Zman5778
Moderator
The team wasn't really going anywhere when the season started, IMO. Playoffs were the absolute best case scenario, and a LOT of things had to go our way.
GDT: Game 48: Sabres vs Canucks - 1/18 10pm ET (MSG-B, WGR 550)
- Thread starter Dreakon13
- Start date
The team wasn't really going anywhere when the season started, IMO. Playoffs were the absolute best case scenario, and a LOT of things had to go our way.
We're playing good enough to win, just not getting points to show for it. Frustrating for sure, but with the exception of Scandella I can't really single out anyone on the team. I like the way they're playing, the little mistakes are what kill em unfortunately.
Just finish the season out strong, that's all I care about. If we really can't make the playoffs because the east is that stacked then so be it, as long as we stuck with it the entire way.
Just finish the season out strong, that's all I care about. If we really can't make the playoffs because the east is that stacked then so be it, as long as we stuck with it the entire way.
sabremike
Friend To All Giraffes And Lindy Ruff
But here's the thing: a lot DID go our way but the management and coaching stupidity flushed a golden opportunity straight down the toilet.
OkimLom
Registered User
- May 3, 2010
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We had decent goaltending before the streak. They were key of why we were in many games earlier in the year. What made the streak work was the secondary scoring going with the goaltending going and primary scoring scoring. Everything was working. Which, when you look at the team, you could say we’re up there with the best teams and can hang with anybody, if everything of our team is working 100%, which you could say for every team in the league. The differences between the top contenders and the rest is the level of consistency you get by all 3 parts. Buffalo, unfortunately, has shown to not have all 3 going at the same time quite often.
Most likely that falls on the talent level of said players, but there’s a little coaching involved. Need to see improvements in all areas to expect consistent results.
BuffaloGooner
Registered User
It’s frustrating that we’re close to wasting Jacks 4th season in the league. This team has stretches of good play, you can see the young guns flash ability more often than not lately but we just aren’t picking up points. I’m hovering around stay the course or make a move or two. C.J. should be up full time no doubt. We have far too many corpses on this roster to have a sustainable win streak.
Half of the season now has been at the same point pace as last season, and it has led us into pissing away a playoff spot in a historic fashion - only one team has ever missed with a 10 game win streak, a columbus team who was bottom 5 all year and then ripped one off in March, and no teams have ever missed after leading the league after Thanksgiving. We are set to do both with play indistinguishable in result from last year over a far longer stretch than the "good hockey" has been this year. It's coming with the worst behind-the-1-C center depth in team history and in the league this year. It's coming with not taking advantage of a breakout scoring year for Jack and a career year for Jeff.
Why should we feel good about that? Why should we feel good about missing the playoffs but hoping for the future for the eighth year in a row after the previous franchise record was three? For punting Jack's 4th season and just HOPING that we can maybe make it in next season with a similar team to the one that let it fall out of their hands in a way that only they have done in history?
Projections, even when carefully made, fall far short of actual things that actually happen in terms of how we should feel about the results. Being the first team to ever turn a first place spot after Thanksgiving into no playoffs, and doing it before January is halfway over, is absurd and unacceptable on literally any level, unless your franchise goal is to tank. That's the only situation in which this result is anywhere close to being in line with any expectations you realistically set out for your team.
The non-streak games have us pacing for like 10 fewer points than the teams that were bad enough to get the previous coach/GM fired, and I'd argue that a lottery win is the only thing that makes this team's future look any brighter than those teams'.
Now, this season is far from over. I have hopes that, since I think we've played a majority of the last 3-4 games very well, it eventually starts to show in the standings like our best play of this season (the 5 games before the streak and the first game or two in it) did. And we have a lot of home games coming up. And Montreal cannot play like this forever, or else by default they will not be our problem anymore. So we'll see what happens.
CrazyPsycho
Elite Drafter
- Sep 25, 2003
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ZZamboni
Puttin' on the Foil
I don’t think Jacks years are “wasted” at all. He’s still developing his game as well.
I agree with CJ Smith. He’s not a inexperienced rookie. But this year, i’d rather have him and Nylander and any other flavor of the week that fans want to see in Buffalo, stay in Rochester and help them win this season. That experience is and will be great for them.
sabremike
Friend To All Giraffes And Lindy Ruff
How terrible and incompetent an organization do you have to be to get handed a talent the level of Jack, acomplish absolutely nothing and then excuse it by saying the guy is still developing. In what other NHL city would this be perfectly fine?
Gordo21
Registered User
- Feb 9, 2017
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sabremike
Friend To All Giraffes And Lindy Ruff
Gordo21
Registered User
- Feb 9, 2017
- 978
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I know all about it. I'm asking if he's the answer for us.
I'm hearing things. Wondering if there's any teeth.
We need to take pressure off Jack!
sabremike
Friend To All Giraffes And Lindy Ruff
In a perfect world that would make complete sense for everyone involved. Unfortunately the cap means it would be virtually impossible to do so it has exactly 0 chance of happening.
Gordo21
Registered User
- Feb 9, 2017
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Washed Up 29YearOld
Bro Do You Even Hockey?
Patrick Kane is one of the few players that I would give up a latest first for, if I knew that his impact would directly get the Sabres to the playoffs for the next 4-5 years. (or at least respectability)
If Botterill can somehow make it work and feels comfortable losing a 1st and a good prospect that doesn't have space on the team, Skinner-Eichel-Kane would be an absolute dream.
*I didn't watch this game as die-hard as I am, too late, but when I checked my phone for the score in the morning it seems like I didn't miss much.
Just win ONE. Just win ONE MORE.
There's reason for optimism, we're right on the bubble, significant amount of people thought that we'd be a bottom 10 team.
We're still in this!!!!!!!!!!!
Let's go Buffalo!
If Botterill can somehow make it work and feels comfortable losing a 1st and a good prospect that doesn't have space on the team, Skinner-Eichel-Kane would be an absolute dream.
*I didn't watch this game as die-hard as I am, too late, but when I checked my phone for the score in the morning it seems like I didn't miss much.
Just win ONE. Just win ONE MORE.
There's reason for optimism, we're right on the bubble, significant amount of people thought that we'd be a bottom 10 team.
We're still in this!!!!!!!!!!!
Let's go Buffalo!
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Aladyyn
they praying for the death of a rockstar
Can we play with 2 pucks? I think that would be necessary with a line like that.
old kummelweck
Registered User
- Nov 10, 2003
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Oh yeah, and Pilut really needs some more time in the AHL. While he's looked good up here, this team can't afford his growing pains.
Aladyyn
they praying for the death of a rockstar
Sounds like a gross overreaction to having 1 bad game.
Yatzhee
Registered User
- Aug 5, 2010
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we're fast heading to that bottom 10 marker. Our win % since the streak is actually quite frightening.
As for Patrick Kane, his contract will cripple the Sabres abilities to make moves at this time. As it is, if Skinner is seeking 9 mil a season, I'd be trading him. The team is still recovering cap wise from the Tim Murray era.
Tage Thompson directly assisted on 3 opponent goals in the span of about two weeks earlier this season, and was not benched after any of them, despite putting up tank-Sabres-level metrics and counting stats and being, by anyone's eye test, a non-NHL forward for that entire stretch of time.
So while Pilut did indeed directly assist on 2 opponent goals in the last two weeks, he's also older, a much better hockey player, and is the only player in Sabres history to get good things to happen consistently with Ristolainen on the ice.
Let's not bench the kid. Let him decompress over break and get right in the head, like everyone else, and come back fresh and ready to move that puck up ice.
So while Pilut did indeed directly assist on 2 opponent goals in the last two weeks, he's also older, a much better hockey player, and is the only player in Sabres history to get good things to happen consistently with Ristolainen on the ice.
Let's not bench the kid. Let him decompress over break and get right in the head, like everyone else, and come back fresh and ready to move that puck up ice.
- Mar 10, 2012
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I rather have the big club in the playoff.
But that ship seems to have sailed with management inactivity to try at least what the young players can do certainly not much worse than Pominville.
But let them have the farm succed.
Jack Eichel & Co are probably better at golf now
Aladyyn
they praying for the death of a rockstar
- Mar 10, 2012
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What you do with Scandella's retirment pain.
Its certainly hurting the team like on GA 2 and the game before that.
I rather have someone play who is gonna be here longer than this season.
