You guys are crazy

[ofiba]

I actually LIKE the slump right now. You really wanted the team to go through the whole year never losing some games in a row? Never face any adversity? Never have to shake things up a little. Every team goes through slumps. Last year, in March, the Sabres had a stretch where they lost 8 out of 9 games, including a 6! game losing streak. (One was an overtime loss).

 

The point is, even the Sabres team last year, who everyone believes was good enough to win the cup last year, if not for a crazy amount of injuries, had some dark days. I'd rather the team get beat around a little bit and gain some humility, than to go into the playoffs thinking they are unbeatable, with every hockey talking head telling them they are a lock to win the cup.

 

Relax guys, it's a long season. Chris Drury said it best when he said they have to be careful not to get too high when they are winning and not get too low when they are losing.

[slapshot1619]

I somewhat agree with you there. Granted I'm not happy about the play as of late, but I'd rather the sabres do it now than in the playoffs. I'm more pissed that the amount of guys gliding through the last few weeks.

 

I think its pretty obvious that if Connolly Comes back some move has to be made so they should stop being cautious about spending over the cap and bring stafford and Paille up for a few games and sit some of the slackers for a few games. Since a move will have to be made anyways. When Hank (Tallinder) comes back, they should play Paetsch and sit Lydman or Spacek. Play Paille (Whom is skating his ass off) and Stafford and sit Vanek, Kotalik, and Pominville, basically anyonewho seems to be taking a few games off.(This would mean to play peters too) do this for a few games (2 or 3) and send these guys a message to wake up. Maybe keep the other two up for a few games if they can as a reminder to the currents. If you want to glide through games on the ice, there is someone waiting in the wings who wants to come up skate hard and give a full 60 mins not 40 of full go and 20 of total slack off time.

 

The only players I see on a nightly basis is Drury, Mair(Who May not put them in the net, but I never see him gliding around with his thumb up his ass on a given shift) Goose, and Paetsch. Everyone else I've seen at some point and time make stupid mistakes or skate very lazily all or most of a game. I know its impossible to skate hard 82 games of the year, but the majority of the team seems to be skating half assed lately. The fire they openned with in the first half of the season seems to have gone out and that needs to be relit and I think a good benching or 3 will do just that. This team is a good team and the panic button shouldn't pushed(we're still in first in the east after all), but this team needs a wakeup call.

[Kristian]

I actually LIKE the slump right now. You really wanted the team to go through the whole year never losing some games in a row? Never face any adversity? Never have to shake things up a little. Every team goes through slumps. Last year, in March, the Sabres had a stretch where they lost 8 out of 9 games, including a 6! game losing streak. (One was an overtime loss).

 

The point is, even the Sabres team last year, who everyone believes was good enough to win the cup last year, if not for a crazy amount of injuries, had some dark days. I'd rather the team get beat around a little bit and gain some humility, than to go into the playoffs thinking they are unbeatable, with every hockey talking head telling them they are a lock to win the cup.

 

Relax guys, it's a long season. Chris Drury said it best when he said they have to be careful not to get too high when they are winning and not get too low when they are losing.

 

What do you mean "slump right now"? This has gone on for over 2 months, regardless of what the standings say.

 

Uninspired, soft, "how's my hair?" hockey night after night. I don't see them learning anything from it either, which is what bothers me the most.

[bob_sauve28]

What do you mean "slump right now"? This has gone on for over 2 months, regardless of what the standings say.

 

Uninspired, soft, "how's my hair?" hockey night after night. I don't see them learning anything from it either, which is what bothers me the most.

We were in a slump in December when we went 9-4-1? Huh?

[LabattBlue]

I actually LIKE the slump right now.

We'll agree to disagree on statements like this. To me, you are just coming up with an excuse to justify the poor play over the last month. Since they won on New Year's day to extend a 4 game winning streak, the EFFORT of the team on most nights has been below average. If you think they can easily flip the on/off switch when it comes to effort and attitude, think again. Lindy needs to nip this in the bud ASAP. If he can't send anyone to the press box because of injuries and the salary cap, then send a message by nailing some to the bench for the majority of a game.

 

Let's face it, this team was built for the kind of games where no contact of any kind is allowed. Unfortunately come playoff time, this is not how the game is played. Early in the year, the Sabres play got everyone fired up to the point where you thought they were unstoppable. Now that the playoffs are drawing closer, reality is setting in regarding the makeup of this team.

[james duncan]

A slump where they played well and lost would be acceptable. They've flat out stopped playing for long stretches of the past 8 games or so and bad teams are exposing them. These two games were the gimme's of the 5 or 6 of the post all-star break. Undisciplined penalties, pathetic special teams, very soft forwards that are slow to backcheck, defensemen that are allergic to hitting and getting hit and a coach who seemingly fails to realize he's got a second goalie to spell the starter once in awhile are making this team tough to watch lately. (By the way Lindy, unless you show you can beat the trap, I suspect you'll see if just about every night so either get used to it and stop complaining about penalties OR figure out how to beat it.) Add that to a gm that MAY "tinker" with the roster this year? MAY? Come on Darcy, get in the game! Expecting Connolly to come back AND be the savior is simply not realistic. I pray he does but he had over a year to get ready for his return last year and was in the best shape of his life. That CAN'T be the case this year. And Tallinder is easily the best D-man on the squad and his return will help but that group really seems to be crying for a stand-up, character guy(aka McKee).

Sorry for the negativity guys; watching Superbowl 25 twice in the past four days may be partly to blame. But this team has seriously lost its MoJo (ohh behave...)

[Kristian]

We were in a slump in December when we went 9-4-1? Huh?

 

Winning doesn't mean you play well, and they haven't played well since October, no matter how many times you glare at the standings.

 

Fact is, they've haven't played well at all in over two months. I call that a slump, yes.

[inkman]

I actually LIKE the slump right now. You really wanted the team to go through the whole year never losing some games in a row? Never face any adversity? Never have to shake things up a little.

When exactly is that going to happen? The Sabres toughness has been called out by half the teams they play against, and yet they coast from game to game, apparently not having any pride or backbone. I'd feel a little better about the "slump" if an end were in sight.

[LabattBlue]

As much as I busted on Grier last year in regards to his offensive shortcomings, I would take him in a heartbeat for Kotalik right now. Whether it be at the trade deadline or in the offseason, Darcy has to address the lack of grit on this team.

[inkman]

As much as I busted on Grier last year in regards to his offensive shortcomings, I would take him in a heartbeat for Kotalik right now. Whether it be at the trade deadline or in the offseason, Darcy has to address the lack of grit on this team.

I really underestimated Grier, McKee and Dumont's grit as well. Essentially, their roles have been filled by Kotalik, Pominville and Spacek. Those would be the softest players on most teams but the Sabres are chock full of 'em.

[GrimFandango]

For those saying the slump has gone on for the past few weeks, or the past few months, i actually think back to the beginning of the season and the 10 game win streak when they looked pedestrian for several consecutive periods. They have been "slumping" all season, look back to all those two goal deficits we erased and you can see we played a period a night and most times, it was enough. They have only had a handful of 60 minute efforts (a game with minimal lapses for those literalists who say that a 60 minute effort is impossible). They have not looked good in most games they have played, but their superior skill has more than made up for their weak play.

 

My point being, they have looked like shite for 80% of their games this season, and guess what, they have won 70%. This team will look (play) a lot differently when the games actually matter. For all those flipping out at this point, take a drink, a pill, or whatever the hell it is you take after a long hard day, and gear up for an extended run in the playoffs... cup or no cup, we will be playing for at least 5 weeks into the post-season.

[LabattBlue]

For all those flipping out at this point, take a drink, a pill, or whatever the hell it is you take after a long hard day, and gear up for an extended run in the playoffs... cup or no cup, we will be playing for at least 5 weeks into the post-season.

I'm not so sure. I've said it before, this team is just as likely to go out in the first round as they are to winning the Cup. I'll be excited come playoff time, but refuse to go in with high expectations.

[PASabreFan]

I'm not so sure. I've said it before, this team is just as likely to go out in the first round as they are to winning the Cup. I'll be excited come playoff time, but refuse to go in with high expectations.

 

It's almost one of those situations where you say if they make it past the first round, they'll go all the way.

[DR HOLLIDAY]

We'll agree to disagree on statements like this. To me, you are just coming up with an excuse to justify the poor play over the last month.

 

Slumps happen, they are surely gonna happen during an 82 game season, this is no time to panic..........I remember last years slump and we came out of it big time.............Stay the course and this team will right itself, with Lindy's guidance............ :beer:

[zow2]

It's not so much the slump but Buffalo just doesn't look dominating anymore in any area. We actually made Columbus, the Isles and Boston look really good over the past few games. The Mair line is the only one that can maintain a consistent forecheck, the others get their one chance and then the other teams busts out with an odd man rush. The O does not finish anymore, the D is..for a lack of a better word.,,'s, and frankly, our goaltending has not "stolen" a game in ages. Miller is giving up 3rd period ties or leads on a regular basis and he is considered the best goalie in the League? Sorry Ryan, I think not.

 

whoever Buffalo plays in the 1st round will be very tough. The Sabres really miss McKee, Grier and Pyatt in the grit department.

[Bmwolf21]

I gotta be honest, I am sick of hearing "stay the course" "it's no big deal" "did you think we were going to go 82-0" and "they'll turn it on when the games count." This is a full-blown problem. Effort has been inconsistent (at best) for most of the season, even, as one poster noted above, during the streak to start the season. Lindy is obviously getting frustrated with the inconsistent effort - otherwise why would he tell the media that he started threatening guys with losing ice time (right before the break?)

 

As inkman noted, teams are calling us out physically, and we aren't/can't/won't respond. Don't give me that "you can't hit what you can't catch" crap either. For that to work, our frigging guys would have to actually skate once in a while and make teams try to keep up with them. When is the last time you saw the Sabres buzzing around in an opponents' zone, watching while the defense chased them around and had to take a dumb penalty to stop the onslaught - with any consistency? Maybe that 9-1 whooping we put on the Flyers?

 

Despite a shaky weekend, this slump can't be blamed on Miller. The team lets too many guys stand in front of his net, whacking away at rebounds while our defensemen call them names and ask them to stop. I am not going to call Ryan out after letting in a couple bad goals this weekend - he had a rough couple games, but he sure as hell wasn't the reason we lost, and he hasn't blown a bunch of 3rd-period leads this year (Sabres are now 24-3-2 when leading after 2.)

 

Like LaBatt, I also underestimated how much Grier, Dumont & McKee meant to the team's toughness and grit, and I hope Lindy & Darcy get something done to make this team tougher ASAP, otherwise we'll be singing that famous Buffalo song - there's always next year...

[Hawerchuk]

Doesn't matter how you finish in the standings, just make the playoffs and anything can happen. The Sabres were 7th seed in '99 and made it to gm 6 of the Finals before the "NO GOAL". Hell, they were 4th seed last season!

Finish the year strong and be strong in the playoffs and good things will happen. These slumps suck right now, but regroup and nobody will be thinking about Januarys lousy results come April.