The “sample size” argument kills me every time. That is, quite bluntly, a lame argument. If a football team has a rough 60 minutes, they have a 15-minute halftime period to adjust it. If an NHL team loses five of six, it’s quite obviously different. The only way the sample size works is in terms of what it actually means in the standings. Yes, the Sabres played a tough stretch, but this is a team that was talking Cup before the year, whether fans bought it or not.