http://www.buffalonews.com/2010/04/01/1 ... abres.html

In the "peaking at the right time thread" I said I wasn't very impressed with the latest win streak over teams like Florida and Tampa Bay. I was very tempted to predict a loss to Toronto last night, because they so often follow up good stretches with losses to teams they should beat. I know Toronto is playing well lately, but as the quotes from the above link state, the team just didn't play the way they're supposed to - tired or not.

This team simply refuses to put in a full effort on a regular basis. Whether it's a lack of hustle or a lack of discipline, the team or certain players on it just don't have a total commitment. I'd like to assume that come playoff time everyone will battle hard with discipline and specific attention to the game plan, but I just won't/can't believe that until they prove it and I see it.

After 2005-06 I said that this team needs to be built around Miller, with a commitment to solid team defense that will support him and translate well to playoff hockey. It's been a while but this is (almost) finally true. Miller is a consumate professional and his dedication cannot be denied. I find his mentality to be almost identical to mine while I played organized sports for over 20 years. So when I think, as an outsider, that the teams lacks in commitment, and Miller confirms it with several disparaging interviews over the last year or so, that's as close to incontrovertable truth as I could hope for.

I hope the next critical interviews from Ruff or team members name players that don't show up or play outside the system, with specific examples from the game. At this point, both in the season and in this point of their careers, it's inexcusable and they deserve every amount of public admonishment possible. Nothing else seems to work, so I can't see any harm.

Not really a fan of the coach calling individual guys out publicly.

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

No offense , but this is typical Buffalo Fan Reactionary Pessimism.

When they win, it doesn't really count because the team they beat was bad. When they lose, it's proof that it's the 'same old Sabres' who play down to their competition.

They played a pretty iffy game last night, against a team that has been playing pretty good since it was shaken up, and basically lost by 1. You don't think every person in that Toronto locker room didn't know that they hadn't beaten the Sabres in well over a calendar year? They don't have the playoffs to look forward to, but you KNOW they wanted to get that off their back.

It's not all sunshine and lollipops, but I just wish us fans could find the happy medium between stitching the championship banners after a win, and jumping off a bridge after a loss.

Not to give the team an excuse for last nights play, but, I would have to speculate that the team may have been tired with 3 in 4 nights.

Although I will say, the passing was horrible and the lack of pressure to the point guys on Toronto was equally as bad.

If any one was paying attention last night, you could clearly see Toronto applied Ottawa's game plan against the Sabres and it payed off. They forced pressure on the individual Sabres players immensly, and it payed dividends. Buffalo needs to be a whole lot faster in their decisions to move the puck up ice and do so smartly.

I mean, I don't know about the rest of you, but I've stated this before, the D men trying to come out of our zone start doing circles and seem to get into a panick mode, it doesn't bode well, and to top it off, they don't correct it.

Just my 2 pennies here.

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Lord Stanley's Cup is what its all about.
Mr. Pegula, your destiny awaits you sir.

+1

This thread should have been started if the Sabres went on a losing streak..not losing just one game

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I am, you know I am. I am Canadian.
#1 Hockey Nation.

Squanto, I haven't been an up-and-down reactionary fan in my entire life, let alone the entire time I've been posting here and the old boards. When the teams wins I catch flak because I don't jump on board. When the team loses I catch flak because I tell it like it is and some people can't handle it.

Call me a downer pessimist if you must (as much as I would still disagree), but nobody can possibly call me a reactionary.

jordano (and others), This entire thread is based on DIRECT QUOTES FROM THE PLAYERS THEMSELVES. Argue with Miller, Montador, and Ruff, not me.

Which of the above said this?


I hope the next critical interviews from Ruff or team members name players that don't show up or play outside the system, with specific examples from the game. At this point, both in the season and in this point of their careers, it's inexcusable and they deserve every amount of public admonishment possible. Nothing else seems to work, so I can't see any harm.

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

Obviously I said that, and it's all based on the quotes from the link and previous comments from Miller. You said that you don't like public criticism from a coach. That's fine, I don't usually like it either but Ruff has done it in the past on occassion - and it's worked.

Other responses ignore the quotes and focus on why I posted it. I posted it because the players themselves said so. Instead of getting on me for posting it, ask why this issue still comes up. Why get on me and not get on Miller for saying "it was a terrible effort", and "We've got to be able to play the chess match. For whatever reason we have a few games that are good, then we want to do it ourselves. We have to wake up and do it again. It's a bad cycle going into the playoffs like that, and I don't want to see any more like that."?

Why get on me and not get on Montador for saying, "Even if you don't think you have the energy, there's a certain way you need to play within the system. I don't think that we were disciplined enough overall. You can call it back-to-back, but the energy we did play with just wasn't enough. It's not unfamiliar territory for us. We've got to know better."?

It's out of their mouths, not mine.

You're right, reactionary probably wasn't the correct word choice there.

The right word you can't post, right? Lol.

I've heard Miller, Montador and Ruff compliment the team too after a great game. Can you tell it how it is after one of those games?

I never watched the game last night because I was playing hockey myself but I'm sure they played garbage. It's just funny that whenever we have a good game there's silence on these boards. When we have a bad game...the shit winds start a-blowin'

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I am, you know I am. I am Canadian.
#1 Hockey Nation.

sabresfansince is an anagram for sabres finances.

coincidence?

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

If Miller posted here what he said in the postgame last night....he's be called a troll!

Jordano, my post and Miller's quotes aren't about one good game or one bad game, it's about a trend of slacking off on a regular basis, especially after a few wins in a row. And just because they won 7 of 8 before last night didn't mean they were playing that well either. A win is a win and I'll take one any way they come, but some of those games were against teams that didn't feel like playing that night. But string a few wins together and most of us can look like Nostradamus by predicting a sloppy and undisciplined effort in the next game or two. I'd rather they play hard and disciplined, and even in a loss I wouldn't be unhappy.

I know about the bi-polar fans you refer to, but I'm not one of them.

Miller is more qualified to make those comments than anyone on here can ever hope to be.

You do realize that this happens to all teams, and there's always somebody in the locker room talking about the effort?

You can't land 1st in your division without being consistent.

The Sabres are more consistent than 24 other NHL teams, as shown in the standings.

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Wheelhouse

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNk6CCTWu8M

I think not!!!

I'd also like to add that, the night we jumped into 2nd place, it was because Pittsburgh was SHUT OUT by Tampa Bay.

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Wheelhouse

Yeah, for some reason both Pitt and NJ are playing like garbage lately. I don't pay as much attention to them obviously, so I don't know if it's an effort and discipline issue or just an honest loss. As I said above, I'm fine with a loss if they played they way they are suppossed to. We all know too well how Buffalo just doesn't show up mentally or physically sometimes. It's been an issue for three seasons and Miller sounds fed up with it. I know other teams have similar problems from time to time, but they don't win a Stanley Cup either.

I'm real happy with a playoff team and a series win or two. I don't obsess about a Stanley Cup the way some fans do, because I just won't ever expect that out of this organization. If however, that is an expectation from the team and staff, they should probably figure out why there are routine mental checkouts and solve that problem.