Has this losing streak already doomed this season?

[GASabresIUFAN]

The Sabres are 8-11. There are 63 games to go, but I’m sorry to say, the Sabres odds of making the playoffs are nearly zero.  In fact they have to play at an over 104 pt pace the rest of the way to even have a chance.  The Sabres need to go 37-20-6 the rest of the way to get to 96 pts.  Last year 96 points would have fallen short of the playoffs, but in most normal years, 96 points would put the team as one of the last ones in.  

So can this team make such a run? While the 102 point pace late last season says it is possible, with NJ and Bos playing dominate hockey and another 8 teams playing solid to excellent hockey in the East, the Sabres task is nearly overwhelming.  The only way I see it happening is for the team to start a 5 or 6 game winning streak and soon.  

Take heart patient Sabres fan, fearless leader KA said this was another developmental year.  

 

[thewookie1]

33 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

The Sabres are 8-11. There are 63 games to go, but I’m sorry to say, the Sabres odds of making the playoffs are nearly zero.  In fact they have to play at an over 104 pt pace the rest of the way to even have a chance.  The Sabres need to go 37-20-6 the rest of the way to get to 96 pts.  Last year 96 points would have fallen short of the playoffs, but in most normal years, 96 points would put the team as one of the last ones in.  

So can this team make such a run? While the 102 point pace late last season says it is possible, with NJ and Bos playing dominate hockey and another 8 teams playing solid to excellent hockey in the East, the Sabres task is nearly overwhelming.  The only way I see it happening is for the team to start a 5 or 6 game winning streak and soon.  

Take heart patient Sabres fan, fearless leader KA said this was another developmental year.  

 

Well aren't you peachy, I wouldn't start with the doom and gloom yet however. They did better than a 104 pt pace to finish last season so who's to say they can't this year for a long stretch.

[GASabresIUFAN]

5 minutes ago, thewookie1 said:

Well aren't you peachy, I wouldn't start with the doom and gloom yet however. They did better than a 104 pt pace to finish last season so who's to say they can't this year for a long stretch.

Just being honest.  Math usually wins in the end.  Right now, the math is decidedly against the Sabres.  Bos and NJ are near locks for the playoffs at this point.  TB, Tor, Car, and Fla are all better teams.  The Rags and NYI have elite goaltending and good roster.  Which of these teams do you see us legitimately better than?  Now add Det and perennial contender Pitt to the mix of teams ahead of us in the standings.  

Sadly, I honestly believe had KA been willing to be more aggressive in fixing the D and G, we could have been this year’s NJ.  

[thewookie1]

5 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Just being honest.  Math usually wins in the end.  Right now, the math is decidedly against the Sabres.  Bos and NJ are near locks for the playoffs at this point.  TB, Tor, Car, and Fla are all better teams.  The Rags and NYI have elite goaltending and good roster.  Which of these teams do you see us legitimately better than?  Now add Det and perennial contender Pitt to the mix of teams ahead of us in the standings.  

Sadly, I honestly believe had KA been willing to be more aggressive in fixing the D and G, we could have been this year’s NJ.  

Weirder things have happened

We are better than Detroit when healthy

I understand the math, but if an 8 game losing streak is the end then all the other teams that had 7/8 game losing streaks are all doomed.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

No.

That's it.  That's the post.

[SDS]

I have a chart of this on the front page 

[Pimlach]

1 hour ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

The Sabres are 8-11. There are 63 games to go, but I’m sorry to say, the Sabres odds of making the playoffs are nearly zero.  In fact they have to play at an over 104 pt pace the rest of the way to even have a chance.  The Sabres need to go 37-20-6 the rest of the way to get to 96 pts.  Last year 96 points would have fallen short of the playoffs, but in most normal years, 96 points would put the team as one of the last ones in.  

So can this team make such a run? While the 102 point pace late last season says it is possible, with NJ and Bos playing dominate hockey and another 8 teams playing solid to excellent hockey in the East, the Sabres task is nearly overwhelming.  The only way I see it happening is for the team to start a 5 or 6 game winning streak and soon.  

Take heart patient Sabres fan, fearless leader KA said this was another developmental year.  

 

I think you answered your question. The chances of making the playoffs were not good before the season started and now they are very slim

Still, they should be trying to win games and compete every game.  No more talk of lottery picks and tanking.  

 

 

[Doohicksie]

The St. Louis Blues had an 8 game losing streak this year also.  They are in a 7 game winning streak right now.

If the Sabres do the same, they will average out to a period of ~.500 hockey.

Things look bleak right now but with the injuries resolving maybe they can get on a roll.

[SwampD]

The losing streak didn’t doom this season.

The roster did.

[Taro T]

24 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

I think you answered your question. The chances of making the playoffs were not good before the season started and now they are very slim

Still, they should be trying to win games and compete every game.  No more talk of lottery picks and tanking.  

 

 

This.  So much this.

Yep.  Go out & win the next one.  Do that often enough and they're back in the mix.

[mjd1001]

Is a  104 point pace.  Hard? Yes it is.  Statistically are they likely to make the playoffs? No, they aren't.

  Doomed? Not yet. The next 2 weeks upcoming games may make the numbers look even worse, but I don't want to rule them out of anything unless that 'point pace' gets even higher.

 

[Indabuff]

2 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

KA said this was another developmental year.  

 

He was right.   I'm developing anxiety that this team isn't going anywhere anytime soon. 

[Believer]

1 hour ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Sadly, I honestly believe had KA been willing to be more aggressive in fixing the D and G, we could have been this year’s NJ.  

Or damn close to it

[pi2000]

The expectation this year (as per KA and DG) wasn't a Stanley Cup or even to make playoffs.    The goal is to continue to allow the young players to grow and round out their games.

This gives them a built in excuse to take nights off, so set your expectations accordingly. 

[Second Line Center]

Is it not obvious enough how important Muel is to this team?

If the goaltending is competent and we stay healthy on the back end yes I expect this team to be at a 90 plus point pace.  Just like it started the season.  
 

And I don’t think we can be too upset about that and if we just fell short.  Just making the playoffs this year would be this franchise’s biggest accomplishment since the 1995-96 team. 

[Curt]

1 minute ago, Second Line Center said:

Is it not obvious enough how important Muel is to this team?

If the goaltending is competent and we stay healthy on the back end yes I expect this team to be at a 90 plus point pace.  Just like it started the season.  
 

And I don’t think we can be too upset about that and if we just fell short.  Just making the playoffs this year would be this franchise’s biggest accomplishment since the 1995-96 team. 

2006-07?  2005-06?  1998-1999?

[Contempt]

Put a fork in em.

[Second Line Center]

9 minutes ago, Curt said:

2006-07?  2005-06?  1998-1999?

The 99 and 06 teams we’re supposed to be good

The debate is definitely between the 1995 and 2005 teams as to which was the biggest shock/accomplishment/out of nowhere unbelievable 

I’ll always be partial to the teams with Hasek - oh and also my pfp lol. That team was so much fun.
 

The 2005 team is right there and I think most fans would say it’s that team.  I’m not going to put an argument against that.  But the way it ended left such a sick disappointment it over shadows how unreal that team was.  The ultimate Buffalo what could have been.  

Edited November 23, 2022 by Second Line Center

[Curt]

1 minute ago, Second Line Center said:

The 99 and 06 teams we’re supposed to be good

The debate is definitely between the 1995 and 2005 teams as to which was the biggest shock/accomplishment/out of nowhere unbelievable 

I’ll always be partial to the teams with Hasek. That team was so much fun.  
 

The 2005 team is right there and I think most fans would say it’s that team.  I’m not going to put an argument against that.  But the way it ended left such a sick disappointment it over shadows how unreal that team was.  The ultimate Buffalo what could have been.  

Something doesn’t need to be surprising for it to be considered an accomplishment.

I think you mean overachievement.

As to the 95-96 team, it was before my time.

[Refuting]

3 minutes ago, Second Line Center said:

The 99 and 06 teams we’re supposed to be good

The debate is definitely between the 1995 and 2005 teams as to which was the biggest shock/accomplishment/out of nowhere unbelievable 

I’ll always be partial to the teams with Hasek - oh and also my pfp lol. That team was so much fun.
 

The 2005 team is right there and I think most fans would say it’s that team.  I’m not going to put an argument against that.  But the way it ended left such a sick disappointment it over shadows how unreal that team was.  The ultimate Buffalo what could have been.  

Most Sabres fan underrate that Carolina team from 05-06. Yeah, I get it, the Sabres defensive injuries were brutal. And that definitely played a role in how the series went. But Carolina was absolutely loaded. With veterans literally everywhere. Cam Ward came in and shocked the hockey universe 

In the end Carolina was grittier and had more established veterans, a playoff style team. I still think we probably lose even with zero injuries 

And Miller completely fell apart in that 3rd period 

That team with Hasek in net and it's a 4-0 series win in all series' including the cup 

[Taro T]

4 minutes ago, Toilet_Mop said:

Most Sabres fan underrate that Carolina team from 05-06. Yeah, I get it, the Sabres defensive injuries were brutal. And that definitely played a role in how the series went. But Carolina was absolutely loaded. With veterans literally everywhere. Cam Ward came in and shocked the hockey universe 

In the end Carolina was grittier and had more established veterans, a playoff style team. I still think we probably lose even with zero injuries 

And Miller completely fell apart in that 3rd period 

That team with Hasek in net and it's a 4-0 series win in all series' including the cup 

Carolina got the SC that year because their opponents suffered key injuries (the Sabres well documented injuries, Williams putting his stick in Koivu's eye, breaking the Eulers' starter) while they only suffered 1 injury of their own & that when they had a great replacement finally healthy and ready to step in.  Until game 6 of the Finals they never had a single one of their 20 dressed players unable to go in the next game due to injury.  That run of injury-free luck will NEVER be repeated.

[kas23]

I’m not worried about the Sabres missing the playoffs this year. What I need to see though, is them seriously competing for a spot. I need to see them in the race and not having the season essentially over by February or March. 

[kas23]

46 minutes ago, Second Line Center said:

Is it not obvious enough how important Muel is to this team?

What we need is another Muel. I don’t care if we need to trade anyone not named Power, Dahlin, or Tage. We are way too dependent on a single defenseman. 

[Refuting]

23 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Carolina got the SC that year because their opponents suffered key injuries (the Sabres well documented injuries, Williams putting his stick in Koivu's eye, breaking the Eulers' starter) while they only suffered 1 injury of their own & that when they had a great replacement finally healthy and ready to step in.  Until game 6 of the Finals they never had a single one of their 20 dressed players unable to go in the next game due to injury.  That run of injury-free luck will NEVER be repeated.

Agreeable but it sounds like you're saying Carolina wasn't a great team. They were 

[LGR4GM]

34 minutes ago, Toilet_Mop said:

 

In the end Carolina was grittier and had more established veterans, a playoff style team. I still think we probably lose even with zero injuries 

And Miller completely fell apart in that 3rd period 

That team with Hasek in net and it's a 4-0 series win in all series' including the cup 

You can think that, but I think it's wrong.