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Forums :: Blog World :: Hank Balling: Sabres Game Night Open Thread
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Boss34
Buffalo Sabres
Location: BUFFALO , NY
Joined: 12.03.2015

Jan 5 @ 8:59 PM ET
Eichel wore the hat for all the losing here which really was no fault of his own.

I wonder what his point totals would have looked like playing in this system with Dahlin, Power, Samuelsson getting him pucks instead of being saddled with Ristolainen for a majority of his 5v5 minutes.

He was top 5 in WAR prior to his injury this year too so he’s still a legitimate franchise Center when he’s healthy.

- Swedish_Jesus


On ice effort for eichel = no fault
Off ice d!ck eichel = plenty of fault

His bad attitude and demeanor were contagious
Swedish_Jesus
Buffalo Sabres
Joined: 07.02.2019

Jan 5 @ 9:00 PM ET
On ice effort for eichel = no fault
Off ice d!ck eichel = plenty of fault

His bad attitude and demeanor were contagious

- Boss34


I mean Patty Kane is a train wreck but that didn’t stop the Hawks from winning 3 cups.

All that matters is the on ice talent at the end of the day
BeadyEyedDouche
Buffalo Sabres
Location: Rustmine Ramsum most exciting Sabres klugdragger since Taro Tsujimoto
Joined: 07.01.2016

Jan 5 @ 9:02 PM ET
Tuch gets it; plenty of guys on this team get it, and at the same time, it wasn't fair that we all expected Eichel to get it. I always come back to the Star Wars "chosen one" meme with Eichel.



We put ridiculously high expectations on him as the McJesus consolation prize and he wasn't up to it. It just wasn't right and that's not his fault.

I genuinely wish him the best with his fresh start.

- Hank Balling

You are talking about the guy who said he thought we won the lottery anyway and that he thought he actually should have went 1st, that guy?

He is a head-case. He has the most OCD/mentally ill pre-game ritual I have ever come across yet he can’t stay healthy. He honest to god has had a gigantic chip on his shoulder for being the clear and away #2 choice and for being drafted to Buffalo.

Derek Roy with a skill stick. Guy is a beta. Every beta thinks they’re an alpha. We didn’t put those expectations on him - he put them on himself. And he couldn’t handle being the guy.

Not like we would have been much better off with McDavid. He’d be 2 years removed from a trade out of here, too.
Boss34
Buffalo Sabres
Location: BUFFALO , NY
Joined: 12.03.2015

Jan 5 @ 9:03 PM ET
We did that to him, too, though. We anointed him the savior of the franchise and then blamed him when it fell apart. The whole tank era and its aftermath was a colossal cluster(frank)
- Hank Balling


How do you lose an injured guy like eichel and 1 year after the trade, you're playing you're best hockey in 12 years?

He must him been such a d!ckbag.

I really backed eichel, he definitely made the price of admission easier to swallow / with all the losing
Hank Balling
Buffalo Sabres
Joined: 05.18.2021

Jan 5 @ 9:03 PM ET
I mean Patty Kane is a train wreck but that didn’t stop the Hawks from winning 3 cups.

All that matters is the on ice talent at the end of the day

- Swedish_Jesus


Eichel has also never hit 85 points, let alone 110.
Boss34
Buffalo Sabres
Location: BUFFALO , NY
Joined: 12.03.2015

Jan 5 @ 9:05 PM ET
I mean Patty Kane is a train wreck but that didn’t stop the Hawks from winning 3 cups.

All that matters is the on ice talent at the end of the day

- Swedish_Jesus


Pk88 isnt eichel
He's a good teammate and a winner.

Sure he punched a cabbie ect, but I cant Invision pk88 ignoring guys that got called up from the ahl. Same lockerroom... some leader....

He always had toews to handle the captain stuff.
Wetbandit1
Vegas Golden Knights
Location: Unpopular opinion (i think): The best Die Hard movie is the 4th one- Live free or Die Hard -jdfitz7, NY
Joined: 10.07.2010

Jan 5 @ 9:12 PM ET
You are talking about the guy who said he thought we won the lottery anyway and that he thought he actually should have went 1st, that guy?

He is a head-case. He has the most OCD/mentally ill pre-game ritual I have ever come across yet he can’t stay healthy. He honest to god has had a gigantic chip on his shoulder for being the clear and away #2 choice and for being drafted to Buffalo.

Derek Roy with a skill stick. Guy is a beta. Every beta thinks they’re an alpha. We didn’t put those expectations on him - he put them on himself. And he couldn’t handle being the guy.

Not like we would have been much better off with McDavid. He’d be 2 years removed from a trade out of here, too.

- BeadyEyedDouche


I think I'd be more worried about the guy who didn't think he was the best. Plus Murray set him up for it.
Wetbandit1
Vegas Golden Knights
Location: Unpopular opinion (i think): The best Die Hard movie is the 4th one- Live free or Die Hard -jdfitz7, NY
Joined: 10.07.2010

Jan 5 @ 9:15 PM ET
Eichel has also never hit 85 points, let alone 110.
- Hank Balling


I hate to come off as an Eichel apologist, but look at his coaches too. D¡ck Head Dan, Phil the Thrill, and the Konman Kraut.
Hank Balling
Buffalo Sabres
Joined: 05.18.2021

Jan 5 @ 9:15 PM ET
You are talking about the guy who said he thought we won the lottery anyway and that he thought he actually should have went 1st, that guy?

He is a head-case. He has the most OCD/mentally ill pre-game ritual I have ever come across yet he can’t stay healthy. He honest to god has had a gigantic chip on his shoulder for being the clear and away #2 choice and for being drafted to Buffalo.

Derek Roy with a skill stick. Guy is a beta. Every beta thinks they’re an alpha. We didn’t put those expectations on him - he put them on himself. And he couldn’t handle being the guy.

Not like we would have been much better off with McDavid. He’d be 2 years removed from a trade out of here, too.

- BeadyEyedDouche


Nah, it was the "McEichel" sweepstakes, whether that was fair to him or not (and it wasn't).

He was expected to come and turn the team around singlehandedly and he wasn't up to it. Certainly not his fault that he isn't Connor McDavid but he couldn't carry the franchise.
Hatboro_Swords
Buffalo Sabres
Location: Next year is gonna be 05/06 all over again, PA
Joined: 07.30.2010

Jan 5 @ 9:15 PM ET
Eichel would be rooting for the patriots on sunday.
- Boss34

He was a M@sshole, but it would be a major violation if he all of a sudden changed allegiances. The great sports reporter Ray Didinger has a radio show on Saturday morning with Glen Macnow (Buffalo native) and talked about how his parents moved to Tampa Bay and there’s nothing but total frauds of fans who moved down there and now act like they’re the #1 Tampa Bay fans. His parents can’t stand them. They’re still Philly fans. Rightfully so.
joshs
Buffalo Sabres
Location: cheektowaga, NY
Joined: 07.07.2012

Jan 5 @ 9:17 PM ET
We did that to him, too, though. We anointed him the savior of the franchise and then blamed him when it fell apart. The whole tank era and its aftermath was a colossal cluster(frank)
- Hank Balling


That is definitely our bad. The Sabres tried and failed to break the wheel. The adage was you need top end talent to win a cup and the only way to get that was to draft a top end prospect. Buffalo was falling in the mediocre category for awhile until we got a new owner, they wanted to take a risk. That’s our bad.

From the moment jack signed he was his own worst enemy. They just could not showcase the guy (off ice) for any segment of time as him being anything other than a grade A jerk. Every video they posted about him was cringe worthy. The nail in the coffin was when he inked an enormous deal with us only to ask for a trade the following year. He knew he could rob us and he took advantage.

You’re allowed to be a jerk off ice but he was the problem in Buffalo. the allegedly lesser version of the team flourishes (when healthy) after he leaves, that’s no coincidence.
Hank Balling
Buffalo Sabres
Joined: 05.18.2021

Jan 5 @ 9:17 PM ET
I hate to come off as an Eichel apologist, but look at his coaches too. D¡ck Head Dan, Phil the Thrill, and the Konman Kraut.
- Wetbandit1


You're not an apologist for that. The entire era was a cluster(frank) cake of mistakes and plenty of people own a slice
Boss34
Buffalo Sabres
Location: BUFFALO , NY
Joined: 12.03.2015

Jan 5 @ 9:18 PM ET
I think I'd be more worried about the guy who didn't think he was the best. Plus Murray set him up for it.
- Wetbandit1


Come on, you're talking about connor McDavid.

What kinda (frank)o thinks they are better then him?
joshs
Buffalo Sabres
Location: cheektowaga, NY
Joined: 07.07.2012

Jan 5 @ 9:21 PM ET
I mean Patty Kane is a train wreck but that didn’t stop the Hawks from winning 3 cups.

All that matters is the on ice talent at the end of the day

- Swedish_Jesus


Unless your the reason your teammates aren’t flourishing
Swedish_Jesus
Buffalo Sabres
Joined: 07.02.2019

Jan 5 @ 9:21 PM ET
Nah, it was the "McEichel" sweepstakes, whether that was fair to him or not (and it wasn't).

He was expected to come and turn the team around singlehandedly and he wasn't up to it. Certainly not his fault that he isn't Connor McDavid but he couldn't carry the franchise.

- Hank Balling


The tank worked.

The inability to build around Eichel was the issue.

Fortunately for us, Tage has emerged as a franchise top line Center.

You aren’t going to win a cup without an elite 1C.

Also Dahlin and Power are #1 OA picks so the tank is still paying dividends.
Boss34
Buffalo Sabres
Location: BUFFALO , NY
Joined: 12.03.2015

Jan 5 @ 9:21 PM ET
Nah, it was the "McEichel" sweepstakes, whether that was fair to him or not (and it wasn't).

He was expected to come and turn the team around singlehandedly and he wasn't up to it. Certainly not his fault that he isn't Connor McDavid but he couldn't carry the franchise.

- Hank Balling


The Sabres did bring in ror and ek9 immediately.
Gianta was here as well.
They relieved early pressure IMO.

When he was named captain, at the young age. It made him put even more pressure on himself.
Swedish_Jesus
Buffalo Sabres
Joined: 07.02.2019

Jan 5 @ 9:22 PM ET
Unless your the reason your teammates aren’t flourishing
- joshs


I mean did he not get Skinner a 40 goal season playing for a coach that tried his best to destroy any offence this team could create ?

Or did I dream about that ?
joshs
Buffalo Sabres
Location: cheektowaga, NY
Joined: 07.07.2012

Jan 5 @ 9:24 PM ET
I mean did he not get Skinner a 40 goal season playing for a coach that tried his best to destroy any offence this team could create ?

Or did I dream about that ?

- Swedish_Jesus


How did that work out?
Hatboro_Swords
Buffalo Sabres
Location: Next year is gonna be 05/06 all over again, PA
Joined: 07.30.2010

Jan 5 @ 9:25 PM ET
I mean did he not get Skinner a 40 goal season playing for a coach that tried his best to destroy any offence this team could create ?

Or did I dream about that ?

- Swedish_Jesus

I mean the only thing you dream about is being a Lucky Pierre.
Swedish_Jesus
Buffalo Sabres
Joined: 07.02.2019

Jan 5 @ 9:27 PM ET
How did that work out?
- joshs


So is it Tage Thompsons fault if the Sabres miss the playoffs this year ?

With that logic ?
Hank Balling
Buffalo Sabres
Joined: 05.18.2021

Jan 5 @ 9:27 PM ET
The Sabres did bring in ror and ek9 immediately.
Gianta was here as well.
They relieved early pressure IMO.

When he was named captain, at the young age. It made him put even more pressure on himself.

- Boss34

.
I would serve him with a healthy slice of blame pie as the captain and a supposed leader of men, but that's just me
Boss34
Buffalo Sabres
Location: BUFFALO , NY
Joined: 12.03.2015

Jan 5 @ 9:28 PM ET
He was a M@sshole, but it would be a major violation if he all of a sudden changed allegiances. The great sports reporter Ray Didinger has a radio show on Saturday morning with Glen Macnow (Buffalo native) and talked about how his parents moved to Tampa Bay and there’s nothing but total frauds of fans who moved down there and now act like they’re the #1 Tampa Bay fans. His parents can’t stand them. They’re still Philly fans. Rightfully so.
- Hatboro_Swords


I have an uncle that lives in Bradenton Florida . He recently moved, downsized a bit.

He lived in tonawanda for years. Part of the local soccer program. A coordinator I believe.

He's still a Sabres fan 1st (so he says) as he was a season Ticket holder for years. He knew a guy named paul wieldan?

Regardless, my uncle now is a huge Lightning fan and rubs their successes in our faces.

I find it annoying ☝️
Buff36
Buffalo Sabres
Joined: 10.13.2019

Jan 5 @ 9:28 PM ET
Pretty good game between Canada vs Czechs
TheHank
Location: Yawn.
Joined: 01.11.2017

Jan 5 @ 9:30 PM ET
Didn’t realize wjc played 3 on 3 ot. I hate it. Busch league.
TheHank
Location: Yawn.
Joined: 01.11.2017

Jan 5 @ 9:31 PM ET
Kulich bumbled that bad
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