QCity

After the win over Toronto the Magic Number remains at 4 sigh...

After the win over Arizona the Magic Number remains at 4

$&^%^&^*$@& They can't make anything easy...

The magic number is now down to 4. If Arizona beats us in regulation it will drop to 2.

Edmonton wins. /yawn

When this much is at stake, who can blame Sabres fans for cheering for losses?

He was just on his show trying to defend that quote. He said something like "it's just 75 words out of a 2500 word article, you need to read the whole thing to get the complete picture." Well, I just read the whole thing. It still sounds like he was an advocate of tanking to get the best pick 2 years ago.

I've really tried to keep this as simple as possible, but you guys are making this more complicated than it should be. To quote the original post: Typically magic numbers are based on wins (but in this case we are using losses) and they represent the number of outcomes (not points) to reach a certain goal . You can use points, but bringing them into the mix adds an extra layer of confusion that is somewhat unnecessary. We are rooting for the Sabres to lose. As of today, we need to lose 5 more games. That's it. Some other factoids: When the magic number gets down to 1, it may be possible to clinch last place with an OT loss. If that is the case, I will update the thread to say so. It is not mandatory for us to lose 5 games, we can go on a winning streak and still clinch last as long as ARI, EDM and TOR go on similar winning streaks. The magic number may go down even after a Sabres win, providing the other teams around us win. The Buffalo Bills magic number to win the AFC East is currently 16.

It's the classic case of losing a battle to win the war. As soon as the team mathematically locks up last place, everyone at the next home game will be cheering in unison again.

11? That kid sounds like a drunk. I stand by my math.

Well, after tonight's game, yes. But if things went differently tonight and somehow won in regulation, we would have had to sweat the next meetup in Arizona. Now, it's not really that big of a deal. I think Sports Club Stats 95% chance is spot-on. It's going to take a shocking turn of events for us to blow the tank now. Basically, the magic number is now representing how much longer we have to wait until we can all put this behind us, and start rooting 100% for the Sabres again. Would have been a 7 pt spread in the standings, magic number would have still been 5.

It's not about cynics, it's about math. Of course you should bet money we don't get the #1 pick - there's only a 20% we get it even if we finish last. It's been said over and over in this thread - there are 2 players in this draft that are considered to be generational talents.

Magic number has dropped from 7 to 5 with that OT loss! Edit: According to Sports Club Stats, tonight's loss also increased our chances to 95%, up from 88%.

Thank god we drafted Glenn over him.

It's not about finishing 29th, it's about not losing your team. Finishing in last place is one thing, but having your players quit on you is an entirely different animal. If he starts sending out a lineup that doesn't give them the best chance to win, the players would pick up on it in a heartbeat. The guy's got a front office that is deliberately trying to lose and everyone knows it, yet the team is still going out and playing hard. Most of the anger towards Nolan is misdirected. If you have an issue with Nolan from the past, that's fine, but blaming him for trying to win is silly. If the Sabres somehow wind up blowing this tank and finish 29th, the entirety of the blame will be on the shoulders of GMTM. He could have fired Nolan long ago and brought in some puppet to coach.

Betting odds: ARI -125 / BUF +115

While not mathematically eliminated, their odds of finishing last are so low it's not worth mentioning.

Meh, can't even get excited over an EDM win anymore.

According to Sports Club Stats, tonight's EDM win increased our chances 1% up to 88%.

When Detroit scored 18 seconds into that powerplay with like 5 minutes left I almost turned it off. That was a huuuge win. We need to chip-in and buy Jimmy Howard a case of beer for that horrendous performance in net.

Yeah, I agree, keep the discussion there. I just wanted people to have a quick way to know the status of the tank without sifting through all the pages in that thread. One click, 1st post -- and you immediately know all the tank details. BTW tonight's Arizona win caused Sports Club Stats to raise our chances of finishing last to 87% (it was 79% previously).

Watching Arizona hold on at the end of regulation was the most intense 5 minutes of hockey I have watched all season. I jumped up when they scored the winner in OT. What a crazy season. That Arizona win reduces the Sabres Magic Number to 7 losses to guarantee last place!! Edit: BTW we all need to thank Jimmy Howard for that atrocious performance in net.

We can keep the discussion in the other thread if you prefer. This thread has merit as a quick reference to easily find the current "state of the tank" over these last 2 weeks.

Last Updated Fri 4/10 9:26 PM THE TANK IS COMPLETE! THE LOTTERY IS APRIL 18th Sabres Magic Number (Losses): 0 Chance to finish last (Sports Club Stats): 100% Current Standings (Pts) Buffalo: 54 Arizona: 56 Games Remaining Buffalo: (1) vs. Pittsburgh Arizona: (1) vs. Anaheim Tiebreaker Procedure Arizona is guaranteed the tiebreaker (i.e. if BUF and ARI are tied, BUF finishes in last place)