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Face it. We have 1.5 good lines. Maybe 3 to 4 solid defensemen. Botts isn’t buying at the trade deadline.


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Posted
9 hours ago, RonHextallsShoulderPads said:

We have 1.5 good lines. Maybe 3 to 4 solid defensemen. Botts isn’t buying at the trade deadline. This was supoosed to be a rebuilding year with signs of improvement, and that’s what it is. We’re not going to mortgage the future for a quick 4-2 first round playoff exit. We have what we have and that’s probably good for 10th. 

Trading at the deadline doesn't mean you need to mortgage your future. If you see an opportunity that will help the organization, you have to consider it.

17 minutes ago, jame said:

If we had gone 500 on the 10 game winning streak.... we'd be at the bottom of the East with Ottawa and New Jersey.

but we didn't.

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Posted
47 minutes ago, Gatorman0519 said:

Since the 10 game we are not much better than last year.  Need to finish strong.  

I suspect they will continue to meander around .500 on the cusp of the playoffs until the last weekend of the season. 

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Posted
1 hour ago, jame said:

They've played the last 25 games as a team that's basically just as terrible as last year.... and some people are actually like, "look they're just outside the playoffs, this is what I expected".

It's not like they've been decimated with injuries.... maybe this is who they are.

 

 

Agree with this to a degree. They are not as good as the winning streak looked and they are better than the last 25. Split the difference and that's about +/- what their record is. I think they are a little over a .500 team. Expectations vs reality.

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Posted
8 minutes ago, Radar said:

Agree with this to a degree. They are not as good as the winning streak looked and they are better than the last 25. Split the difference and that's about +/- what their record is. I think they are a little over a .500 team. Expectations vs reality.

When you play the middle of the season as .400 team... with near perfect health.... you're a .400 team.

Posted
3 hours ago, SABRES 0311 said:

Taking stock of what we have:

Good goaltending tandem

Two out of three defensive pairings

Threatening top line and good fourth line

Three out six middle six players who have the ability to score and getting better defensively (TT, Mitts, Sheary)

Good PK

Prospects on both ends who show they belong on the team

GM with a plan

 

What we need:

Third defensive pairing

2C

A real PP

A real coach

Captain who captains

 

 

 

 

 

Agree. Not sure about the captain who captains because that's hard to determine from just watching games. Coaching? Yeah one time supporter now doubter.

Posted

Record wise yes we've been losing games. However we're not losing these games like we were last year. How many 1 goal games have we lost this year? Those are games we very well couldve won had we had better secondary scoring. So no I'm not on the "we're not much better than last year" train. We're actually a lot better. We were the last place team 3 out of the past 5 years & not much better in between. Anyone expecting playoffs at the beginning of the season was just a hopeful fan imo.

This season was all about fixing our cap, developing our youth & farm team & evaluating what we have in order to decide what moves to make, all while competing for the playoffs. Thats why we've added some pieces & removed others. Trying to be competitive now while building from within for the future.

That doesnt mean i dont wanna make a push for the playoffs now & I'm sure JBots would like to do the same. But he's not gonna veer off his long term plan & who knows, maybe years down the road we'll be thanking him for it.

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Posted
1 minute ago, jame said:

When you play the middle of the season as .400 team... with near perfect health.... you're a .400 team.

At the end of season we'll see. I could be right or you could be. I at this point think they're a bit over a .500 team.

Posted

That 10 game winning streak was fun, and exciting, and the most enjoyable few weeks in the last decade... but it was a mirage. 7 wins in OT/SO.... masked the reality.

Posted

Maybe I'm seeing things with rose colored glasses but unlike the past few years, I don't think teams are overlooking this years team. We still have some holes to fill that's been discussed ad nauseum but even when losing we've been competitive and deserving of the oppositions total effort. As an example say what you will about the Stars game last night but they were also fighting for a playoff spot at home and no one can say they breezed thru that victory. Get Casey, Pilut and Dahlin some weigth training in the offseason and add a piece or 2 and this team will be playoff ready. Our record lately may not be much better than last years team but they also aren't sneaking up on anybody this year. 

Our main problem has been the inconsistency of our young pups, they'll learn.

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Posted
3 minutes ago, jame said:

That 10 game winning streak was fun, and exciting, and the most enjoyable few weeks in the last decade... but it was a mirage. 7 wins in OT/SO.... masked the reality.

I hate agreeing with you because of the attitude I perceive. Nevertheless I agree with this assessment because it did mask the reality of where this team really is in it's build.

Posted

MSG threw a graphic up last night that made me drop my drink when I thought about it, and at least for me puts all the frustration of this season in perspective.  It was win totals since ‘13-‘14 and is as follows: 

‘13-‘14: 21

’14-‘15: 23

’15-‘16: 35

’16-‘17: 33

’17-‘18: 25 

‘18-‘19: 25 (50 games played)

I’m going to reserve judgment on how far things have really come until after this homestand (string another few wins together and things could get interesting, no guarantee that happens) but man, these guys are so much better than what we’ve been given to watch for so long.  Even the relative giddy heights of Disco’s low-event snoozeathons were soul-destroying.  

Questions remain (looking at you, Phil) but the light at the end of the tunnel might just not be a train after all.  

Posted
26 minutes ago, jame said:

That 10 game winning streak was fun, and exciting, and the most enjoyable few weeks in the last decade... but it was a mirage. 7 wins in OT/SO.... masked the reality.

at roughly this same point last season, we had lost 10 OT games... did that mask the reality as well?

Posted
Just now, klos1963 said:

at roughly this same point last season, we had lost 10 OT games... did that mask the reality as well?

No, bad teams lose 

24 minutes ago, Radar said:

I hate agreeing with you because of the attitude I perceive. Nevertheless I agree with this assessment because it did mask the reality of where this team really is in it's build.

I'll grow on you... 

Posted
7 minutes ago, jame said:

No, bad teams lose 

I'll grow on you... 

and good teams win... but you discount our wins.   We are in a playoff battle right now. We have a 7 game homestand which will probably give a good indication if we will stay in the battle or not. 

Posted
Just now, klos1963 said:

and good teams win... but you discount our wins.   We are in a playoff battle right now. We have a 7 game homestand which will probably give a good indication if we will stay in the battle or not. 

Yes, I discount a 10 game winning streak that the other 40 games show was an anomaly.

Posted
16 minutes ago, klos1963 said:

at roughly this same point last season, we had lost 10 OT games... did that mask the reality as well?

I don't know the numbers, but wonder if the OT losses may have something to do with a goaltender (RL) who was weak in shootouts?

Posted
7 minutes ago, Carmel Corn said:

I don't know the numbers, but wonder if the OT losses may have something to do with a goaltender (RL) who was weak in shootouts?

actually 9 of the 10 were OT, not shootouts. But yeah, I'm sure Lehner played a role.

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