A grueling road trip against pretty good teams, and then a Feb schedule full of games against NYR, Bos, Phi, NJ, with the only "winnable" games against Wpg, and at home to NYI or Mon. March and April isn't any better either.

Hopefully they will drop like a rock to get a top five draft position, and will be so far out of contention that Regier has no choice but to sell off Hecht, Boyes (even though he's better than Stafford), maybe Gaustad too, and even trade Roy and a few d-men that other teams may want for a playoff run.

Use the mid-range draft picks from these trades and the high 1st rd pick to draft Galchenyuk for C and build for a another day. I'd say "better" day, but that would require a new coach/GM.

Fuck this team

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Wheelhouse

I would love to see this happen. I know Pegula is telling us that this team has been injuried and we don't know how good they are because they haven't all been in the lineup at once, but come on this team isn't good when everyone is healthy who is he kidding. Time to sell off the dead weight and rebuild. I don't mind keeping Gaustad if he wants to take a huge paycut. Time to rebuild the farm team and get some quality prospects. Remember we already have another 2nd rounder that we acquired from Calgary.

Threads like this make me sick. We're 5 points out of a playoff spot. We get healthy this month, and we find our stride, we're still in position to make a run in the playoffs. You want to watch a team tank, go cheer for the fucking Islanders or Oilers.

We still have a shot at making the playoffs, and I for one would love to see this team fully healthy, see what they really are. Because they were damn good in Europe, and thats the last time they were all healthy.

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"She's like plan C after an 18 pack"

Squanto 7/27/2010

Hope alert! Hope Alert! Come on people, let's come down on this like a ton of bricks! Everyone knows the Sabres won't win more than 5 games the rest of the year if the front office doesn't change and half the players (the ones no one wants) don't get traded.

We are five points out of a playoff spot; but also five points out of the Eastern basement.

What is of great concern is the way the team is losing. Most nights the team looks disinterested. Miller and Myers must play at an all star level to give this team a chance to compete; and more often than not, they aren't.

This next stretch of games will make or break our chances at a playoff spot.

I will say this, however; all teams have injuries. We are a little too willing to allow this team off the hook for poor effort, and poor play. Last night we lost to The Islanders. Who were we missing? Are Tyler Ennis and Brayden McNabb really that vital to this team?

What is causing people to see the team want to tank is the clubs refusal to acknowledge that there is a problem. I agree with Jay that you shouldn't root against your own team. However; the longer Terry Pegula gives us the same line of bullshit that his hockey department has been giving us for years; the more credibility he will lose as an owner.

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"I'll rap you with my cane; you pencil necked geek!!"

-Bowler, imitating Freddy Blassie, at the very first M & G.

Everyone here knows what they're capable of. They know what they're capable of. The issue is that for almost 5 full seasons now, they've struggled to be that way consistently.

The way Drew Stafford skated last night... that was the hardest I've seen him skate in over a year. If he were moving like that for even 50% of the games this season, he'd have no issues scoring. Alas, he doesn't do it.

Derek Roy, telling the media they need to skate harder as a team... thanks D Riz. Us fans have been clamoring for more effort out of you guys multiple times over the past 5 years.

They might get it together. They might make a run at the playoffs. But even if they do now at this point, are they going to have the energy to even get out of the first round?

When you have a good team, injuries don't kill you this bad. They're the only team in the entire league that has failed to win 2 games in a row since November 11th.

The point I'm trying to make is that this situation is nothing new with this core of players. We've seen it for years now. It's time for a real change.

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Wheelhouse

At this point I don't care what happens. If we make the playoffs I doubt we're going anywhere, based on this performance, but I don't want them to tank. That just sends the completely wrong message to your guys who will be here next year and make them even more of lazy shits. I guess we'll see our team's performance when not everyone's injured, but it also seems like a guy gets an injury or has to go to the dressing room every other game.

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

Lets face it even if they make the playoffs they won't go anywhere and since Terry, Darcy and Lindy think they can turn this season around I want them to be proven wrong with this so-called core players that have been here awhile now and haven't accomplished anything. Sorry but it's time for a change and sometimes you have to learn the hard way which I think Pegula needs.

Blaming Terry for this is stupid. It's hard to make all the changes we need mid season especially with the injuries we have.

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

Their's no doubt injuries can hurt any team but it's easy to see that this team has lost way too many games to teams under them and their piss poor home record isn't good either. I'm okay with him sitting it out until the trade deadline before deciding he's not gonna win with this garbage. This roadtrip will probably spell doom for them anyways. I thought this team at the beginning of the season was gonna be better than last season but all I seen was a giant step back.

I don't "want" them to tank, but with the schedule they have coming up I don't see them winning very much, but fortunately there IS an upside to that...

1 - we just might get an impact player with a top five draft pick.

2 - more importantly, it might force Ruff/Regier to give up on certain underachievers, and maybe even lead to the end of their tenure. I believe the team won't progress with Ruff, unless some major player acquisitions occur.

The team has been treading water for four seasons, enough is enough. They need to dump a few of these guys that haven't played up to potential, get a new coach/GM, be able to draft a TOP C that can contribute right away...or ALL THREE.

I don't want them to tank but i don't want them to barely make the playoffs and get knocked out first round either. This team has no heart and no character. I have been watching Sabres hockey for a long time and this season has been one of the worst i can recall in sometime. Like he said this team has been treading water for four seasons now enough is enough. They were very exciting when we had Drury and Briere and ever since this team has been trying to find itself. Plus this team hasn't had a top five pick since Vanek.

This hits the nail right on the head about how I'm feeling as well. The only thing that I like watching this team this season is McNabb, Myers and Gerbe and when Kassian was up. Otherwise it's the same team with the same half-ass effort night in and night out. It gets sickening to see after awhile.

To blame Terry Pegula for injuries would be stupid, I agree.

However, he had time to evaluate a failing hockey department, and failing hockey team; failing to do so properly.

So unless he's not really the owner; it is quite reasonable to place blame on him. He kept a losing formula in place.

Let's say my car engine isn't running properly, and I decide to drive it to Carolina anyway, hoping I'll get there; and It breaks down on the trip. Who's fault is it; mine or my cars?

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"I'll rap you with my cane; you pencil necked geek!!"

-Bowler, imitating Freddy Blassie, at the very first M & G.

I had never blamed Pegula for the injuries but he should have been looking at the big picture with his so called core players plus Lindy and Darcy. I would be pissed if I owned this team as he put alot of money into this squad and to the arena and would hope that the players would produce and they have failed miserably so far.

Tell me how you evaluate a team 6 months?

Most teams, it takes about 3-4 years when major changes or a full rebuild happens before they find the winning ways consistently.

How is it Terry Pegula doesn't the same time frame other clubs get, he only gets half a year?

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Boo this man.

If this was a newly built team I'd agree, but this group has been together for a while with only a few changes here and there. Any new owner coming into this situation would have a rebuild as a viable option, if in fact he didn't start off his tenure that way. I'd give Pegula at least this full season to decide on Ruff/Regier, but Ruff/Regier have been around long enough to know this team. If by Feb 27 they are 13th or 14th and don't take full advantage as sellers to improve their draft position and prepare for the FA period, then Pegula needs to take a strong look at replacing them. If they can't/won't accept which players have failed (ie - their own failures evaluating the roster) then Pegula has to pull the trigger in the summer if he's serious about a Cup. I understand loyalty and patience...I really do, but if they use the injury excuse as the primary reason for this debacle next season won't be any different.

Slick, who here every expected a massive turnaround this season????

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