Buffalo Sabres just aren't good enough

As I mentioned in another post, the game Sunday between the Buffalo Sabres and Detroit Red Wings was the first game I have attended in quite some time.  I have a few observations regarding the game experience that I'd like to share with you but first lets talk about the actual game and the rest of the season.  Everyone already knows that Detroit beat Buffalo 4-2 so I'll spare you the details.

It was a painful weekend for the Sabres organization and their fans.  They lost 6-2 on Friday against the Montreal Canadiens and 4-2 on Sunday to Detroit.  The most painful part was coming to the realization that they just aren't good enough to compete in the playoffs.  I use the term "compete" because there is an outside chance they could make the playoffs but with current make up of the team they will not advance very far if at all.  I have been an avid supporter of this team and their talent but last night I realized that I was living a lie.  Detroit dominated Buffalo for two periods and then they just protected their lead.  If not for a strange goal by Jason Pominville, that should have never counted, the score would have been even more lopsided.

I still believe in the talent on this team but right now they are not good enough, they make too many mistakes that they can't recover from.  If you analyze the core of this team they are very young and very talented but they are not ready to compete with the best teams right now.  With guys like Derek Roy and Thomas Vanek locked up for years to come they will be really good in a couple of years but this isn't the year.  It's easy to criticize the management for this team going from Presidents Trophy winner to probably missing the playoffs but that would be a short sighted view.  The economics of the game force teams to look three or four years ahead and not just for this season.

Some observations from the Arena...

• Beer is really expensive nowadays!  Of course that didn't stop me from consuming it

• The guys who skate on the ice during time outs to shovel the ice are really annoying.  How long have they been doing that?  Didn't they used to only do the net and bench areas?  How about we just play some frigging hockey.

• I have to admit that the new scoreboard is pretty sweet but I don't like the rings around the top and bottom, I wish they were more squared off so you could read it.  I found myself looking to the scoreboards in the end instead of the main scoreboard that has the sweet HD picture.

• I think the fams are starting to get carried away with making signs.  Is this a hockey game or episode of WWE Monday Night Raw?  Even worse is the fact that they play the song "Signs" and have the camera show all the signs in the crowd.  Now we encourage idiotic behavior?

• Finally I would like to say that "Kiss Cam" is still a really bad idea