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Forums :: Blog World :: Hank Balling: In Appreciation of Kyle Okposo
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Hank Balling
Buffalo Sabres
Joined: 05.18.2021

Apr 19 @ 9:26 AM ET
Jack really looked disinterested again. It's wishful thinking probably, but I can smell some trouble brewin over there.
- RhinoFan


They can't be thrilled with 21p in 29gp
lacaprup
Buffalo Sabres
Location: NY
Joined: 07.23.2006

Apr 19 @ 9:27 AM ET
They can't be thrilled with 21p in 29gp
- Hank Balling


Que up the "he's had a year off crowd" who were grousing last week when he had a little streak going.
RhinoFan
Buffalo Sabres
Location: Visionville
Joined: 10.12.2015

Apr 19 @ 9:27 AM ET
I don't think he is disinterested. I just don't think he is used to not having the puck all of the time. That might also explain why his defensive metrics are better.
- Slump Buster


Maybe that's it, I just saw a lot more coasting than the Calgary game.
TheSabresTaco
Buffalo Sabres
Location: For me. jack Eichel is bobby ryanโ€ฆ.that's it. - Octavarium, NY
Joined: 05.05.2011

Apr 19 @ 9:31 AM ET
Better Business Bureau?
- SabresFaninIndiana


Better Beane Bureau
Hank Balling
Buffalo Sabres
Joined: 05.18.2021

Apr 19 @ 9:31 AM ET
Que up the "he's had a year off crowd" who were grousing last week when he had a little streak going.
- lacaprup


It's still a small sample size. If he's not a PPG player next year, though, it will be fair to wonder how much he lost with the surgery
TheSabresTaco
Buffalo Sabres
Location: For me. jack Eichel is bobby ryanโ€ฆ.that's it. - Octavarium, NY
Joined: 05.05.2011

Apr 19 @ 9:33 AM ET
They can't be thrilled with 21p in 29gp
- Hank Balling


Larry has 6 points in 8 games, higher ppg than Eichel. OG Larry 1C next season? Gonna go home and pray on it.
Boss34
Buffalo Sabres
Location: BUFFALO , NY
Joined: 12.03.2015

Apr 19 @ 9:34 AM ET
So I watched a lot of last night's game - very exciting. I didn't know that the Devils were such a good, young, fast team. Lindy had them flying.

It was also the first time that I've seen Jack play with what should be his regular line. This may sound weird but I don't know if Jack knows how to play without the puck. After he, when he was here he played with guys that were not known to be puck carriers so he got to have the puck all of the time. While Stone is a winger he is clearly a guy that is used to having the puck. I don't know... there just seems to be something that isn't quite right with that team.

- Slump Buster



Funny, I had some "insider " information from an old friend at the flyers game.

Apparently eichel demanded skimmer play on a different line. Maybe he didnt like splitting time without the puck too?

My follow up question,

Why?

Apparently he wanted to score more goals, skimmer was shooting (40 goals) too much ๐Ÿ˜€๐Ÿ˜€๐Ÿ˜€
Hank Balling
Buffalo Sabres
Joined: 05.18.2021

Apr 19 @ 9:34 AM ET
Larry has 6 points in 8 games, higher ppg than Eichel. OG Larry 1C next season? Gonna go home and pray on it.
- TheSabresTaco


That crazy son of a female dog finally did it. He broke 20 points.
RhinoFan
Buffalo Sabres
Location: Visionville
Joined: 10.12.2015

Apr 19 @ 9:35 AM ET
They can't be thrilled with 21p in 29gp
- Hank Balling


They are not. I follow a lot of Vegas peeps, they are mostly talking about Pete and Lehner, but a buddy posted something I hadn't thought about:

While it isn't Jack's fault, Tuch's extra 15 points this year is probably going to be the reason we won't make the playoffs.

That's a tough way to start.
TheSabresTaco
Buffalo Sabres
Location: For me. jack Eichel is bobby ryanโ€ฆ.that's it. - Octavarium, NY
Joined: 05.05.2011

Apr 19 @ 9:36 AM ET
That crazy son of a female dog finally did it. He broke 20 points.
- Hank Balling


You wanna know who else is on pace to break 20 points in 82 games?
lacaprup
Buffalo Sabres
Location: NY
Joined: 07.23.2006

Apr 19 @ 9:36 AM ET
Funny, I had some "insider " information from an old friend at the flyers game.

Apparently eichel demanded skimmer play on a different line. Maybe he didnt like splitting time without the puck too?

My follow up question,

Why?

Apparently he wanted to score more goals, skimmer was shooting (40 goals) too much ๐Ÿ˜€๐Ÿ˜€๐Ÿ˜€

- Boss34



Come on? Seriously? That's like gasoline on a fire. I hope Skinner knows that.


TheSabresTaco
Buffalo Sabres
Location: For me. jack Eichel is bobby ryanโ€ฆ.that's it. - Octavarium, NY
Joined: 05.05.2011

Apr 19 @ 9:37 AM ET
They are not. I follow a lot of Vegas peeps, they are mostly talking about Pete and Lehner, but a buddy posted something I hadn't thought about:

While it isn't Jack's fault, Tuch's extra 15 points this year is probably going to be the reason we won't make the playoffs.

That's a tough way to start.

- RhinoFan


But he was used differently there. One would never know how many points Jack would have here or Tuch would have there. I get the point, though.
RhinoFan
Buffalo Sabres
Location: Visionville
Joined: 10.12.2015

Apr 19 @ 9:38 AM ET
Funny, I had some "insider " information from an old friend at the flyers game.

Apparently eichel demanded skimmer play on a different line. Maybe he didnt like splitting time without the puck too?

My follow up question,

Why?

Apparently he wanted to score more goals, skimmer was shooting (40 goals) too much ๐Ÿ˜€๐Ÿ˜€๐Ÿ˜€

- Boss34


That's pretty nuts if true. I assume about half the stuff I hear about Jack is probably fabricated, but if even half is truth, he is a wild boy.
Hank Balling
Buffalo Sabres
Joined: 05.18.2021

Apr 19 @ 9:38 AM ET
They are not. I follow a lot of Vegas peeps, they are mostly talking about Pete and Lehner, but a buddy posted something I hadn't thought about:

While it isn't Jack's fault, Tuch's extra 15 points this year is probably going to be the reason we won't make the playoffs.

That's a tough way to start.

- RhinoFan


I think a lot people (myself included) underestimated how good Tuch is

There's also a case to be made that their identity as a rag tag group of misfit toys has run its course. They're mostly mercenaries for hire at this point.
Hank Balling
Buffalo Sabres
Joined: 05.18.2021

Apr 19 @ 9:39 AM ET
You wanna know who else is on pace to break 20 points in 82 games?
- TheSabresTaco


Yes, yes I do
SabresFaninIndiana
Buffalo Sabres
Location: Bananaville, IN
Joined: 12.16.2009

Apr 19 @ 9:39 AM ET
Funny, I had some "insider " information from an old friend at the flyers game.

Apparently eichel demanded skimmer play on a different line. Maybe he didnt like splitting time without the puck too?

My follow up question,

Why?

Apparently he wanted to score more goals, skimmer was shooting (40 goals) too much ๐Ÿ˜€๐Ÿ˜€๐Ÿ˜€

- Boss34

if this is true then i am glad he is gone.. all that should matter is winning no matter how you do it.
Slump Buster
Buffalo Sabres
Location: I root for draft picks but not the team, apparently, NY
Joined: 10.24.2006

Apr 19 @ 9:39 AM ET
They are not. I follow a lot of Vegas peeps, they are mostly talking about Pete and Lehner, but a buddy posted something I hadn't thought about:

While it isn't Jack's fault, Tuch's extra 15 points this year is probably going to be the reason we won't make the playoffs.

That's a tough way to start.

- RhinoFan


I pointed this out yesterday - while they acquired Jack they lost an awfully good player from their roster. They also lost a guy who seems to keep everyone pretty light.
Boss34
Buffalo Sabres
Location: BUFFALO , NY
Joined: 12.03.2015

Apr 19 @ 9:40 AM ET
Come on? Seriously? That's like gasoline on a fire. I hope Skinner knows that.
- lacaprup


That's seriously what I heard....

Not sure if its 100% true, but eichel did score more goals without skimmer.

The shoe fits....
RhinoFan
Buffalo Sabres
Location: Visionville
Joined: 10.12.2015

Apr 19 @ 9:44 AM ET
But he was used differently there. One would never know how many points Jack would have here or Tuch would have there. I get the point, though.
- TheSabresTaco


Yeah, never know and there's no fault, just bad luck. I did flash on it though.
Boss34
Buffalo Sabres
Location: BUFFALO , NY
Joined: 12.03.2015

Apr 19 @ 9:45 AM ET
That's pretty nuts if true. I assume about half the stuff I hear about Jack is probably fabricated, but if even half is truth, he is a wild boy.
- RhinoFan


Could absolutely be a partial truth.

The more I thought about it, the more it sounded right.

Eichel was the captain and probably had a loud voice thru out the organization. The Sabres were trying to appease the jerk at every turn.
Considering we had a soccer coach running the show, it really wouldn't/ didnt shock me.
A long time nhl coach would have a backbone and say, "you do your job" ect.

Thought I would share.
Slump Buster
Buffalo Sabres
Location: I root for draft picks but not the team, apparently, NY
Joined: 10.24.2006

Apr 19 @ 9:47 AM ET
Could absolutely be a partial truth.

The more I thought about it, the more it sounded right.

Eichel was the captain and probably had a loud voice thru out the organization. The Sabres were trying to appease the jerk at every turn.
Considering we had a soccer coach running the show, it really wouldn't/ didnt shock me.
A long time nhl coach would have a backbone and say, "you do your job" ect.

Thought I would share.

- Boss34


The only thing that I can say that would throw cold water on that is that Skinnner had gone cold on Eichel's line long before he was eventually removed from it. But that could actually be the reason that Jack might have wanted him off of the line - if Skinner wasn't scoring then he was dragging down Jack's assists.
TheSabresTaco
Buffalo Sabres
Location: For me. jack Eichel is bobby ryanโ€ฆ.that's it. - Octavarium, NY
Joined: 05.05.2011

Apr 19 @ 9:47 AM ET
I think a lot people (myself included) underestimated how good Tuch is

There's also a case to be made that their identity as a rag tag group of misfit toys has run its course. They're mostly mercenaries for hire at this point.

- Hank Balling


They don't have that camaraderie feel anymore because they pulled those identities out of the room. They don't have a future because they traded Krebs, Suzuki, Glass, Brannstrom, Veleno, Texier, TVR, and Alex (frank)in Tuch. I smell a full rebuild in 3 years or less.
TheSabresTaco
Buffalo Sabres
Location: For me. jack Eichel is bobby ryanโ€ฆ.that's it. - Octavarium, NY
Joined: 05.05.2011

Apr 19 @ 9:49 AM ET
Yes, yes I do
- Hank Balling



Boss34
Buffalo Sabres
Location: BUFFALO , NY
Joined: 12.03.2015

Apr 19 @ 9:49 AM ET
The only thing that I can say that would throw cold water on that is that Skinnner had gone cold on Eichel's line long before he was eventually removed from it. But that could actually be the reason that Jack might have wanted him off of the line - if Skinner wasn't scoring then he was dragging down Jack's assists.
- Slump Buster


That's a very good point.

Jack was worried about Jack

Some guys worry about the team 1st
Slump Buster
Buffalo Sabres
Location: I root for draft picks but not the team, apparently, NY
Joined: 10.24.2006

Apr 19 @ 9:51 AM ET
They don't have that camaraderie feel anymore because they pulled those identities out of the room. They don't have a future because they traded Krebs, Suzuki, Glass, Brannstrom, Veleno, Texier, TVR, and Alex (frank)in Tuch. I smell a full rebuild in 3 years or less.
- TheSabresTaco


They couldn't rebuild if they wanted to - they have too many immovable contracts. The only thing they can do is continue to double down. And in the short term that will be ok as they do have a ton of talent on the roster. The problem is that most of their good players are on the back halves of their careers.
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