Anyone still holding out hope for the playoffs this year?

[mjd1001]

Just curious if anyone thinks the playoffs are still even possible?

 

-Team now has the worst record in the conference, and the worst goal differential in the conference through 14 games.

 

-IF we go on a standard assumption that 95 points make the playoffs (sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't), the Sabres need 85 points in 65 games. That is a 107 or 108 pace for the rest of the year (82 game pace)

 

It HAS been done in the past, hasn't it?  where teams have started out this slow and made the playoffs?  Just wondering how many people still think it is possible, vs how many people think this team is seriously lacking talent and want another high draft pick this year instead.

[Eleven]

Nope.  And I think that I'm not renewing my tickets for next year.  I've had enough.  I keep spending on the hope that I'll be able to go to playoff games when they get there.  The reality is that I'm spending a lot more than it would cost to purchase playoff tickets on the secondary market, and that I could still get to 5-6 games a season anyway.

[Weave]

[GASabresIUFAN]

I was just about to post the Mora video.

[mjd1001]

Nope.  And I think that I'm not renewing my tickets for next year.  I've had enough.  I keep spending on the hope that I'll be able to go to playoff games when they get there.  The reality is that I'm spending a lot more than it would cost to purchase playoff tickets on the secondary market, and that I could still get to 5-6 games a season anyway.

 

I was just talking to my cousin last week about this very topic....he has had season tickets for a few years.

 

For the last couple of years, he has said he'd almost rather watch the game at home on the big screen HDTV than to go to the arena for most games, but he loves opening night and wants to be there for the playoffs for the atmosphere.  He's justified selling about half of his seasons to co-workers or anywhere on the secondary market...but he told me he is losing money on that.

 

His conclusion to me this week...EVEN If the team gets good he's dropping season tickets no matter what. If that means he misses the first game or series when they do make the playoffs, hes fine with it, and eventually he'll drastically overpay to see a few playoff games on the open market rather than keep paying for seasons he can't use or sell now, in addition to the parking, food, drive downtown and back when he works the next day, etc.

[eman]

Nope, we'll be completely out of it by month's end. )Again!) Hockey heaven ladies and gentlemen!

[Neo]

Anything’s possible and has been done before. It can happen.

 

However, if I’m evaluating the roster, I believe the earliest we can be a playoff contender is 2019/2020. Even that would require good moves going forward.

 

We needed Reinhart and Nylander, two NHL caliber players to be sure, to be a step above where I see their current ceilings. In short, they needed to be impact players. I’m not seeing that. Further, we needed some two among Fasching, Bailey, Baptiste, Cornell, etc., to be Reinhart level players. We missed a few while tanking. We did it while saddling ourselves with a few contracts that, while seemingly benign at the time, have tied our hands in the present.

 

Recognizing that I may expose myself to criticism from the many learned, I see Jack as a great player, but a cut below the other greats that entered the league in the same draft period. He’s great, but he’ll not lift a team by himself. Something about hating to lose, but not refusing to lose. He’s young. There’s hope. Hope is not a strategy.

 

Lastly, goaltending is a problem at the NHL and developmental pipeline levels.

 

In the meantime, I’ll trust the organizational process and look for improvement and exciting, competitive, hockey to arrive.

Edited November 5, 2017 by Neo

[darksabre]

I predicted we'd fall short and I'm sticking with it.

[Jacque Richard]

Zero chance

[bunomatic]

No. I don't even see the odd positive sign with this club. We've taken the big step back that some predicted for our rebuild. Sadly it usually goes one step forward, two steps back for a sad sack organization such as this. And make no mistake. Thats what this team is.

I would feel differently if I saw a never say die attitude out of this group but there doesn't seem to be even a whimper.   

[3putt]

I was never of the belief that we were a playoff team this year. New coach, a lot of dead contracts. I had hoped that we would see a more progressive lineup with younger players in roles suited to helping our core players. Housley does not seem inclined to do that. The Kane Eichel combo is frustrating. They are not well suited to play together. Our D is a trainwreck. Not many options to make that better in the short term. What can be done in the short term, is having more speed and ability, yes ability on the fourth line. Housley preaches an aggressiveness from the d that falls apart when Moulson and Nolan are on the ice. They repeatedly turn the puck over in our zone and cause lengthy spells where we are getting shelled. The system can’t work if it has to change when they are on the ice. Goaltending is an issue. To win you need to take chances. When you get caught there is no confidence the gt will bail them out. They play waiting for the other shoe to drop. I also see to many times that they are watching the play instead of reacting to the play and doing the right thing. For example too many times they lose possession in our zone and do not try and get it back. They watch the opposition cycle and immediately form an umbrella. At ES strength there is no reason to lay back they need to attack the puck carrier.

 

They could use some healthy bodies back in the lineup but I still think those contracts and the refusal to sit Moulson and Nolan will continue to hamper this team.

[CallawaySabres]

This is not a team losing because of bad goaltending or bounces not going their way, they flat out suck. Eichel does not even impress me anymore.....good, not great.

 

These guys are minimum 2 years from seeing 8th

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Yes.

 

I am always hopeful, which is not the same as thinking that they will make it.

 

Until they are actually eliminated I will always hope.

[Cityo'Rasmii]

^^^^ same here

[WildCard]

I doubt we even go .500

[Doohickie]

Nope, we'll be completely out of it by month's end. )Again!) Hockey heaven ladies and gentlemen!

 

But at this point, you're saying there's still a chance?

[Thorny]

Just curious if anyone thinks the playoffs are still even possible?

 

-Team now has the worst record in the conference, and the worst goal differential in the conference through 14 games.

 

-IF we go on a standard assumption that 95 points make the playoffs (sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't), the Sabres need 85 points in 65 games. That is a 107 or 108 pace for the rest of the year (82 game pace)

 

It HAS been done in the past, hasn't it?  where teams have started out this slow and made the playoffs?  Just wondering how many people still think it is possible, vs how many people think this team is seriously lacking talent and want another high draft pick this year instead.

 

 

We aren't making the playoffs. Our league-worst streak will continue, because that's where the franchise is at right now: futility.

 

I am not however looking towards the draft and hoping for a high pick. Much, much more beneficial for the team's future outlook would be to see the team start to turn the corner this year and win some games. I'll hope for that.

 

Anything’s possible and has been done before. It can happen.

However, if I’m evaluating the roster, I believe the earliest we can be a playoff contender is 2019/2020. Even that would require good moves going forward.

We needed Reinhart and Nylander, two NHL caliber players to be sure, to be a step above where I see their current ceilings. In short, they needed to be impact players. I’m not seeing that. Further, we needed some two among Fasching, Bailey, Baptiste, Cornell, etc., to be Reinhart level players. We missed a few while tanking. We did it while saddling ourselves with a few contracts that, while seemingly benign at the time, have tied our hands in the present.

Recognizing that I may expose myself to criticism from the many learned, I see Jack as a great player, but a cut below the other greats that entered the league in the same draft period. He’s great, but he’ll not lift a team by himself. Something about hating to lose, but not refusing to lose. He’s young. There’s hope. Hope is not a strategy.

Lastly, goaltending is a problem at the NHL and developmental pipeline levels.

In the meantime, I’ll trust the organizational process and look for improvement and exciting, competitive, hockey to arrive.

Perfectly stated.

 

The single most depressing thing about the state of our rebuild is that they've effectively wasted Eichel's cheap ELC years, and realistically it's looking like we'll be well into his prime years when we are competing for just a playoff spot. He's a 10 million dollar player next year. That's a shockingly poor start to Eichel's tenure here on a team level, and a huge waste. To say nothing of what the timeline will leave behind of the primes of O'Reilly and others. Okposo's has already been left in the dust.

 

No matter which timeline we envision for these guys now, a portion of the roster will certainly not be maximized. Due to Murray's effort to jump-start the rebuild, our roster is a jigsaw puzzle of mismatched pieces. If Botterill is being realistic, he's knows a slow, slow build back to prominence is the most likely strategy to succeed. Does that mean that ideally Botterill trades the likes of ROR, Okposo, Kane, etc?

 

If we accept that it's going to be a few years before we are realistically contending for a playoff spot, it's tough to envision much being left of the primes of those guys if we do keep them. Will they be anchors like the Moulsons and Bogosians of today? The cycle has to be reset or we may find ourselves in a endless one of ineptitude.

 

Your move, Botterill. They're paying you the $ to figure this out.

[LTS]

After the first 15 or so games played last year the Sabres sat 1 point behind Nashville and Toronto in the standings.  Both of those teams made the playoffs.  (The Predators and Leafs had 15 points).  The season ended with 95 for the Leafs and 94 for the Preds.

 

So, yes, I do have hope that they will make it.  However, I don't think they will make it so long as 3 of the starting D are coming from the group of Falk, Fedun, Tennyson, Bealieu, and Antipin.  In reality there should be 1 spot and at most 2 for that group. 

 

I never thought they would do more than battle for 8th.  They'll need to turn things around and they're going to have to find serenity in their defensive zone.

[Thorny]

What is the deal with Bogosian? Did Botterill just tell him to stay home? Unlikely, as he was oddly given an "A" to start the season. Did they know at that time how apparently significant his injury is? I haven't heard a single morsel of info about his recovery. He was listed as day to day, and it looks like he isn't going to play this season in 2017.

[biodork]

I opened this thread specifically for this reason.  :thumbsup:

[Pokey Jones]

Nope. I'm actually hoping for a roster cleaning. Only hope I have for changing the culture for next year. 

[French Collection]

As Neo stated, hope is not a strategy, but it's all I've got. I've been behind them for too long to change now. It's just PAINFUL to watch.

 

We do have dumb and dumber odds of making it, but until we are 10-12 points out of contention I will hope.

 

If I lived near Buffalo I would probably have seasons tickets, but that is because I am retired and love watching hockey.

[inkman]

Nope. I'm actually hoping for a roster cleaning. Only hope I have for changing the culture for next year.

So who is the cancer?

[Iron Crotch]

I don't see playoffs for a couple more years.

 

IMHO, our roster just isn't very good. We have below-average defensemen, average (below average?) goaltending. We have some good forwards, but not much depth up front. Our new GM has a ton of work to do. And, just because we have a new GM doesn't mean he is any better than the two before him.

 

[WildCard]