To still make the playoffs TODAY

[Marvin]

2 hours ago, eman said:

Absolutely. Playoffs were done by US Thanksgiving. That statistic is around for a reason.

Unless you are Buffalo.  In Housley's second season, the Sabres set the record for best winning percentage at Thanksgiving to miss the playoffs.

[WhenWillItEnd66]

Can we please stop this playoff foolishness...... not going in at least another 2 years. I figure that is how long it will take for KA and Granato to be fired.

[eman]

4 hours ago, Marvin said:

Unless you are Buffalo.  In Housley's second season, the Sabres set the record for best winning percentage at Thanksgiving to miss the playoffs.

I know right? Only in Sabreland!!!

[DarthEbriate]

13 hours ago, Marvin said:

Unless you are Buffalo.  In Housley's second season, the Sabres set the record for best winning percentage at Thanksgiving to miss the playoffs.

There's a parallel to Vancouver this year with that Sabres season.

In 2018-19, the Sabres had just traded ROR, drafted Dahlin, and traded for a rejuvenated Skinner to pair with budding star Eichel. The Sabres got off to moderate start and then went on a streak to get to 16-6-2 at Thanksgiving. 1st in the NHL. But the underlying metrics said, "This team isn't that good. Regression is coming." It did. Berglund went from injured to retired. They got hit with D injuries: notably McCabe, but also Scandella, and 7D Nelson missed time. But they righted the ship a bit... they were still 21-11-5 on Christmas Day.

They needed a GM (or owner) willing to do something. And GM JBott didn't reward them. At all. No acquisitions. None. Instead of getting a veteran to pair with Risto or hold over for Scandella during the injury, they called up Pilut & Tennyson. Instead of trading for a veteran to replace Bergland, they dressed 13th F Remi Elie. The roster had gaping holes and inexperience (baby Mitts, baby giraffe Tage who were the future -- not the present -- and could have been easily sent to Rochester if a veteran comes in). I understand the patience., because it's perhaps a season too soon. But...throw your players a bone when they're in 1st place. Show them some confidence. Eventually, after the season went off the rails for 2 months. At the deadline, JBott traded for Montour and sent out Beaulieu and that was it. (Montour would've looked awfully good in December!) The Sens were going nowhere all season. A Brannstrom/Lindberg/2nd equivalent for Mark Stone at New Year's when Ottawa's season was already over?

Contrast that with this season. The Canucks were off to a blistering start with the overhaul to last year's squad (no ROR or Skinner trades/Dahlin draft, but several shrewd moves to close last season and in free agency: Hronek, Soucy, Blueger, etc.). Everyone screamed "Regression is coming! A team can't sustain 20% shooting percentage or whatever absurd number it was." But the Canucks GM knew the gaps in the lineup were fixable, and even with regression...  It was worth it because the team kept winning. Right after TurkeyDay: Zadorov. As a reward, filling a hole at RD. Fast forward another 2 months: still going: trade for Elias Lindholm. And Vancouver will add some patchwork/depth pieces at the deadline, too.

[GoPuckYourself]

 

It's over Johnny!!!

[PerreaultForever]

To still make the playoffs TODAY:

Charter planes carrying the Leafs and Habs have to crash into the Detroit airport where the debris somehow lands on the Red Wings bus unloading killing all members of all 3 teams and Florida has to get hit and submerged by a Tsunami wiping out the entire state while the Florida teams are playing home games and then.........

then there's a slim chance, but we might still miss by 1 point. 

 

[Wyldnwoody44]

I just finished my 3rd dive out in the Sulu sea today... I was looking for Thresher Sharks and Cuddlefish.... What I found was much less impressive... 

 

At the bottom of the Ocean, were your 2023-2024 Buffalo Sabres, They were stuck in the sand, and Donny Meatballs was failing to swim against the current. 

 

[French Collection]

3 hours ago, Wyldnwoody44 said:

They were stuck in the sand, and Donny Meatballs was failing to swim against the current. 

His compete level just wasn’t there when the schools of fish booed him.

[RochesterExpat]

7 hours ago, DarthEbriate said:

And Vancouver will add some patchwork/depth pieces at the deadline, too.

This is the best sign you, as a GM, did your job well. You’re a contender and we’re not sitting here saying what obvious needs you need to fill at the deadline.

[MISabresFan]

21 hours ago, spndnchz said:

So the coach was bad? Or the players needed to wake up ?🤔

Not sure about those other teams and their reasons for making a coaching change, but with everything going on with the fans comments from the locker room and the coach, that a change is not warranted?  

[Wyldnwoody44]

[erickompositör72]

Another road to the playoffs:

 

If we win 1 more game, and then play .500 hockey the rest of the season, we'll be at 82 points

If we can somehow get 11 loser points in all of our losses, we'll be in. Or:

Win 2 more games above .500, 9 more loser points

Win 3 more games above .500, 7 more loser points

Win 4 more games above .500, 5 more loser points

 

etc. etc.

What's working against us is we're running out of games, and we'll have to have an unusually high OTL/L ratio

[Sabres Fan in NS]

43 minutes ago, erickompositör72 said:

Another road to the playoffs:

 

If we win 1 more game, and then play .500 hockey the rest of the season, we'll be at 82 points

If we can somehow get 11 loser points in all of our losses, we'll be in. Or:

Win 2 more games above .500, 9 more loser points

Win 3 more games above .500, 7 more loser points

Win 4 more games above .500, 5 more loser points

 

etc. etc.

What's working against us is we're running out of games, and we'll have to have an unusually high OTL/L ratio

They should just win all their remaining games.  All problems, including math, will be solved.

[mjd1001]

Let say they go on a 5 game winning streak from here.  Making it 7 in a row. Even if they did that, they would be at .532 point percentage.  Where would that get them?  13th in the conference. Where are they now? 13th in the conference.  So yeah, not looking good, but we all know that already.

And those next 5 games? Carolina, Florida, Tampa, Vegas, Winnipeg.  Their record so far against those teams this year? 2-6

Edited February 24 by mjd1001

[Scottysabres]

2 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

Let say they go on a 5 game winning streak from here.  Making it 7 in a row. Even if they did that, they would be at .532 point percentage.  Where would that get them?  13th in the conference. Where are they now? 13th in the conference.  So yeah, not looking good, but we all know that already.

 

[Buffalonill]

2 hours ago, mjd1001 said:

Let say they go on a 5 game winning streak from here.  Making it 7 in a row. Even if they did that, they would be at .532 point percentage.  Where would that get them?  13th in the conference. Where are they now? 13th in the conference.  So yeah, not looking good, but we all know that already.

And those next 5 games? Carolina, Florida, Tampa, Vegas, Winnipeg.  Their record so far against those teams this year? 2-6

 

[CallawaySabres]

I would be willing to open the door IF they actually beat the next 3 superior opponents.

[Demoted]

When was the last time they had a 3 game winning streak?

[pastajoe]

 

[Thorner]

1 hour ago, CallawaySabres said:

I would be willing to open the door IF they actually beat the next 3 superior opponents.

It’ll be tough. One thing in our favour is Carolina plays today and has to travel to Buffalo late for a 5pm game tomorrow on a back to back 

[Broken Ankles]

2 hours ago, CallawaySabres said:

I would be willing to open the door IF they actually beat the next 3 superior opponents.

 Interesting note. Yesterday before the Columbus game, the Sabres were +165 against Carolina and today it’s +135.  The book seemingly rejecting the fact God doesn’t want this team to win 3 in a row.  How is the line not moving in the other direction?

[French Collection]

2 hours ago, Thorny said:

It’ll be tough. One thing in our favour is Carolina plays today and has to travel to Buffalo late for a 5pm game tomorrow on a back to back 

Pull ann old Soviet trick on them, call their rooms for wake up calls at odd hours.

[Doohicksie]

The Sabres will make the playoffs if:

• They win out
• I win the Powerball Jackpot
• Matt Ellis gets eaten by a shark
• Rob Ray gets a hole-in-one next time he golfs.

If any of those events fail to occur, the Sabres playoff chances are toast.

[CallawaySabres]

Philly was always the team I thought we would have a chance of catching. Now that they are in 8th, and on a 2 game slide, we need to hope the slide continues...

 

Edited February 26 by CallawaySabres

[Second Line Center]

3 hours ago, CallawaySabres said:

Philly was always the team I thought we would have a chance of catching. Now that they are in 8th, and on a 2 game slide, we need to hope the slide continues...

 

 

Yea but we’re not chasing Philly bc someone has to be the 3rd team in that division.  
 

Even if they slid it doesn’t really matter they’d just be out of the playoffs if they dropped to 4th in their division bc WC teams Detroit and Tampa have more points than them.  
 

To me we’re chasing Tampa.  We have 2 games in hand on them 11 points back.  
 

Basically any hope of this happening - we need to beat them in regulation Thursday.   
 

Beat Florida tomorrow and root for Philly to beat Tampa.

Then if we beat Tampa Thursday we will be just 7 points behind them with 2 games in hand.