2023-2024 Buffalo Sabres gameday thread !!

[OpIv37]

Re: 2023-2024 Buffalo Sabres gameday thread !!

Look, if it was my decision, he would have started this season in Roch and I would have obtained a back up over the past summer.

I kinda get why they did what they did to start the season. Levi looked really good at the end of last season and UPL didn't look all that great, and there was reason to believe that Levi may help get us over the hump to make the playoffs. However, Levi struggled and the team floundered and they waited way too long to send him down.

[JATMtheJATM]

Re: 2023-2024 Buffalo Sabres gameday thread !!

3-2 going into the third. Tuch with a shorty

[OpIv37]

Re: 2023-2024 Buffalo Sabres gameday thread !!

Tough win on the road. Too little too late though.

[JATMtheJATM]

Re: 2023-2024 Buffalo Sabres gameday thread !!

Tough win on the road. Too little too late though.

They aren't in the race anymore. They're playing for next year now. Trying to set the tone early, trying to mesh again. Getting young guys more experience.

And UPL, since the start of the new year, has been the best goalie in the league. The sample size continues to get larger. A wins a win.

[TheConsigliere]

Re: 2023-2024 Buffalo Sabres gameday thread !!

Tough win on the road. Too little too late though.

It’s progress however.

You can finally feel Kim’s stamp on this team.

[OpIv37]

Re: 2023-2024 Buffalo Sabres gameday thread !!

They aren't in the race anymore. They're playing for next year now. Trying to set the tone early, trying to mesh again. Getting young guys more experience.

And UPL, since the start of the new year, has been the best goalie in the league. The sample size continues to get larger. A wins a win.

The problem is that what you described is exactly where we were at this time LAST year.

Pegula bought the Bills when Ralph Wilson died in 2014. For probably the last 10 years of Ralph's ownership, I felt like there was no hope of winning a SB until the team changed ownership. They were making money even though they weren't winning so there was no reason to spend big on FA"s or quality coaches.

Obviously, the Bills still haven't won under Pegula, but within 3 years the team was back in the playoffs and now they've won the division 4 years in a row and have won at least 1 playoff game in each of those seasons. It took an ownership change to turn things around.

I know I'm not the first here to say it, but the Sabres are in the same situation. Pegula just doesn't know what he's doing and can't- or won't- find people who do. I doubt the Sabres are making much money. They haven't been in the playoffs in 12 years and the arena is empty most nights. But I don't think Pegula cares because he's making so much money with the Bills. I don't get it because Pegula was a Sabres fan before he was rich, and now he has a financial stake in the team's success as well, so you'd think he'd be motivated to fix things and figure out how to run the team properly, but he just doesn't seem to have his heart or his head into it.

I can't see the Sabres ever finding any degree of success under his ownership.

[JATMtheJATM]

Re: 2023-2024 Buffalo Sabres gameday thread !!

The problem is that what you described is exactly where we were at this time LAST year.

Pegula bought the Bills when Ralph Wilson died in 2014. For probably the last 10 years of Ralph's ownership, I felt like there was no hope of winning a SB until the team changed ownership. They were making money even though they weren't winning so there was no reason to spend big on FA"s or quality coaches.

Obviously, the Bills still haven't won under Pegula, but within 3 years the team was back in the playoffs and now they've won the division 4 years in a row and have won at least 1 playoff game in each of those seasons. It took an ownership change to turn things around.

I know I'm not the first here to say it, but the Sabres are in the same situation. Pegula just doesn't know what he's doing and can't- or won't- find people who do. I doubt the Sabres are making much money. They haven't been in the playoffs in 12 years and the arena is empty most nights. But I don't think Pegula cares because he's making so much money with the Bills. I don't get it because Pegula was a Sabres fan before he was rich, and now he has a financial stake in the team's success as well, so you'd think he'd be motivated to fix things and figure out how to run the team properly, but he just doesn't seem to have his heart or his head into it.

I can't see the Sabres ever finding any degree of success under his ownership.

I think there's several paths forward for the sabres.

One is new ownership.

Another is Pegula putting his ego aside and running the team like an owner should.

Another is finally having enough and making staff accountable.

And another is everything staying the same and a blind squirrel finding a nut.

I'm not really sure where the Sabres are because Pegula has been extremely quiet. He went from an owner having his hand in EVERYTHING (even being in and very involved in prospect interviews prior to entry drafts) to being absentee. To the point where he can't even bother to keep the arena up to date and clean.

Adams would be a fine GM if he wasn't so afraid to pull the trigger on any major trades.

[Novacane]

Re: 2023-2024 Buffalo Sabres gameday thread !!

What are opinions of why almost everyone took big steps backwards this year in offensive output?

[JATMtheJATM]

Re: 2023-2024 Buffalo Sabres gameday thread !!

What are opinions of why almost everyone took big steps backwards this year in offensive output?

The belief is basically two or three things: the sabres really committed to playing better team defense. Many skaters had career years at the same time. And just bad luck. Apparently the Sabres are generating a ton of offense, the puck just isn't going in.

Oh, and injuries.

[OpIv37]

Re: 2023-2024 Buffalo Sabres gameday thread !!

The belief is basically two or three things: the sabres really committed to playing better team defense. Many skaters had career years at the same time. And just bad luck. Apparently the Sabres are generating a ton of offense, the puck just isn't going in.

Oh, and injuries.

But their D has not been great. They give up far too many chances. UPL has been making a lot of games much closer than they should be.

[JATMtheJATM]

Re: 2023-2024 Buffalo Sabres gameday thread !!

But their D has not been great. They give up far too many chances. UPL has been making a lot of games much closer than they should be.

Their D is better. Not great.

[OpIv37]

Re: 2023-2024 Buffalo Sabres gameday thread !!

Their D is better. Not great.

That’s exactly the problem. Things get marginally better but never actually good, let alone great.

[JATMtheJATM]

Re: 2023-2024 Buffalo Sabres gameday thread !!

That’s exactly the problem. Things get marginally better but never actually good, let alone great.

Right..but it hasn't come at the expense of the offense. The offense just isn't able to complete.

[OpIv37]

Re: 2023-2024 Buffalo Sabres gameday thread !!

So apparently the game tonight is only on Sling. I pay for a million subscription services and I still can’t watch.

[JATMtheJATM]

Re: 2023-2024 Buffalo Sabres gameday thread !!

Another win. Another great game for UPL