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GDT: 11/1/19 Buffalo at Washington, 7:00 pm ET, MSG, NHL & WGR 550

That Aud Smell

By That Aud Smell
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dudacek Hall of Famer

dudacek

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Thorny said:

Plenty did exactly that, league wide. The form the conversation took was not analytics, but there was still plenty of "can this hold up?" going on. The narrative was often "over-matched roster bailed out by Hall of Fame goalie" (even if that often wasn't the case, as Sabres fans who followed closely would know)

It was seen as a pretty big surprise we made it as far as we did, the perception outside (ask any Leafs media) was that we were lucky to beat them, that Hasek was carrying them all year, and folks were waiting for the bubble to burst. It wasn't a "This team is in the final, this must be a great team top to bottom, you are your record, only wins matter" type deal. 

There's also a line where perceived sustainability just won't matter anymore to many. Sure Hasek was standing on his head, but considering who Hasek was, expecting the sublime from him seemed logical. It was easy to enjoy the hell out of it. 

Don’t disagree with any of this, or your previous post above it.

It may only be perception on my part, but the difference between ‘99 and today was that some today will hold up analytics as “proof” that a team is good, or bad, or will prevail or fail, when all it means is that generally they should.

The perception you referred to of ‘99 was false, created by the analytics of the time - shots on goal, and firepower up front. That team, which included that goalie, was that good. They were not a bubble that burst. They were the 2nd most successful team in the league.

The only real proof of who is better is the team that wins. It’s a results-oriented basis, and success is very clearly defined.

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DarthEbriate All Star

DarthEbriate

Posted
Posted (edited)
2 hours ago, Thorny said:

It was seen as a pretty big surprise we made it as far as we did, the perception outside (ask any Leafs media) was that we were lucky to beat them, that Hasek was carrying them all year, and folks were waiting for the bubble to burst.

As Tale of the Tape will tell you, the Leafs never had a chance against the Sabres '99 squad. But also, the Leafs would have been roadkill against Dallas (and probably Detroit and Colorado, too, had they gotten through --- just as we were). The '99 Sabres team was really solid, but those Western teams at the end of the century were absolutely stacked.

Edit: I also need to point out that the Sabres were in the ECF the year before with a worse roster -- so they got Juneau, and got Barnes, and got Warrener. They were a darn good team and were much improved for the follow-up in '99. But, again --- look at Dallas, Detroit, and Colorado those years...  we could've won, but we were going to be underdogs+Hasek, regardless.

31 minutes ago, JohninMinn. said:

Caps underestimate 50 year anniversary

You underestimate the power of the fifty. Unlimited anniversary!

Edited by DarthEbriate
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