Thorner

“What was the song? The sound of silence?”

I gotta say, Adams can’t really “end up right” about this, at least in so far as the central goal we’ve been talking about, which is making the playoffs. If we make it in year 5, or year 6, or year 7, it says nothing about the fact that teams, statistically, very rarely get to even 4 year playoff droughts (which makes sense mathematically given 50% make it). Only a handful of teams generally at any given time are at that level. Making it 5 years in would be a significantly below average league-relative course to take re: average timeline. I’ve mentioned this before, any sort of playoff appearance beyond this season is certainly “about time” territory. For the franchise, more than obviously, but specifically this regime. Now of course, this is just my view, and opinions aren’t (see: shouldn’t be) static. Adams CAN re-write the narrative. But at this point that would be way of willingly taking a exorbitantly long time to make the playoffs because the success we achieve once there was facilitated by it. Ie: 5 years to just make the playoffs is not “job well done” but if the payoff of that long road is deep playoff runs over the course of this team’s window, that’s a different story and of course that would reflect on the General Manager

You’d think then they’d feel they have plenty of statistical backing to go with a decision to let Levi develop in Rochester, pointing to Eric’s better AHL numbers as reason he should be up. How they are moving the goalies around just seems admittedly confusing to me. I guess it’s kind of what I was talking about, they feel Levi gives them their best chance to win, when a backup is in? But you’ve sort of talked me away from that stance to be honest and I more less agree with you at this point so..unless there really is some sort of agreement between Levi and the team to play at the NHL level. Adams should have an account here detailing this to us or at the very least be live tweeting about his thought process as much as other notable celebrities

Oh they definitely look great. Very impressive too considering almost everyone was calling for a rebuild. I just think this very easy extended stretch of games has also been a bit of a factor, too. I was also the guy clamouring for Hellebuyck if he was at all available when nearly no one else was so, I feel rather good in that as he’s been their best player I’m not sold on them as a playoff threat at all until I see it, the whole league tightens up defensively so with their advantage on that front somewhat mitigated I’m not sure their offence will get it done at that time, but it’s certainly wide open. You have to give them credit for an outstanding season thus far. Bowness needs some awards consideration

Primed for a sale A Chris Sale-type hockey equivalent, shut-down defender added to the top 4 of our rotation

Little easier to read: 5v5 goals for Winnipeg t-5th Buffalo t-5th Columbus t-5th Ottawa 8th 5v5 goals against Winnipeg 1st Buffalo 23rd Ottawa 28th Columbus 31st Points % Winnipeg (1st) Buffalo (26th) Columbus (28th) Ottawa (29th)

Columbus (28th) and Buffalo (26th) are tied for 5th (with Winnipeg (1st)) in 5 v 5 scoring. Ottawa (29th), is next. It doesn’t really seem to correlate to anything on its own, the defensive variable seems to MORE than offset it. Pretty interesting, tbh. Defensive ranks, 5 v 5 goals against? Winnipeg 1st Buffalo 23rd Ottawa 28th Columbus 31st If you had to guess the standings from a metric, take the inverse of goals against

This is the sort of thinking that’s unfortunately, almost subconsciously part of exceedingly low expectations being ingrained. There are assuredly multiple factors contributing to why the season has been a failure thus far: to try and boil it down to one factor and act like it’s “problem identified” would be a colossal mis-assessment. That’s where the low expectations come in. Our goals against is ranked 20th league wide. That’s not an issue? I guess it’s not, when if you get the perfect result you need from every position, you’ll finish 16th…which is sort of how we operate. If everything goes perfectly to plan and 6 players have career years at once, everything will be fine. It’s overall team D. It’s the power play. It’s even strength scoring (not specifically 5 V 5), it was the goaltending for the first 41 games..it’s the coaching..the record is reflective of several factors Multiple factors is how you get a 13 year streak when the odds are theoretically 50/50 every year

Will never forget my 8th grade social studies teacher who’d talk about interesting world events at start of every class (best teacher I had): ”It looks like Gore is going to win it.” It was actually that race that got me into US politics as a hobby

BREAKING I’m hearing word the race has been called and we have a projection for 13:

I’ll go with..after this season. That’s 4 seasons. I know we don’t want to go with 3 seasons because..then Botterill and Murray would need to be referred to as experienced GMs and somehow I don’t think they fit the desired connotation

44 points amassed in 46 games. We need 50 in the final 36.

Cackling Duff

Right. Score effects, especially in the 3rd. They just sat on it

I don’t know that I’ve seen my team enter a third period down by a goal and not told myself, “oh we can absolutely come back, just like Carolina”, since 2006 😐

Ray commenting on how slow Dylan’s shot was. I’m counting it

With Tampa’s clogging D, we’ll need: 1) a pp goal 2) a softie from Jonas

It’s the number 1 bullet point on KA’s “There and Running it Back Again: A GM’s Tale by Kevyn Adams” list for next year

Lightning aren’t even a playoff team by points %

That was the league’s best PP?

Need a big kill here. Trying to come back vs TBay’s D from 2 goals is hard enough

Well, ya me too

All Sabres fans are going through a continual-life crisis