Timothy Rigas

@ByMHarrington @TBNSports Hmm I didn't know Thompson and Tuch were Matthew's and Marner and that they've leaned on them all season as their team identity and reason for being in the playoffs? Let's blame them for not showing up rather than admitting as a whole maybe this squad isn't as good or ready. 🤔

My column off the Game 5 disaster for @TBNSports: Alex Tuch and Tage Thompson coming up small for #Sabres on season’s biggest stage. “I gotta bear down. I gotta be better. I can't play like I'm playing right now." buffalonews.com/sports/column/…

@JonScottTV I didn't realize they were the Toronto Maple Leafs? blaming Matthews and Marner for why they got bounced in the 1sr or 2nd round. When did the narrative/team identity become top line reliant ? Maybe they've just faced adversity and perhaps a better team and people wanna spin it.

There's a lot of areas the #Sabres can improve. Here's a simple one - their best players need to play like their best players. Alex Tuch has 0 points in the series. "That line hasn't been quite connected and I think it all comes down to skating on pucks in the offensive zone."

@CrossSwordsPod @BataviaDowns @Mike_Bundt Why is everyone fixated on the narrative of Top players like they've been carried by the top line all year? They've won with depth scoring, youth movement top 4D, and consistent goaltending. Now people wanna blame our top guys like they’re the elite talent of COL CAR VGK or MON.

The Sabres top players have been missing in action and UPL chose an awful night to have erratic play return as Buffalo is about to trail the Canadiens 3-2 heading back to Montreal. Presented by @BataviaDowns

@BuiltInBuffalo_ 1 or 2 guys carrying the offense isn’t enough. The top 9 has to generate offense while crashing Dobes and creating traffic. The D has to block shots and limit chances and get up in play, and the goalie has to make key saves. Relying on a handful of elite players won’t be enough.

𝗗𝗘𝗕𝗔𝗧𝗘: What needs to change for Game 6? #Sabres | #Sabrehood | #LetsGoBuffalo

@BasedBuff Yessir, The doom and gloom and blame shouldn't be there

Buffalo Sabres Starters Under 25: Konsta Helenius - 20 Jiri Kulich - 22 Zach Benson - 20 Noah Ostlund - 22 Owen Power - 23 Josh Doan - 24 Bowen Byram - 24 Jack Quinn - 24 The future is so bright in Buffalo

@NBreeniverse @Matt_Bove Also that would be like comparing the to Torontos most recent playoffs teams; heavily reliant on top end players all season they don't show in playoffs they're bounced in the 1st or 2nd round. Nothing about this season for Buffalo follows that narrative in terms of identity.

@RigasTimothy @Matt_Bove I don’t understand your mentality. You’re cool with them being THIS bad? To be clear here, I’m happy we’re here, I’m happy the drought is over, I’ve had a blast this season. I think it’s OK to want more from the leadership group though.

How many players this series would you say have played well for the Sabres? Benson, Doan, Samuelsson, and Power? Am I forgetting anyone? If they lose, it’s pretty easy to see why. That list needs to be much longer against a team as talented as the Canadiens.

@Buffalo_Smitty 1 win at a times get/steal the next one and it's anyone's game in 7

Ostlund, Kulich, Helenius will make a big difference next season. I think it’s okay to let Tuch walk. But we still got a game 6. It ain’t over till they get that 4th win. We are more than capable of winning back to back. Start by putting Lyon back in

@Buffalo_Smitty That would be like comparing our identity to Toronto and we didn't get this far being anything like Toronto. Toronto could never get far because their top line players who carried them all season didn't show up.

@RigasTimothy Can the top line step up? That’s what needs to happen for us to battle back. Them being no shows is killing us. Regular season we won when they showed up.

Thompson has been brutal since game 1 of the first round. He’s been a flat out liability when on the ice. And now he’s potentially cost us this series. Fucking embarrassing for one of our “leaders”

@Buffalo_Smitty Some games yes many games this season Tuch and Thompson didn't carry them. It's just not the identity or the anchor of this team to be carried by those players would it be great if they did show up and we squeaked by Montreal just to get swept by Carolina yeah I would take that.

@Matt_Bove Nor has this team made it about Tuch or Thompson carrying them all year; cause if they did they wouldn't be in the playoffs. Not a top heavy team but we all knew that so it shouldn't come as a suprise when you're not being carried by them now.

“All year we haven’t made it about our goaltender and we’re not going to make it about our goaltender now.” - Lindy Ruff on UPL’s game tonight.

@NBreeniverse @Matt_Bove No, of course it’s upsetting. We waited so long, but it’s not shocking when you look at the elite talent on the teams still left. Would I love to beat Montreal and even get swept by Carolina? Absolutely. But I’m not gonna blame the stars as the main problem.

@IiiJa19537 @Matt_Bove Yes, the team identity worked in the regular season. But this group has now been tested on what it takes to win in the playoffs, and unlike CAR, COL, VGK, or even MON, the Sabres haven’t relied on elite players carrying them all year/and even in the playoffs and that's ok.

@RigasTimothy @Matt_Bove Because when you finish 1 in the division you’re pretty darn good. Especially in the east. It wasn’t a fluke

@NBreeniverse @Matt_Bove It’s EZ to say they need to give more, but maybe this is just who they are right now. Maybe they’re not ready as playoff players, or maybe this is just as good as the veterans are in bigger roles. On deeper teams, maybe these guys are slotted lower in the lineup, and that’s OK.

@RigasTimothy @Matt_Bove need more from Quinn, need more from Zuck, Norris, etc, it’s not just the “top” line but Tage/Tuch are billed as top line forwards, they’ve looked the part for huge chunks for the season and have been the top scorers for a while now. Can’t have those guys being THIS bad

@NBreeniverse @Matt_Bove It's not fair to rip Tage and Tuch when in comparison to Colorado Montreal Carolina and Vegas they're not even close to their top level heavy elite players.That's why the Sabres have relied on an identity built from the back end, depth at forward and consistent goaltending.

@RigasTimothy @Matt_Bove I get what you’re saying but the Tage/Tuch/Krebs line has been an absolute liability and not doing their 1/4 (if that’s how you wanna put it) whilst 2/3 on that line are part of the leadership group. You need more from them, full stop

@Buffalo_Smitty Totally agree! Maybe it's just simple. Out of all the teams left other than maybe Anhiem in terms of forwards the Sabres lack the high end star talent in comparison. I was hoping this teams identity; depth at forward top 4 d and goaltending tandem would be enough to carry

Exposed? They are in the second round and won 2 and lost 3. Unless you mean contenders as in avs and Carolina. Because they are the only two teams that are night and day better than the rest I mean I agree though that this is already bonus points here. No one expected this. But let’s not forget no one expected the 05-06 Sabres who were 1 game away from the finals. So we can’t let what the perception of the team was in November impact what they actually are now

@Lukaszewsk78481 @Matt_Bove

@RigasTimothy @Matt_Bove Why don’t you watch tennis? It might be more your speed.

@officialkdub2 @Matt_Bove So you're agreeing that this mix of guys as a team is as good as they can be and as far as they can go like I said? Unless they are willing to change team identity to a top heavy star studded top line rather than a balanced offensive d heavy goaltending tandem team then get bent

@RigasTimothy @Matt_Bove It’s most definitely about guys not showing up. Tommer has helped Montreal score more than he has Buffalo. But, yeah, Montreal is the better team.😂

@MichaelPio86281 @Matt_Bove Has the team relied on the top line to win majority of the season like Montreal!? Eat shit, they've won with balance and core 4 D and consistent goaltending. If Montreal wins this series it's because they are better not because guys didn't show up.

@RigasTimothy @Matt_Bove wrong

@NBreeniverse @Matt_Bove They're not a top line team nor have they relied on the top line outside of maybe Thompson majority of the season. They've been a balanced team that has won with depth. That's the identity; that and the core 4 defenseman. This is as good as it gets for this team without changes.

@RigasTimothy @Matt_Bove Montreal has been better for huge stretches, because their top line plays dominant hockey. Ours disappeared completely.