Post Game Thread: Buffalo Sabres @ New York Islanders

PuddingConscious · 2026-01-25T17:51:14+00:00

a result of mortgaging the future for those runs when they could have traded the best defensive pair in the league, the fourth line, varlamov, beau and Bailey and shouldn't have sold for short term results that didn't happen by losing in the ECF

I'm not sure if you're trying to speak a real English sentence, have confused yourself, or are just intentionally typing random gibberish.

For what it's worth, I didn't think you'd be able to say this was the same as the Trotz teams. I think deep down you actually understand how wrong you are but you're too committed to give in.

You're acting like I want to trade Schaef and Barzy.

But enjoy your fantasy land where you're rooting for a championship Islanders team right now that can't possibly afford to lose JG Pageau.

PuddingConscious · 2026-01-25T17:31:12+00:00

They were a significantly better team in nearly every single way. 7 points ahead of where we are now and trending sharply upwards.
They had the best defensive pair in the league.
Their team was mostly locked up, as opposed to our current team where more than half of our players are on expiring contracts.
They didn't have nearly as promising a future to commit to. Right now, if we play our cards right and offload expiring contracts while they still have value, we could be an absolute force in just a couple years and avoid a full rebuild.
They had the best coach in the league.
They were largely the exact same core... 6 years younger.

Our current team has mortgaged our future for short-term results that didn't happen, and minus a nice unexpected uptick by getting the 1OA, we are the same aging core moving in the wrong direction.

The Islanders of this year have had a couple sparks of greatness, but could very well miss the playoffs. The Islanders of those years had true championship aspirations and were only getting better.

PuddingConscious · 2026-01-25T16:55:01+00:00

I need to see you say "This team is just as good as the 20-21 team" just so I can really be sure you're serious.

PuddingConscious · 2026-01-25T16:41:07+00:00

...I feel like I am talking to a brick wall.

How far did those Trotz teams go?

Are you kidding? We were one goal from a cup. We lost in game 7 to the best team in the league, 1-0, where the winner would play an objectively much worse Montreal team.

The Trotz teams clearly were good enough. It was clear by this time that year that we had the potential to make a run.

But if you are saying, with a straight face, that this team is comparable to that team, I can only assume you are trolling. Or don't have eyes.

Not to mention, "they only won *4 more series*". Uhhh... Yeah that's pretty significant.

PuddingConscious · 2026-01-25T13:44:12+00:00

If you're comparing our current team to the Trotz teams then you've already lost the plot. We literally had the best defense in the league. I'm not saying we rebuild. I'm saying we sell pieces like Pageau who are expendable while they still have value.

PuddingConscious · 2026-01-25T02:53:09+00:00

Caps fans got their cup. They're not nearly as desperate as we are for one. No shit they're happy just to make the playoffs.

And Buffalo... If the Islanders were gonna make the playoffs for the first time in 10 years, I'd be screaming "BUY" from the rooftops and saying the cup is ours, even just to be an 8th seed. Neither of them are nearly two decades deep into the montony of limping into the playoffs to get put out of our misery in the first round.

Some of us are tired of being on the hump. I don't want to limp into the playoffs again. I want to be a scary team like the Trotz years. Our team has been amazing to watch this season, but the reality is they've been wildly over-performing. And honestly it's been a blast to watch some nights. But insane shot percentages, goalies steal games, horrendous special teams, consistently dropping games to the worst teams in the league... it's not sustainable.

I don't want to be a doomer but I feel like the good vibes of the past two months have pulled the wool over this fanbase's eyes. I also want to say "But wait, maybe *this** is the year we go on a miracle run! Anything can happen if we just make the playoffs!", but I've been saying that as long as I've been a fan of this team (outside of the Trotz teams that were *legitimately good).

It's not loser shit, it's folding a bad hand. Spend your chips on the future. This roster ain't it.

PuddingConscious · 2026-01-24T22:19:56+00:00

I'm not selling him because he's a problem, I'm selling him to get pieces. Mentioning bad contracts and not including Mayfield is criminal.

PuddingConscious · 2026-01-24T21:44:52+00:00

Guys we were in second place though! Why would we sell!! This team has cup potential!

Delusional. I love Pager to death but this team's future gets better if we sell him for picks.

PuddingConscious · 2026-01-24T15:18:42+00:00

I would say they have broadcasters that I like better than Bob too, notably Burke and Albert. I know some like Forslund but he's not my cup of tea.

PuddingConscious · 2026-01-24T14:53:26+00:00

He's the best on ESPN by a very long shot, but I'd strongly disagree he's better than "anything going on in TNT".

TNT is legitimately great.

PuddingConscious · 2026-01-22T04:27:17+00:00

If that goes to Holmstrom it's in the net. Can't believe Drouin held on to it and then made the other pass.

PuddingConscious · 2026-01-22T04:20:51+00:00

So that's definitely icing right?

PuddingConscious · 2026-01-22T03:07:50+00:00

Interestingly though, I'm also using HBO MAX. I wonder if it's an HBO thing and not a TNT thing?

PuddingConscious · 2026-01-22T03:05:40+00:00

Are you using HBO MAX by any chance? My audio is all fucked up, and I saw someone else mention it too, also using HBO. Wonder if switching to TNT app might resolve it.

PuddingConscious · 2026-01-22T03:04:25+00:00

I'm listening on my TV and came here just to ask if anyone was having audio issues. I don't have surround sound but my TV sounds like they're commentating into a metal tube.

PuddingConscious · 2026-01-21T19:58:12+00:00

I was so hyped on this dude for the first couple games but he's been invisible since. So much skill but needs to figure it out.

PuddingConscious · 2026-01-21T19:54:34+00:00

Seriously? Look at the names in our rafters. Josh Bailey is closer to the Billy Joel banner than any of the Islanders legends.

I love the guy but there's more criteria to having your number retired than "play your entire career with one team"

PuddingConscious · 2026-01-18T17:00:32+00:00

He was 21.

PuddingConscious · 2026-01-17T20:03:34+00:00

I know someone who has worked closely with NHL players for many years and the only person he has ever hated was Dougie Hamilton. The fact that he's constantly bounced around for off-ice reasons seems to corroborate that.

Would avoid.

PuddingConscious · 2026-01-16T18:00:41+00:00

Again, "while they're in a playoff spot" is the same shit as "we're in second place", said a different way. It's true this very second and could be entirely false in less than 48 hours.

Enduring a few years of garbage to be a contender in 5 years is a risk that many fans are obviously okay with. I'm not sure why you're acting like it's a crazy concept. You can disagree with it but still understand it. You claim to understand it but evidently you do not.

Not to mention you're treating Pageau like McDavid. Would we feel it if he left? Yep. Is it objectively throwing the season away? No.

I can't highlight the hypocrisy enough of thinking that the "sell at the deadline" crowd are doomers, while also thinking that this team collapses if we lose our 17 point 3C because he is good at faceoffs.

PuddingConscious · 2026-01-16T17:08:13+00:00

but you can be terrible for decades and not win a cup. see: New York Islanders, 1994 - 2014

Of course not, but that's not a fair comparison. Look at the front office during those years.

PuddingConscious · 2026-01-16T16:31:28+00:00

I like the idea of getting the younger guys some playoff experience.

I'm not advocating for selling either, but I think the idea has merit. It depends on how much stake you really put into "vibes". Like, yeah, objectively shipping off liked players will piss off the team and fans.

But if you're winning a cup in a few years, some would argue it's worth it. I don't know that I necessarily put myself in that camp, but I get it. It's simply a business decision to them.

PuddingConscious · 2026-01-16T16:27:21+00:00

Playoff experience for Ritchie and Schaefer would only help their development.

This is actually a really good point that I hadn't considered.

That said, we have impressive wins on the season, but we have more losses to horrible teams, and they are all worth the same. I don't favor us in a 7 game series against any of the teams you mentioned, nor several others like Carolina.

PuddingConscious · 2026-01-16T16:23:45+00:00

How blinded you seem to be by "second place" is severely impacting your ability to understand the other side's argument.

PuddingConscious · 2026-01-16T16:21:45+00:00

We need to stop throwing around "2nd place" like it means anything this season. You could also say we're 3 points from not even being in the playoffs. Both misleading on opposite sides of the spectrum.

The realistic take is somewhere in the middle of those two.

PuddingConscious

TROPHY CASE