Let's ignore the play that got it all started.


- JFlyers00

he almost turns it over twice in a row there. First on that god awful pass to whoever. Next on what should have been a fairly simple d-to-d pass to Provy behind the net that he smashed up the boards. He was just very very bad last night. How he lets that man behind him like that on the PK EVERYTIME drives me nuts.

No it's not. Gordon barely plays and when he does, the team gets wrecked.

Goals allowed count just as much as goals for.
- Feanor

Sure, but he has no term and costs you basically nothing if you just don't pay him.

Weise you're paying for for the next three years and he costs you a decent chunk of cap whether he's on the ice or not.

Yes, but Gordon's a one-year stopgap that has been healthy scratched often. Weise is signed for more money, more term, and seem immune to being a healthy scratch.
- jmatchett383

hes been healthy scratched, but i think hes played better than his goal totals suggest

Yes, but Gordon's a one-year stopgap that has been healthy scratched often. Weise is signed for more money, more term, and seem immune to being a healthy scratch.
- jmatchett383

He's been healthy scratched twice, which is infinitely more often than a worse player whose first name is Chris.

Sure, but he has no term and costs you basically nothing if you just don't pay him.

Weise you're paying for for the next three years and he costs you a decent chunk of cap whether he's on the ice or not.
- BINGO!

True, but I expect him to improve.

If he never gets to 15-20 points in a season, then it'll be a waste of cap space.

That's a good question. Without the offense, he is basically a 4th line player. You'd even want a 4th liner to chip in more offense. It also becomes a cap issue then, because that is way too much money to spend on a 4th line player. I'm more patient than others, so I'm not ready to write him off yet. In my opinion he still has more time to get it together. If he doesn't improve the rest of the season, then there it's definitely an issue moving forward.
- MJL

I usually give new players a pass when they come into a new coach/team/system. But it's been more than half a season and he isn't producing. I'm not saying waive him (well, I kinda am), but his lackluster performance to date shouldn't make him immune from sitting or having his ice time severely cut, either.

Sure, but he has no term and costs you basically nothing if you just don't pay him.

Weise you're paying for for the next three years and he costs you a decent chunk of cap whether he's on the ice or not.
- BINGO!

its a front loaded contract that would not be ridiculous to move on from if they needed to. not the rock of Gibraltar like MacDonald's pact

He's been healthy scratched twice, which is infinitely more often than a worse player whose first name is Chris.
- Feanor

Only twice? Seemed like more. I know he was injured, but I thought he'd been healthy scratched a few more times.

Still, he's most likely gone after this season, Weise is not, and for more $$.

I'm pretty sure he's played 38, been suspended for three, and healthy scratched twice.

he almost turns it over twice in a row there. First on that god awful pass to whoever. Next on what should have been a fairly simple d-to-d pass to Provy behind the net that he smashed up the boards. He was just very very bad last night. How he lets that man behind him like that on the PK EVERYTIME drives me nuts.
- jak521

The second one isn't a turnover. To be a turnover the other team needs to gain possession.

As for the PK, it's pretty silly to expect MacDonald or any player to cover two guys at once.

Let's ignore the play that got it all started.


- JFlyers00

Not ignoring it. You and others are ignoring what happened after that, and what were the biggest breakdowns on the play, and why a goal was scored. But by all means, have your scapegoat.

Let's also ignore the recovery which gets the puck safely to Simmonds with time and space to get it out of the zone.

It's a terrible turn over by Macdonald. But he makes up for it at which it's on Simmonds to make a play.
- Baxter27

He didnt make up for it. He made a bad pass to Provy who had a 50/50 battle with the Sabres forward. Provy was forced to poke it to Simmer. Mistakes often compound mistakes.

its a front loaded contract that would not be ridiculous to move on from if they needed to. not the rock of Gibraltar like MacDonald's pact
- YuenglingJagr

Oh for sure, it's far from a disaster. Just comparing it to Gordon's contract.

hes been healthy scratched, but i think hes played better than his goal totals suggest
- YuenglingJagr

I have a feeling Gordon will eventually be the 4th line center to finish the season. I could see a playoff team taking a cheap player like Bellemare to a playoff run. Doesn't cost a lot, will be ufa, solid skater and can play the PK.

He is one of those adds playoff teams like

The second one isn't a turnover. To be a turnover the other team needs to gain possession.

As for the PK, it's pretty silly to expect MacDonald or any player to cover two guys at once.
- Feanor

Yea I corrected what I was saying.. Sorry. The first was a blatant turnover, the second was just a bad play that Provy was able to correct... thats kinda of the norm in their relationship....

who is that pass up the middle to?
- kej83

Looks like Giroux and he missed it coming and going.

The second one isn't a turnover. To be a turnover the other team needs to gain possession.

As for the PK, it's pretty silly to expect MacDonald or any player to cover two guys at once.
- Feanor

It not at all silly to expect him to make sure the low man is not WIDE open. Not silly at all. He got sucked up way high.. waved at the puck and totally missed it. Wide open shot that Mase had no shot at..

He's not way up high. He's covering the other Sabres forward, and if he wasn't, he'd have gotten poop for that, too.

I have a feeling Gordon will eventually be the 4th line center to finish the season.
- J35Bacher

So who gets waived to make room for Streit?

yeah
- YuenglingJagr

Seriously. Gudas 100% makes players he is on the ice with better. It's not even debatable. Unless you want to argue the merits of the eye test and state otherwise, at which point I concede defeat.

If the bus driver didn't properly operate the bus and get the team to the game, then AMac wouldn't have been on the ice to create the turnover. Clearly it is the bus driver's fault on the 3rd goal.

i'm certainly not ignoring it. it IS the source of the goal. with 20 seconds left in the period, down 2...can't make that egregious of a mistake. you're on the ice in that situation because the coach is counting on you to NOT (frank) that up. fail.
- hammarby31

if there is ever a time you don't care about a clean pass out and just care out getting it out whether its a pass or chip off the glass that is it with so little time left in the period.

If the bus driver didn't properly operate the bus and get the team to the game, then AMac wouldn't have been on the ice to create the turnover. Clearly it is the bus driver's fault on the 3rd goal.
- jmatchett383

I like to blame Holmger... he did in fact trade 2 picks for the ability to sign him to that good deal.

he almost turns it over twice in a row there. First on that god awful pass to whoever. Next on what should have been a fairly simple d-to-d pass to Provy behind the net that he smashed up the boards. He was just very very bad last night. How he lets that man behind him like that on the PK EVERYTIME drives me nuts.
- jak521

Looks to me like he was passing to Giroux and he passed it too hard. Giroux didn't have his stick on the ice and wasn't ready for it.
AMac makes nice recovery after the Buffalo player turns it over (yeah, I was amazed too that another player could turn over a puck) and makes a decent pass to get it on its way out. Simmonds then fails and well, you know what happens.

But yes, it was all on AMac and no one else.

I'm not trying to defend AMac, if it were up to me he would be gone, but it is just silly some of the criticism he gets.

I like to blame Holmger... he did in fact trade 2 picks for the ability to sign him to that good deal.
- jak521

I'm going to blame MacDonald's great grandparents. If they had not given birth to his grandmother/grandfather, then he never would have been born, and therefore would not have turned the puck over.

He's not way up high. He's where the other Sabres forward is.



So who gets waived to make room for Streit?
- Feanor

I could see Cousins.

If he isn't playing then they could try to sneak him through. I am not sure what his future is here. He doesn't seem to be useful on wing and he isn't playing much in the center.

I think it's a decent chance he gets through

He did turn the puck over earlier in the shift. Should've been recovered if Simmonds gets the puck out. I won't excuse him for that play, or for the subpar game overall. Doesn't change that he wasn't the main culprit on the cause of the goal. Giroux's mistake wasn't not being prepared, it was not moving his feet, and not making an effort. Twice in the game, he was the main culprit. Giroux did the same thing on the 2nd goal. Inexcusable for the captain to set that example.
- MJL

I disagree that he wasn't the main culprit.