Are the Sabres out of the running for the playoffs?

[Weave]

15 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

There is. PM me.

What are you going to do if he calls your bluff.

Nevermind.  I don’t want to know. 🙈

[Pimlach]

On 2/14/2023 at 7:43 AM, Second Line Center said:

I’m not going to argue with getting a quality stay at home d man.  

But I am going to argue this team badly needs 1 more offensive defenseman to take some pressure off Dahlin and help the forwards.  
 

Dahlin 42 assists 

Power 16 assists 

24 of these assists (half) are on the PP

 

Next closest D man:

Lyubushkin 8 assists.  
 

That’s not good enough.  

I am surprised that Joker does not have more assists.  

Joker -  1G 7A in 31G,  20:38 TOI

Luby -  0G 8A in 39G, 14:22 TOI

Bryson - 1G 7A in 43G, 15:15 TOI

Muel -  1G 5A in 38G, 21:44 TOI

Clag - 0G 3A in 23G, 15:55 TOI

 

 

[LGR4GM]

I think this team needs 2 additional defenders still. As time has past I am more and more willing to trade for Chychrun. 

[Mango]

On 2/14/2023 at 9:39 AM, Sabres Fan in NS said:

Still ... NO !!

If they start to play better again against the Ducks and Sharks they will be back on track.  

There are ups and downs for just aboout every team in the NHL during an 82 game season.  The Sabres will be fine and will be playing meaningful hockey throughout March.  When was the last time that happened?

 

I was just having this conversation the other day after they looked Schitt's Creek after the ASG. It is a long season, this isn't the NFL, the playoffs are a sum of 82 games, not a "what-if" once per week like the Bills. As long as the Sabres can play .600 hockey it will be OK. 

The way we play clunkers, especially at home, drives me nuts.

[JohnC]

3 hours ago, Pimlach said:

Yes, I agree John.  I have Covid and I still stayed up on Wednesday night to watch them play.  Mrs. Punch thinks I am crazy but heck, I slept all day anyway.   Gonna do the same for the SJ game. 

I do not think they have the goaltending or team defense to make it to the playoffs this season but it is possible and I want to see them put everything into it.   

 

You are right.  Bummer.   This schedule is crap.  

I hope you are feeling better. Maybe another win Saturday will give you a boost. 

[JohnC]

4 hours ago, PASabreFan said:

Words are tricky. "Dramatic" change from, say, this time three years ago? I don't feel it (probably because I don't yet buy into another word from your post: "turnaround.")

On this date in 2020 Ralph's Sabres had just beaten the Leafs 5-2 at home for a third win in four games. They were 27-24-8 and 10 points out. I'm sure lots of fans were in the "it ain't over" camp. Or the dreaded "This bodes well for the fall."

Ralph had those Sabres at 8-1-1, which was highly entertaining. And fool's blue and gold.

Honestly, objectively, this franchise is still nowhere. No MISSION ACCOMPLISHED banners, please.

But a little perspective on the "awful" RaKru.

So are attitudes and perspectives. If you can't handle the arduous trip then wait a little longer and get on that bandwagon. It may be a little late but it's better than riding in the wagon when traveling over bumpy roads. To each their own! 🍷

Edited February 17, 2023 by JohnC

[Buffalonill]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

I think this team needs 2 additional defenders still. As time has past I am more and more willing to trade for Chychrun. 

Even when you could Potentially have a blueline over 30 million dollars .

Im surprised you want this 

[Stoner]

13 minutes ago, JohnC said:

So are attitudes and perspectives. If you can't handle the arduous trip then wait a little longer and then get on that bandwagon. It may be a little late but it's better than riding in the wagon when traveling over bumpy roads. To each their own! 🍷

Interesting choice of words. Bandwagon to me is a pejorative term.

You jump on one and you jump off.

Anyway, enjoy. Don't forget to toot your own horn.

[GASabresIUFAN]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

I think this team needs 2 additional defenders still. As time has past I am more and more willing to trade for Chychrun. 

 

6 minutes ago, Buffalonill said:

Even when you could Potentially have a blueline over 30 million dollars .

Im surprised you want this 

I don’t know why you’d be surprised.  We have 3 D, we need 6.  Power needs an upgrade over Joki and the 3rd pair need at least one upgrade over Bryson. 
 

What looks better to you - Dahlin, Samuelsson, Power, Joki, Bush, Bryson and Clague or Dahlin, Samuelsson, Power, Chychrun, Schenn Jokiharju and Bush?  Which group would have a better shot at limiting goals against in the playoffs? Which would be better at supporting the offense?

In addition, where is our D pipeline?  We have 4 legit prospects, but only one is near NHL ready (Johnson); that’s in 2024-25 and he may walk this summer.  

The question is cost, but we have the cap space, the picks (potentially 4 2nds - if Johnson doesn’t sign) and a pile of good forward prospects to make smart trades without really sacrificing the future.  Getting a locked up Chychrun gives us a quality lesser version of Dahlin and we actually need such a player.

[JohnC]

20 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

Interesting choice of words. Bandwagon to me is a pejorative term.

You jump on one and you jump off.

Anyway, enjoy. Don't forget to toot your own horn.

I won't toot my horn. I will simply look over and pass you by. 🍷

[LGR4GM]

16 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

 

I don’t know why you’d be surprised.  We have 3 D, we need 6.  Power needs an upgrade over Joki and the 3rd pair need at least one upgrade over Bryson. 
 

What looks better to you - Dahlin, Samuelsson, Power, Joki, Bush, Bryson and Clague or Dahlin, Samuelsson, Power, Chychrun, Schenn Jokiharju and Bush?  Which group would have a better shot at limiting goals against in the playoffs? Which would be better at supporting the offense?

In addition, where is our D pipeline?  We have 4 legit prospects, but only one is near NHL ready (Johnson); that’s in 2024-25 and he may walk this summer.  

The question is cost, but we have the cap space, the picks (potentially 4 2nds - if Johnson doesn’t sign) and a pile of good forward prospects to make smart trades without really sacrificing the future.  Getting a locked up Chychrun gives us a quality lesser version of Dahlin and we actually need such a player.

Im still mad at Columbus for drafting Jiricek when they did. David Jiricek is everything our defense needs. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

4 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Im still mad at Columbus for drafting Jiricek when they did. David Jiricek is everything our defense needs. 

He wasn’t falling to 9.  KA would have had to move up to get him.  

[LGR4GM]

3 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

He wasn’t falling to 9.  KA would have had to move up to get him.  

They also got Mateychuk who I liked as well. CBJ in another 2 years will be a very interesting team. 

[Stoner]

48 minutes ago, JohnC said:

I won't toot my horn. I will simply look over and pass you by. 🍷

This is quite the battle of wits.

 

[Taro T]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

Im still mad at Columbus for drafting Jiricek when they did. David Jiricek is everything our defense needs. 

Welcome to the club. 

The dues are quite reasonable & we rarely have meetings.  Though when we do, beer & wings ate served.

[JohnC]

55 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

This is quite the battle of wits.

 

There is no battle of wits. Do what you want to do. It's as simple as that. The world will continue to spin in its orbit. 

[Stoner]

I think we're doing the same thing. Except I'm hanging on the back of a City of Lackawanna garbage truck with one leg stuck out for balance.

[Taro T]

10 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

I think we're doing the same thing. Except I'm hanging on the back of a City of Lackawanna garbage truck with one leg stuck out for balance.

Wrre it South Buffalo you could've been hanging on & hanging out with Timmy Russert back in the day.

[Brawndo]

I believe they will be in it to the end, but will fall short.

They have the most difficult remaining schedule, based on remaining opponents winning percentage, with Detroit have the second most difficult and they didn’t bank enough points earlier in the season 

[Thorner]

10 hours ago, PASabreFan said:

Honestly, objectively, this franchise is still nowhere. No MISSION ACCOMPLISHED banners, please.

But a little perspective on the "awful" RaKru.

You know what they say. 

Fool me once, shame on....shame on.....

...you..? 

Point is: can’t get fooled again 

Edited February 18, 2023 by Thorny

[Thorner]

31 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

I believe they will be in it to the end, but will fall short.

They have the most difficult remaining schedule, based on remaining opponents winning percentage, with Detroit have the second most difficult and they didn’t bank enough points earlier in the season 

Often it’s not who you play, but when you play them. a lot of the true difficulty of schedule will come down to how these teams are looking when we catch em

A team with a mediocre record firing on all cylinders sometimes presents a greater challenge than a good team, slumping, coasting perhaps as they know their playoff position and opponent already b/c the playoff system is balls 

- - -

Sabres are a mid pack team. Would you want to play them when we are “on”? They are as tough an out as anyone in that scenario - and if we’re slumping sometimes we’re an easy out. Aside from the truly elite teams, and the true basement dwellers, I’d say timing is a more important factor than outright record re: schedule difficulty 

Edited February 18, 2023 by Thorny

[Thorner]

6 hours ago, PASabreFan said:

Interesting choice of words. Bandwagon to me is a pejorative term.

You jump on one and you jump off.

Anyway, enjoy. Don't forget to toot your own horn.

 

5 hours ago, JohnC said:

I won't toot my horn. I will simply look over and pass you by. 🍷

Do you have any Grey Tooton?

[JohnC]

6 minutes ago, Thorny said:

 

Do you have any Grey Tooton?

No. I use the cheap stuff on my sandwiches. 🤡

[JohninMinn.]

It's an 82 game preseason. Plenty of time for team to gel and a goalie to get hot.

Nobody remembers who won total points or where a team finishes. 

[Andrew Amerk]

4 hours ago, JohnC said:

No. I use the cheap stuff on my sandwiches. 🤡

That’s sad.

The right condiments can REALLY elevate a sandwich, and they usually ain’t the cheap ones. 

1 hour ago, JohninMinn. said:

It's an 82 game preseason. Plenty of time for team to gel and a goalie to get hot.

Nobody remembers who won total points or where a team finishes. 

Pepperidge Farms remembers.