Do you like following the Sabres?

[dudacek]

Now When do you believe?

 

I have a confession to make: I like this team.

 

I know those words fly in the face of seemingly every frustrated sentence you have read and posted on this forum since a certain curly-headed ginger from Massachusetts went down hard on his ankle during the final minutes of the final pre-season practice.

 

I know that reading them can feel like Dustin Byfuglien has skated over your testicles, especially after you’ve just watched Brian Gionta fail to tip another stretch pass, or Marcus Foligno flub another perfect Sam Reinhart set-up, or Josh Gorges jump over the boards to line up next to Risto for yet another offensive zone faceoff.

 

I know it’s not politically correct to say them after four years of mediocrity begat three years of suffering only to begat a return to mediocrity.

 

But I like this team.

 

I like most of the players on it. I like Reinhart and Ristolainen and Eichel as young building blocks. I like Okposo and Kane and O’Reilly as pieces of the core. I like Larsson and Foligno and Girgensons and McCabe as foot soldiers. I like the kind of players Tim Murray likes: smart, competitive, not afraid to get their hands dirty.

 

I like how Murray has a plan after so many years of watching Darcy have no plan — just the ongoing tactic of managing assets to the best of his ability while keeping his bosses happy.

 

I like the plan Murray has executed and I believe in his ability to diagnose and repair the errors and the remaining holes in this roster.

 

Tanking was a precarious strategy, but it was the unfortunate hand Murray was dealt. He has not played it to perfection — few have — but he has played it with a mix of boldness and vision. I see a path, a purpose and a will to stick with his vision despite adversity.

 

I see that adversity — an extraordinary run of injuries that inspired the coach to play the most low-risk, soul-sucking style of hockey imaginable — combining with the scars of the hope-crushing enormity that was the tank to create a jaundiced view here that blinded people to what this group actually is: an emerging team still learning how to win.

 

Going in to the season, we thought the Sabres, with a “normal” amount of injuries, were a playoff bubble team with the ability to score goals. You may find this hard to believe by reading forum commentary, but the numbers would actually seem to bear that out. Since the return of Jack Eichel marked a switch from a skating MASH unit to a team with a “normal” amount of injuries, the Sabres have gone 13-10-4, a .556 points percentage that would place them 15th in the league — exactly on the playoff bubble. And since that time, when their coach has actually started to let them push the offence, they’ve scored 79 goals — a 2.93 goals per game pace that would place them 8th in the NHL.

 

It is a hockey cliché to not use injuries as an excuse: “good teams play through them.” That’s coach speak. More realistically, few teams endure a two-month stretch of injuries where three of their top four forwards and two of their top three defencemen are either out or hampered and “play through it.” Certainly not young, incomplete, still-developing teams like the Sabres.

 

And this is a young team, one trying to rise from a thorough salting of the earth, a team just 130 games removed from an on-ice utter abomination.  They are a work in progress. You know it, even if the progress hasn’t happened as quickly as you had hoped.

 

The Sabres have good players coming in the pipeline, but even the oldest are 21. They are at least a year away from developing the organizational depth to insulate themselves from a run of injuries. They still have a gaping hole in their blueline top four that moves for Bogosian and Kulikov have not fixed. They have a coach who appears determined to outsmart himself.

 

But they aren’t as bad as this fan base is numb. According to nhl.com, the team has come from behind in the third period to win five times this year, third most in the NHL (it feels like more). They’ve also yet to lose in regulation this season when leading after two (that surprised me).  These are not the marks of a bad team.

 

And what seems to be forgotten in the angst about Bylsma and Lehner and Franson and whatever else tends to occupy our attention here is that those debates are mostly peripheral noise. Ultimately, this team will be relevant or irrelevant on the backs of Risto, Sam and Jack. None of them are as good as they will have to be — although Risto usually looks damn close — but I still think they can get there.

 

I know some of you don’t believe in a culture of losing. I do. It thrives where people talk so much about what’s wrong with their situation that it becomes all they know and all they expect. They get paralyzed by their own negative expectations and are quick to throw in the towel at the slightest sign of adversity.

 

Just because the results haven’t been what we want them to be, it doesn’t mean we are not on the right path. It doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate the process.

 

I read about how far the Leafs are ahead of us. I see the angst of our fanbase and the smugness of theirs. I think about the adversity our team has endured this year and compare it to theirs. Then I look at the standings, see the difference as only a pair of one-goal head-to-head Buffalo losses-that-should-have-been-wins and I wonder why these perceptions exist. Perspective. (I miss Neo)

 

This isn’t about recent results; I started writing it after the Leafs loss. It’s about my fandom, about why I watch. It’s about the lens through which I perceive the game and what the Sabres bring to my life.

 

I know that Team Sunshine and Kittens lost.  I know the odds, and the history, and how much safer it is emotionally to be on Team Storm Cloud.  I know how hard it is to hope. I know all about because Buffalo. I’ve been at this for a long, long time. I’ve been wrong before.

 

But I refuse to join the ranks of the scorned and the scornful, or the legion of Sabrespacers who have become dearly departed victims of this trial, this unabashed period of suffering. I hope you can forgive me this heresy: the clouds, they are still parting.

 

I don’t expect the playoffs this year. But I hope and I will enjoy the struggle. I like this team. I see signs. I choose to believe. It’s why I am a fan.

 

I don’t expect you to agree. But I do hope that you can, some day soon, join me in this forgotten bunker where people actually allow themselves to like being a Sabre fan.

 

I’ll leave the light on.

 

[nfreeman]

Good man.

[qwksndmonster]

I really like the players on this team. And I don't really see a future where forwards led by O'Reilly, Eichel, and Reinhart aren't one of the best units in the league.

 

But, this year I've been doing something I've never done before. I'm not watching the games. It started about a month and a half ago, I was only catching games at work. Now I rarely even bother.

 

It's partly to do with my personal life. I'm living a much happier, more productive life than I ever have before. I'm dedicating my free time to playing music and writing and watching movies.

 

But it's also partly because of Bylsma.

 

And lastly, it's partly because of how distant I feel from this board. It's moved from an institution in my every day life to just another tab in my web browser. And without you guys and gals, I just don't care about following the Sabres as much.

 

Given the current political climate of the world, I don't want to spend time burying my head in the sand and pretending that nothing is happening. Every day I wake up to more horrible news. I want to discuss it with people I care about. I want to feel comfortable speaking my mind. I don't, so I'm very rarely here.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Excellent post dudacek.

 

I like this team and really enjoy watching them.

 

My name is NS! 

 

AND I AM A SABRES FAN!!

[SabresBaltimore]

Great post. I'm definitely hanging in there. Last season was tough. So was the start of this one. Even if we fall short again, I feel like we're finally moving in the right direction.

[carpandean]

Can I get the CliffsNotes version? 

 

 

 

:P

[TrueBlueGED]

Far too often when I watch a game, win or lose, I leave feeling I wasn't entertained. Whether it's Murray, Bylsma, the tank, or plain bad luck...it's not a fun team, IMO. As a result, I've relegated it to "if I have time" and background noise on most nights. So no, I don't enjoy following them right now.

Edited January 28, 2017 by TrueBlueGED

[Weave]

Somewhere north of ambivalence and south of like.  But hey, the needle had to move to get me to this point.

 

I gotta see more.  I'm not convinced yet that we aren't pre-McDavid Oilers.

[Mig22]

I'm seriously enjoying this team.  As they've become healthier, they are scoring, pushing the issue, and getting some points.  Perfect?  hardly.  But Dudacek's...thorough post was spot on.  It's a likable team even if the hockey in the first 25-30 games was painful.

 

Cheers.

[Eleven]

I'm somewhere between dudacek and qwk.  I love rooting for my team, but Bylsma's brand of low-event hockey is awful.

[SwampD]

Every game, start to finish. If I have a rehearsal or game of my own, I watch it on delay. Makes for some late nights.

 

I still look forward to them the day of, as well,... a heckuva lot more than I did during the tank years, anyway.

[darksabre]

I watch less Sabres hockey now than I did during the tank.

[dudacek]

Far too often when I watch a game, win or lose, I leave feeling I wasn't entertained. Whether it's Murray, Bylsma, the tank, or plain bad luck...it's not a fun team, IMO. As a result, I've relegated it to "if I have time" and background noise on most nights. So no, I don't enjoy following them right now.

 

I see this behind a lot of what I read here: it's like we carry a bruise that transcends the actual games on the ice.

 

When OReilly throws off DeKeyser and wills the puck in the net, when Lehner saves the game by robbing Galchenyuk blind in overtime, when Eichel goes coast to coast to cap a three-goal comeback in Nashville — these are moments that should light us up, they are why we watch.

 

Instead, we react like disillusioned spouses: with a "yeah but..."

 

It makes me sad.

[Weave]

I watch less Sabres hockey now than I did during the tank.

 

My sources for good, quality streams have almost dried up, and I've put almost no effort into trying to find new ones.  I "follow" the games on Twiiter now.  They are almost on par with the Bills for me.

I see this behind a lot of what I read here: it's like we carry a bruise that transcends the actual games on the ice.

 

When OReilly throws off DeKeyser and wills the puck in the net, when Lehner saves the game by robbing Galchenyuk blind in overtime, when Eichel goes coast to coast to cap a three-goal comeback in Nashville — these are moments that should light us up, they are why we watch.

 

Instead, we react like disillusioned spouses: with a "yeah but..."

 

It makes me sad.

 

This is what happens when teams willfully throw away several seasons.

[dudacek]

And lastly, it's partly because of how distant I feel from this board. It's moved from an institution in my every day life to just another tab in my web browser. And without you guys and gals, I just don't care about following the Sabres as much.

 

Given the current political climate of the world, I don't want to spend time burying my head in the sand and pretending that nothing is happening. Every day I wake up to more horrible news. I want to discuss it with people I care about. I want to feel comfortable speaking my mind. I don't, so I'm very rarely here.

 

And this makes me sad too. Too many posters gone, too many remaining who aren't completely here.

This place has always had snark and drama, but it has also always felt like a community.

[Eleven]

And this makes me sad too. Too many posters gone, too many remaining who aren't completely here.

This place has always had snark and drama, but it has also always felt like a community.

 

Yeah, I'm not sure that the elimination of the politics thread had the intended effect.  More the opposite, it seems.

[Doohickie]

It's not a question of like versus not like.  I'm from Buffalo.  The Sabres are my team.  I will root for them.   It's that simple.

 

Given that, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.  And it's glorious.

[PASabreFan]

I see this behind a lot of what I read here: it's like we carry a bruise that transcends the actual games on the ice.

 

When OReilly throws off DeKeyser and wills the puck in the net, when Lehner saves the game by robbing Galchenyuk blind in overtime, when Eichel goes coast to coast to cap a three-goal comeback in Nashville — these are moments that should light us up, they are why we watch.

 

Instead, we react like disillusioned spouses: with a "yeah but..."

 

It makes me sad.

OK, but keep in mind this is a very narrow and eccentric cross-section of fans.

 

As for the general lifelessness of the fan base, also keep in mind what the franchise's philosophy has been since Terry took over, as mouthed by Darcy at the suffering presser: "It's not just about making the playoffs." It's about winning a Cup, and then winning another one, as Terry reportedly told John Murphy even before he became owner. That's fine. But the playoffs are awesome, even when you're one and done. We're not about that though. That's for the loser franchises like Montreal. Only the best will blow up our skirt now.

 

Promises were made. Can you blame people for feeling cheated?

Given the current political climate of the world, I don't want to spend time burying my head in the sand and pretending that nothing is happening. Every day I wake up to more horrible news. I want to discuss it with people I care about. I want to feel comfortable speaking my mind. I don't, so I'm very rarely here.

I don't think anyone believes the politics thread issue was handled well by the moderators or board owner. And now the whole thing has been forgotten, I guess. We're long past MLK Day, and we were told some decision would be made after the holidays. How did the telephone conference go?

 

It kind of invites someone to start a new politics thread. I mean, how else are we going to find out if it's allowed?

Edited January 28, 2017 by PASabreFan

[SwampD]

Yeah, I'm not sure that the elimination of the politics thread had the intended effect.  More the opposite, it seems.

While I don't miss the politics thread, the optics of having the board member who was the biggest critic of the last administration being the guy who now deletes any post that criticizes the current administration couldn't be worse. I admit that it has soured me a little to the board,... and again, I don't even miss the politics thread.

[Eleven]

OK, but keep in mind this is a very narrow and eccentric cross-section of fans.

 

As for the general lifelessness of the fan base, also keep in mind what the franchise's philosophy has been since Terry took over, as mouthed by Darcy at the suffering presser: "It's not just about making the playoffs." It's about winning a Cup, and then winning another one, as Terry reportedly told John Murphy even before he became owner. That's fine. But the playoffs are awesome, even when you're one and done. We're not about that though. That's for the loser franchises like Montreal. Only the best will blow up our skirt now.

 

Promises were made. Can you blame people for feeling cheated?

I don't think anyone believes the politics thread issue was handled well by the moderators or board owner. And now the whole thing has been forgotten, I guess. We're long past MLK Day, and we were told some decision would be made after the holidays. How did the telephone conference go?

 

It kind of invites someone to start a new politics thread. I mean, how else are we going to find out if it's allowed?

 

I believe PA can't see this, so someone please quote and reply to my comment.  I have reported the comment above--not because it is offensive or wrong or anything, but merely to draw the mods' and SDS's attention to the issue.  I think qwk has it right and that we should be able to discuss the state of affairs in this country with one another.  I wrote a detailed request for reinstatement of the politics thread or a new politics thread in my "report."

 

End of thread hijacking for me in this thread, I guess.

Edited January 28, 2017 by Eleven

[Sabres Fan in NS]

I believe PA can't see this, so someone please quote and reply to my comment.  I have reported the comment above--not because it is offensive or wrong or anything, but merely to draw the mods' and SDS's attention to the issue.  I think qwk has it right and that we should be able to discuss the state of affairs in this country with one another.  I wrote a detailed request for reinstatement of the politics thread or a new politics thread in my "report."

 

End of thread hijacking for me in this thread, I guess.

 

Hey, PA.

 

In case you can't see 11's post.  Here you go.

[TrueBlueGED]

I see this behind a lot of what I read here: it's like we carry a bruise that transcends the actual games on the ice.

 

When OReilly throws off DeKeyser and wills the puck in the net, when Lehner saves the game by robbing Galchenyuk blind in overtime, when Eichel goes coast to coast to cap a three-goal comeback in Nashville — these are moments that should light us up, they are why we watch.

 

Instead, we react like disillusioned spouses: with a "yeah but..."

 

It makes me sad.

The individual moments are great. But the problem is, unlike you, I don't see them as representative of a cohesive unit giving me hope. I see the great individual efforts as just that--great individual efforts. And more often than not, they aren't enough to overcome the rest of it, which I find almost unwatchable.

[darksabre]

My sources for good, quality streams have almost dried up, and I've put almost no effort into trying to find new ones. I "follow" the games on Twiiter now. They are almost on par with the Bills for me.

 

 

This is what happens when teams willfully throw away several seasons.

See, I actually went further this year. I bought NHL.tv and I pay for VPN service so I can watch Buffalo games in market on my laptop. But I mostly just have it on in the background while I read. I'll look up if something happens, but I'm not glued to the games anymore.

[Weave]

I believe PA can't see this, so someone please quote and reply to my comment.  I have reported the comment above--not because it is offensive or wrong or anything, but merely to draw the mods' and SDS's attention to the issue.  I think qwk has it right and that we should be able to discuss the state of affairs in this country with one another.  I wrote a detailed request for reinstatement of the politics thread or a new politics thread in my "report."

 

End of thread hijacking for me in this thread, I guess.

 

That might just lead to more vacations on my part.  the negativeness was pervasive.  Much less negative energy around here.

[inkman]

Promises were made. Can you blame people for feeling cheated?

 

I think anyone with a sound mind knows that a team owner simply cannot will a team to success. It comes through growth and building. They tore down the wobbly old foundation and have begun building a fortified structure. Some remodeling may be in order but the cement has been poured and load bearing beams in place.