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Or, you know, just draft Nick at #24 in 2006 (four spots ahead of where he went to Ottawa) instead of <ruffles pages for effect> ... Dennis Persson.

At least the season lasted through November, so that is a step forward. Only 4 and a half months of meaningless hockey left. Hopefully next year they can make it to January. Only 2 points from being dead last in the entire NHL 😵‍💫

I feel we say this above every game. And it won’t be the last time either.

This seems logical.

Wallstedt (or Cossa) were both available at 15. Remember, the first round was on 7/23 that year; they didn't trade for Levi until the next day. And although they were negotiating with Ullmark, he was already the established #1 veteran -- he needs a long-term replacement (right about last year in 2024). He left in FA 5 days after this pick was made. When this pick was made on 7/23, their effective goalie pipeline was: Luukkonen coming off his hip surgeries, Tokarski, and Portillo still in college (and he was scared off by the GM's love for the undersized 7th rounder they acquired the next day). They selected Rosén.

We had a nice thread about it. You not only closed it, you deleted it.

I'm aligned. First of all, I've decided to stop watching them so I definitely don't miss any of them. I'm not really concerned with anything with this team does at this point. It doesn't matter who is in the lineup or not. It doesn't matter to me what line a player is on. It doesn't matter to me if they trade someone or fire coaches and GMs. I don't care who they get, who they hire, not a single bit. The only change I care about, my measuring stick, is whether they change from being out of the playoffs to being in the playoffs. This includes during the season but not until after Thanksgiving.

It's still more impressive for the Sabres. The NFL now has 14 playoff teams, but at the beginning of the streak only 12 made it. And the NHL had the covid tournament season where 24 teams were allowed to say they made the playoffs because of an additional play-in round.

If I look at this question and then I frame it around the following "The Sabres are currently extending the NHL record for seasons without making the playoffs." I come to the conclusion that each day they lose a game they set the NEW lowest point in Sabres history. Even if they win a few, until it puts them into a playoff position, they are still "out of they playoffs". Every loss lowers their chances of making the playoffs this season and each season they don't make it furthers the record of futility. No other NHL team, let alone Sabres team, has ever been this pitiful over this stretch of time. So yes, a loss tonight marks the lowest point in Sabres history, even if it is only marginally lower than where they were at after the last loss.

4 games remain on the road trip -- one team (EDM) holds a Western WC spot based on tiebreakers, the other 3 are bottom-feeders out West. If they pick up 2 or fewer points on the remainder of this road trip, then this thread can begin in earnest. Because at that point, anything less than Levi getting called up and going Super-SaiyanBinnington mode for 40 games, wiil have the season over at the Olympic Break. (From which they'll close the season on a hot streak with no pressure and draft 11th overall instead of 4th -- and the 4th slot will bump up to 2nd in the lottery.)

Where the hell is that graph of the historical win percentage of the Sabres when I need it?

Pick one. It’s not tonight

Heck no. A loss tonight coupled with a Vancouver win drops them from 29th to 31th. That is still 2 solid points ahead of Nashville. But a win, well that puts them only 6 points out a four-way tie for the playoffs (assuming a Detroit loss). They are just an 8 game winning streak away from solid contention! It can be done.

No one butchers the language more than you. So that was rich.

I don't think any one game is a defining moment in time for the franchise. IMO, a defining moment would be an ability to win consistently at or above .600 for a quarter of the season. Specifically, the first or second quarter of the season. It seems we have multiple "must wins" and "defining" games which just doesn't make sense to me. This team is so inconsistent in effort and execution that one single game does not define what type of team they are because the next game they too easily revert to garbage or be lights out. When there is no foundation there can't be any definition. I appreciate your optimism, and I really wish it were so, but this team lacks an ability to put individual skillsets together to form a team of players that compliments each other. Even if they win 10-0 tonight, it is not indicative of turning a corner. They have to win consistently for an extended period of time for that to happen. Unfortunately, it's something this team has been unable to do for years, and time is running out.

Would a loss tonight mark the lowest point in Sabres history?

This in bold, plus lets face it, he doesn't have a clue as to how to build a roster or hire a coach. He thought that "wants to be here" was a fix. "Wants to be here" just got him players that were ok with the status quo.

This feels like a pivotal game on the roady, a turning point for the season... or perhaps the franchise as a whole. Maybe they finally pull it together? UPL shines and with growing confidence they string together some wins, vaulting themselves into playoff contention by the turn of the new year.

Players who listen to and are actually affected by team folklore from the broadcast crew, trainers, and other staff members seems a bit far fetched. Frank and Rip would disagree with you. New Coaches have enough problems to worry about and cannot be bothered replacing trainers and equipment managers as you suggested in the past. That would probably be more disruptive than helpful. A modern day NHL coach has an average tenure of about 2 years.

Lindy put Greenway on the 1st line. What else do you want him to do?

The person that fixes it is the person who says “we know we owe the fanbase for what WE have put them through.” Only upon acknowledging the franchise they work for is one that needs a fix relative to what it has become *regardless of their presence* can it be fixed. The fix is relative to what the franchise *is*, no one gets to avoid that fact because they fancy themselves not a part of the original sins the franchise needs the medicine it needs. KA thinking a fresh plan could be instituted in 2021 without it being reflective of the mess it was being lumped onto was the key failing of this GM.

The New York Jets have been eliminated from the NFL playoffs for a 15th straight year. We can’t sit on our hands. We need to keep up. Have to let Adams steer this season into another elimination.

Game 29 and we are 8 points out with everyone ahead of us in the conference. The math is already becoming difficult to overcome without a near miraculous run the rest of the way.

this feels like a must win. i hope that the players/coaching staff have the wherewithal to realize that and act accordingly