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[Lanny]

I have to admit, I fantasize more of late about a 3-17-4 start that gets Ruff canned than a Stanley Cup-winning overtime goal (by a Sabre, I mean).

That's really sad, I feel sorry for you.

[static70]

[/b]

 

 

Based on what?

 

Toronto's imposing top 6?

Boston's dysfunction as they try to rid themselves of two contracts they just gave out 2 years ago and causing all sort of good feelings over their handling of Marc Savard?

Ottawa replacing Volchenkov with Gonchar and still trying to figure what to do with their cap issues?

Montreal ridding themselves of the only thing that won for them in the playoffs?

Toronto will be a more challenging opponent this season.

But outside of Toronto, you certainly are not discounting that Ottawa has owned this current squad for the last 3 seasons. Cap issues or not, Gonchar is actually more dangerous to the Sabres than Volchenkov was IMO.

Lets not forget (how could we) the hard fought series victory Bosto earned over Buffalo in 6 games. By no means what so ever has Boston regressed on their roster.

Montreal may or may not have made the right decision on thier goal tending situation. But they only scored 3 more goals than Montreal in the Regular Season series. Miller once again kept them alive in multiple games against them.

 

Ryan Miller 6 games against Montreal: GAA 1.97 SV% .925

Jaroslav Halak 3 games against Buffalo: GAA 3.35 SV% .892

Carey Price 3 games against Buffalo: GAA 1.29 SV% .963

 

Based on the numbers I am looking at, it would appear as though Price is the better goaltender against Buffalo, thereby making Halak a moot point in the season series.

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

That's a ridiculous analogy.

 

If you go into every season with the only thing mattering is the playoffs, then why bother.

 

I enjoy the games. I enjoy the competition. If all that matters to all of you is what happens from April to June, fine. Go away and come back then.

Me? I am going to enjoy another season fully expecting them to contend for another divisional championship and then waiting for the first playoff game with the same anticipation that I felt this year.

 

If I only posted during the Sabres playoff runs, you'd only be stuck reading my drivel 11 out of the last 1162 days.

 

I guess that's a good deal for you. I must be like that guy on the En-Zite commercial, constantly reminding you of your team's deficiencies.

 

 

Doot...de..do do do do ...doot..de..dooooooooo.........doot..de..do do do do ......doot...de...doooo....................

[tom webster]

Toronto will be a more challenging opponent this season.

But outside of Toronto, you certainly are not discounting that Ottawa has owned this current squad for the last 3 seasons. Cap issues or not, Gonchar is actually more dangerous to the Sabres than Volchenkov was IMO.

Lets not forget (how could we) the hard fought series victory Bosto earned over Buffalo in 6 games. By no means what so ever has Boston regressed on their roster.

Montreal may or may not have made the right decision on thier goal tending situation. But they only scored 3 more goals than Montreal in the Regular Season series. Miller once again kept them alive in multiple games against them.

 

Ryan Miller 6 games against Montreal: GAA 1.97 SV% .925

Jaroslav Halak 3 games against Buffalo: GAA 3.35 SV% .892

Carey Price 3 games against Buffalo: GAA 1.29 SV% .963

 

Based on the numbers I am looking at, it would appear as though Price is the better goaltender against Buffalo, thereby making Halak a moot point in the season series.

 

 

Thanks for proving that you can twist almost any occurence into a positive or a negative depending on your point of view. The Sabres won the division. Only Boston appears so far to have gotten better although that can be debated. I ask once again, why the great concern at this point?

[tom webster]

If I only posted during the Sabres playoff runs, you'd only be stuck reading my drivel 11 out of the last 1162 days.

 

I guess that's a good deal for you. I must be like that guy on the En-Zite commercial, constantly reminding you of your team's deficiencies.

 

 

Doot...de..do do do do ...doot..de..dooooooooo.........doot..de..do do do do ......doot...de...doooo....................

 

 

Since all that matters to you is April through June, why constrain yourself with rooting for the Sabres?

 

But again the burning question, you stated that nothing matters till mid April, so why bother us till then?

 

By the way, they are not my team. They are a team that I choose to root for and be entertained by and while the disappointments are many, the good memories far outweigh the bad ones.

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

Since all that matters to you is April through June, why constrain yourself with rooting for the Sabres?

 

But again the burning question, you stated that nothing matters till mid April, so why bother us till then?

 

By the way, they are not my team. They are a team that I choose to root for and be entertained by and while the disappointments are many, the good memories far outweigh the bad ones.

 

Well, they ARE, MY team....and that is why I vomit at the fact it is controlled by a sociopath politician, Niles Crane on Xanax, and is better than 50% comprised of potential French military and N'Synch members.

 

You have every right to be entertained by them and spend your money on them. Don't let my opinions influence you. I enjoy Chet Baker, Sea Urchin, and voluptuous brunettes. What anyone else says won't change that.

 

Sorry for bothering, "Us", whoever that may be.

[carpandean]

I enjoy ... Sea Urchin

:sick:

 

It's like eating a raw human tongue.

[static70]

Thanks for proving that you can twist almost any occurence into a positive or a negative depending on your point of view. The Sabres won the division. Only Boston appears so far to have gotten better although that can be debated. I ask once again, why the great concern at this point?

Thanks for proving you've paid absolutely no attention to the details of not only what transpired on the ice this past season in these series, but also the obvious moves other divisional organizations are making to further punish this soft Sabres team.

I answer only once, and, las time I checked my answer, the facts were there in plain view, just go review the rosters of our divisional opponents and then our own.

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

:sick:

 

It's like eating a raw human tongue.

 

It's interesting.....I know we had a sushi thread going before.

 

It's the texture that I can really see getting people. I like things with a little..."oomph". Although I used to enjoy pickled lamb's tongue, so i'm a little goofy. Last company that made them went out of business a few years ago.

[Eleven]

It's interesting.....I know we had a sushi thread going before.

 

It's the texture that I can really see getting people. I like things with a little..."oomph". Although I used to enjoy pickled lamb's tongue, so i'm a little goofy. Last company that made them went out of business a few years ago.

 

As did the last lamb. So sad.

[deluca67]

Thanks for proving you've paid absolutely no attention to the details of not only what transpired on the ice this past season in these series, but also the obvious moves other divisional organizations are making to further punish this soft Sabres team.

I answer only once, and, las time I checked my answer, the facts were there in plain view, just go review the rosters of our divisional opponents and then our own.

Don't let him get to you. It's what he does.

 

There are those that simply refuse to see. If TW had his way the Stanley Cup Playoffs would now be known as the tournament of teams that should just be happy to be here. His is one of many that will waive the division banner as the official flag of Status Quo. The justification for inaction. They feign possible disappointment if Regier remains inactive yet they will soon be celebrating Leopold and Scotts brother as just the right tweaks needed. They will continue to ignore that you can't progress down the road to the Stanley Cup by standing still. They will ignore that the perfect storm of events that brought this team of division title and 100 points is unlikely to occur again. That Miller playing at a Vezina/MVP level, a soft early schedule and all the little things that happened throughout year are just not likely.

[deluca67]

:sick:

 

It's like eating a raw human tongue.

Have you tried human tongue cooked? <_<

[carpandean]

Have you tried human tongue cooked? <_<

With some fava beans and a nice chianti. ft-t-t-t-t

[nfreeman]

Well, they ARE, MY team....and that is why I vomit at the fact it is controlled by a sociopath politician, Niles Crane on Xanax, and is better than 50% comprised of potential French military and N'Synch members.

 

You have every right to be entertained by them and spend your money on them. Don't let my opinions influence you. I enjoy Chet Baker, Sea Urchin, and voluptuous brunettes. What anyone else says won't change that.

 

Sorry for bothering, "Us", whoever that may be.

:sick:

 

It's like eating a raw human tongue.

I don't like sea urchin either, but I find myself wanting to quit my job and hang out with DD at the track.

 

Don't let him get to you. It's what he does.

 

There are those that simply refuse to see. If TW had his way the Stanley Cup Playoffs would now be known as the tournament of teams that should just be happy to be here. His is one of many that will waive the division banner as the official flag of Status Quo. The justification for inaction. They feign possible disappointment if Regier remains inactive yet they will soon be celebrating Leopold and Scotts brother as just the right tweaks needed. They will continue to ignore that you can't progress down the road to the Stanley Cup by standing still. They will ignore that the perfect storm of events that brought this team of division title and 100 points is unlikely to occur again. That Miller playing at a Vezina/MVP level, a soft early schedule and all the little things that happened throughout year are just not likely.

I can only speak for myself, but I am not feigning anything. I will post that DR crapped the bed this summer if he doesn't bring in a top 6 forward by the time camp starts. (Unless Ennis turns into Marty St. Louis, of course).

 

Having said that, this team is plenty good enough to win the division again even if they don't add a good forward. They're also good enough to advance in the playoffs, and they were last year. The team -- not just Miller -- earned what they got last year. Miller was a big part of it but it was a team effort. They aren't, however, good enough to win the Cup without a difference-maker at forward.

 

But last year there was no "perfect storm." They didn't simply benefit from good fortune. They ran up that regular season record getting very little from 2 of their top scorers in Vanek and Pommer. They also got some significant bad breaks, including TC's and Vanek's injuries late in the year.

[deluca67]

I can only speak for myself, but I am not feigning anything. I will post that DR crapped the bed this summer if he doesn't bring in a top 6 forward by the time camp starts. (Unless Ennis turns into Marty St. Louis, of course).

Having said that, this team is plenty good enough to win the division again even if they don't add a good forward. They're also good enough to advance in the playoffs, and they were last year. The team -- not just Miller -- earned what they got last year. Miller was a big part of it but it was a team effort. They aren't, however, good enough to win the Cup without a difference-maker at forward.

 

But last year there was no "perfect storm." They didn't simply benefit from good fortune. They ran up that regular season record getting very little from 2 of their top scorers in Vanek and Pommer. They also got some significant bad breaks, including TC's and Vanek's injuries late in the year.

A) I hope so.

 

B) They had an entire month with Sunday, Monday and Tuesday off. They did get little from Vanek and Pommer, should we look at Miller's early season numbers. I was banging the Miller = MVP drum early on. There was a reason. Miller will someday wear a Cup Ring, not in Buffalo, not in Buffalo under Status Quo.

[jpgr909]

There are those that simply refuse to see.

 

They will continue to ignore that you can't progress down the road to the Stanley Cup by standing still. They will ignore that the perfect storm of events that brought this team of division title and 100 points is unlikely to occur again. That Miller playing at a Vezina/MVP level, a soft early schedule and all the little things that happened throughout year are just not likely.

Refusing to see can be a two-way street. The response to that would likely be, fine, choose to believe what you want to believe, or something similar.

 

I think just about everyone on here issuing an opinion winds up somewhere in the middle, but really what it comes down to is you're right, and if anyone disagrees with your analysis, they're simply ignorant. So it was a perfect storm of events and all the little things happened to ensure a division title. It was simply a series of fortunate events that worked to the extreme advantage of the otherwise playoff-unworthy Sabres and there's no other way to look at it. Noted.

I can only speak for myself, but I am not feigning anything. I will post that DR crapped the bed this summer if he doesn't bring in a top 6 forward by the time camp starts. (Unless Ennis turns into Marty St. Louis, of course).

 

Having said that, this team is plenty good enough to win the division again even if they don't add a good forward. They're also good enough to advance in the playoffs, and they were last year. The team -- not just Miller -- earned what they got last year. Miller was a big part of it but it was a team effort. They aren't, however, good enough to win the Cup without a difference-maker at forward.

 

But last year there was no "perfect storm." They didn't simply benefit from good fortune. They ran up that regular season record getting very little from 2 of their top scorers in Vanek and Pommer. They also got some significant bad breaks, including TC's and Vanek's injuries late in the year.

I agree with the overall tone of nfreeman's post. I don't find his analysis to be ignorant and I don't see him as "refusing to see" (or refusing to acquiesce to someone else's opinion). I don't see last year as a perfect storm. That's far more of a stretch than touting the division crown as an accomplishment of some sort. I do, however, recognize that this team needs to make some serious improvements in order to go further. And by further I mean in the playoffs. Division titles are nice, but I'd gladly trade places with a Flyers team (minus the barely squeaking into the playoffs part) that didn't win the division but wound up in the finals. And IMO, the Sabres lack several elements to increase the odds of that happening. I'm a little more pessimistic than nfreeman in terms of prospects for this coming season, mostly due to what I saw from the four divisional teams in the playoffs. All three advanced at least a round while the Sabres floundered. And they all at least tried to make some changes while the Sabres are indeed standing pat. I don't like that one bit. So I consider myself to be somewhere in the middle--I see last year as a positive (not a ROARING success, especially when you include the playoff performance), but one that needed to be improved upon in several ways, none of which have taken place. But bottom line, IMO, it's far from black and white.

[TheChimp]

Unless Darcy has a #1 centerman for Vanek in the works, you all can stuff your excitement, because they won't even get a SNIFF of Lord Stanley's Cup, let alone win this increasingly strong division. Period.

[ECHL]

Thanks for proving you've paid absolutely no attention to the details of not only what transpired on the ice this past season in these series, but also the obvious moves other divisional organizations are making to further punish this soft Sabres team.

I answer only once, and, las time I checked my answer, the facts were there in plain view, just go review the rosters of our divisional opponents and then our own.

 

Toronto has no forward lines accept a third line. Boston can't score, Ottawa's best players are over 35. Only Montreal is better but only because Markof is going to be healthy but they have huge goaltending question. What rooster move gets your attention?

[thesportsbuff]

Toronto has no forward lines accept a third line. Boston can't score, Ottawa's best players are over 35. Only Montreal is better but only because Markof is going to be healthy but they have huge goaltending question. What rooster move gets your attention?

 

Kessel and Versteeg are third line players? lol

[SabresneedaCup]

Kessel and Versteeg are third line players? lol

versteeg is borderline 2nd line player almost 3rd line player.

[ECHL]

Kessel and Versteeg are third line players? lol

 

That's only two. Versteeg is a third liner. I don't think he matches with a teams best defensive pair.

I think 50 pts. tops. Although he is a nice player.