Was this the hardest season for the fans in Sabres history?

[dudacek]

It's certainly not the worst season in Sabres history - '72, '87, '14 and '15 were far worse statistically.

 

And there have been many seasons where the dream died, most notably the death of Punch's team in '79, Scotty's in '86, post-Hasek in '02 and '08 after the co-captains left.

 

'03 and '04 and '12 and '13 were hard because the product on the ice was so bland and there was no sense that it was going to get better.

 

But emotionally I'm not sure there has ever been a team that delivered so little after promising so much.

We suffered through that for this?

Edited April 9, 2017 by dudacek

[Trettioåtta]

It's the purposelessness of the season. Being bad after the captains left was tough but easily explainable and mostly expected. Being bad after going into rebuild mode was hard to watch but there was the excitement of the future. This just is. There is little to no excitement for the future because the future pieces are here. In addition it is hard to watch and see Toronto follow Pittsburgh and Chicago and us follow Edmonton. 

[Kristian]

It's the purposelessness of the season. Being bad after the captains left was tough but easily explainable and mostly expected. Being bad after going into rebuild mode was hard to watch but there was the excitement of the future. This just is. There is little to no excitement for the future because the future pieces are here. In addition it is hard to watch and see Toronto follow Pittsburgh and Chicago and us follow Edmonton. 

I have to say, the biggest turn-off for me, was the fact they were just boring to watch.

[Rasmus_]

It blew, and totally took my desire away for watching them for the first time while under Murray's regime.  The idea that they settled and didn't try to address a major fundamental flaw was infuriating.  Guys like Carlo were available during his drafts (I believe.).  I'm down on Byslma big time.  Injuries are fine, but we're still stuck with trash like Ennis and Moulson.  Give up a major asset to move one of these duds.  

[qwksndmonster]

Bylsma just so stubbornly clung to what obviously didn't work. Awful.

[Taro T]

This year or '73-'74.

 

Bert injured, Horton deceased, missing the playoffs right after "thank you, Sabres."

[SwampD]

Not even close. The second year of the tank was an abomination whose stink I might never be able wash out.

[Weave]

The tank years, the season that resulted in Turgeon getting drafted, the season(s) the NHL ran the team, the season after losing Drury and Briere.  They are all down there with this one.

[darksabre]

This year was worse than the tank years for me. So yes.

[Guest]

This is the worst. I was in the stands during the first season and have been an avid fan ever since. This season sucked the life out of the fan base. The franchise pumped up the expectations after the improvement in the second half of last season and then delivered a turd burger. A complete failure of the players, leadership, coaching and management. Regardless of who you primarily blame for the failure, we are left as we have been and that is in the crater from the tank.

 

To win the fans back GMTM is going to have to make something happen with this roster whether he keeps DD or not. Sadly, I'm not sure we have the assets to make the necessary moves to fix this mess.

 

One thing is for sure change is necessary. I'd start with letting all the UFAs walk, and then firing Terry Murray. I'm willing to explore every other option including dumping DD, GMTM, trading Kane, hiring someone over GMTM, limiting the number of back to back games, trading our 1st etc. PSE must consider every option. The first step is no price increase for season tickets and the implementation of a real loyalty fan program.

Edited April 9, 2017 by yse325

[North Buffalo]

This was because for the moment there is no hope. Defense stinks, Molson, Gorges and Gionta done and Blysmal is misusing players. Boring hockey too many questions still sitting out there.

[Guest]

What made it worse is that the issues were obvious to all and management did nothing. I harken back to a multitude of season previews that said we had no depth on D.

[bunomatic]

I'm not sure. We have this Raccoon that comes around our property. Cute as a button but the thing with raccoons is they always shite in the same spot. Every stinkin time so it slowly piles up on top of the shite that came before it. This season feels oddly like that. In that respect its hard to judge whether this is the worst season we've suffered through because I'm simply unable or unwilling to peel back the previous shite that I've been subjected to. 

[Stoner]

Everyone's hit on the likely candidates. 78/79 was an emotional wallop for me. End of an era, then the team seemed to respond to the change before losing in a decisive Game 3 OT to the Pens. Last time I cried after a Sabres loss, I think.

 

This doesn't feel as bad, but only because I've been dead inside for the last 10 years. 2006 should have been the year. I may never get over that.

[LTS]

For me the 2006 season remains the hardest season ever.  To have a team that was so damned good run into that rash of D injuries at the worst possible time killed me.

 

1999 was hard too because it should not have ended that way..

 

This season started ominously with Eichel going down, Kane breaking ribs, and the hits kept coming.  

 

Next season will be the hardest if there aren't some significant changes made.

[dudacek]

I'm not sure. We have this Raccoon that comes around our property. Cute as a button but the thing with raccoons is they always shite in the same spot. Every stinkin time so it slowly piles up on top of the shite that came before it. This season feels oddly like that. In that respect its hard to judge whether this is the worst season we've suffered through because I'm simply unable or unwilling to peel back the previous shite that I've been subjected to.

 

Nailed it.

[TrueBlueGED]

For me the 2006 season remains the hardest season ever. To have a team that was so damned good run into that rash of D injuries at the worst possible time killed me.

 

1999 was hard too because it should not have ended that way..

 

This season started ominously with Eichel going down, Kane breaking ribs, and the hits kept coming.

 

Next season will be the hardest if there aren't some significant changes made.

2006 may have had the worst ending, but that season as a whole was a freaking blast. This year has been miserable from start to finish, though, so it takes my top spot--I've never actively hated my team before. I hate this team.

[Meathead]

playoffs were a reasonable goal but it was still a stretch to expect them to make it. i figured they'd make a run in the second half and get everybody excited but then still not make the playoffs. so pretty much hit the nail on the head there, tho it wasnt really a difficult prediction to make

 

kulikov was a tough one. when healthy hes a reasonably good player so his loss was missed. almost nobody else stepped up. jack did and robin did and bad kane did. too many defensive breakdowns and not much stepping up back there. secondary scoring was weak

 

getting within three before the break was exciting. then they promptly crumbled and died, that was very disappointing

 

and yeah, watching it happen to other teams in exactly the way we hoped it was happening here makes it suck serious ass

 

probably 2nd or 3rd most disappointing. the captains debacle was tops. i cant remember details of other seasons but i certainly remember feeling worse than this. no goal is probably at least tied

[Eleven]

It's pretty damned close, if it isn't

[WildCard]

Haven't been around that long but for me it is

[rjones71]

They were all bad, but this one will be the worst if I don't read "Dan Bylsma has been fired as the head coach of the Buffalo Sabres" in the headlines within the next few days.

[qwksndmonster]

playoffs were a reasonable goal but it was still a stretch to expect them to make it. i figured they'd make a run in the second half and get everybody excited but then still not make the playoffs. so pretty much hit the nail on the head there, tho it wasnt really a difficult prediction to make

 

kulikov was a tough one. when healthy hes a reasonably good player so his loss was missed. almost nobody else stepped up. jack did and robin did and bad kane did. too many defensive breakdowns and not much stepping up back there. secondary scoring was weak

 

getting within three before the break was exciting. then they promptly crumbled and died, that was very disappointing

 

and yeah, watching it happen to other teams in exactly the way we hoped it was happening here makes it suck serious ass

 

probably 2nd or 3rd most disappointing. the captains debacle was tops. i cant remember details of other seasons but i certainly remember feeling worse than this. no goal is probably at least tied

Your first paragraph sounds like it should be from last season. It is completely unacceptable to have missed the playoffs this year, especially when all of our key young guys have taken a step forward in their development (Sam was still better this year than last, even though Dan hates him).

[Guest]

Does this feel so bad because it gave us all a feeling of hopelessness?

[Randall Flagg]

11-12 and 13 and 14-15 were in a tie for last with me (fan since 05) but I think this one gets the slight edge.

[PotentPowerPlay22]

It's certainly not the worst season in Sabres history - '72, '87, '14 and '15 were far worse statistically.

 

And there have been many seasons where the dream died, most notably the death of Punch's team in '79, Scotty's in '86, post-Hasek in '02 and '08 after the co-captains left.

 

'03 and '04 and '12 and '13 were hard because the product on the ice was so bland and there was no sense that it was going to get better.

 

But emotionally I'm not sure there has ever been a team that delivered so little after promising so much.

We suffered through that for this?

There have been many seasons harder on the fans. I've seen them all and this season is not even in the top 10.

 

What is most disappointing to me about this season is that both the Sabres and the Amerks were worse than last year. Tim Murray is clearly not the genius many people thought he was. I guess several of the bad deals he has made are now being reflected in the standings. Clearly, something must change.