A deep look and deep thoughts on this streak

[Sabres244]

Dec 26th vs OTT loss 5-3
Dec 28th @ NJ loss 2-1(SO)
Dec 29th @ PIT loss 2-0
Jan 1st vs PIT loss 2-1 (SO)
Jan 4th vs OTT loss 5-3
Jan 6th @ ATL loss 5-2
Jan 8th @ NJ loss 2-1 (SO)
Jan 10th @ OTT loss 3-2(SO)
Jan 12th vs NJ loss 3-2(SO)
Jan 16th vs NYR loss 2-1

Okay this is how I look at it. Yes it's a 10 game losing streak and yes it sucks and is very frustrating. But to me there's still hope for this team. Remember we've been without 4 of our best players for about half this streak, it really is a good excuse for lack of goals forward believe it or not. Over this streak the team has shown a lot of effort and the only 2 games I can really be pissed off about were the first Pittsburgh game and the Atlanta game where they just looked terrible. Over this stretch the defense which at times this season has been terrible with the giveaways and stuff hasn't been that bad and aside from a game or 2 Miller has played good enough to win.

Like I said, I know it's a 10 game losing streak but the effort has been there for 8 of the 10 games. I know effort doesn't mean crap to some people but I'd rather have a 10 games losing streak with some effort over a 10 game losing streak where they just dont care.

So everybody that wants to fire everybody in the organization and trade every player or think theres no hope for this team I think you need to relax and theres still about half a season to go and we're still just 5 points out of a playoff spot.

[Carl J. Ironsides]

Agreed. The only thing I differ on is the amount of horrendous efforts. I would say three, including last night, along with the Pittsburgh and Atlanta games.

[Sabres244]

Agreed. The only thing I differ on is the amount of horrendous efforts. I would say three, including last night, along with the Pittsburgh and Atlanta games.

I didn't think last nights effort was nearly as bad as those 2

[jlpubarch]

I hate to give you a hard time, but Quinn and Co. have you exactly where they want you.

Optimistically hopeful that they will turn it around 'any day now.' Hopeful that the game you buy tickets to will be the game they win...

Have you heard what the front office thinks about the drought? "Its not IF they'll turn it around, it's WHEN."

Insinuating that any day now we'll go on a 100 game winning streak and own everyone.

What they are doing with this team is asinine. They run their head into a wall OVER and OVER with the same results (loss) and then we get to hear about how "They put the effort in, but you don't always get the result you want." "We just need to trust in the system and we'll get the results."

Sounds to me like they have the will to win, but don't have the talent required to do so.

And what is this so-called 'system'? Apparently the system is terrible, because it has led to 10 straight losses.

[Carl J. Ironsides]

Have you heard what the front office thinks about the drought? "Its not IF they'll turn it around, it's WHEN."

And the front office would be right.

[Sabres244]

Sounds to me like they have the will to win, but don't have the talent required to do so.


Again. 4 of your best players out.....take that away from any team in the NHL and see what they do.

[jlpubarch]

Again. 4 of your best players out.....take that away from any team in the NHL and see what they do.

Yeah, but 4 of our best players AREN'T THAT GOOD.

None of them are even in the top 50 scorers and only 2 are in the top 100 (Pominville, 64 & Roy, 96)

Back to my point that:

"Sounds to me like they have the will to win, but don't have the talent required to do so."

I'm past the point where I give them the benefit of the doubt...hoping they'd just turn it up...if it hasn't happened by now, it isn't going to happen.

[Acoustic-Fury]

Those are all Eastern Conference teams...and we've lost to them consistently in that stretch, including some of them multiple times throughout the season. We are going to see one of those teams in the playoffs.

Consistency in the playoffs is what wins you series or loses you series.


I would love to be the rah rah guy but the same gut that told me we were going to have trouble in last years playoffs by "turning it on and off" leading up to it - which could be construed as half assing it - went in the playoffs and struggled mightily against the Rags and the Landers, which lead to the "writing on the wall" outcome of the Ottawa game that looked to already have been decided before it was even played...

...to this year, with the same inconsistencies on a much large scale (i.e. hustle and burying chances being the top two) - you can't say injury because we dealt with that last season.

It is becoming clear to me that this current makeup of player personnel cannot get it together (play consistent enough) to make a successful push in the playoffs.

Don't get me wrong...I'm as ecstatic about the playoffs as the next hockey guy...and I'll be sitting there loving every minute of the Sabres being there - I do think you are going to see us make the playoffs.

...but we are sorely lacking on this team right now...and it's not talent...and it's not heart (because you can see it on the faces of most of those guys out there)...

...it's just that intangible that makes players living in Loser City able to do just enough of the right things to cross that line into Winnersville.

...and yes Winnersville is just outside of Pominville.

[Sabres244]

Yeah, but 4 of our best players AREN'T THAT GOOD.

None of them are even in the top 50 scorers and only 2 are in the top 100 (Pominville, 64 & Roy, 96)


HAHAHA looking at stats, what a smart fan you are. Think about it.

Roy, Max, Connolly and Spacek or Ryan, Peters, Paetsch and MacArthur? No granted....MacArthur isn't that bad and Paetsch isnt either. But Ryan and Peters don't belong in the NHL.

Who do you think is gonna be better? You gonna tell me we're not a better team with those 4 in the lineup and losing them has had nothing to do with this losing streak? Quit being a ****en moron, is that too much to ask.

[jlpubarch]

HAHAHA looking at stats, what a smart fan you are. Think about it.

Roy, Max, Connolly and Spacek or Ryan, Peters, Paetsch and MacArthur? No granted....MacArthur isn't that bad and Paetsch isnt either. But Ryan and Peters don't belong in the NHL.

Who do you think is gonna be better? You gonna tell me we're not a better team with those 4 in the lineup and losing them has had nothing to do with this losing streak? Quit being a ****en moron, is that too much to ask.

Of course Roy, Max, Connolly and Spacek are better than Ryan, Peters, Paetsch and MacArthur...but even when those 4 are in the line-up, we're still a .500 team.

My point about the stats is simply this: WE HAVE NO IMPACT PLAYERS.

We have no one (until Vanek emerges from his cocoon of hibernatory mediocrity) who can turn the tide in a game.

We've always played the "4 lines" card, but we barely have 2 consistent lines when everyone is healthy.

All things considered, we won't be making any noise in the playoffs ANY TIME SOON with the roster built as it is.

[Fallsnative]

http://sabres.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=350287

According the NHL, the Sabres are NOT on a 10 game losing streak. They are on a ten game WINLESS streak. A game that goes into a S/O is not marked as a loss in the standings.

[deconstruction]

In addition, we're on a winless streak of 10 games by 10 goals (shoot outs don't count), but as someone said, you're only as good as your record.