Paul Hamilton GOES OFF on Sabres Organization “Put a Stop to This” | The Jeremy and Joe Show
All right, good morning everybody. We are here on a Wednesday morning. Snowy out there. Be careful if you’re on the roads. It’s going to turn to some nasty rain. Uh and we bring in Paul Hamilton for his appearance following the Sabres 4 to3 Thriller overtime win in Edmonton last night. Good morning, Paul. How are you? Boy, what about that Parker team that beat Mike Schop to get in the playoffs this year of the Fantasy Football League? E, I was hoping you’d ask me about it, Paul. And it was it was tighter than it should have been with Herz and his crazy antics in that game. We had Herz and Schop I believe just had Goddard and Gddard went off and Herz was a nightmare but we just squeaked by. It was really uh quite something. It worked out the way it should. We you know our last week and it it was what we do is we do we have two divisions of five teams so we cross over. So like first place in one division, placed second place in the other. And it just worked out perfectly for you guys cuz you were third place in the one division. Schop was fourth place in the other and you two played each other winner or take all to get in the last playoff spot. It was good. It was, you know, well done commissioner. I I got to give you some props here. Instead of one team playing a bad team and the other team playing the the first place team, you played each other. So it it that that’s kind of the reason we do that is uh you know be just for that kind of thing. Hopefully it sets up those matchups that uh do it and uh it worked out fine. So you guys get to advance and move on. Yeah, we’ll see if we you know we last any longer. We’ve had a bit of a up and down year. Herz has been a nightmare for most of it. So anyways, getting into that hockey game last night, that was that was quite a performance, huh? It was uh the the Sabres really came out and and played really well for those first two periods and then you saw McDavid and the Oilers really turn it on there. But even in the third period, and you know what, Brian and I were having this discussion, and that game is exactly what frustrates the a Buffalo Sabres fan who hasn’t been in the playoffs for 14 years and watches his team just bumble and stumble through the season, but then they get to see that, right? And first of all, there was adversity before the game even started. I mean, you got Zooker, you lose him, and he is a a mainstay. He’s a very important part of your team to injury, and then in warm-up, you have Norris sick and then he pulls slightly pulls something according to Lindy Ruff. So, you’re expecting Norris to be in the lineup. He warms up and now he’s not in your lineup. So, right away you’re like, “Okay, now we’re missing two of our really important players. We haven’t won in how many games. We’ve won two games on the road all year. You could have folded your tents there, but your best players showed up big time. I mean, Ta Thompson comes in, has a three-point game, looked like Tage Thompson. Alex Tuck. I more importantly than the overtime goal, I was more impressed with the faceoff and him immediately going down into the zone, winning a battle, coming out with the puck, getting the Sabres possession in overtime and getting the thing started, right? And that’s and that’s so much of what I think Lindy has been frustrated with the lack of this season from this team is that it feels like you see glimpses of this hard-nosed brand of hockey that they find success playing but they just cannot seem to consistently find that and you feel like Lindy’s you can sense some frustration on his part on that. But even in the third period adversity struck. Okay, you’ve got a three nothing lead going in. You’ve held McDavid for five periods this season to nothing and then 10 seconds in McDavid becomes McDavid, right? And scores a McDavid type of goal. All right, it’s three to one. Well, now you’re a minute 56 into the period and there’s another goal. Now it’s 3-2. Now you’ve played last night, you’re probably starting to get a little fatigued. Uh the the fans are into it. It’s three to two and they pulled themselves up by the bootstraps and figured it out. I mean, they until, you know, one second left in two seconds actually left in the in the period and adversity strikes again. You know, a puck sure enough pops out right to guess who? McDavid, right? and uh you got people laying on your goalender and so he’s not getting over there and he puts it in the empty net and it’s now it’s a tie game. So it’s now you but still now now you’ve got more adversity. H how did we blow a three nothing lead? Now it’s 3-3 and then it only takes you 33 seconds to overtime because Tuck right off the face off goes out and wins it. And how how did that make Ryan Mloud feel, former Edmonton Oiler, to make that beautiful pass to talk all alone in front to set him up for the goal? It doesn’t matter that you gave the Edmonton Oilers a point. They’re in the Western Conference. It as long as you get two, it doesn’t matter if you win three nothing or you gave up three goals in the third and and you you you win it in overtime. So, there were just so many things that they overcame. They played hard. I thought even in the third period, I thought they were playing hard. They faced the number one power play in the National Hockey League. A power play that was clicking at over 30% and that power play went 0 for four. Buffalo went two for six on their power play. So, you know, I I think I would say kudos for a great effort, but it gets back to what I originally said. you fans get to see what this team is capable of every now and then and they’re capable of playing very good hockey and to go through a game where different things could have derailed them but it didn’t and they they found a way to win a hockey game they’re go Alex Lion had to come in their goalender we I forgot about Ellis yeah Ellis is playing well makes six saves and he gets run over gets elbowed in the head, you know, he has to go into concussion protocol. So, in comes Alex Lion, cold off the bench, has to make a really good save before the period’s over. He only played, you know, 59 seconds, but made a really good save before the period was over and then picks up his first win since October, right? you know, which is and and that’s been, you know, me, us and Joe this morning, we started on the on the goalies and and I think we should we should stick there for a moment here with Ellis getting knocked out. Do you think there’s any chance that this spells the end of their three goalie situation? Just Ellis gets hurt. You go, “All right, let’s wash our hands of this. Everybody’s frustrated with the situation. Let’s make a move here and and and make this happen.” Do you think there’s any chance they they really just sort of stick with two now that Ellis is out for a little bit? No. And because you you don’t know with concussion protocol how long that’s going to be. That could be a week. That could be if it remember. Well, you would might not remember. I think this might be before your time, but Tim Connley basically went the whole season. Uh where where you know he had problems and it kind of finished his career. He never was the same, right? I mean, so I’ve just gave you two sides of how bad it could be or how quickly it could be. Um, no. I don’t think it spells anything as But I’ll tell you what, Joe and and you were you were in yesterday, too. The guys asked me about if this doesn’t fix itself by the weekend, is it does that, you know, mean the end to Kevin Adams and they made me think for a while and I had texted Jeremy and I said, “If you ask me again today, I probably will have a different answer.” And even even though they had a win, I this has to stop. Yeah. You know what? It has to stop. It If you’re not planning on signing this general manager to a contract extension, and if they are, they’ll come burn I mean, the fans will come burn the rink down if they sign this GM to a contract extension. Then then get rid of them. When they get back this weekend, get rid of them. end it now, right? Because you’re what are you gonna let him run your trade deadline and and make a decision on Tuck and make you know there’s so many decisions to be made here. And that’s the that’s exactly it. Paul, let’s not let one win over the Edmonton Oilers where where you you you you were a gutty win, you know, where there was a lot of effort and a lot of things to like. Don’t let one win make you think that all of a sudden this is fixed. Now, next next is the Vancouver Conucks who are below you in the standings and not too many teams below the Buffalo Sabres, right? you. So, I’m just I I thought about this a lot yesterday. This has to end. Pagula has to put a stop to this and it’s not going to get any better. He does not have a good GM. It’s into his sixth year. It’s not working. This team still again, yeah, nice win, but you still We’re watching a team that on December 10th has not even won three games in a row. Everybody wins three games in a row at some point. Everybody. That’s just the league. Yeah. And good teams probably have two, maybe three streaks of five, six, seven, eight, nine in a row, right? And this team can’t get past two in a row. So, let’s not get all mesmerized by this game. It was again full marks. They deserve a lot of credit for this game, but all this showed us is what they’re capable of, but we don’t see it on a regular basis. And that’s what this owner has to ask himself. Why, right? Why do we not see this on a regular basis? Why is this team so flawed? And then you get back to because you have a guy who has never been a GM before in his sixth season with a team that probably is worse now than it was when he started. That’s what he has to get back to. He’s got to end this thing now and get and just move on to the next thing cuz as you said, you can’t have this guy running your trade deadline. You and then unless you’re signing a contract extension. As I said, if they signed him to a contract extension, that they that becomes a that would I think make them maybe the biggest laughing laughingtock in North American sports. They already are. You know what? I I I see players I I I hear players mocking the Buffalo Sabres. They laugh at this team. This team is a joke. You know, whether it’s media around the league or whether it’s other players, this team is a joke. I’ve watched other players on the ice laugh at these guys and I think to myself, how can you guys handle that? the other team’s sitting over there laughing at you and the it’s just the the whole I mean the whole thing is a joke and I I’ve I’ve seen it personally and it’s just and I hate I you know it’s just it’s frustrating and it’s got to be frustrating for the players themselves because they I I had this conversation with Bulldog last night. They work in a place that sucks and they know it and everybody around them knows it and it’s it I absolutely empathize with it’s hard to go to work and struggle like that every day. Absolutely is. AB knowing here they are on December 10th. They know they’re out of it. They know they’re not going to win 10 in a row. So now you have to go to work for the rest of the season knowing that you are out of this. there not going to be playoffs again and you you it’s the middle of winter and you got to drag yourself over there and people say you’re making a lot of money. Understand that they are and you know pull up your bootstraps. Poor you type of a thing. That’s what a lot of fans would say. Sure. And I understand. I’m not I’m not putting any fan down who says that. I understand. But still they are human beings and uh I believe them when they say they want to be part of solution. Rasmus Dalene has told me many times he wants to be part of the solution here. But it gets to a point when when you’ve been here for six, seven years it’s like oh I can’t I can’t. I’ve watched other guys leave here and win cups and be happy. You know JJ Purka was ecstatic. He had a mic on when he was here in Buffalo and standing next to Eric, Alex Tuck for the opening faceoff going, “You wouldn’t. This is crazy. Oh, they treat us so well in Utah. It’s unbelievable.” You know, he’s all excited, everything. And it’s like, you know, so the only way I think you retain the players and don’t have a mass exit of I want to be traded is if you change something quickly, right? And put the whole organization in another direction to make guys like Rasmus Dene and Tage Thompson and Alex Tuck not feel like all is lost. Right. And what what real quickly here before we leave, what would that look like for the Sabres? Who who comes in? Is it just Kalinan taking over as GM? I don’t think that’s the end of the world. At least you got a guy who’s done it for 10 years. Agreed. You know, I think anything they do will be a boost to the fan base and probably the players. Yeah. He hasn’t won a Stanley Cup or anything like that, but he also is bold. I mean, right, who thought that Johnny Goodro was signing with the Columbus Blue Jackets? it wasn’t even mentioned and then all of a sudden Johnny Goodro signed and it’s with the Columbus Blue Jackets and everybody’s jaw drops go excuse me you know so he’s not against making a bold move to make a team better and uh anything is better and it would be only the third time in Sabres history that they would have hired a GM with NHL GM experience. It’s only happened twice and it happened long long before you were ever around. The the the first GM uh Punch Emlac was the GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Scotty Bowman was the GM of the St. Louis Blues when they were an expansion team. Right. That’s it. Nobody else in Sabres history in the GM’s position had been an NHL GM before being hired by the Buffalo Sabres. So, that would be something new and different if they were to do that. Yep. Well, we’ll see uh we’ll see how tomorrow night goes in Vancouver and uh and see where they go from there. Thank you very much, Paul. Nice talking to you. Take care. All right. Paul’s appearance on WGR is brought to you by RAX Honda. Rayax, we got
Owen Parker is joined by Buffalo Sabres beat reporter Paul Hamilton for a discussion about the Sabres following their exciting 4-3 OT win over the Oilers. The guys recap the up and down game for the Sabres. They then turn to a bigger picture conversation about the teams future. Paul calls for owner Terry Pegula to end Kevyn Adams reign as GM of the team as it’s in worse shape than it was when he started.
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23 comments
Give me a break about how hard it is to play for them. Stfu and play harder. Yes the organization top down is horrible but the excuse it’s hard to come to work needs to be taken out of sports. You play a GAME for 100s of thousands of dollars at minimum and media need to stop using that reasoning. Soft mindset; soft ppl. We have a team of lambs when we need lions
So suddenly this game was worth three points total while other games were worth only two points total?!?! The NHL is such a bush league. And the Sabres are bums from top to bottom.
The roster needs tweaks more than an overhaul, and I credit Jarmo and maybe Kevyn for that this season. However, the mismanagement of the goaltenders this year has really hurt a lot. Good, competent positional coaches would help these young guys so much, especially in the D-zone. The major organs and squishy bits of a team are there but there's no skeleton, no structure, so it can't stand on its own. Roster tweaks, a POHO, a new GM, and new experienced coaches that come from WINNING TEAMS are the solution. Terry is the only one who can execute these changes, so the conclusion to be drawn must be this: he does not want to.
Pegula and management have to act like like they actually give a shit about the Sabres, as if the Bills are the only team in town.
Kekalainen for GM.and hopefully Pegula gives up the President job and hires Brendan Shanahan and stats out of the way!
For Paul "this has to end, Pegula has to put a stop to this", thing is Pegula is part of the problem. He's the one who hired the GM. The GM was supposedly on the hot seat last year, but yet is back this year. The owners refusal to hire experience competent individuals is why this team is where it's at.
I need a Hamilton jersey
I’d like to see Paul and Adams run into each other in the hallway. Gotta be awkward.
This channel sucks wow
Why does P Hamilton always says thinking to myself…..that’s a redundant saying . He’s supposed to be a professional but sounds like an amateur
how good does Darcy Regier look nowadays? Let's put the band back together.🤣🦬
So Norris gets injured taking a face off and now he tweaks something while warming up. If he continues to be constantly be injured, the Sabres should consider buying him out next summer.
Fire Kevyn Adams ..
Pegula has FAILED as an owner! He’s a trumper, so I’m sure it was a line of BS when he promised a cup! The guy sits around, counts his money, builds a stadium to make MORE money off the backs of blue collar fans! He doesn’t care about the fans! Doesn’t even bother to speak directly to the fans! Ignores the rabble and plots how to make more money!
Now that Pegula's wife had to step away, I believe he's going to name one of his daughters as Pres. of hockey opps. and thus the train wreck will continue to steam down the tracks.
Pegula has owned this team for 14 1/2 seasons and they have sucked for 14 1/2 seasons. This is not a coincidence!
It's remarkable how much Owen sounds like the Bulldog.
Paul Hamilton is one of the few Buffalo commentators who is not a butt kisser.
All these last minute injuries… hungover?
Trade Power. He SUCKS.
Soft × 100
No Grit !!
Trade Krebs.
Send Krebs down.
Waive Krebs.
Keep Rosen & Ostlund in Buffalo ALL year long !
Terry needs to hire a president of hockey operations. Major Hint BRING IN SHANNY & give him the keys to the organization. Playoff money is so different than reg money. At least Shanny is a playoff shower-upper.
What game you you watching Oilers took 3 penalties last 5 minutes, 6 entire game & 3 in offense zone. Report the entire game story.
The fact that the Sabres management doesn’t have enough confidence in 2 of their goalies enough to trade 1 of them, HAS to have an effect on how much confidence the players have in ANY of them!
Once Ellis is back, the Sabres need to trade one of them! IMO, that goalie needs to be UPL! Package him with Greenway and Johnson if you dint have enough confidence in him to play in the NHL.
There are teams that are just as desperate for goaltending as Buffalo is, use Greenway in a way that better suits him and that can do a better job developing Johnson, for a forward that can put up 50-60 Points, but plays ANGRY!!
That’s a trade that nearly any GM can get done with that kind of offer (If not more), and if Adams can’t make that happen, then that should be the last bit of proof that he needs to go!