Mixed results at the quarter pole...

[shrader]

Hey!! I resemble that remark.. :rolleyes: But hey, they ARE going to beat Montreal no matter what Inkman says!

 

Hey, I'm one of the mostly positive people most of the time. I blame missing much of last season for that.

[shrader]

Don't get me wrong, it's been fun so far watching them win. But it's not really "the sky is falling" when, even though we are winning, you see the same issues we have seen for 5 years (yes, I said five). Issues that, come playoff time (if there is a playoff time) will become a problem.

 

Yeah, this is the kind of level headed assessment that shouldn't cause any of those "all you do is complain" reactions. There's definitely some warning signs with this team, so I have no problem with people not feeling all that great about them, especially during that 0-3-1 run. They are a very similar team to those last two seasons, so they could easily go down that path again. But then again, those few changes may be enough to correct that. Hopefully that's the case. We'll see soon enough.

[deluca67]

Don't get me wrong, it's been fun so far watching them win. But it's not really "the sky is falling" when, even though we are winning, you see the same issues we have seen for 5 years (yes, I said five). Issues that, come playoff time (if there is a playoff time) will become a problem.

Is being concerned with the Sabres 1.63 goals per game 5 on 5 and the 2.67 per game which is 19th overall and slightly better that the Leafs 2.65 considered as the "sky is falling?"

[nfreeman]

He just needs to remember it's not the size of the post.

 

Are people willing to seriously argue that the Sabres are where they are right now for any other reason than Ryan Miller. Even with Myers and Grier the biggest difference between the last couple of years is Miller's play. Miller is by far the early season leader for league MVP. Without Miller the Sabres would be looking up at the Rangers and Habs. This team doesn't have the offense to win when Miller is off his game and the defense gets exposed every time a backup plays and Miller is not there to cover their mistakes. This team is still in need of some talent and depth in the forward ranks and can use a upgrade on the blue line to replace Rivet who has seemingly hit the career wall. These are things that should have been addressed in the off-season and weren't.

Dick jokes aside, I'll argue the point. Miller has certainly had a great season, but the overall team defense and focus is much improved over the past 2 seasons. Certainly if Lalime were the starter, we'd be looking up at the Rangers and Habs, but that's really neither here nor there. The Sabres have Miller, they've built a system designed to get the most out of having a quality goalie and they are doing so. OTOH, the Rangers and Habs have thrown a bunch of ill-fitting, expensive parts against the wall and just hoped that something would stick.

 

I agree that the Sabres still need another good forward, especially since PAFAn's heartthrob is having a really crappy season. It would've been nice if Pommer had stepped up to fill that role, but I'm increasingly skeptical that he'll ever be more than a 22-24-goal scorer again.

 

Strong start followed by struggles in November. Do you really have to ask why people aren't all that comfortable with those results? Yes, "the sky is falling" crowd gets annoying at times, but the people who are always ridiculously positive regardless of the results get annoying too.

Not sure if that was meant for me. My point was simply that the Rangers' and Habs' offseason frenzies don't seem to be working -- not that the Sabres have it made in the shade. They need an elite forward to be taken seriously as EC contenders. It's not impossible that Vanek can get his act together and turn into that guy. I will plead guilty to PAFan's accusation of a premature "I told you so," though.

[deluca67]

Dick jokes aside, I'll argue the point. Miller has certainly had a great season, but the overall team defense and focus is much improved over the past 2 seasons. Certainly if Lalime were the starter, we'd be looking up at the Rangers and Habs, but that's really neither here nor there. The Sabres have Miller, they've built a system designed to get the most out of having a quality goalie and they are doing so. OTOH, the Rangers and Habs have thrown a bunch of ill-fitting, expensive parts against the wall and just hoped that something would stick.

 

I agree that the Sabres still need another good forward, especially since PAFAn's heartthrob is having a really crappy season. It would've been nice if Pommer had stepped up to fill that role, but I'm increasingly skeptical that he'll ever be more than a 22-24-goal scorer again.

I agree that the defense is better than the previous two seasons. I am not sure if it has improved enough to be a difference over 82 games. I look at Myers and the improvement of Tallinder as the only real "additions" to the squad. If I had a choice I would take Spacek over Montador understanding the difference in price tag made that a impossibility. We see Miller making a great number of excellent saves so far this season. That does mean a great number of defensive breakdowns have occurred. A great goalie can make a average defense seem better than it is. Just like a great QB can make a offensive line seem better than it is. Ask football which teams have great offensive lines and the Steelers will always be a name tossed out there despite the pounding Big Ben takes on a regular basis.

 

I said this before and I still believe it today. The Sabres screwed up Pominville when they didn't leave the 'C' on him. He has never played better than when he wore it. He took it to heart and i think it has effected his play since then. Giving it to Rivet was a waste considering Rivet has yet to make a real difference to this team.