- Jul 25, 2006
- 32,753
- 23,543
So you’re saying Tage Thompson is having a Tough Time Tickling The Twine?
What’s up with Tage Thompson?
- Thread starter TheDawnOfANewTage
- Start date
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sabremike
#1 Tageaholic
When virtually an entire roster simultaneously falls off a cliff that would seem to imply that the problem is the coaching. Granato and his staff are the worst in the entire league and 2nd worst isn't even close. They are a giant collection of in over their heads incompetents who have no business holding NHL coaching positions.
tarheelhockey
Offside Review Specialist
This is the exact same staff that got a career year out of Thompson last year, right?
Granato and every 
above him need to goAs a team, the offense has dried up. This team played best last season when they were attacking, playing run and gun pond hockey style. Now they give up the first goal almost every game. Then there's the special teams. Their PP is absolutely atrocious, 29th in the league last I checked. PK is average at best
sabremike
#1 Tageaholic
Would you want to flip your coaching staff with ours? Honestly, go watch any Sabres game and you will see just how comically unprepared and poorly coached they are. Watch our power play and then ask yourself how Matt Ellis has a job. Watch the team come out flat on a nightly basis and fall behind almost every game and ask yourself how Granato has a job. Teams figured out everything Donny was doing and he has no answer what to do. He's a developmental coach who doesn't have the chops to succeed as a coach at this level, when his contract expires in 2026 he will never come close to an NHL HC position ever again and only has one because of the Pegula insane asylum that does things like hire a crony with no experience as an executive as GM.
I'd really love to see how many fans would say ok to this one
tarheelhockey
Offside Review Specialist
I’m sure they’re terrible and all that.
But again. It’s the exact same staff that got 47-47-94 out of the guy last year. And the claim is that they haven’t changed anything.
So what changed? It wasn’t the coaches, so…
nowhereman
Registered User
Sombastate
Registered User
I'll tell you exactly what happened to him: I traded for him in my fantasy league. That's the beginning and end of the discussion.
KJoe88
Forever Lost.
Old Navy Goat
Registered User
The wrist / hand injury hasn't helped. Skinner disappearing the last month hasn't helped. He's also slipped into bad habits, deciding he can stick handle through the opposing team, passing up shots in prime locations to dipsy doodle, and seems he has a bit of tunnel vision.
The last practice, Donny put the boys back together so we'll see if that jump starts Tage and Skinner because the Ghost of Okposo wasn't doing anything
The last practice, Donny put the boys back together so we'll see if that jump starts Tage and Skinner because the Ghost of Okposo wasn't doing anything
To me as a canucks fan who seen bad coaching (and who watches alot of buffalo games as his second team) the coach is letting him get away with stuff that should not fly. But that goes hand in hand with a coach who cant get his team to play structured hockey with good defense. I am sure this will upset some buffalo fans, but our teams have never won a stanley cup in how many years? I can tell when a teams a mess, god knows the canucks have been a mess for how many years.
At times it looks like he wants to play scrimmage. I seen one game where he was stick handling/dangling back into his own zone. He simply does not have the head down work ethic this year, hes often trying way to many fancy plays. And I think thompson has the skill to be top 10 in scoring year after year, but this season is unacceptable for a player of his caliber. When I watched him on the PP he stood there like prime ovechkin standing against the boards thinking he would rip a one timer top shelf not even moving his feet. This happened over and over...
At times it looks like he wants to play scrimmage. I seen one game where he was stick handling/dangling back into his own zone. He simply does not have the head down work ethic this year, hes often trying way to many fancy plays. And I think thompson has the skill to be top 10 in scoring year after year, but this season is unacceptable for a player of his caliber. When I watched him on the PP he stood there like prime ovechkin standing against the boards thinking he would rip a one timer top shelf not even moving his feet. This happened over and over...
ricky0034
Registered User
- Jun 8, 2010
- 15,421
- 7,873
bionic wrists? maybe a third leg would be helpful? how about a second pair of eyes in the back of his head?
there's lots of options
MoneyManny
Registered User
- Jun 28, 2021
- 894
- 1,359
He got paid that's what happened. The amount of players who slow down after their big contract is getting really high.
He had 94 points last year after he signed the contract….
Mattilaus
Registered User
They are 5th in 5v5 scoring in the NHL. The problem is more specific than scoring, it is almost entirely the powerplay. They are tied for 2nd last in the NHL in pp goals. They are currently on pace for a whopping 34 pp goals on the year. To put that in perspective, they had 68 pp goals last year.
As a team, the offense has dried up. This team played best last season when they were attacking, playing run and gun pond hockey style. Now they give up the first goal almost every game. Then there's the special teams. Their PP is absolutely atrocious, 29th in the league last I checked. PK is average at best
Tage had 34 PP points last year. He is currently on pace for about 14 (with 10 games missed due to injury). He is currently pacing for 48 points in 72 games. If the powerplay was clicking like last year he'd likely be looking at 65-70 points in 72 games, which when combined with him playing injured for a month after he came back (its on record he was wearing a brace for like a month because he came back from injury early) is not a bad total.
Its almost entirely the powerplay, which is also what sunk Buffalo this year. They are 11th in GF%, 14th in xGF%, and 11th in xGA at 5v5. If they had a league average special teams they'd very likely be in a playoff spot currently.
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Djp
Registered User
in 21/22 he finished at a ppg over the last 50 or so games.
in 22/23 a big jump in points could be attributed to pp production increase.
this year it’s injury, linemates injury, defense priority, and poor PP
in 22/23 a big jump in points could be attributed to pp production increase.
this year it’s injury, linemates injury, defense priority, and poor PP
Tage Thompson is an extremely gifted player. But Tage not a smart hockey player. He is trying to do much with his stick handling and not moving his feet enough. Maybe it's injuries, but I doubt it.
That said, the Sabres power play is absolute joke. Tage got a lot of point on the PP last season.
All the Sabres coaches should have been fired months ago.
Buffalo is a poorly run organization. Sabres don't play winning hockey. The organization doesn't understand how to win and their players don't understand what it takes to win.
That said, the Sabres power play is absolute joke. Tage got a lot of point on the PP last season.
All the Sabres coaches should have been fired months ago.
Buffalo is a poorly run organization. Sabres don't play winning hockey. The organization doesn't understand how to win and their players don't understand what it takes to win.
PocketNines
Cutter's Way
That is actually a perfect encapsulation of who he is as a player ... point producer on a bad team, the lowest hanging fruit performance in sports. He embodies the lower realms of accomplishment. The playoffs are not for him.
TruePowerSlave
Registered User
- Jun 27, 2015
- 7,424
- 9,017
The Sabres sure are something.
Last playoff appearance in 2010-11, high picks season after season and still a cellar dweller.
Last playoff appearance in 2010-11, high picks season after season and still a cellar dweller.
EK has put up some great performances in big moments. Playoffs, Olympics etc.
PocketNines
Cutter's Way
... hand pass smirks too ... last important game he "won" was five years ago by cheating and smirking just like in this gif
- Jul 25, 2006
- 32,753
- 23,543
