...

Yeah, so this is 10 games. Someone made the point up thread about the streak and by 10 games into it pretty much everyone knew it was luck. Stats-wise and the eye-test say this is a totally different team and there's nothing odd about what's happening other than it's our Sabres doing. I will be curious to dig into the CF% and shot charts when I get a chance, probably in the morning. I mean, we're going to lose another game, but when we do, there's no reason to think it puts us in tail-spin.

Quote of the thread.

On that, Joki directed Mitts to take the passing lane. Obviously, Mitts got there and it turned out, but that play was a team effort. Gilbert singing Elvis.

Okay, so the breakdown on that final OT play - Mitts owned that with his brain. Nice job, Mitts!

Now, that's awesome! They need more fun stuff like that in-game. I might go to one again.

That OT was great. Solid second. Kind of a weak third. San Jose figured us out and had our D game stymied at times.

That's a frickin' goal.

Wow.

I like the RK takes part in the discussions at the bench. I don't recall Phil or Dan doing that much. RK participates in all of them.

Well, I guess now we have a game.

LOVE MILLER.

Funny, second periods are better for them this season. He and I thought Vesey is working pretty hard. No complaints with either of them this game.

Or did Samson tip that?

Yay Risto.

Eichel has not been playing well.

This is Hollywood, they butcher everything. I mean, how do you screw up The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit? Leave it to Hollywood to show you how. Personally, I don't get caught up trying to reconcile the messes they make in the story details. If I'm entertained at the end, then I'm entertained. The only outrageous moment was the Princess Leia in outer space thing. It was so bad, it distracted me from the rest of the movie. I'll watch it again before SW:RoS, and at least this time I'll be prepared for it.

Thanks for the reminder. Just bought our Christmas day tickets. The nuclear family has been going every Christmas to see these, so, have to keep up "the tradition".

I'd prefer the team be proactive rather than reactive when it comes to improving the team's potential. Any boob off the street can react to a negative trend that's been working for weeks or months. The point of paying big bucks for a GM, his staff, and scouts, is to work on the roster even while the roster isn't self-imploding. Actually, that's the ideal time to do it.

I hope not, we have a lot invested in him being around for a while. Also, that would be horribly traumatic for the kids in attendance.

Right. Just because we're 7-1-1 doesn't mean this team is anywhere near the goal. Sure, let's make it into the first round, and we all should be happy? We didn't wait this long to be 4 and out. There is always a place to upgrade and prepare for the playoffs, just ask Tampa Bay.

I could. It's a ways off, though. Ask me around the Christmas break.

This seems very right.

I would characterize your position in this thread as ambiguous. Perhaps the question should be who, now, is the weakest link among the forward lines? Assuming we have a trade-chip or two to play with from the D, how can this team be improved based on what we're seeing? That reality will be upon us at some point in this season, although as things go on, my suspicion is that we're going to hold off until the trade deadline.

I think, at this point, the argument is pretty clear that even with Vlad's best years' stats plugged into that line's overall stats, if a better player were to replace Vlad, that line would very likely have even better stats than they do now. The team's ceiling is only so high with players like a (historical) Vlad. This is elementary. I don't get the push-back on this basic point.