Published by hockeybuzz.com, 4-10-2018
Buffalo Sabres GM Jason Botterill should have a ton of tough questions to answer about his team at his year-end press conference. A dismal season like the Sabres just went through took it's toll on a number of players and a lot of emotions came out yesterday as the players talked to the gathered media during locker cleanout day. Not only did they clean out their lockers, but some also cleaned out some pretty deep thoughts that lay deep in the recesses of their minds.
The big bombshell came from Ryan O'Reilly when he said there were times he lost his love for the game. That quote and others from him created a firestorm. On the one hand, his brutal honesty was refreshing but on the other, he was roundly chastised him for feeling that way.
O'Reilly accused the team of "being OK with losing."
"It's crept into all of our games. Yeah, it's disappointing. It's sad," he said. "I feel throughout the year I've lost the love of the game multiple times and just need to get back to it because it's eating myself up and eats the other guys up too."
WGR550 radio host Howard Simon offered up a rebuttal and rebuke of the Sabres second-leading scorer and assistant captain, with an opinion piece entitled "O'Reilly needs to suck it up, add him to the list of Sabres problems."
"You are supposed to be one of the leaders of this team," wrote Simon of O'Reilly. "I can’t have one of my team leaders moping around and feeling sorry about the sad state of affairs that is the Sabres franchise.
"No one wants to be on a losing team. I’d imagine coming to the rink these last two seasons hasn’t been much fun for anyone associated with the team, but that’s when you dig a little deeper and find a way to persevere. More so for a player of O’Reilly’s stature since many in the locker room could end up following his lead.
"But as the saying goes, when the going gets tough the tough get going."
To his credit, Simon did not bring up O'Reilly's salary and he did include the positives that the 27 yr. old brings to the table. However, the cliché's were flowing in his piece.
There were a ton of things wrong with the on-ice product starting at the top with an inexperienced head coach and stretching all the way to goaltending, but the overriding theme seems to be the lack of a professional mindset, of bringing it every day, not just on game day, or should we say, occasionally on game day.
Scott Wilson was with the Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins in 2017. Botterill was an AGM with the Pens that year and he traded for Wilson early this season. Both have seen what it takes for a team to take it to that level and the theme of Wilson's interview yesterday centered around the proper mindset.
"We made some strides in the right direction in certain games and playing good teams," he said, "but the (proper) mindset is bringing that every time you're in the hockey rink, not just on the ice either."
Forward Evan Rodrigues played 48 games for the Sabres in the back portion of the season. The second year pro was injured in the preseason and spent eight games with Rochester before being recalled for good and he also mentioned mindset. "When we were committed to doing the right things and playing on the right side of the puck and doing the little things right," he said, "we were successful. And when we played those good teams, we kind of knew we had to do that.
"When we had the right mindset to do those things, I think that's when we won a lot of our games. We just have to find a way to make sure we're bringing that day-in, day-out."
"I think just overall our mindset's got to change," said Jason Pominville, who's on his second tour with in Buffalo. The former Sabres captain struggled to find the best way to put it when he continued by saying, "It's become kind of noticeable, when you lose and you lose so much over the course of three/four years, guys that have been here a while have been accustomed to that.
"I know everyone wants to wing, no one wants to lose, but you kind of have those habits where it becomes acceptable (to lose) almost without realizing it."
The losing aspect of the equation has been brought up numerous times over the course of the season and it's probably best to remember that ownership and management set their team on this course with consecutive tank seasons. Granted, after a season and a half of mostly positives with the team looking like it was headed in the right direction, the losing element pulled this club back into the abyss.
"Nobody's gonna be happy with a losing record or losing night in, night out," said Wilson citing that sometimes negativity rolls through the team. The way to break that cycle, he believes, may center around "just being positive, and coming together (as a team)."
Defenseman Zach Bogosian has played 10 years in the league and never made the post season. The 27 yr. old has never played a healthy season in Buffalo and underwent surgery after only 18 games this year. Bogosian said that he wasn't around the locker room that much this past season but still brought it back to pulling out as a team.
"When your in a losing environment where we were losing quite a bit, it's tough to pull yourself out. As a group we have to do it together."
Wilson echoed those thought when he was asked if they need to learn how to win. "I think it's a big confidence thing," he said. "A lot of guys struggled with confidence issues in this locker room, but we showed signs of good things.
"I think the winning aspect comes when you're rolling as a team and not playing as individuals."
There really are no saviors in a team sport like hockey. You have your great ones, legends who's skill and drive can carry much of the weight, but it's still up to the supporting cast to do their part. For evidence of that, look no further than this year's Edmonton Oilers lead by Connor McDavid, a player who is considered one of the best in the game at only 21 yrs. old. After an playoff adrenaline rush last season, the Oilers fell back to 23rd in the league despite McDavid leading the league with 108 points.
If it's not true in Edmonton, it isn't true in Buffalo either. Eichel was selected second overall behind McDavid in the 2015 NHL Draft. Although he's not quite at McDavid's level, his speed and skill package is up there with some of the best in the league. Eichel has been with the Sabres for three seasons and he hasn't tasted much success on a team basis despite leading Buffalo in scoring the last two seasons and finishing second his rookie season.
After his locker cleanout interview, many consider him to be the next captain of the Buffalo Sabres as he stood there answering all questions in a most mature, thoughtful and respectful way. He knows there are problems with mindset and consistency that have negatively affected the team. It's time to change that and he said it will begin with him.
"What we've been doing as a team hasn't been working," he said. "All you can really do is focus on yourself and changing yourself and I think that's what helps change the culture, change the team. It starts every day at practice, your work ethic, coming to work ready to compete, ready to get better.
"When you look at the good teams, they bring it every night."
Perhaps that drive was there early on a team basis, but with every loss in October, any fire and positivity this group had to begin the season ended up in a downward spiral as their poor start got worse and their playoff hopes ended early. "When you put yourself out of it a lot sooner than you'd like," said Eichel, "it's tough.
"We need to find a way to have a good start, come out in October and not be behind the 8-ball."
That's where Botterill comes into play. He's heard where his players heads have been this season and he knows he needs to add talent. Last off season he focused on the Rochester Americans in order to incubate his prospects in a positive environment. It's working as the team is in the playoffs for the first time in three years.
Of course, it's a lot more difficult doing that in the NHL. Establishing a leadership pecking order may help that and if that's the case, Eichel will probably be atop. Adding talent will help immensely while adding character and mental toughness may also be of supreme importance. They'll also need to bring in a goaltender to work the crease either as a backup to Linus Ullmark or as a starter until he can get himself anchored in NHL play.
Botterill will also need to take a good look at his coaching staff. Although Phil Housley's job as head coach looks safe for now, he may need more of a veteran presence from his assistants.
Tomorrow may be the most important end of season presser in Buffalo and Botterill will have plenty of hard questions to answer about his team. What he says will carry a lot of weight but it will be what he does in the off season that will really set the tone.
It was a long season for everyone, Botterill included, but it's over and time to move on.
Showing posts with label buffalo media. Show all posts
Showing posts with label buffalo media. Show all posts
Thursday, April 12, 2018
Wednesday, March 7, 2018
It's little stanley cup time for the Sabres against the Toronto Maple Leafs
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 3-5-2018
Sure, playing in "little stanley cup" games in a lost season is a bit of a knock on this edition of the Buffalo Sabres, but then again there's not much really to get pumped up about when the team you're following is second-to-last in the league with a 20-34-11 record. And for the Sabres players, or what's left of them, when you've been bearing the burden of a disastrous season for well over two and a half months, it's hard to get up for any of the final 18 games of the season.
But, Toronto is coming to town and if players and fans were to find any life, perhaps a game against the Maple Leafs will be enough to get the blood pumping.
For those who say the Sabres have no rivalry with any team because their record over the past five seasons or so doesn't warrant it, that may be true to an extent. But this is the Maple Leafs and even though the distance between the two franchises is much farther away than the 100 or so miles up the QEW that separates the two cities, there's a rivalry embedded within that cares little for records.
The Leafs, of course, represent the self-described "Center of the Hockey Universe" with the modern version of "Hockey's Holy Trinity" perched high on their thrones atop Mount Maple Leaf. As for the Sabres, their the mutt that generally gets kicked around when something needs kicking.
And so be it.
Leafs team president Brendan Shanahan has done a remarkable job guiding the club out of the wasteland, GM Lou Lamoriello has done some nice work in following Shanahan's plan and coach Mike Babcock is...well...Mike Babcock. And thanks to him the Sabres and their ownership have some bulletin board material to look at.
We also get the tweet from Mr. Harrington of The Buffalo News carrying that quote. Harrington has and continues to be adamantly opposed to anything and everything concerning Buffalo's tank job and won't miss an opportunity to let people know what he or other people think about it.
Fact is, the lottery did work out for the Maple Leafs and when you put Auston Matthews atop a good collection of forward talent with a future Hall of Fame coach behind the bench, good things happen. And when things don't work out exactly as planned and your GM miscalculates badly...well...you get the present Buffalo Sabres.
Yet, it's not the players fault in all of this. It's not Sam Reinhart's fault, nor is it Jack Eichel's, Ryan O'Reilly's, Robin Lehner's, Kyle Okposo's or any one else. This is the team that former GM Tim Murray and present GM Jason Botterill put together and the one that's coached by Botterill's pick, Phil Housley.
Next year the Sabres will start again with an influx of new players and another year of trying to get it right.
But that's next year and the team still has 17 games to play with four of them against their QEW rival, the Toronto Maple Leafs. This will, oddly enough, be the first meeting of the season between the two clubs so there should be plenty of energy. The Leafs are locked into a playoff spot and always have a large contingent of fans follow them south to Buffalo making for a very raucous evening at KeyBank Center.
When the two teams meet tonight, ironically, the focal points of Babcock's barb concerning the draft--Eichel and Matthews--will not play as both are out with injuries. That leaves all the other draft picks and moves the teams have made over the past few years left to battle it out.
Buffalo players should take pride in this game even without Babcock's slight against the organization and, ultimately, the players who seemed to be looked upon as grubby little street urchins in the eyes of Leaf Nation. It's a chance to beat back the ostentatious invasion of the Leafs and their fans.
In a lost season with 17 games to go there really isn't much to play for accept these "little stanley cup" battles between the patricians of Mount Maple Leaf and the plebeians of Buffalo, this time with the words of Babcock to an adoring local media of how the Sabres and their organization suck.
Have at it boys.
Sure, playing in "little stanley cup" games in a lost season is a bit of a knock on this edition of the Buffalo Sabres, but then again there's not much really to get pumped up about when the team you're following is second-to-last in the league with a 20-34-11 record. And for the Sabres players, or what's left of them, when you've been bearing the burden of a disastrous season for well over two and a half months, it's hard to get up for any of the final 18 games of the season.
But, Toronto is coming to town and if players and fans were to find any life, perhaps a game against the Maple Leafs will be enough to get the blood pumping.
For those who say the Sabres have no rivalry with any team because their record over the past five seasons or so doesn't warrant it, that may be true to an extent. But this is the Maple Leafs and even though the distance between the two franchises is much farther away than the 100 or so miles up the QEW that separates the two cities, there's a rivalry embedded within that cares little for records.
The Leafs, of course, represent the self-described "Center of the Hockey Universe" with the modern version of "Hockey's Holy Trinity" perched high on their thrones atop Mount Maple Leaf. As for the Sabres, their the mutt that generally gets kicked around when something needs kicking.
And so be it.
Leafs team president Brendan Shanahan has done a remarkable job guiding the club out of the wasteland, GM Lou Lamoriello has done some nice work in following Shanahan's plan and coach Mike Babcock is...well...Mike Babcock. And thanks to him the Sabres and their ownership have some bulletin board material to look at.
Sure, Mike, those in Sabreland get it and we also get that you shunned Buffalo for Toronto which was expected. After all you did call the Leafs, "Canada's team" at your presser. Word has it that you were enamored with Toronto when you chose them and also weren't very pleased with the way the Sabres were doing things. Then again, the Sabres had just lost the draft lottery and the rights to Connor McDavid, but I wonder if you'd have dismissed your wife's preference for Toronto over Buffalo had the pingpong balls went in the Sabres' favor that year?Babcock was asked by a Toronto writer about the difference in the two teams' rebuilds. Gut-punch answer to #Sabreshttps://twitter.com/hashtag/Sabres?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Sabres> fans. pic.twitter.com/vVjA5XKU5O&mdash">https://t.co/vVjA5XKU5O">pic.twitter.com/vVjA5XKU5O— Mike Harrington (@ByMHarrington) March">https://twitter.com/ByMHarrington/status/970391934417227777?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2018
We also get the tweet from Mr. Harrington of The Buffalo News carrying that quote. Harrington has and continues to be adamantly opposed to anything and everything concerning Buffalo's tank job and won't miss an opportunity to let people know what he or other people think about it.
Fact is, the lottery did work out for the Maple Leafs and when you put Auston Matthews atop a good collection of forward talent with a future Hall of Fame coach behind the bench, good things happen. And when things don't work out exactly as planned and your GM miscalculates badly...well...you get the present Buffalo Sabres.
Yet, it's not the players fault in all of this. It's not Sam Reinhart's fault, nor is it Jack Eichel's, Ryan O'Reilly's, Robin Lehner's, Kyle Okposo's or any one else. This is the team that former GM Tim Murray and present GM Jason Botterill put together and the one that's coached by Botterill's pick, Phil Housley.
Next year the Sabres will start again with an influx of new players and another year of trying to get it right.
But that's next year and the team still has 17 games to play with four of them against their QEW rival, the Toronto Maple Leafs. This will, oddly enough, be the first meeting of the season between the two clubs so there should be plenty of energy. The Leafs are locked into a playoff spot and always have a large contingent of fans follow them south to Buffalo making for a very raucous evening at KeyBank Center.
When the two teams meet tonight, ironically, the focal points of Babcock's barb concerning the draft--Eichel and Matthews--will not play as both are out with injuries. That leaves all the other draft picks and moves the teams have made over the past few years left to battle it out.
Buffalo players should take pride in this game even without Babcock's slight against the organization and, ultimately, the players who seemed to be looked upon as grubby little street urchins in the eyes of Leaf Nation. It's a chance to beat back the ostentatious invasion of the Leafs and their fans.
In a lost season with 17 games to go there really isn't much to play for accept these "little stanley cup" battles between the patricians of Mount Maple Leaf and the plebeians of Buffalo, this time with the words of Babcock to an adoring local media of how the Sabres and their organization suck.
Have at it boys.
Sunday, March 4, 2018
Perhaps letting Ted Nolan go at the time wasn't the best move for the Sabres
Jon Vogl of The Buffalo News wrote a very revealing piece today which centered around former Sabres goalie Ryan Miller and his coach at the time, Lindy Ruff. Back in 2008 Miller was the face of the Sabres and represented the future of USA Hockey heading into the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, B.C.
Ruff, who spent 16+ years as the Sabres head coach, was never one to shy away from skating his team through tough practices after lackluster efforts and did so after a 2-1 Sabres loss in Florida. Miller was included in the skate as well.
From Vogl's piece, "Ruff called out Miller after the Florida game saying, 'you've got to get saves there' in reference to both goals and added the first one was 'an easy play for Ryan to read.'"
"With sweat pouring down Miller's face," continued Vogl of the practice, he quoted Miller as saying, "Well, I guess I'm going to have to read better,"
Vogl wrote about Miller being unhappy and thought he was calling out his coach with that remark. Much to his surprise, such was not the case. "He was very adamant as to why," wrote Vogl. "He was scared of the coach. He said Ruff was in charge of his career and playing time. Miller was worried if he crossed him, he could be benched or shipped out of town." The exact opposite of what Vogl and others expected.
That was roughly 10 years ago and Miller's fears never seemed to be the same as a forward group that oft times were accused of creating a "country club setting" which lead to underachievement as a team from the 2007-08 season onward.
Ruff was fired by owner Terry Pegula in 2013 and replaced by rookie head coach Ron "Garden Gloves" Rolston who proved rather quickly the following season that he was in way over his head. Rolston was the first of, now, four coaches since Ruff was fired on February 20 that year. After Rolston came a year-plus of Ted Nolan, two years of Dan Bylsma and this April will mark the first season under Phil Housley.
Many believe that Nolan, who's systematic shortcomings are the stuff of fodder, was hired to lead the team to the top of the draft by coaching them to the bottom of the league. Perhaps that may have been the case. Or perhaps as a hire of Pat LaFontaine, who was named President of Hockey Operations for the Buffalo Sabres on November 13, 2013, Nolan was expected t do what he's always done, motivate his team through a very trying time and make them as competitive as could be. Tank be damned.
During the 2014-15 season when the Sabres as an organization were focused upon losing to guarantee a shot at Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel, Nolan had a group of nobody's and borderline NHL'ers actually making some waves through much of the season, a franchise-worst 14-game losing streak and 0-12 month of January notwithstanding.
Even with that abysmal stretch, it still took until the second-to-last game of the season for Buffalo to reach their goal of securing last place in the standings and Nolan was a big part of that.
He was fired April 12, the day after the season mercifully ended.
With the potential to select McDavid in the draft maybe even land soon to be free agent coach Mike Babcock, who's considered to be one of the best in the business, Nolan's firing was a pretty much a foregone conclusion.
But while the organization went chasing rainbows and lucky charms, believing that fate would smile upon them not once but twice, a good coach was being tossed aside at the end of that season.
Nolan's shortcomings are well documented in that X's and O's to him might make up some foreign equation found on Mars and he was mocked repeatedly and relentlessly most everywhere in Buffalo because of it. However, say what you will, his players always worked hard and would run through a brick wall for him.
What Buffalo got in X's and O's after his firing, they lost in motivation. The first year under Bylsma the Sabres increased their point total by 50%, which is impressive even if they were coming off of a 54-point tank season. After that, a disappointing season that saw a disconnect between him and his players.
He was fired after two seasons. Yet nothing has changed with the hiring of a rookie head coach in Housley.
"Too many Sabres either don't care or think they're in charge," wrote Vogl of the present state of the team. "The players don't listen or, even worse, don't feel they even have to listen. It's a major reason why the Sabres are bottom-feeders once again."
Housley, an extremely gifted, Hall of Fame player who worked wonders with the Nashville Predators defense as an assistant coach, knows his X's and O's, as Vogl points out. "Housley has a great knack for forecasting exactly what the opponent will do, and he explains it clearly in the morning. When the puck drops, the opponent follows the blueprint and the Sabres stand there and get run over."
And there's the rub. The Sabres have had two very knowledgeable coaches who are in tune with the intricacies of the modern game but were not able to motivate their team to the point where they could play it properly game-in, game-out.
In no way should this be construed as a call to bring Nolan back to Buffalo. But in hindsight, a team coming off of consecutive last place finishes with no sense of identity and the ire of the hockey world harshly directed at them probably could have used a foundational season under Nolan just to get them something to rally around while learning to play the game properly as a new team.
In Bylsma's first season we watched the Sabres struggle with his system while also watching them fumble through basics like passing and covering a two-on-one. The hiring of Housley made it even worse. Granted the players seemed to have figured it out somewhat, but it's way to late this season and there are no guarantees any success they may have through the end of the season will carry over.
The Pegulas and their GM Jason Botterill will have some decisions to make moving forward. While most in Sabreland can't wait to add more talent, which is a good thing, not having a proper team construct or worse, not having motivated players especially star players, makes for a vicious cycle.
If Housley's not the answer as coach, and this very well may be true, once again the organization will be looking for a new head coach. Hiring a fifth coach since 2013 might not be the ideal, but it's about wins and losses and we know that it's easier to fire one coach than it is to move on from 10 players. What it does come down to is finding the fit.
The Detroit Red Wings are considered one of the best organizations in sports and rightfully so. What people don't remember is that the decades prior to their 25-year playoff run was known as the "Dead Wings-era." From 1982 when Mike Ilitch took over the team until their first of four Stanley Cups beginning in 1997, the Red Wings went through five coaches including three coaches in the first four seasons coming out of the Dead Wings era and two more before Scotty Bowman lead them back to the promised land.
The Sabres are what they are right now. It ain't pretty and just throwing talent and money at trying to fix it is not the solution. Talent will help immensely, but without motivation, it's meaningless. "Sometimes guys think they're playing hard," Housley was quoted as saying by Vogl, "but they're not playing hard enough and they have to work. I think that's the bottom line for a lot of guys."
For a short period of time over the past five years, that was never a problem.
Ruff, who spent 16+ years as the Sabres head coach, was never one to shy away from skating his team through tough practices after lackluster efforts and did so after a 2-1 Sabres loss in Florida. Miller was included in the skate as well.
From Vogl's piece, "Ruff called out Miller after the Florida game saying, 'you've got to get saves there' in reference to both goals and added the first one was 'an easy play for Ryan to read.'"
"With sweat pouring down Miller's face," continued Vogl of the practice, he quoted Miller as saying, "Well, I guess I'm going to have to read better,"
Vogl wrote about Miller being unhappy and thought he was calling out his coach with that remark. Much to his surprise, such was not the case. "He was very adamant as to why," wrote Vogl. "He was scared of the coach. He said Ruff was in charge of his career and playing time. Miller was worried if he crossed him, he could be benched or shipped out of town." The exact opposite of what Vogl and others expected.
That was roughly 10 years ago and Miller's fears never seemed to be the same as a forward group that oft times were accused of creating a "country club setting" which lead to underachievement as a team from the 2007-08 season onward.
Ruff was fired by owner Terry Pegula in 2013 and replaced by rookie head coach Ron "Garden Gloves" Rolston who proved rather quickly the following season that he was in way over his head. Rolston was the first of, now, four coaches since Ruff was fired on February 20 that year. After Rolston came a year-plus of Ted Nolan, two years of Dan Bylsma and this April will mark the first season under Phil Housley.
Many believe that Nolan, who's systematic shortcomings are the stuff of fodder, was hired to lead the team to the top of the draft by coaching them to the bottom of the league. Perhaps that may have been the case. Or perhaps as a hire of Pat LaFontaine, who was named President of Hockey Operations for the Buffalo Sabres on November 13, 2013, Nolan was expected t do what he's always done, motivate his team through a very trying time and make them as competitive as could be. Tank be damned.
During the 2014-15 season when the Sabres as an organization were focused upon losing to guarantee a shot at Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel, Nolan had a group of nobody's and borderline NHL'ers actually making some waves through much of the season, a franchise-worst 14-game losing streak and 0-12 month of January notwithstanding.
Even with that abysmal stretch, it still took until the second-to-last game of the season for Buffalo to reach their goal of securing last place in the standings and Nolan was a big part of that.
He was fired April 12, the day after the season mercifully ended.
With the potential to select McDavid in the draft maybe even land soon to be free agent coach Mike Babcock, who's considered to be one of the best in the business, Nolan's firing was a pretty much a foregone conclusion.
But while the organization went chasing rainbows and lucky charms, believing that fate would smile upon them not once but twice, a good coach was being tossed aside at the end of that season.
Nolan's shortcomings are well documented in that X's and O's to him might make up some foreign equation found on Mars and he was mocked repeatedly and relentlessly most everywhere in Buffalo because of it. However, say what you will, his players always worked hard and would run through a brick wall for him.
What Buffalo got in X's and O's after his firing, they lost in motivation. The first year under Bylsma the Sabres increased their point total by 50%, which is impressive even if they were coming off of a 54-point tank season. After that, a disappointing season that saw a disconnect between him and his players.
He was fired after two seasons. Yet nothing has changed with the hiring of a rookie head coach in Housley.
"Too many Sabres either don't care or think they're in charge," wrote Vogl of the present state of the team. "The players don't listen or, even worse, don't feel they even have to listen. It's a major reason why the Sabres are bottom-feeders once again."
Housley, an extremely gifted, Hall of Fame player who worked wonders with the Nashville Predators defense as an assistant coach, knows his X's and O's, as Vogl points out. "Housley has a great knack for forecasting exactly what the opponent will do, and he explains it clearly in the morning. When the puck drops, the opponent follows the blueprint and the Sabres stand there and get run over."
And there's the rub. The Sabres have had two very knowledgeable coaches who are in tune with the intricacies of the modern game but were not able to motivate their team to the point where they could play it properly game-in, game-out.
In no way should this be construed as a call to bring Nolan back to Buffalo. But in hindsight, a team coming off of consecutive last place finishes with no sense of identity and the ire of the hockey world harshly directed at them probably could have used a foundational season under Nolan just to get them something to rally around while learning to play the game properly as a new team.
In Bylsma's first season we watched the Sabres struggle with his system while also watching them fumble through basics like passing and covering a two-on-one. The hiring of Housley made it even worse. Granted the players seemed to have figured it out somewhat, but it's way to late this season and there are no guarantees any success they may have through the end of the season will carry over.
The Pegulas and their GM Jason Botterill will have some decisions to make moving forward. While most in Sabreland can't wait to add more talent, which is a good thing, not having a proper team construct or worse, not having motivated players especially star players, makes for a vicious cycle.
If Housley's not the answer as coach, and this very well may be true, once again the organization will be looking for a new head coach. Hiring a fifth coach since 2013 might not be the ideal, but it's about wins and losses and we know that it's easier to fire one coach than it is to move on from 10 players. What it does come down to is finding the fit.
The Detroit Red Wings are considered one of the best organizations in sports and rightfully so. What people don't remember is that the decades prior to their 25-year playoff run was known as the "Dead Wings-era." From 1982 when Mike Ilitch took over the team until their first of four Stanley Cups beginning in 1997, the Red Wings went through five coaches including three coaches in the first four seasons coming out of the Dead Wings era and two more before Scotty Bowman lead them back to the promised land.
The Sabres are what they are right now. It ain't pretty and just throwing talent and money at trying to fix it is not the solution. Talent will help immensely, but without motivation, it's meaningless. "Sometimes guys think they're playing hard," Housley was quoted as saying by Vogl, "but they're not playing hard enough and they have to work. I think that's the bottom line for a lot of guys."
For a short period of time over the past five years, that was never a problem.
Friday, November 10, 2017
Housley's got his result, but Dallas quote still sticks in someones craw
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 11-9-2017
If anyone can figure out what the future holds for this edition of the Buffalo Sabres, God love ya. It's been rough and rocky travelling thus far with the gamut of emotions in Sabreland leaning heavily towards the negative side so far. Mostly we've been subject to an on-ice product leaving us somewhere between frustrated and disgusted. On the positive side, however, there have been signs of encouragement lately and even a strong feeling of enthusiasm after Tuesday's win over the Washington Capitals.
Yet guarded optimism is standard operating procedure for Buffalo s in situations like this. It's been a while since we've seen a corner long since turned with a team moving forward in overdrive. On many occasions in recent years, turning the corner usually didn't mean finally getting on the road to respectability and beyond, it usually involved a head-on collision with a steam roller.
Buffalo put together it's most complete game of the season in a winning effort on Tuesday night. Although the win didn't leave you with a transcendent feeling as if the team had finally turned the corner, there was a positive vibe running through the locker room afterwards as coach and players had uplifting post-game interviews.
The start to this season has been tough on the Sabres and new head coach Phil Housley, who had a quick honeymoon phase in Buffalo as the team started out 0-4-1 with two embarrassing back-to-back clunkers in the mix. It took a four-game West Coast swing and some refocusing to stop the downward spiral but things have been noticeably better since.
On-ice positives are becoming more prevalent and since that ominous start the Sabres are 5-4-1. Yet there were indications that they hadn't completely shaken their early-season struggles. Within those four recent losses were two more clunkers, the latter of which came on Saturday night at the hands of the Dallas Stars in the second game of a two-game road trip. It took Dallas just over 10 minutes to go up 3-0 en route to a 5-1 rout of Buffalo.
What can you say after a game like that?
Housley decided to remain positive saying that they got the start they wanted but were victims of bad bounces. Sounded like a cover-up tied together by excuses. "When I evaluate the game," said Housley after the game, "I think we played well. The score tells you differently and there's probably going to be a lot of people that disagree with me."
There was an uproar over that quote. A Sabres print beat reporter wrote after the Dallas loss, "The Sabres have a fragile psyche, so maybe the coach didn't want to pile on in public.
"But it sounded like the Sabres have lowered the bar, that a four-goal loss is an acceptable effort. The feel-good vibe won't play to a fan base that knows better and expects more."
Earlier this week on radio we heard, rightfully so, that the mistakes made on the goals against are not the mark of a game well-played.
And it continued on this week with another print beat reporter going back to that Dallas post-game quote after the Washington win, as he chose to revisit it and further condemn it. "That was one of the most egregious quotes I've heard from a Buffalo coach in a long time," he wrote. "An affront to a battered fanbase.
"There's a difference in being positive and being Pollyanna Phil."
In both instances when Housley said his team played well in the 5-1 loss, the qualifier, and what the reporter didn't mention, was that the coach mentioned twice that he thought the team "got the start they wanted." Which is actually true. The Sabres did play well out of the gate when it came to the mechanics of how Housley wanted to see them skate and move the puck. They had plenty of possession and zone-time but couldn't score and when the puck was turned against them, two bad bounces lead to the Stars' first two goals.
Lack of coverage also played a big part in those two goals as well as the third one Dallas scored but Housley chose to focus upon the positives he saw early in the game. He explained it this way on WGR550 yesterday when he said that he didn't think it was "time to get really negative on the players."
"They've been through a lot here," continued the coach. "I try to keep it positive, but don't mistake [my positivity from not] holding players accountable. I think accountability and negativity are two different things."
For one game, it worked as they turned around and beat Washington. According to reports Housley put his team through a rather rigorous practice session after the Dallas loss and they bought in to the point where they played a 60-minute game and came out on the winning side of it.
However, you're only as good as your next game played and the Sabres are lined up with a back-to-back beginning Friday at home vs. the Florida Panthers. After that they travel to Montreal on Saturday for the first of three games away from KeyBank Center.
Reports from the rink had Housley with a lighter practice yesterday and one today that had a lighthearted moment. There's also more optimism as some of the walking wounded are beginning to return to the lineup.
This is a Sabres team that seems to be trending upward and without going all Pollyanna Buzz on y'all, hopefully they can put those clunkers to rest. Where it all takes them is anybody's guess, but it's not a bad thing to savor a win and in doing so, move on from the disappointment, frustration and disgust of a prior game.
It's what helps keep us Buffalo fans somewhat sane.
*****
Sanity can be a fleeting thing, however, especially with word today that top-pairing defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen has been downgraded as to week-to-week. Ristolainen suffered an upper-body injury in Arizona last week and won't be seeing the ice anytime soon.
On the bright side, two injured defensemen look real close to returning to game action. Nathan Beaulieu and Josh Gorges got a couple of practices in with Beaulieu being on the second powerplay unit at today's practice, an indication that he could very well be in the lineup tomorrow against the Panthers.
Gorges said he's ready but told WGR550 yesterday that it will be a coaching decision as to whether he gets in or not.
With Beaulieu and Gorges both seemingly ready to go, the Sabres sent defenseman Zach Bogosian back to Rochester.
If anyone can figure out what the future holds for this edition of the Buffalo Sabres, God love ya. It's been rough and rocky travelling thus far with the gamut of emotions in Sabreland leaning heavily towards the negative side so far. Mostly we've been subject to an on-ice product leaving us somewhere between frustrated and disgusted. On the positive side, however, there have been signs of encouragement lately and even a strong feeling of enthusiasm after Tuesday's win over the Washington Capitals.
Yet guarded optimism is standard operating procedure for Buffalo s in situations like this. It's been a while since we've seen a corner long since turned with a team moving forward in overdrive. On many occasions in recent years, turning the corner usually didn't mean finally getting on the road to respectability and beyond, it usually involved a head-on collision with a steam roller.
Buffalo put together it's most complete game of the season in a winning effort on Tuesday night. Although the win didn't leave you with a transcendent feeling as if the team had finally turned the corner, there was a positive vibe running through the locker room afterwards as coach and players had uplifting post-game interviews.
The start to this season has been tough on the Sabres and new head coach Phil Housley, who had a quick honeymoon phase in Buffalo as the team started out 0-4-1 with two embarrassing back-to-back clunkers in the mix. It took a four-game West Coast swing and some refocusing to stop the downward spiral but things have been noticeably better since.
On-ice positives are becoming more prevalent and since that ominous start the Sabres are 5-4-1. Yet there were indications that they hadn't completely shaken their early-season struggles. Within those four recent losses were two more clunkers, the latter of which came on Saturday night at the hands of the Dallas Stars in the second game of a two-game road trip. It took Dallas just over 10 minutes to go up 3-0 en route to a 5-1 rout of Buffalo.
What can you say after a game like that?
Housley decided to remain positive saying that they got the start they wanted but were victims of bad bounces. Sounded like a cover-up tied together by excuses. "When I evaluate the game," said Housley after the game, "I think we played well. The score tells you differently and there's probably going to be a lot of people that disagree with me."
There was an uproar over that quote. A Sabres print beat reporter wrote after the Dallas loss, "The Sabres have a fragile psyche, so maybe the coach didn't want to pile on in public.
"But it sounded like the Sabres have lowered the bar, that a four-goal loss is an acceptable effort. The feel-good vibe won't play to a fan base that knows better and expects more."
Earlier this week on radio we heard, rightfully so, that the mistakes made on the goals against are not the mark of a game well-played.
And it continued on this week with another print beat reporter going back to that Dallas post-game quote after the Washington win, as he chose to revisit it and further condemn it. "That was one of the most egregious quotes I've heard from a Buffalo coach in a long time," he wrote. "An affront to a battered fanbase.
"There's a difference in being positive and being Pollyanna Phil."
In both instances when Housley said his team played well in the 5-1 loss, the qualifier, and what the reporter didn't mention, was that the coach mentioned twice that he thought the team "got the start they wanted." Which is actually true. The Sabres did play well out of the gate when it came to the mechanics of how Housley wanted to see them skate and move the puck. They had plenty of possession and zone-time but couldn't score and when the puck was turned against them, two bad bounces lead to the Stars' first two goals.
Lack of coverage also played a big part in those two goals as well as the third one Dallas scored but Housley chose to focus upon the positives he saw early in the game. He explained it this way on WGR550 yesterday when he said that he didn't think it was "time to get really negative on the players."
"They've been through a lot here," continued the coach. "I try to keep it positive, but don't mistake [my positivity from not] holding players accountable. I think accountability and negativity are two different things."
For one game, it worked as they turned around and beat Washington. According to reports Housley put his team through a rather rigorous practice session after the Dallas loss and they bought in to the point where they played a 60-minute game and came out on the winning side of it.
However, you're only as good as your next game played and the Sabres are lined up with a back-to-back beginning Friday at home vs. the Florida Panthers. After that they travel to Montreal on Saturday for the first of three games away from KeyBank Center.
Reports from the rink had Housley with a lighter practice yesterday and one today that had a lighthearted moment. There's also more optimism as some of the walking wounded are beginning to return to the lineup.
This is a Sabres team that seems to be trending upward and without going all Pollyanna Buzz on y'all, hopefully they can put those clunkers to rest. Where it all takes them is anybody's guess, but it's not a bad thing to savor a win and in doing so, move on from the disappointment, frustration and disgust of a prior game.
It's what helps keep us Buffalo fans somewhat sane.
*****
Sanity can be a fleeting thing, however, especially with word today that top-pairing defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen has been downgraded as to week-to-week. Ristolainen suffered an upper-body injury in Arizona last week and won't be seeing the ice anytime soon.
On the bright side, two injured defensemen look real close to returning to game action. Nathan Beaulieu and Josh Gorges got a couple of practices in with Beaulieu being on the second powerplay unit at today's practice, an indication that he could very well be in the lineup tomorrow against the Panthers.
Gorges said he's ready but told WGR550 yesterday that it will be a coaching decision as to whether he gets in or not.
With Beaulieu and Gorges both seemingly ready to go, the Sabres sent defenseman Zach Bogosian back to Rochester.
Wednesday, April 19, 2017
On coaches, the Sabres and the Leafs
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 4-18-2017
Bucky Gleason has a very cool article in the Buffalo News today about the coaching carousel in the NHL which, he writes, is enough to make one's head spin. With Sabres head coach Dan Bylsma's status up in the air as he awaits the result of a GM/Ownership meeting this week, there is the possibility that the Sabres will have yet another coaching change, the fourth one since Lindy Ruff was fired. Ruff's tenure lasted just about 17 seasons and at the time of his firing was a part of the longest tenured head coach/GM tandem in the NHL.
But Ruff and GM Darcy Regier's long-time tenure is the anomaly in a league where coaches are hired to be fired, as the old adage goes. Professional sports is about immediacy and hockey is no different these days.
Gleason sets the ball rolling by starting with present St. Louis head coach Mike Yeo and does a Chronicles-like unwinding of the many coaches hired and fired. It's a pretty noble piece that moves well and in the end the simple conclusion is that there are three possibilities that preclude a coach being fired: "A) the general manager needed a scapegoat for a lousy roster he assembled because, heaven forbid, it's the GM's fault; B) the coach's message grew stale; C) players underachieved."
He concludes with "the most common factor is D) All of the above," which seems to be where Bylsma and the Sabres are at this point.
GM Tim Murray's 2016-17 team was flawed, maybe fatally although maybe not because of injuries. That's what he and owners Terry and Kim Pegula will be discussing when they meet in Boca Raton, FL this week to discuss the season. We also know that there was a disconnect between Bylsma and his players. How long this disconnect existed is up for debate but it could go back to the middle of December when disturbing trends on a team getting healthy again were starting to make their way into the picture.
And, no doubt, there were players that underachieved, most notably on defense and in the bottom-six. However, the top-six performed very well, at least statistically. Even Sam Reinhart surpassed his rookie output this season.
Something just wasn't right this season for Buffalo which brings it all back on the coach.
Gleason uses Buffalo captain Brian Gionta as a way go hoist some of the blame on the players. The supposed disconnect between Bylsma and the players had a lot to do with the coaches system, to which Gionta said two months ago that coaching systems didn't vary all that much in the NHL. Gleason writes, " It was the 15-year veteran's way of saying most teams approach the game in similar fashion and, therefore, his younger teammates and others needed to stop whining about Dan Bylsma," then concludes, "there are no secrets in the NHL. Hockey always has been, and forever shall be, an effort sport."
All of that is true, and motivating players to play their hardest in an "effort sport" apparently isn't one of Bylsma's strong points, at least with this team.
Former head coach Ted Nolan was a supreme motivator who employed (at most) basic X's and O's principles while touting the value of hard work, effort and accountability. His teams almost always overachieved yet he was always ridiculed as a dinosaur with no value in the modern NHL.
Yet, as Sabres fans watch the Stanley Cup playoffs for the sixth year in a row, it's not hard imagining a Nolan-coached team easily eclipsing the 78-point total that Bylsma's system-oriented team gathered.
And even if they didn't, there's one thing we Sabres fans could be pretty sure of.
When the Sabres met the Leafs for the final time this season at KeyBank Center with Toronto battling for a playoff spot and Buffalo in the role of spoiler, I'd almost bet the farm that a Nolan-coached team wouldn't have laid the colossal egg this team did in the embarrassment of that game. He'd have reveled in that playoff-like atmosphere.
*****
Speaking of that game.
Toronto eeked into the playoffs by one point. Buffalo had played a highly motivated game against the Leafs 10 days prior at KeyBank and totally manhandled them 5-2. Beating the Leafs again may have put them on the ropes to where they'd have missed out on the playoffs.
It didn't happen and much to the dismay of many a Buffalo sports fan, not only is Toronto in the playoffs, but they're leading the top-seed Washington Capitals 2-1 in the series. If a Sabres fan wants to beat his or her head every time they watch the Leafs this post season, they should do so against a 2016-17 Buffalo Sabres team picture.
*****
I get the consternation of Toronto in the playoff and as a Sabres fan I will always wish them to lose, expecting the same in return.
But when the anguish of a distraught fan comes in the form of "a little rant of 20+ reasons the Leafs have me bitter and salty," perhaps we're taking it a little too far.
When WGR550 morning host Jeremy White began is rant, I and every other Sabres fan can relate, but on the other hand, I get a kick out of watching Leaf Nation celebrate every goal as if it was the Stanley Cup winner.
The Leafs are a fun team to watch and it's good for the NHL as a whole that they're relevant again. Does it hurt a bit? Yeah, it does. Do I want to slit my wrists? Far from it.
I've said it before and I'll say it again. Toronto was the epitome of health this season and I'd bet the house that if Auston Matthews was injured for 21 games to start the season like Jack Eichel was, they wouldn't be in the playoffs. In fact if they also lost William Nylander and Mitch Marner like Buffalo lost Evander Kane and Ryan O'Reilly, they'd probably not be in the playoffs.
Everything went perfect for the Leafs this season and more power to them. And it's great for the NHL that in it's 100th Anniversary season, Toronto is back in the playoffs.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Bucky Gleason has a very cool article in the Buffalo News today about the coaching carousel in the NHL which, he writes, is enough to make one's head spin. With Sabres head coach Dan Bylsma's status up in the air as he awaits the result of a GM/Ownership meeting this week, there is the possibility that the Sabres will have yet another coaching change, the fourth one since Lindy Ruff was fired. Ruff's tenure lasted just about 17 seasons and at the time of his firing was a part of the longest tenured head coach/GM tandem in the NHL.
But Ruff and GM Darcy Regier's long-time tenure is the anomaly in a league where coaches are hired to be fired, as the old adage goes. Professional sports is about immediacy and hockey is no different these days.
Gleason sets the ball rolling by starting with present St. Louis head coach Mike Yeo and does a Chronicles-like unwinding of the many coaches hired and fired. It's a pretty noble piece that moves well and in the end the simple conclusion is that there are three possibilities that preclude a coach being fired: "A) the general manager needed a scapegoat for a lousy roster he assembled because, heaven forbid, it's the GM's fault; B) the coach's message grew stale; C) players underachieved."
He concludes with "the most common factor is D) All of the above," which seems to be where Bylsma and the Sabres are at this point.
GM Tim Murray's 2016-17 team was flawed, maybe fatally although maybe not because of injuries. That's what he and owners Terry and Kim Pegula will be discussing when they meet in Boca Raton, FL this week to discuss the season. We also know that there was a disconnect between Bylsma and his players. How long this disconnect existed is up for debate but it could go back to the middle of December when disturbing trends on a team getting healthy again were starting to make their way into the picture.
And, no doubt, there were players that underachieved, most notably on defense and in the bottom-six. However, the top-six performed very well, at least statistically. Even Sam Reinhart surpassed his rookie output this season.
Something just wasn't right this season for Buffalo which brings it all back on the coach.
Gleason uses Buffalo captain Brian Gionta as a way go hoist some of the blame on the players. The supposed disconnect between Bylsma and the players had a lot to do with the coaches system, to which Gionta said two months ago that coaching systems didn't vary all that much in the NHL. Gleason writes, " It was the 15-year veteran's way of saying most teams approach the game in similar fashion and, therefore, his younger teammates and others needed to stop whining about Dan Bylsma," then concludes, "there are no secrets in the NHL. Hockey always has been, and forever shall be, an effort sport."
All of that is true, and motivating players to play their hardest in an "effort sport" apparently isn't one of Bylsma's strong points, at least with this team.
Former head coach Ted Nolan was a supreme motivator who employed (at most) basic X's and O's principles while touting the value of hard work, effort and accountability. His teams almost always overachieved yet he was always ridiculed as a dinosaur with no value in the modern NHL.
Yet, as Sabres fans watch the Stanley Cup playoffs for the sixth year in a row, it's not hard imagining a Nolan-coached team easily eclipsing the 78-point total that Bylsma's system-oriented team gathered.
And even if they didn't, there's one thing we Sabres fans could be pretty sure of.
When the Sabres met the Leafs for the final time this season at KeyBank Center with Toronto battling for a playoff spot and Buffalo in the role of spoiler, I'd almost bet the farm that a Nolan-coached team wouldn't have laid the colossal egg this team did in the embarrassment of that game. He'd have reveled in that playoff-like atmosphere.
*****
Speaking of that game.
Toronto eeked into the playoffs by one point. Buffalo had played a highly motivated game against the Leafs 10 days prior at KeyBank and totally manhandled them 5-2. Beating the Leafs again may have put them on the ropes to where they'd have missed out on the playoffs.
It didn't happen and much to the dismay of many a Buffalo sports fan, not only is Toronto in the playoffs, but they're leading the top-seed Washington Capitals 2-1 in the series. If a Sabres fan wants to beat his or her head every time they watch the Leafs this post season, they should do so against a 2016-17 Buffalo Sabres team picture.
*****
I get the consternation of Toronto in the playoff and as a Sabres fan I will always wish them to lose, expecting the same in return.
But when the anguish of a distraught fan comes in the form of "a little rant of 20+ reasons the Leafs have me bitter and salty," perhaps we're taking it a little too far.
When WGR550 morning host Jeremy White began is rant, I and every other Sabres fan can relate, but on the other hand, I get a kick out of watching Leaf Nation celebrate every goal as if it was the Stanley Cup winner.
The Leafs are a fun team to watch and it's good for the NHL as a whole that they're relevant again. Does it hurt a bit? Yeah, it does. Do I want to slit my wrists? Far from it.
I've said it before and I'll say it again. Toronto was the epitome of health this season and I'd bet the house that if Auston Matthews was injured for 21 games to start the season like Jack Eichel was, they wouldn't be in the playoffs. In fact if they also lost William Nylander and Mitch Marner like Buffalo lost Evander Kane and Ryan O'Reilly, they'd probably not be in the playoffs.
Everything went perfect for the Leafs this season and more power to them. And it's great for the NHL that in it's 100th Anniversary season, Toronto is back in the playoffs.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Of the captaincy--Jack Eichel or Ryan O'Reilly
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 4-17-2017
There’s an amount of respect that should be given beat writers and media members who follow sports teams. Although this shouldn’t be confused with journalists covering human suffering in all it’s ghastly shapes and forms or those who are on the beat covering political processes that affect the vast constituency woven into our American fabric, sports journalists have a job to do and their sole focus upon the team(s) they cover is their livelihood.
Being a sports journalist in Buffalo has been particularly difficult, relatively speaking, when you consider that the Bills have been the laughingstock of the NFL for nearly the entirety of their 17-year playoff drought and the Sabres are beginning to enter snicker-territory as they just finished their six consecutive season outside of the playoffs. The Bills cast a particular pall over the Buffalo sports scene with their run of mediocrity while the Sabres took the dive away from middle of the road and were left to spin their wheels while supposedly climbing their way out of the basement of the league. A 25th place finish tells us that their not quite there yet.
So when a beat reporter or columnist opines about anything Bills or Sabres related, it's easy for us as fans to look at a piece and immediately have our emotions run the gamut anywhere from shrugging it off to ripping it to shreds.
In particular, the latest news hitting the Sabres, other than a "very disappointing season," in the words of GM Tim Murray, is the future of the captaincy for the team. There are many who say that being named captain is more of an honor and has very little to do with leading the team as all are expected to be professionals and play the game to their capabilities on a nightly basis. That may be true in the other major professional sports but I think of the captain of an NHL team directly contributes to successes and failures as they tend to embrace and/or define a franchise
There’s an amount of respect that should be given beat writers and media members who follow sports teams. Although this shouldn’t be confused with journalists covering human suffering in all it’s ghastly shapes and forms or those who are on the beat covering political processes that affect the vast constituency woven into our American fabric, sports journalists have a job to do and their sole focus upon the team(s) they cover is their livelihood.
Being a sports journalist in Buffalo has been particularly difficult, relatively speaking, when you consider that the Bills have been the laughingstock of the NFL for nearly the entirety of their 17-year playoff drought and the Sabres are beginning to enter snicker-territory as they just finished their six consecutive season outside of the playoffs. The Bills cast a particular pall over the Buffalo sports scene with their run of mediocrity while the Sabres took the dive away from middle of the road and were left to spin their wheels while supposedly climbing their way out of the basement of the league. A 25th place finish tells us that their not quite there yet.
So when a beat reporter or columnist opines about anything Bills or Sabres related, it's easy for us as fans to look at a piece and immediately have our emotions run the gamut anywhere from shrugging it off to ripping it to shreds.
In particular, the latest news hitting the Sabres, other than a "very disappointing season," in the words of GM Tim Murray, is the future of the captaincy for the team. There are many who say that being named captain is more of an honor and has very little to do with leading the team as all are expected to be professionals and play the game to their capabilities on a nightly basis. That may be true in the other major professional sports but I think of the captain of an NHL team directly contributes to successes and failures as they tend to embrace and/or define a franchise
Wednesday, February 1, 2017
Bylsma and his "chicken crap" roster headed towards the homestretch.
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 1-31-2017
Leave it to Buffalo fans.
This morning on WGR550, James from Niagara Falls called in and directed his wrath Sabres-wrath towards owner Terry Pegula and asked why GM Tim Murray wasn't on the hot-seat.
In true whiner-line fashion James jumped right in a snarky knickname for Pegula calling him "Teflon Terry" and proceeded to state that since he took over (Feburary 18, 2011,) the Sabres "haven't even come close to making the playoffs," which, isn't true.
Perhaps the toddler heard wailing in the background (or whatever that noise was) threw him off, but if Mr. James would have done a little research and got his facts straight he'd have found out that the Sabres actually did make the playoffs with Pegula as owner in 2011. They lost to the Philadelphia Flyers in seven games that season and the following year they proceeded to make a late-season run that fell three points short of a playoff birth. I'd consider that coming close.
After his discredited whine directed towards Pegula, he turned his focus towards Murray and asked bluntly, "Why is Tim Murray not on the hot seat." On queue, that wailing background noise, this time sounding like a caged-up version of Mothra, filled the air before the hosts interjected and James came back stating, "he should have been on the hot seat.
"If you look at some of the," he continued, as he stumbled looking to find the right words, "everybody's hammering on the coach (Bylsma) and yet how do you make...this roster is garbage, it's chicken crap!"
Such is the extreme fan in Buffalo.
It's been a bi-polar season for the Sabres with much of the down aspect attributable to injuries. Even tonight the Sabres will be without two top-six d-men in Josh Gorges and Jake McCabe while Bylsma said that another one, Dmitry Kulikov, will play in games but probably will not participate in game-day skates the rest of the season. Kulikov has been suffering from a back/tailbone injury incurred in the preseason and hasn't been able to fully recover from that.
There's really no sense in arguing with, or trying to convince, someone like Mr. James that this is a much better team since a player like Jack Eichel returned to the lineup and that as others like Evander Kane, Zach Bogosian, Ryan O'Reilly and even Kulikov gets healthier, the team gets stronger.
If there's any proof in the pudding, it begins tonight as the Sabres start their post All-Star stretch run with a visit to the Bell Center in Montreal. The Sabres will have 69 days to prove to people like Mr. James and others that they're not a "chicken crap" roster. Within those two-plus months they'll be playing 34 games and will have a league-mandated "bye week" in February which is sandwiched between three games in four nights on either side and they're scheduled for two more of those in the shortest month of the year.
After that it's the NHL Trade Deadline on March 1.
The Sabres are tied with the Detroit Red Wings at the bottom of the Atlantic Division with 49 points and there are seven points and a whole bunch of teams between them and a playoff spot. Buffalo won three of their last four and have been averaging 3.33 goals/game in January. If they want to make any kind of run they'll need to extend their solid month of January and be even better in a very busy month of February.
It begins tonight in Montreal with this "chicken crap" lineup:
Ennis-R. O'Reilly-Okposo
Foligno-Eichel-Reinhart
Kane-Girgensons-Gionta
Carrier-C. O'Reilly-Moulson
Kulikov-Ristolainen
Bogosian-Franson
Falk-Fedun
Lehner
To hear James of NF, click here.
Leave it to Buffalo fans.
This morning on WGR550, James from Niagara Falls called in and directed his wrath Sabres-wrath towards owner Terry Pegula and asked why GM Tim Murray wasn't on the hot-seat.
In true whiner-line fashion James jumped right in a snarky knickname for Pegula calling him "Teflon Terry" and proceeded to state that since he took over (Feburary 18, 2011,) the Sabres "haven't even come close to making the playoffs," which, isn't true.
Perhaps the toddler heard wailing in the background (or whatever that noise was) threw him off, but if Mr. James would have done a little research and got his facts straight he'd have found out that the Sabres actually did make the playoffs with Pegula as owner in 2011. They lost to the Philadelphia Flyers in seven games that season and the following year they proceeded to make a late-season run that fell three points short of a playoff birth. I'd consider that coming close.
After his discredited whine directed towards Pegula, he turned his focus towards Murray and asked bluntly, "Why is Tim Murray not on the hot seat." On queue, that wailing background noise, this time sounding like a caged-up version of Mothra, filled the air before the hosts interjected and James came back stating, "he should have been on the hot seat.
"If you look at some of the," he continued, as he stumbled looking to find the right words, "everybody's hammering on the coach (Bylsma) and yet how do you make...this roster is garbage, it's chicken crap!"
Such is the extreme fan in Buffalo.
It's been a bi-polar season for the Sabres with much of the down aspect attributable to injuries. Even tonight the Sabres will be without two top-six d-men in Josh Gorges and Jake McCabe while Bylsma said that another one, Dmitry Kulikov, will play in games but probably will not participate in game-day skates the rest of the season. Kulikov has been suffering from a back/tailbone injury incurred in the preseason and hasn't been able to fully recover from that.
There's really no sense in arguing with, or trying to convince, someone like Mr. James that this is a much better team since a player like Jack Eichel returned to the lineup and that as others like Evander Kane, Zach Bogosian, Ryan O'Reilly and even Kulikov gets healthier, the team gets stronger.
If there's any proof in the pudding, it begins tonight as the Sabres start their post All-Star stretch run with a visit to the Bell Center in Montreal. The Sabres will have 69 days to prove to people like Mr. James and others that they're not a "chicken crap" roster. Within those two-plus months they'll be playing 34 games and will have a league-mandated "bye week" in February which is sandwiched between three games in four nights on either side and they're scheduled for two more of those in the shortest month of the year.
After that it's the NHL Trade Deadline on March 1.
The Sabres are tied with the Detroit Red Wings at the bottom of the Atlantic Division with 49 points and there are seven points and a whole bunch of teams between them and a playoff spot. Buffalo won three of their last four and have been averaging 3.33 goals/game in January. If they want to make any kind of run they'll need to extend their solid month of January and be even better in a very busy month of February.
It begins tonight in Montreal with this "chicken crap" lineup:
Ennis-R. O'Reilly-Okposo
Foligno-Eichel-Reinhart
Kane-Girgensons-Gionta
Carrier-C. O'Reilly-Moulson
Kulikov-Ristolainen
Bogosian-Franson
Falk-Fedun
Lehner
To hear James of NF, click here.
Friday, May 22, 2015
The end of the Babcock saga. Plus, reactions to reactions
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
You could lay out 50 million reasons why it didn't work out between Mike Babcock and the Buffalo Sabres. A contact worth $50 million over eight years was reportedly offered by Sabres owner Terry Pegula and their GM, Tim Murray, and it was something Babcock's team took back up the QEW to Toronto Maple Leafs President Brendan Shanahan. The Leafs ponied up and Babcock is now the head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The process is done, and for a lot of people, there's a bit "Thank God" that can be placed a the end of that sentence.
Interesting to see the reactions from various sources out there, but all of them pretty much mention the Buffalo Sabres as the "jilted lover" in all of this. Which is fine, because the Pegula and Co. pretty much gave Babcock all they could offer him and in the end he chose the Queen of Hockey over the Queen City. "When you think about the Toronto Maple Leafs -- the most iconic franchise, in my view, in the world -- I think that that had an appeal to Mike Babcock that other markets just couldn't match," said TSN's Craig Button on ctv news.ca.
“I wanted to coach the Toronto Maple Leafs," was what Babcock ultimately said about his final decision.
You could lay out 50 million reasons why it didn't work out between Mike Babcock and the Buffalo Sabres. A contact worth $50 million over eight years was reportedly offered by Sabres owner Terry Pegula and their GM, Tim Murray, and it was something Babcock's team took back up the QEW to Toronto Maple Leafs President Brendan Shanahan. The Leafs ponied up and Babcock is now the head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The process is done, and for a lot of people, there's a bit "Thank God" that can be placed a the end of that sentence.
Interesting to see the reactions from various sources out there, but all of them pretty much mention the Buffalo Sabres as the "jilted lover" in all of this. Which is fine, because the Pegula and Co. pretty much gave Babcock all they could offer him and in the end he chose the Queen of Hockey over the Queen City. "When you think about the Toronto Maple Leafs -- the most iconic franchise, in my view, in the world -- I think that that had an appeal to Mike Babcock that other markets just couldn't match," said TSN's Craig Button on ctv news.ca.
“I wanted to coach the Toronto Maple Leafs," was what Babcock ultimately said about his final decision.
Saturday, May 2, 2015
Jack Eichel in Prague, Sabres season ticket increase and what, no year-end presser?
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
At 10am today, probable 2nd-overall draft pick, and probable future Buffalo Sabre Jack Eichel will be joining the USA squad as they hit ice in Prague, Czech Republic in the IIHF World Hockey Championships. Although it's down a ways on the list of important tournaments for those of us in North America, having Eichel in it should pique many a Sabres' fans interest.
Eichel and two other collegians--Dylan Larkin and Jimmy Vesey--who are expected to help provide some offense for Team USA. Eichel and Vesey finished No. 1 and No. 3, respectively, in NCAA scoring while Larkin was 11th. The trio will be joined by KHL scoring forward Steve Moses who set a KHL scoring record playing for Jokerit and was recently signed as a free agent by the Nashville Predators. The rest of the US forwards at this point feature a bevy of two-way players and checkers meaning that goals may be pretty hard to come by.
One should not that the IIHF rosters will undergo some changes as NHL teams fall out of the playoffs and their players opt to play in the tournament. Added to the US lineup up front yesterday are NY Islanders forwards Brock Nelson (82 games, 20 goals, 22 assists) and Anders Lee (76gm, 25g, 16a) which represents a significant upgrade in offense over the previous lineup.
Of note on the US squad, 17 yr. old phenom Auston Matthews played in an Team USA's only exhibition game of the tourney and scored a goal in the 4-1 US triumph. According to SI's Alan Muir, it's the first time a player hit the ice for the Worlds before being draft-eligible. Even though the US could use his skills, the game was just a pit stop for "the next one" on his way back from Switzerland. Matthews just finished leading the US squad to gold in the 2015 World U18 Hockey Championships. He had eight goals and seven assists in seven games and was named tourney MVP.
On tap for the Americans this morning is a bout with Finland who finished with the silver medal last season.
At 10am today, probable 2nd-overall draft pick, and probable future Buffalo Sabre Jack Eichel will be joining the USA squad as they hit ice in Prague, Czech Republic in the IIHF World Hockey Championships. Although it's down a ways on the list of important tournaments for those of us in North America, having Eichel in it should pique many a Sabres' fans interest.
Eichel and two other collegians--Dylan Larkin and Jimmy Vesey--who are expected to help provide some offense for Team USA. Eichel and Vesey finished No. 1 and No. 3, respectively, in NCAA scoring while Larkin was 11th. The trio will be joined by KHL scoring forward Steve Moses who set a KHL scoring record playing for Jokerit and was recently signed as a free agent by the Nashville Predators. The rest of the US forwards at this point feature a bevy of two-way players and checkers meaning that goals may be pretty hard to come by.
One should not that the IIHF rosters will undergo some changes as NHL teams fall out of the playoffs and their players opt to play in the tournament. Added to the US lineup up front yesterday are NY Islanders forwards Brock Nelson (82 games, 20 goals, 22 assists) and Anders Lee (76gm, 25g, 16a) which represents a significant upgrade in offense over the previous lineup.
Of note on the US squad, 17 yr. old phenom Auston Matthews played in an Team USA's only exhibition game of the tourney and scored a goal in the 4-1 US triumph. According to SI's Alan Muir, it's the first time a player hit the ice for the Worlds before being draft-eligible. Even though the US could use his skills, the game was just a pit stop for "the next one" on his way back from Switzerland. Matthews just finished leading the US squad to gold in the 2015 World U18 Hockey Championships. He had eight goals and seven assists in seven games and was named tourney MVP.
On tap for the Americans this morning is a bout with Finland who finished with the silver medal last season.
Saturday, April 4, 2015
Ted Nolan, "Agree to disagree"
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
Sabres head coach Ted Nolan was on WGR's Howard Simon Show for his weekly appearance. As is par for the course in the Buffalo media these days, the host and co-host spent the majority of the segment trying in many ways to get his thoughts on what's transpired over the course of the last week. Nolan was asked about the home fans cheering the opposition, the players being annoyed by it, the wins vs. Arizona and Toronto, the value of positioning amongst the bottom-dwelling teams and how he's handling it all.
Host Simon and his co-host Jeremy Whiter were sneaky, which is typical, because if one hopes to get an answer, that's the way one must be when asking a question on a touchy subject. And Nolan didn't just fall off the turnip truck. After one question thrown his way, the coach came right out and said, "That's a loaded question."
What we're witnessing, and have been witnessing, throughout this long, tedious and rather exhausting process, is a simple case of people doing their jobs. The boys on the air and in print, in essence, are speaking for many fans (or think they are) and are trying to get some information and/or sound bites. The players on the ice are doing their jobs as they're trying to win and make an impression so that they may continue their careers. Nolan and his staff are doing their jobs in trying to get the best out of each player on an individual basis while GM Tim Murray is keeping in mind the long-term best interests of the franchise.
Add it all up and you have the Sabres tenuous hold on 30th place and a fan-base getting more and more nervous with every point Buffalo gets. But "Tank-nation" needn't fret all that much as the level of competition coming up is sharply greater than what Arizona and Toronto have to offer.
Sabres head coach Ted Nolan was on WGR's Howard Simon Show for his weekly appearance. As is par for the course in the Buffalo media these days, the host and co-host spent the majority of the segment trying in many ways to get his thoughts on what's transpired over the course of the last week. Nolan was asked about the home fans cheering the opposition, the players being annoyed by it, the wins vs. Arizona and Toronto, the value of positioning amongst the bottom-dwelling teams and how he's handling it all.
Host Simon and his co-host Jeremy Whiter were sneaky, which is typical, because if one hopes to get an answer, that's the way one must be when asking a question on a touchy subject. And Nolan didn't just fall off the turnip truck. After one question thrown his way, the coach came right out and said, "That's a loaded question."
What we're witnessing, and have been witnessing, throughout this long, tedious and rather exhausting process, is a simple case of people doing their jobs. The boys on the air and in print, in essence, are speaking for many fans (or think they are) and are trying to get some information and/or sound bites. The players on the ice are doing their jobs as they're trying to win and make an impression so that they may continue their careers. Nolan and his staff are doing their jobs in trying to get the best out of each player on an individual basis while GM Tim Murray is keeping in mind the long-term best interests of the franchise.
Add it all up and you have the Sabres tenuous hold on 30th place and a fan-base getting more and more nervous with every point Buffalo gets. But "Tank-nation" needn't fret all that much as the level of competition coming up is sharply greater than what Arizona and Toronto have to offer.
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Of GM Tim Murray's supposed "obsession/infatuation" with Connor McDavid
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
Look. We get it.
Some Buffalo Sabres have lost their minds in all of this. Some fans couldn't care less. Most feel that this is where the team is at and there's no sense in not finishing the job.
As for the organization, their duty is to do what's in the best interest of the franchise. Sabres GM Tim Murray is in charge of on-ice product for the team. He came to Buffalo smack-dab in the middle of the season last January with the team in full rebuild-mode. He was hired to finish the job of blowing the whole thing up then starting all over again. He said it would take two drafts and the 2015 draft will be the second of those two.
Murray has said it before and he'll say it again, "Our time's the future." He's not fixated on a long building process to get to the future. If the opportunity presents itself for the team to hasten the rebuild without ripping out pieces he deems necessary, he'll jump at it (see Evander Kane/Tyler Myers trade.) But make no mistake, this is a crucial draft. It was so important that when the league was changing the lottery odds as well as terms, Murray was lobbying to keep the terms in place for one more season. In doing so, should his (probable) last place team not win the lottery, the having the second pick is a solid, possible franchise-altering, consolation prize.
Look. We get it.
Some Buffalo Sabres have lost their minds in all of this. Some fans couldn't care less. Most feel that this is where the team is at and there's no sense in not finishing the job.
As for the organization, their duty is to do what's in the best interest of the franchise. Sabres GM Tim Murray is in charge of on-ice product for the team. He came to Buffalo smack-dab in the middle of the season last January with the team in full rebuild-mode. He was hired to finish the job of blowing the whole thing up then starting all over again. He said it would take two drafts and the 2015 draft will be the second of those two.
Murray has said it before and he'll say it again, "Our time's the future." He's not fixated on a long building process to get to the future. If the opportunity presents itself for the team to hasten the rebuild without ripping out pieces he deems necessary, he'll jump at it (see Evander Kane/Tyler Myers trade.) But make no mistake, this is a crucial draft. It was so important that when the league was changing the lottery odds as well as terms, Murray was lobbying to keep the terms in place for one more season. In doing so, should his (probable) last place team not win the lottery, the having the second pick is a solid, possible franchise-altering, consolation prize.
Sunday, March 22, 2015
A petulant Lindback? And, Lindy Ruff's 2006-07 gameplan can help bring this thing home
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
Perhaps it was the headline that read, Lindback courts many fans' displeasure, and the notion put forth that "he’s on his way to becoming one of the most reviled Sabres ever," as written by the author, Jon Vogl of The Buffalo News. Or maybe it was the number of games he's played in consecutively, which has reached eight, all since Michal Neuvirth was traded to the NY Islanders. Or it may have been something unseen, but Sabres goalie Anders Lindback began last night's game versus the New Jersey Devils in a petulant mood.
He wasn't angry, throwin' crosschecks or elbows or anything like that, but it seemed as if there was a slight change in his demeanor as seen when he handled the puck early in the game. It looked as if something was bugging him, throwing him off a bit. It had the look as if he'd mentally thrown his arms up to say, "whatever."
Perhaps it was the headline that read, Lindback courts many fans' displeasure, and the notion put forth that "he’s on his way to becoming one of the most reviled Sabres ever," as written by the author, Jon Vogl of The Buffalo News. Or maybe it was the number of games he's played in consecutively, which has reached eight, all since Michal Neuvirth was traded to the NY Islanders. Or it may have been something unseen, but Sabres goalie Anders Lindback began last night's game versus the New Jersey Devils in a petulant mood.
He wasn't angry, throwin' crosschecks or elbows or anything like that, but it seemed as if there was a slight change in his demeanor as seen when he handled the puck early in the game. It looked as if something was bugging him, throwing him off a bit. It had the look as if he'd mentally thrown his arms up to say, "whatever."
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
Murray outfoxes Maloney at the deadline, fends off local press
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
Sabres beat writer Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News has been railing against a perceived be tank-job by the Buffalo organization for quite some time. Back on January 31st he penned an article, Sabres are disgusting, all right, that aptly and bluntly captured his dismay .At the time Harrington was not amused by the Sabres road to the top of the 2015 NHL Draft. He wrote of the Edmonton Oilers having "a lot of road trips" the rest of the season while the Arizona Coyotes, he wrote, "have a lot of trades to make" if they were thinking of overtaking the Sabres for last place.
Buffalo had just finished an 0-fer January and was on a franchise record 14-game losing streak. "Hockey folks are laughing at the product the Sabres have put on the ice," he wrote, "but much worse they're laughing at the organization itself and that's not how it's supposed to be going."
Sabres GM Tim Murray was sitting on his hands during this debacle leaving head coach Ted Nolan with very little on the ice and even less to say post-game save for "these are the 20 guys we have," and "we've got what we got." Harrington was so disgusted that it only took him a one paragraph lead-in before he wrote, "I think it's safe to call right now. The Buffalo Sabres are the worst team in the NHL by a lot at this point. They're going to finish 30th and get Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel.
"You may call it mission accomplished. But the mission doesn't need to be an open disgrace."
Sabres beat writer Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News has been railing against a perceived be tank-job by the Buffalo organization for quite some time. Back on January 31st he penned an article, Sabres are disgusting, all right, that aptly and bluntly captured his dismay .At the time Harrington was not amused by the Sabres road to the top of the 2015 NHL Draft. He wrote of the Edmonton Oilers having "a lot of road trips" the rest of the season while the Arizona Coyotes, he wrote, "have a lot of trades to make" if they were thinking of overtaking the Sabres for last place.
Buffalo had just finished an 0-fer January and was on a franchise record 14-game losing streak. "Hockey folks are laughing at the product the Sabres have put on the ice," he wrote, "but much worse they're laughing at the organization itself and that's not how it's supposed to be going."
Sabres GM Tim Murray was sitting on his hands during this debacle leaving head coach Ted Nolan with very little on the ice and even less to say post-game save for "these are the 20 guys we have," and "we've got what we got." Harrington was so disgusted that it only took him a one paragraph lead-in before he wrote, "I think it's safe to call right now. The Buffalo Sabres are the worst team in the NHL by a lot at this point. They're going to finish 30th and get Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel.
"You may call it mission accomplished. But the mission doesn't need to be an open disgrace."
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Hockey's anti-fighting crusaders should let real men play "a man's game."
Sabres' captain Steve Ott was on the Howard Simon Show in his weekly slot today and he got into a discussion with Simon and Jeremy White concerning fighting and it's role in the NHL.
In case you hadn't noticed, Ott is old-school. When Simon asked if he'd ever been in a line brawl like the most recent Calgary/Vancouver scrum, Ott said he'd been in many line brawls and that it was common in Junior, "probably five or six a year."
The brawl between Calgary and Vancouver--about which much has been written including a snipe from ESPN baseball analyst Peter Gammons--has once again brought fighting in hockey to the forefront.
And not in a good way either as it would seem that more and more people, including media members, are crusading against it.
Ask anyone who'd followed hockey for the last 40-50 years and they'll tell you that what occurred in Vancouver was commonplace back then. And pretty sure that Ott would feel right at home playing the likes of the Broadstreet Bullies and the Big, Bad Bruins.
So the question posed to Ott is this, with the NHL cracking down on fighting, and less of these tough-guy, line brawls happening does Ott, having gone through junior expecting stuff like that, miss it and take solace in a kinder, gentler NHL?
In case you hadn't noticed, Ott is old-school. When Simon asked if he'd ever been in a line brawl like the most recent Calgary/Vancouver scrum, Ott said he'd been in many line brawls and that it was common in Junior, "probably five or six a year."
 |
| Tipper Gore and her Parents Music Resource Center did battle with Frank Zappa during the 80's. The soccer-mom mentality began with Tipper and her overbearing crusade against music. |
And not in a good way either as it would seem that more and more people, including media members, are crusading against it.
Ask anyone who'd followed hockey for the last 40-50 years and they'll tell you that what occurred in Vancouver was commonplace back then. And pretty sure that Ott would feel right at home playing the likes of the Broadstreet Bullies and the Big, Bad Bruins.
So the question posed to Ott is this, with the NHL cracking down on fighting, and less of these tough-guy, line brawls happening does Ott, having gone through junior expecting stuff like that, miss it and take solace in a kinder, gentler NHL?
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Defending Pegula and Regier
Back in the summer of 2011 when new Sabres owner Terry Pegula was making waves by throwing big money at free agents, he was also investing heavily in other, less flashy areas of the organization. "There is no NHL salary cap on scouting budgets or player development budgets, " he said at his first presser declaring that he planned on increasing those budgets.
More scouts in the field and a Sabres Combine for draft prospects were amongst the areas receiving additional finances.
In direct contrast to the immediacy of his free agent splurge, the benefits of an increased focus upon scouting and player development wouldn't be seen for at least a few years down the road.
It looked to be a two-fold approach to their goal of the winning the Stanley Cup: a direct influx of free agent talent for an immediate, short-term run into the playoffs while underneath the surface, a feeder group of prospects would be developing for long-term success.
Unfortunately for the team and it's fans, the short-term plan imploded. The team did not move forward with an augmented core, missed the playoffs two years running and had their worst finish in 10 years last season.
To make matters worse for an increasingly impatient media and fan-base, Regier, the GM who built the team, is now in charge of breaking it down and rebuilding it.
As the team gets ready for the draft, picking at the highest slot since 2003, the entire Pegula regime is under attack. And the source of this disdain is Regier with tertiary disgust being thrown at Pegula for keeping his GM on board.
The Buffalo News' Jerry Sullivan calls it "Trouble in hockey heaven" as he takes Pegula to task in a recent article. Sullivan and his understudy, Bucky Gleason, have never hidden their contempt for Regier and undeniably and unabashedly want to see his ass shown the door.
Sullivan has been railing against Regier, and at times directly attacking Pegula because of Regier, for a couple of years, "It has become a joyless, redundant exercise," he wrote, "to criticize the Sabres and their owner, Terry Pegula. You're whispering into a tornado of denial, helpless in the face of one man's refusal to entertain the wide-held notion that his general manager might be a problem."
The source for Sullivan's latest rant was Pegula's appearance on WGR's Hockey Hotline, a Sabres radio show with direct ties to the organization.
With these five words Pegula sent the media into a frenzy, "What has [Regier] done wrong?"
Pegula was said to be in hiding by his detractors. His team stumbled on the ice this season and he had not made a public appearance to talk about his hockey team since January when he announced Regier's contract extension. Everyone, especially the sports department at the Buffalo News, wanted answers.
In the interview on GR, they were instead treated to a somewhat smug rebuttle of Regier's critics. An obviously irritated owner was sticking by his GM.
What has Regier done wrong? Those in Sabreland have a littany of transgressions from which to choose from when it comes to his decisions over the last 16 years. But they forget that Pegula is looking only at Regier's job performance for the two-plus years he's owned the team. Pegula has stated this time and again.
A mere two days after Pegula made his appeareance, Regier held the Sabres annual draft presser and blew up every GM wannabe's dream scenario by stating simply and honestly, "to move [from 8th in the draft] up into those top [three-five] spots will be extremely difficult if not impossible."
This was yet another transgression. It dashed NHL-13 fantasies of trading goalie Ryan Miller, Mikhail Grigorenko and the 8th pick to Colorado for the 1st overall pick and a chance to draft Nathan MacKinnon.
Unlike other times when there was an outcry for honesty and transparency, the truth of Regier's statement was an unwelcomed bucket of cold water. A large portion of the fan base, it would seem, wanted to go on believing that there actually was a chance to move up and draft a potential superstar.
In an epic rant on WGR, afternoon co-host Chris "Bulldog" Parker blasted that mentality, "That's how bad it is?" he barked at host Mike Schoppsie. "You wanna pretend that something might happen that isn't really going to happen?"
"You wanted them to suspend belief for ten more days that they might be able to draft Nathan MacKinnon. That's what you were hoping for out of them?
HOLY COW!!!"
Although the Sabres short-term plan was rocked like the Milan Lucic steamroll of Ryan Miller, the long-term team-building plan is still in place.
The fruits of this process are still well beyond Pegula's stated three-year Stanley Cup plan. But the foundation is beginning to take shape.
The Sabres' scouting staff has increased significantly including a larger overseas presence like the hiring of Fredrik Andersson who is scouring Europe to unearth latter-rounds goalie gems.
He found Linus Ullmark, last year's sixth round pick, who's rising fast on the Sabres depth chart.
Ullmark was one of many prospects brougth to Buffalo to attend the Sabres Combine, something that was a dream of head amateur scout Kevin Devine under the previous regime. With Pegula's financial resources and commitment to scouting and player development, Devine's dream became a reality. Draft prospects now hit the ice at the F'N Center while the organization gets a first-hand look at what they have to offer.
There has also been a fundamental change in the players that the Sabres want to build with.
At his first presser Pegula stated that he wants "not only statistically good players but winners, gritty players." Anyone who's watched the team since 2007 knows that this team was generally the opposite of that. The previous core could put up numbers, but they were routinely described as "easy to play against."
Two faces of Regier's old core, Derek Roy and Jason Pominville--both consistently amongst the top-three scorers on the team but lacking grit--were traded. The bellweather of the Sabres' philosophical change in players might be the trading of Roy for gritty winger Steve Ott in the 2012 off season.
In Pegula's GR interview this past week, he stressed his affinity for "hard workers" and pointed to Zemgus Girgensons who was drafted with the second of the Sabres two 1st-round picks last year, a pick Regier traded up for.
Johan Larsson, part of the Pominville trade, was also pointed to as a hard worker by Pegula.
Both Girgensons and Larsson look to be a big part of the team's "new core" going forward, a core that follows Pegula's stated desire to land "not only statistically good players, but winners, gritty players."
These are players targeted by Pegula's hockey ops team headed by Regier.
The media and fans have seen Regier's team-building prior to Pegula and it was a failure save for two seasons. Pegula, on the other hand, looks at what his GM has done in the two years since he took over the team. Regier was given his marching orders and has impressed his boss. That's what Pegula is looking at when he asked the question "what has he done wrong?"
In this battle between disenchanted fans/irate media members and Pegula, I choose to side with the owner.
I really don't think Regier's done much wrong since the decision was made to purge his core. To the contrary, I think he's pulled off some impressive trades.
If Regier's role and main focus right now is to acquire the assets that others within the organization deem fit to build with, great. I think he's done an outstanding job thus-far.
And if you choose to look at this defense of Pegula and Regier as coming from someone drunk from drinking the kool-aid. So be it.
I like the long-term building blocks and right now I don't care that Reiger's in charge. I hold no grudges, nor do I take anything personally when it comes to the team and how it's run.
The Sabres are on the right track. A slower track than anyone anticipated or desired, but the right one none the less.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/regier-is-the-right-man-for-sabres-for-now/article14900235/ Oct. 16, 2013
More scouts in the field and a Sabres Combine for draft prospects were amongst the areas receiving additional finances.
In direct contrast to the immediacy of his free agent splurge, the benefits of an increased focus upon scouting and player development wouldn't be seen for at least a few years down the road.
It looked to be a two-fold approach to their goal of the winning the Stanley Cup: a direct influx of free agent talent for an immediate, short-term run into the playoffs while underneath the surface, a feeder group of prospects would be developing for long-term success.
Unfortunately for the team and it's fans, the short-term plan imploded. The team did not move forward with an augmented core, missed the playoffs two years running and had their worst finish in 10 years last season.
To make matters worse for an increasingly impatient media and fan-base, Regier, the GM who built the team, is now in charge of breaking it down and rebuilding it.
As the team gets ready for the draft, picking at the highest slot since 2003, the entire Pegula regime is under attack. And the source of this disdain is Regier with tertiary disgust being thrown at Pegula for keeping his GM on board.
The Buffalo News' Jerry Sullivan calls it "Trouble in hockey heaven" as he takes Pegula to task in a recent article. Sullivan and his understudy, Bucky Gleason, have never hidden their contempt for Regier and undeniably and unabashedly want to see his ass shown the door.
Sullivan has been railing against Regier, and at times directly attacking Pegula because of Regier, for a couple of years, "It has become a joyless, redundant exercise," he wrote, "to criticize the Sabres and their owner, Terry Pegula. You're whispering into a tornado of denial, helpless in the face of one man's refusal to entertain the wide-held notion that his general manager might be a problem."
The source for Sullivan's latest rant was Pegula's appearance on WGR's Hockey Hotline, a Sabres radio show with direct ties to the organization.
With these five words Pegula sent the media into a frenzy, "What has [Regier] done wrong?"
Pegula was said to be in hiding by his detractors. His team stumbled on the ice this season and he had not made a public appearance to talk about his hockey team since January when he announced Regier's contract extension. Everyone, especially the sports department at the Buffalo News, wanted answers.
In the interview on GR, they were instead treated to a somewhat smug rebuttle of Regier's critics. An obviously irritated owner was sticking by his GM.
What has Regier done wrong? Those in Sabreland have a littany of transgressions from which to choose from when it comes to his decisions over the last 16 years. But they forget that Pegula is looking only at Regier's job performance for the two-plus years he's owned the team. Pegula has stated this time and again.
A mere two days after Pegula made his appeareance, Regier held the Sabres annual draft presser and blew up every GM wannabe's dream scenario by stating simply and honestly, "to move [from 8th in the draft] up into those top [three-five] spots will be extremely difficult if not impossible."
This was yet another transgression. It dashed NHL-13 fantasies of trading goalie Ryan Miller, Mikhail Grigorenko and the 8th pick to Colorado for the 1st overall pick and a chance to draft Nathan MacKinnon.
Unlike other times when there was an outcry for honesty and transparency, the truth of Regier's statement was an unwelcomed bucket of cold water. A large portion of the fan base, it would seem, wanted to go on believing that there actually was a chance to move up and draft a potential superstar.
In an epic rant on WGR, afternoon co-host Chris "Bulldog" Parker blasted that mentality, "That's how bad it is?" he barked at host Mike Schoppsie. "You wanna pretend that something might happen that isn't really going to happen?"
"You wanted them to suspend belief for ten more days that they might be able to draft Nathan MacKinnon. That's what you were hoping for out of them?
HOLY COW!!!"
Although the Sabres short-term plan was rocked like the Milan Lucic steamroll of Ryan Miller, the long-term team-building plan is still in place.
The fruits of this process are still well beyond Pegula's stated three-year Stanley Cup plan. But the foundation is beginning to take shape.
The Sabres' scouting staff has increased significantly including a larger overseas presence like the hiring of Fredrik Andersson who is scouring Europe to unearth latter-rounds goalie gems.
He found Linus Ullmark, last year's sixth round pick, who's rising fast on the Sabres depth chart.
Ullmark was one of many prospects brougth to Buffalo to attend the Sabres Combine, something that was a dream of head amateur scout Kevin Devine under the previous regime. With Pegula's financial resources and commitment to scouting and player development, Devine's dream became a reality. Draft prospects now hit the ice at the F'N Center while the organization gets a first-hand look at what they have to offer.
There has also been a fundamental change in the players that the Sabres want to build with.
At his first presser Pegula stated that he wants "not only statistically good players but winners, gritty players." Anyone who's watched the team since 2007 knows that this team was generally the opposite of that. The previous core could put up numbers, but they were routinely described as "easy to play against."
Two faces of Regier's old core, Derek Roy and Jason Pominville--both consistently amongst the top-three scorers on the team but lacking grit--were traded. The bellweather of the Sabres' philosophical change in players might be the trading of Roy for gritty winger Steve Ott in the 2012 off season.
In Pegula's GR interview this past week, he stressed his affinity for "hard workers" and pointed to Zemgus Girgensons who was drafted with the second of the Sabres two 1st-round picks last year, a pick Regier traded up for.
Johan Larsson, part of the Pominville trade, was also pointed to as a hard worker by Pegula.
Both Girgensons and Larsson look to be a big part of the team's "new core" going forward, a core that follows Pegula's stated desire to land "not only statistically good players, but winners, gritty players."
These are players targeted by Pegula's hockey ops team headed by Regier.
The media and fans have seen Regier's team-building prior to Pegula and it was a failure save for two seasons. Pegula, on the other hand, looks at what his GM has done in the two years since he took over the team. Regier was given his marching orders and has impressed his boss. That's what Pegula is looking at when he asked the question "what has he done wrong?"
In this battle between disenchanted fans/irate media members and Pegula, I choose to side with the owner.
I really don't think Regier's done much wrong since the decision was made to purge his core. To the contrary, I think he's pulled off some impressive trades.
If Regier's role and main focus right now is to acquire the assets that others within the organization deem fit to build with, great. I think he's done an outstanding job thus-far.
And if you choose to look at this defense of Pegula and Regier as coming from someone drunk from drinking the kool-aid. So be it.
I like the long-term building blocks and right now I don't care that Reiger's in charge. I hold no grudges, nor do I take anything personally when it comes to the team and how it's run.
The Sabres are on the right track. A slower track than anyone anticipated or desired, but the right one none the less.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/regier-is-the-right-man-for-sabres-for-now/article14900235/ Oct. 16, 2013
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Thoughts on the Carolina home and home
After a 6-3 shelling at the hands of Carolina on Thursday, it didn't take head coach Lindy Ruff long to get that choking feeling and move veteran center/winger Jochen Hecht up to the third line.
Ruff used this as his excuse/reasoning, "We tried to be a little bit harder on [Eric]Staal. We used [Steve] Ott and [Patrick] Kaleta and Hecht against him," he said. "It was the only reason. I thought we had to try to slow [him down]." Staal had the hat trick vs. the Sabres in Carolina the night before.
Of course, that meant rookie Mikhail Grigorenko, playing in his fourth of possibly five "tryout" games was demoted to the fourth line.
Grigorenko, who had been middle-of-the road, but was showing signs of progressing, turned out to be a casualty of Ruff's reliance on the "tried and true." Hecht is one of Ruff's favorite players, one that he believes he can count on in all situations.
From the moment Hecht was signed to a one year deal, everyone knew that it was only a matter of time before he climbed up the lines into a spot that was beyond his talents (that would be anything above the fourth line.) Sure enough, it was last night.
In years past, Ruff has been seen as stunting the growth of his young players either being too hard on them or putting them in a position to fail. Now, even though Grigorenko has done what's asked of him, he gets demoted to a line with fighter John Scott and little Nathan Gerbe.
At today's skate, Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald thinks that Ruff may have some remorse. “It’s like burning a game,” Ruff was quoted as saying.
Sure enough, they only have five games to decide whether the 18 yr. old center sticks or gets sent back to Jr. At 6:48 of ice time, to get a better "match up," Ruff did burn a game. And further burned his reputation of leaning on "his" guys into the brains of every Sabre fan.
Being on the third line getting 10-12 minutes a game is not a bad way to get introduced into the NHL. Doing what the coach tells you to do--focusing upon defense, even though you have mad offensive skills--should get you more ice-time, not less.
Ruff screwed up last night. Everyone in Sabreland knows it (except maybe for Terry Pegula and Darcy Regier) and I would hazard to guess that Grigorenko's a little perplexed at Ruff's decision.
Let's hope "Grigs" has the wherewithal to get past it and move forward.
************
There's a reason I dislike twitter, other than the fact that it's inane. One should never trust an initial reaction while dealing in disappointment.
After last night's loss. I wanted Lindy Ruff to be fired. I also wanted to see WGR's Paul Hamilton and Howard Simon and Chris "Bulldog" Parker canned as well. What the hell, I wanted Jeremy White and Mike Schoppsie fired too, like I always do.
It's an obvious overreaction, which is why twitter is pretty much useless, unless you want to laugh at someone.
But, here are the reasons why the aforementioned should at least be on notice:
Lindy Ruff--Relying on an old stand-by--Jochen Hecht--to get the job done. The Sabres lost 3-1. His "old standbys" have gotten him to the playoffs twice in the last five seasons, never getting the team past the first round.
Howard Simon--What a sore loser. Still. Before the 'Canes home-and-home, Simon had the audacity to belittle the organization with an article entitled 'Canes mediocre since raising the Cup. He is, of course, sure that Buffalo would have won it had they not fallen on hard times vs. Carolina back in 2006. But why bag on an organization that at the very least is not that far below the Sabres? Oh, and no comment section either.
Paul Hamilton--Sabres D-man Tyler Myers is off to a slow start--again. In an interview with Hamilton a couple of days ago, Myers had the "audacity" to laugh at a perceived lack of confidence in himself. A laugh Hamilton described as "condescending." Whoa there, pardner, nobody does that to THE Paul Hamilton. Myers has now got himself an overweight beagle annoyingly barking up a storm. Yesterday the hound almighty opened up his post-game article with, "Since I felt Tyler Myers was playing worse than he does, I figured I'd make him my focus this game." Talk about condescending. Really? Oh, and as usual, no comment section.
Chris "Bulldog" Parker--Bulldog's been really annoying lately, especially when it comes to the Bills and specifically Ryan Fitzpatrick. The season's over, and despite a Syracuse reunion at the top two spots on the coaching staff, and a possibility of a reunion with their QB of the last three seasons, it's back to the old punching bag, Fitzpatrick, and Bulldog's article, Are we done with Fitz? Yes, Bulldog, we know you're done with Fitz as a starter. But your plan, "if [you] were the Bills--pick the best [QB] I can with the 8th pick and hope he's ready to play in September?" Really? I'm glad you're not the GM. Like the Bills don't have holes at linebacker (at least two,) CB and WR. Glad I don't listen to you and that Schoppsie guy anymore.
Mike Schoppsie--Shoulda been fired long ago. Arrogance and perceived "entertainment." This is the same guy that once had some suggestions to help Ryan Miller get out of his goaltending slump. Schoppsie's suggestions were based on his time as a goalie, in an intramural floor hockey league. This is also the same guy who said faceoffs are not as important as people make them out to be. My suggestion is that you ask the Sabres about Carolina's go-ahead goal last night. Or go ask Edmonton why Nail Yakupov was able to tie the score with 4 seconds left in the third. What a maroon.
Jeremy White--The Jim Rome wannabe shtick is old. Has been old for a while. A waffler who said that he's happy to have the NHL back, yet was willing to boycott NHL players during the lockout. Said that he'd watch AHL players play for the crest. Never went to a Rochester game during the lockout.
Like Mike Trivisonno said one time down here in Cleveland. Fire all the media.
************
Yeah, can fire 'em all, except for WGR's John Murphy.
Would like to say thank your, Mr. Murphy, for your knowledgeable and insightful journalistic approach to the Buffalo sports scene.
Oh, and thanks for letting us know that 2013 unrestricted free agent Logan Coture of San Jose' is a huge Buffalo Sports fan.
************
Back to the Sabres.
Lindy "the tinkerer" Ruff held firm to his top two lines for three games with only the top line scoring. It would seem as if he'll be changing things up a bit for the afternoon game tomorrow at Washington.
Tomorrow's skate will give us more of an insight, but making one simple move may be a good way to approach things--exchange Steve Ott for Marcus Foligno on the second line.
Having Ott replace Foligno will give Tyler Ennis and Drew Stafford the same kind of forward Foligno is, only he's more experienced, has played with star players in a top-line/top-six role and he has produced.
Plus, having Ott ready to take faceoffs will allow Ennis to "cheat" a little more knowing that he has an excellent face-off man in waiting should he get tossed. Maybe that's what Ennis was hinting at when he said,
"Maybe another big guy on my line, we could be mutual at it and cheat on draws and have them take some. I have to improve at it."
Ennis is presently 38.6% on draws. Ott is at 61.9.
Rookie Grigorenko is 57.2% on draws.
Foligno dropping down with Grigorenko and Gerbe on the third line would still give that line a power forward presence and it might even help Grigorenko.
Who knows?
Ruff used this as his excuse/reasoning, "We tried to be a little bit harder on [Eric]Staal. We used [Steve] Ott and [Patrick] Kaleta and Hecht against him," he said. "It was the only reason. I thought we had to try to slow [him down]." Staal had the hat trick vs. the Sabres in Carolina the night before.
Of course, that meant rookie Mikhail Grigorenko, playing in his fourth of possibly five "tryout" games was demoted to the fourth line.
Grigorenko, who had been middle-of-the road, but was showing signs of progressing, turned out to be a casualty of Ruff's reliance on the "tried and true." Hecht is one of Ruff's favorite players, one that he believes he can count on in all situations.
From the moment Hecht was signed to a one year deal, everyone knew that it was only a matter of time before he climbed up the lines into a spot that was beyond his talents (that would be anything above the fourth line.) Sure enough, it was last night.
In years past, Ruff has been seen as stunting the growth of his young players either being too hard on them or putting them in a position to fail. Now, even though Grigorenko has done what's asked of him, he gets demoted to a line with fighter John Scott and little Nathan Gerbe.
At today's skate, Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald thinks that Ruff may have some remorse. “It’s like burning a game,” Ruff was quoted as saying.
Sure enough, they only have five games to decide whether the 18 yr. old center sticks or gets sent back to Jr. At 6:48 of ice time, to get a better "match up," Ruff did burn a game. And further burned his reputation of leaning on "his" guys into the brains of every Sabre fan.
Being on the third line getting 10-12 minutes a game is not a bad way to get introduced into the NHL. Doing what the coach tells you to do--focusing upon defense, even though you have mad offensive skills--should get you more ice-time, not less.
Ruff screwed up last night. Everyone in Sabreland knows it (except maybe for Terry Pegula and Darcy Regier) and I would hazard to guess that Grigorenko's a little perplexed at Ruff's decision.
Let's hope "Grigs" has the wherewithal to get past it and move forward.
************
There's a reason I dislike twitter, other than the fact that it's inane. One should never trust an initial reaction while dealing in disappointment.
After last night's loss. I wanted Lindy Ruff to be fired. I also wanted to see WGR's Paul Hamilton and Howard Simon and Chris "Bulldog" Parker canned as well. What the hell, I wanted Jeremy White and Mike Schoppsie fired too, like I always do.
It's an obvious overreaction, which is why twitter is pretty much useless, unless you want to laugh at someone.
But, here are the reasons why the aforementioned should at least be on notice:
Lindy Ruff--Relying on an old stand-by--Jochen Hecht--to get the job done. The Sabres lost 3-1. His "old standbys" have gotten him to the playoffs twice in the last five seasons, never getting the team past the first round.
Howard Simon--What a sore loser. Still. Before the 'Canes home-and-home, Simon had the audacity to belittle the organization with an article entitled 'Canes mediocre since raising the Cup. He is, of course, sure that Buffalo would have won it had they not fallen on hard times vs. Carolina back in 2006. But why bag on an organization that at the very least is not that far below the Sabres? Oh, and no comment section either.
Paul Hamilton--Sabres D-man Tyler Myers is off to a slow start--again. In an interview with Hamilton a couple of days ago, Myers had the "audacity" to laugh at a perceived lack of confidence in himself. A laugh Hamilton described as "condescending." Whoa there, pardner, nobody does that to THE Paul Hamilton. Myers has now got himself an overweight beagle annoyingly barking up a storm. Yesterday the hound almighty opened up his post-game article with, "Since I felt Tyler Myers was playing worse than he does, I figured I'd make him my focus this game." Talk about condescending. Really? Oh, and as usual, no comment section.
Chris "Bulldog" Parker--Bulldog's been really annoying lately, especially when it comes to the Bills and specifically Ryan Fitzpatrick. The season's over, and despite a Syracuse reunion at the top two spots on the coaching staff, and a possibility of a reunion with their QB of the last three seasons, it's back to the old punching bag, Fitzpatrick, and Bulldog's article, Are we done with Fitz? Yes, Bulldog, we know you're done with Fitz as a starter. But your plan, "if [you] were the Bills--pick the best [QB] I can with the 8th pick and hope he's ready to play in September?" Really? I'm glad you're not the GM. Like the Bills don't have holes at linebacker (at least two,) CB and WR. Glad I don't listen to you and that Schoppsie guy anymore.
Mike Schoppsie--Shoulda been fired long ago. Arrogance and perceived "entertainment." This is the same guy that once had some suggestions to help Ryan Miller get out of his goaltending slump. Schoppsie's suggestions were based on his time as a goalie, in an intramural floor hockey league. This is also the same guy who said faceoffs are not as important as people make them out to be. My suggestion is that you ask the Sabres about Carolina's go-ahead goal last night. Or go ask Edmonton why Nail Yakupov was able to tie the score with 4 seconds left in the third. What a maroon.
Jeremy White--The Jim Rome wannabe shtick is old. Has been old for a while. A waffler who said that he's happy to have the NHL back, yet was willing to boycott NHL players during the lockout. Said that he'd watch AHL players play for the crest. Never went to a Rochester game during the lockout.
Like Mike Trivisonno said one time down here in Cleveland. Fire all the media.
************
Yeah, can fire 'em all, except for WGR's John Murphy.
Would like to say thank your, Mr. Murphy, for your knowledgeable and insightful journalistic approach to the Buffalo sports scene.
Oh, and thanks for letting us know that 2013 unrestricted free agent Logan Coture of San Jose' is a huge Buffalo Sports fan.
************
Back to the Sabres.
Lindy "the tinkerer" Ruff held firm to his top two lines for three games with only the top line scoring. It would seem as if he'll be changing things up a bit for the afternoon game tomorrow at Washington.
Tomorrow's skate will give us more of an insight, but making one simple move may be a good way to approach things--exchange Steve Ott for Marcus Foligno on the second line.
Having Ott replace Foligno will give Tyler Ennis and Drew Stafford the same kind of forward Foligno is, only he's more experienced, has played with star players in a top-line/top-six role and he has produced.
Plus, having Ott ready to take faceoffs will allow Ennis to "cheat" a little more knowing that he has an excellent face-off man in waiting should he get tossed. Maybe that's what Ennis was hinting at when he said,
"Maybe another big guy on my line, we could be mutual at it and cheat on draws and have them take some. I have to improve at it."
Ennis is presently 38.6% on draws. Ott is at 61.9.
Rookie Grigorenko is 57.2% on draws.
Foligno dropping down with Grigorenko and Gerbe on the third line would still give that line a power forward presence and it might even help Grigorenko.
Who knows?
Monday, November 12, 2012
They're changing their tune on WGR concerning the Bills and Ryan Fitzpatrick...
again.
They'll pick the tune to fit their needs, like all the media-types in the Buffalo area.
While listening to WTAM's Mike Trivisonno here in Cleveland (a team and area very similar to Buffalo) he had the best idea whilst talking about the Browns loss two Sunday's ago--fire all of the media.
The premise was this: The Browns last loss was unduly put at the feet of Head Coach Pat Shurmur. Cleveland's QB, Brandon Wheeden, had an atrocious game, yet all the talk was about firing Shurmur.
But the point Triv was trying to make was this: there are no sports journalists left in Cleveland. They don't report the game or add valuable insight, (nor do they even seem to have a grasp on the intricacies of the game.) All they seem to do anymore is look for one bad moment for their tweet and/or blog and harp on that. They then take that and proceed to do an expose' on a player or coach and demean them until the next bad moment for another player or coach and continue the cycle. Tis not for the fan, the team and/or the sport. It's for their own ego, their own satisfaction.
The same could be said for the Buffalo media.
I'm a big fan of WGR's Paul Hamilton. I believed that he was one of the few who could rise above media masturbation and come through as a journalist. But he seems to be falling into the abyss, being pulled by the likes of Jerry Sullivan, Mike Schopp and Jeremy White.
His latest article, The final big play is rarely there, is a continuation of his whining about QB Ryan Fitzpatrick who he deems "the franchise quarterback as named by Buddy Nix and Chan Gailey." He concludes his article with that same sarcasm, "in the end the guy anointed the franchise quarterback got them down the field, but couldn't come through in crunch time to win the game."
About the only thing missing from his Fitz-disdain was the token "I've been saying all along" pat on the back that Hamilton falls into when talking about the QB. A lot of the times I truly believe that the media-types, and fans as well, hope that things go wrong so that they can say, "I'm right."
Look, we all get it. Fitz has his limitations, but you mean to tell me that he'd be looked at in the same light, and would have the same record, if he was on a team like San Francisco or Chicago, both with elite defenses? And that both teams would be 3-6 like the Bills? Is Fitz worse than Alex Smith, Jay Cutler or even Mark Sanchez?
And look at the "franchise quarterbacks" that the media wanted to draft the past few years with the Bills first round pick. How is Blaine Gabbert doing? Or Jake Locker? Remember those two names, the ones most thrown around by the media in during "the year of the quarterback" draft in 2011. You might throw Christian Ponder in there as well, although the Vikes are 6-4 and he seems to be managing the game well (with a probable Hall-of-Famer in the backfield.) But, even his stats would have the media saying Minnesota could/should be better.
And should we even go to the likes of Tim Tebow and Wheedon? Hell, even Matthew Stafford is having a rough year.
Quick note to all you media types: defenses figure out quarterbacks, just ask Cam Newton.
There's nothing I'd like better than for Fitz to prove Hamilton--as well as Bills-nation--wrong and lead this team to the playoffs this year. But, methinks that even that scenario wouldn't be enough. He'd need to take the team deep into the playoffs. Then again, anything short of a Super Bowl win would have the media and fans finding flaws and tossing the words "draft a franchise quarterback" around.
Fitzpatrick doesn't have a halo around his head. He's not the savior that the sorry-asses in the Buffalo media (as well as it's fan-base) desire. It wouldn't fit the "damsel in distress" motif. Jim Kelly had the halo and fit the scenario (and choked in the Super Bowls.) That's what they want and Buffalo fans are still looking for a hero like him (even though Kelly initially spurned the Bills) to come in and save the day.
Gotta have that "franchise quarterback." And not only that, gotta have the halo. Gotta be a savior.
Hamilton's is in lock-step with Howard Simon who has been ranting about a "franchise quarterback" for umpteen months, although with less certitude and vile as Sullivan, Schopp and White (who all should've been "fired" yesterday). As early as the second week of October, was already looking at the 2013 draft trying to find one. And just this past week Simon and White (for the second week in a row) pressed GM Buddy Nix concerning a "franchise quarterback" in this years draft.
Simon, I thought, was doing a stellar job as host up until that early season article, but it's easy to see he's being pulled into the black hole that is the Buffalo media.
The more those lunkheads press on the "franchise quarterback" issue, the more I'm in Nix's corner. The Bills, like Nix has been saying for years, need much more than that (as the defense has proven so far this year.)
Today, though, did mark a change, at least for this week. The talk was not on the quarterback and his last throw--an interception with the game on the line. It was on the defense, which is where it should be. And Fitz can thank rookie WR TJ Graham for that. Graham admittedly said he made the wrong decision and should've went underneath. (Which leads to another question, how many times this season have the receivers ran the wrong route or made the wrong decision on a Fitz interception or incompletion.) That statement turned the microscope away from Fitz to where it should be--the defense.
Let's face it, the Bills have no linebackers. And finally the WGR morning crew came out and said (finally realized?) that much. They don't have a right corner either, which is/has been pretty obvious. How does that affect the underperforming defensive line and Defensive coordinator Dave Wandstedt (who wasn't mentioned by name very much today?) Immensely.
Teams know they can throw underneath on the Bills because their base linebackers can't cover. They also know that they can go over the top on the right side because the right corner can't cover. And when the Bills go to a nickle with "the little people" (as Tom Brady described them,) teams simply run on them. When the Bills defense covers their face, they get punched in the gut. When they cover the gut, they get punched in the face.
We'll see what the evening crew has to say about it all. Bulldog, Schopp's co-host, will probably go on some lunatic rage and go back to his "last-call, drunken hook-up" analogy concerning Fitzpatrick. Maybe throw in a "my-god, what are they doing on defense!!!" rant for good measure. Schopp will probably find some obscure stat to undermine Gailey and probably question the validity of going to a rookie in a spot like that. Hamilton will come on and say "I told you so" and carry on about how Fitz is not a good quarterback--maybe a good back-up--even though he's lacking top-notch playmakers at WR (save for Stevie Johnson.)
None of them will say that GM Buddy Nix has actually done a good job of rebuilding this team in the trenches. None will acknowledge that the team needs to stress defense--corner and linebacker--in the next draft.
One thing all of WGR will agree upon: CJ Spiller should be getting many more touches than he's gotten thus far. Spiller has put the "Thriller" back in CJ "Thriller" and the media types are starting to recognize it.
Oh. And by the way. This is the same CJ Spiller that those media types were calling a wasted #9-overall draft pick. Yeah, for years Nix was berated by the media for picking him but now, after they see what Nix saw, they're leading the "more touches for the playmaker" charge. (and, if you look at what's after that pick, it's even more apparent that Nix made the right move and that Spiller was unquestionably better than what was there.)
What a bunch of wafflers. Fire 'em.
Some players to watch in the 2013 draft for the Bills (assuming they'll end up with a pick in the middle third of the first round):
CB--Xavier Rhodes*, Florida State
OLB--Chase Thomas, Stanford
ILB--Alec Ogletree, Georgia
They'll pick the tune to fit their needs, like all the media-types in the Buffalo area.
While listening to WTAM's Mike Trivisonno here in Cleveland (a team and area very similar to Buffalo) he had the best idea whilst talking about the Browns loss two Sunday's ago--fire all of the media.
The premise was this: The Browns last loss was unduly put at the feet of Head Coach Pat Shurmur. Cleveland's QB, Brandon Wheeden, had an atrocious game, yet all the talk was about firing Shurmur.
But the point Triv was trying to make was this: there are no sports journalists left in Cleveland. They don't report the game or add valuable insight, (nor do they even seem to have a grasp on the intricacies of the game.) All they seem to do anymore is look for one bad moment for their tweet and/or blog and harp on that. They then take that and proceed to do an expose' on a player or coach and demean them until the next bad moment for another player or coach and continue the cycle. Tis not for the fan, the team and/or the sport. It's for their own ego, their own satisfaction.
The same could be said for the Buffalo media.
I'm a big fan of WGR's Paul Hamilton. I believed that he was one of the few who could rise above media masturbation and come through as a journalist. But he seems to be falling into the abyss, being pulled by the likes of Jerry Sullivan, Mike Schopp and Jeremy White.
His latest article, The final big play is rarely there, is a continuation of his whining about QB Ryan Fitzpatrick who he deems "the franchise quarterback as named by Buddy Nix and Chan Gailey." He concludes his article with that same sarcasm, "in the end the guy anointed the franchise quarterback got them down the field, but couldn't come through in crunch time to win the game."
About the only thing missing from his Fitz-disdain was the token "I've been saying all along" pat on the back that Hamilton falls into when talking about the QB. A lot of the times I truly believe that the media-types, and fans as well, hope that things go wrong so that they can say, "I'm right."
Look, we all get it. Fitz has his limitations, but you mean to tell me that he'd be looked at in the same light, and would have the same record, if he was on a team like San Francisco or Chicago, both with elite defenses? And that both teams would be 3-6 like the Bills? Is Fitz worse than Alex Smith, Jay Cutler or even Mark Sanchez?
And look at the "franchise quarterbacks" that the media wanted to draft the past few years with the Bills first round pick. How is Blaine Gabbert doing? Or Jake Locker? Remember those two names, the ones most thrown around by the media in during "the year of the quarterback" draft in 2011. You might throw Christian Ponder in there as well, although the Vikes are 6-4 and he seems to be managing the game well (with a probable Hall-of-Famer in the backfield.) But, even his stats would have the media saying Minnesota could/should be better.
And should we even go to the likes of Tim Tebow and Wheedon? Hell, even Matthew Stafford is having a rough year.
Quick note to all you media types: defenses figure out quarterbacks, just ask Cam Newton.
There's nothing I'd like better than for Fitz to prove Hamilton--as well as Bills-nation--wrong and lead this team to the playoffs this year. But, methinks that even that scenario wouldn't be enough. He'd need to take the team deep into the playoffs. Then again, anything short of a Super Bowl win would have the media and fans finding flaws and tossing the words "draft a franchise quarterback" around.
Fitzpatrick doesn't have a halo around his head. He's not the savior that the sorry-asses in the Buffalo media (as well as it's fan-base) desire. It wouldn't fit the "damsel in distress" motif. Jim Kelly had the halo and fit the scenario (and choked in the Super Bowls.) That's what they want and Buffalo fans are still looking for a hero like him (even though Kelly initially spurned the Bills) to come in and save the day.
Gotta have that "franchise quarterback." And not only that, gotta have the halo. Gotta be a savior.
Hamilton's is in lock-step with Howard Simon who has been ranting about a "franchise quarterback" for umpteen months, although with less certitude and vile as Sullivan, Schopp and White (who all should've been "fired" yesterday). As early as the second week of October, was already looking at the 2013 draft trying to find one. And just this past week Simon and White (for the second week in a row) pressed GM Buddy Nix concerning a "franchise quarterback" in this years draft.
Simon, I thought, was doing a stellar job as host up until that early season article, but it's easy to see he's being pulled into the black hole that is the Buffalo media.
The more those lunkheads press on the "franchise quarterback" issue, the more I'm in Nix's corner. The Bills, like Nix has been saying for years, need much more than that (as the defense has proven so far this year.)
Today, though, did mark a change, at least for this week. The talk was not on the quarterback and his last throw--an interception with the game on the line. It was on the defense, which is where it should be. And Fitz can thank rookie WR TJ Graham for that. Graham admittedly said he made the wrong decision and should've went underneath. (Which leads to another question, how many times this season have the receivers ran the wrong route or made the wrong decision on a Fitz interception or incompletion.) That statement turned the microscope away from Fitz to where it should be--the defense.
Let's face it, the Bills have no linebackers. And finally the WGR morning crew came out and said (finally realized?) that much. They don't have a right corner either, which is/has been pretty obvious. How does that affect the underperforming defensive line and Defensive coordinator Dave Wandstedt (who wasn't mentioned by name very much today?) Immensely.
Teams know they can throw underneath on the Bills because their base linebackers can't cover. They also know that they can go over the top on the right side because the right corner can't cover. And when the Bills go to a nickle with "the little people" (as Tom Brady described them,) teams simply run on them. When the Bills defense covers their face, they get punched in the gut. When they cover the gut, they get punched in the face.
We'll see what the evening crew has to say about it all. Bulldog, Schopp's co-host, will probably go on some lunatic rage and go back to his "last-call, drunken hook-up" analogy concerning Fitzpatrick. Maybe throw in a "my-god, what are they doing on defense!!!" rant for good measure. Schopp will probably find some obscure stat to undermine Gailey and probably question the validity of going to a rookie in a spot like that. Hamilton will come on and say "I told you so" and carry on about how Fitz is not a good quarterback--maybe a good back-up--even though he's lacking top-notch playmakers at WR (save for Stevie Johnson.)
None of them will say that GM Buddy Nix has actually done a good job of rebuilding this team in the trenches. None will acknowledge that the team needs to stress defense--corner and linebacker--in the next draft.
One thing all of WGR will agree upon: CJ Spiller should be getting many more touches than he's gotten thus far. Spiller has put the "Thriller" back in CJ "Thriller" and the media types are starting to recognize it.
Oh. And by the way. This is the same CJ Spiller that those media types were calling a wasted #9-overall draft pick. Yeah, for years Nix was berated by the media for picking him but now, after they see what Nix saw, they're leading the "more touches for the playmaker" charge. (and, if you look at what's after that pick, it's even more apparent that Nix made the right move and that Spiller was unquestionably better than what was there.)
What a bunch of wafflers. Fire 'em.
Some players to watch in the 2013 draft for the Bills (assuming they'll end up with a pick in the middle third of the first round):
CB--Xavier Rhodes*, Florida State
OLB--Chase Thomas, Stanford
ILB--Alec Ogletree, Georgia
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Yeah, no NHL news to speak of, no pro football team to speak of either
It's taken a while to fully digest the disaster that was the Buffalo Bills in the Meadowlands. Nearly everything that could go wrong, did go wrong for Buffalo, except for RB C.J. Spiller and his 169-yard, one touchdown performance after Fred Jackson left the game due to injury.
Ugly, was the one word title used by WGR's Bulldog in summing up the game. Perhaps he omitted a letter, it was F-ugly.
GR's Whiner Line was, as usual, over the top. Which was to be expected. The callers hated everyone--Ryan Fitzpatrick, Chan Gailey, Mario Williams, perennial whipping boy Leodis McKelvin. Reasoning ranged from simple analysis to downright anal cysts of the mouth. So far reaching was the blame, I was a bit surprised it didn't include President Obama, Rob Johnson or Ryan Miller.
I haven't been that disappointed by a Bills game since Super Bowl XXVI when Mark Rypien smoked the Bills d and the Washington Redskins d put the clampdown on future HOF'er Jim Kelly and his "K-gun" offense.
Many a Bills fan was psyched up for that game thinking that the near miss the year before would hopefully lead to success in their second try. The 37-24 loss was much more lopsided than the score indicated. Much like the Bills 48-28 loss on Sunday.
Much maligned Redskins QB Mark Rypien was the Super Bowl MVP with a stat line of 18-33, 292 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT. Much maligned Mark Sanchez was 19-27, 265 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT.
And if you thought Ryan Fitzpatrick's performance this past Sunday was poor--18-32, 195 yards, 3 TD, 3 INT--this is the line for Jim Kelly in that Super Bowl: 28-58, 275 yards, 2 TD, 4 INT. And, by the way, they both threw INT's on the team's first possession.
Parallels can also be drawn between the two teams when it comes to preparation. Neither the 1992 Super Bowl Bills--as evidenced by RB Thurman Thomas missing the first two plays because he couldn't find his helmet--nor last Sunday's Bills were prepared. While on the other side, Washington's Joe Gibbs and the Jets Rex Ryan were totally ready to shut down the Bills offense and exploit their highly skilled, yet soft defenses.
I will say one thing in defense of the '92 Bills defenders, at least they didn't whine about getting punched in the face.
There's been a big uproar over Mario Williams' post game comments on how he was literally getting smacked around and he called out the refs for not calling anything. The $100M man (or in this case, boy) didn't fight back and was held to one tackle and no sacks in his Buffalo Bills debut.
Former NFL lineman Damien Woody, who publicly trumpeted the Bills, had this to say, "For him to blame replacement officials as the reason he got dominated yesterday, I think that's pathetic," Woody said. "There's no ifs, ands or buts about it.
"You're the big free agent. You're the $100 million man going up against a guy that was on the practice squad and inserted in the starting role just a couple weeks ago. I saw a lot of times Mario was one-on-one and couldn't do anything."
We all bought into the hype. When Williams was brought in, it was thought that he could help change the Bills defense. He and fellow free agent Mark Anderson were to bring on a strong pass rush that would help the secondary. It didn't happen vs. the Jets as Jets offensive coordinator Tony Sporano game-planned a quick strike pass attack the left the Bills looking for their collective jock straps.
Buying into the hype is what Jerry Sullivan started off with yesterday on the Howard Simon Show. "That was pretty startling what happened yesterday," he said, "and I think I fell for it...about Mario Williams."
Hype is what doomed the 1992 Buffalo Bills Super Bowl hopes. They were supposed to win that one, because they came so close the previous year and had the great Jim Kelly vs. a journeyman.
That team, like this team in Week One, couldn't handle the expectations.
So, other than Fitzpatrick, Williams and the game-plan, what else?
WR TJ Graham was drafted to stretch the feild with his speed, he didn't dress. Why? Gailey said he didn't feel as if Graham was ready. Like someone on WGR pointed out, how ready do you need to be to run as fast and far as you can to stretch out the d?
The WR's couldn't get open. Stevie Johnson did very little (although he did catch a TD pass in "garbage time",) but ya gotta believe he's nursing a very sore groin. Donald Jones had five catches including a touchdown when the game was already determined. David Nelson had some catches, then caught a bad break when he tore his ACL and is now out for the season.
TE Scott Chandler had a TD reception late in the third quarter, but was never used properly until the game was out of reach. If receivers can't get open and you're QB's having a tough day, your TE can be the QB's best friend, just ask Tom Brady.
As mentioned Spiller was a bright spot, but Fred Jackson never got anything going before leaving with a sprained knee which will keep him out 3-4 weeks.
And the Bills' "Mr. Wildcat," Brad Smith, never entered the game. What a waste of a uniform.
On defense, the Bills secondary got torched, the linebackers looked lame, the pass rush was a complete dud and they couldn't manage to stop the Jets when it counted on third down as NY was 10-14 on third down conversions.
The punt team allowed a 68 yd. punt return for a TD that put the Jets up by 21-0 less than three minutes into the 2nd quarter.
F-ugly.
Defensive Coordinator Dave Wannstedt had a gameplan based upon a four-man rush and he barely wavered from that. Why? *shrugs* Who the hell knows.
F-ugly.
*************
There is tension in the air in Buffalo with many either hitting the panic button or cloaking their panic.
WGR's Mike Schopp is sure that a Harsh reality is looming concerning the Bills. He makes the case that the Bills have two-time castoffs at QB--Fitzpatrick, Tyler Thigpen and Tavaris Jackson. He states that the Bills have brought in dead end players and coaches--Shawn Merriman, TO, GM Buddy Nix, Gailey and former coach Dick Jauron.
In a typical Schoppian reach where he tries to make a point that rests on shaky ground and has inadequate tie-ins, he seems to yearn for the Tom Donohoe era Buffalo Bills stating that the 2002 and 2004 Bills teams are probably the best. "Donohoe didn't win here," he writes, "but at least in his five years [in Buffalo] the Bills availed themselves to top talent."
After a 3-13 season in Donohoe's first year as GM, Schopp seems to be alluding to the parade for Drew Bledsoe who was traded from the NE Patriots (thus opening the door for Tom Brady) to the Bills for a 2003 1st round pick.
I can't remember who else he brought in that year, but the team did go 8-8. Maybe that's what Schopp's alluding to.
But what ailed the Bills throughout the '00's was poor drafting, exemplified in the Tom Donohoe era.
First round picks Nate Clemens (#21, 2001,) and Lee Evans (#13, 2004) ended up with solid careers. But Donohoe is also responsible for one of the biggest busts ever in T Mike Williams (#4, 2002) while he took a gamble on an injured Willis McGahee (#23, 2003.)
His signature move, though, was trading away their first round pick in 2005 to Dallas to nab QB J.P. Losman. Losman would loose his starting job to journeyman Kelly Holcomb after only three games and was out of the league four years later.
While the two coaches under Donohoe have the best single season records for the Bills over their 13-year playoff drought, both proved nothing more than excellent coordinators.
Greg Williams spent three years in Buffalo, his only head coaching position. He went 3-13, 8-8 (2002) and 6-10 for a combined 17-31 record. Mike Mularkey went 9-7 in his first season yet followed it up with a 5-11 record.
Just after the 2005 season, Donohoe was fired, January 5, 2006 and it was that day, according to Schopp, "that the Bills stopped competing the way other teams do."
Sorry, Schopp, but a 31-49 record competing as "other teams do" is cause for a change.
Donohoe took the Bills for a ride after Ralph Wilson gave him complete control. After that debacle, is it any wonder that Wilson pulled back and started over by reaching back for someone he could trust? Marv Levy?
In the five years not doing business "as other teams do" post-Donohoe the Bills compiled a, lo and behold, 31-49 record.
Sorry, Schopp. Doesn't work. Try again.
Ugly, was the one word title used by WGR's Bulldog in summing up the game. Perhaps he omitted a letter, it was F-ugly.
GR's Whiner Line was, as usual, over the top. Which was to be expected. The callers hated everyone--Ryan Fitzpatrick, Chan Gailey, Mario Williams, perennial whipping boy Leodis McKelvin. Reasoning ranged from simple analysis to downright anal cysts of the mouth. So far reaching was the blame, I was a bit surprised it didn't include President Obama, Rob Johnson or Ryan Miller.
I haven't been that disappointed by a Bills game since Super Bowl XXVI when Mark Rypien smoked the Bills d and the Washington Redskins d put the clampdown on future HOF'er Jim Kelly and his "K-gun" offense.
Many a Bills fan was psyched up for that game thinking that the near miss the year before would hopefully lead to success in their second try. The 37-24 loss was much more lopsided than the score indicated. Much like the Bills 48-28 loss on Sunday.
Much maligned Redskins QB Mark Rypien was the Super Bowl MVP with a stat line of 18-33, 292 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT. Much maligned Mark Sanchez was 19-27, 265 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT.
And if you thought Ryan Fitzpatrick's performance this past Sunday was poor--18-32, 195 yards, 3 TD, 3 INT--this is the line for Jim Kelly in that Super Bowl: 28-58, 275 yards, 2 TD, 4 INT. And, by the way, they both threw INT's on the team's first possession.
Parallels can also be drawn between the two teams when it comes to preparation. Neither the 1992 Super Bowl Bills--as evidenced by RB Thurman Thomas missing the first two plays because he couldn't find his helmet--nor last Sunday's Bills were prepared. While on the other side, Washington's Joe Gibbs and the Jets Rex Ryan were totally ready to shut down the Bills offense and exploit their highly skilled, yet soft defenses.
I will say one thing in defense of the '92 Bills defenders, at least they didn't whine about getting punched in the face.
There's been a big uproar over Mario Williams' post game comments on how he was literally getting smacked around and he called out the refs for not calling anything. The $100M man (or in this case, boy) didn't fight back and was held to one tackle and no sacks in his Buffalo Bills debut.
Former NFL lineman Damien Woody, who publicly trumpeted the Bills, had this to say, "For him to blame replacement officials as the reason he got dominated yesterday, I think that's pathetic," Woody said. "There's no ifs, ands or buts about it.
"You're the big free agent. You're the $100 million man going up against a guy that was on the practice squad and inserted in the starting role just a couple weeks ago. I saw a lot of times Mario was one-on-one and couldn't do anything."
We all bought into the hype. When Williams was brought in, it was thought that he could help change the Bills defense. He and fellow free agent Mark Anderson were to bring on a strong pass rush that would help the secondary. It didn't happen vs. the Jets as Jets offensive coordinator Tony Sporano game-planned a quick strike pass attack the left the Bills looking for their collective jock straps.
Buying into the hype is what Jerry Sullivan started off with yesterday on the Howard Simon Show. "That was pretty startling what happened yesterday," he said, "and I think I fell for it...about Mario Williams."
Hype is what doomed the 1992 Buffalo Bills Super Bowl hopes. They were supposed to win that one, because they came so close the previous year and had the great Jim Kelly vs. a journeyman.
That team, like this team in Week One, couldn't handle the expectations.
So, other than Fitzpatrick, Williams and the game-plan, what else?
WR TJ Graham was drafted to stretch the feild with his speed, he didn't dress. Why? Gailey said he didn't feel as if Graham was ready. Like someone on WGR pointed out, how ready do you need to be to run as fast and far as you can to stretch out the d?
The WR's couldn't get open. Stevie Johnson did very little (although he did catch a TD pass in "garbage time",) but ya gotta believe he's nursing a very sore groin. Donald Jones had five catches including a touchdown when the game was already determined. David Nelson had some catches, then caught a bad break when he tore his ACL and is now out for the season.
TE Scott Chandler had a TD reception late in the third quarter, but was never used properly until the game was out of reach. If receivers can't get open and you're QB's having a tough day, your TE can be the QB's best friend, just ask Tom Brady.
As mentioned Spiller was a bright spot, but Fred Jackson never got anything going before leaving with a sprained knee which will keep him out 3-4 weeks.
And the Bills' "Mr. Wildcat," Brad Smith, never entered the game. What a waste of a uniform.
On defense, the Bills secondary got torched, the linebackers looked lame, the pass rush was a complete dud and they couldn't manage to stop the Jets when it counted on third down as NY was 10-14 on third down conversions.
The punt team allowed a 68 yd. punt return for a TD that put the Jets up by 21-0 less than three minutes into the 2nd quarter.
F-ugly.
Defensive Coordinator Dave Wannstedt had a gameplan based upon a four-man rush and he barely wavered from that. Why? *shrugs* Who the hell knows.
F-ugly.
*************
There is tension in the air in Buffalo with many either hitting the panic button or cloaking their panic.
WGR's Mike Schopp is sure that a Harsh reality is looming concerning the Bills. He makes the case that the Bills have two-time castoffs at QB--Fitzpatrick, Tyler Thigpen and Tavaris Jackson. He states that the Bills have brought in dead end players and coaches--Shawn Merriman, TO, GM Buddy Nix, Gailey and former coach Dick Jauron.
In a typical Schoppian reach where he tries to make a point that rests on shaky ground and has inadequate tie-ins, he seems to yearn for the Tom Donohoe era Buffalo Bills stating that the 2002 and 2004 Bills teams are probably the best. "Donohoe didn't win here," he writes, "but at least in his five years [in Buffalo] the Bills availed themselves to top talent."
After a 3-13 season in Donohoe's first year as GM, Schopp seems to be alluding to the parade for Drew Bledsoe who was traded from the NE Patriots (thus opening the door for Tom Brady) to the Bills for a 2003 1st round pick.
I can't remember who else he brought in that year, but the team did go 8-8. Maybe that's what Schopp's alluding to.
But what ailed the Bills throughout the '00's was poor drafting, exemplified in the Tom Donohoe era.
First round picks Nate Clemens (#21, 2001,) and Lee Evans (#13, 2004) ended up with solid careers. But Donohoe is also responsible for one of the biggest busts ever in T Mike Williams (#4, 2002) while he took a gamble on an injured Willis McGahee (#23, 2003.)
His signature move, though, was trading away their first round pick in 2005 to Dallas to nab QB J.P. Losman. Losman would loose his starting job to journeyman Kelly Holcomb after only three games and was out of the league four years later.
While the two coaches under Donohoe have the best single season records for the Bills over their 13-year playoff drought, both proved nothing more than excellent coordinators.
Greg Williams spent three years in Buffalo, his only head coaching position. He went 3-13, 8-8 (2002) and 6-10 for a combined 17-31 record. Mike Mularkey went 9-7 in his first season yet followed it up with a 5-11 record.
Just after the 2005 season, Donohoe was fired, January 5, 2006 and it was that day, according to Schopp, "that the Bills stopped competing the way other teams do."
Sorry, Schopp, but a 31-49 record competing as "other teams do" is cause for a change.
Donohoe took the Bills for a ride after Ralph Wilson gave him complete control. After that debacle, is it any wonder that Wilson pulled back and started over by reaching back for someone he could trust? Marv Levy?
In the five years not doing business "as other teams do" post-Donohoe the Bills compiled a, lo and behold, 31-49 record.
Sorry, Schopp. Doesn't work. Try again.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Injuries hurt the Sabres this season, but...
GM Darcy Regier's rigid, year-long team-building philosophy hurt them more.
First off, because there was no end of year press conference, one needs to piece things together via media outlets instead of heading to Sabres.com.
And there's a lot to piece together. No need to rehash, look at the date, look at the words "year end."
Oh, and by the way, congrats to WGR, "the Home of the Buffalo Sabres," for landing the principles--Team President Ted Black, GM Darcy Regier and Head Coach Lindy Ruff. Owner Terry Pegula and his charges opted for this instead of the traditional press conference.
Sure, The Buffalo News' John Vogl had a phone conversation with Regier--Regier sees glass half full--but the lion's share went to GR. The paper's sports guys were ticked that there was no presser. Jerry Sullivan called the organization "thin-skinned" in his article, basically calling them cowards and Mike Harrington via The Sabres Edge blog used the NFL's media guidelines on end of season pressers to dis the Sabres.
Anyhow, there are some interesting things to piece together starting with injuries and how they played a role in undermining the teams' season.
Back in January with the team mired in a nearly a two month slump, Sabres fans were looking for something--anything--to be done to get the team out of it's funk.
We now know, that ownership was not looking at firing Regier and/or Ruff. WGR's Paul Hamilton put it this way at the end of the season, "It wasn't anything even discussed after this season," he wrote. "Owner Terry Pegula [was] comfortable with both men in January when they were in a free fall, he never wanted to make a change."
Hamilton did some good work in another piece by pointing out the teams' record with and without both Christian Ehrhoff and Tyler Myers throughout the season:
Hamilton has been adamant and constant in his dislike for the way Regier approaches the entire season. He points out that Regier's team-building philosophy starts with the off-season molding of the team and generally nothing gets altered until the trade deadline, a method Hamilton clearly dislikes. "I do not like the waiting," Hamilton said (3:35-mark), "I want a guy that doesn't sit there after the trade deadline and say, 'yeah, well maybe we should have made a deal earlier.'"
Regier admitted that he did have conversations during December and January, but it would seem as if there was nothing on the table to his liking.
Fine.
But did he ever considered making a deal just for the sake of making a deal to shake things up, maybe relieve some tension.
His reply (8:09-mark): "The only reason you do it is to release the tension and that could [have a good effect.] One argument would be, take someone who's not performing and bring up Marcus Foligno earlier, bring up Brayden McNabb earlier. If you want to try and use that type of thing, those are some things you find out because of injury, you find out some guys are closer [to making it in the NHL] than others."
He finished with this, "On the trade front? No."
The simple answer to the question of whether or not injuries played a major role in the demise of a once promising Sabres season is, yes. They were near the top of the league in man-games lost.
Back in November, this was their injured list at one point when they face the Washington Capitals on the 26th:
Taking their place (not including journeyman, Matt Ellis and Jochen Hecht, who returned from injury):
OK, fine. They were treading water at the time, although the clunker in Columbus two days earlier should have given them some indication that things were awry.
If you're not going to make a move then, one would think that a move would've been forthcoming after the Sabres embarrassed their owner in Pittsburgh a few weeks later. Sure they were 4-3-1 from that Washington game up until the Pens game, but they were clinging by the skin of their teeth every night for points.
And if it didn't happen then, one would think that after the Christmas roster freeze and near the end of a dismal December a move of some sort would be needed to shake the team out of it's funk.
Surely, after being embarrassed in Detroit 5-0 on January 16th, their ninth regulation road-loss in a row (with the NHL cameras there doing a spot on Nik Lidstrom, btw) something would have been done. Or after their loss in Chicago when they were embarrassed 6-2 two days later. Or after their loss in Winnipeg when they tied a franchise record 11-game road losing streak with a 4-1 loss. Or after St. Louis when they set a club record for road losses with another embarrassing performance in a 4-2 defeat.
Nope.
Steady as she goes.
Regier was set with his team which was sitting at the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
Fact is, they lost the season from Pittsburgh on Dec. 17th to St. Louis on Jan. 21. With 17 games and 34 points on the table the team went 3-12-2.
You read that correctly--3-12-2. And nothing was done.
It makes you wonder just what they were thinking about this team. The Stanley Cup aspirations trumpeted at the beginning of the year were trampled upon from Lucic/Miller in early November to Pittsburgh in December. They did have the opportunity to make a move from that night in Pittsburgh up until the trade deadline, but did not. Instead they paraded out the injury excuse.
Yeah, a valid point, but if you wanted to save the season, something needed to be done.
Regier's patience was a fault, and probably the big reason the Sabres failed to make the playoffs.
He should be thanking his team for bailing him out with an impressive late-season rally that almost got them into the playoffs and he should be thanking his lucky stars that Nashville and Vancouver helped save his job by trading with him.
Maybe he'll change his approach to team-building next season.
A quick note:
Sabres GM Darcy Regier has one more year remaining on the clandestine contract extension he signed back in 2010 with the former regime.
First off, because there was no end of year press conference, one needs to piece things together via media outlets instead of heading to Sabres.com.
And there's a lot to piece together. No need to rehash, look at the date, look at the words "year end."
Oh, and by the way, congrats to WGR, "the Home of the Buffalo Sabres," for landing the principles--Team President Ted Black, GM Darcy Regier and Head Coach Lindy Ruff. Owner Terry Pegula and his charges opted for this instead of the traditional press conference.
Sure, The Buffalo News' John Vogl had a phone conversation with Regier--Regier sees glass half full--but the lion's share went to GR. The paper's sports guys were ticked that there was no presser. Jerry Sullivan called the organization "thin-skinned" in his article, basically calling them cowards and Mike Harrington via The Sabres Edge blog used the NFL's media guidelines on end of season pressers to dis the Sabres.
Anyhow, there are some interesting things to piece together starting with injuries and how they played a role in undermining the teams' season.
Back in January with the team mired in a nearly a two month slump, Sabres fans were looking for something--anything--to be done to get the team out of it's funk.
We now know, that ownership was not looking at firing Regier and/or Ruff. WGR's Paul Hamilton put it this way at the end of the season, "It wasn't anything even discussed after this season," he wrote. "Owner Terry Pegula [was] comfortable with both men in January when they were in a free fall, he never wanted to make a change."
Hamilton did some good work in another piece by pointing out the teams' record with and without both Christian Ehrhoff and Tyler Myers throughout the season:
- With Ehrhoff Buffalo's record was 36-22-8 (.606)...without 2-9-2 (.231)
- With Myers they were 31-21-4 (.589)...without 7-10-6 (.439)
Hamilton has been adamant and constant in his dislike for the way Regier approaches the entire season. He points out that Regier's team-building philosophy starts with the off-season molding of the team and generally nothing gets altered until the trade deadline, a method Hamilton clearly dislikes. "I do not like the waiting," Hamilton said (3:35-mark), "I want a guy that doesn't sit there after the trade deadline and say, 'yeah, well maybe we should have made a deal earlier.'"
Regier admitted that he did have conversations during December and January, but it would seem as if there was nothing on the table to his liking.
Fine.
But did he ever considered making a deal just for the sake of making a deal to shake things up, maybe relieve some tension.
His reply (8:09-mark): "The only reason you do it is to release the tension and that could [have a good effect.] One argument would be, take someone who's not performing and bring up Marcus Foligno earlier, bring up Brayden McNabb earlier. If you want to try and use that type of thing, those are some things you find out because of injury, you find out some guys are closer [to making it in the NHL] than others."
He finished with this, "On the trade front? No."
The simple answer to the question of whether or not injuries played a major role in the demise of a once promising Sabres season is, yes. They were near the top of the league in man-games lost.
Back in November, this was their injured list at one point when they face the Washington Capitals on the 26th:
- Tyler Ennis (F,) Injured Reserve, 10-25-11--sprained ankle
- Ryan Miller (G,) IR, 11-14-11--concussion
- Cody McCormick (F,) IR, 11-16-11--"upper body"
- Mike Weber (D,) IR, 11-18-11--"upper body"
- Tyler Myers (D,) IR, 11-23-11--broken wrist
- Pat Kaleta (F,) day-to-day, 11-23-11--"lower body"
- Brad Boyes (F,) IR, 11-25-11--knee
- Robyn Regehr (D,) day-to-day, 11-26-11--"upper body"
- Drew Stafford (F,) day-to-day, 11-26--11--"undisclosed"
Taking their place (not including journeyman, Matt Ellis and Jochen Hecht, who returned from injury):
- Drew MacIntyre (G,) journeyman goalie--recalled11-14-11
- Corey Tropp (F,) one full AHL season--11-16-11
- TJ Brennan (D,) two full AHL seasons--11-21-11
- Zack Kassian (F,) 21 AHL games (three in 2011 post-season)--11-24-11
- Brayden McNabb (D,) 19 AHL games--11-26-11
- Paul Szczechura (F,) journeyman forward with 83 NHL and 214 AHL games in five seasons--11-26-11
- Luke Adam (C,) 21 yrs. old, second NHL season--rookie
- Jhonas Enroth (G,) 23 yrs. old, second NHL season--rookie
- Marc-Andre Gragnani (D,) 24 yrs. old, first full NHL season
- Nathan Gerbe (F,) 24 yrs. old, second full NHL season
OK, fine. They were treading water at the time, although the clunker in Columbus two days earlier should have given them some indication that things were awry.
If you're not going to make a move then, one would think that a move would've been forthcoming after the Sabres embarrassed their owner in Pittsburgh a few weeks later. Sure they were 4-3-1 from that Washington game up until the Pens game, but they were clinging by the skin of their teeth every night for points.
And if it didn't happen then, one would think that after the Christmas roster freeze and near the end of a dismal December a move of some sort would be needed to shake the team out of it's funk.
Surely, after being embarrassed in Detroit 5-0 on January 16th, their ninth regulation road-loss in a row (with the NHL cameras there doing a spot on Nik Lidstrom, btw) something would have been done. Or after their loss in Chicago when they were embarrassed 6-2 two days later. Or after their loss in Winnipeg when they tied a franchise record 11-game road losing streak with a 4-1 loss. Or after St. Louis when they set a club record for road losses with another embarrassing performance in a 4-2 defeat.
Nope.
Steady as she goes.
Regier was set with his team which was sitting at the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
Fact is, they lost the season from Pittsburgh on Dec. 17th to St. Louis on Jan. 21. With 17 games and 34 points on the table the team went 3-12-2.
You read that correctly--3-12-2. And nothing was done.
It makes you wonder just what they were thinking about this team. The Stanley Cup aspirations trumpeted at the beginning of the year were trampled upon from Lucic/Miller in early November to Pittsburgh in December. They did have the opportunity to make a move from that night in Pittsburgh up until the trade deadline, but did not. Instead they paraded out the injury excuse.
Yeah, a valid point, but if you wanted to save the season, something needed to be done.
Regier's patience was a fault, and probably the big reason the Sabres failed to make the playoffs.
He should be thanking his team for bailing him out with an impressive late-season rally that almost got them into the playoffs and he should be thanking his lucky stars that Nashville and Vancouver helped save his job by trading with him.
Maybe he'll change his approach to team-building next season.
A quick note:
Sabres GM Darcy Regier has one more year remaining on the clandestine contract extension he signed back in 2010 with the former regime.
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