The Sabre Roundtable: Episode 59 – Players vs The Fans?

The Sabre Roundtable: Episode 59 – Players vs The Fans?

I was thinking about this as we were about to well as I was gathering things to get ready to record tonight and I had this thought to myself when was the last time you were excited to talk about the team on here um man it was probably probably before

The start of the Season there really hasn’t been like a um Collective string of games from where we’ve recorded one episode to another episode where it’s just been all positive and I just can’t wait to get here and start like talking about it it’s been nothing but like there’s been

There’s been times where we’ve been like okay it’s looking good we’re we played a few good games there’s a lot of positives UPL turned it around the goal tending tandem is you know back in full swing you know but uh no I I I don’t think I’ve been relatively you know

Excited like I was this entire offseason since before the season started I thought we had one positive episode it was recent it it was positive but was that was like it was funny that it was positive I’m talking about like genuinely genuine excitement the the only episode that I could think of was

Draft night I think that was the last time where we did an episode and we were just enthused to hit the record button I mean I’ll put this in perspective for you you know what the anniversary is on Friday which is or sat whatever the 23rd is of

February it’s been a that was a year since Ilia lbushkin scored an overtime winner against Andre vasileski we recorded the night of we did yeah right after the game I’m talking about talking about that sort of excitement where it’s like I I just got to talk about the team right now like

This is I got to get this out of me well mean I was I was thinking that the other day I mean I was thinking about how crap this season has been it’s like there hasn’t been any high points there hasn’t been a single game like that where it’s

Like oh you know we the the overtime Islanders game where cousins scored that amazing goal or the laush game there hasn’t been a single SLE game like that this year and we finally just had an overtime game which was a little exciting but there hasn’t been any like

Exciting moments of the Year where you’d get on and be excited to talk about a certain moment other than maybe Benson’s in in between the legs goal that’s honestly the only thing that comes to mind I mean if they did beat the Ducks yesterday this would probably be a

Generally positive episode but um if you’ve been a listener long enough of us I mean the entire offseason I feel like we end every single episode saying like we’re so excited for next season to start you know they just need to take one more step in the right direction and

This thing’s off and running and even like going into the season like those first few episodes we recorded were like it’s not a big deal you know slow start it’s the beginning of the season this happens to every team and you know it just the the weeks turned into months

And it it just got really out of hand and you know it was talking about another Lost season before the new year start started so um I’m hoping those positive talks come back at some point but I’m going to be honest it’s probably not going to be until free agency starts

Because me personally I don’t unless we win the draft lottery I don’t I don’t care who we draft just make it a right-handed defenseman and call it a day I that’s it if mlin celebrini is a buffalo saber I would be extremely excited to record an episode but other

Than that in the the future in the near future I got nothing it yeah it’s just it’s been a while uh and it’s it stinks Christian’s right it this probably would have been a more positive episode if they had not lost to one of the worst teams in the league Sunday or

Monday but it is what happened so we have to talk about it uh in any case folks welcome back to the saber Round Table my name is Jonah I’m Christian I’m JP and as always we’ll be talking to you about all things Buffalo Sabers hockey and even a little bit of The Wider

NHL it’s no secret you can tell by the tone of how we’ve started this episode this team is draining it’s taken a lot out of myself as a fan to tune in night in and night out and and not be able to get it really excited over anything to kind of

Continue with that conversation JP was talking about high points I think the obvious high point of the season when this is all said and done is probably going to be the Maple Leafs 9 to3 win at home and it’s like even that it’s overshadowed because two days earlier

You lost 9 to four in your own building it’s just been that type of cursed ugly season and I don’t know this I feel like this is going to be one of those tougher episodes to maybe try and record because aside from a little bit of Devon Levi

Talk uh none of these topics are really exciting or or even positive because there may or may not be depending on how you view the situation a sort of stalemate or I guess psychological battle going on between the Buffalo Sabers players and the Buffalo Sabers

Fans which is uh not the thing you want to be talking about especially with a team that has on numerous occasions made it clear that they want to reestablish a relationship with the fans but here we are and that is kind of one of the leading topics but before

Before we even get there let’s quickly go over what’s happened in the past week since we last met um the Sabres got off to a great start at home a big seven nothing win against the LA Kings um I wish they would play the Kings more

Often if there’s any take away from that game in my opinion it is wow the Kings have fallen off because that is two performances in a row where it’s like wow the sabes have basically had their way with that team yeah 7 nothing one cool no but yeah I mean the building was

The building was less less than half full so you know you did it in front of 8,000 9,000 people um I mean it was a it was a fun game to watch and while I was watching it I told myself a couple of times I was just like

Live in this moment and enjoy this moment because these don’t come along very often and I was right because I mean even going into the Minnesota game and the Anaheim game it was just kind of a train wreck the the Minnesota game was fun it was extremely fun to

Watch I mean even going into the third I mean it was really back and forth and even in overtime I mean honestly I don’t know they probably shouldn’t have won that game but they found a way and then you know the Anaheim game but uh yeah a doubling back

As Ryan Hagen would put it um I uh I enjoyed watching the Sabers kick the crap out of the Kings it was a lot of fun Christian’s right you do have to appreciate those moments because even just moving on to the next game two days later the Sabres would go from scoring

Seven goals against the LA Kings to zero against Sergey bosski wait no not Sergey bosski Anthony stolar and the Florida Panthers I’m gonna be honest with you I completely forgot they played the Panthers I skipped right into Minnesota I forgot that they lost four okay never mind all all right well yep

That just proves my point even more carry I I went to three of those four games so I went to the Stars game I went to the Blues game didn’t go to the Kings game and then I went to the Panthers game I went to three of the four games

At home and they scored one legit goal and the other one was an own goal e that is how miserable my season ticket experience has been this year maybe you should stop going to games I I might as well I’m very dis I I just couldn’t

Believe that I was I didn’t want to go that night I was like you know what I can’t I’m I need a night off and I should have gone because I would have actually had fun games I just sat there in disbelief and like left early two

Times I went and watch beer league hockey after the Panthers and had more fun and Christian’s really rubbing off on you leaving the game these games early but you know Christian I don’t think you know when you ask JP maybe he should stop going to games maybe you should stop watching games because

Apparently you turn off the television during the Minnesota game and then the Sabers tied it with a minute to go dude I was it’s true a big fan I was in Saratoga I was watching the game and we were cooking dinner and the wild we go up one nothing and then the

Wild score two relatively quick goals and I’m just like I can’t have anything nice whatever I’m done and then minute 30 left shut the TV off and then I put my phone down and I go like help you know finish dinner and then I’m like you

Know what I’m just going to look at my phone just to make sure the final was 2 to one get a notification Jordan Greenway has tied the game at two and I’m like you have got to be kidding me and then that’s when I fired off that

Tweet so yeah maybe I should just stop watching maybe I’m the problem I was literally saying as that goal happened to who I was watching with I was like when was the last time we actually scored with an extra skater I was like come on just do it this once time I mean

I guess we are kind of jumping around but who honestly who the hell car who the hell cares who who even cares uh yeah the Sabres go on to win in overtime against the Minnesota wildo Henry okari is the hero of that one uh good story

For him he continues to build on one of the rare Good Seasons that a Sabres player is having this year and Sabres pick up two points in Minnesota and then we get to the Anaheim game kids day so you kind of knew how the I mean I went to this game so it

Started off great I was there with a friend of mine Jordan Greenway Snipes one you’re thinking all right it’s going to be this type of day we’re just gonna steamroll the Anaheim Ducks doesn’t happen Anaheim ties it Sabres get back to lead Anaheim ties it then takes the

Lead Sabres tie it and then Anaheim takes the lead again and then that would be it there would be no more goal scoring going into the third period and Beyond a funny story from this game um I I I want to jump back to the one goal the fir the

First Anaheim goal so everybody was clowning on Eric Johnson which justifiably so awful turnover awful turnover in your own Zone I think I know where this is going but I was I was explaining to name’s Jesse good friend of the pod in real time how bad the

Sabers breakouts are and what I mean by that is not like the decision making that someone like Eric Johnson possesses which is obviously not very good or or LAX yeah yeah or LAX um but you can see from where our season tickets are you can see the whole I mean you can see

From any place in the arena how the entire ice but you can see where the Sabers Wingers are going from the breakout and kylo poso and zus gurgenson make a beine for the opposing blue line and basically are sitting still waiting for a stretch pass they were trying they

They were trying to run and Gun Man they were they were looking for it or maybe it wasn’t gurgenson but whoever the other forward was there was two forwards at the opposing blue line and Johnson has two options make an easy pass to Ryan Johnson or try and get it to zus

Gurgenson in the middle but I’m explaining to Jesse in real time that that you can just see the entire saber zone why open and as the turnover happens the puck goes in the net as I’m talking to him about this exact problem it was actually funny we both started

Laughing I know Eric Johnson was getting a lot of flak he deserves it but holy cow like you you can get you can you can you can’t even get away with that against the Anaheim Ducks breakouts like that and it it just I don’t know I it’s

Just a microcosmo this season I guess just the fact the fact I can call it out as it’s happening it it is bad to like when I was I worked that day so I’m at work with the just the game on my phone and

Um because you know I pay I pay $30 a month to watch this BS thank thankfully um I had the game on my phone and when that goal happened I was like like I was probably thinking exactly what you’re thinking because I see the I see the bad play happen like obviously

The camera’s in the defensive Zone Eric Johnson makes kind of a boneheaded decision and the puck ends up in the back of Arnette and then out of the corner of the screen in skates won Kyle aoso and I was like where the hell was he going not even close it’s not lazy back

Checking he’s just nowhere near he’s just not close at at all I’m not saying he yeah I’m not I agree with you I’m not saying he wasn’t back checking but he was just like way out of position which is worse like where are you going I’m

Not even I’m not even gonna say they’re we out position because they’ve been doing this all year might have been in the right spot like lazy hockey or I don’t know it’s a lot different when you got Rasmus Dien and Owen power making these passes but guess one when but

Guess what when one of those players goes down okay and you’re playing you’re playing Jacob Bryson and Conor Clifton on a pair together and you have to move guys like that up in the lineup you’re bre you you can’t really run a system effectively like that or a breakout

Effectively like that like things like that are going to happen hey don’t don’t you dare bash Jacob Bryson all right he’s been okay did you know he’s been okay he has more assists than Zenus gurgenson and Eric Johnson who have played okay first of all Way games

Neither of those not no not even just more game they don’t have any assists Eric Johnson and zus gurgenson have not locked into any assists this season how is that even possible that’s so bad how is that even possible another another one when it comes to the to the defense like I was

At the beginning of the season I was pretty quick to defend Conor Clifton just because in my own head I knew it was you know small sample size and I wanted to justify the contract as much as I could in my mind but that time is gone this guy sucks he’s he’s just

He’s been bad he’s been so bad I’d legitimately rather have Jacob Bryson on this team than Conor Clifton in the future called me you called me a mad man when I said that back in November I know I just I was just like it’s just you

Know it was what 15 games at the time I get no I I was quick to defend him too at the time because my God they wouldn’t get him away from Eric Johnson but but yeah eventually they did and you saw it’s not like oh yeah maybe that’s the

Reason why Boston scratched him the last three or four playoff games against Florida he’s been rough well with him it didn’t help the Bruins they ended up losing most of those games so I mean what can you do about that um could have been clion yeah he could have been the

Difference Maker but he was The X Factor I’m gonna give I’m gonna give Jacob Bryson his his proper Kudos because he from all from all um what I’ve heard is that he’s you know he’s an extremely hard off I worker and um I’m sure the rest of the team is too but

Like it’s been mentioned multiple times that every time he’s wanted to get onto the ice with this team he’s trying to make the most of his opportunities and I think he’s done a good job you know bolstering the lineup at least in the absence of Matias samelson and Owen

Power I mean you’re not replacing those guys but I think Jacob Bryson’s doing a hell of a better job than Eric Johnson and Conor Clifton are doing so I mean good for him yeah H say what you want I’m not proclaiming I’m not saying he’s even a good player but he’s

Not God a he has more assists than your fourth line Winger who’s played almost every game this season how is that possible like how is that Poss and I’m sure we’re going to get into a conversation about some of these guys later in the episode but uh

I’m just going to say it right here you know they’re not going to be on the team next year it’s not happening it better not happen no no one’s saying they want them to be on the team no no no no I’m not saying I’m not saying that

You want them to be on the team but like I it’s just it it can’t it can’t happen or I will have a full-on breakdown I believe you I believe you if you want to talk about funny stats funny assist set assist stats I saw one floating around today Dylan cousins is like

Seventh in the league in five on five assists per 60 how this team five on five F they’ve been bad I just want to say like I am very as Pro analytics As It Gets I think you guys both know that um it’s just it’s one of those weird things like how can

They be this good at or I say this good like they’re amazing at five but how are they good at five on five it just doesn’t feel like it but I think that’s just the type of season they’re having like power play stinks they can’t get timely goal scoring from their big

Players Shing percentages way down yeah just yeah you just took the words out of my mouth it’s just it’s a litany it’s it’s a laundry list of other issues that have Arisen that weren’t a problem last season and last season it was more of getting it done I mean it wasn’t even

Like getting it done at five on five they were still like top three in the league in offense I mean I’m sure the power play had a big hand in that last season but there’s just so much stuff has come up to the surface this season and you

Know what this could be good for them this could be the this could be the wakeup call that they need and this could also be the wakeup call that this front off off needs because I really believe and um Paul Hamilton um made a good point about this the other day when

I was listening to him on my drive to work um I think the Sabers last off season went into it with a false sense of security thinking that they don’t need to do much these guys are going to take a big step and they were going to bank

On going into next season knowing that a lot of these forwards came off of career year and points and shooting percentage and everything and they thought they could do it again and now obviously you know you weren’t right about that what scares me going forward

To the end of the season is having that false sense of security built up again and I’m not saying like go out and tank games like I want Don Granado to get the best out of his players that he can get and I want this team to succeed and I

Want them to play with some confidence going into the end of the season but if they pick it up finally they figure it out somehow and they pick it up they can’t do this again they can’t relive Groundhogs Day again they cannot go into the off season and sit on their

Hands they need to make moves and things still need to change before we get off of this and kind of into the main course which is obviously been well was which was obviously a big source of debate um I want to T kind of touch kind of piggyback off of the

Career shooting thing uh and just touch on the Sabers third line which used to be one of the best lines in the League last year Jeff Skinner Tage Thompson and Alex tuck reunited and they it looks like that scene in Space Jam where where all the players get their basketball abilities

Taken away from them and then they just they look at a basketball and they have no clue what the hell to do with it that’s what Tage Thompson looks like Jesse and I first of all he’s like the biggest Tage Thompson fan out there there’s there’s kind of a funny story

With me and him behind it we were laughing because like we were laughing so hard after he missed that Breakaway like he had a breakaway from the red line onwards and it looked like in real time he missed the net like what what the hell happened to

This Top Line I mean I think I know I think they’re all hurt and I think there’s natural regression that came along with it but holy it’s it’s it’s tough to watch like it’s it’s really tough to watch yeah they’ve been brutal Skinner’s been pretty much nonexistent like at

Least Tage is like you notice him out there whether that’s good or bad where I think Skinner has literally just been invisible out there the last I don’t know 10 games um and Tuck was tuck was doing pretty good with uh what he was with cousins and Greenway before he was with

Mits and green before he was doing pretty good and he was thrown back on the top line to kind of Salvage that Top Line because it’s been so bad and their lord and savior kylo poo wasn’t able to re was not able to rejuvenate that line

Um but it’s it’s not it’s not even our top two it’s not even one of our top two lines right now it’s legit our third best line right now it’s uh it’s it’s it’s hard to watch it’s it’s very hard to watch and it’s sad to

See if you want to look at one big reason on why are um our season’s bad could look at our top line is not even one of our top two lines uh I I I did think some natural regression would be in order not to this

Extent but I also do believe that they are playing through injuries especially Tage and Skinner um we’ve seen this out of Skinner before you know some like there’ll be a season he goes quiet and then you’ll have a couple of really solid ones um Tage I mean he burst onto the scene what

Just about two years ago now um I don’t think it was a fluke I think if if any if it was a fluke we would have known a long time ago um but uh yeah it is disappointing to see because they could have you know they could have won

A few more games for you um when your top line is producing I mean you saw in the Anaheim game anaheim’s Top Line had three of the goals um uh vetrano’s line um when your Topline produces they they’re game changers and it’s it has been missed this season okay let’s dive

Into one of the weirder things I think I’ve ever kind of experienced um the Sabers versus their own fans so Mike Harrington who has his own reputation in Buffalo puts out a story a few days ago uh that he had been getting tweets and emails from fans from Sabers fans in

The last month that the sabes were leaving the ice without skating to Center ice and raising their sticks to salute the fans which is something they’ve been doing for a long time now I was actually listening to Joe debiasi lockedown Sabers he said he remembers apparently it was back in 2011

When they started doing this or shortly thereafter maybe this should stop maybe this is good what’s happened from 2011 to now nothing well that and the thing is is it was it’s not a normal it wasn’t a normal thing like the Rangers were the first team to do it and I think the

Sabres were just one of the ones that just kind of started doing it themselves and they’ve been doing it ever since so so Harrington gets all these questions about the lack of being saluted after home wins and he himself decided to stick because the reporters after games they don’t stick around in the

Press Box they go from the Press Box right down to the locker room as soon as the buzzer sound so they don’t see any of this and he stayed after the Kings game after they won 7even nothing at home and he apparently um obviously this isn’t from

My own experience I wasn’t there JP wasn’t there Christian you weren’t there apparently the players were headed off the ice after hugging uko peka lukanin but apparently something was said Harrington doesn’t know by who and apparently the players went back out onto the ice raised their sticks before leaving but

Even then apparently it wasn’t a full Gathering of all the players and so he goes on to say that apparently this has something to do with what happened with what transpired after the 9 to4 loss against Columbus at home where notoriously for the first time the sabers faithful started chanting fire

Donnie during the game and you know if you remember from that game it it did strike a cord with the players kylo poo talked about it postgame Rasmus dalen didn’t even talk to the media that night gets to practice the next day and then he says how much

He disliked that it’s no doubt it left the play it left an impact on the players and so Mike Harrington asks one of the veterans Sabers players he clarifies that it was a vet about it here’s the weird thing about the article he doesn’t really he

Doesn’t say what he asked the player he just kind of drops the quote in in into his column and the quote which I’ll read off here is more about the players sticking by the coach not about the salute itself in any case the the player wanted anonymity so that he could speak about

It and this is what he said look we love our fans because when this place gets going it seriously gets going and I get all the frustration of how many years it’s been but most guys in here haven’t been very long Kevin hasn’t been Donnie hasn’t been you can’t put all that on

Them that was Kyle said that it sounds like Kyle ooso he said that same thing like a few weeks ago yeah I mean the only other player I think it could be is zus gurgenson and another quote they said Columbus was a terrible game it was one

Game and that should have been directed at us and not Donnie this team keeps coming back look what happened against Toronto and we know what teams quitting on coaches looks like we’ve seen it in other places this season so I don’t want to call

This I want to be careful because I I I want to respect Mike Harrington as a writer he’s been in the business for a very very long time um but like when I read this it’s not that I don’t believe they’ve stopped saluting or that there’s a

Hesitancy I just feel like it Paints the way this is worded the way it was kind of drawn ac across on social media it sort of feels like a hitpiece I’m not calling it a hitpiece but it sort of feels like that effect like you brought it to everybody’s

Attention there’s no quote in here that says we’ve stopped saluting the fans and yet it’s the consensus that that’s exactly what they’ve done and it’s tough because it’s not that I don’t not believe like if if fans are calling in telling Mike Harrington like hey they’ve stopped doing

This then to a degree like there’s got like something’s going on and Mike says himself there was hesitancy after the LA kings’s game like I struggle to try and look at this from like a fair point of view because all right here’s where I’m at I

I if if it is true that players have stopped saluting the fans on purpose like man like what why why would you do that why would you publicly make a stand against the fans like that it’s the it’s the last thing it’s the last thing that they should ever be

Thinking about doing because like that quote that quote you you just you just said that we probably think is kylo poso thinking uh talking about um like when this place gets going you know um it’s electric and uh and he he makes the case that a lot of these guys haven’t been

Around for that long drought period which I understand but they have to put themselves in the fans shoes here it’s like they they know what they’re playing in and they know how much pain has gone through this organization especially through the fans over the past decade in change this is

The last thing you need to be doing because if you want the building full you’re going in the wrong direction with this it’s like you’re not going to see 10,000 for a long time especially with the performances you’ve been putting on like just it it would below my mind if

This is something this is the fight that the that the team wants to pick with the fans right now and I think like imagine your Kevin Adams you have made it a point at least your first probably s like your first full season back in 21 22 and then into

Last year I feel like every time a mic was put in front of his face he was saying we have to reestablish the relationship with the fans we have to get their trust back look this if this is true this is clearly a player decision this was made in the locker

Room what do you think his reaction to this would be like what what are you guys doing yeah why would you why would you even think to do this like do you think our fans are stupid that they’re not going to notice right you want them to notice yeah like

Kevin Adams has been around this organization since this the last time this team has made the playoffs so he has seen the decline and the apathy that’s grown within this fan base I’m sure he understands every every bit as what we would feel as if this was

True and he would react the same way we were reacting right now so I see both sides I think at the end of the day you don’t want to get booed play better because you guys suck at home you haven’t been good at home in years play better at home and if you

Really have this th of skin then that’s an issue and you need to get thicker skin because it’s once we’re actually good and the team once we’re geez hopefully next year we’re playoff team and we have actual expectations there’s going to be actual more legit criticism um so you better grow thick

Skin but on the other hand I like if if it’s true that you know this is the response I like that they’re backing their coach you know it’s a good thing they’re not quitting on their coach like if I were to put myself in their their shoes and they

Were complete everybody was chanting fire Donnie in the arena now I know it wasn’t everybody but I think I’d feel the same way like I would stick by my coach you know I would have a little sour taste in my mouth from the fans like I understand that um so I’m glad

They’re sticking by their coach I know they really like Donnie um and you know for all the people out there like that’s a good thing you want your players to like your coach like just because they like their coach doesn’t mean know that’s part of the

Problem but at the same same time just play better and this won’t be an issue like it’s not Donnie’s fault it’s not just Donnie’s fault it’s not just the player’s fault it’s everybody’s fault so the player’s been getting booed Donnie’s only gotten boo once so I don’t know I

See both sides but that like like I see both of course I see both sides it’s it’s a paradox the players have every right to be mad because other than kylo poo other than zus gurgenson they haven’t been here for very long so they like it’s not

Fair for them to Bear the weight of the entire drought but it’s also well within the fans right to boo them if they stink on a nightly basis yep and if you look from the players perspective this Core group of players has been the first Core group of players

That really bring excitement to this city in 13 years Jack eel and Sam Reinhardt never never really did that throughout an entire season and never got that close to the playoff spot so I I could get their frustrations even more with that that they’ve been a high point

Of this drought but at the end of the day it’s been 13 years like what do you expect this has been a complete down season after everybody was actually starting to have their hopes up high for the Sabers and everybody has lost interest again guilty but at this same time what’s

Going through my mind is he got booed once yep one game one game where half the people weren’t even in the building I didn’t even hear the chance myself I wasn’t in my seat I was like in I was in The Concourse watching the game

So that was not as vital as it could have been no all right I get I get that the players they love Donnie I get that it probably surprised them a bit but like I I I like I struggle to find sympathy if this is what

Transpired like I am a person who spends many nights many spending my personal time my own money going down to the arena paying for parking buying food trying to find someone to go to the game with because that is tough to do these days and I get to the game I sit down

And you know let’s just imagine it’s the Columbus game I sit down all right they scored like a minute into that game but then I got to watch like nine straight being dropped on their heads and I got to go home my long ass car ride on the 33 to get

Home meanwhile these guys you know they’re making a lot of money to not perform up to expectations and their coach gets booed once and and they’re they sort of turn on the fans like like there’s there’s other ways to support your coach hey you can

Win all right I know it’s tough but you can win you can wear I don’t know wear a t-shirt that says like we love Don or something I don’t know do something else don’t stop don’t stop a tradition that has been going on for like a decade because now everybody’s going to be

Watching now everybody knows yeah and if that was and if that was kylo poo that spoke to Mike Harrington and I just want to be like I want to clarify at no point did he say we’ve stopped saluting the fans but like this is like now okay

First of all everybody’s going to be watching for it now okay they have to now now you have to now you’ve drawn attention to yourselves and if that’s oo doing that then like Kyle what do you like like that hurts me as someone who has supported him a lot if he’s allowing

This to happen like come on Kyle like you’re better than that you can’t like that now you’re setting a new tradition of not saluting the fans because they booed yeah you’re setting a new tradition of being a little bit you know one thing I will say is that they they

Don’t have to salute the fans not every NHL team does I don’t know most NHL teams do that but they did so if it’s it’s like it’s like it’s almost like it’s almost like the Ridley Greg stuff we were talking about well he doesn’t

Like who says he has to do this or this yeah but it’s like why did they do it right why did they stop saluting the fans why like that’s my problem if this is true it’s like why did this start happening yeah and if it’s for those

Reasons it’s and if and if the and if the captain of the team if the captain of the team is letting this happen or if he proposed it I mean look I get kylo poso bared the brunt of that night against Columbus all right he was the

First guy to meet the media all the question all the hard questions were thrown his way I commend him okay I do but if this is his response if this is what they decided to do after that game like that that disappoints me that that disappoints me a lot that

Like I don’t and then it’s like almost it’s almost why like I like I’m trying to almost convince myself that it’s not true like if it was Mike Harrington just doing this himself writing this story himself then maybe I could convince myself it didn’t happen but like this is fan eyewitness t

Testimony apparently this is multiple tweets and emails and apparently this is what Harrington saw against la like it wasn’t a full salute I don’t know I’d I’d say the odds are are higher that the column is true or at least mostly true than not I’m sure there’s some conjecture in there

That’s that might be hearsay but um I’ll give Mike Harington the benefit of the doubt I think you know I think he for for a guy who’s been in the business as long as he’s been in I’m sure he wouldn’t just go out on a limb and just

Try and stir the pot but um here’s my advice to the Sabers a get some thicker skin like JP said and B do not cross this fan base because it’s the last fan base you want to cross especially when they’re at their wit and like they have been for this

Long God what a weird thing to talk about like it’s the last you want to talk about it’s always it’s always something you know it’s it’s it’s not even it’s not even the team is like even going back before the season you could you could throw a dart at any season or

Most of the seasons and just be like yeah they were bad but like remember when that weird thing happened like there were a bunch of those um Jack like I’ll say this if Jack E’s team never stops saluting the fans and like that no like that man

And you make a good point too saying that like these guys like we support them with our discretionary income these guys have more discretionary income that we could ever dream about we’re not even booing them I mean not we are like we are but like the thing that got to them

Was something that was being booed towards the coach correct it’s not saying we were like like it’s not like we were it’s not like the chance were like Trey Tage Thompson or trade kyoo like like things that are actually attacking the players it’s attacking a

Coach yeah for one night when you let in nine goals how many times has the chant fire Lindy Ruff been chanted in the last three years since he’s been on the Devils quite a few quite a few quite a few and I’ve it’s been a lot yeah and it

Was bad like it was an entire Arena at one point yeah this was probably one section at the Savers game it was probably some a half full Arena it was probably some people in the 300s who might have been a little liquored up I was say had a bit had a

Had a bit too much from Southern Tier on a Tuesday night yeah like and that like that’s the thing like are you really you’re going to group them in with the entire fan base and this is the hill you want to die on like really as as a team this is

The hill this is the battle you want to fight with this with this fan base right now and I want to go back to what I was saying like Jonah you brought up a good point um we support this team with our discretionary income like we these guys

Have more money than we could ever dream about having and when the season ends we sit around and we talk about the team while they go back to Sweden Finland Canada wherever and they golf all summer it’s like live up to the expectations yeah so what we booed your

Coach grow up go cry into your pile of money good Lord bunch of crybabies that’s what I’m hearing it’s not even live up to expectations like like I like I don’t know just don’t don’t stop saluting the fans yeah and that that’s a big kick in the teeth too

Right there like you do not like this is exact like this is the same thing as like you do not go after the fans this is this is no different than when Jack eel came back to Buffalo and said all those things publicly like it turned

Everything on a dime I was a jack eel supporter so was JP I’m sure so were you we all went to that game that night basically like supporting eel like being like yeah like this wasn’t on you you know it was fun to boo him I guess but

He’s a player on the other team then he goes into the media [ __ ] talks the entire fan base like a spoiled brat and everybody turns on him like you do not pick a fight with the fan base that supported you for so many years I it’s it it’s incredibly it’s in

It just it seems like it seems like we’re just for all the crap we’ve had to endure it just seems like the player just don’t give a [ __ ] they just don’t care they don’t care at all it’s like I like I still I still want to be careful because like it could

Come out tomorrow we’re like they ask Ras Dalene and it’s like what that’s ridiculous we haven’t stopped saluting and then it’s like we look like a bunch of idiots for ranting about this well we could address that in the next episode yeah it’s like it’s even the idea it’s

The idea that this happened it like it irks me yeah it irks me in a season like this I don’t know I was going to say let’s move on this is starting to get a little toxic and um let’s not overreact to this because we don’t know it’s true

Um it’s just a rumor basically and I I think it’s a little more than a rumor it’s a little bit more but it’s not it’s nothing concrete yeah that’s just I don’t know that’s just not blow blow it out of proportion how about that yeah we we’ll continue to monitor it

Maybe in a month or so when they went a home game will be able to check in yeah it’s not like they went into the media and Bash the fans this is you know no no I don’t it’s just you know this isn’t even close to that I guess well I guess

What we’re what we’re getting at is it’s more of an indirect way of bashing the fans but I understand all right as JP said let let let’s move on uh let’s let’s get to something a lot more positive something that we probably don’t talk about enough the Rochester Americans and more specifically Devon

Levi surprise surprise you put Devin Levi in a developmental League he’s going to kick some ass because Devin Levi is currently kicking ass for the amers uh capped off by a 52 or 50 was it 51 save performance against the Toronto Marley’s and he was spectacular his

Overtime sequences were nuts led to a big two to1 win versus the Marley’s and just highlighting how good he’s been since he’s been there uh he’s 62 and two in his 10 games 2.38 goals against average and a 930 save percentage still 21 years old you know

Like I think people Overlook it because he spent time in the NHL that is very good for a 21y old goalie for a not good defensive team so that’s awesome to see I’m pretty sure the the Amar are five points up on a playoff spot right now so

They’re sitting pretty good uh hopefully you know get some playoff hockey there once again and have some have some hockey to talk about in May I don’t know we’ll see but Devon Levi continues to be a good story for the Amar yep and kiks

Perked yes he is he is out and him and rosean have been not so great since the world juniors no is kind of yeah not great not great there but saving their best hockey for later hopefully all right uh on to some really surprising news the Sabres will be returning to the NHL

Global series next season they will be heading to Germany so they will kick off things in Munich for a few exhibition games before the season begins and then they will begin the 20242 NHL season in Prague against the New Jersey Devils for the first two games of next season didn’t uh didn’t

They play the Ducks in Europe like at the beginning of the Season wasn’t it like the last year they made the playoffs I think it was the year after I think it was 2011 I think it was that fall they were in Germany just what we

Needed here it is this is what’s going to break the drought I’m not delusional or anything this is how it’s going to happen do you think Ralph Krueger will be in attendance does he live in Germany or I hope so did they deport him coach of Team

Europe he’s he’s German if he’s if he’s there and he’s watching I hope Jeff Skinner has five goals World economic forum could you imagine like they pan to like the Press Box and he’s sitting alongside Kevin Adams like oh my god oh man bad vibes but it’s a it’s a

Really cool it’s really cool for jka yeah that’s I’m sure they’ll be a lot of there’ll be a lot of pker jerseys in the crowd yeah it’s like when H Dalene and Hedman they you know when they went to Sweden a few years back it’s just a really cool opportunity to

Go back to their hometowns wasn’t that the wasn’t that the series sabotka died yes that is when Nikita kov killed sabotka and the saber season damn yep I don’t remember having as big of a gap as the Senators had this year though coming back the Senators I felt like were off

For like two weeks after I don’t I don’t think it was that bad I think that’s just NHL scheduling at its best yeah well either way um our Cornerstone piece in the Ryan O’Reilly trade Vladimir sabotka our King was brutally attacked in that Series so you

Know bad vibes in Europe but you know I I think I think playing in Germany will be really cool I do have like sort of nostalgic memories it’s crazy to call it Nostalgia when it was like what five years ago now uh just watching that in my high school cafeteria watching those

Two games and getting mad because they got boat raced and both yeah they they did not they did not do well no no but cool news not cool news nonetheless all right on to some trade topics so a little bit of news today Logan Couture has been added to the

Fourth per fourth period’s trade board and among the teams linked to cure is the Buffalo Sabres which is interesting I just saw I just saw a tweet from sabers metrics like probably from 5 minutes ago and he said when is the last time the fourth period has gotten anything right regarding the

Buffalo Sabers so I don’t know maybe it’s just smoking mirrors but um I mean kind of a HomeTown guy he’s a big Bills fan I mean at this point that carries almost zero weight for me because it’s like if you’re not good at hockey don’t come to

This team kind of overall that Vibe stuff almost but uh um I don’t know if if he were to come here it’s like where do you think he’d slot in and who do you think we’d have to move out I don’t know uh you know the thing

About him is like I I do kind of wish like like if he wasn’t 35 I think I could be open to it because he’s he’s a playoff animal yeah like he like his goal scoring in the playoffs is like historic he was a Beast for the Sharks whenever they were in the

Ra or in the thick of things so if he wasn’t 35 I would kind of be open to it obviously with like I don’t want to pay him eight million for four more years no they would have like they would have to rain salary it would have to be almost

Like a cap dump trade I don’t know I just don’t I don’t really see the fit with that contract yeah not $8 million no I’d rather put that money towards a a defenseman but yeah I think it’d be cool um I think it would be kind of slotted into that

Vibes category which I don’t really care about and I mean you did say he has good playoff numbers like historically good playoff numbers but you know the Sabers they they don’t play in the playoff so I mean when will we ever see that uh touche all right on to the other bit of

Trade talk so like last episode we talked a bit about scottt lton 32 thoughts gave him some more attention shortly after that episode was published and more specifically tying him to not tying him to the Sabers in terms of interest but just a team that Elliot fredman and Jeff Merck think

Could be a part of those conversations more specifically Jeff Merrick saying that what Philly needs being prosper effect kind of fits how the Sabers need a bit of a veteran gritty mix in the lineup and fredman tossed around an interesting quote he said he could see Krebs or something

Like that I assume Plus in a trade for Scott Lon if it’s plus no I I wouldn’t I would not be a fan of that Krebs Plus for Scott La no you lost me like KBS I could hear some I know I know lon’s had a down year um but I mean he’s

Shown in the past he could be a good player he could be a good piece to shake up just the bottom six as a whole but if you’re talking about Krebs and something else no I I I don’t I don’t want to make that deal we can give you um we can give

You uh one shiny zus garson’s um for as a rental I mean he’s he’s on an expiring deal you could take ooso too I think TZ I feel like torz would love gurgenson he would I know if he loved if he loved risto he’d Lov Genson well

That’s the funny thing about lton which is kind of worrying he’s always referred to as like a two-way gritty Center and like you would you would think that’s a player that John torella would not want to get away and yet here we are so I feel like that’s kind of

Like uh torella torella doesn’t trust him should we or maybe he’s uh his characters developing a little bit well the weird he was just a named an assistant Captain yeah so I don’t know is that is that I don’t know it’s just weird it’s weird that a two like that is

The torella kind of archetyp archetype you would kind of associate with his teams and apparently he’s on the way out who knows in in any case um that’s a name that continues to be talked about with the Buffalo Sabers you know what we didn’t mention just since he brought Krebs up is that

They’re finally giving him an actual look with some offensive players and I will say I thought he looked very good last game that line was probably our best line so it’s it’s about damn time they’re giving him a chance yeah I think he’s look pretty fast he’ll be taken off

Of it after next game let’s be honest yeah well we won’t have have to worry about this going into next season hopefully I mean maybe the lines will look a little more balanced but you won’t have you know a couple of boat anchors maybe three boat anchors just like black holes

Offensively I mean I I understand like the need for maybe not need but the want for a more of a four checking line presence just because it could round out your roster and your game well but it hasn’t worked it just hasn’t Genson has four goals and zero assists this

Season he’s got four points kyopo has what maybe I don’t even think he has 15 does he 18 points it’s like it’s it’s not working and the defensive presence that they did bring at one point isn’t there anymore all right let’s hop around the NHL so probably the biggest news of the

Week I’d say uh the Columbus Blue Jackets have fired general manager yarmo calinin which if you ask me kind of overdue I would say yeah definitely yeah the the the Blue Jackets have been pretty pretty down in the dumps for a while now so uh shakeup was probably needed

I think once the Mike Babcock thing happened that was kind of like that was kind of like a oh that might be it for him that’s kind of a public thing that got out that probably shouldn’t have bad Omens man bades bad Omens bad team bad additions I you know they’re talking

About moving Ivan proov from that roster already they just just got him which is hilarious and uh now not a not a good end to his tenure it’s funny cuz I used to like I used to have a lot of respect for him like I like when he went Allin with the

Blue Jackets that year that they beat Tampa like he traded for Matt du Shane and um what was it Ryan Dingle and wasn’t there one other big trade who else did they trade for Johnny gdo well no that was well that was the the the free agency signing they added someone

Else that year I don’t know they he he just went all in with the picks and whatnot and I don’t know big falloff since then so that will end yarmo kean’s time in Columbus all right uh on to the NHL stadium series which was this past

Weekend I I gotta I gotta ask this by I got to start this by asking did you know it was this weekend no did not know until I saw um some of the game I saw so I was out of town and I was just flipping through

Channels until I I think it was I don’t know what I came across either ESPN or TNT and it was someone was interviewing the Jonas Brothers and they were at MetLife Stadium and I saw the hockey rink in the background I I was like oh that’s that’s

Tomorrow or today and they’re like yeah the game’s on tonight I’m like NHL marketing at its finest you know just always A+ material I actually think I did know it was this weekend I thought they marketed this a little better since it was at like Matti Stadium I would have to

Actually agree with JP like I thought it was better this year and I also think it helped that the games were really good specifically the Rangers and the Islanders with it was a fun ending insane comeback insane choke job by the Islanders um I thought thought it was I

Thought it was better like they did a better job this year age that’s what uh that’s what Lou gets for not letting the boys get to you know have a little fun with it you see the Rangers show up in uh or was it the Rangers or Philly Phil

It was yeah Philly showed up in the Rocky stuff which is cool Lou he’s like nope shirts and ties boys that’s it well that’s what you get speaking of the Islanders some some little bit of a silver Ling for them and their fans they will be hosting the next allstar game in

2026 it’s it’s kind of been talked about how uh like Toronto is you know like these loc these All-Star games being in colder locations the players will not want to be there as much yeah I think that might just happen again I don’t know if any of the players are going to

Want to go to UBS Arena on their uh their breaks although it is it is supposed to be like they classified it as like a launch party before they all go to the Olympics before they all go to Italy so that’d be cool I don’t know well you could always go to

The cheese factory Cheesecake Factory on Long Island have fun with that you could be on a beach in Cabo but no you’re too if you’re good at the sport you are going to Long Island New York some other news the next Stadium Series game was announced it’s going to

Be between the Detroit Red Wings and the Columbus Blue Jackets in their first ever outdoor game on March 1st 2025 so there is your spiritual successor to the Michigan vers Ohio State game yeah it’ll be at uh it’ll be Ohio State isn’t it it is at Ohio State yeah

That’s uh that’ll be a cool site that’ll be a cool site to see it will be pretty cool some smaller news Jack who was already on IR was placed on ltir yesterday circum Vision cir C did I say it wrong cap circumcision I didn’t say that I said Vision no it’s it’s circumvention

Circumvention oh jez circumcision oh my God cap circumcision at its finest ladies and gentlemen oh my God that was so funny convention it’s best at first it’s it first it’s the lightning and now it’s Vegas you know it’s always it’s always the teams that even even the

Leafs it’s always the teams that are pressed up against the cap and they’re just they have a few lingering injuries and they have a playoff spot you know somewhat you know at least comfortably sitting in a playoff spot they’re just like you know what we’ll throw on

Long-term IR we’ll activate you for the playoffs they need to do something about that rule man hey one day we’ll take take advantage of it oh yeah I can’t I can’t wait Jeff Skinner’s I know we’re going to stash Jeff Skinner on long-term injured reserve I can’t I can’t wait to

To put Logan kochur on long-term IR in January and then activate him for playoff Logan they’re gonna they’re gonna trade for his ghost this off season and just stash him till next April just wait for him because he’s a beast in the playoffs few days ago was yir yager’s

Jersey retirement ceremony which was pretty cool to see him back in an NHL setting back in a Penguin’s jersey for the first time in forever back on the ice back on the ice practicing looked like he could sued up in his 50s he’s a legend looks good

Man saw that cool picture of him Mario Sid and malcin all together which that’s a cool picture that’s just a flex like that’s a flex that like that’s your alumni that’s 40 That’s 40 plus years of greatness in your organiz you went from Mario Lemieux to Mario and yer to Yer

Back to Mario then Mario to Sid and malcin all the way up to the present pretty good Legacy pretty good then there was the infamous quote by uh by Yer during his during his uh little speech that uh his girlfriend Dominica was too young to remember when he played in

Pittsburgh that’s funny crazy thing to say but that is funny that’s classic yogger though cool for him he is obviously one of the all-time greats gets his moment his final moment in Pittsburgh um you know if he can still help on the power play I think that team could use him right

Now oh yeah so I think that is basically going to wrap everything up for this episode unless you guys have anything left to say what else is there to be said that hasn’t already been said it’s uh everything sucks it all sucks everything yeah it’s I think it’s kind

Of funny uh was it was it last episode or two episodes ago where we were kind of talking about what we wanted to see for the rest of the season we ain’t seeing it we ain’t seeing what we wanted to see nope can put it that

Way it’s tough our friend uh our friend Ryan Hagen over at the uh over at Buffalo Sports Talk he uh he he texted us during the game the other day during the Anaheim game and he’s just like how the hell do you guys run a Sabers page

At a time like this like I you he covers the bills so he’s had it nice for the last half decade I was going to say he’s a bandwagon he started that account right when they start to get good we started this account when we were in the

Dumpster of our re and our drought the lowest of the lows when we this during during Co no it was before the lows it was what it was right when Co hit basically shortly after Taylor Hall signed yeah and then everything went to garbage right after that

Yeah we uh I wasn’t a part of the crew yet so I wasn’t around for no we’ve been through the thick of things to say the least which is you know what which is why this we may be down but we are not out I will be I’ll be tuning in tomorrow

Night tuning in tomorrow night in uh now they’re back in Montreal I will be too unfortunately I hate this team I watch them in the wrong night let’s go so looking ahead for this week they play tomorrow night tomorrow being Wednesday in Montreal on Friday they are in

Columbus and then Sunday they are back at home against the Carolina hurricane so I’m assuming we will talk to you after that one so until next time if you want to follow us on Twitter you can follow us at atth saer report follow us on Instagram at atth saer report report

Follow us on Tik Tok subscribe to us on YouTube if you want updates for the Pod follow us atab report pod go give our friend Ryan Hagen and our friends over at the Buffalo Sports Talk podcast a listen they just published their first offseason episode for the Buffalo Bills

Give him a lesson give them a follow but in any a good Liston it’s a good listen lot of wide receiver talk I’m excited for the draft you won’t hear that for the Sabers nope until next time we will see you guys later take care feel free to leave a

Review and go Savers yeah ghost savers goost savers

In this episode, the guys recap the last week in Sabres action, break down an apparent boycott between the players and the fans, and discuss some wider NHL topics. And more!

(0:00) Game Recaps
(25:34) Mike Harrington Reports the Sabres Have Stopped Saluting the Fans
(48:41) Devon Levi & The Amerks
(50:38) Sabres will return to the NHL Global Series
(53:31) Logan Couture to the Sabres?
(55:46) Scott Laugton for Peyton Krebs?
(59:51) Around the NHL

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