what exactly is my best?

I can't take anything that's Sabres-associated seriously until I see an actual product on the ice. Not horribly contrasted and damp looking uniforms and a bunch of undisciplined idiots, but a well-dressed and entertaining game and an atmosphere that doesn't drag with paper fans and drunk morons who don't know how to root for a team whether it's losing or not. Obviously the losing has a lot to do with it but I don't like how a miserable on-ice attitude has been allowed to drag on this entire time.

Ted Nolan wouldn't have been such a bad last few years and we still would have finished last. For a guy who loves his "Sabres Alumni", Terry Pegula sure has run through quite a few of them since he's bought the team.

It's no excuse for lazy management this last several years, in any case. The marketing is stale, the presentation is old, the tone is flat and the environment is empty of any kind of emotion. It's all just a ho-hum attitude from the top down, and the fanbase isn't free of this criticism, either. The players live like the populace does in Buffalo.

Criticize Jack and Sam for supposedly being drinkers who stay up until the sun comes up on game days and still show up to work, yeah, how dare they. They aren't Jim-Kellying around town or driving into buildings and literally every single player ever does that when they're young and grinding the schedule.

I do see them go through the motions but I do NOT see them mope. I have seen a few players mope and be invisible leaders in a confused locker-room that's clearly hostile because they don't have a healthy work environment.

It's still a (frank)ing poop-show and until it actually appears as a consistent and entertaining on-ice product, then there's no point in repeating the same things Ad nauseam and taking blog discussion so seriously that it interferes with your everyday life.
- Der Kaiser

Between you and fitz, I honestly don't know who is worse sometimes.

Hey quick lemme bookmark this guy's hockeybuzz post and try to use it against him months later...

Between you and fitz, I honestly don't know who is worse sometimes.

Hey quick lemme bookmark this guy's hockeybuzz post and try to use it against him months later...
- BeadyEyedDouche

What makes you think it wasn't a compliment?

Between you and fitz, I honestly don't know who is worse sometimes.

Hey quick lemme bookmark this guy's hockeybuzz post and try to use it against him months later...
- BeadyEyedDouche

I can answer this.

what exactly is my best?

I can't take anything that's Sabres-associated seriously until I see an actual product on the ice. Not horribly contrasted and damp looking uniforms and a bunch of undisciplined idiots, but a well-dressed and entertaining game and an atmosphere that doesn't drag with paper fans and drunk morons who don't know how to root for a team whether it's losing or not. Obviously the losing has a lot to do with it but I don't like how a miserable on-ice attitude has been allowed to drag on this entire time.

Ted Nolan wouldn't have been such a bad last few years and we still would have finished last. For a guy who loves his "Sabres Alumni", Terry Pegula sure has run through quite a few of them since he's bought the team.

It's no excuse for lazy management this last several years, in any case. The marketing is stale, the presentation is old, the tone is flat and the environment is empty of any kind of emotion. It's all just a ho-hum attitude from the top down, and the fanbase isn't free of this criticism, either. The players live like the populace does in Buffalo.

Criticize Jack and Sam for supposedly being drinkers who stay up until the sun comes up on game days and still show up to work, yeah, how dare they. They aren't Jim-Kellying around town or driving into buildings and literally every single player ever does that when they're young and grinding the schedule.

I do see them go through the motions but I do NOT see them mope. I have seen a few players mope and be invisible leaders in a confused locker-room that's clearly hostile because they don't have a healthy work environment.

It's still a (frank)ing poop-show and until it actually appears as a consistent and entertaining on-ice product, then there's no point in repeating the same things Ad nauseam and taking blog discussion so seriously that it interferes with your everyday life.
- Der Kaiser

Good post

What makes you think it wasn't a compliment?
- Der Kaiser

You are so off the rails lately I don't even want to spend the extra time dissecting whether or not it is.

I still stand by that post.

I can answer this.
- sbroads24

I'll take Ryan O' Reilly for 300

I'll take Ryan O' Reilly for 300
- BeadyEyedDouche

Who is a leader, that can't lead, but always needs to be better?

Who is a leader, that can't lead, but always needs to be better?
- SDSabre

Too bad it wasn't a daily double

Good post
- jcragcrumple

Underwhelming post

You are so off the rails lately I don't even want to spend the extra time dissecting whether or not it is.

I still stand by that post.
- BeadyEyedDouche

Suck it Beady.

what exactly is my best?

I can't take anything that's Sabres-associated seriously until I see an actual product on the ice. Not horribly contrasted and damp looking uniforms and a bunch of undisciplined idiots, but a well-dressed and entertaining game and an atmosphere that doesn't drag with paper fans and drunk morons who don't know how to root for a team whether it's losing or not. Obviously the losing has a lot to do with it but I don't like how a miserable on-ice attitude has been allowed to drag on this entire time.

Ted Nolan wouldn't have been such a bad last few years and we still would have finished last. For a guy who loves his "Sabres Alumni", Terry Pegula sure has run through quite a few of them since he's bought the team.

It's no excuse for lazy management this last several years, in any case. The marketing is stale, the presentation is old, the tone is flat and the environment is empty of any kind of emotion. It's all just a ho-hum attitude from the top down, and the fanbase isn't free of this criticism, either. The players live like the populace does in Buffalo.

Criticize Jack and Sam for supposedly being drinkers who stay up until the sun comes up on game days and still show up to work, yeah, how dare they. They aren't Jim-Kellying around town or driving into buildings and literally every single player ever does that when they're young and grinding the schedule.

I do see them go through the motions but I do NOT see them mope. I have seen a few players mope and be invisible leaders in a confused locker-room that's clearly hostile because they don't have a healthy work environment.

It's still a (frank)ing poop-show and until it actually appears as a consistent and entertaining on-ice product, then there's no point in repeating the same things Ad nauseam and taking blog discussion so seriously that it interferes with your everyday life.
- Der Kaiser

B-

"Literally every single player does that"

Unless you know for sure
You are speaking figuratively?

I doubt dahlin is hammering beers to 4 am every night.

Same as high school and college:
Some people just do not party and take their schooling/ work seriously

B-

"Literally every single player does that"

Unless you know for sure
You are speaking figuratively?

I doubt dahlin is hammering beers to 4 am every night.

Same as high school and college:
Some people just do not party and take their schooling/ work seriously
- Boss34

I haven't Jim Kelly-d around town in decades.

We've had some pretty poor luck, too.

Lindholm had never scored more than 45 points.
Skinner is good, but was wildly inconsistent and wanted out anyway.

Hanifin has still be really up and down in Calgary, despit racking up points due to the ridiculous run the forwards are on there.

We've lost Staal to a concussion.
Ferland has been hurt a couple times this year.
Rask chopped his hand up in his kitchen before the year started and hasn't been able to play worth a poop since.
Fleury went down with a concussion.
Zykov didn't pan out the way anyone hoped.
Necas could probably be ready but if they keep him in the AHL this year they won't have to protect him in the expansion draft...
Scott Darling was an utter catastrophe.

The only reason Hamilton is possible to be moved is because the Canes have to trade a RHD to open a spot for Adam Fox anyway, and at this point they'll trade whatever defenseman will get them the best forward in return.
- BINGO!

Is that true?
I believe the qualifications were years of pro hockey played- meaning ahl + nhl combined

Your 7 month ror blowjob is pitiful
- TheHank

Probably painful too.

Probably painful too.
- Wetbandit1

I haven't Jim Kelly-d around town in decades.
- Der Kaiser

Neither has he 🙂

Lol, except it doesn’t take thousands of times.

And again, this is such a dumb argument. So should the Sabres build there team around players who will prevent “own goals” or have magic powers to prevent deflections?

Or should they build their team around guys who can create shots and chances?

This isn’t an actual question by the way
- sbroads24

Caps are 6th in goals per game, but 23rd in shots for per game. Carolina is 1st in shots for per game and tied for 27th in goals per game. Yes, Tampa is 1st in goals and 5th in shots. NJ and Boston are also 7th and 8th in shots, but 18th and 17th respectively in goals.

San Jose allow the least shots but give up the 18th most goals per game. Nashville allows the 3rd fewest shots and gives up the fewest goals. Ottawa allows the most shots and goals. St Louis allows the 7th fewest shots and gives up the 9th most goals.

It's clearly about more than just shots. Yes, there's a strong correlation, and yes you should try and get guys who generate shots, but if there are that many outliers, in a single season, your thesis is very flawed. Hockey is probably the most complex of the major sports and to try and boil success down into one thing is, frankly, asinine.

There are 2542 regular season games played, I wonder how many times a team that gets outshot wins?

I did the Sabres games from this year: when the Sabres outshoot their opponent they are 10-8, when they get outshot they are 12-12, with one tie in shots against the Pens that the Sabres won. Make of that what you will.

Is that true?
I believe the qualifications were years of pro hockey played- meaning ahl + nhl combined
- jdfitz77

The organization apparently believes so. I think it's due to his ELC technically sliding because he's eligible to play in the AHL at 18 and 19. Or something odd like that.

Caps are 6th in goals per game, but 23rd in shots for per game. Carolina is 1st in shots for per game and tied for 27th in goals per game. Yes, Tampa is 1st in goals and 5th in shots. NJ and Boston are also 7th and 8th in shots, but 18th and 17th respectively in goals.

San Jose allow the least shots but give up the 18th most goals per game. Nashville allows the 3rd fewest shots and gives up the fewest goals. Ottawa allows the most shots and goals. St Louis allows the 7th fewest shots and gives up the 9th most goals.

It's clearly about more than just shots. Yes, there's a strong correlation, and yes you should try and get guys who generate shots, but if there are that many outliers, in a single season, your thesis is very flawed. Hockey is probably the most complex of the major sports and to try and boil success down into one thing is, frankly, asinine.

There are 2542 regular season games played, I wonder how many times a team that gets outshot wins?

I did the Sabres games from this year: when the Sabres outshoot their opponent they are 10-8, when they get outshot they are 12-12, with one tie in shots against the Pens that the Sabres won. Make of that what you will.
- Wetbandit1

0 people have said it’s just about shots.

What are you arguing? That just taking shots and getting scoring chances doesn’t mean you will score? Of course? But you cannot score without them. Period

lets all just be happy we get to watch:

skinner eichel Tage


and lets hope they swap sobodka and mitts mid game

Skinner's still shooting over 21%. His career best is just over 14%. Eventually that number has to drop on him unless somehow after almost 600 NHL games he's suddenly morphed from a 30~ goal guy into a 60 goal one.

Lindholm always had the talent, but he's also shooting over 19%. Hell, there are four guys on the Flames shooting over 18%, which is ridiculous. Those numbers are going to fall for them too. Maybe they get obscenely lucky and somehow have 5 guys finish at a point per game or better (Including Giordano) but I highly doubt it.
- BINGO!

This is a bit misleading.

His career-high shooting percentage was 14.4 (rookie year), but he "only" took 215 shots. He's on pace for 270 shots, which would be 11 short of a career high.

So he scored 30 goals on 215 shots, it stands to reason that he can score 40+ with 50 shots more. Not to mention the center factor

0 people have said it’s just about shots.

What are you arguing? That just taking shots and getting scoring chances doesn’t mean you will score? Of course? But you cannot score without them. Period
- sbroads24

Canes have openly admitted that they've slowed their game down a little bit when attacking.

Part of the issue was that a lot of their most talented players are on defense and it was a lot harder for the D to join the rush consistently and have the forwards remain responsible with the speed they were playing at. What was happening was they were getting a ton of shots, but nothing really dangerous and they were leaving themselves wide open to counterattacks too often.

By slowing things down, their less talented forwards are able to stay responsible while letting their more talented defensemen take charge. Hamilton's been WAY better since they started doing it, and they have a chance tonight to win 6 in a row for the first time since 2010.

This is a bit misleading.

His career-high shooting percentage was 14.4 (rookie year), but he "only" took 215 shots. He's on pace for 270 shots, which would be 11 short of a career high.

So he scored 30 goals on 215 shots, it stands to reason that he can score 40+ with 50 shots more. Not to mention the center factor
- jcragcrumple

Even at 14.4% over 270 shots that's 39 goals.

The guy has a career average shooting percentage of 11%, which is probably a bit low. With Eichel he should pretty consistently hit around 15%

I'm not saying he's bad or anything, just that he probably isn't going to be consistently netting 40+ per year or anything.

30-35 with Eichel is a pretty reasonable expectation for him going forward for the next couple years at least.

Even at 14.4% over 270 shots that's 39 goals.

The guy has a career average shooting percentage of 11%, which is probably a bit low. With Eichel he should pretty consistently hit around 15%

I'm not saying he's bad or anything, just that he probably isn't going to be consistently netting 40+ per year or anything.

30-35 with Eichel is a pretty reasonable expectation for him going forward for the next couple years at least.
- BINGO!

I disagree there.

It looks like this season's most straight comparable in terms of shot volume and production is '13-'14 when he took 274 shots (projected 270 this year), scored 33 goals and shot 12%

I think Eichel's vision adds 7 goals to that total and makes him a consistent 40 goal guy even while shooting at a reduced level closer to 12% which is his career average (11.4).

His previous high in SH% was 14.4

Multiplied by 270 shots would put him at 38 goals. That's without the Eichel factor

Even at 14.4% over 270 shots that's 39 goals.

The guy has a career average shooting percentage of 11%, which is probably a bit low. With Eichel he should pretty consistently hit around 15%

I'm not saying he's bad or anything, just that he probably isn't going to be consistently netting 40+ per year or anything.

30-35 with Eichel is a pretty reasonable expectation for him going forward for the next couple years at least.
- BINGO!

I think you're under estimating but time will tell. If I was a betting man I'd say he averages 40+ per year playing with jack. I think the part that is misleading is NOW he's not having to beat the goalies as much one on one, (by that I mean open sides, empty nets, Goalie down and top of net open, that is due to the passing of JACK as well as the playmaking ability of both together. You can't deny that Jack is very good at providing those kinds of opportunities to he's line mates. (we hav e seen quite a bit of that all ready this year with them)