GDT Sabres at NYI 4-4-15 7PM MSG, GR 550

[carpandean]

Desert dogs do it 5-3. Sabres magic number is 1! Only way to finish 29th is by going 3-0, and AZ going 0-3!

 

It's 2.  In your scenario, Arizona wins by 2 points, not 1.  They need one game out of six to go their way (or two half-ways in OT/SO losses.)

 

Can clinch with 2-1-0, 1-0-2, 1-1-1, 0-0-3, 0-1-2, 1-2-0, 0-2-1 or 0-3-0.

 

Need help if they go 3-0-0 (need 2 AZ points) or 2-0-1 (need 1 AZ point).

Edited April 5, 2015 by carpandean

[I am Defecting]

Are you guys excited, because I am, like really excited.

 

[pastajoe]

I want to get excited, but I'm afraid the Sabres will beat the Canes and drag it out to next weekend.

[woods-racer]

I understand your point but disagree.  Players would not play this hard for a coach that checked out.  Nolan is all in (or at least has them fooled that he still is).

Kaleta can really skate.  He's another Paul Cyr (for us old folks) without the slap shot (and the hate for Ray Bourque).

Kaleta doesn't appear to have lost any speed in his game. It would do my heart good to see him in a Sabres uniform when the team and fans are all together and it's a positive year.

[dudacek]

Who knew there were that many Russian track photos on the internet?

[LastPommerFan]

Who knew there were that many Russian track photos on the internet?

 

 

Name a thing with women in it.

 

 

There are that many photos of it on the internet.

[LGR4GM]

Edited April 5, 2015 by LGR4GM

[Tondas]

Kaleta doesn't appear to have lost any speed in his game. It would do my heart good to see him in a Sabres uniform when the team and fans are all together and it's a positive year.

I'm with you, man.  Kaleta on the 4th line next year is the right thing to do and he will not hurt us.  My bet is that GMTM realizes this and gives Kaleta a 2 year deal to close out his career

 

 

I worked out hard in my junior-senior years of high school and never got the results the first lady got. Either she was doing roids or I have to do some introspection that I don't want to do.

[LaLaLaFontaine]

From women atheltics back to hockey.

 

I liked what I saw from Makarov, he is very quick on his feet, has a good glove and made some reaally spectacular saves. 3:0 through 5 hole was maybe a softy, but I liked what I saw.

 

But maybe iit is just based on the fact that all goalies this year are looking well with our current system.

[Huckleberry]

going to be good to take this tank pic away after the last game :D

From women atheltics back to hockey.

I liked what I saw from Makarov, he is very quick on his feet, has a good glove and made some reaally spectacular saves. 3:0 through 5 hole was maybe a softy, but I liked what I saw.

But maybe iit is just based on the fact that all goalies this year are looking well with our current system.

 

I always thought makarov should be our #2 goalie next year.   Hopefully they sign Niemi :p

Will be interesting to see what Murray does about our goalie situation.

[Claude Balls]

Didn't watch any hockey last night, went to bed very early. When I woke up today first thing I did was check scores. I felt like a little kid on Christmas morning opening the two presents I was hoping for. Maybe I shouldn't watch Monday.

[Jsixspd]

Wow, what an awesome victory for the Tank yesterday - not only did Buffalo lose, but Arizona had a very unlikely win against San Jose.  The Tank looked like it ran out of gas, and we were in danger of coming in 29th.  Looking much more positive now!   

So the substitution of Makarov, was that a subtle way of GMTM giving the Tank a bit of of nudge?  

Or is Nolan trying to help the Tank without outright looking like he's trying to help the Tank?

[carpandean]

So the substitution of Makarov, was that a subtle way of GMTM giving the Tank a bit of of nudge?  

Or is Nolan trying to help the Tank without outright looking like he's trying to help the Tank?

 

It's what we should have been seeing for a while.  Don't know if GMTM finally reached his limit or if Nolan decided to be a team player (he's not going to coach to lose, but seeing what young prospects have to offer is very common in this team's position), but I'm glad that they did.  Three games left, I could see one each for Lindback, Makarov and Hackett (unless Johnson comes back.)

[LGR4GM]

I think Makarov played because Lindback played the night before guys.  Also Makarov played well. No conspiracy needed just typical NHL stuff.

[Two or less]

I think Makarov played because Lindback played the night before guys.  Also Makarov played well. No conspiracy needed just typical NHL stuff.

 

And the fact Lindback was burned for two really late goals the night before probably wasn't the best to send him out. Had the Sabres lost 4-3 in "normal" fashion on Friday i think he'd start again on Saturday.

[IKnowPhysics]

I think the Blackhawks and the Islanders were the better teams, regardless of Sabres personnel or coaching.

[Robviously]

I think the Blackhawks and the Islanders were the better teams, regardless of Sabres personnel or coaching.

The fact that both games were as close as they were was unnerving.

[PromoTheRobot]

I think Makarov played because Lindback played the night before guys.  Also Makarov played well. No conspiracy needed just typical NHL stuff.

Once again we throw in any goalie and they play well. Goals 1 and 2 were not his fault and three was sort-of bad on him. Luckily Halak stood on his head.

Edited April 5, 2015 by Promonov Robotnik

[Two or less]

Once again we throw in any goalie and they play well. Goals 1 and 2 were not his fault and three was sort-of bad on him. Luckily Halak stood on his head.

 

It's amazing watching these games. The Sabres have been big underdogs in Las Vegas in every single game. They've been badly outplayed in almost every game they've played and still, they are in games against good teams on a nightly basis. Hockey is a extremely lucky and random sport.

 

People should really take note for when the Sabres are good again and get beaten by a bad team on a Friday night and we start to freak out. lol

[Doohicksie]

Wow, what an awesome victory for the Tank yesterday - not only did Buffalo lose, but Arizona had a very unlikely win against San Jose.  The Tank looked like it ran out of gas, and we were in danger of coming in 29th.  Looking much more positive now!   

So the substitution of Makarov, was that a subtle way of GMTM giving the Tank a bit of of nudge?  

Or is Nolan trying to help the Tank without outright looking like he's trying to help the Tank?

 

It's what we should have been seeing for a while.  Don't know if GMTM finally reached his limit or if Nolan decided to be a team player (he's not going to coach to lose, but seeing what young prospects have to offer is very common in this team's position), but I'm glad that they did.  Three games left, I could see one each for Lindback, Makarov and Hackett (unless Johnson comes back.)

 

Or was it just the normal custom of putting your backup in for the second half of a back-to-back?  And really the bigger issue was the lack of scoring, not the goalie.  Johnson is out for the year due to injury.  Hackett's been injured too; I don't think it's season ending officially, but why rush back from an injury into this situation.  Split the last few between Mak and Lindback and you're done with the season.  No subterfuge, 

[carpandean]

Or was it just the normal custom of putting your backup in for the second half of a back-to-back?

 

Except that Nolan has been riding the hot goalie all season, even in back-to-backs.  People have been saying that GMTM can't tell him to lose on purpose, which is true, but I've been saying for a while that he could at least have asked him to follow the normal custom, as you say.

Edited April 5, 2015 by carpandean

[Two or less]

Except that Nolan has been riding the hot goalie all season, even in back-to-backs.  People have been saying that GMTM can't tell him to lose on purpose, which is true, but I've been saying for a while that he could at least have asked him to follow the normal custom, as you say.

 

lol yup, like that Boston game after Washington. Hackett should of probably played that night.

[carpandean]

lol yup, like that Boston game after Washington. Hackett should of probably played that night.

 

Yeah, that was the one that Nolan said after the Washington game that Hackett would probably start against Boston, but then after the Boston game, Lindback said that he knew the night before that he was starting again. 

Edited April 5, 2015 by carpandean

[LaLaLaFontaine]

going to be good to take this tank pic away after the last game :D

 

 

I always thought makarov should be our #2 goalie next year.   Hopefully they sign Niemi :p

Will be interesting to see what Murray does about our goalie situation.

He will draft the biggest available Swede or Finn in third or fourth round of the incoming draft ;)

[TrueBlueGED]

I wonder if Murray is the least bit peeved that Nolan's goaltender usage contributed to losing Hackett's rights. The injury certainly played a role (although getting his games in last second is sort of like cramming for a test instead of studying all along), and Hackett doesn't look like an NHL goaltender...but it could be the principle of the matter.