Predictions

[Claude_Verret]

I didn't see a thread yet for everyone to document how wrong they are about the Sabres and the NHL in October. So here goes nothing..

 

The Sabres will finish with 94 points good for 7th place. They will be ousted in 2nd round, which will be good enough to keep Darcy and Lindy secure once again.

 

Stanley Cup: Caps over Sharks in 6.

[Eleven]

Another division win, but again behind Washington (first) and Jerseyburgh (second). Playoffs, well, it will depend again upon matchups (who wouldn't have loved Philly in the first round last year? And wouldn't Jersey have beaten Boston? That last game was stupid), because playoffs are about matchups even more than they are about "hot streaks" or "cold streaks."

[thesportsbuff]

Sabres become the first team to ever go 82-0 in a season behind Ryan Miller's miraculous league-record 32 shutouts. Tim Connolly and Thomas Vanek explode into the Crosby/Malkin duo Buffalo had been lacking, only they're more like Gretzky/Gretzky and score 75 goals a piece and finish with around 130 points each. Myers is solid on the back end racking up 45 minutes of ice time a night and contributing 35 goals himself to take home the Norris trophy, while Sekera, Butler and Weber all establish themselves as elite NHL defensemen as well. Derek Roy and Drew Stafford are dealt away at the trade deadline to the Rangers for two first round picks (one was acquired by NYR via trade) and backup goaltender Martin Biron. Tyler Ennis is a no brainer for rookie of the year after scoring 50 goals in his rookie season, showing great chemistry alongside a reinvigorated Pominville, who nets 45. When the season ends, the picks acquired from NYR translate to first and second overall, and the Sabres are essentially a shoe in for the Stanley Cup. however, things quickly go sour and Buffalo is swept by 8th seeded Ottawa Senators in the first round. Darcy panics and accidently trades the first rounders away for Mike Comrie and Nathan Paetsch, leading star player Ryan Miller to demand a trade out of town. Others follow suit and one by one Myers, Ennis, Connolly and Pominiville are replaced with Lee Stempniak, Tim Kennedy, Dimitri Kalinin and Matt Cooke. Patrick Lalime is named the team's starter for the next six years and the team returns to it's medicore 9th-10th place finishes.

[Foot In The Crease!]

Sabres become the first team to ever go 82-0 in a season behind Ryan Miller's miraculous league-record 32 shutouts. Tim Connolly and Thomas Vanek explode into the Crosby/Malkin duo Buffalo had been lacking, only they're more like Gretzky/Gretzky and score 75 goals a piece and finish with around 130 points each. Myers is solid on the back end racking up 45 minutes of ice time a night and contributing 35 goals himself to take home the Norris trophy, while Sekera, Butler and Weber all establish themselves as elite NHL defensemen as well. Derek Roy and Drew Stafford are dealt away at the trade deadline to the Rangers for two first round picks (one was acquired by NYR via trade) and backup goaltender Martin Biron. Tyler Ennis is a no brainer for rookie of the year after scoring 50 goals in his rookie season, showing great chemistry alongside a reinvigorated Pominville, who nets 45. When the season ends, the picks acquired from NYR translate to first and second overall, and the Sabres are essentially a shoe in for the Stanley Cup. however, things quickly go sour and Buffalo is swept by 8th seeded Ottawa Senators in the first round. Darcy panics and accidently trades the first rounders away for Mike Comrie and Nathan Paetsch, leading star player Ryan Miller to demand a trade out of town. Others follow suit and one by one Myers, Ennis, Connolly and Pominiville are replaced with Lee Stempniak, Tim Kennedy, Dimitri Kalinin and Matt Cooke. Patrick Lalime is named the team's starter for the next six years and the team returns to it's medicore 9th-10th place finishes.

 

This one seems about right. The other predictions are just ridiculous. No way the sabres don't go 82-0!!!! :thumbsup:

[bob_sauve28]

Sabres become the first team to ever go 82-0 in a season behind Ryan Miller's miraculous league-record 32 shutouts. Tim Connolly and Thomas Vanek explode into the Crosby/Malkin duo Buffalo had been lacking, only they're more like Gretzky/Gretzky and score 75 goals a piece and finish with around 130 points each. Myers is solid on the back end racking up 45 minutes of ice time a night and contributing 35 goals himself to take home the Norris trophy, while Sekera, Butler and Weber all establish themselves as elite NHL defensemen as well. Derek Roy and Drew Stafford are dealt away at the trade deadline to the Rangers for two first round picks (one was acquired by NYR via trade) and backup goaltender Martin Biron. Tyler Ennis is a no brainer for rookie of the year after scoring 50 goals in his rookie season, showing great chemistry alongside a reinvigorated Pominville, who nets 45. When the season ends, the picks acquired from NYR translate to first and second overall, and the Sabres are essentially a shoe in for the Stanley Cup. however, things quickly go sour and Buffalo is swept by 8th seeded Ottawa Senators in the first round. Darcy panics and accidently trades the first rounders away for Mike Comrie and Nathan Paetsch, leading star player Ryan Miller to demand a trade out of town. Others follow suit and one by one Myers, Ennis, Connolly and Pominiville are replaced with Lee Stempniak, Tim Kennedy, Dimitri Kalinin and Matt Cooke. Patrick Lalime is named the team's starter for the next six years and the team returns to it's medicore 9th-10th place finishes.

No!!!! We are the 8th seed that surprises!! And Deluca goes mad and takes hostages before the the 7th game of the Stanley Cup in Calgery. He demands to see PA Sabres fan dance naked down Main Street--which he does--and a box a jelly donuts. And the Sabres win 1-0 on a Tyler Myers ot goal!! We all meet at a bar to celebrate, but PA isn't there because he gets picked for dancing with the stars. Deluca is let off with a slap on the wrist and we all live happily ever after. Then, to everyone's amazement....the Buffalo Bills win a football game!

[Two or less]

102 points for Buffalo, Northeast division champions and will reach Eastern conference finals.

 

Finals: Pittsburgh over Vancouver in 6.

[inkman]

I loathe predictions.

[Rabbit151]

I'm gonna be optimistic for now....Sabres DO win division...Bruins are odds on favourite, but Rask takes a step backwards, slightly...just enought to keep the B's from gliding to first.

 

Buffalo, Boston, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal...but only 10 pts seperate the lot of em.

 

Sabres still get no respect headin into playoffs, so they fly under the radar, and actually, finally, get to the finals...and win...

 

 

 

the score tv station up here in Canada picked the Sabres to be the most disappointing team of the season this year!!!

[Eleven]

I loathe predictions.

 

I predicted you would write that.

[Derrico]

I'm thinking that the tables reverse and we play average during the regular season and become a strong dominant team in the playoffs. Sabres end up in 6th and similar to the '99 team, make a run to the cup, I'm going to go with a win in Game 6 this time. Sabres over Blackhawks.

[bills_fan_in_raleigh]

No!!!! We are the 8th seed that surprises!! And Deluca goes mad and takes hostages before the the 7th game of the Stanley Cup in Calgery. He demands to see PA Sabres fan dance naked down Main Street--which he does--and a box a jelly donuts. And the Sabres win 1-0 on a Tyler Myers ot goal!! We all meet at a bar to celebrate, but PA isn't there because he gets picked for dancing with the stars. Deluca is let off with a slap on the wrist and we all live happily ever after. Then, to everyone's amazement....the Buffalo Bills win a football game!

PERFECT :clapping: :clapping:

[wjag]

97 points, fifth seed.

[carpandean]

Sabres draft 6'3", 193 lbs center Sean Couturier second overall (don't know who drafts first, but they take Adam Larsson.)

 

 

 

 

 

Reverse psychology. :thumbsup:

[Kristian]

No!!!! We are the 8th seed that surprises!! And Deluca goes mad and takes hostages before the the 7th game of the Stanley Cup in Calgery. He demands to see PA Sabres fan dance naked down Main Street--which he does--and a box a jelly donuts. And the Sabres win 1-0 on a Tyler Myers ot goal!! We all meet at a bar to celebrate, but PA isn't there because he gets picked for dancing with the stars. Deluca is let off with a slap on the wrist and we all live happily ever after. Then, to everyone's amazement....the Buffalo Bills win a football game!

 

And that's when I realised you were kidding :thumbsup:

[OTTOnME]

Buffalo will again rack up 100 points (or so) and win another division title.

 

Meanwhile - elsewhere - we will see the Florida Panthers struggle, and - within a week or so of the trade deadline - we will see Tomas Vokoun sent to Washington in a multi-player deal which will bring Alexander Semin to Florida.

 

Months later, we will see the Capitals face the Chicago Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup finals, and win their first championship.

 

Years* later, we will see the Panthers franchise move to a Canadian city.

 

 

* not too many years

[That Aud Smell]

I remember my prediction last year, it had this OCD-esque rationale that was tied to the # of games that The Skill played. He wound up playing 70+, I believe, and there they were -- atop the division.

 

I know that much is made of the "heart failure" that the team suffered in the first round against Boston, but I don't think anything is ever that simple. There was some lack of heart/grit/focus, to be sure, but there were other factors at play as well (Connolly having a bum wheel among them).

 

Tallinder was a revelation last year when he was playing for a contract. I'm on board with looking for similar renaissances for Connolly and the Anti-Mouse Potato.

 

I'm also on board for Myers being in the hunt for a Norris trophy; not winning it, but getting some votes.

 

I'm calling for 96 points and a 5th place finish.

[bob_sauve28]

And that's when I realised you were kidding :thumbsup:

:lol:

[R_Dudley]

It is interesting to look back on these in April.

 

Division will be tough again with Boston and Ottawa, unknown for Montreal if they can start out playing the way they finished and I do believe Toronto will be a bit tougher to count on for 2 points. With that said repeat of last years 100 pts will be hard so I am going with 97 pts guess and a fourth place finish in conference, 2nd in div.

[deluca67]

No!!!! We are the 8th seed that surprises!! And Deluca goes mad and takes hostages before the the 7th game of the Stanley Cup in Calgery. He demands to see PA Sabres fan dance naked down Main Street--which he does--and a box a jelly donuts. And the Sabres win 1-0 on a Tyler Myers ot goal!! We all meet at a bar to celebrate, but PA isn't there because he gets picked for dancing with the stars. Deluca is let off with a slap on the wrist and we all live happily ever after. Then, to everyone's amazement....the Buffalo Bills win a football game!

That is completely unrealistic! I don't like jelly donuts. Do your homework man. I like the the chocolate angels from Paula's Donuts at Kenmore and Englewood. I hate shoddy journalism. :thumbdown:

 

Prediction? Two things need to happen for the Sabres to be a real contender for the Cup. #1 - Miller needs to stay healthy and play at the level he did last season. #2 - the rest of the lineup needs to play embarrassed. Embarrassed at how last years playoffs went. Miller spent the summer trying to tell people that the regular season and division title meant something. Hopefully they got the message that we as fans have seen division titles, conference titles, Presidents' Trophies and 2 Finals appearances. We as fans want a Stanley Cup and anything less is a failure. Hopefully it is a message that rings through the arena, locker-room and front offices all season.

[Eleven]

Nice Sabres video preview from Buffalo News. Didn't want to start a new thread for it.

 

http://video.buffalonews.com/player/index.php?id=1788

[wonderbread]

That is completely unrealistic! I don't like jelly donuts. Do your homework man. I like the the chocolate angels from Paula's Donuts at Kenmore and Englewood. I hate shoddy journalism. :thumbdown:

 

Prediction? Two things need to happen for the Sabres to be a real contender for the Cup. #1 - Miller needs to stay healthy and play at the level he did last season. #2 - the rest of the lineup needs to play embarrassed. Embarrassed at how last years playoffs went. Miller spent the summer trying to tell people that the regular season and division title meant something. Hopefully they got the message that we as fans have seen division titles, conference titles, Presidents' Trophies and 2 Finals appearances. We as fans want a Stanley Cup and anything less is a failure. Hopefully it is a message that rings through the arena, locker-room and front offices all season.

 

 

I shuddered! Almost optimistic.

 

 

I say 97 pts 2nd in the division bounced again Darcy could pulled trigger on Kaberle though. Lindy is abducted at gun point and is taken to an old cabin in the ANF, forced to live out his days "getting up to change the channel" and "rubbin' PAppies feet". Darcy is hauled of to a mental clinic in Wisconsin and OSP rides off in to the sunset with the hotel towels.

 

Washington versus Detroit

 

Detriot in 6.

 

Wash. rinse. repeat.

[deluca67]

I shuddered! Almost optimistic.

 

 

I say 97 pts 2nd in the division bounced again Darcy could pulled trigger on Kaberle though. Lindy is abducted at gun point and is taken to an old cabin in the ANF, forced to live out his days "getting up to change the channel" and "rubbin' PAppies feet". Darcy is hauled of to a mental clinic in Wisconsin and OSP rides off in to the sunset with the hotel towels.

 

Washington versus Detroit

 

Detriot in 6.

 

Wash. rinse. repeat.

Pessimist! :thumbdown:

 

Why do you even post? Are you even a real fan? :nana:

[wonderbread]

Pessimist! :thumbdown:

 

Why do you even post? Are you even a real fan? :nana:

 

 

I've been banned from every other internet forum... :pirate:

[Guest]

I predict the Sabres will play 82 games and win some of them. 41-34-7 for 89 pts and 7th or 8th spot. Tyler Myers, if healthy finishes in the top 3 for pts by a defenseman.

 

I also predict the Bills finish 2-14 :thumbsup:

[Skibum]

I think this team has what it takes to make it to the conference championships, maybe more, but there's a lot of good teams out there so who knows how it will play out.

 

I'm going optimistic and saying 2nd seed in the east.

 

Remember, this team kind of coasted to the division title last year while a lot of guys underachieved. I think they improved in the offseason and many of the core players are in their prime. So there's no reason to believe they can't put up 100+ points. Unless that reason is injuries.