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Time to Panic? A Reflection on the Season So Far.

I haven't written a blog post in awhile; specifically because I just have not been interested in typing up post game after post game about nearly the same thing. The Sabres have so far lost ten games this season and have only won three. All of those wins have been on the road. There has been a lack of motivation within me to write up stats or analyzing how the boys might have played one night. Not only do I work some game nights now, but I literally cannot pay attention to some games because they're either boring or the team just doesn't deserve that attention. I can easily be doing something else.

After attending the game last night with Tamara (and talking with my brother and Ryan from The Goose's Roost during the first intermission), I gained the motivation to write a post about the season so far. I don't even really know how to make of it, to be honest. Most people are hitting the panic button already thanks to their lackluster performances on the ice at home of all places, and it doesn't seem like anyone is putting much emotion into the game anymore. The defense is mediocre at best and I think Tyler Myers should be sat for at least one game to clear his head. Will Lindy make that moves? Who knows. He seemed to think that putting in Jhonas Enroth last night, a guy who has had the starter job taken from him in the minors, was a great idea and look what happened to him. It was his first game all over again. Ironically, that was also against the Bruins.

I could literally write maybe five posts about the power play and penalty kill on their own but I won't. The power play has taken off from where it ended last season and still looks horrible. It makes me question how Brian McCutcheon is still a part of this organization. No matter how many times you mix up those power play lines; if you don't shoot on the net, nothing is going to go in. Ryan made a good point to me last night during our discussion "Why is Paul Gaustad on the first power play unit when we have another guy who does the same thing, only a thousand times better?" As much as I love the Goose, he is no deflection master. The only one who is actually good at that on this team is Thomas Vanek even though the likes of Gaustad and Stafford can place themselves in front of the net and get hit on a nightly basis. They just can't score goals from that position. No comment on the short handed goals...

Last night also proved how awful our penalty kill has been this season. I think at the beginning it was all right since it took a few games for us to let in a goal on the opposing power play, but now we just can't seem to get it out of the zone. I believe that for the last few games we've at least let in one power play goal per game. Our defensive effort is a disaster so far. The only defenseman I've been impressed with at all this season is Jordan Leopold since he has seemed to be pretty consistent so far in that I only notice him when he's been on the score sheet.

I think everyone who reads my blog knows how much I despise Derek Roy, but I can't even find it within myself to make negative comments towards him anymore. I have to give credit where credit is due and say he has been our best player thus far because of his points. It actually pained me to type that up, ugh. Maybe I should actually appreciate him more since he is consistently getting points. Amazing what having a terrible team can do to you!

Thoughts on the captaincy - it looks like Rivet isn't going to give it up, and I think we have to try and remember that the guys on this team had chosen him as captain. As weird as that whole thing was, I think Craig has been a good voice when speaking in interviews. There are other guys in the locker room who have voiced their opinions too and could take on a leadership role. I don't think changing the captain will do this team any good, though. The 'C' is just a letter and nothing more. Maybe some more guys in the locker room should step up and admit that they haven't been playing as well as they should be. None of this 'oh, let's change the captaincy' crap.

Then there's the whole 'fire Lindy' option. If we look as some recent teams who fired their coaches and ended up going to the Finals (Pittsburgh and Philadelphia come to mind). Lindy Ruff can only work with so much and the guys at the helm are Larry Quinn and Darcy Regier. If anyone should be fired from their job, it's the guys at the top and not the bottom. If you give Lindy Ruff a good team to work with, he will work with them and teach them. Right now it is obviously not a good team and they can't even seem to work out any of their problems as of this moment.

I know that it's been nearly one month of hockey with only three wins, but my finger is hovering over that panic button. It hasn't been hit yet. How about you?