No they aren't. The leafs are 4-5-1. That's 9/20 points. It's almost 500. Terrible slide is silly. They haven't even dropped a spot. In fact they've gained ground on Florida in that stretch.

Don't let the close standings confuse you. the sabres are still one of the ten worst teams in the league. They won some home games, which is nothing new. They had a bunch of easy games at home, that's all.

There is no race.
- matty12345

"Almost 500". You are completely correct. If the Sabres go 3 games over 500, they are in a playoff spot. Can they do it? We've seen this team go on 10 game win streaks before. Can they do it? Maybe. Will they do it, probably not. But it's not like they need to win their next 20. If the Leafs stay at 500 hockey, all the Sabres need to do is go 10-7-3.

Again, I don't expect them to do it. But I'm saying that it isn't impossible. I agree with jcrag though. The next 3 games are key. If the Buffalo goes 1-1-1 and the Leafs go 0-2-1, this gets more interesting. I really don't think Toronto has the mental toughness to handle the pressure down the stretch.

And that's a really big problem. The Panthers have a better shot to control their own destiny with 2 against the leafs and 1 against the Sabres
- jcragcrumple

Those can't be 3 point games. That's the important thing. They need to end in regulation.

[quote=BINGO!]

The Sabres had meltdowns at home versus Ottawa, Detroit, Montreal and at Ottawa in the past month and are still somehow within striking distance. If they can do that and still be pretenders, Toronto, with that talent can at least win a bunch of games by putting up goals in bunches. Most teams don't have the ability to lock them down the way Carolina did on Saturday.

Buffalo is only 6 points out with a game in hand on the leafs.

Anything is possible.

They easily should be in the playoffs but the loses to the bad teams highlights the holes we still have.

Goaltending and secondary scoring.

The real question: I've seen some pictures of Simmonds with the devils where he's wearing a visor and some where he's not.





So do we have a guy on the roster who doesn't wear a visor or not

These are the big questions

Buffalo is only 6 points out with a game in hand on the leafs.

Anything is possible.

They easily should be in the playoffs but the loses to the bad teams highlights the holes we still have.

Goaltending and secondary scoring.
- toddkac

The other nice part is ........ the leafs didn’t add or get better at the deadline and the panthers sold off trocheck and got worse

That is positive

because I hate you




No, I came to try and make sense of what the Sabres did here, because to me it just looked like shuffling deck chairs on the titanic.
- BINGO!

I saw you at the grocery store last weekend. You were staring intently at something in the freezer section for half an hour. After you left, I looked to see what you had been looking at...

It said, "concentrate".

What did I miss?

What did I miss?
- jochfr

Nothing

Nothing
- dadeadhead

I like that they got rid or ERod and Sh!tty.
I'm indifferent about Simmonds.

I don't know who tf this Kuhona (sp?) guy is.

I for one am happy we didn't overpay for one of the centers moved yesterday. I think there will be better ones available in the offseason and the cost would be better.
For example, JT Miller went for a 1st, 3rd and the signing rights to a 28 y/o goalie who's likely not going to play another NHL game ever. Pageau was going to be a UFA, is older, cost more to acquire and is not as good as Miller.

With the trades Tampa made yesterday, they now have around $5m in cap space to resign Cirelli, at least 4 dmen and the rest of their RFAs.

Toronto has about $4.5m in space with only 15 guys signed.

Lots of teams with $10m or less in space who need to resign 8 or more guys.

This offseason should really be the focus for making a big splash, not overpaying for a less talented player from the limited pool of players that were available.

The real question: I've seen some pictures of Simmonds with the devils where he's wearing a visor and some where he's not.





So do we have a guy on the roster who doesn't wear a visor or not

These are the big questions
- jcragcrumple

Botts did nothing yesterday hope he's gone after the season is done

I for one am happy we didn't overpay for one of the centers moved yesterday. I think there will be better ones available in the offseason and the cost would be better.
For example, JT Miller went for a 1st, 3rd and the signing rights to a 28 y/o goalie who's likely not going to play another NHL game ever. Pageau was going to be a UFA, is older, cost more to acquire and is not as good as Miller.

With the trades Tampa made yesterday, they now have around $5m in cap space to resign Cirelli, at least 4 dmen and the rest of their RFAs.

Toronto has about $4.5m in space with only 15 guys signed.

Lots of teams with $10m or less in space who need to resign 8 or more guys.

This offseason should really be the focus for making a big splash, not overpaying for a less talented player from the limited pool of players that were available.
- adambuffalo

I hope you're right and we pillage these teams for the best players.

The offer sheet should also come into play to hurt them even more...

I like that they got rid or ERod and Sh!tty.
I'm indifferent about Simmonds.

I don't know who tf this Kuhona (sp?) guy is.
- jochfr

I loved him with the hawks but maybe it was the talent around that made him. Look good who knows

Botts did nothing yesterday hope he's gone after the season is done
- gerbe75pts

Cause he didn't mortgage the future? Botts did more than most teams.

I for one am happy we didn't overpay for one of the centers moved yesterday. I think there will be better ones available in the offseason and the cost would be better.
For example, JT Miller went for a 1st, 3rd and the signing rights to a 28 y/o goalie who's likely not going to play another NHL game ever. Pageau was going to be a UFA, is older, cost more to acquire and is not as good as Miller.

With the trades Tampa made yesterday, they now have around $5m in cap space to resign Cirelli, at least 4 dmen and the rest of their RFAs.

Toronto has about $4.5m in space with only 15 guys signed.

Lots of teams with $10m or less in space who need to resign 8 or more guys.

This offseason should really be the focus for making a big splash, not overpaying for a less talented player from the limited pool of players that were available.
- adambuffalo

The other thing people forget about Pageau is that he signed/agreed to an extension shortly after the trade. That means the Islanders paid that price knowing he was going to extend. We have no idea whether Pageau would have been interested in signing here long term, or if Buffalo was willing to match that contract. A player doesn't agree to an extension right after a trade unless he really wants to be there.

"Do something, Botterill!"

...

"No, I mean, do something else, Botterill!"

Toronto still has enough fire power that at worst, they are going to tread water the rest of the way. They won't have an epic collapse.
- buffalofan19

we gained 6 points on them in the last 6 games

closed the gap in half with a game in hand


and it's the leafs

"Do something, Botterill!"

...

"No, I mean, do something else, Botterill!"
- buffalofan19

If any of this mattered at all why is NJ terrible when they probably should have been good

Simmonds brings nothing that translates to winning on a team that isn't already really good
- robz228

You really just dont like physical play?

Do you sit down when your at the game and a fight breaks out? Similar to when you pee?

Your acting like we haven't been good because were to physical. We have sucked and have been soft for the past decade which hasn't worked.

Why not try a different approach for 20 games?
Have someone physical to match up out west

We gave up very little

we gained 6 points on them in the last 6 games

closed the gap in half with a game in hand


and it's the leafs
- homiedclown

My point is that if Buffalo were to catch up to them, it's going to be because they made a run, not because the Leafs imploded. You have to assume they are going to play .500 hockey at worst down the stretch. They're too talented not to.

No they aren't. The leafs are 4-5-1. That's 9/20 points. It's almost 500. Terrible slide is silly. They haven't even dropped a spot. In fact they've gained ground on Florida in that stretch.

Don't let the close standings confuse you. the sabres are still one of the ten worst teams in the league. They won some home games, which is nothing new. They had a bunch of easy games at home, that's all.

There is no race.
- matty12345

The problem with your theory is that they lost to the easy teams, yet beat the ones that are currently in the playoffs... to dismiss the slide of the Leafs is silly. They have been playing poorly. If we were them and they were us and they beat us like we beat them last week, I think our collective heads would explode on this board. Also, losing to an own employee is embarrassing. So no, they are on a terrible slide and to say otherwise is foolish.

Cause he didn't mortgage the future? Botts did more than most teams.
- toddkac

Please those trades could have been done months ago ...

Please those trades could have been done months ago ...
- gerbe75pts

Pittsburgh doesn't make that trade without acquiring Zucker first.

I read a few places (even here) that Botts was pressured to "speed this up" and made some moves in the offseason which have not worked out great.

He was not giving up our first this year for anything less than a young player signed for a few more years at a lower cap hit (not many of this type of player was moved yesterday, maybe maybe Trocheck), so that was not in play.


He traded a few forwards that we all wanted gone. Check

He got a few middle 6 forwards. Check

Second line center. nope (not one was moved yesterday we would call second line centers)

Goalie help. nope (Ullmark should be back soon, right?)

He got Simmonds (24 pts) and Kahun (27 pts), so he got (based on our teams stats) the 6th best and 8th best player (points wise) for our team. Two of those top 8 or D. So he just got (2) top 6 players (on our team) to help for the playoff run.

How can anyone be mad about this?