Did the Buffalo Sabres improve between opening night 2021 to opening night 2022?

[Thorner]

Just now, dudacek said:

You’ve had a few posts in this direction and I agree it’s something to pay attention too.

I probably spend too much time looking at history, but young teams fitting the profile of the Sabres seem to frequently “come out of nowhere” and just as frequently hit a pothole the following season.

Definitely I have, ya. Just digging into some more macro league wide trends now with developing teams now that I can / think I should be focusing on the ones who followed trajectories to success, specifically. 

It’s fun but I’m certainly convincing myself of a pet theory trajectory now lol 

[Thorner]

I could also be biased slightly due to how I saw this current Jets core develop, first hand. That ahead of schedule year, etc. 

But then again, they are one of many examples 

[PerreaultForever]

5 hours ago, Thorny said:

I do think we’ll see a fast start, though. 

IMO the fast start teams are the ones who come out on fire w/something to prove game 1, not always the teams who find the early ones boring, the playoff teams. Sabres were on a mental mission last season to start, for example. 

You know they cared more about the games when “all eyes were on them” (Krebs has a tattoo of himself, come on now) because the results demonstrate that: the Eichel revenge or whatever game, RJ night, etc.

(On a tangent that fact sort of annoys me in the immediate term even while I accept its a good thing prob in the long run. Annoying in that our “event games” are relatively small potatoes when compared to games that actually matter. But it should bode well in playoffs if we ever get there as I think liger pointed out in some other thread or maybe even this one)

Are the Sabres a “something to prove” team again? Fast start prob depends on that.

I say yes.

Well that's an interesting point. Will they be a "something to prove" team or not? Will they fall into old patterns? Will losing be acceptable as they over praise the effort of kids play? Will they be fragile and fall into losing ways easily? idk. I guess a lot of that is on Granato. 

I have thoughts and hopes on many of these youngers players but I honestly don't know what kind of character they have when push fully comes to shove. I can only hope a solid new leadership core emerges. One that truly hates to lose and will dig down deep to try to prevent it. 

[dudacek]

9 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

Well that's an interesting point. Will they be a "something to prove" team or not? Will they fall into old patterns? Will losing be acceptable as they over praise the effort of kids play? Will they be fragile and fall into losing ways easily? idk. I guess a lot of that is on Granato. 

I have thoughts and hopes on many of these youngers players but I honestly don't know what kind of character they have when push fully comes to shove. I can only hope a solid new leadership core emerges. One that truly hates to lose and will dig down deep to try to prevent it. 

I’d like to step back and take a closer look at that because I think it is crucial.

I am 100 percent convinced Cozens, Dahlin and Devon Levi are the type of person you are describing.

Pretty sure that’s the case for Tuch as well. 

I’m not sure Casey has it, or if he’s going to be enough of a factor for it to matter. Thompson sure showed that swagger last year. We’ll see where that goes. Olofsson won’t be that guy.

Not certain yet on Krebs, Peterka, Quinn, Samuelsson, and Power. The signs are positive, even if the 2 D are more ice than fire. And where those 5 go is probably what floats or sinks the boat.

Overall, I think they should have enough guys with the right character, although it needs to be tempered through experience.

Right now, I honestly wonder more if there’s enough elite talent.

Edited August 23, 2022 by dudacek

[ddaryl]

16 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

Where we differ, is that I also think we will be better, and we will be in games longer and games will be more competitive and closer, I think we will be on the wrong side of many of those close ones as the goaltending will let us down late in games or in key moments and that 1 or 2 goals will make the difference in a win or loss. 

We won't see as many back up goalies and teams taking us lightly late in the year either. It'll make a difference. 

I'm definitely drinking some Kool-Aid with Comrie...  but I always choose optomism at this point

[PerreaultForever]

3 hours ago, ddaryl said:

I'm definitely drinking some Kool-Aid with Comrie...  but I always choose optomism at this point

I don't know how you and others can still do that at this point. After all these inept and dismal years I just can't go on faith and hope so I know I come off pessimistic and negative to some people, but my stance at this point is firmly in the show me stage.  Cautiously optimistic is about as far as I can go at this point. 

You know the bar is so incredibly low on Comrie it's kind of ridiculous. I know when Boston Signed Ullmark the majority of their fans were screaming "he's not good enough" and maybe they were right, but I can only imagine the revolt that would have taken place if they'd signed Comrie say instead. They'd have been screaming for Sweeney's head on a platter. 

I mean if you look around the league and list off starting goalie tandems is their any way we're not at or near the bottom? So we pray for a surprise break out from Comrie, but realistically it's a longshot at best. 

[ddaryl]

18 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

I don't know how you and others can still do that at this point. After all these inept and dismal years I just can't go on faith and hope so I know I come off pessimistic and negative to some people, but my stance at this point is firmly in the show me stage.  Cautiously optimistic is about as far as I can go at this point. 

You know the bar is so incredibly low on Comrie it's kind of ridiculous. I know when Boston Signed Ullmark the majority of their fans were screaming "he's not good enough" and maybe they were right, but I can only imagine the revolt that would have taken place if they'd signed Comrie say instead. They'd have been screaming for Sweeney's head on a platter. 

I mean if you look around the league and list off starting goalie tandems is their any way we're not at or near the bottom? So we pray for a surprise break out from Comrie, but realistically it's a longshot at best. 

There is always a player who is ready to take the next step, lots of postives about Comrie, so I start out optomistic and challenge Comrie to prove me wrong. If it goes south well at least I wasn't stewing in negativity all summer. I was the same way with the Bills for the entire drought, the glass was always half full... till the season started then it was half empty...

I really like the fact the Comrie is young and from what brief info and interviews we have seen, he seems like he will fit and grow with this club. Part of me thinks he will prove to be more consistent than UPL and the future might be Comrie / Levi....