as previously advertised, i was on my way to holiday valley yesterday during the game.
for my own benefit, and the benefit of others, i decided to make some lists.
PLAYERS I AM SATISFIED/PLEASED WITH:
4) Paul Gaustad - heart, effort, grit, toughness, willingness to lead. too bad nobody really listens to him. paul is a player, and im a big fan.
3) Brian Campbell - as usual, he is a consistent presence on the blueline. a phenominal outlet passer, as well as an incredible skater. i love watching him bring the puck into the zone. he will be missed (either lost to trade or free agency). i put out chances of retaining him beyond this year at 10%.
2) Dan Paille - talk about the total package: goal scoring, playmaking, forechecking, grit, toughness, and effort. since his benching over a month ago, he has impressed me more and more everyday. hopefully he will be a mainstay for a while.
- Jaroslav Spacek - he has been everything we hoped he would be last year, this year. i don’t foresee his play dropping off at all.
1b) Derek Roy - he really makes the top line tick. well, relatively speaking of course.
PLAYERS I AM DISSATISFIED/ANGRY WITH:
5) Ryan Miller - one word: inconsistent. he makes some big saves at key moments, but still is prone to giving up soft goals. in my mind, he is currently an average nhl goaltender that is going to command top goalie money in a year and a half. i would say our chances of retaining him are around 50%, and frankly, i am indifferent on this. why pat 5 mill a year for a 2.5mill goaltender? so we can handcuff ourselve MORE with the salary cap? :bloated:
5b) Jocelyn Thibault - .859 sv%? LOLLLERFUCKER. 3.7GAA? :lol: someone please take him out back and shoot him like a spent racehorse. what a joke.
4) Toni Lydman - he is a turnover machine. he consistently choses the stupid/difficult/nonsense outlet pass that leads to direct scoring chances and goals. i have no need for him. he doesnt score, and he is a defensive liability.
4b) Henrik Tallinder - he is supposed to be our #1 defenseman, and is far from it. ever since he broke his forearm for the second time, he has been a defensive liability because he refuses to use his size as a physical asset when defending. PLAY THE FUCKING BODY.
2) Thomas Vanek - he is young, i still truly believe he will come around, but bury your fucking chances for christs sake! how many posts/wide shots can you possibly make on quality scoring chances. he is paid superstar money for pedestrian production/effort. when is not good enough going to be not good enough?
2b) Jason Pominville - yes, i know he is leading the team in points. he should have at least 10 more goals than he does. seriously, he needs a new stick curve, or something, how many times can he fire pucks OVER the net or have pucks jump OVER his fucking stick!!! :bloated:
- Tim Connolly - i am just about finished with him. he cannot stay healthy. the season after the lockout was a statistical anomoly, and he will never produce like that again. 5 goals is laughable, and he is a turnover machine. what is his injury now? groin? how can you injure what you dont have.
SABRES MANAGEMENT:
I think that everything negative that has happened in terms of player personnel rests primarily with Quinn. Regier has made comments that insinuate that his hands are tied to some degree. But, time after time, Quinn has made comments to re-affirm his arrogance. comparing our top line to Ottawa’s top line = teh :bloated: face. saying we stack up well against Ottawa = teh :bloated: face. his unwillingness to commit to players that he himself referred to as the core of the team is a recipe for failure. Guys like Chris Drury and Brian Campbell are the very players needed to cement a lasting foundation for a successful winning franchise. He already fucked negotiations on drury, and now he raped negotiations to a silence with campbell. enjoy selling games out this year, because there will be a significant dropoff next year unless something changes substantially. i will be keeping my seasons for as long as i can afford them (which hopefully will be forever), but not everyone is going to do this.
here is a pretty basic formula:
Key Player Losses due to Mismanagement
- Extended losing streaks
- Unwillingness to address glaring problems
- Missing the playoffs
- Desparate/impatient/alienated fanbase
loss of ticketsales/merchsales/income
its pretty goddamn simplistic.