Buffalo Needs A Star That Is Not A Goalie

[deluca67]

Buffalo needs players who can turn it up at playoff time. Some players are great during the season then disappear in the playoffs and vice versa. We have to realize that the regular season is a waste of time and squeaking in is as good as winning the President's Trophy...the playoffs is where the hockey begins and Buffalo needs playoff performers, not guys who can pile up stats on weak teams.

This is going to be a rallying cry for many fans across the league with the Kings being a 8th seed and the Devils being a 6th seed. Fans need to take a step back and a good look at both teams. These are not the rosters of a couple of bubble teams that got hot at the right time. Both teams are incredibly talented teams that in the Kings case underperformed. The Devils were tied for 6th in the League with 48 wins which is amazing considering the Division they play in. If the Devils played in a lessor division they may have been a #1 or #2 seed. This may be a match-up of #6 vs #8, these just aren't your typical #6 & #8 seeds.

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

This is going to be a rallying cry for many fans across the league with the Kings being a 8th seed and the Devils being a 6th seed. Fans need to take a step back and a good look at both teams. These are not the rosters of a couple of bubble teams that got hot at the right time. Both teams are incredibly talented teams that in the Kings case underperformed. The Devils were tied for 6th in the League with 48 wins which is amazing considering the Division they play in. If the Devils played in a lessor division they may have been a #1 or #2 seed. This may be a match-up of #6 vs #8, these just aren't your typical #6 & #8 seeds.

 

LA is loaded with skill players who are big and can bang. Look at Brown...6' 210...and more hits than the Sabres top 9 forwards combined. Kopitar, 6'3" 220, Penner 6'4" 245.......those 3 guys can put up 30 in any given year and are horses on the puck. Richards is fiesty and LA had to give up size, grit and talent to get him. Carter is ho-hum in the physical department, but is 200.....Look at their 3rd and 4th lines....King/Nolan.Clifford.....all are 200-230 and bring it. Stoll....215 at center and can chip in 10-15 goals.

 

Doughty is just the type of biker gang personality the Sabres have lacked for a decade....and he is skilled. Greene is a monster and can chip in on offense.....Ideally you would like to see Myers and Regehr play their roles and then you can get away with the rest of the Sabres skilled defense when the forwards to a man are as buff as LA. Miller and Quick are similar in talent, but even there Quick has 50 lbs on Miller and can take the beating of every other night for 2 months.

 

Every one of the top 4 teams left standing this year had a good amount of big bodies who are willing to lay out. That's with Boston and Philly not being there and superior skill teams like Vancouver and Detroit stuck at home.

 

If people want to simplify it as a number of a seed....you are looking at the wrong numbers. I think the testosterone level is a much better indicator of who is left standing in June.

 

Buffalo needs players who can turn it up at playoff time. Some players are great during the season then disappear in the playoffs and vice versa. We have to realize that the regular season is a waste of time and squeaking in is as good as winning the President's Trophy...the playoffs is where the hockey begins and Buffalo needs playoff performers, not guys who can pile up stats on weak teams.

 

Maybe Uncle Terry will start to agree if he watches with open eyes.

[apuszczalowski]

But the point is that you need to get into the playoffs and it becomes a whole new game. A couple of wrong bounces and the Kings may not have even made the playoffs this year, The Devils were almost elimiinated in the 1st round by Florida this year. You never know what can happen in the playoffs, people thought Philly was unbeatable after taking out the Pens. For all we know, Miller could have gotten hot and Leino could have been scoring like Briere if they made it in at 8 and they could have done some damage, Phoenix rode a hot goaltender to the WCF. There is a reason why they play the games and have 7 game series instead of just putting the #1 seeds in the Finals.

[carpandean]

There is a reason why they play the games and have 7 game series instead of just putting the #1 seeds in the Finals.

 

$$

 

 

 

 

:P

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

But the point is that you need to get into the playoffs and it becomes a whole new game. A couple of wrong bounces and the Kings may not have even made the playoffs this year, The Devils were almost elimiinated in the 1st round by Florida this year. You never know what can happen in the playoffs, people thought Philly was unbeatable after taking out the Pens. For all we know, Miller could have gotten hot and Leino could have been scoring like Briere if they made it in at 8 and they could have done some damage, Phoenix rode a hot goaltender to the WCF. There is a reason why they play the games and have 7 game series instead of just putting the #1 seeds in the Finals.

 

You can have a team that is built for the playoffs which is 50/50 to actually get into the playoffs, but is going to thrive once there and have a modest 1 in 8 shot to win it all.

 

You then can have a team that is soft and skill based which can thrive in the regular season and be 75/25 to get in, but will wilt under the constant physical pressure of games every other night for 2 months and be a 1 in 16 shot to win it.

 

 

Which would you rather have?

 

I'd argue that in category 1 you have your LA...Winnipeg....Anaheim....Phoenix....New Jersey

 

In category 2 you have your Washington.....Ottawa....Vancouver to a lesser degree.....and Buffalo fits that idea even though they aren't near 75/25 to get in.

 

Then you have the select group that seems to balance both outlooks.....Boston/Philly/Detroit/Pitt

 

This happens to be a year where the playoff style teams were able to take down the higher echelon balanced teams and the not built for a 28 game postseason teams. It was a perfect storm where the talented groups had some mojo early and knocked off some of the big guns and then form held with the grittier groups going onto round 3.

 

 

LA was a highly touted team that underperformed and then made a change. They didn't come out of nowhere. New Jersey still has multiple Cup winners on the team that know what it takes and just managed to grit it out .

 

I'm not saying it to be a numbnut...but Buffalo seems to be losing ground, not gaining it when it comes to playoff thriving teams. It shouldn't be encouraging to see a lower seed....because these teams that made the final 4 are built for the grind. Now not only do you have to worry about the almost automatics of Boston/Philly/Pitt/NYR/#3 division winner getting in.....but of the last 3 playoff spots available, you have New Jersey on the scene, Ottawa, and Washington on your level....and an up and comer like Winnipeg along with Toronto and Tampa who underperformed last year.

 

It's going to be tough just to get in, then unless some major changes are made in the front 9, you are boys amongst men as things proceed. Foligno had a nice 3 weeks and Tropp is a 12 goal scorer at best. That is the grit you have to build on in your frontline 9.

[deluca67]

But the point is that you need to get into the playoffs and it becomes a whole new game. A couple of wrong bounces and the Kings may not have even made the playoffs this year, The Devils were almost elimiinated in the 1st round by Florida this year. You never know what can happen in the playoffs, people thought Philly was unbeatable after taking out the Pens. For all we know, Miller could have gotten hot and Leino could have been scoring like Briere if they made it in at 8 and they could have done some damage, Phoenix rode a hot goaltender to the WCF. There is a reason why they play the games and have 7 game series instead of just putting the #1 seeds in the Finals.

I don't mean this to be snarky, there just is no other way of putting it. Considering the high level of physical play in the first round of the playoffs, isn't it more likely the Sabres would have been "damaged" instead of doing any "damage?" I'm not saying this in attempt to be funny. I'm asking as a serious question.

[apuszczalowski]

I don't mean this to be snarky, there just is no other way of putting it. Considering the high level of physical play in the first round of the playoffs, isn't it more likely the Sabres would have been "damaged" instead of doing any "damage?" I'm not saying this in attempt to be funny. I'm asking as a serious question.

Not every series was won because of "physical" play. NJ barely made it past Florida, and I wouldn't say either of those 2 teams are much more physical then Buffalo. I know you and a few others here think that the Sabres would get outmatched physically against a team of 12 year old Balerinas/figure skaters, but the Sabres can match up against other teams "physical" play. A hot goaltender and some decent scoring they could have matched up well against Ottawa too. Besides the occasional cheap shot outside of the Flyers/Pens series, the Bruins were the only other team in the East that may have been considered consistently alot more physical in their play.

[Weave]

Ugh. If I am pinning my hopes for a good playoffs on "Florida took NJ to 7 so hey, you never know" than IMO there wasn't much to hope for anyway.

[drnkirishone]

I don't mean this to be snarky, there just is no other way of putting it. Considering the high level of physical play in the first round of the playoffs, isn't it more likely the Sabres would have been "damaged" instead of doing any "damage?" I'm not saying this in attempt to be funny. I'm asking as a serious question.

I don't recall physical play as the problem last year against the flyers. The sabres where intiating most of the hitting in that series up to thier game 7 meltdown. If anything I walked away from that series thinking the sabres proved they can get physical and grind out a series. Clearly the 11/12 regular season team didn't display that nightly but it isn't crazy to think they woulda stepped it up physically again. Personally I think the sabres problem in the first round woulda been exactly what it was all season long secondary/tertiary scoring and sustained offensive pressure/puck possision

[TrueBlueGED]

Prediction: The "an 8 and 6 seed made the Finals, just get in!" narrative will be every bit as annoying as the "you need a Lucic to win a Cup!" narrative over the course of the next year.