A silver lining.

[Eleven]

While six core players are out, the Sabres aren't desparate for wins, meaning we fans can sit back, relax, and enjoy watching some prospects play in the big league.

[jerryg]

I'm not too happy about the injuries, but to an etent I do agree. We don't have the luxury of carrying extra plyers to sit in the press boxx this year that you can put in for a game or two to give some spark to the team, rest a player AND get a youngster some experience. it willbe a big plus to see Stafford, MacArthur et al get some playing time in to see who might be ready next year to step up and replace someone on the roster...or not.

[wjag]

While six core players are out, the Sabres aren't desparate for wins, meaning we fans can sit back, relax, and enjoy watching some prospects play in the big league.

Not me.

 

We have an incredible amount of game-time experience on the pine and we are forced to go with potentially talented, but unproven personnel. Too boot, we are digging deeper into the farm system than I am comfortable with. We can no longer be considered the favorites to win each night when we are playing our farm team against our opponents NHL teams. Stafford is not a replacement for Max, MacArthur is not a replacement for Kotalik, Sekara/Ryan is not a replacement for Spacek. Buffalo will be putting all ten fingers in the to survive these next six weeks and hold a reasonable position. And if the injury bug strikes again, we are looking at potentially real core guys going down.

 

I put my brave face on like many, but at some point you have got to admit that this is really changing the gameplan and face of the Sabres as we restock with less talented players. And who is to say that when these guys do come back that their game is back as well and that their line chemistry can be restored? At best, it is wishful thinking. It's one thing to plug in one guy, but five starters is quite another. That first series is going to be critical to re-establishing line chemistry.

 

I for one am holding my breath and hoping for the best. Not panicking; but, I am preparing for some positional slide. I hope I am wrong, but I think it is inevitable. My B team won't beat your A team consistently.

[Doohicksie]

I think Stafford is here to stay... and with increased playing time that will become more and more obvious. I'm starting to get excited in that crazy, desperate way I did last year when these no-names got to the conference finals and almost pulled it off. I think they will really do it this year; they will have a deep enough bench with the experience the kids are getting right now. Once the injury situation clears up there will be a big shot in the arm when Connolly, Novotny, Spock, etc., come back. I think they will SCREAM into, and through, the playoffs.

[Stoner]

Once the injury situation clears up there will be a big shot in the arm when Connolly, Novotny, Spock, etc., come back. I think they will SCREAM into, and through, the playoffs.

 

When is that situation going to clear up exactly? That's the problem. You think the injuries are done? The bug has lasted one whole regular season, an entire playoff season and most of another regular season. This is a small, soft team whose players are starting to accumulate injuries, for some of the guys one on top of the other. The league has already figured out to bang the Sabres around. And the Sabres don't deal with it too well. Beyond that, there's some terrible luck in play (McKee, Gaustad, etc.). Other than all that, I feel pretty good about their chances. :)

[DWarner]

Just because injuries are happening now, does not mean they will not happen in the playoffs or the next few weeks. If anything, it means some players may rush back and have the injury flare up. Now we don't really have the option of sitting a few extra days to make sure a player is 100% before they come back.