Lindy is happy

[bob_sauve28]

And what about the 9 teams ahead of Buffalo? Don't there players mature and get better? Look at the core of Philly, Pitt and Washington. Those players are younger then Buffalo's and obviously already more talented. Do you for some reason believe that other team's players have hit their plateau while Buffalo's improve enough to beat them?

I'm just being realistic. We are not going to win the cup this year, but I hope we can get better and pass a few teams. If I was running the show and we moved up three places in the standings, won a playoff series, then I'd see that as a good season.

 

How exactly would you propose we make ourselves better than Pittsburg, Philly and Washington? This ought to be interesting B-)

[carpandean]

I'm just being realistic. We are not going to win the cup this year, but I hope we can get better and pass a few teams. If I was running the show and we moved up three places in the standings, won a playoff series, then I'd see that as a good season.

Wasn't there a poll at the start of last season about what would constitute a "good season" for the team? I believe that the bolded part was the answer for many people.

[bob_sauve28]

Wasn't there a poll at the start of last season about what would constitute a "good season" for the team? I believe that the bolded part was the answer for many people.

And there are the others who think that if you don't win the cup your seasons a failure. Why even be a fan if that's your attitude?

[SabreFan78]

Another season of mediocrity starts in October! :death:

[FearTheReaper]

We do have a promising core. But heres the problem,its a select group of players. It is not a promising team as a whole. And the elements that keep it from becoming a promising team are a number of players defined as deadweight,and an organization that fails to remove them.

 

Players like Max,Hank,and Hecht hold back the team. They dont give anything but a negative effect. And they withhold the potential of the team. If management was abel to replace these guys with proven players,we would be looking at a contender here in B Lo.

 

Losing Spacek and adding Montador makes this team worse. And until Max walks, and Tallinder and Hecht are removed, my expectations will remain low as they have been since july 2007.

[FearTheReaper]

And there are the others who think that if you don't win the cup your seasons a failure. Why even be a fan if that's your attitude?

 

Nice point. I dont expect a cup contender here for at least 2 to 3 more seasons. I just want a team i can get excited about,and a team that wants to compete and give there best. I shouldn't have to judge that the team is playing poorly and decide not to watch 2 to 3 games a week as i did at the tail end of last season. Show me you want to win every night,and i'll join the emotional roller coaster ride reminescent of seasons past. Give up on the game in the middle of the second period and i'm not watching the next game. Its as simple as that.

[SabreFan78]

Nice point. I dont expect a cup contender here for at least 2 to 3 more seasons. I just want a team i can get excited about,and a team that wants to compete and give there best. I shouldn't have to judge that the team is playing poorly and decide not to watch 2 to 3 games a week as i did at the tail end of last season. Show me you want to win every night,and i'll join the emotional roller coaster ride reminescent of seasons past. Give up on the game in the middle of the second period and i'm not watching the next game. Its as simple as that.

 

well said

[wjag]

I've never been a Lindy apologist. I'm neutral on his ability.

 

I look at the team the last couple of years and IMO they are only truly weak in two areas:

 

1. Defensive zone draws to kill a penalty and offensive zone draws to sustain a PP or zone possession. Moore** helps. One more center that can win a draw is VERY important to improving. I sacrifice Paille's spot to this person. Get this person and move Hecht back to the wing.

 

2. Backup goal tender. I actually don't think they are weak as much as I think their strategy for tag-teaming their play is.

 

 

The last two seasons would have been very different if the results of a handful of games were different. Last year especially the losses after having a two-goal lead were season killers.

 

I actually think this team is good enough to compete for playoff spots 4-8. They would need some real good play to compete for 1-3. I just don't see 1-3 happening this year, but 4-8, sure.

 

**This also presumes they resign Moore. This analysis not intended for home use.. Your mileage may vary.. Restrictions apply... Always consult a doctor before undertaking a season-long viewing viewing of the Sabres as it may result in high/low blood pressure... Certain side effects, although mild, like vomiting may occur after watching certain games...

[X. Benedict]

I've never been a Lindy apologist. I'm neutral on his ability.

 

I look at the team the last couple of years and IMO they are only truly weak in two areas:

 

1. Defensive zone draws to kill a penalty and offensive zone draws to sustain a PP or zone possession. Moore** helps. One more center that can win a draw is VERY important to improving. I sacrifice Paille's spot to this person. Get this person and move Hecht back to the wing.

 

2. Backup goal tender. I actually don't think they are weak as much as I think their strategy for tag-teaming their play is.

The last two seasons would have been very different if the results of a handful of games were different. Last year especially the losses after having a two-goal lead were season killers.

 

I actually think this team is good enough to compete for playoff spots 4-8. They would need some real good play to compete for 1-3. I just don't see 1-3 happening this year, but 4-8, sure.

I agree with all of this.

[tom webster]

I'm just being realistic. We are not going to win the cup this year, but I hope we can get better and pass a few teams. If I was running the show and we moved up three places in the standings, won a playoff series, then I'd see that as a good season.

 

How exactly would you propose we make ourselves better than Pittsburg, Philly and Washington? This ought to be interesting B-)

 

You make yourself better by taking chances, being realistic in your evaluation of your own talent and being willing to package some promising talent for a player that may put you over the top. Over valuing your own talent is what has gotten the Sabres to this point. You need superstars to win in this league. I can think of no Cup winner in recent memory that employed the three or four equal lines and four equal defensemen approach.

This team has some talent and may even have some capable of being stars ( Miller, Vanek, Myers and Butler) but you need management not afraid to make mistakes and understanding the whole risk/ reward thing if you hope to compete for the Cup.

Finally, for the record, I loved the two seasons following the lock out and I believe that one of the great injustices that has resulted from them allowing that team to unravel is that it has allowed people to dismiss those two teams as lucky and overrated because of what has happened to some of the players after they left Buffalo. What those of us who payed team sports know is that championship building is a process and a team is usually greater then the sum of its parts. Dynasties like the Red Wings started with a few years of playoff failures before they became the juggernaut they are today and while we will never know how the Sabres would have developed if their roster was properly tweaked and managed, to call them a failure is a true injustice and in my humble opinion, a statement lacking any foundation in truth.

[bob_sauve28]

You make yourself better by taking chances, being realistic in your evaluation of your own talent and being willing to package some promising talent for a player that may put you over the top. Over valuing your own talent is what has gotten the Sabres to this point. You need superstars to win in this league. I can think of no Cup winner in recent memory that employed the three or four equal lines and four equal defensemen approach.

This team has some talent and may even have some capable of being stars ( Miller, Vanek, Myers and Butler) but you need management not afraid to make mistakes and understanding the whole risk/ reward thing if you hope to compete for the Cup.

Finally, for the record, I loved the two seasons following the lock out and I believe that one of the great injustices that has resulted from them allowing that team to unravel is that it has allowed people to dismiss those two teams as lucky and overrated because of what has happened to some of the players after they left Buffalo. What those of us who payed team sports know is that championship building is a process and a team is usually greater then the sum of its parts. Dynasties like the Red Wings started with a few years of playoff failures before they became the juggernaut they are today and while we will never know how the Sabres would have developed if their roster was properly tweaked and managed, to call them a failure is a true injustice and in my humble opinion, a statement lacking any foundation in truth.

I'm missing your point here. Are you saying we should have thrown money at Briere--who is always injured--Drury, McKee, Campbell and let Roy, Vanek, Pomminstein and Hecht go? What did you want done differently?

 

I think the more complaints I hear about Darcy Regier the more I respect his decisions.

[X. Benedict]

You make yourself better by taking chances, being realistic in your evaluation of your own talent and being willing to package some promising talent for a player that may put you over the top. Over valuing your own talent is what has gotten the Sabres to this point. You need superstars to win in this league. I can think of no Cup winner in recent memory that employed the three or four equal lines and four equal defensemen approach.

 

I would put Carolina in there...but I like the point.

 

The recent contracts given to ex-Sabres often have me wondering if Sabres players aren't undervalued. Anyway, a debatable point but one I'm glad you mention.

 

 

 

This team has some talent and may even have some capable of being stars ( Miller, Vanek, Myers and Butler) but you need management not afraid to make mistakes and understanding the whole risk/ reward thing if you hope to compete for the Cup.

Finally, for the record, I loved the two seasons following the lock out and I believe that one of the great injustices that has resulted from them allowing that team to unravel is that it has allowed people to dismiss those two teams as lucky and overrated because of what has happened to some of the players after they left Buffalo. What those of us who payed team sports know is that championship building is a process and a team is usually greater then the sum of its parts. Dynasties like the Red Wings started with a few years of playoff failures before they became the juggernaut they are today and while we will never know how the Sabres would have developed if their roster was properly tweaked and managed, to call them a failure is a true injustice and in my humble opinion, a statement lacking any foundation in truth.

 

I often wonder how Zetterburg would be perceived on another club.

[red]

Nice point. I dont expect a cup contender here for at least 2 to 3 more seasons. I just want a team i can get excited about,and a team that wants to compete and give there best. I shouldn't have to judge that the team is playing poorly and decide not to watch 2 to 3 games a week as i did at the tail end of last season. Show me you want to win every night,and i'll join the emotional roller coaster ride reminescent of seasons past. Give up on the game in the middle of the second period and i'm not watching the next game. Its as simple as that.

 

I agree.

 

My main concern is that fans continue to flock and remain loyal to a management group that disregards all of the above to solely make money.

 

Only 1 team can win the Cup every year, and not winning it certainly does not make the season or a team a failure.

 

But you've gotta atleast try...

[red]

I'm missing your point here. Are you saying we should have thrown money at Briere--who is always injured--Drury, McKee, Campbell and let Roy, Vanek, Pomminstein and Hecht go? What did you want done differently?

 

I think the more complaints I hear about Darcy Regier the more I respect his decisions.

 

Yes to your Briere, Drury, McKee, and Campbell question.

 

Yes to Roy. Yes to JP DuMont. Yes to Vanek and Pomminstein. I also say yes to Hecht as before management allowed DuMont and Briere to go, Hecht was on the #1 line and that line was one of the top in the league. Breaking up his 2 linemates in 2 consecutive seasons has hurt Hecht more than anything and I don't think many people realize this.

 

No to Kotalik, Kalinin, Afinogenov, and Tallinder. No to Peters.

[tom webster]

I'm missing your point here. Are you saying we should have thrown money at Briere--who is always injured--Drury, McKee, Campbell and let Roy, Vanek, Pomminstein and Hecht go? What did you want done differently?

 

I think the more complaints I hear about Darcy Regier the more I respect his decisions.

 

 

Once again the revisionist history that suggest it was Darcy's "decision" to dismantle the team. In fact, it was lack of decisions and poor forecasting that dismantled this team. I'm not going to get into that old argument about what should have been done but those assets, if handed properly could have been used to retool the team on the run.

Suffice to say that there is no way the plan was to dismantle a President's trophy team and finish 10th two years in a row and enter the third year in desparation mode knowing that if they finish 10th again the Darcy and Lindy show will come to an end.

[nfreeman]

You make yourself better by taking chances, being realistic in your evaluation of your own talent and being willing to package some promising talent for a player that may put you over the top. Over valuing your own talent is what has gotten the Sabres to this point. You need superstars to win in this league. I can think of no Cup winner in recent memory that employed the three or four equal lines and four equal defensemen approach.

This team has some talent and may even have some capable of being stars ( Miller, Vanek, Myers and Butler) but you need management not afraid to make mistakes and understanding the whole risk/ reward thing if you hope to compete for the Cup.

Finally, for the record, I loved the two seasons following the lock out and I believe that one of the great injustices that has resulted from them allowing that team to unravel is that it has allowed people to dismiss those two teams as lucky and overrated because of what has happened to some of the players after they left Buffalo. What those of us who payed team sports know is that championship building is a process and a team is usually greater then the sum of its parts. Dynasties like the Red Wings started with a few years of playoff failures before they became the juggernaut they are today and while we will never know how the Sabres would have developed if their roster was properly tweaked and managed, to call them a failure is a true injustice and in my humble opinion, a statement lacking any foundation in truth.

 

Once again the revisionist history that suggest it was Darcy's "decision" to dismantle the team. In fact, it was lack of decisions and poor forecasting that dismantled this team. I'm not going to get into that old argument about what should have been done but those assets, if handed properly could have been used to retool the team on the run.

Suffice to say that there is no way the plan was to dismantle a President's trophy team and finish 10th two years in a row and enter the third year in desparation mode knowing that if they finish 10th again the Darcy and Lindy show will come to an end.

2 excellent posts.

[Claude_Verret]

Expecting younger players to grow and mature isn't insane

 

Of course it isn't, but not recognizing the need for some veteran leadership to complement their development is.

[Sabre Dance]

I agree.

 

My main concern is that fans continue to flock and remain loyal to a management group that disregards all of the above to solely make money.

 

Only 1 team can win the Cup every year, and not winning it certainly does not make the season or a team a failure.

 

But you've gotta at least try...

 

Well, not winning the Cup does not make the season (or team) a COMPLETE failure. Winning the Cup needs to be every team's goal (stated or unstated) at the beginning of every season. Otherwise, why play at all? If you are an NHL GM or coach, do you say to yourself "I'll be satisfied if the team just wins 5 more games this season and makes it to the first round of the playoffs."? (Well, maybe if you work in Buffalo).

What the Sabres' organization is apparently trying to do this season can be compared to Mr. Spock trying to "build a mnemonic memory circuit using stone knives and bearskins." Except Darcy is no Mr. Spock.......