This thread isn't meant to be a downer, but I thought it might be interesting to highlight Sabres troublespots and contemplate how this will affect their playoff potential:

Sabres against Boston: 2-4
Sabres against Ottawa 0-5

Another odd coincidence in light of the division title being won this week: Sabres have lost each of their last meetings with division opponents Boston, Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa.

Rask, Elliott and Halak are not who you wanna face in round 1.

Boston's Rask is the ONLY goaltender with better numbers than Miller. Granted, he's played less games, but still, the numbers are the numbers.

So, ironically, divsion opponents are the Sabres biggest obstacle in the first round.

[edited because I reversed the wins/losses in Boston/Ottawa records vs., Sabres]

The Sabres one loss to boston was without Hecht, Vanek, Connolly, Kaleta, and Miller.

Who wins without three of their top scorers, top checker and top goalie?

One of the losses to Ottawa was the food poisoning game.

I still am not convinced Elliot is a bona-fide NHL starter.

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

You also forgot the two terribly played games against Boston where we went to OT and lost, or was it one game where we didn't deserve even one point but got one.

Ottawa, wait until the playoffs and see if they even make it past the first round with who they are playing.

If we play Montreal or even Boston, I don't see a problem, we've lost two out of six games against Montreal this year, the first being an OT loss the other was nothing huge with three players out still.

Boston, Rask can't shut us down in a continuous series, they couldn't stop Carolina last year with their offense and defense, and this year all they have is Rask, in the playoffs that won't win you many games, Rask is not Hasek.

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Throw everything out the window. It's playoff time, baby.

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Wheelhouse

All teams can do the same spin on any of their losses. That doesn't wash. The Sabres haven't had any worse luck than any other team this season. Actually, the Sabres have been healthier than most, especially Boston, which has actually used 38 players in the course of the season due to health issues---and SAVARD is OUT AGAIN TFN.

I made a valid point and your muddying it up with spin.

Elliot is overrated.

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

Because when we win faceoffs in the defensive zone, they redrop the puck. I sat 6 rows from the ice and this happened twice. I couldn't see where either player was taking an unfair advantage.

Other than that I think we play down to their level.

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If your having goal problems, I feel bad for ya son....we got 99 problems but Vanek ain't one!

#2, 4, 6, #3 dman, Kaleta, Miller.

Let's see how well the Pens do without Malkin, Gonchar, Guerin, Orpik (hitter), McKee and Fleury in the lineup.

You still haven't responded to my post about 1-goal games in the other thread. You know where Washington has one of the higher numbers amongst playoff teams.....

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

You are perhaps forgetting Boston's terribly played games where they still got points.



I'll bet Ruff has a different take.

If you think a Boston or Montreal matchiup will be cake, you're in for a surprise. Most of the Montreal wins were early in the season. In their last 2 meetings, the Habs dominated the Sabres. Didn't you watch? It was horrible. Granted the Sabres pulled off one in a shootout after needing a 6 on 4 to save the day in regulation. THAT was flukey as hell and you know it. If the tables were turned, you'd certainly be pointing THAT out.

And Boston: Downtalk it all you want, but Rask is the only goalie with better numbers than Miller. He's not played as many games, but the numbers are the numbers. And the season record, no matter how you dismiss it, is also in Boston's favor.




Really? What evidence do you have of THAT? Oh, Carolina series! That was another series in another season against another team.

Great point.

The Bruins and Habs are at the bottom of the playoff standings for a reason. They aren't that good.

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

Some people are obsessed with this fantasy that the Caps are going to collapse in the playoffs under the weight of that fabled "playoff defense" or their "horrible goaltending" or their "inability to win 1-goal games".

Truth be told, this team has only been getting better and better and better in the last few years. They are stacked with ofensive talent and have some excellent defensemen as well. Their goaltending has also imporved from last season.

Spin it any way you want, but the Caps are THE team to beat in the East and probably only 1 or 2 teams are capable of doing that in a best-of-7.

One is the defending champ and the other is a defensive machine.

Good luck with your spinning, but it really is not supported by conventional wisdom, or really common sense for that matter.

While I don't discount Rask's numbers, the Bruins coaches have STILL found it appropriate to start Tim Thomas 42 times this year. If Rask is THAT much better, you have to think there's a reason for it.

Dodge the question any way you want, but the fact is you said the caps hadn't been in as many 1-goal games as everyone else and you were flat out wrong.

Out of 87 playoff games last season, 38 were decided by one goal.
Out of 85 playoff games in 2008, 38 were decided by one goal.

So in the past two seasons 44% of all games in the playoffs were decided by one goal.
The Caps in the past two seasons have see 12 of their 21 playoff games decided by one goal. They have a 6-6 record in those games.

Being able to win the close ones matters greatly in the playoffs. Last season the Pens were 6-3 in the playoffs and 19-14 in the regular season in one goal games. These are the numbers, no spin. Performance in close games matters. You'd be a fool to think it doesn't.

I'm not saying the Caps will lose or lose early, but that there is evidence to suggest they aren't a lock to make the eastern conference finals.

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

As the 3/29 meeting with the Sabres showed, Thomas has become much more of a liability at this point.

As far as why they still play Thomas: My guess is, with Thomas collecting last year's Vezina AND 6 million a year (vs. Rask's 800K), there's pressure to play Thomas. That same pressure to play him, however, will dissipate as the post season begins.

Thomas was late into the big leagues and apparently peaked very quickly. He certainly did time it perfectly: He managed to sign a new deal at EXACTLY the time he was peaking and just before he fell off the cliff!

i have to agree completely with the post above me.

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WOW Thomas makes 7.5X as much as Rask?!?

LMAO!!

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Miller, Myers and Greir are sick, but not Jesus Christ..

KILL OTTAWA

The Penguins are 0-10 vs. the Caps and Devils.

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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

I didn't like Thomas that much LAST year, and early this year I was shit-canning him. A sloppy goalie with poor fundamentals can only put up good numbers with a great defensive team in front of him. Boston was GREAT defensivley last season. This season they are still very good defensively, but horrible offensively and been hurt all season.

Thomas only started that many games because of the contract, and a little respect and loyalty. Rask is clearly the better goalie and will start every playoff game. Buffalo hasn't done shit against Rask, although I don't put a whole lot behind the season series. Buffalo may be a better team, but Rask cancels out the advantage of Miller, partly because of his skill and partly because Buffalo isn't talented enough to have scored on him very much.

Boston will not be an easy series, but Buffalo should win and deserve the eye-opening criticism if they lose.

Yeah be worried of the 3 goalies with how many playoff games played amongst the 3 of them? I'll take Miller against any of those 3 in a 7 game series.

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Driver of the Tyler Ennis Bandwagon, Ridin' shotgun on the Tyler Myers Bandwagon, chillin' on the Luke Adam Bandwagon


Eh

Should be a very interesting 2nd/3rd round for the champs.