Vulgar Statistics: Sabrepocalypse
My whole line of thinking with the Sabres abysmal start to this season is that we’ve been kind of spoiled by hot starts in 06-07, 08-09, and 09-10. We’re used to seeing the Sabres come flying out of the gate, only to cool off as the year wears on. In recent years, they seem to have played their best hockey in early October. So I figure, why can’t the opposite happen. Is it really time to panic?
This entry is going to be short and sweet. All I’m really going to do is take a look at some of the worst starts that playoff teams have had the last three years, largely to make myself feel better. Because (expletive) you, I need it.
2009-2010
East
Washington started 2-2-2, Finished 1st
New Jersey started 0-2-0, Finished 2nd
Montreal started 2-5-0, Finished 8th
West
Vancouver started 0-3-0, Finished 3rd
Detroit started 0-2-0, Finished 5th
Nashville started 2-5-1, Finished 7th
2008-2009
East
Boston started 2-2-3, Finished 1st
Philadelphia started 0-3-3, Finished 5th
West
Chicago started 0-2-1, Finished 4th
Calgary started 1-3-1, Finished 5th
Columbus started 3-6-0, Finished 7th
Anaheim started 1-5-0, Finished 8th
2007-2008
East
Montreal started 2-3-1, Finished 1st
New Jersey started 1-3-0, Finished 4th
NYR started 2-5-1, Finished 5th
West
Anaheim started 1-3-1, Finished 4th
Calgary started 0-2-1, Finished 7th
Nashville started 2-6-0, Finished 8th
The point is that you can’t call the grim reaper into the season for another 76 games at least, as bleak as things look right now. Yes the team is losing games, and yes the play looks bad, but at the end of the night, they’re right in the game. Bounces will come, goals will come, wins will come.
