News Article: Lehner goes into detail about his time in Buffalo

[Jim Bob]

Just wondering who will be next to shit on Buffalo after departure?

My money is on Risto comparing the coaching he gets in Philly to what he went through here. And fans that have complained about the horrible coaching hires of late will bash Risto and blame him for being hot trash and turn a blind eye to legit critiques.

 

[sabremike]

There are ways to do that beyond dismissing Lehner's experience while injured here and the personal attacks on him that have taken place.

Simply saying that Lehner has legit points about how his injury was handled but things have changed since then is easy enough. Bashing his mental health issues, his weight, and his skate sharpening habits is a bit much for me.

And the complete dismissal that the Sabres could have bungled his rehab that some have done is baffling to me.

I agree about some of the comments being over the top but I think that the context of him always shitting on the organization when they could've just washed their hands of the guy but went out of their way to get him the help he needed rubs a lot of people the wrong way.

 

[Fezzy126]

We have seen all sorts of issues of players being out on IR for a lot longer than the team initially indicated over the recent past. Just go look at the injury threads for the past few seasons. @Chainshot probably has a few dozen posts about the issues, for instance.

So, just because players aren't publicly upset does not mean that the new staff is better than the old staff.

Yes, the team has had extremely poor PR, and particularly while Kreuger was the main (only) mouthpiece to the media. The PR extends far beyond the reporting of injuries and recovery time. I don't see what this has to do with the medical or the training staff.

I'm not dismissing Lehner's comments like others, I think they're both valid and concerning. But the only thing I'm taking away from your posts is that you think the organization is incompetent - about everything - and you'll remain on that stance until proven otherwise. I agree with most of your posts, but it sure seems like the cloud of stink from their past is clouding your ability to judge the team in the present.

 

[jc17]

High performance is the trendy term for a Strength and Conditioning coach. With the explosion of research into sports science, new terms have been developed to cover people who are all about helping athletes perform as best as they can.

It goes beyond S&C though. He brought in his own "injury prevention" personnel, took charge of nutrition, was doing blood sample analysis, etc. And again, its my understanding that he medical staff were at odds on how certain things should be handled, which shouldn't really be the case.

So again, its not that the Pegulas aren't capable of handling decent medical people, it is that they hired an underqualified "performance" guy, and gave him too much control. My understanding at least.

 

[Jim Bob]

Yes, the team has had extremely poor PR, and particularly while Kreuger was the main (only) mouthpiece to the media. The PR extends far beyond the reporting of injuries and recovery time. I don't see what this has to do with the medical or the training staff.

It's not just PR. The Sabres have not been good at avoiding man games lost to injury for a while.

I'm not dismissing Lehner's comments like others, I think they're both valid and concerning. But the only thing I'm taking away from your posts is that you think the organization is incompetent - about everything - and you'll remain on that stance until proven otherwise. I agree with most of your posts, but it sure seems like the cloud of stink from their past is clouding your ability to judge the team in the present.

The team has finished dead last in the NHL in 4 of the past 8 seasons and they have gone 10 seasons without making the playoffs.

If that doesn't speak to the level of sustained organizational incompetence, I'm not sure what does.

They aren't incompetent about everything. But, there is a ton that they are not competent at from on the ice stuff to off the ice stuff, like the alumni jersey issues, the poor state of the arena, and the list goes on and on.

 

[Jim Bob]

It goes beyond S&C though. He brought in his own "injury prevention" personnel, took charge of nutrition, was doing blood sample analysis, etc. And again, its my understanding that he medical staff were at odds on how certain things should be handled, which shouldn't really be the case.

So again, its not that the Pegulas aren't capable of handling decent medical people, it is that they hired an underqualified "performance" guy, and gave him too much control. My understanding at least.

Yeah, the field has expanded over the years. S&C, athletic trainers, sports nutrition, sports psych, and all sorts of other things now fall under the "sports performance" umbrella.

I think the biggest issue with this specific poor hire was that he was highly educated, yet completely inexperienced with the sport of ice hockey. Skating on ice makes ice hockey a sport with some very unique challenges when it comes to the needs of it's athletes. And on top of that, you also have very different needs for goalies vs skaters.

 

[La Cosa Nostra]

Lehner is a mentally weak moron who throws stones in glass houses. He needs to shut his f***ing mouth.

 

[threeVo]

Lehner went from being likable to the biggest cuck in the league

 

[sabremike]

My money is on Risto comparing the coaching he gets in Philly to what he went through here. And fans that have complained about the horrible coaching hires of late will bash Risto and blame him for being hot trash and turn a blind eye to legit critiques.

The handling of Risto was honestly one of the dumbest things I have ever seen. They kept trying to force him to be a top pairing guy when it was so obvious that he was never going to be that but could've easily been a very effective second pairing guy. The rational of "There's nobody else they could use as a top pairing guy" was ridiculous because just about anyone could've been put in that position and had the same results and putting Risto on the second pairing would've made him a positive.

 

[OkimLom]

This is what agents do to get players traded. The public pressure typically gets these trades done. There is damage being done to the organization's reputation but hopefully the Pegulas understand that if they make a terrible trade and continue to lose their reputation will be worse.

This won't be the last time this happens. Media will ask former players and coaches all about their time in Buffalo. Only negative stories will go viral.

Not sure what's worse, the media continuously posting negative stories, or the fact fans just dismiss stories because "all we get is negative stories".

 

[Butt Ox]

Just Lehner things. I'll give him a pass until he trashes the ghost of Bryan Murray.

 

[Fezzy126]

Lehner spending some time on social media today, including a number of responses to Lance's tweet/article:

 

[jBuds]

There are ways to do that beyond dismissing Lehner's experience while injured here and the personal attacks on him that have taken place.

Simply saying that Lehner has legit points about how his injury was handled but things have changed since then is easy enough. Bashing his mental health issues, his weight, and his skate sharpening habits is a bit much for me.

And the complete dismissal that the Sabres could have bungled his rehab that some have done is baffling to me.

The handling of his injury and his complaints about fan treatment because of his performance are separate things.

come down off the soapbox. Or step slightly lower

 

[Jim Bob]

The handling of his injury and his complaints about fan treatment because of his performance are separate things.

come down off the soapbox. Or step slightly lower

Never!

 

[CrazyPsycho]

Its funny all everyone does here is bitch and moan about this team, then a player says some bad stuff and they defend the Sabres. I dont get it

 

[Beerz]

Having mental health issues does not give you a free pass to say whatever you want without being challenged or held accountable for your own behavior and performance.

I generally like Robin but as of right now he just painting himself as a victim for just about everything he can think of.

 

[zenthusiast]

I remember players getting booed after they played like shit, but in warm ups? Not at all

didn’t go to every game in the clown show tank years but a pretty big percentage

 

[Buff15Sabres]

I remember players getting booed after they played like shit, but in warm ups? Not at all

didn’t go to every game in the clown show tank years but a pretty big percentage

From what I recall of that era starting players 1-4 would get a light smattering of applause and then Jack Eichel would get everyone in the (half full) arena cheering for him. Pretty noticeable difference, but I doubt anyone was ever booed in the warm ups.

During games there was some booing after egregiously bad power plays or periods, but I don't recall that happening often. It was mostly apathy and a library quiet arena.

 

[Jacob582]

Its funny all everyone does here is bitch and moan about this team, then a player says some bad stuff and they defend the Sabres. I dont get it

We may still bitch about the ROR trade, but we mostly complain about recent stuff, not trauma from 6 years ago.

 

[OkimLom]

Its funny all everyone does here is bitch and moan about this team, then a player says some bad stuff and they defend the Sabres. I dont get it

Because us fans SPEND money on the team so we can criticize them.

The players are the ones PAID by the team, and should suck it up, not have any feelings working for their employer. It's a privilege to play hockey, and damn it, they should be lucky to be playing the game they play. I would play for free and would never have issue with my employer because it's such an honor playing for the Buffalo Sabres. This is why the organization wants players that want to be here, win or lose...

/Sarcasm

 

[PatrikBerglund]

Lehner is a punk. Runs his mouth off way too f***ing much.

He is right though and he's hardly the only guy who wanted out of Buffalo. Don't disregard criticism as "bs" just because it's aimed towards "your club".

 

[jBuds]

Never!

You are, and always have been, the bigger man of the two of us

 

[Ygo]

Because us fans SPEND money on the team so we can criticize them.

The players are the ones PAID by the team, and should suck it up, not have any feelings working for their employer. It's a privilege to play hockey, and damn it, they should be lucky to be playing the game they play. I would play for free and would never have issue with my employer because it's such an honor playing for the Buffalo Sabres. This is why the organization wants players that want to be here, win or lose...

/Sarcasm

The organization does not get the benefit of the doubt. Missed playoffs ten years in a row, highest games lost to injury in 4 of the last 8 years, having alumni with their names spelled wrong on jerseys at an event, eliminating a large portion of hockey ops while your team is sinking. On top of that they botched their hockey hires along the way repeatedly... Noteworthy, it was not much different for the Bills until they found McDermott... remember they whiffed on Marone (he walked on them) and then they hired Rex.

If players are speaking out against the Sabres, why should that upset the fans? Do you really expect ex-Sabres who are no longer on the payroll to stand in support of the franchise. It was that bad and it is that bad. The only hope we have left is that Adams is the hockey version of McDermott (he has to take the whole show over and hit on every hire). The org has to strong together a few progressive seasons to earn back any respectability... You may not respect Lehner speaking out, but, please... applying blame or criticism on him is very short sighted - squirrel.

 

[Montag DP]

The organization does not get the benefit of the doubt. Missed playoffs ten years in a row, highest games lost to injury in 4 of the last 8 years, having alumni with their names spelled wrong on jerseys at an event, eliminating a large portion of hockey ops while your team is sinking. On top of that they botched their hockey hires along the way repeatedly... Noteworthy, it was not much different for the Bills until they found McDermott... remember they whiffed on Marone (he walked on them) and then they hired Rex.

If players are speaking out against the Sabres, why should that upset the fans? Do you really expect ex-Sabres who are no longer on the payroll to stand in support of the franchise. It was that bad and it is that bad. The only hope we have left is that Adams is the hockey version of McDermott (he has to take the whole show over and hit on every hire). The org has to strong together a few progressive seasons to earn back any respectability... You may not respect Lehner speaking out, but, please... applying blame or criticism on him is very short sighted - squirrel.

I don't have any issues with him raising valid criticisms about the team, but the timing seems suspect given the Eichel situation. However, I do have an issue with him complaining about fans booing, given the ****show the team was on the ice (and Lehner was a major part of that, which he admits). Those fans pay good money in expectation of seeing an entertaining, professional product, and they have not gotten that. The guys like Lehner making multiple millions of dollars per year and playing terribly don't have any standing to whine about that. Maybe if he could stop a puck in the shootout more than once every couple months he would have gotten a better response from the crowd.

 

[Chainshot]

Yeah, I am leaning towards Lehner having legit complaints about how the rehab of his high ankle sprain was handled.

I find it interesting that people on here have no issue complaining about how long guys have lingered on IR over the last number of years. And when a former player says that the training staff is the issue that people pile on the player and defend the team.

I guess it is the mindset that only insiders can critique the team. As soon as someone from outside critiques the team, that is too much!

Several of us have slagged their medical and training staff now for so long, it must have become part of the woodwork.