Season is Over: 9 Year Playoff Drought

[Mustache of God]

In a league where 50% of the teams make the playoffs each years, you really have to appreciate just how horrible a franchise has to be to not make those odds for 9 years running.

[Curt]

25 minutes ago, Mustache of God said:

In a league where 50% of the teams make the playoffs each years, you really have to appreciate just how horrible a franchise has to be to not make those odds for 9 years running.

They would almost have to spend multiple years TRYING to be bad........oh, wait......

[bob_sauve28]

12 hours ago, Curt said:

Was tonight some sort of a turning point?  They could play at a 112 pt pace for the next 33 games but not at a 115 pt pace for 32 games?  

The 2019-20 Sabres just never were a playoff caliber team.

If Hutton had not crapped out big time, the season would be going fine. I think the core of the team is fine, we just need another goalie 

[WildCard]

1 minute ago, bob_sauve28 said:

If Hutton had not crapped out big time, the season would be going fine. I think the core of the team is fine, we just need another goalie 

We need way more than another goalie. Half the forward group is useless

[Scottysabres]

1 minute ago, bob_sauve28 said:

If Hutton had not crapped out big time, the season would be going fine. I think the core of the team is fine, we just need another goalie 

I mean, I like the optimism, but the current roster configuration are dropping like flies on the first frost of the year day. And not just by injuries either. Mitts is a non injury example.

 

This team is just horribly assembled imo.

[bob_sauve28]

1 minute ago, WildCard said:

We need way more than another goalie. Half the forward group is useless

Ok, but still, had Hutton stayed at the level, or even half the level, he was at the start of season, we would be either in or close to playoff spot. Hutton dropped off big time. 

[Samson's Flow]

1 hour ago, Mustache of God said:

In a league where 50% of the teams make the playoffs each years, you really have to appreciate just how horrible a franchise has to be to not make those odds for 9 years running.

I came here to make this point, so thank you for beating me to it ?

When we start calculating what it would take to make the playoffs in terms of win streaks and point totals that equate to the best team in the league, the playoffs are officially toast. We haven't even approached escaping the bottom 1/3rd of the league in a decade, let alone top 16. That's with having a top 10 player in the league this year and multiple top 5 draft picks. It's an especially impressive level of incompetence.

[Samson's Flow]

13 minutes ago, bob_sauve28 said:

Ok, but still, had Hutton stayed at the level, or even half the level, he was at the start of season, we would be either in or close to playoff spot. Hutton dropped off big time. 

I'll respectfully disagree. We started the season with Sobokta on the second line and no clear role/direction for the bottom 9 forwards. That's a team construction/GM problem.

We started the year with *squints* 5? good forwards and one of them was a rookie that played a half season and they were relying on him for 1st line minutes. Surprises line Oloffson and Ullmark should take a team from good to great not from terrible to watchable.

[Scottysabres]

5 minutes ago, Samson's Flow said:

I came here to make this point, so thank you for beating me to it ?

When we start calculating what it would take to make the playoffs in terms of win streaks and point totals that equate to the best team in the league, the playoffs are officially toast. We haven't even approached escaping the bottom 1/3rd of the league in a decade, let alone top 16. That's with having a top 10 player in the league this year and multiple top 5 draft picks. It's an especially impressive level of incompetence.

I give it 6 years as I consider 2014, 2015 and 2016 as the core tear down and reconstruction years. But still, your view is a valid one. Very spot on.

[MattPie]

I hadn't run the numbers in awhile, ugh. Sabres need to pick up 15 of 20 points per ten games for the rest of the season. Somehow, I don't think 7-2-1 for the rest of the season is going to happen. 

[Samson's Flow]

9 minutes ago, MattPie said:

I hadn't run the numbers in awhile, ugh. Sabres need to pick up 15 of 20 points per ten games for the rest of the season. Somehow, I don't think 7-2-1 for the rest of the season is going to happen. 

I wouldn't even be confident betting that outcome consistently if it were the Bruins or the Capitals, let alone our Sabres.

[WildCard]

 

[Curt]

2 hours ago, bob_sauve28 said:

If Hutton had not crapped out big time, the season would be going fine. I think the core of the team is fine, we just need another goalie 

I think they need another goalie, plus more forward talent.  There are legitimately only 4 top 6 forwards on the team.

[nfreeman]

2 hours ago, bob_sauve28 said:

If Hutton had not crapped out big time, the season would be going fine. I think the core of the team is fine, we just need another goalie 

 

39 minutes ago, Curt said:

I think they need another goalie, plus more forward talent.  There are legitimately only 4 top 6 forwards on the team.

I agree that things aren't as bad as they feel (understandably) following that debacle last night.  They need a good goalie, a good #2 C and 2 good bottom-6 forwards with upside (and it's not impossible that one or both of those 2 slots could be filled by Mitts and/or TT next year).  That's not a quick trip to the convenience store, but it's not an insurmountable obstacle either.

[WildCard]

Instead of the playoffs being over and me just wishing for loses for draft picks, I really want to just win as many as possible. Maybe that will absolve us of the sins of the tank

[Brawndo]

From Friedman’s 31 Thoughts

 

[Scottysabres]

14 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

From Friedman’s 31 Thoughts

 

Great, talk of Pegulas being frustrated, just like us fans.

One difference, he's getting paid for his frustrations, which I'm sure helps lesson the blow, we fans on the other hand, well were frustrated and we often pay to be, that increases the frustration.

[Pimlach]

I hate negativity and we are still technically alive but I agree with those who point out how unlikely it is to accumulate the points needed to get in.   Hard to argue with logic, especially when the team is not showing much passion and energy at all.  

No doubt the Sabres are the worst franchise in the past decade:   9 straight playoff misses is insane for the nhl   Especially bad is the tanking and the hiring of clowns in the FO.  List the names that have been in the FO under Pegula.   Then factor in that NO PLAYERS serious about winning will come here.  We have to overpay players and we seem to be stuck with rookie GMs.   It’s sad indeed  

Seymour and Norty made this look too easy   

 

 

Edited January 29, 2020 by Pimlach

[nucci]

9 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

I hate negativity and we are still technically alive but I agree with those who point out how unlikely it is to accumulate the points needed to get in.   Hard to argue with logic, especially when the team is not showing much passion and energy at all.  

No doubt the Sabres are the worst franchise in the past decade:   9 straight playoff misses is insane for the nhl   Especially bad is the tanking and the hiring of clowns in the FO.  List the names that have been in the FO under Pegula.   Then factor in that NO PLAYERS serious about winning will come here.  We have to overpay players and we seem to be stuck with rookie GMs.   It’s sad indeed  

Seymour and Norty made this look too easy   

 

 

They hired Punch

[Stoner]

40 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

From Friedman’s 31 Thoughts

 

Not going unnoticed by whom? Terry? The hopeful bit here is that maybe Terry is finally at his wit's end and is ready to: 1. Sell. 2. Extract himself officially in some other way, allowing a hockey president/czar to take over or even installing his two adult kids as his and Kim's successors. 3. Let Sidney wee wee on the draft board and go with that. Anything, Jesus, come on. This ain't working.

[Kruppstahl]

5 hours ago, Mustache of God said:

In a league where 50% of the teams make the playoffs each years, you really have to appreciate just how horrible a franchise has to be to not make those odds for 9 years running.

Yes, very similar to the odds of the Bills missing the playoffs for all those years.  Was it 17?  I believe the ESPN stat guys had it at like 6 or 8 million to 1.

[Kruppstahl]

1 hour ago, WildCard said:

Instead of the playoffs being over and me just wishing for loses for draft picks, I really want to just win as many as possible. Maybe that will absolve us of the sins of the tank

Fair enough, I  guess, but wins just lessen our draft position in every round of the coming draft.  

I was just thinking: this prolonged period of total suckage falls directly on Pegula. 

It was on his watch that LaFontaine came on to hire GMTM and now Botterill.

No one running this franchise for quite a few years now has a f-ing clue as to what they are doing, or any experience to speak of in such a role.

Does anyone wonder why it's all gone straight in the shitter?

 

 

[PerreaultForever]

16 hours ago, ubkev said:

Are the Buffalo Sabres the worst franchise in North American sports?

I would have said Browns, but they're definitely now in the running. 

[PerreaultForever]

1 hour ago, Brawndo said:

From Friedman’s 31 Thoughts

 

Unlike us fans, Pegula has the power to do something. So Terry, do something. Do it now!

[\GoBillsInDallas/]

On 1/28/2020 at 8:44 PM, New Scotland (NS) said:

No it isn't.

 

On 1/28/2020 at 8:50 PM, PerreaultForever said:

yes it is.