Do the Sabres make the playoffs this season (Thanksgiving edition)

[Pimlach]

51 minutes ago, Believer said:

My point was we don’t have the roster to compete for a Cup even if we get a playoff spot. 

Not a chance in hell unless Adams brings in missing pieces.

Otherwise, we will continue after 13 seasons to compete for a playoff slot instead of compete for a Cup.

Competing for the  Cup as a serious threat is a big step up from just making the playoffs.   I will be happy if they grab the WC rung and make the playoffs.  If they exit in round 1 it’s ok, we see how to shape the team from there forward   We need to be realistic, make the playoffs - step 1   

 

[Wyldnwoody44]

While watching this game....no 

 

[John Tucker]

We won’t make the playoffs in my lifetime.  At least not while they’re in Buffalo, with this owner

[PerreaultForever]

10 hours ago, Pimlach said:

Which is why I voted yes, they are in it and its there for the taking. 

The Isles game will tell us a lot.  They have to pull together,  

1.   heavy game opponent on the road

2.  2nd night of B2B

3.  Reimer in goal.

A strong team would get carried by its best players.  Calling on Thompson and Dahlin to lead them to a W.  

Well it did tell us a lot, but not what we wanted to know. 

[PerreaultForever]

2 hours ago, Pimlach said:

Competing for the  Cup as a serious threat is a big step up from just making the playoffs.   I will be happy if they grab the WC rung and make the playoffs.  If they exit in round 1 it’s ok, we see how to shape the team from there forward   We need to be realistic, make the playoffs - step 1   

 

Just getting in is everything. It gives them a taste. It gives the fans hope. It makes them legit again. Once they have that taste they will want it again and then you can tweak and make moves to get a better playoff style roster if needed, but you have to walk up the steps and not try to leap to the top from the bottom. 

[JP51]

Not a chance in he//... we haven't even seen them fold in Feb/March/April yet when teams with actual hockey players (not Disney on ice)  actually start to play ... 

[Night Train]

[Gatorman0519]

After all these years we still have a subpar forward group. Our top picks from the tank years are gone and elite Cup winners on other teams. I can’t think of any other franchise that has mismanaged their assets this badly. But then again, no franchise has ever gone 13 years of not making the playoffs with year 14 knocking at the door. The scary thing to me is there is no end in sight. Terry HAS to go outside and bring all new people in. Not the good ole boys. Florida did that 5 years ago now look at them. 

[Weave]

Now that we are at the end of the Thanksgiving weekend, I think the battle for a playoff spot is very uphill.  Only 2 teams to leapfrog, but I think they are showing that they are not better than the teams immediately around them.  Not meaningfully enough to inspire confidence, anyway.

 

[Pimlach]

1 hour ago, Gatorman0519 said:

After all these years we still have a subpar forward group. Our top picks from the tank years are gone and elite Cup winners on other teams. I can’t think of any other franchise that has mismanaged their assets this badly. But then again, no franchise has ever gone 13 years of not making the playoffs with year 14 knocking at the door. The scary thing to me is there is no end in sight. Terry HAS to go outside and bring all new people in. Not the good ole boys. Florida did that 5 years ago now look at them. 

And Florida’s GM Bill Zito could have been hired by Buffalo too.  But Terry would have to known him and trust him, which limits the pool of candidates to Howdy Doody and anyone his friends from Pittsburgh talk to him about.  

[Pimlach]

18 minutes ago, Weave said:

Now that we are at the end of the Thanksgiving weekend, I think the battle for a playoff spot is very uphill.  Only 2 teams to leapfrog, but I think they are showing that they are not better than the teams immediately around them.  Not meaningfully enough to inspire confidence, anyway.

 

Yes.  There is a log jam of middling teams and the Sabres are in the mix.  They have the goaltending finally -  but pucks are not going in.  Lindy is suddenly giving lots of minutes to the kids and sitting the vets and the result is bad.  
 

For a short while Thompson and Dahlin were carrying the load and leading.  That has stopped.  

[bunomatic]

No.

[WhenWillItEnd66]

Another year same result. Wash rinse,  repeat.  I am almost glad i cannot watch the NJ, Isles, and Rag games.... saves me from more misery. 

[Goldseatsaud]

Not a chance, too inconsistent 

[Carmel Corn]

No chance….too many deficiencies that GMKA has not addressed.  He’s not up to the task and his adopted father Terry won’t do the right thing to correct the situation.

[Taro T]

1 hour ago, Carmel Corn said:

No chance….too many deficiencies that GMKA has not addressed.  He’s not up to the task and his adopted father Terry won’t do the right thing to correct the situation.

Oh, there's a chance.  Will they actually do it?  Don't know, but won't agree that they can't do it until they're actually eliminated.

Won't move from believing they can do it to believing they have no chance whatsoever because they lost once again against a team they don't match up well against (frustratingly) that they always lose to.  The loss in Columbus a month ago is the type that they can't let happen; the loss at home to Moe-ray-all is the type they can't let happen.  This is one of the ones in the 40% of L's they can take and still make the dance that they're going to take because they are a middling team and not a true SC contender.  When they start winning THIS game, they won't just be a playoff contender, they'll be a SC contender too.

Take advantage of CO's GTing woes on Tuesday and the sting will dissipate.

[Flashsabre]

No and then Terry clears house and I’m terrified of who he brings in next because it won’t be close to the best option and this misery continues as Dahlin is next to move on and win somewhere else while surrounded by a competent organization.

[FrenchConnection44]

No. 

While the national media are bragging about Pegula and his desire for a “best in class” stadium … 

… They don’t say anything about his running the Buffalo hockey team into the ground such that it’s one of the “worst in class” franchises in the NHL.  

[nfreeman]

This is admittedly me still being PO'd about that poopshow I paid to witness last night, but I am more pessimistic than I have been since they hired Lindy.  Their best players were completely ineffective against the Isles, Quinn frankly didn't look like an NHL player (Kulich looked better than both Quinn and JJP) and other than some flashes from Cozens and Krebs none of them looked too worked up about any of it.

I'm not that far from the point I reached after about year 12 of the Bills' drought -- i.e. they aren't really part of their league and I'm not that interested until they prove that they have rejoined the ranks of real franchises.