Sabres on notice and everybody knows it

[dudacek]

I've listened to and read a lot of league-wide preseason talk.

As far as the greater NHL media and fanbase goes, the Sabres are among the league's biggest afterthoughts. They're neither a bubble team, nor a disaster waiting to happen, and they certainly aren't a playoff team. They are just a consensus not-really-worth-thinking-about non-story that the talking heads quickly skip over.

For the most part, I'm not even hearing any serious dives into their strengths and weaknesses, more of a "not really worth our time."

I'd sum up the consensus as this:

"Buffalo? Eh, they weren't good last year and didn't do anything exciting this summer to improve. I mean cutting Jeff Skinner, how is that going to help? And recycling Lindy Ruff (insert eye roll here)? I'm sick of waiting for them to break through. They never have and I've given up thinking that they ever will."

Edited September 26 by dudacek

[Thorner]

17 minutes ago, dudacek said:

I've listened to and read a lot of league-wide preseason talk.

As far as the greater NHL media and fanbase goes, the Sabres are among the league's biggest afterthoughts. They're neither a bubble team, nor a disaster waiting to happen, and they certainly aren't a playoff team. They are just a consensus not-really-worth-thinking-about non-story that the talking heads quickly skip over.

For the most part, I'm not even hearing any serious dives into their strengths and weaknesses, more of a "not really worth our time."

I'd sum up the consensus as this:

"Buffalo? Eh, they weren't good last year and didn't do anything exciting this summer to improve. I mean cutting Jeff Skinner, how is that going to help? And recycling Lindy Ruff (insert eye roll here)? I'm sick of waiting for them to break through. They never have and I've giving up thinking that they ever will."

Hopefully darkest before the dawn

[Taro T]

1 hour ago, dudacek said:

I've listened to and read a lot of league-wide preseason talk.

As far as the greater NHL media and fanbase goes, the Sabres are among the league's biggest afterthoughts. They're neither a bubble team, nor a disaster waiting to happen, and they certainly aren't a playoff team. They are just a consensus not-really-worth-thinking-about non-story that the talking heads quickly skip over.

For the most part, I'm not even hearing any serious dives into their strengths and weaknesses, more of a "not really worth our time."

I'd sum up the consensus as this:

"Buffalo? Eh, they weren't good last year and didn't do anything exciting this summer to improve. I mean cutting Jeff Skinner, how is that going to help? And recycling Lindy Ruff (insert eye roll here)? I'm sick of waiting for them to break through. They never have and I've giving up thinking that they ever will."

And the Bills were going to be trash because they traded Diggs, lost Davis, lost Morse, lost Poyer, lost Hyde, lost Floyd; didn't bring in any big names to replace them and would absolutely 100% take a step back.  And it's early in the season, so those predictions can still prove to be true; but through ~18% of the year even with the entire starting middle 3 out on injury and the duo expected to be starting at safety all out with injury they've flat out destroyed 3 opponents.  So, personally, don't expect those predictions of Bills doom to come to fruition.

Just because something is "consensus" doesn't mean it's correct.

[LGR4GM]

3 minutes ago, Taro T said:

And the Bills were going to be trash because they traded Diggs, lost Davis, lost Morse, lost Poyer, lost Hyde, lost Floyd; didn't bring in any big names to replace them and would absolutely 100% take a step back.  And it's early in the season, so those predictions can still prove to be true; but through ~18% of the year even with the entire starting middle 3 out on injury and the duo expected to be starting at safety all out with injury they've flat out destroyed 3 opponents.  So, personally, don't expect those predictions of Bills doom to come to fruition.

Just because something is "consensus" doesn't mean it's correct.

CoughPowerCough

[dudacek]

3 minutes ago, Taro T said:

And the Bills were going to be trash because they traded Diggs, lost Davis, lost Morse, lost Poyer, lost Hyde, lost Floyd; didn't bring in any big names to replace them and would absolutely 100% take a step back.  And it's early in the season, so those predictions can still prove to be true; but through ~18% of the year even with the entire starting middle 3 out on injury and the duo expected to be starting at safety all out with injury they've flat out destroyed 3 opponents.  So, personally, don't expect those predictions of Bills doom to come to fruition.

Just because something is "consensus" doesn't mean it's correct.

Doesn't mean anything other than the Sabres are largely irrelevant and the prognosticators are lazy.

 

[DarthEbriate]

It's true. All of it.

They've teased long enough that now Detroit and Ottawa have the sexier perception. The broad media is they're back to battling for 7th in the division, with possible reaching up to 5th. But gone are the days of "they're the next team to make the jump". 

[Taro T]

32 minutes ago, DarthEbriate said:

It's true. All of it.

They've teased long enough that now Detroit and Ottawa have the sexier perception. The broad media is they're back to battling for 7th in the division, with possible reaching up to 5th. But gone are the days of "they're the next team to make the jump". 

Good.  Maybe it'll put a chip on their shoulders.

[DarthEbriate]

Silly question regarding the OP and thread title: does the owner know it or care?

(Or will it just be EEE business as usual if they hit a 2-10 stretch in December?)

[Stoner]

1 hour ago, Taro T said:

And the Bills were going to be trash because they traded Diggs, lost Davis, lost Morse, lost Poyer, lost Hyde, lost Floyd; didn't bring in any big names to replace them and would absolutely 100% take a step back.  And it's early in the season, so those predictions can still prove to be true; but through ~18% of the year even with the entire starting middle 3 out on injury and the duo expected to be starting at safety all out with injury they've flat out destroyed 3 opponents.  So, personally, don't expect those predictions of Bills doom to come to fruition.

Just because something is "consensus" doesn't mean it's correct.

Correct. Look at No Goal.

[ska-T Chitown]

4 hours ago, dudacek said:

I've listened to and read a lot of league-wide preseason talk...

ESPN in their "bold predictions" article ... so at least someone thinks it might happen, lol

[Spoonman]

Good Evening Children of the Swords ⚔️

Spooner rising from a long hockey bear slumber....

[Spoonman]

But the new roof @Sidc3000! There is video on the fantastic roof job.

[Sidc3000]

24 minutes ago, Spoonman said:

But the new roof @Sidc3000! There is video on the fantastic roof job.

 

😂😂😂😂

[Sidc3000]

47 minutes ago, Spoonman said:

Good Evening Children of the Swords ⚔️

Spooner rising from a long hockey bear slumber....

Good to see you’re back spoon

[Doohicksie]

1 hour ago, Spoonman said:

Good Evening Children of the Swords ⚔️

Spooner rising from a long hockey bear slumber....

 

[Spoonman]

3 minutes ago, Doohicksie said:

 

🙃

[WhenWillItEnd66]

Someone forgot to tell the Sabres.  

[Night Train]

The " Too much talent on this team " statement looks very questionable now.

 Part of " talent " is commitment and composure. 

[Demoted]

Hahahahahahahaha "on notice"

[zow2]

Again, losing is acceptable here.  They try to say and act like it isn't, but it truly is acceptable for this GM and ownership, and these overrated players.  The good teams in this league won't have 3 straight regulation losses all season.    This organization has let down the great fans of Buffalo in a massive way.  I'm not even sure if winning the Stanley Cup someday can offset the misery of 13+ seasons in a league where everyone cycles through the playoffs every season or at worst every few years.

[Drag0nDan]

19 minutes ago, zow2 said:

Again, losing is acceptable here.  They try to say and act like it isn't, but it truly is acceptable for this GM and ownership, and these overrated players.  The good teams in this league won't have 3 straight regulation losses all season.    This organization has let down the great fans of Buffalo in a massive way.  I'm not even sure if winning the Stanley Cup someday can offset the misery of 13+ seasons in a league where everyone cycles through the playoffs every season or at worst every few years.

The bruins won 65 games and had a 3 game losing streak at one point in the season.  You just can't let this keep going.  A win gets the monkey off your back, but they need to play better across the board.  Pucks need to start going in the net, the power play needs some urgency, and vets need to step up.  

[zow2]

2 hours ago, Drag0nDan said:

The bruins won 65 games and had a 3 game losing streak at one point in the season.  You just can't let this keep going.  A win gets the monkey off your back, but they need to play better across the board.  Pucks need to start going in the net, the power play needs some urgency, and vets need to step up.  

Yeah i figured it happens, was just trying to make a point.  I bet in many cases though, the team like the Bruins gets a losers point somewhere in their 3 game losing streak. 

That's another thing that kills me with the Sabres.  They rarely get the losers point getting a game to OT,  just too many pointless games and that has cost them dearly at the end of seasons.

[mjd1001]

Panthers won the cup last year:

-started 0-2, including getting shut out and allowing 8 goals over those 2 games

-lost 4 out of 5 in mid December, getting shut out twice and being outscored 15-2 in those losses.

-4 game losing streak in January

-4 game losing streak in march

-were shut out 7 times last season

 

So yeah, it happens to just about everyone, hockey is a long season with good and bad streaks.  With the fanbase and history here, the worst time you can get that is to start the season, but here we are.

[Thorner]

1 hour ago, zow2 said:

Yeah i figured it happens, was just trying to make a point.  I bet in many cases though, the team like the Bruins gets a losers point somewhere in their 3 game losing streak. 

That's another thing that kills me with the Sabres.  They rarely get the losers point getting a game to OT,  just too many pointless games and that has cost them dearly at the end of seasons.

It’s more so we lost our 3 upon first available opportunity 

[Thorner]

25 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

Panthers won the cup last year:

-started 0-2, including getting shut out and allowing 8 goals over those 2 games

-lost 4 out of 5 in mid December, getting shut out twice and being outscored 15-2 in those losses.

-4 game losing streak in January

-4 game losing streak in march

-were shut out 7 times last season

 

So yeah, it happens to just about everyone, hockey is a long season with good and bad streaks.  With the fanbase and history here, the worst time you can get that is to start the season, but here we are.

It’s not so much “because of the fanbase” as it is the fact the chances of those poor stretches showing up far too much going forward go WAY up when you commit a poor stretch to record that early. Ie the chances of the stretch being an anomaly but also randomly showing up at the first available opportunity is low 

We don’t posses the mitigating factors the Panthers did when they started 0-2, ie: a proven roster