The future.
By far, it is the one thing for which fans who have gone through a solemn season like this one, can hold to in anticipation. There's always next season, right? It's crazy that the next time we see the Sabres play a meaningful game will be in October. Eh.
Of course, in our day and age of sports coverage and fandom, there are always two sides to the story and you must stick to one side while ridiculing and destroying the other. Brandon has a post up about reasons to be optimistic about the Sabres and that's fine and dandy, but it's my turn to destroy your optimistic prism of fanhood. This is a piece that will inspire you to call into the Whiner Line and make Sabres apologists block you on Twitter. A piece that will get me banned from the Sabres press box and get me unfollowed by Heather B-Funk. (Editor's note: Hmmmmm. -HB)
Here are a few stats to make you squirm a bit:
- The Sabres missed the playoffs for the 12th time in franchise history. Half of those misses have come since 2002.
- The team has only won 5 playoff series since Brett Hull's foot was in the crease.
- Since its last playoff series victory in 2007, 18 franchises have been able to advance in the playoffs and that number will more than likely go up this year.
- Lindy Ruff has won as many playoff series in his first two years as coach (5) as he has in the last 12 years.
- The Sabres were 19-26 against this year's playoff teams.
- Against the top 5 teams (points-wise) in the East (NYR, BOS, PIT, PHI, NJD), Buffalo had a 6-16 record. If you include the Panthers, the record goes to 8-18 against the top 6 teams in the East.
- The Sabres didn't have a winning record against any of the playoff teams in the East.
Yeah..we sucked. But guess what? There's more!! So, without further ado, here are five reasons to be angry at the Sabres for this past season and a way to tell all the optimistic fans to bite me!
(Hahahaha...I'm just playing America, you know I love you. -Eminem)
