Ten points out, two games in hand, play Tampa last game of season and some of the teams ahead of are slumping. Is it really that impossible?

[spndnchz]

4 hours ago, Kristian said:

This! The oldest trick in the Sabres playbook! The late season rally!

There’s a reason they say “you can’t make the playoffs in November, but you can certainly miss them”.

That should be painted on the freakin’ locker room floor!

 

4 hours ago, Buffalonill said:

This team loves giving fans hope And we fall for it every single year.

 

Ok Mr Buzzkil maybe change your poster name. We know there is no chance. 

[TheAud]

[Marvin]

"The race may not go to the swift, nor the battle to the strong -- but that is the way you should bet."

I don't expect it, but I will root for it.

Edited March 3 by Marvin

[CallawaySabres]

I agree, it doesn’t sound like it should be that difficult a task. Then you look at reality and you see they have won five out of the last six and have gained zero ground. It’s over unfortunately.

[Doohicksie]

[Doohicksie]

Dear Buffalo Sabres:  Watch Number 21 (starts from far left).  WATCH HIM.

 

Edited March 3 by Doohickie
I can't imagine there every being a more thrilling horse race than this.

[DHawerchuk10]

7 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

Dear Buffalo Sabres:  Watch Number 21 (starts from far left).  WATCH HIM.

 

 

[Buffalonill]

41 minutes ago, spndnchz said:

 

Ok Mr Buzzkil maybe change your poster name. We know there is no chance. 

They do this every year That's what's frustrating

It's the tradition every year.

Just like the leafs  have a tradition of choking in the playoffs every year

Edited March 3 by Buffalonill

[tom webster]

43 minutes ago, Buffalonill said:

They do this every year That's what's frustrating

It's the tradition every year.

Just like the leafs  have a tradition of choking in the playoffs every year

Actually, they don’t do this every year but….,

[HOUSE]

We were very close last year

Edited March 3 by Shoot da Puck

[Thorner]

5 hours ago, tom webster said:

I know, I’ve shared my frustration with management and how this season has unfolded ad nauseum. I also get that it’s a long shot. I just don’t think it’s necessarily over.

I will not be satisfied with a valiant run to ninth place. I blame KA for mishandling the last two years. I’m not wavering in my belief that they could have done a lot better but UPL has been a revelation and they are not as bad as some would have you believe 

We share a space in the Venn diagram. We absolutely can make it, and it’s absolutely a failure of a season if we don’t 

[shrader]

3 hours ago, K-9 said:

I’ve never confused impossible with highly unlikely.

You’re one of few. 

[Thorner]

5 hours ago, tom webster said:

I didn’t say I had hope. I’m just making a point that the numbers don’t jive with the way the narrative is going. Have they been a disappointment, certainly. Am I preparing to put a deposit down on playoff tickets? No.

I absolutely agree. The math seems a tad wonky to me too. I get the “4 teams to leapfrog” thing but these guys are like 2-4 points up on us now.

Coming into season we don’t say, “well, we are competing with 8 other teams for WC2, the odds of outplaying all 8 aren’t good.” If we are better we are better. It’s not exactly that situation with those teams right now but it’s close: they are only a couple points up and there’s 25% of a season left.

can we real in Tampa or Detroit? Strictly possible  

[Thorner]

5 hours ago, Brawndo said:

Buffalo has the second hardest strength of schedule remaining including the Western Canadian Road Trip with a stop in Seattle. 
 

I just do not see it happening. 
 

I have a hard time believing that the GM of a team that finished one win out of the playoffs last year, would willingly enter this season with the third most cap space.  I still believe GMKA is operating under an internal cap. 

Awesome /S

[Thorner]

1 hour ago, CallawaySabres said:

I agree, it doesn’t sound like it should be that difficult a task. Then you look at reality and you see they have won five out of the last six and have gained zero ground. It’s over unfortunately.

That’s not true by points percentage. We’ve gained a fair bit on the 4 teams in between and a bit on Tampa too 

[Stoner]

I mean why stop at playoffs? If the Sabres have a real shot at making the playoffs despite the gauntlet Brawndo lays out, why not say the Sabres are legitimate Cup contenders RIGHT NOW? Why would they cool off after winning 52 of 55 games or whatever plausible scenarios some are proposing? In fact it should be easier to win the Cup than make the playoffs. You can go 16-12 and do that.

[Thorner]

Devils and Caps both lost today already

what are we even doing here? Yes we can make it 

I’m telling you - the teams above us are objective ass

so much of the “math in undoable” stuff comes from thinking we need to hit 95 points. 90 might get in. 90

the math isn’t great but these teams are defying already low expectations! Surely, surely a concept we Sabres fans plenty of training in 

- - - 

Peguins have the same amount of points as us.

Devils (losing) will have a mere 2 more 

Caps (lost) have 3 more 

Islanders have 4 more 

…if the Sabres win today, we are *two points* clear of ONLY looking up at WC2. Are people just refusing to look at the standings? “All these teams we need to pass.” We will have 20 games to gain 2 points (the amount for 1 win) if we secure the dub today. Would be 1 back of Wash and 2 back of the Islanders.

We’d be 8 back of Tampa with a game in hand. We’d be 8 back of Detroit and play them 3 times

Edited March 3 by Thorny

[Doohicksie]

1 hour ago, Doohickie said:

Dear Buffalo Sabres:  Watch Number 21 (starts from far left).  WATCH HIM.

 

Spoiler:  Coming into the home stretch, the winner is the one circled in red

In the world of sports more unlikely things that the Sabres making the playoffs have happened.  Rich Strike was an 80:1 shot.  The day before the race, he wasn't even in the field.  He only raced because another horse was scratched.

[Thorner]

Doing something stupid mathematically would he apropos for a team that’s behaved stupidly mathematically for 13 years 

[RangerDave]

6 hours ago, Sabres Fan in NS said:

There is a chance and as long as there is a chance I will say that the Sabres will make it in.

[Weave]

32 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

I mean why stop at playoffs? If the Sabres have a real shot at making the playoffs despite the gauntlet Brawndo lays out, why not say the Sabres are legitimate Cup contenders RIGHT NOW? Why would they cool off after winning 52 of 55 games or whatever plausible scenarios some are proposing? In fact it should be easier to win the Cup than make the playoffs. You can go 16-12 and do that.

First I was

 

Then I was

[Weave]

6 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Doing something stupid mathematically would he apropos for a team that’s behaved stupidly mathematically for 13 years 

And you know damned well that if it were to happen, we’d spend another 13 yrs expecting another blind pig to find the acorn.

[nfreeman]

7 hours ago, tom webster said:

I know, I’ve shared my frustration with management and how this season has unfolded ad nauseum. I also get that it’s a long shot. I just don’t think it’s necessarily over.

I will not be satisfied with a valiant run to ninth place. I blame KA for mishandling the last two years. I’m not wavering in my belief that they could have done a lot better but UPL has been a revelation and they are not as bad as some would have you believe 

This right here is perfect.

 

6 hours ago, Brawndo said:

Buffalo has the second hardest strength of schedule remaining including the Western Canadian Road Trip with a stop in Seattle. 
 

I just do not see it happening. 
 

I have a hard time believing that the GM of a team that finished one win out of the playoffs last year, would willingly enter this season with the third most cap space.  I still believe GMKA is operating under an internal cap. 

5 hours ago, tom webster said:

I go back and forth on the internal cap. Trades that came close only to fall apart, usually because of NMC or free agent choices would seem to indicate that he was given freedom to go higher. On the other hand, they just might be good at getting their story of “trying” out to just enough people.

Interesting.  I can see either possibility being true.  I'm also not sure there was a guy out there in the $4MM to $6MM range who was willing to come here on a short-term deal and who would've made a difference.

[bob_sauve28]

2 hours ago, Doohickie said:

Dear Buffalo Sabres:  Watch Number 21 (starts from far left).  WATCH HIM.

 

That was great!! 

[SwampD]

7 hours ago, tom webster said:

I didn’t say I had hope. I’m just making a point that the numbers don’t jive with the way the narrative is going. Have they been a disappointment, certainly. Am I preparing to put a deposit down on playoff tickets? No.

Actually, the numbers are in perfect sync with the direction of the “narrative.”

I’m not really sure what the point of this thread, is other than to maybe bone up on some basic math.

Edited March 3 by SwampD