Don't all teams have problems with consistent scoring though?

I mean, if a team scored consistently, they'd always win.

Oh wait, that's what we've been mainly doing lately.

exactly, every team doesn't score 3 or 4 goals EVERY single game.. It's not a problem for us.. The only player in the NHL that is a consistant scorer is Ovechkin, and there is no way we are getting him on our team..

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

KILL OTTAWA

We could get him in 11 years.

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No, we are righting what you have said wrong..

You have said that our offense was a problem this year, which we are 13th in the league in scoring.. You also said that our Offense was the reason why we were 10th in the eastern conference the past 2 years, which we have been 4th and 10th in Offense for the past 2 seasons, respectively..

Onto your point of NEEDING a clutch scorer, is it really a necessity?? Did Chris Drury score a goal every time we were down by 1 with 10 seconds left?? We have won all of the games that we're close.. We have come back from behind in the last moments of games and won them.. Why do we need a clutch player when our team has been clutch so far??

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

KILL OTTAWA

Better stat to look at is defense the past two years.

Alright 07-08 we were 22nd in the league with goals against per game at 2.84.
In 08-09 we were 14th in the league with a goals against per game of 2.79
So far this year we are 3rd in the league with a 2.18 GA/G.


This year we are also leading the league in 5-on-5 goals scored/against at 1.69
Last year we were in 12th with a 1.05 and the year before we were 9th with a 1.09.

And throughout the past two years we've average more than 30 shots a game, but two years ago we had less shots faced than we shot, last year we had more shots against than what we shot at goal.

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I also don't think scoring is an issue with this year's team. So far except for a couple of games all four lines contributed nicely in scoring. Considering that some of our top scorers a lot of times are very streaky and none of them went on one of those streaks yet, I think we won't have to worry about lack of scoring. I mean Roy hasn't scored at all. Vanek didn't do much either so far but both of them will have stretches of games where they'll score an average of at least a goal per game. Stafford will still notch it up. Connolly and Pommers are also still capable of contributing more. I honestly don't see a problem there.

Sorry for my English, I hope you guys get what I mean.

If a consistent scorer is 35+ goals, 80+ pts, and clutch goals at clutch times, then there is about two or three of those players in the entire NHL. In fact, there have been about three of those players in the entire history of the Buffalo Sabres.

Slesh, I would like to see a money player that scored more on the team also, but it's just not very realistic. Especially in the last two seasons, defense is tough, goaltending is awesome, and it's too damn hard to score every other game. Different players need to chip in when the chances come, and so far they have been getting chances. It would be a huge problem if the lines weren't getting chances, but they are. The scoring will come, but every player in the league scores in bunches. That's just the nature of the game. If one player gets cold, another has to step up, and it's too early to judge anyway.

I think his argument (and I agree with him) is that we have a 7 million dollar man that, hasn't played as good as our 2 million dollar men....

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...ummmm...hasn't played as good as a couple of our $750k or $800k men.

If I could trade Tommy Vanek for a coupla Kaletas, another Gaustad, and a couple more Ellises...

I'd still manage to walk away with a case of fine scotch, a few steak dinners, and I'd admittedly enjoy Buffalo's style of play a great deal more.

But, I'm "difficult" that way.

Well, I never had an argument for the subject. I had an opinion that I would like to see a goal scoring clutch performer on the team that also hands out helpers like they were candy
I think we would all like that. But the post wasn't meant to demean the team or say that they were not playing to their capabilities (Line 1 immediately comes to mind here) but I guess I'm just a big fussy head when I expect more out of my guys that are making 4.5 million or more a year.
Could just be me, but I think I would be looking for some players that can contribute according to their payscale.

NYIntensity is correct, the very post was directed at looking at the potential and the actual results and asking everyone if they could formulate the possibilities to better the team as a whole on offense.

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Lord Stanley's Cup is what its all about.
Mr. Pegula, your destiny awaits you sir.

all that's ever dictated was their ice time

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My thoughts exactly...a little too early in the season to determine whether or not our scoring is too inconsistent or not.

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"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Hockey Night in Buffalo

That's too bad we didn't have any clutch goal scorers tonight.. Now the Sabres are only 9-2-1... Man Darcy, step it up!!!

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

KILL OTTAWA

Typical Buffalo fashion, everyone freaks the fuck out when we lose one game badly.

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NYIntensity, the contract argument just doesn't apply to Vanek. He didn't play up to that deal, and then tank after "getting the money". He had a good year and earned about a 4 mil per year deal, but had a ridiculous contract thrown at him by asshole Lowe. Any player in the league would have ended up like Vanek - never being able to live up to that deal.

VANEK WILL NEVER BE A SEVEN MILLION PER YEAR PLAYER!!! He was never supposed to be, and Vanek and Darcy never intended to have that kind of money at stake. People should stop holding that unfair situation against him.

Again, those that want to criticize Vanek for not being a 7 mil player...1) tell me who in the league (including Lowe) actually thought he would be worth it and 2) what player signing an RFA mega deal that was forced on him like that would ever play up to that contract.

Tell me what player would have refused to sign that deal, knowing fully, the team you're playing for now is and will match it because of what they lost?

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Wasn't Vanek batteling Ovechkin for the league leader in goals until he got hit in the face with a puck last year??

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

KILL OTTAWA

VanekKing - yes.

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mechaphil

Yea he was for the first few months of the season.

He was right up there, then OV exploded with goals.

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Ya know, I dont know why we are going after Vanek again...ok he has 5 goals...I understand the complaint. But lets look back at highlights.

Roy's goal tonight, who was screening Biron? Vanek
Stafford's goal in Toronto, who was screening the goalie that allowed for the rebound? Vanek
Connolly's goal against Toronto in OT, who was screening? Vanek
Myers Goal vs Florida, Vanek right in front of the net causing a distraction by battling the defender in front of the goalie
Not to mention Stafford's Hellen Keller moment the other night when he whiffed on that beauty pass from Vanek.


So while it may not show up on the score sheet, after looking at it, I'd say Thomas Vanek has had his hand in the 5 he's scored, plus the 4 Goals screening goalie.

I just don't get why people go after Vanek, when he does everything right, but yet guys like Stafford, and a few others get a free pass. Who gives a flying crap about the 7M dollar price tag, that's not gonna change, it's a guaranteed deal, and it was a match on an offer sheet sent back 3 years ago. Get the fuck over the price tag, the guy is still by far and away our greatest pure goal scorer on the roster.

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

Squanto 7/27/2010