What makes us different from Ottawa last year?

[KansasPat]

The Senators won a bunch of games by a ton of goals and had the best record in the East.

 

The Sabres are winning games in equally as impressive fashion, and will likely finish with the best record in the East.

 

Of course, suffering the same fate as the Sens last year would be a collosal disappointment.

 

I think the first answer to my question is Biron >>>>>>>>>>>>> Emery, so even if something happened to Miller as what happened to the Sens last year with Hasek, we're still good.

 

Are we really as lethal offensively as Ottawa was last year? Are our snipers better two-way players (can't help but think they are, and it's not even close)? Are we better coached? What makes this team different?

 

I know a little about hockey, but get past the box score and rules, and I'm lost. I know there are some on the board who can give a more detailed answer, with specifics, as to how we are different from Ottawa.

[Chilly]

Honestly, I think its coaching.

 

Our players are playing great, but its because all of them were hand picked to function in the system that we have. Its a fast team which relies on fast breaks to score, and also long, tape to tape passes. Our forwards have fortunately been finishing the 2 on 1 and 3 on 1 opportunities lately.

 

I didn't get to see a ton of Ottawa last year, so someone else correct me if I'm wrong on this, but Ottawa relied on their talent to dominate games. They are a bit bigger then the Sabres, and really relied on individual skill to put the puck in the net, rather then fast break opportunities. In the playoffs some of their big-name players didn't play as well as they should have (Alfredson immediately comes to mind) and it cost them a chance at going deep into the playoffs.

 

That being said, if for some reason our forwards forget how to score on our odd-man breaks, we would have a very tough time scoring goals, but so far this hasn't happened (and our speed and passing game creates enough chances to make up for it even if it did).

[SHAAAUGHT!!!]

Confidence. It doesn't matter if the Senators won every single regular season game. They still have to deal with the fact that they consistently underperformed in the playoffs.

 

The Sabres treated almost every game last year like the playoffs, so when they made it to the playoffs they were mentally prepared to be there (as mentioned above, coaching has a lot to do with this).

[gregkash]

Ottawa was a bunch of individuals in the same sweater.

 

Buffalo is a team.

 

That's why Ottawa lost last year. That's why we're better this year then we were last year. (as if that's not totally scary..)

 

another real good reason would be.

 

My ballsack is a better goalie than Emery.

 

And Gerber is slightly better than by ballsack.

[Chilly]

Ottawa was a bunch of individuals in the same sweater.

 

Buffalo is a team.

 

That's why Ottawa lost last year. That's why we're better this year then we were last year. (as if that's not totally scary..)

 

another real good reason would be.

 

My ballsack is a better goalie than Emery.

 

And Gerber is slightly better than by ballsack.

 

Hmm, I think that your ballsack might refuse to play after the first save, when it realizes that getting hit by 100mph pucks is not fun.

[fushetti]

coaching, goaltending, fans, pizzerias, wings over beavertails, announcements are in english only in our arena, and our slug can kick their senatorman's ass.

[Corp000085]

lindy ruff is the difference...

 

 

sure, our guys are more talented top to bottom... we play sound defense and don't rely on our goaltender at all... we've got better depth with biron than they had with emery... bla bla bla... lindy ruff is the reason why we're a better team. there's a million reasons why, but most are obvious. he's just the man

[DR HOLLIDAY]

Our Captains don't look like Krusty the Clown................ B-)

[ajflutie]

one thing that I bet is different is attitude - you see all the Sab's saying stuff like, we can play better, we still need to stop making this or that mistake, we have 82 games to play, etc, etc. All that is the right attitude, if it comes from Lindy or the C's or whoever, its good. I thought about that after seeing these quotes from another pretty successful team that just beat the Bills -

 

# QB Tom Brady: "I think we're getting better, making progress. If we can just keep it going we'll be all right."

 

# Coach Bill Belichick: "We can do a better job, but there has been improvement in every aspect of our game."

 

 

Not a bad model to follow if you ask me.........

[hopeleslyobvious]

lindy ruff is the difference...

sure, our guys are more talented top to bottom... we play sound defense and don't rely on our goaltender at all... we've got better depth with biron than they had with emery... bla bla bla... lindy ruff is the reason why we're a better team. there's a million reasons why, but most are obvious. he's just the man

 

Don't forget Drury and Briere. I think the Sabres leadership is better than Ottawa's.

 

The team has the ability to find the way to win a close game. Friday's game was a perfect example. Everything that could go wrong, did, bad turnover leading to a goal, 2 fluke goals, yet the team still found a way to win. I don't think Ottawa was ever really challenged like that last year during the regular season.

 

Also, losing in the ECF really seemed to focus this team even more than last year.

[LabattBlue]

Are there differences between Ottawa last year and Buffalo this year. Who knows?? All that matters is that you can go 82-0 in the regular season and come the playoffs get knocked off it round 1.

 

Bottom line...regardless of how things shape up come playoff time(please please please let the Sabres win a cup in my lifetime), it looks like it will be a heck of an exciting regular season.

 

 

GO SABRES!!!!!

[Strow]

I was gonna post a topic like this however I didn't want to think that far ahead towards the playoffs. I have 2 answers why this team will be different from the sens 1. Linday Ruff and 2. Chris Drury.

[BetweenThePipes00]

I think I mentioned this in another thread, but the real question is what makes the Sabres so different from the SABRES last year? The fast start may be like Ottawa's, but they are MUCH more likely to repeat their own history and still be a force in the playoffs than to somehow start acting like the Sens.

[apuszczalowski]

The Sens were a good team cause they were packed with Superstars that they relied on.

 

Once Hasek went down they were no longer dominant, and then when some of their stars started to struggle in the playoffs, no one was there to step up and take their place.

 

The Sabres rely on there entire team and not just a couple of superstars so if someone has a bad game, theres someone there to pick up the slack and cover.

 

Coaching also is much better. Players don't need umbrellas and faceshields to talk to the coach. :lol:

[SHAAAUGHT!!!]

I think I mentioned this in another thread, but the real question is what makes the Sabres so different from the SABRES last year? The fast start may be like Ottawa's, but they are MUCH more likely to repeat their own history and still be a force in the playoffs than to somehow start acting like the Sens.

 

I completely agree. The fact that Regier and Golisano kept this team together is paying dividends. I wonder how the small amount of roster changes sabres mgmt made in the offseason compares with that of other teams? If the numbers show a correlation can be made between the # of roster changes made and team success, general managers may start trying harder to keep a team together and developing from within the organization instead of landing 4 or 5 new players via trades or free agency.

[Vegas4BOC]

Actually, I feel the turning point for the Sabres last year was the 10-4 drubbing by Ottawa we suffered at HSBC Arena. Seems to me since that game, the Sabres have totally turned it around and it all started with Lindy. He is totally deserving of his his Coach of the Year honor that he received.

 

Does anyone know or have sat down and figured out what the Sabres record is since that game? I'd really be interested in seeing this. B-)

[Doohickie]

I didn't follow Ottawa through their streak at the beginning of the season, so I can't really compare. But what I'm seeing in the Sabres this year that makes them "scary good" is that they play within a system, but they don't have *a* system. They are flexible enough to adjust during games. So if tape-to-tape passes are not working, they play dump and chase. If dump and chase doesn't work, they play the passing game. If neither one works, they get physical.

 

They have a system for covering their responsibilities, but the system also allows for the creativity to make offense in many different ways, which is hard to defend against for a whole game.

 

It's like a football team that has a balanced passing and running offense. You can stop the one, but that opens up the other one. And because they roll 3-4 lines, they can throw change-ups from one shift to the next.

 

The other thing that makes them monsters this year has been discussed already with respect to Vanek: The Sabres do not sit back and wait; they *initiate*. They beat people to the puck and win the battles along the boards. They are getting enough rewards that the hard work is worth it, shift after shift.

[nfreeman]

The Sens were a good team cause they were packed with Superstars that they relied on.

 

Once Hasek went down they were no longer dominant, and then when some of their stars started to struggle in the playoffs, no one was there to step up and take their place.

 

The Sabres rely on there entire team and not just a couple of superstars so if someone has a bad game, theres someone there to pick up the slack and cover.

 

Coaching also is much better. Players don't need umbrellas and faceshields to talk to the coach. :lol:

 

I agree completely. During that series we had much better goaltending, coaching and team play. It might have been a different story had Dominik still been playing, but not necessarily.

 

FWIW, I continue to think the Senators completely butchered their offseason. I would have kept Chara over Redden and Havlat over Alfredsson, and I absolutely would have fired that uptight loser coach of theirs. That team lacked leadership and determination by the end of last year -- and that was BEFORE losing Chara and Havlat. I would have brought in a new coach with some fire and made one of the gritty guys (Neil or Shaefer?) the captain.

[Corp000085]

 

Don't forget Drury and Briere. I think the Sabres leadership is better than Ottawa's.

 

The team has the ability to find the way to win a close game. Friday's game was a perfect example. Everything that could go wrong, did, bad turnover leading to a goal, 2 fluke goals, yet the team still found a way to win. I don't think Ottawa was ever really challenged like that last year during the regular season.

 

Also, losing in the ECF really seemed to focus this team even more than last year.

 

 

on ice leadership is a huge comparison... we've got briere (2ot winners last year) and hockey god drury (1 ot winner)... they've got tinman alfredsson...

[LabattBlue]

There is one difference between Ottawa last year and Buffalo this year....We don't have anybody with smug mugs...

[MartyHavlatismyGOD]

Some of you seem to be planning the parade route a little too early. I will admit the sabres have been mighty impressive thus far. However we are only eight games in. The season is much too long to assume the position as the hockey gods of the universe (that right belongs to toronto anyways) after only 1/10th the season.

[Chilly]

Some of you seem to be planning the parade route a little too early. I will admit the sabres have been mighty impressive thus far. However we are only eight games in. The season is much too long to assume the position as the hockey gods of the universe (that right belongs to toronto anyways) after only 1/10th the season.

 

I don't believe that what you are saying is the tone of this thread.

 

This thread is more or less, "Why won't we have a meltdown like Ottawa did last year?".

 

Not, "Why shouldn't we already crown the Sabres the Stanley Cup Champions?" I think anyone from here would tell you the same thing - because theres a friggin long season to be played.

[MLH]

I hate the comparison between the two teams as I find it totally inaccurate. I'm sure most, if not all, of my points have been touched on, but...

 

1) Secondary scoring. The Sens Cash (Alfie-Heatley-Spezza) Line was on fire most of last year. They were drawing some recognition as the best line ever assembled at one point. However, they didn't really have a ton of secondary scoring. Some nice role players (Fisher, Smoke, Vermette, Eaves, Schaefer), but no one that legitimately scares you. The Sabres have three different offensive lines that can beat you on any given night. The current NHL goal-scoring leader is on our third best offensive line. Think about that.

 

2) Goaltending. The Sens' season rested on Hasek's groin, which is about as reliable as Paris Hilton's recent vow of abstinence. Emery's numbers in the regular season were far from awful, but no one ever honestly believed that Ray Emery could carry a team throughout the playoffs. It was only a matter of time before Hasek got hurt. We have an elite goalie and no sound reasoning to believe he'll get hurt. Plus, we have the luxury of having one of the NHL's best backup goaltenders. There's no team in the league in a better spot between the cages.

 

3) Coaching. Brian Murray has never gotten out of the second round and he's had plenty of good teams. He can never seem to get everything out of his team when it matters most. He's a notorious underachiever. We have the best coach in the NHL that specializes in motivating his players and diverting negative attention when necessary. He's coming off a Jack Adams campaign where his team broke their franchise wins record and he's been to three of the past eight Eastern Conference Finals.

 

4) Leadership and Egos. Alfredsson has had his own troubles in the postseason and has failed to come through a couple of untimely guarantees. Spezza may be the most arrogant player in the NHL and frequently gives opponents bulletin board material. Little needs to be said about Hasek's ego. Heatley isn't the best lockerrrom guy in the world. Fisher looks to be the closest thing they have to a true captain, but he was fairly young last season. I'm sure they're hoping he steps up this year. We seem to have a solid core of leadership amongst the players with Drury leading the pack. There are very few big egos in the Buffalo dressing room.

 

5) History. I don't think it's a coincidence that some teams consistently can't get it done in the playoffs. Media pressure plays a huge role. Murray and his reputation for springtime failure was a hot topic last year. Alfredsson's past guarantees lead the press to hound him for more. His poor play in the playoffs made him a popular scapegoat in Ottawa. They have the reputation of being underachievers. I really think this weighs on a team. We all know how players get when they're gripping the sticks too tight. Past early exits collectively has this effect on Ottawa. They don't put losses behind them and the pressure builds after every game. That (and poor management) is why you see so many teams with long streaks of futility. Think about the pre-2004 pressure on the Red Sox or the current media and the feeding frenzy on the Leafs when they're in the postseason. It's relentless.

[Spandrel]

I don't believe that what you are saying is the tone of this thread.

 

This thread is more or less, "Why won't we have a meltdown like Ottawa did last year?".

 

Not, "Why shouldn't we already crown the Sabres the Stanley Cup Champions?" I think anyone from here would tell you the same thing - because theres a friggin long season to be played.

 

 

Yeah, Buffalo sports fans are waaaaayyyy to snake-bitten ever to have the presumption of anything. I think the intent of the thead was cautionary more than anything. The only parallel is the fast start both teams got off to, and whether what happened to Ottawa last year could happen to Buffalo this year. I know I'm giddy with this start, but as a 30-year Buffalo sports fan that has had to survive 4 SuperBowl losses, the Crease, and the Music City Snow Job, I have learned to only expect disappointment (and, oh yeah, I'm also a Cubs fan, yay me).

[wjag]

The Sabres have three different offensive lines that can beat you on any given night. The current NHL goal-scoring leader is on our third best offensive line. Think about that.

 

 

Maybe its high time to rethink who the number 1, 2 and 3 lines are. I know it's early, but the three line should at least be the two line and maybe...

 

Welcome Back MartyHavlatIsMyGod... Just to echo what the others have said, we ain't won jack and we know it. We live with that fact every day. We have two eternal sayings in Buffalo that epitomize our sports legacy to date "Wide-Right" and "No Goal". But at 8-0 we are definitely enjoying the ride that ended a series too early from last year.