PASabreFan Posted March 19, 2007 Report Share Posted March 19, 2007 My initial reaction to the end of the road trip was that the Sabres had a successful one and managed to wash the bad taste of that homestand out of their mouths. But this morning, I don't know. You don't want to be losing five of seven this time of year. Or giving up 24 goals in seven games. Or have your power play be a shambles. Or have another possibly significant injury. I've been keeping an interesting stat since the season began. I knew the idea they wouldn't lose two games in a row was ridiculous. So I thought of the first game of the year as Game 1 of a fictional playoff series. I figured if they could keep winning best of seven series that would bode well for the real playoffs. Sure enough the Sabres won their first seven such series, but since then they have lost three of five and are 2-2 in their current series. Hope that makes sense... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SabresFan526 Posted March 19, 2007 Report Share Posted March 19, 2007 For me it's half full. While the special teams are not clicking at all, one good thing is, they've been playing extremely well considering the spate of injuries. I think Buffalo will be getting healthier as the season winds down and just before the playoffs. I think getting some key bodies back like Kotalik, Max, and Connolly will really improve the Special Teams and I think we'll be in great position come playoff time. So, right now, it's kind of hold on, do the best you can, and just wait till everyone comes back. And given the situation, they've played really well and got 6 out of 8 points on a 4 game roadtrip, which is really good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wjag Posted March 19, 2007 Report Share Posted March 19, 2007 The last 12 games have been a real gut check. Five straight against the division with bodies falling each night. Then we had the trap teams come in with desperation. Then we have a road swing with teams vying for seeding or the playoffs. I know everyone is going through the same stretch, but the Ottawas and Pittsburghs are doing it with healthy lineups; the Sabres are doing it with a much younger, less experienced team. It has effected the style of play, but they are maintaining position. The fact that they still hold the front position is probably a great testament to all those early points. Glass is more than half full. Teams to worry about come playoff time: Atlanta, Ottawa and Pittsburgh Teams in a mini-funk: NJ Devils (lost five straight at home, have cap issues..), Tampa (although they get a bunch of home games), Buffalo (riddled with injuries) Teams lucky to be in: NYR and Carolina or whoever settles into the 7 and 8 slots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blugold43 Posted March 19, 2007 Report Share Posted March 19, 2007 since starting out 24-5-2, they are 22-14-5, or 22-19 of you count ot/so losses the way you do ot/so wins. is that what i'm supposed to be excited about heading into the playoffs? injuries or not, they've been a very mediocre team for a long time now. i am officially in my "hoping-for-the-best-but-expecting-the-worst" mode until they give me some reason to feel otherwise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nucci Posted March 19, 2007 Report Share Posted March 19, 2007 since starting out 24-5-2, they are 22-14-5, or 22-19 of you count ot/so losses the way you do ot/so wins. is that what i'm supposed to be excited about heading into the playoffs? injuries or not, they've been a very mediocre team for a long time now. i am officially in my "hoping-for-the-best-but-expecting-the-worst" mode until they give me some reason to feel otherwise. So this way you are not disappointed whatever happens. Seems like the easy way out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerryg Posted March 19, 2007 Report Share Posted March 19, 2007 since starting out 24-5-2, they are 22-14-5, or 22-19 of you count ot/so losses the way you do ot/so wins. is that what i'm supposed to be excited about heading into the playoffs? injuries or not, they've been a very mediocre team for a long time now. You're supposed to be POSITIVE. Don't look at the record. Wins and losses are overrated. Can't you find any bright spots in there? They have 3 30+ goal scorers. They didn't allow ANY shorthanded goals yesterday. They're still on top of the division. The slug uni is better looking that that thing the Thrashers were wearing yesterday. Look for the positives...even if you have to look hard! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dundy249 Posted March 19, 2007 Report Share Posted March 19, 2007 since starting out 24-5-2, they are 22-14-5, or 22-19 of you count ot/so losses the way you do ot/so wins. is that what i'm supposed to be excited about heading into the playoffs? injuries or not, they've been a very mediocre team for a long time now. i am officially in my "hoping-for-the-best-but-expecting-the-worst" mode until they give me some reason to feel otherwise. yes very mediocre, thats why they are still number 1 in the east and 1 point out of the overall NHL lead with a game in hand. All this with 30-35% of their starting team injured for the better of 2 months. Please show me another team in the league that could lose even 5 starters and maintain 1st......IDIOTS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickshaw Posted March 19, 2007 Report Share Posted March 19, 2007 With all our significant injuries, I look at it as half full. Simple fact is, we are missing some very key NHL'ers. We will be fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connee Posted March 19, 2007 Report Share Posted March 19, 2007 but since then they have lost three of five and are 2-2 in their current series. Hope that makes sense... Actually, they're 2-0-2 in that "series" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seth Greenstein Posted March 19, 2007 Report Share Posted March 19, 2007 I think the Sabres will be fine. Maybe I'm just seeing things half full and since I live in Houston, I don't get to watch a lot of games, I'm going off the comments on this board, Buffalo News recaps and highlights (I can't get Sopcast to work on my machine anymore...). But I think that the Sabres are still a better team than most teams in the NHL. The only concern I really have is that if the refs go back to 1999 NHL penalty calling, the Devils could be difficult since they do a lot of clutching and grabbing. If the refs call the game the way it shoudl be, the speed of the Sabres is nearly unstoppable. I really think that there are very few teams that can stop them. I know that points-wise, the Preds and Wings are close. But I don't think either team is nearly as good as the Sabres. The fact that they can roll 4 full lines of players (when healthy) that are better than most team's 2nd lines, that onslaught will continue and will break teams down, especially in a long series. It's almost a hockey version of a murderer's row of talent. But as is always the case, everything comes down to the goalie. I think Miller will be fine, but I would love to see him steal a game or two in the next couple of weeks just in case! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PASabreFan Posted March 19, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2007 I think the Sabres will be fine. Maybe I'm just seeing things half full and since I live in Houston, I don't get to watch a lot of games, I'm going off the comments on this board, Buffalo News recaps and highlights (I can't get Sopcast to work on my machine anymore...). But I think that the Sabres are still a better team than most teams in the NHL. The only concern I really have is that if the refs go back to 1999 NHL penalty calling, the Devils could be difficult since they do a lot of clutching and grabbing. If the refs call the game the way it shoudl be, the speed of the Sabres is nearly unstoppable. I really think that there are very few teams that can stop them. I know that points-wise, the Preds and Wings are close. But I don't think either team is nearly as good as the Sabres. The fact that they can roll 4 full lines of players (when healthy) that are better than most team's 2nd lines, that onslaught will continue and will break teams down, especially in a long series. It's almost a hockey version of a murderer's row of talent. But as is always the case, everything comes down to the goalie. I think Miller will be fine, but I would love to see him steal a game or two in the next couple of weeks just in case! I don't like our fourth line this year. Adam Mair has provided very little. Actually, they're 2-0-2 in that "series" The Sabres didn't lose to Pittsburgh and Atlanta?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jad1 Posted March 19, 2007 Report Share Posted March 19, 2007 I don't like our fourth line this year. Adam Mair has provided very little. The fourth line has been space fillers for much of the season. Ruff uses them to inject some energy, but with the other three lines leading the league in scoring, the fourth line doesn't really need to be a scoring threat. If Ruff feels that he needs more scoring punch on the fourth line in the playoffs, he can center the line with Zubrus (Kotalik can take Zubrus' spot on Drury's line). He can even put Afinogenov on the wing of the fourth line, and leave Vanek and Roy together on the third. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bmwolf21 Posted March 19, 2007 Report Share Posted March 19, 2007 I don't like our fourth line this year. Adam Mair has provided very little. The fourth line has been space fillers for much of the season. Ruff uses them to inject some energy, but with the other three lines leading the league in scoring, the fourth line doesn't really need to be a scoring threat. If Ruff feels that he needs more scoring punch on the fourth line in the playoffs, he can center the line with Zubrus (Kotalik can take Zubrus' spot on Drury's line). He can even put Afinogenov on the wing of the fourth line, and leave Vanek and Roy together on the third. I don't think anyone is expecting Mair, Peters & co to start lighting the lamp with any regularity, but PA is right - Mair has disappeared for big stretches of the season. If his job is bang bodies and be high-energy, then he hasn't been doing his job for much of the year. The Sabres need him (and the rest of the 4th line) to bring something to the game, and in recent games, as much as it pains me to say, Peters has been more noticeable (as far as hits and energy - both took stupid penalties yesterday.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SabresFan526 Posted March 19, 2007 Report Share Posted March 19, 2007 The fourth line has been space fillers for much of the season. Ruff uses them to inject some energy, but with the other three lines leading the league in scoring, the fourth line doesn't really need to be a scoring threat. If Ruff feels that he needs more scoring punch on the fourth line in the playoffs, he can center the line with Zubrus (Kotalik can take Zubrus' spot on Drury's line). He can even put Afinogenov on the wing of the fourth line, and leave Vanek and Roy together on the third. Agreed, depending on Lindy's line combinations and if Connolly comes back, you could see tremendous talent playing on the 4th line. For example, we could potentially see: Pominville - Briere - Hecht Zubrus - Drury - Kotalik Vanek - Roy - Max Stafford - Connolly - Paille (Mair) If, and that is a huge if, this team is healthy, you would never even see Mair on the ice, or at worst he would platoon with Paille or Stafford. That's a damn good team on the ice. That also ignores the fact that they could play Peters if they want some toughness and have MacArthur and Ryan available in the event of injury. I think this team can be loaded with talent 4 lines through come playoff time if everyone is healthy. But, like I said before, that is a huge if with regards to everyone's health. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkwwjd Posted March 19, 2007 Report Share Posted March 19, 2007 since starting out 24-5-2, they are 22-14-5, or 22-19 of you count ot/so losses the way you do ot/so wins. is that what i'm supposed to be excited about heading into the playoffs? injuries or not, they've been a very mediocre team for a long time now. i am officially in my "hoping-for-the-best-but-expecting-the-worst" mode until they give me some reason to feel otherwise. Since our great start we are 22-14-5? Well if we flesh that out to a full season, it is still a very respectable 44-28-10 -- good for 98 points. Sure, it's not stellar like the opening was, but that is still good hockey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blugold43 Posted March 19, 2007 Report Share Posted March 19, 2007 So this way you are not disappointed whatever happens. Seems like the easy way out. i've been a customer since the first year of the franchise...i'm allowed to hedge if that's the mood they've put me in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PASabreFan Posted March 19, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2007 i've been a customer since the first year of the franchise...i'm allowed to hedge if that's the mood they've put me in. Good for you BG! You have me beat by five years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raelity Posted March 20, 2007 Report Share Posted March 20, 2007 You're supposed to be POSITIVE. Don't look at the record. Wins and losses are overrated. Can't you find any bright spots in there? They have 3 30+ goal scorers. They didn't allow ANY shorthanded goals yesterday. They're still on top of the division. The slug uni is better looking that that thing the Thrashers were wearing yesterday. Look for the positives...even if you have to look hard! Not trying to seek the negative, but I think the Thrashers scored 3 PP goals yesterday, the last to seal the win. What yesterday game were you watching? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thesportsbuff Posted March 20, 2007 Report Share Posted March 20, 2007 Not trying to seek the negative, but I think the Thrashers scored 3 PP goals yesterday, the last to seal the win. What yesterday game were you watching? they scored 3 PP goals... but no shorthanded! I don't know how to look at it. They're definitely struggling, but I don't see any reason to panic yet. As much as I hate to use excuses, we do have a lot of injuries, and that has to factor in somewhere. And as good as the young guys played for the first five or six games, they're getting tired too. I think Max & Kotalik will bring a much needed energy boost, and even though Kotalik has been semi counter productive this year, I think if he has good legs (which he should considering the time off) he'll do fine, if not for the whole playoffs, at least the first round. :P Max I'm not worried about. If he makes it back for playoffs, he too will be well rested. As someone mentioned in some thread the other day, imagine how much energy he's going to have? He's probably as excited as we are to get back. If max and kotalik, maybe connolly, paille, etc. are fresher, they're going to do well in the first round. Doing well builds confidence. I think we have a lot to look forward to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raelity Posted March 20, 2007 Report Share Posted March 20, 2007 I thought you were talking about not allowing goals when the Sabres were shorthanded. Sorry bought that. I think if there's anybody out there that wants to say they're brimming w confidence heading into the playoffs, they're lying. Every fan for any playoff team gets nervous around now. Doesn't matter if you're top seed or bottom. We all know how easy it is to catch some bad breaks (no pun intended) and be out. Most of us just allow ourselves once in a while to dream for a moment of the ultimate joy of our team raising the cup then SNAP - we pull ourselves away from the thought. It is almost too precious to allow ourselves to envision. Most of us Buffalo fans have become a bit hard-boiled thru the years, but we do absolutely LOVE our teams. We always hope and pray for the best, and at the same time emotionally try to brace ourselves for disappointment. Some day, some year (maybe this one?!) the ultimate long awaited joy will be ours. Or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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