Letter to Scott Cullen..

[Mitchy moo]

Scott,

Ottawa is 13 points behind Buffalo, just lost to them less than 2 weeks ago and they are 3rd on your power rankings with the Sabres being 4th?? I know how you figure injuries into an equation but putting the Devils, Detroit and even the Pens behind them is just ridiculous. Ottawa is 7-2-1 in their last 10 games and so is Buffalo, so that's a wash. The 16-4-2 records since christmas is impressive but they took the first half of the season off, so after not trying they are playing better.

Bottom line here is Ottawa is 2 bad weeks from falling out of a playoff spot and the Sabres could rest just about everygame and still make it, pretty big difference there.

Skooby

P.S. We also have the most points in the whole league and a game in hand, have a little more respect for the best team in the league this year.


http://www.tsn.ca/fantasy_news/feature/?fid=548 (http://www.tsn.ca/fantasy_news/feature/?fid=548)

NORTHEAST GP W L OTL PTS GF GA PP% PK% HOME AWAY L10
Buffalo 60 40 15 5 85 223 171 17.5 81.9 21-7-3 19-8-2 7-2-1
Ottawa 59 34 22 3 71 200 157 17.2 83.8 18-11-2 16-11-1 7-2-1



National Hockey League
GP W L OTL PTS GF GA PP% PK% HOME AWAY L10
Buffalo 60 40 15 5 85 223 171 17.5 81.9 21-7-3 19-8-2 7-2-1
Nashville 61 40 18 3 83 206 152 16.3 86.2 22-5-3 18-13-0 4-6-0
Detroit 60 38 16 6 82 185 145 17.1 83.3 21-3-3 17-13-3 8-2-0
New Jersey 60 37 17 6 80 162 141 18.4 84.7 22-6-4 15-11-2 7-2-1
Anaheim 60 35 16 9 79 193 155 21.1 84.5 18-5-6 17-11-3 5-4-1
San Jose 59 36 22 1 73 178 150 23.2 84.2 18-11-1 18-11-0 3-6-1
Pittsburgh 59 32 18 9 73 208 187 20.8 80.4 18-8-4 14-10-5 8-1-1
Dallas 58 35 21 2 72 158 142 18.5 84.0 19-9-1 16-12-1 6-3-1
Vancouver 59 34 21 4 72 157 150 17.3 88.9 19-9-2 15-12-2 7-2-1
Ottawa 59 34 22 3 71 200 157 17.2 83.8 18-11-2 16-11-1 7-2-1
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[Mitchy moo]

Scott's instant reply:

Skooby,

How can you possibly pretend that the Sabres today are the same team they were even a week ago?

Nice respect for the contributions of Afinogenov and Kotalik, to say nothing of Gaustad. Overall stats are meaningless when the guys who played significant roles in compiling them are out of the lineup.

Scott

[Mitchy moo]

My reply to him:

Scott,

The Sabres carry 5.2 lines between Buffalo and rochester or about 17 guys. The VS announcer's pointed out a simple fact, we have interchangeable parts and when one goes down another takes his place. Now if we lost Drury or Briere we take a much larger hit. Max is a great player who opens the ice, Gaustad and Kotalik go invisible at times and come around here and there. When you play with a team that has so much talent and can literally smother opponents at will, you look better than when you stand alone.

Briere looked like the great one setting up goals tonight and getting 1 himself, he is a force with Drury and Miller. Even Vanek has one of the best plus minus ratings.

Point being, the few guys got hurt are good on a very great team.

Skooby

[Mitchy moo]

Scott's near instant reply:



Skooby,

And which AHLers are the equivalent of Afinogenov?

No one said anything about Briere, Drury and Vanek -- I've given them plenty of credit all year long, but pretending that the contributions of the injured players doesn't matter is just ludicrous.

For the record, just because they got it done against Philly hardly means they have to be considered the same team.

All I heard from Buffalo all summer was that the Sabres should have made it to the final if not for the injuries on the blueline. You're now telling me that injuries don't matter because these Sabres are so much better than the rest of the league that it doesn't even matter who is playing? A little objectivity, please.

Scott

[camelcowboy]

Sounds like he's kicking your arse skooby

[Mitchy moo]

Sounds like he's kicking your arse skooby

Oh really? my reply:

Scott,

We currently have no one to replace Max, that's understood but Drury, Vanek and Briere can more than make up for him.

Philly was never mentioned by me at all, so I cannot kid you about beating up on a 3rd class team at best.

I never said injuries don't matter, what I am saying is we are down one D-man (Spacek) because of injuries, the rest are forwards. During the playoffs last season we lost 4 starting D-men or 66% of our starter's. There are a lot more forwards in the pipeline and on this team then good D- men.

Going back to your Ottawa Power rankings last year, they had the most goals (which the Sabres now do), they had the most points (which the Sabres now do), had the most wins (which the Sabres now do) and never left the top 2 spots. We have had these same things almost all of these all year long this year and we are 4th in the league

Objectivity off.

Skooby

P.S. Take a look at the power play for the last 10 games Buffalo has 14 PP goals, Ottawa has 7. I guess you need to start looking at things a little more objectively yourself.


P.S.S. As always, I appreciate your near immediate responses.

[OpIv37]

skoob, I love the way you defend the team, but your homerism does blind you to the facts sometimes.

Besides, Scott Cullen's power rankings don't matter. What matters is that the Sabres have the best record in the NHL and most of those contributors (all except Gaustad, plus maybe Connolly) will be back for the playoffs.

So who the **** cares what this guy thinks in mid February?

[YardRat]

P.S.S. As always, I appreciate your near immediate responses.

Waiting.....<!-- / message -->

[SkateZilla]

Power Rankings are Based off recent Play Not the Overall ****ing Standings, By all rights, Pittsburgh should be Number One

[Mitchy moo]

<TABLE class=tablehead cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 border=0><TBODY><TR class=evenrow><TD align=middle></TD><TD align=right><NOBR>8 (9)</NOBR></TD><TD align=left><NOBR> Senators (http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/clubhouse?team=ott)</NOBR></TD><TD align=left><NOBR>34-22-3</NOBR></TD><TD align=left>Martin Gerber is STILL in Ottawa and -- gasp! -- he's won back-to-back starts for the Sens. Coach Bryan Murray isn't resting on any laurels, either, willing to shake up his top line if he's not seeing results. Case in point: Dean McAmmond's winner vs. Atlanta.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Espn rankings above.

[clumping platelets]

:movie:

[BillsSabresB.C.T. Fan]

Power Rankings are Based off recent Play Not the Overall ****ing Standings, By all rights, Pittsburgh should be Number One

You mean Kansas City don't you!

[Mitchy moo]

You mean Kansas City don't you!

lol.

His response:

Skooby,

And, I would hope you've noticed, that this is the first week since October that Ottawa has been ranked ahead of Buffalo this year. Throwing out stats at me, as though I haven't been acknowleding the Sabres this year, or that I haven't been objective, is grossly misplaced.

I also think that you can't just say Drury, Vanek and Briere more than make up for Vanek. They already score a lot as is, so asking them to replace Afinogenov's offence is a reach in my opinion.

Scott

[don137]

I agree that it's not all stats...I also think Afinogenov is a streaky player...He was a no show in the playoffs last year for the most part (I still don't like him out of the lineup though)..I think the Sabres have enough firepower to still do well but they are losing way too many players to injury to have it not effect the team but I don't think it will be too much of a effect...If another defenseman goes down there really isn't much left. I am also concerned about the consistency of the blue line and a little worried about Miller being soft at times recently. I think/hope Miller will be ready to bring his "A" game for the playoffs.

[Earthquake Enyart]

lol.

His response:

Skooby,

And, I would hope you've noticed, that this is the first week since October that Ottawa has been ranked ahead of Buffalo this year. Throwing out stats at me, as though I haven't been acknowleding the Sabres this year, or that I haven't been objective, is grossly misplaced.

I also think that you can't just say Drury, Vanek and Briere more than make up for Vanek. They already score a lot as is, so asking them to replace Afinogenov's offence is a reach in my opinion.

Scott
Tell em that Jason Peters is lighting up the lamp now.

[Mitchy moo]

Tell em that Jason Peters is lighting up the lamp now.

lol.:respect:

[camelcowboy]

The guy from ottawa makes more sense then skooby.

Scott 1 Skooby -34175

[mchurchfie]

Tell em that Jason Peters is lighting up the lamp now.
I knew it couldn't have been Andrew.:phew:

[Bill Brasky]

it's reasons like this people look down upon buffalo fans.

[LtFinFan66]

that guy is gonna join the Zone so he can neg you Skooby. You worry WAY too much about these power rankings.

[Mitchy moo]

that guy is gonna join the Zone so he can neg you Skooby. You worry WAY too much about these power rankings.

If the pens we're on top, we would here about it from you.

[LtFinFan66]

no because I could care less about hockey. I have watched 1 game in the last 5 years if not longer

[Mitchy moo]

no because I could care less about hockey. I have watched 1 game in the last 5 years if not longer

You seem like you watch it more, you must follow it online.

[LtFinFan66]

I keep track of the standings and what not. More so now that I hear about the Sabres all the time. Got me keeping tabs more now

[Nighthawk]

He obviously sees what a lot of people on here can't and that is that the Sabres, with or without the injured players, are not playing as good as earlier in the year.