RonHextallsShoulderPads

To understand our chances, I need this in Bills Wild Card Race terms. are we 5-7 and need to win out and a bunch of people to lose OR are we 7-5 and control our own destiny?

Need a record that looks like: 15-3-4 or 17-5-0 or 16-4-2. Their best 22-game stretch has been: 12-8-2 (which happened in Jan/Feb). If they can sustain their play...they need a damn good run. Then again 94, 93, 88, 93, 92, 93, 98, 93 were the 8th seed over the past ten years. So they made not need 96.

Eichel and McDavid have near identical goals per game. So...stats!

4 out of possible 6pts. Going to need to win 3 out of 4 in keeping with the .750 pace. Doable with AZ/CO bottom-feeders after a bye. I'm just excited for it to be close in Feb/March.

i heard those two shots off the post were in protest of DD's system.

we're in a good spot: Solid winger who is contributing that we could potentially move for a 1LHD. We're not leveraged. We don't HAVE to move him. There's not pressure.

And a bye week in between those 7 games. I kind of have the same mindset for the Bills. If you're a playoff contender, win the games you're supposed to win. If you can put together 11-14 points, you belong in the conversation. If not, you are what we thought you were. I'm guessing they'll get just enough points to be annoying, around 9.

they can't generate goals and then, at the other end, they allow more goals then they generate. a pattern starts to emerge in their schedule wherein when those conditions are present, they tend to lose those games.

Maybe this is a stupid question, but do we not want Therrien

tugnutt shutout. sabres set record low 9 SOG. Lehner chased after two. DD traded to Vegas for 2020 provisional pick.

so if everyone on the Devil's didn't buy into the neutral zone trap, it would still be successful?

In the end, systems work when everyone buys into them. And, from watching these guys night in and night out, no one has bought into anything. They're playing their own game out there and it's partly because there's no consistency. Guys not on the same page, guys being shuffled on lines, guys being brought up or sent down, new D pairings,injuries, goalie swaps. How are you supposed to build anything in this environment?

i'm starting to come around to the idea that DD isn't the right fit here. i don't always want to blame coaches, because it's too easy, especially with hockey. DD's not out there getting out-hustled, missing shots, letting in soft goals, taking stupid penalties but, in the same respect, he's starting lehner back to back nights, dictating the poor line changes, giving some players way too much ice time, and not installing a system that works for his team. I guess it's probably easier to eliminate one guy then half your players.

I'm going to agree with you as well. When he criticizes players for extra dekes and long shifts, it seems like guys know they can't execute the plan so they're trying to over-compensate for shortcomings.

are they ignoring it or are they just incapable of executing it?

It doesn't help when you take 6 penalties.

So you're saying Lindy Ruff is JUSTTTT about to turn the corner? http://deadspin.com/stars-score-own-goal-on-delayed-penalty-because-its-be-1792213744

so 6pts out of the playoffs with 2.5 months to play, are we giving up on that? how many more seasons of this? why not be buyers and try to make a push? what's trading your second leading scorer for a prospect D going to do for you next season? nothing. as sabres fans, you're always looking at success two years down the road. it's an insane mindset that never comes to fruition.

I'd say a lot of what happened to Nilsson is not his fault. Goal 1 -tipped while being screened Goal 2 -lost it in his pads, but banged home because Eichel was admiring the shooter instead of the charging FWD. Post Hit-Screened Goal 3 -4 sabres caught low, open point-blank shot. Goal 4 -Powerplay with yet another screen

You're right and what may upset many fans is the optics. there's something about how far lehner comes out of the net to challenge a shot. if you're that far out, you take away the angles, but you also have to swallow the puck. he, though, gives up big rebounds which leads to him (slowly) sliding back and crazy scrambles in front of the net for the puck. it doesn't seem like the best style for your young, oft-injured defense.

5 games where we need to come away with at the very least 7 points.

here's my completely unsubstantiated theory about Tues' game. everyone did too much partying over the weekend, they thought they could cupcake the whole Habs game and got shat back to reality. tonight will be the real 'oh yeah we have to actually play to win' game.

There is no better representation of our season than the clearing pass that hits Okposo, knocks him down, comes back into our zone and onto the Habs' stick for a goal.

There has to be a point where you say Eichel, if you're going to take six shots, one of them has to go in.