When this season started, going up until the first game in FNC, this team played a dominant game that got the entire fanbase excited. Even going past that their early away games were pretty dominant as well. Where did that team go? It was the same team as we have now, minus some injured players. This begs the question: What happened?
I've been a fan of Ruff for a long time, but with each game it nudges me closer to the end of my patience with Ruff. Why do they back off when they get the lead every single time? Why won't they go for the throat? Keep attacking? Why do they finish a game with 3 goals on less then 20 shots? If they finished the same game with 35 shots do they still lose? Does the lack of attack come from lindy? This team should be scoring 4-5 goals per game....What changed since they got back from Europe? That team looked like a cup contender if not winner. Its like night and day.
Chinks in the armor first showed up with the "home opener" against Carolina -- 2 SHGA and a lackluster effort. Perhaps the early season play at home was too casual and then became a confidence issue. Compound the confidence issue further with first Miller and then Enroth failing to provide good netminding at times and any number dubious personal scoring droughts.... and here we are.
Righting the ship isn't going to take just one magic bullet and I don't see them making a dramatic deal nor firing anyone, be it Ruff or Regier. Getting Miller's head out of his tail would help. Getting the PP going would help. Simplifying their overall game and playing boring to get wins while they're burdened by injury would help. Playing defense first and worrying about the goals second would also help -- personal belief there.
We'll have to see how this works out. It's possible at the end of the year, we're looking back at this spate of poor play and lineup uncertainty as the point in which the team came together, the crucible through which it passed to come out harder, mentally tougher, better. Or it may be that we're looking at them unravelling completely and another long off-season of questions and the same old answers.
__________________
It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. - Aristotle
That Pittsburgh game just left me wondering, what happened to the team we saw early on that made Pittsburgh look silly? Its like looking at two different teams.
That Pittsburgh game just left me wondering, what happened to the team we saw early on that made Pittsburgh look silly? Its like looking at two different teams.
Confidence? It also doesn't help to have both goaltenders act like sieves all night. I didn't watch the entire game, just the various available highlight packages (and for my sanity, I'm glad the DVR didn't record it either) and at leat 5 of the goals were ones that I thought the goaltenders should have had. If they're "on" from the start, this might be a tie or OT/SO game. Given that they have any number of guys out, to get out of Pittsburgh in that situation with that sort of result would be an accomplishment. Instead, Miller **** the crease and then Enroth did too.
Did the post say injuries were the problem? No. The point is to discuss what happened between now and then that changed a team that started out the season dominating other teams, but now just looks pathetic. The players are mostly the same (minus injuries) the staff is all the same. So how did this team go from being so good to so bad? Is it a change in mentality or is it a change in player effort? Did the coaches change game plans? There hasw to be some reason the sabres are playing so badly after showing how great this team can be. LSS what happened between now and the first few games that made this team become so terrible?
Did the post say injuries were the problem? No. The point is to discuss what happened between now and then that changed a team that started out the season dominating other teams, but now just looks pathetic. The players are mostly the same (minus injuries) the staff is all the same. So how did this team go from being so good to so bad? Is it a change in mentality or is it a change in player effort? Did the coaches change game plans? There hasw to be some reason the sabres are playing so badly after showing how great this team can be. LSS what happened between now and the first few games that made this team become so terrible?
Mental toughness and consistency went into the crapper this year. I know no one wants to hear it, but this team reminds me a lot of the post drury/briere years. Lots of talent at all ends of the ice, but no mental toughness. Vanek and Pommers look like the only guys who consistently give a damn out there. But evidently they can't get the best out of the guys here despite the fact we all know they have to talent to win games. We need to make a trade for a guy with a competitive edge to his game that can be considered a top liner. Getting guys like Grier and special nieds is great, but they can only do so much with the amount of talent they have. We can't have guys like Stafford and Roy floating around game after game and expect consistent wins, let alone a Stanley cup.
Imo all this stuff on the boards I see here (#1 center, fire ruff/regier, powerforward, etc) are secondary issues. I can name plenty of teams that have those issues that have done/are better than we are right now. It's the lack of compete level within the locker room amongst it's core players that is and has been killing this team since our co-captains left.
