Why do the Sabres Stink at Home?

[TheAud]

Until there is more data, I think it's a somewhat random result on the home vs. road splits.  

My expectation is regression to the mean over time. 

The bigger question is 'where is the mean' for this team?

[PromoTheRobot]

Because most nights the arena is half full. Something, something, 11 years, something.

[LabattBlue]

22 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Because most nights the arena is half full. Something, something, 11 years, something.

Tick tick tick…waiting for the “Buffalo doesn’t deserve an NHL team if they can’t fill the building to see a young exciting team” rant.  😂

[PromoTheRobot]

2 minutes ago, LabattBlue said:

Tick tick tick…waiting for the “Buffalo doesn’t deserve an NHL team if they can’t fill the building to see a young exciting team” rant.  😂

You said it. Not me 

[Crusader1969]

Just seems when there is a smaller crowd, they don’t perform

id be interested in seeing their record when the building is close to max capacity compares to games like today 

 

[LabattBlue]

2 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

You said it. Not me 

…but you know you wanted to.  😂

[PromoTheRobot]

12 minutes ago, LabattBlue said:

…but you know you wanted to.  😂

No. I think attendance numbers speak for themselves: 13,634. FYI the Thrashers averaged 13,469 in 2011, their final year in Atlanta.

But seriously, I do think a half empty arena sends a message to the players who are better than we've had in a while.

[Eleven]

9 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

No. I think attendance numbers speak for themselves: 13,634. FYI the Thrashers averaged 13,469 in 2011, their final year in Atlanta.

But seriously, I do think a half empty arena sends a message to the players who are better than we've had in a while.

It's a daytime game the day after everyone blew their sports cash on the Bills.  Not worried at all.  Place was rocking a couple of weeks ago and we all know it.

[PromoTheRobot]

1 minute ago, Eleven said:

It's a daytime game the day after everyone blew their sports cash on the Bills.  Not worried at all.  Place was rocking a couple of weeks ago and we all know it.

Once the Bills are done will tell the tale.

[Doohicksie]

13 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Once the Bills are done will tell the tale.

...if the Sabres are still in the playoff hunt.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

37 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Once the Bills are done will tell the tale.

The whole region will be on such a high in February that no one will even remember that the Sabres are also based here.

[Sidc3000]

13 minutes ago, Sabres Fan in NS said:

The whole region will be on such a high in February that no one will even remember that the Sabres are also based here.

[Goldseatsaud]

The crowd looking at their phones during the games. Entertainment only for some maybe

[Eleven]

2 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Once the Bills are done will tell the tale.

The tale was told.  It rocked a couple of weeks ago.  

[nfreeman]

I think it's the way the team plays, which is lousy, not the number of butts in the seats.

[Pimlach]

2 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Once the Bills are done will tell the tale.

The problem is by then the Sabres might not be in the playoff race.   

[PromoTheRobot]

12 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

The problem is by then the Sabres might not be in the playoff race.   

Barring catastrophic injuries, I have full faith they will be.

But the bigger question is if you won't show up for players like Thompson and Dahlin, being a top scoring and top power play team, then what will you show up for? Playoffs? You can't run an NHL franchise if you only fill the building for playoff games.

If I owned the Sabres and had to pony up a couple hundred million for a new arena, I honestly don't know if it would be worth doing.

Edited January 16, 2023 by PromoTheRobot

[Thorner]

19 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Barring catastrophic injuries, I have full faith they will be.

But the bigger question is if you won't show up for players like Thompson and Dahlin, being a top scoring and top power play team, then what will you show up for? Playoffs? You can't run an NHL franchise if you only fill the building for playoff games.

If I owned the Sabres and had to pony up a couple hundred million for a new arena, I honestly don't know if it would be worth doing.

They just have to establish as a *playoff team*. It’s been 12 years man. That’s objectively a really long time for a human being when measured in earth years. We actually don’t get that many. 12 is a huge chunk. I’m not even talking winning a series which takes us back nearly 2 decades. A generation. 

Clearly the team has asked plenty of patience from the fans, I think the fans are well within their right asking patience from the team if they are asking “where are you?”. But I’m pretty sure they already know. 

Asking why fans aren’t “showing up for Thompson and some goals” kinda insults the intelligence of a fan base that knows what this is all about and just wants playoffs. They seem to slowly be turning the corner: just give it time. Once they finally make the playoffs again and prove they are a threat to do it every year, the building will fill during the regular season as well. 

Fans wanting to see them get over that hump is totally understandable. We are pacing for 86 points. That’s an improvement, that’s promising: but it’s not like we didn’t have 81 seven years ago under Bylsma. And we thought it was *bad* then. Fans aren’t busting down the doors for a 5 point improvement on the decade low-water mark. 

The team will need to lead the way, now. They know it. Build a playoff team and the fans will come. For all of it.