Sharing captain duties is a sign of the problem.

[OpIv37]

Let's face it. There are only two reasons to share the captain duties: an abundance of leadership and a lack of leadership.

This team frequently gives goals back on the shift after scoring them. This team is awful in shootouts. Almost everyone on this team backs off on checks. Tallinder and Paetsch got taken out with no repercussions for the offending players. There is no go-to guy when the chips are down.

This team lacks leadership. We lost Drury and Briere, and no one was ready to step up. And EVERYONE knew it except Quinn and Reiger.

During the playoffs last year, it was obvious that this team lacked toughness. Losing Drury and Briere may not have been as big a deal if we added some toughness, but instead we added no one and ended up with a finesse team that can't score- a definite losing formula.

Yeah, I know- this is nothing that hasn't been said before. And some of you will be quick to point that out. But it's extremely relevant to what's happened over the last few games. To use the team we played last night, who's our Jagr? Who's our Avery? Who's our Gomez? You might be able to argue that Pominville or Roy play the Gomez role, but we have no toughness or veteran leadership. We have Peters, but he's an instigator who can't play hockey (and as much as I hate the douche, Avery is both tough and a decent hockey player- it kills me to admit it).

If (I probably should say "when") this team misses the playoffs, expect a fire sale. A ton of guys are UFA's or RFA's after '09 and the FO would be smart to get something for them while they still can. There's a good chance next season will be a rebuilding one.

[BillsSabresB.C.T. Fan]

Let's face it. There are only two reasons to share the captain duties: an abundance of leadership and a lack of leadership.

This team frequently gives goals back on the shift after scoring them. This team is awful in shootouts. Almost everyone on this team backs off on checks. Tallinder and Paetsch got taken out with no repercussions for the offending players. There is no go-to guy when the chips are down.

This team lacks leadership. We lost Drury and Briere, and no one was ready to step up. And EVERYONE knew it except Quinn and Reiger.

During the playoffs last year, it was obvious that this team lacked toughness. Losing Drury and Briere may not have been as big a deal if we added some toughness, but instead we added no one and ended up with a finesse team that can't score- a definite losing formula.

Yeah, I know- this is nothing that hasn't been said before. And some of you will be quick to point that out. But it's extremely relevant to what's happened over the last few games. To use the team we played last night, who's our Jagr? Who's our Avery? Who's our Gomez? You might be able to argue that Pominville or Roy play the Gomez role, but we have no toughness or veteran leadership. We have Peters, but he's an instigator who can't play hockey (and as much as I hate the douche, Avery is both tough and a decent hockey player- it kills me to admit it).

If (I probably should say "when") this team misses the playoffs, expect a fire sale. A ton of guys are UFA's or RFA's after '09 and the FO would be smart to get something for them while they still can. There's a good chance next season will be a rebuilding one.

Vanek = Jagr yes he's struggled this year but he's close to 30 goals. Last year he had 43 by the way Vanek has more goals than Jagr he only has 18.
Kaleta=Avery
Pommers=Gomez

[OpIv37]

Vanek = Jagr yes he's struggled this year but he's close to 30 goals. Last year he had 43
Kaleta=Avery
Pommers=Gomez

Kaleta plays on the 3rd line, and that's if he even dresses. Avery dresses every game and consistently mixes it up, plus he knows how to make a hit without taking himself out of the play- something Kaleta hasn't learned yet. No comparison here.

Jagr is a seasoned vet who makes plays by just being in the right place. Vanek frequently misses open nets when he's in the right place. Vanek is a young scorer- which is what Jagr was 15 or 20 years ago. The roles they play for the two teams now are completely different, even if they have some similar numbers.

Pominville and Gomez- I can see that one, but without the other two pieces, it only goes so far.

[chubluv]

Kaleta is still young and a rookie. He can grow into the Avery kind of role. We need some veteran leadership that isnt a d-man.

[OpIv37]

Kaleta is still young and a rookie. He can grow into the Avery kind of role. We need some veteran leadership that isnt a d-man.

That's true but what good does that do us now? You can't ditch guys like Drury or Briere and expect Kaleta to fill their shoes.

[RockStar36]

They have shared captains for years. It's always been ridiculous but this isn't a new problem.

[OpIv37]

They have shared captains for years. It's always been ridiculous but this isn't a new problem.

they didn't do it last year or the year before, when they made the conference finals.

[Nighthawk]

I do like Ruff, but I blame him for the Captaincy mess. Pick a guy and let it be.

[chernobylwraiths]

They have shared captains for years. It's always been ridiculous but this isn't a new problem.

No kidding. People pick the stupidest points to make is sound like they know the reason why they aren't playing well. (Wade Phillips doesn't wear headphones ring a bell?) They won the Presidents trophy rotating captains. I think it is stupid to rotate captains too, but it isn't the reason or even a symptom of why this team isn't playing well. The reason it because they have too many Kotaliks and Kalinins who don't seem to care and don't look like they try at all. Lydman and Tallinder seem to give the puck away all the time, they can't hit the net when they shoot and they try to pass the puck through everyone all the time. Miller is not the problem, Vanek is not the problem, there are just several guy they need to get rid of that look like they don't try.

Well, I can hope that EVERYONE passes them and they get a good draft pick because this team isn't going anywhere. I will have to look up the old threads to find the people who said they would be in the playoffs no problem and will contend for the fourth spot at least.

[chernobylwraiths]

they didn't do it last year or the year before, when they made the conference finals.

Briere and Drury? Remember them? Co-captains.

[OpIv37]

No kidding. People pick the stupidest points to make is sound like they know the reason why they aren't playing well.

did you even read my post? It's not the problem- it's a SYMPTOM of the problem: lack of leadership.

and that's a stupid example because they rotated the C and the A between the SAME TWO GUYS- BOTH LEADERS, unlike now where they rotate it constantly between a bunch of different guys with no leadership.

[helmetguy]

I'm with you, Chern. I said it the other night, Russian and Czech players seem to run hot and cold. They play when they "feel like it." Kotalik and Kalinin are prime examples this season. Spacek was last season. Even Max is hot and cold. (I'm still convinced that Max miled his injury until after the trade deadline so as not to get moved). Lydmna, while neither Czech nor Russian, is simply a liability.

[chernobylwraiths]

did you even read my post? It's not the problem- it's a SYMPTOM of the problem: lack of leadership.

and that's a stupid example because they rotated the C and the A between the SAME TWO GUYS- BOTH LEADERS, unlike now where they rotate it constantly between a bunch of different guys with no leadership.

WTF is a "leader" supposed to do? He can't trade one of his teammates, he can't bench one of his teammates, all he can do is yell at them. Well, a lot of good that has ***** done since Lindy has been doing that for years with some of these guys. Hell, Drury and Briere couldn't get them to play in last years playoffs, how the hell is someone else supposed to do it? They just don't have enough players that come to play every shift, every period, every game. Leadership has NOTHING to do with it.

Know what else is a "symptom" of the problem? Lack of goal scoring, lack of defense, lack of getting the puck out of the zone, lack of a backup goaltender, etc.

[chernobylwraiths]

I'm with you, Chern. I said it the other night, Russian and Czech players seem to run hot and cold. They play when they "feel like it." Kotalik and Kalinin are prime examples this season. Spacek was last season. Even Max is hot and cold. (I'm still convinced that Max miled his injury until after the trade deadline so as not to get moved). Lydmna, while neither Czech nor Russian, is simply a liability.

I hate to sound like Don Cherry, but I have to agree. European players that show little to no passion: Kotalik, Kalinin, Spacek, Tallinder, Lydman, Hecht, Vanek. Damn! That's most of our defense and all of our "top" guys.

[Philagape]

They just don't have enough players that come to play every shift, every period, every game. Leadership has NOTHING to do with it.

They went from the president's trophy to likely not making the playoffs. I think it's a little more than nothing.

[chernobylwraiths]

They went from the president's trophy to likely not making the playoffs. I think it's a little more than nothing.

Little to nothing. This is virtually the same team that drifted through the last half of last year. They looked this bad at times last year, it was Briere's and Drury's offensive and defensive skills that helped propel them to more wins last year, not the fact that they had a C on their chest.

[OpIv37]

WTF is a "leader" supposed to do? He can't trade one of his teammates, he can't bench one of his teammates, all he can do is yell at them. Well, a lot of good that has ***** done since Lindy has been doing that for years with some of these guys. Hell, Drury and Briere couldn't get them to play in last years playoffs, how the hell is someone else supposed to do it? They just don't have enough players that come to play every shift, every period, every game. Leadership has NOTHING to do with it.

Know what else is a "symptom" of the problem? Lack of goal scoring, lack of defense, lack of getting the puck out of the zone, lack of a backup goaltender, etc.

Drury and Briere at least SCORED. If they couldn't get the other players to follow, at least they did something themselves. No one on this team does that now. Leaders do exactly what you said- come to play every shift, every period, every game. They don't give up and they get the job done. No one on this team has any leadership on or off the ice.

[RockStar36]

they didn't do it last year or the year before, when they made the conference finals.

I would define co-captains as sharing captain duties.

Every other NHL team picks a captain and is done with it. Not the Sabres. They dick around and split the duties or rotate month to month. It's dumb.

[RockStar36]

Drury and Briere at least SCORED. If they couldn't get the other players to follow, at least they did something themselves. No one on this team does that now. Leaders do exactly what you said- come to play every shift, every period, every game. They don't give up and they get the job done. No one on this team has any leadership on or off the ice.

It wasn't even about the scoring. Drury led by example. He would be diving on the ice and taking shot after shot on his body for the good of the team. He was a true leader. It's exactly why when the Sens took him out every Sabre flipped **** and started a brawl. Do you think we'd see that today if someone went after a Sabre? Doubt it.

[Philagape]

Do you think we'd see that today if someone went after a Sabre? Doubt it.

Like Laraque did tonight

[OpIv37]

Do you think we'd see that today if someone went after a Sabre? Doubt it.

I KNOW we wouldn't- just look what happened to Paetsch and Tallinder in the last two games. This team is a bunch of pussies.