If the Senators lost Alfredsson and Heatly on the same day....

[OpIv37]

...what would we be saying? Would we be talking about how they have other talent and they'll still be a solid team? Or would we be pointing and laughing while circling the dates on the schedule so we don't miss a Senator ass-kicking?

I think it would be the latter.

[G Wolly]

I'd say thats a pretty nice comparison, too bad theirs didn't come true.

[THATHURMANATOR]

...what would we be saying? Would we be talking about how they have other talent and they'll still be a solid team? Or would we be pointing and laughing while circling the dates on the schedule so we don't miss a Senator ass-kicking?

I think it would be the latter.
We have a better core of young players and a better goalie.

[TheGhostofJimKelly]

The difference is Brian Murray would do something about it and replace them the best he could. He wouldn't be sitting on his hands and doing nothing.

[SabreEleven]

So why didn't we beat them in the playoffs?

[G Wolly]

So why didn't we beat them in the playoffs?

They wanted it more

[OpIv37]

So why didn't we beat them in the playoffs?

and if we didn't beat them WITH Briere and Drury, what's going to happen when we play them WITHOUT Briere and Drury?

[OpIv37]

We have a better core of young players and a better goalie.

I'm not so sure about the core of young players.

There is no team in pro sports that could lose their two best players and still compete at the same level without adding more talent from another source. The Sabres are no exception.

[Meathead]

big difference imo

those two make up two-thirds of the hottest line in hockey the last half of the season and who totally dominated up until the last round of the playoffs

those three accounted for nearly half the ice time for their starting forwards. they were much more integral to the sens attack than even the two we lost

the loss is huge for either club but the sabres are far better prepared to absorb their loss than the sens would

[Meathead]

and if we didn't beat them WITH Briere and Drury, what's going to happen when we play them WITHOUT Briere and Drury?
neither was very impressive against the sens

where the sens dominated was within our own faceoff circles and on the pp. shore up the d and that problem is solved. and since both captains were an integral part of the pp that collapsed id say their loss there wont be critical

[Philagape]

Here's a similar situation ... Let's see how far the Ducks go without Selanne and Niedermayer.

Of course, the difference is both players are near the end of their careers while the two we lost are in their prime, and even if the Ducks regress, they can cry into the Stanley Cup.

[OpIv37]

neither was very impressive against the sens

where the sens dominated was within our own faceoff circles and on the pp. shore up the d and that problem is solved. and since both captains were an integral part of the pp that collapsed id say their loss there wont be critical

What I hear is "they weren't very good on face offs or the PP"

What I don't hear is who we have that's better at face off's or PP. What I don't hear is who is equal or better and still available.

What I hear is that the D wasn't good enough against the Senators.

What I don't hear is who is left that would make the D better.


Again, I don't have a problem with REPLACING Drury and Briere if the coaching staff decided they can't get the job done. I do have a problem with LOSING Drury and Briere because no one on the current roster has the same level of skilll or leadership.