Are the Sabres out of the running for the playoffs?

[Scottysabres]

16 minutes ago, MBD said:

Ullmark was with the Sabres for 6 years and his first season with Boston (last season) he was basically the same guy he was in Buffalo.  This, his 8th season, is far and away his best.  How long do you wait for a guy to develop?

Oh oh oh I know the answer

 

8 years!

[Thorner]

3 minutes ago, Scottysabres said:

Oh oh oh I know the answer

 

8 years!

Sorry that wouldn’t load on my phone, do you have a photo reference from this century? 

[Sabres Fan in NS]

25 minutes ago, Eleven said:

And the only winning record.

And the highest goal differential.  In most real sports that is the first tiebraker.

[Thorner]

1 minute ago, Sabres Fan in NS said:

And the highest goal differential.  In most real sports that is the first tiebraker.

Most other sports* don’t play a rinky dink OT where the game bears little resemblance to that played within the other 60 mins. Regulation wins need to be elevated as a tie breaker as they are. 

*Baseball now too I suppose 

[Two or less]

39 minutes ago, MBD said:

Ullmark was with the Sabres for 6 years and his first season with Boston (last season) he was basically the same guy he was in Buffalo.  This, his 8th season, is far and away his best.  How long do you wait for a guy to develop?

I was watching a Bruins game on espn+ not too long ago, and they said when Ullmark arrived, the Bruins goalie coach watched film on him and then had a meeting with Ullmark, telling him if he fixes his rebound control he could potentially become one of the top goalies in the league because he liked a lot of the things he was doing, however, if he doesn't, he has no chance of surviving in Boston and will be nothing more then a journey man. The broadcast crew said Ullmark really took that to heart and worked his tail off and now in his second season the results speak for themselves.

Thought that was interesting. Sabres couldv'e done a better job developing him but also a lot of that relies on the player being willing to learn. Took a tough talk in Boston to really change his mindset.

[BillsShredder83]

3 minutes ago, Two or less said:

I was watching a Bruins game on espn+ not too long ago, and they said when Ullmark arrived, the Bruins goalie coach watched film on him and then had a meeting with Ullmark, telling him if he fixes his rebound control he could potentially become one of the top goalies in the league because he liked a lot of the things he was doing, however, if he doesn't, he has no chance of surviving in Boston and will be nothing more then a journey man. The broadcast crew said Ullmark really took that to heart and worked his tail off and now in his second season the results speak for themselves.

Thought that was interesting. Sabres couldv'e done a better job developing him but also a lot of that relies on the player being willing to learn. Took a tough talk in Boston to really change his mindset.

im far from an expert, ullmark is very good, but it is obvious to me when watching--- that team is elite two-ways. hes benefiting from it. obv i wish itd worked out like that here, but i dont think hes being talked about this way if he was still in our net. 

[DarthEbriate]

37 minutes ago, MBD said:

Ullmark was with the Sabres for 6 years and his first season with Boston (last season) he was basically the same guy he was in Buffalo.  This, his 8th season, is far and away his best.  How long do you wait for a guy to develop?

They didn't need to wait for Ullmark to develop further; they had him fully developed.

In a league where scoring has been going up and save percentages going down, Ullmark was .915, .917, .917 and now Vezina-level .936. Compared to his peers in 2019-2022 he was already an above-average goalie and was a #1 capable starter every season. He was also downright dominant in shootouts. His issue was with 2 injuries and COVID-shortened seasons that had prevented a 40+ start workload. The Sabres let a #1 walk to UFA. If you believe in him, you sign him in-season and if you don't believe then you trade him at the deadline to a contender with goalie issues (maybe for a late 1st if they're a real contender). The Sabres did neither and paid for it. They were forced to patch with a 40 year-old Anderson who played surprisingly well, two AHLers in Tokarski and Dell, and a prospect in UPL. Of them, only UPL surpassed .900 in save percentage.

If the Sabres had Ullmark and a .917 this season, they'd already be the 7 or 8 seed with games in hand.

[dudacek]

2 hours ago, DarthEbriate said:

They didn't need to wait for Ullmark to develop further; they had him fully developed.

In a league where scoring has been going up and save percentages going down, Ullmark was .915, .917, .917 and now Vezina-level .936. Compared to his peers in 2019-2022 he was already an above-average goalie and was a #1 capable starter every season. He was also downright dominant in shootouts. His issue was with 2 injuries and COVID-shortened seasons that had prevented a 40+ start workload. The Sabres let a #1 walk to UFA. If you believe in him, you sign him in-season and if you don't believe then you trade him at the deadline to a contender with goalie issues (maybe for a late 1st if they're a real contender). The Sabres did neither and paid for it. They were forced to patch with a 40 year-old Anderson who played surprisingly well, two AHLers in Tokarski and Dell, and a prospect in UPL. Of them, only UPL surpassed .900 in save percentage.

If the Sabres had Ullmark and a .917 this season, they'd already be the 7 or 8 seed with games in hand.

Thank you. There’s a level of revisionist history around here that Ullmark wasn’t that good as a Sabre.

No, he wasn’t a Vezina caliber goalie, but he was a good NHL goalie for most his time here and his numbers reflect that.

[bob_sauve28]

If Ullmark had not been injured so much, Krueger would have been coach longer

[Scottysabres]

I didn't vote, but, I did post a negative response after the Carolina game I believe it was. I'd like to rescind that and am changing my stance from Nay on playoffs to abstention. I want to believe, but then I see Bryson in the pre game skates and my tourette's syndrome kicks in, it is at those moments I find the wife and 2 daughters, all die hard Sabres faithfull, of my household often huddling in the distance, as my Sabres anger grows, I thought I saw duct tape and old extention cords being stock piled in a locked closet after the LA game.........am I being paranoid? I married this woman, these children are from my loins, I don't think so.........hence I am changing my view to......

 

Edited February 20, 2023 by Scottysabres

[Doohicksie]

10 hours ago, MBD said:

Ullmark was with the Sabres for 6 years and his first season with Boston (last season) he was basically the same guy he was in Buffalo.  This, his 8th season, is far and away his best.  How long do you wait for a guy to develop?

The Sabres didn't give up on Ullmark; it was the other way around.

[Doohicksie]

9 hours ago, Thorny said:

Sorry that wouldn’t load on my phone, do you have a photo reference from this century? 

Kids these days.

[Doohicksie]

9 hours ago, Two or less said:

I was watching a Bruins game on espn+ not too long ago, and they said when Ullmark arrived, the Bruins goalie coach watched film on him and then had a meeting with Ullmark, telling him if he fixes his rebound control he could potentially become one of the top goalies in the league because he liked a lot of the things he was doing, however, if he doesn't, he has no chance of surviving in Boston and will be nothing more then a journey man. The broadcast crew said Ullmark really took that to heart and worked his tail off and now in his second season the results speak for themselves.

Thought that was interesting. Sabres couldv'e done a better job developing him but also a lot of that relies on the player being willing to learn. Took a tough talk in Boston to really change his mindset.

Probably a combination of change of scenery, a fresh set of coaching eyes on him, and the competition from Swayman, caused him to re-evaluate his game.  I don't think that reflects one way or the other on the coaching he got in Buffalo.  If he'd been in Boston the whole time, would he have also developed the goaltending habits he did with the Sabres?  Would there been another hole in his game that leaving Boston would fix?

Interesting conversation, but that's about all it is to me.

And how could you listen to the Bahston broadcast without your ears bleeding?

[Doohicksie]

9 hours ago, DarthEbriate said:

The Sabres did neither and paid for it.

I think Kevyn learned a lot from that experience.  He messed and he knows it.

[inkman]

Maybe it’s just what message boards were made for but I have no room in my life in a shoulda coulda woulda debate about Linus Ullmark.  What’s the end game?  You enjoy piling on?  

[LGR4GM]

3 minutes ago, inkman said:

Maybe it’s just what message boards were made for but I have no room in my life in a shoulda coulda woulda debate about Linus Ullmark.  What’s the end game?  You enjoy piling on?  

It is making this thread un-readable. 

[Doohicksie]

Maybe there's an equivalent to Godwin's Law relating to Linus Ulmark. 

Heil Ullmark!!!

(but only on Sabrespace)

[GASabresIUFAN]

I went to see if this Sabres team is improving.  It isn't by most measures.

In the first 20 games, they scored 75 goals (3.75 per game) and gave up 70 (3.5 per game).  Record 9-11

In the next 20 games, the offense accelerated and the D/Goaltending remain lousy.  They scored 78 goals (3.90) while allowing 69 (3.45). Record 11-7-2

In the next 14 games, the offense has slipped some and the D/Goaltending remains subpar.  They scored 47 goals (3.36) while allowing 47 (3.36).  Record 8-4-2.  The numbers are illustrative of the 3 pastings they took at the hands of Carolina, Calgary, and LA. I think the lower offensive numbers reflect the issues with the power play.  We had 41 PP goals in the first 40 games and have had only 6 in the last 14.  One area of improvement is the PK.  After giving up 35 PP GA in the first 40 games (.875 PP GA per game), the team has only allowed 8 in the last 14 (.57)

At EV our goals for remains pretty consistent at 2.7, 2.9, and 2.93.  Our EV goal against was better in the first forty at 2.6, but has slipped in this 3rd to 2.79.

If this team is going to make the playoffs the PP must start clicking again and our D/Goaltending needs to get better.

 

Edited February 20, 2023 by GASabresIUFAN

[Stoner]

12 hours ago, Thorny said:

Sorry that wouldn’t load on my phone, do you have a photo reference from this century? 

Up your nose with a rubber hose, punk!

Edited February 20, 2023 by PASabreFan

[dudacek]

7 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

I went to see if this Sabres team is improving.  It isn't by most measures.

In the first 20 games, they scored 75 goals (3.75 per game) and gave up 70 (3.5 per game).  Record 9-11

In the next 20 games, the offense accelerated and the D/Goaltending remain lousy.  They scored 78 goals (3.90) while allowing 69 (3.45). Record 11-7-2

In the next 14 games, the offense has slipped some and the D/Goaltending remains subpar.  They scored 47 goals (3.36) while allowing 47 (3.36).  Record 8-4-2.  The numbers are illustrative of the 3 pastings they took at the hands of Carolina, Calgary, and LA. I think the lower offensive numbers reflect the issues with the power play.  We had 41 PP goals in the first 40 games and have had only 6 in the last 14.

If this team is going to make the playoffs the PP must start clicking again and our D/Goaltending needs to get better.

 

But...

[Taro T]

5 minutes ago, dudacek said:

But...

Shh, he's on a roll. ;)

[Skibum]

As inconsistent as the Sabres have been, their main competitors for the Wild Card have been even worse. With almost 30 games left, a high scoring team with multiple games in hand and a better win % than the 8-10 place teams, the odds of making the playoffs are actually in their favor right now. 

[Pimlach]

On 2/19/2023 at 3:06 AM, Marvin said:

I just looked at the rest of our schedule.  We end the year with an old fashioned 4 games in 5 nights, where our playoff lives might be on the line.

This is were depth comes in.  We play 6 of the last 8 on the road too.  

Hopefully every team feels they have tough March and April, but we really do.  

[GASabresIUFAN]

41 minutes ago, dudacek said:

But...

This was our easiest stretch of the season in many ways.  Our better record in this third is attributed to playing 5 of the 14 games against non-playoffs teams.  Our record in those 5 was 4-0-1.  Against the bubble or playoff teams are record was 4-4-2.   In those 10 games, we scored only 19 goals but gave up 30.  

We only have 5 games against non-playoff teams for the remainder of the year.  

Edited February 20, 2023 by GASabresIUFAN

[Taro T]

1 minute ago, Pimlach said:

This is were depth comes in.  We play 6 of the last 8 on the road too.  

Hopefully every team feels they have tough March and April, but we really do.  

Which by the numbers this season should be a good thing.