The Playoffs

[mchurchfie]

After watching the POs this year so far I am more convinced than ever that even if the Sabres would have backed in they would have never made it past the first round. The teams playing right now are playing their asses off. Huge hits, hard one on one battles being won along the boards, and endless effort. The only thing that we could have matched with any of these teams would have been our goaltending. The Wash\Pitts and Aniheim\Wings games in particular have been an awesome couple of series. Very enjoyable, I can't wait until we get back up to that level again.:ill:

[Nighthawk]

It's going to be a long wait if this organization doesn't realize the players on this team are not good enough to win a championship. I'm scared by some of Quinn's comments that we are in store for the same crap next year, since they have already started using the injuries as an excuse. It's unfortunate how low this organization has fallen when they had everything going for them just a few years ago. Denial is the worst kind of enemy.

[mchurchfie]

The days of the small finesse player are over if you base it on the POs and we are loaded with small, soft players.:ill:

[The King]

The days of the small finesse player are over if you base it on the POs and we are loaded with small, soft players.:ill:The Canes are out finessing the Bruins right now... for sure.

[OpIv37]

I've only watched a few minutes of the playoffs for this exact reason: I don't want to see the gap between the teams that made it (and actually won a round) and the Sabres.

A year and a half ago, the Caps were the joke of the league and they had to fire their coach in DECEMBER, while the Sabres were coming off consecutive conf finals appearances and a President's Cup. Now, the Caps are as good as anyone in the Eastern Conf and probably a top 5 or 6 team in the league overall, meanwhile the Sabres probably aren't even in the top 20.

It's inept, pathetic management and it's not going to change soon. Perhaps this FO's strategy would have worked if the refs were still calling the games like they were post-lockout, but they're not. The refs swallowed the whistle and defenses adjusted, but the Sabres never followed suit and now they're behind most of the league.

[mchurchfie]

I've only watched a few minutes of the playoffs for this exact reason: I don't want to see the gap between the teams that made it (and actually won around) and the Sabres.

A year and a half ago, the Caps were the joke of the league and they had to fire their coach in DECEMBER, while the Sabres were coming off consecutive conf finals appearances and a President's Cup. Now, the Caps are as good as anyone in the Eastern Conf and probably a top 5 or 6 team in the league overall, meanwhile the Sabres probably aren't even in the top 20.

It's inept, pathetic management and it's not going to change soon. Perhaps this FO's strategy would have worked if the refs were still calling the games like they were post-lockout, but they're not. The refs swallowed the whistle and defenses adjusted, but the Sabres never followed suit and now they're behind most of the league.
Excellent points. Post lockout the teams with all the bruisers were getting beat by finesse and speed and they were considered the dinosaurs, now it is exactly the opposite since the rules have changed again.

[BillsSabresB.C.T. Fan]

After watching the POs this year so far I am more convinced than ever that even if the Sabres would have backed in they would have never made it past the first round. The teams playing right now are playing their asses off. Huge hits, hard one on one battles being won along the boards, and endless effort. The only thing that we could have matched with any of these teams would have been our goaltending. The Wash\Pitts and Aniheim\Wings games in particular have been an awesome couple of series. Very enjoyable, I can't wait until we get back up to that level again.:ill:

Oh really,

Actually, on other NHL bulletin boards, there's Boston Bruins fans that think that the Sabres could've gave Bruins a run for it! and that Sabres vs. Bruins would've been a better series than Boston and Montreal.

also the Sabres won the season series against the Bruins. 4-2 Not to mention they played them in the last game of the regular season.

Tue Oct 21, 2008 Bruins Sabres 2 - 3 SO W
Sat Nov 8, 2008 Sabres Bruins 1 - 3 L
Wed Nov 19, 2008 Sabres Bruins 4 - 7 L
Wed Nov 26, 2008 Bruins Sabres 2 - 3 W
Sat Jan 3, 2009 Sabres Bruins 4 - 2 W
Sat Apr 11, 2009 Bruins Sabres 1 - 6 W

also Lindy Ruff has a .591 playoff winning percentage

[OpIv37]

Oh really,

Actually, on other NHL bulletin boards, there's Boston Bruins fans that think that the Sabres could've gave Bruins a run for it! and that Sabres vs. Bruins would've been a better series than Boston and Montreal.

also the Sabres won the season series against the Bruins. 4-2 Not to mention they played them in the last game of the regular season.

Tue Oct 21, 2008 Bruins Sabres 2 - 3 SO W
Sat Nov 8, 2008 Sabres Bruins 1 - 3 L
Wed Nov 19, 2008 Sabres Bruins 4 - 7 L
Wed Nov 26, 2008 Bruins Sabres 2 - 3 W
Sat Jan 3, 2009 Sabres Bruins 4 - 2 W
Sat Apr 11, 2009 Bruins Sabres 1 - 6 W

also Lindy Ruff has a .591 playoff winning percentage

well, if fans of the Bruins who probably only watched those 6 Sabres games all season posted that the Sabres could have competed with the Bruins, it must be true.

[chernobylwraiths]

Excellent points. Post lockout the teams with all the bruisers were getting beat by finesse and speed and they were considered the dinosaurs, now it is exactly the opposite since the rules have changed again.

The rules haven't changed in years. They just have decided not to call certain penalties again.

[chernobylwraiths]

Oh really,

Actually, on other NHL bulletin boards, there's Boston Bruins fans that think that the Sabres could've gave Bruins a run for it! and that Sabres vs. Bruins would've been a better series than Boston and Montreal.

also the Sabres won the season series against the Bruins. 4-2 Not to mention they played them in the last game of the regular season.

Tue Oct 21, 2008 Bruins Sabres 2 - 3 SO W
Sat Nov 8, 2008 Sabres Bruins 1 - 3 L
Wed Nov 19, 2008 Sabres Bruins 4 - 7 L
Wed Nov 26, 2008 Bruins Sabres 2 - 3 W
Sat Jan 3, 2009 Sabres Bruins 4 - 2 W
Sat Apr 11, 2009 Bruins Sabres 1 - 6 W

also Lindy Ruff has a .591 playoff winning percentage

Yep, and Lindy still has zero Stanley Cups too. One or two playoff series wins does not win the Cup.

[OpIv37]

The rules haven't changed in years. They just have decided not to call certain penalties again.

to-may-to, to-mah-to.

Technically, the rules haven't changed. But the way the rules are enforced on the ice have changed, so the players have to adjust. The end result is that teams have to react to the way the rules are being ENFORCED NOW, not the way they were enforced three years ago. It's irrelevant whether the change is de facto or de jure.

[Philagape]

I agreed with this thread until reading that Bruins fans think the Sabres could have "given them a run for it." That completely changed my outlook. :insane:

[SabreEleven]

Oh really,

Actually, on other NHL bulletin boards, there's Boston Bruins fans that think that the Sabres could've gave Bruins a run for it! and that Sabres vs. Bruins would've been a better series than Boston and Montreal.

also the Sabres won the season series against the Bruins. 4-2 Not to mention they played them in the last game of the regular season.

Tue Oct 21, 2008 Bruins Sabres 2 - 3 SO W
Sat Nov 8, 2008 Sabres Bruins 1 - 3 L
Wed Nov 19, 2008 Sabres Bruins 4 - 7 L
Wed Nov 26, 2008 Bruins Sabres 2 - 3 W
Sat Jan 3, 2009 Sabres Bruins 4 - 2 W
Sat Apr 11, 2009 Bruins Sabres 1 - 6 W

also Lindy Ruff has a .591 playoff winning percentage

Teams play way different in the Regular season than the Playoffs. Both teams are equal in games. One team isn't playing back-to-back while the other sits at home. The intensity is a lot higher. Boston would have ran through Buffalo like a hot knife through butter. Again, you are wrong.

[SabreEleven]

Yep, and Lindy still has zero Stanley Cups too. One or two playoff series wins does not win the Cup.

He won 3 series in '99...

[don137]

I never saw this Sabres team play with passion, intensity and give 110%. A different type of hockey is played in the playoffs or when a teams back are against the wall trying to make the playoffs. When the Sabres backs were against the wall they played the same and never took it to the next level.
These guys are soft and I can't see them giving what it takes to get far in the playoffs.

[The King]

Might want to note The Sabres faced Manny Fernandez 4 of 6 times..

[chernobylwraiths]

He won 3 series in '99...

When his team played the style that could win. Since then, Darcy has gotten rid of all the players that play that style. I have no trouble with Lindy, but coaching alone will not win us anything if we don't have the players that are willing to do what it takes to win it all. I think many of you agree with this.

[SabreEleven]

I was just pointing out that you were wrong...Lindy won 3 series one year, not just 1 or 2....I wasn't saying why nor do I care anymore......

[rbochan]

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh19/rbochan/missing.jpg

[chernobylwraiths]

I was just pointing out that you were wrong...Lindy won 3 series one year, not just 1 or 2....I wasn't saying why nor do I care anymore......

I was not wrong. I know they went to the Cup finals in 99. I didn't say he only won 1 or 2 series, just saying that winning one or two doesn't win the Cup.

[JD]

Oh really,

Actually, on other NHL bulletin boards, there's Boston Bruins fans that think that the Sabres could've gave Bruins a run for it! and that Sabres vs. Bruins would've been a better series than Boston and Montreal.

also the Sabres won the season series against the Bruins. 4-2 Not to mention they played them in the last game of the regular season.

Tue Oct 21, 2008 Bruins Sabres 2 - 3 SO W
Sat Nov 8, 2008 Sabres Bruins 1 - 3 L
Wed Nov 19, 2008 Sabres Bruins 4 - 7 L
Wed Nov 26, 2008 Bruins Sabres 2 - 3 W
Sat Jan 3, 2009 Sabres Bruins 4 - 2 W
Sat Apr 11, 2009 Bruins Sabres 1 - 6 W

also Lindy Ruff has a .591 playoff winning percentage

and the fact that Boston sat their stars for the last game had nothing to do with us winning right? why do you still post here?

[SABURZFAN]

this years hockey playoffs are definitely something to watch. i'm rooting for the Ducks, since the Sabres are on the golf course. they're one of the teams i followed closely when i lived on the West Coast.