 1970s, but I was still enjoying teet at that time), and those were:

  - early 1980s

  - mid to late 1990s

  - early to mid 2000s

 

Along that time you got Rigas and Knox and Golisano and so on.  Not one of these people could (or would) right the ship.

 

Outside of that, the Sabres have been a non factor.  Sell the team, and move it.

No one is interested in the opinions of people who do not care whether there is a team in town.  Politely ***** off to another forum.

On 12/7/2024 at 5:34 PM, BillsPride12 said:

This pains me to say it but we might be more respected by not having a team at all than trotting out the garbage product they have for the last 14 years.

 

I've never been a sell the team guy but it is starting to feel like this organization is broken beyond repair.

Respected as what?  Is that your motivation in sports? Respect from other fans or talking heads?  

 

Nonsense.

[EmotionallyUnstable]

“Lindy is back!”

 

who cares. 

[zow2]

Terry, for the love of the city please sell the Sabres.  Been asking you nicely for 3 years now.  Any other owner by sheer accident would have a better team. and if they get sold and moved so be it.  This has been embarrassing for years now.

[QCity]

Another 3rd period collapse for 7 losses in a row. 😬

[Tiberius]

It's not easy being a Sabres fan 🥲

[BillsFan4]

11 hours ago, QCity said:

Another 3rd period collapse for 7 losses in a row. 😬

You could literally see the panic set into their game in the 3rd period, even before Detroit scored to make it a 1 goal game.

 

4 shots on goal in the entire 3rd period.

 

Zucker looked like one of the only players not *****ing his pants in the 3rd. Just hammers home the point that this team needs more good veteran players. And zucker’s not even that great, but he’s been one of their best players.

 

its criminal that more good veteran players haven’t been brought in to surround this “core”. 

[US Egg]

That the Sabres had a string of top player malcontents, Vanek, O’Reilly and Eichel, seems unprecedented. Vanek was a crybaby and the other two clearly sent a message that they felt it sucked here. I often wondered how their attitudes reverberated in the locker room and how far it carried league wide as a negative reflection on the Sabres organization.

I can’t speak to the integrity of this roster, but there’s a longstanding stigma of some kind here that can’t be shook. 

[Gregg]

Looks like the Panthers will be hosting the outdoor game next season at the Miami Marlins stadium.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nhl/nhl-could-have-outdoor-game-in-unlikely-location-next-season-report/ar-AA1vGUnB?ocid=entnewsntp&pc=U531&cvid=dad02c0ff610480d9c5dcbc38203aacf&ei=10

 

I remember an article about a year ago where Bettman said the league will have the Sabres host one once the Bills new stadium is finished.

Edited December 11 by Gregg

[QCity]

Float around for 50 minutes, play hard for the last 10.

 

Man Ruff looks pissed, he had no idea how heartless this team is. I wonder if he'll pull a Vonte Davis this year and just retire after the 1st period, never to be seen again.

[Jauronimo]

2 hours ago, QCity said:

Float around for 50 minutes, play hard for the last 10.

 

Man Ruff looks pissed, he had no idea how heartless this team is. I wonder if he'll pull a Vonte Davis this year and just retire after the 1st period, never to be seen again.

It was a listless first period, a so-so second, and I thought they played an excellent 3rd period but by that point one fluky goal and they were pretty much sunk.  Too many chances allowed and too many chances for without enough to show for it. 

 

Losing 8 games in a row when 7 were at home is typical of a team that insists on doing everything the hard way.  Accountability has arrived.  Doesn't look like it suits them any better than whatever Granato was running.  I don't think its the coaching.

[oldmanfan]

I live outside Indy so I don't get to watch the Sabres as much as I'd like.  But I got to watch last night.  I have followed the team since their inception in 1970, and I have never seen a team as soft as these guys.  I saw no heart when they came out on the ice despite fighting a losing streak.  I saw no physical play, especially from the guys on defense.  No fighting for the puck, until late in the game when they were desperate.  

 

The thing is they have talented players. Adams has gotten guys that can skate, can shoot.  But they don't play with any heart.  And without that talent means nothing.  You know now it's not coaching; Lindy's chops are well established.  So it's time for Adams and Lindy to make it really clear; either man up and play tough or move these guys out and get guys that give a damn.  I'd start with Power myself; he doesn't seem like he wants to touch anyone on the other team.

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

They've tried a soccer coach.  They tried a former coach.  Terry Collins on deck if Lindy decides he's had enough? 🤔

[BillsPride12]

1 hour ago, oldmanfan said:

I live outside Indy so I don't get to watch the Sabres as much as I'd like.  But I got to watch last night.  I have followed the team since their inception in 1970, and I have never seen a team as soft as these guys.  I saw no heart when they came out on the ice despite fighting a losing streak.  I saw no physical play, especially from the guys on defense.  No fighting for the puck, until late in the game when they were desperate.  

 

The thing is they have talented players. Adams has gotten guys that can skate, can shoot.  But they don't play with any heart.  And without that talent means nothing.  You know now it's not coaching; Lindy's chops are well established.  So it's time for Adams and Lindy to make it really clear; either man up and play tough or move these guys out and get guys that give a damn.  I'd start with Power myself; he doesn't seem like he wants to touch anyone on the other team.

Recently watched some highlights from the Sabres-Flyers game where Garth Snow and Steve Shields fought and the difference in attitude of that Sabres team jumped out to me immediately.  That was a team that had balls.  You could see the passion and attitude radiating from those Sabres players.  This Sabres team just sulks and then repeats the same lines in the post game pressers over and over.  Getting to the point where I no longer want to watch 

[Gregg]

Why the regression? Two years ago, they had 93 points and looked like a team on the rise. Then they declined last year and it's more of the same this year. What happened to that team from 2 years ago?

[Jauronimo]

6 hours ago, Gregg said:

Why the regression? Two years ago, they had 93 points and looked like a team on the rise. Then they declined last year and it's more of the same this year. What happened to that team from 2 years ago?

Half the roster had career years in scoring.  Skinner was out of Krueger's doghouse and had one of his bigger seasons, with a scoring % of 14.5%.  Tage exploded with 47 goals and a 15% scoring % (hes shooting 19% this year!).  Tuch had a career year with 36 goals and 16.5% shooting %.  Tuch's next best year was 22 goals.  Cozens netted 31 and was scoring on 14.7% of his shots and hasn't sniffed 10% since.  He scored 18 last year. 

 

Tage is the only guy listed who has come close to performing at the same level.  

 

Our Power Play was top third in the league in 2022-2023 instead of nearly dead last.   We are getting much better goal tending and the defense is playing considerably better but the results are pretty much the same as the year we almost made the playoffs. In 2022-2023 we also had a nice 10 game losing streak in Nov-Dec so maybe we are back to that level?

 

 

Edited December 12 by Jauronimo

[The Jokeman]

On 12/9/2024 at 10:01 PM, EmotionallyUnstable said:

“Lindy is back!”

 

who cares. 

Not Lindy's problem when have a GM that wanted to keep a Center he overpaid for in Dylan Cozens is a possible trade to improve the team or forced a kid out of college to be the savior goalie (ps he was a 7th Round pick perhaps for a reason). 

Edited December 12 by The Jokeman

[BADOLBILZ]

 

Palm tree protests are out.   Need something simpler and more sustainable.   My idea is white sunscreen on the nose and leis.  

 

 

Like Spicoli said "Those guys are fans!"

 

 

Edited December 12 by BADOLBILZ
Let's Party!

[EmotionallyUnstable]

2 hours ago, The Jokeman said:

Not Lindy's problem when have a GM that wanted to keep a Center he overpaid for in Dylan Cozens is a possible trade to improve the team or forced a kid out of college to be the savior goalie (ps he was a 7th Round pick perhaps for a reason). 

Ehhh I have two points on this:

 

1) Lindy knew what he was getting into but most importantly:

 

2) you make point that it doesn’t matter Lindy is back…I am not placing blame as much as highlighting it’s the same old franchise, staff, players, systemic failure. Lindy being here won’t change that. 

[The Jokeman]

24 minutes ago, EmotionallyUnstable said:

Ehhh I have two points on this:

 

1) Lindy knew what he was getting into but most importantly:

 

2) you make point that it doesn’t matter Lindy is back…I am not placing blame as much as highlighting it’s the same old franchise, staff, players, systemic failure. Lindy being here won’t change that. 

I just placed more blame on Kevyn Adams than Lindy for the performance we see on the ice.