The explanation from Sabres management
Posted 10:37 PM ET | Comments 16
Well, if there was any doubt on the fate of the Sabres - I called this weeks ago -, they proved tonight why they don't deserve to be one of the 8 Eastern Conference teams left standing for the 2008 NHL postseason.
But beware of the spin! In the coming days and weeks, these are the things you'll be hearing from Sabres management, head coach Lindy Ruff, and general manager Darcy Regier:
"We're not that far off."
"All things considered..."
followed by either: "It was a good season" or "It wasn't a terrible season."
"I'm proud of our boys." / "There was never a question of effort."
"We faced a lot of adversity" / "We battled all season."
"A shootout bounce here, a shootout bounce there..."
"This season was a great learning experience and we'll be better for it."
And a whole lot of: "could of," "should of," and "would of."
Thanks Sabres management. Not like you fooled with the fans all year and drained so many Sabres faithful of their wallets and checkbooks, and misled fans by allowing them to cap season tickets BEFORE July 1st, capitalizing on the playoff run last year. Pathetic.
How appropriate it would be to end a blog like this with something we've heard before: "The sky's not falling."
Of course, those were the infamous words of Darcy Regier just hours after Drury and Briere signed with new teams.
Is it falling now?
But beware of the spin! In the coming days and weeks, these are the things you'll be hearing from Sabres management, head coach Lindy Ruff, and general manager Darcy Regier:
"We're not that far off."
"All things considered..."
followed by either: "It was a good season" or "It wasn't a terrible season."
"I'm proud of our boys." / "There was never a question of effort."
"We faced a lot of adversity" / "We battled all season."
"A shootout bounce here, a shootout bounce there..."
"This season was a great learning experience and we'll be better for it."
And a whole lot of: "could of," "should of," and "would of."
Thanks Sabres management. Not like you fooled with the fans all year and drained so many Sabres faithful of their wallets and checkbooks, and misled fans by allowing them to cap season tickets BEFORE July 1st, capitalizing on the playoff run last year. Pathetic.
How appropriate it would be to end a blog like this with something we've heard before: "The sky's not falling."
Of course, those were the infamous words of Darcy Regier just hours after Drury and Briere signed with new teams.
Is it falling now?
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Very true. This organization is a mess.
The sky is still not falling
This season wasn't close last year's, or the year before. We get that. The sky falling? Not really... Could the Sabres have been more proactive???? Sure. Sign Drury and Briere or one of the two - even at a discounted 5 for 25 mil like speculated and sign Campbell longterm for way too much money and we turn into Tampa for the next few years. Unable to afford a decent goaltender, consistent "core" players, and maybe upgraded defense. We'd be b*tching how the Sabres haven't made it to the playoffs or past the first round of the playoffs for years to come. Yes, I'm very disappointed with this season, but, we have to realize the Eastern Conference Finals are not that easy to make every year.
You have to be careful not to have most of your cap money tied up in 2 or 3 players ala Tampa. But free agents get to choose where they want to play. They earn that right. There is a very fine line between winning and losing in the NHL. For the Sabres, their OT and SO records this year means they miss the playoffs. If they had last years OT and SO success they would be in!
Darcy isn't the only one to blame, You really have to look at Tom G and Larry Quinn.If making money is the bottom line then there going to know what's it's like not having playoff revenue and possibly not as many season tickets as the last 3 season's. I've even stopped buying jersey's cause i just don't know who'll be on the team.
Great post. Other things to watch for.....Bernier gets offer sheet and Sabres lose him, Pomminville is allowed to walk after next year......Miller being signed to an outrageous contract and still not being the goaltender everyone thinks he is......Oh...and of course...the excuses.......
nickzac i agree with you on Campbell, that's not my issue. It's just sad that the team was a legit Stanley Cup contender and it fell apart. The loss last night kind of made everything since July 1st (including the Vanek situation) go full circle. In that sense, it wasn't surprising, and as a huge Sabres fan, I can take it and move on, and look ahead to next year; and, also, I'd be lying if I said there weren't parts of this year that were a lot of fun. Just sad how such a great team fell so quickly.
The only thing Golisano cares about is his affection for his wallet and for Larry Quinn.
To pople who still don't understand economics, The Sabres, Tom Golisano
I can agree about being a cup contender as well... and letting it slip away. Maybe past mistakes will be considered this off season. I would love to see management go after two forwards and at least one D man who can LEAD a la Drury-esque. Someone to follow. I know I'm pretty much reciting what WGR's Paul Hamilton said, but, I think thats the only thing this team is missing because the talent is definitely there.
i can agree with that nickzak..here's hoping!
I think the biggest thing this team needs is a true 1-2 defenseman. Tallinder maybe, Lydman...definitely not. he's a 3-4 at best, but he has proven he can't handle the top line every night. a guy, quoting Ek, like John-Michael Liles would give the breakout some venom, but I'd like to see a true blue liner. you remember, a guy like Warrener? a more talented Pratt? goals aren't this teams problem...we are in the race for most in the NHL...it's the goals against thing that has been killing us.
The Sabres are not that far off. The Sabres were dissappointing this year...YES. Can it be turned around next year......YES. Time for management to make up for last offseason. It's easy to get negative especially after watching games against the Senators.
Liles is not the #1 dman this team needs. He could be a 3-4. I've noticed that Ek likes his rumors... especially to catch the attention of Sabres fans.
Rapp- I'm actually hoping that players like Pomminville, Bernier, Stafford do get offer sheets. That way the price is either set at a reasonable rate, or we get a bevvy of draft picks and one less RFA contract to worry about. We could be looking at 4 1sts for Pommer.
siket71, fair point about it's easy to get negative after watching games against the Senators, but this is not just about playing the Senators - the team has been inconsistent all year long. When the 'W' matters most, the team failed. And they likely won't make the playoffs for it, and I just want people to be prepared for the garbage that we will hear. The bottom line is the team was mismanaged, HOWEVER - the Sabres can right their shape this offseason! (and i also agree they're not far off!)