GDT GDT: NY Islanders at Buffalo 7:00 pm ET, 12/16/2016

[Doohicksie]

The Sabres are starting to look like they can play, but they're still at the bottom of the standings... well, except for the Islanders, the only team behind us in the conference.

 

We should be able to win this game, and we HAVE to win this game if we have any designs on climbing into the playoff race.  The Sabres "problem" now is that players are getting healthy and DD needs to figure out who plays where, and who sits.  For instance, Daily Face Off shows the roster below, but that doesn't take into account that both Fedun and Bogo fully participated in practice Thursday.  Can either of them play?  If they do, who sits?  If Bogo's ready, Falk sits I think, but if Fedun is ready, does he play?  Has he shown enough to give Franson or Gorges a rest (even if only for a game or so)?

 

Tune in closer to game time to see what the roster really looks like.

 

Also of note, Kaner is still on the 4th line.  The way DD rolls his lines one or two players at a time, that may give him some ice time with the first line, as happened when he scored his third period goal Tuesday.  Will that be enough to stoke is apparently fragile ego (come on, man, smile when you score)?  Well, maybe if he scores again...

 

The Isles are coming off a 5-4 loss to Chicago Thursday night.  Hopefully the Sabres can take advantage of their defense and put up a bunch of goals again.  If the Sabres can start hard and keep the pedal to the metal, the Islanders should be tired by the third, playing their second game is as many nights.  Tavares continues to impress, but deeper into the lineup the talent isn't there.

 

 

 

All three of these players are in the Sabres organization now- Ullmark, Gus and Okposo :)

 

 

[JJFIVEOH]

JF Berube will be getting the start in net, his first of the year and eighth of his career.

[SabresBaltimore]

I have friends over tonight, so I won't be able to watch the game while it's on, but I'll likely record it and watch it after they leave and/or tomorrow morning. It's easy to avoid hockey scores down here.

 

We really need to put together a big win streak the next two weeks: Islanders, Canes, Panthers, Canes, Islanders. I'd love it if we went on a 6 game winning streak here, but I'll settle for 5-1 (or maybe 4-0-2). We can't really afford to lose these games after such a bad start if we want to be serious about playoffs.

 

We're 5-3-2 in our last 10 (4-2-1 since Jack's return). That's 12/20 points (9/14 with Jack). But we need to push that above a .500 win rate for any hope of catching those ahead of us. We've shown we can beat some good teams, so now we need to take advantage of some of our fellow bottom feeders to show we don't belong among them.

 

Carolina is only 2 points ahead of us, with 1 more game played. Florida is 3 points ahead of us with 3 more games played. These are teams we should be able to beat.

 

We need to carry the momentum from Tuesday through the weekend. Here's to hoping for a 4 point weekend!

Edited December 16, 2016 by SabresBaltimore

[FLYNNSanity]

Buffalo is gonna get the big W tonight. Were in a good spot right now and need to take advantage of it.

Oh and btw the 2010-11 Sabres had a losing record until January 23rd and made the playoffs.

Anything can happen at this point.

[bob_sauve28]

Kyle OK leads us in scoring, just two points less than John Tarvarse 

[darksabre]

I hope that top line keeps clicking. 

[LGR4GM]

Censorship is bull around here.

[darksabre]

Censorship is bull around here.

I like how rackii's thread was allowed to live simply because the title didn't mention the thing that should not be named.  :rolleyes:

[3putt]

Isles blew an opportunity to bury the Hawks last night.  They'll be motivated. Whether that makes a difference we shall see. 

[LGR4GM]

I like how rackii's thread was allowed to live simply because the title didn't mention the thing that should not be named. :rolleyes:

Politics, you're talking about politics right?

[darksabre]

Politics, you're talking about politics right?

Shhhh Harry, don't say his name. 

[LGR4GM]

Shhhh Harry, don't say his name.

Lord Trumpermort?

[WildCard]

Shhhh Harry, don't say his name.

Amazing :lol:

 

 

I will be able to catch some of this game at the Christmas party I'm headed to. This should, and really needs to, be a win

[Huckleberry]

Amazing :lol:

 

 

I will be able to catch some of this game at the Christmas party I'm headed to. This should, and really needs to, be a win

 

Don't know about that, the Islanders have been playing well lately.

[WildCard]

Don't know about that, the Islanders have been playing well lately.

Lost 5-4 last night in Chicago I believe and may be delayed getting here. We're rested and they still suck, in the standings at least. We better win if we want to chase the playoffs

 

Boston lost last night too

[Stoner]

I like how rackii's thread was allowed to live simply because the title didn't mention the thing that should not be named.  :rolleyes:

Comments read shred threads.

[inkman]

The Sabres are starting to look like they can play, but they're still at the bottom of the standings... well, except for the Islanders, the only team behind us in the conference.

 

We should be able to win this game...

So according to this logic, the Sabres should only be able to beat the Islanders?

[CallawaySabres]

The next 6 games are very winnable leading up to back to back vs Bruins. This is the run that will determine if the Sabres can make the playoffs or not. They have to be at worst 4-2 and then climb back into the 3rd spot in the division facing 2 against Boston.

[bob_sauve28]

The next 6 games are very winnable leading up to back to back vs Bruins. This is the run that will determine if the Sabres can make the playoffs or not. They have to be at worst 4-2 and then climb back into the 3rd spot in the division facing 2 against Boston.

Oh boy! Glad you posted this. Hope they win so we play Boston in meaningful games...and win! 

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Must win!!

 

The Sabres have to win the games they should win and even some that they shouldn't.

 

The Islanders are not world beaters, but not a bad team either.

 

Maybe it's just me, but there seems to be parity in the NHL this year, with very little separating top from bottom teams.

 

I believe the Sabres will win and rather convincingly.

 

GO SABRES!!

[WildCard]

The Islanders are 2-7-1 on the road this season

 

The Islanders have also lost 3 straight

[LGR4GM]

Remember when the NYI, signed Ladd instead of Okposo

[Sabel79]

Remember when the NYI, signed Ladd instead of Okposo

In all fairness, from what I've read, it rather sounds like Okposo told Garth to shove it before an offer could even get made.  Which, of course, speaks to a bigger problem. 

[Stoner]

So is this a Randall Flagg .500 game? Or is a Flagg .500 when the Sabres can get back to .500 but fail to do so?

[Sabres Fan in NS]

So is this a Randall Flagg .500 game? Or is a Flagg .500 when the Sabres can get back to .500 but fail to do so?

 

I believe the Sabres are at *NHL* and *Randall* .500 now (not DeLuca .500, which is a more accurate measure, IMO).  So, they can go over, or under, .500 tonight.