Paul Hamilton discusses the Sabres’ lack of veteran grit

WGR-AM / WGR 550 SportsRadio

Paul Hamilton explains why the lack or response and following events of the Tage Thompson hit exemplifies the Sabres need for some more hardened veteran players.

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00:00feel like Adams might have a similar kind of directive to to not have the kind of roster

00:05that is lacking in that, if you want to call it sandpaper, you want to call it guts,

00:10whatever you want to call it. Yeah, I mean, you don't have to go get rampy. I mean, that's that's

00:16a ridiculous thing to do. But you have to have players who it's just automatic. Something like

00:22that happens. They're not sitting there going, what's the score? Okay, is this guy bigger than

00:29me? You know, it just, it doesn't matter. You just swing into action immediately. That's the

00:38type of player who will do anything for their teammate. As Lindy Ruff said with you the other

00:44day, you know, it has to come from within. I mean, you have to have a love for your teammate,

00:50that you will do anything for that teammate. And honestly, and I said it the other day,

00:56you shouldn't have had to have a meeting the next day to discuss and have people point out to you

01:01what you need to do. You've played hockey all your life. There is a whether you like it or not,

01:07there is a code in hockey. And, you know, you just by now, it should just be second nature.

01:13As soon as something like that happens, you just jump into action. There's no thought in it. It

01:18just naturally happens. So those are the types of guys I think you need to be looking for. And,

01:26you know, they try to get tougher to play against. And Malenstein worked, he has been tough to play

01:31against. And Dennis Gilbert has worked for what you have him for and the rest of it hasn't,

01:38you know, what they what they were trying to do. So they do need more veterans on the team. But,

01:44you know, they need they need like a top six forward who is a veteran forward who they can

01:48count on. But, you know, also can help them in scoring. I know recently, they're one of the best

01:54teams in the league in scoring, but that still, you know, it has to be more consistent for them.

02:01And it's just something that that they haven't seen. I mean, you look at the non playoff teams,

02:07I'm looking at them now. The Sabres have the second most goals. Columbus has 181 and the

02:14Sabres have 167. So, you know, recently they have even if you go to the two wildcard teams,

02:22they have 10 more goals in both Ottawa and Detroit. But it hasn't translated for them as far as,

02:29you know, getting them even close to a playoff spot.

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