Kind of surprised with the replies.

I did miss the 1st period.

From the second on though I thought the Sabres played great. But you have to understand where I'm coming from. This team is VERY low on talent and if you ask me, they are playing quite a bit above their aforementioned talent level. The last few seasons I've bitched and moaned just asking for a team that would play with heart and for the most part I think they've done that much better than the past couple years. Again, thats all I really ask for. They fought, what can you do? Miller is not Miller this year. I can't wait until we can hopefully get rid of some of the players on this team. Pommers, Hecht, Nieds, Connolly, a couple others. Its the same group of guys that I blame for whatever lack of heart is on the ice. Guys like Ennis, Monty, Gerbe, Vanek (most of the time), McCormick always give 100%. Fuck. I'm crazy, but these are my feelings

Really? Because tanking has worked out pretty well for the Penguins. Lemieux, Malkin, Staal, Fleury, Crosby, 3 Stanley Cups....

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"I love that you know how to do that." Cheryl/Carol/Crystal

"And I love that I have an erection that doesn't involve homeless people." Kreiger

crosby was won in a lottery. the pens never tanked intentionally.

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That wasn't tanking. That was a culture of losing. Take Mario out of the mix since he's not on the current team.

Fleury, 2003, 1st overall
Malkin, 2004, 2nd overall
Crosby, 2005, 1st overall
Staal, 2006, 2nd overall

How did they get those picks?
02-03 27-44-6-5 , 65 points
03-04 23-47-8-4 , 58 points
04-05 Lockout
05-06 22-46-14, 58 points

ANY franchise that lays down so much consecutive suck that they rack up 3 consecutive top 2 picks, AND not lose position in the draft lottery, AND win the Sidney Crosby Sweepstakes is going to end up turning their team around pretty quick. It's still sure as shit not a recommended path. They played like shit to earn some great picks, and got lucky that the Crosby draft was weighted to reward suck. (Although the Sabres had the same chance as the Pens had to be completely fair.)

Malkin, Staal, Fleury, and Crosby do not have three rings yet. Lemieux does.

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Let's go Buffalo!

Sabres shouldn't tank, but the Bills should. They aren't making the playoffs. Tanking is the most beneficial thing for them...

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"Counting all the assholes in the room, I'm definitely not alone!" ~ Michael Poulsen, Volbeat, Still Standing.

What.

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Well sir I'd describe that attempt at humorous sarcasm a failure.

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"Call a cop he robbed Delmore blind!!!"
Rick Jeanerette after Marty Biron's diving save back in 2000.

"I'm going to go to the spa and have a hot tub and massage and relax," Miller said. "That's it, and it's back to work tomorrow." Ryan Miller after clinching the North East division.

Edited.

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Let's go Buffalo!

They tanked. Trust me. I know. To begin with they were in a race to see who could lose more with NJ to draft Lemieux. It's a fact, it's well documented, dozens of telling quotes have entered my ears about it. Everything but EJ coming right out and saying, "Of course we fucking tanked, are you fucking retarded? It's Lemieux you moron.".

The tradition was reborn when the team entered it's financial spiral. Money justified the losing, so they lost VERY well. They claimed to have interviewed hundreds of coaches and settled with the color commentator who never even coached a pee wee game before. They dumped Jagr, Straka, Lang, Kovalev, and many more for crap and lots of it. The GM was rumored to not even have an internet connection in his office, and their scouting of young talent imploded with the departure of Scotty Bowman and they just kicked around the rubble instead of rebuilding it (it's getting better but still amount the worst in the league). The only way the Penguins could find talent in the draft is if it's top 5.

They knew they would be bad, so they decided to be the best at being bad. They tanked HARD.

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"I love that you know how to do that." Cheryl/Carol/Crystal

"And I love that I have an erection that doesn't involve homeless people." Kreiger

Tank Nation is for Leafs fans.

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mechaphil

I have to admit that it's still going to be tough for the Sabres to completely implode this season, because they have a great coach, goalie, and still a lot of really good players. I think they should rest Miller for 20 games....

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"I love that you know how to do that." Cheryl/Carol/Crystal

"And I love that I have an erection that doesn't involve homeless people." Kreiger

Haha, exactly...You don't see the Red Wings tanking it and they're always competitive. Hell the Islanders have been sucking and they don't look to be having a brighter future...The Oilers on the other hand, I think they do.

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"...they came down into the stands and asked if I knew how to do play by play. I said...No. But. I'll take a shot at it if you want".- Rick Jeanneret

I think that was really harsh and uncalled for.

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Girgensons for captain. Team Keep Nick DesLauriers forever.

@TJLuckman550

Does anyone who recommends intentionally tanking even think about how ridiculous the logic is behind such an idea?

Do you think these players want to come to the rink and lose?

Fuck no. They're athletes. They're competitors. They want to win.

If I were a professional athlete and my team's manager came to me and asked me to tank the rest of the season so we could land a high draft pick, I'd ask for a trade. It sends a message that says, "I don't think you're good enough."

Also, you think a team can just stop competing for half a season, and then return the following year with a rookie and expect to be able to play at a high level again just like that?

It's ridiculous. Intentionally tanking never happens, with the exception of maybe throwing ONE game at the end of the year. And I'm not even saying that happens. I'm saying it's the only scenario that I'd believe it to be possible.

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Wheelhouse

Tank nation isn't even for Leafs fans because they trade away their high draft picks for losers.

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Wheelhouse

being found guilty of tanking for any reason is an extremely serious offense. like, banned from the league serious. it wont happen.

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if they really wanted to win, they would tank.

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"I love that you know how to do that." Cheryl/Carol/Crystal

"And I love that I have an erection that doesn't involve homeless people." Kreiger

if they really wanted to be banned from the sport, they would tank.

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