There's one reason, and one reason alone why this team has not made the playoffs 3 of the last 5 years and has no first round playoff victories.

This team, in each of these 5 years, has lacked the edge/confidence and nastiness in its skill players that teams need to make deep runs.

Foligno and Tropp were huge boosts to that aspect, and both are a step in the right direction. But without them in the lineup, here are your top 6 wingers:

Boyes
Gerbe
Leino
Pominville
Vanek
Stafford

I swear to god, the D cores of some teams must circle Sabres games on their calendar, because they know their bodies are going to get a break.

We need guys that play this game with more intensity below the goal line. We need guys who are going to push back after scrums.

I forgot which game it was, but Stafford got challenged and he just stood there. Foligno came over and got in the guy's face.

Long story short, I don't care who you choose to send out, as long as you bring snarl back in with your skill. But it's clear to me that this group needs a shake up.

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Wheelhouse

I feel like naming pominville captain really set the tone. He's just too freaking nice, I honestly cant say whether i've ever seen him even finish a check. I bet when people cut him off in traffic he's like "Sorry, my fault!"

I feel basically the same way about vanek. These two are too weak willed to be our leaders, we need someone with balls first, brains second. Or at least an equivalent amount of balls to brains.

hahaha, Pommers is way too nice. I was really surprised though that he turned into captain clutch though.

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Ya, I agree with this sentiment wholly. That's why I don't want our under-performing forwards relegated to a 3rd line, so the opposition has yet another line that's easy to play against. I'd rather just ship them off. I do disagree about the Pominville comment somewhat. I wasn't big on the decision to make him captain, but it seems to have matured him as a player, and brought his game up a notch(as displaced said). I don't like to play both sides of an argument, but in Pommers case, it does have it's pluses to go with its minuses.

this same argument as been going on for YEARS and its really not going to change anytime soon. It is possible that Ruff doesnt want the players doing that and possibly taking stupid roughing penalties. Its not to say that some of our players might be pussies but every "tougher" guy that we have brought in as gone soft in their first full year as a Sabre.

Its always been "________ is going to add some grit to the line up" and a couple months later its "________ isnt giving the Sabres the grit he was brought in for"

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Check out my website: http://www.artistzero.com

"That wasn't very nice...I do believe you killed my hat."

Driver of the FIRE LINDY RUFF Bandwagon since 2008.

I know what you're saying Woz, but I'm not sure it's Lindy's doings(Can't believe I'm about to stick up for him). During our hot streak, he had Kaleta-Goose-Gerbe playing a lot, and they were making life miserable for the opposition, because they'd dump it in, and see if you'd pay the price to maintain possession(I personally saw Paul Martin decide not to, and turn it over several times). Lindy was starting these guys, and giving them mad minutes at that time. I'd have to assume he was doing that to reward them for their hard fore-checking.

After Goose was traded, we tried to go with more of a 3 line thing, and we became soft again.

I guess we can blame Lindy for Boyes softness on the 4th line, but even he got benched eventually(unlike some of his more beloved players-no names mentioned).

Ha. Yea got to agree with you. Every year watching playoff hockey easily reassures me that our forwards don't match up with the forwards of other teams. I'm not sure if it was drilled into their heads, but players like Boyes, Vanek, Roy, Pommers etc.. Rarely if ever finish a check. And psp I have always thought that myself, that other teams consider it a no contact affair when playing us.

This thread comes one year after the Sabres forwards with 'no snarl' beat the living hell out of the Flyers for 6 1/2 games.

Can't really blame those years on Leino. He's only been here a season. Hopefully he can boucne back next season...

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"If you want to know what I've been doing lately, I've been driving around from Tim Horton's to Tim Horton's, rolling up the rim. Haven't won anything yet. Thanks." - Lindy Ruff

Ya this topic comes up several times a season infact. We are tough enough to make some kind of run at the playoffs even without Gaustad but not tough enough to survive a Stanley Cup run. And that's what we should be working towards.

We need a real enforcer, people aren't really affraid of Kaleta. Hopefully we've seen the last of Kaleta this year doesn't really serve a real purpose.

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"If you want to know what I've been doing lately, I've been driving around from Tim Horton's to Tim Horton's, rolling up the rim. Haven't won anything yet. Thanks." - Lindy Ruff

Kaleta is their best defensive forwards, and probably their best penalty killing forward.

No need for that at all.

if kaleta's our best defensive forward then we are in trouble.. I'd rather sign jarret stoll at least he bring faceoff winning scoring and everything kaleta's does. love to see parros here in the enforcer role.

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"If you want to know what I've been doing lately, I've been driving around from Tim Horton's to Tim Horton's, rolling up the rim. Haven't won anything yet. Thanks." - Lindy Ruff

Full time enforcers in the NHL are dead. Let it go.

When Shawn Thornton scores 13 points a year in 81 games I'm pretty sure he's their full time enforcer.

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"Counting all the assholes in the room, I'm definitely not alone!" ~ Michael Poulsen, Volbeat, Still Standing.

Plenty of teams captains are too nice, but it doesn't make the team any softer.

Why is it Pommers job to tell other guys to hit? I'd rather seeing winning and scoring over hitting and losing. Not every team that wins games is a hard hitting grind it out team.

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Pominville made some good battles along the boards this season. I can't believe we're complaining about him being too nice, when he arguably had has best year since 2007-2008 after being named captain.

Sorry, try again. I know it's a team sport, but Pommers clearly excels as a leader. Being nice/snarly/bitchy/etc. has nothing to do with it. If you can lead, you can lead. (No pun on Brian/Patrick Burke thing.)

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Girgensons for captain. Team Keep Nick DesLauriers forever.

@TJLuckman550

Let's not forget it takes balls to win the cup. While scoring is liked, it is sometimes earned through physicality. What the topic is about is the fact that most of our forwards are as soft as dough.

Many other teams in the playoffs have players that can add scoring and a physical side to the game. Sometimes...those are their best players... Examples Dustin Brown, Lucic, Mike Richards... All of them can score and have a physical side with a want to win. And their are a lot more than that I have mentioned.

And those soft, doughy forwards beat the snot out of the big, bad Flyers one year ago.

Physicality is almost more mental than it is physical. When you don't want to play physical, you won't. When you want to, you will. They proved last year that they could.

But I wouldn't say we can do both at the same time. Many other teams can activate that physical play much easier and take over a game.

I don't know if it's coaching or the players or what, but the truth is out there. It is pretty clear we dont play as physical as most teams that are currently in the playoffs.

You can do it at the same time. And you should. It's just not accurate to call these guys a bunch of cupcakes that never hit. They've shown then can when the chips are down.