GDT: Buffalo Sabres at Florida Panthers 7:30 PM EST 12/20/2016

[The Dominator]

Never done one of these before but it's 8:15 and we need a game day thread!

 

(ESPN)- 

 

SUNRISE, Fla. -- Not much has gone right so far this season for the reigning Atlantic Division champions, the Florida Panthers.

 

But the Panthers (14-13-5) do lead the league in one category at least -- most road games played (19).

 

Florida finally returns home after playing 13 of its past 17 games on the road to host the Buffalo Sabres (12-11-7) on Tuesday.

 

Now, though, the trend goes the other way. The Panthers will play eight of their next nine games at home.

 

Will being at home matter?

 

The Panthers are 8-5-0 at home and 6-8-5 on the road. So, yes, maybe that extra bit of success at home can get Florida back in playoff position.

 

After all, the Panthers reside just four points behind the Boston Bruins for third place in the Atlantic, which would be good enough for a playoff berth.

 

"If we can string a few wins together," Panthers captain Derek MacKenzie told the media, "we can be in pretty good position in 15 days. But we have a lot of work to do to climb the standings."

 

It would certainly help the Panthers if they could get healthy. Jonathan Huberdeau, who normally skates on Florida's top line with Jaromir Jagr and Aleksander Barkov, is recovering from a torn Achilles tendon. Defenseman Alex Petrovic, who was off to a great start and is still a team-best plus-8, is recovering from a broken foot.

 

Both players are about a month away.

 

A third injured Panthers player -- forward Jonathan Marchessault -- is trying to come back from a groin injury. He missed four games, returned for one and then missed the past two after aggravating his injury. Despite the time missed, he still leads the team with 10 goals.

 

Buffalo, meanwhile, is led by 22-year-old defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, who is fifth in the NHL in minutes played. He also entered Monday ranked fifth in the NHL in points by a defenseman with 21.

 

Ristolainen has two goals and 10 assists in his past nine games, and a lot of his damage comes on the power play. He is 13th in the NHL with 12 power-play points.

 

"You are seeing him develop into a force," Sabres coach Dan Bylsma told the media. "He's our shut-down guy. He's a horse back there -- very tough to play against."

 

Ristolainen, who is just one point behind Kyle Okposo for the team lead, is part of a young Sabres' core that also includes centers Jack Eichel, 20, and Sam Reinhart, 21.

 

Eichel, who was the second overall pick in the 2015 draft, has five goals and three assists. But injuries have limited Eichel to just nine games. He missed the first six weeks of the season but is now healthy, producing two goals and one assist last Tuesday against the Los Angeles Kings.

 

Reinhart, who was the second overall pick in the 2014 draft, has six goals and nine assists in 30 games.

 

Those young Sabres will match sticks and skills with the 44-year-old Jagr, who is just three points shy of Mark Messier for No. 2 on the NHL all-time list. Only Wayne Gretzky ranks ahead of Messier.

Edited December 20, 2016 by TheDominator

[SwampD]

How many times is this thread going to be locked today? Gonna be hard to keep the politics talk outta this one.

 

 

ROCK'EM SABRES!!!!

[Derrico]

I've got my running shoes on.....now's the time for this team to go on a run!  Let's Go Buffalo!!

[darksabre]

Florida player to watch: Vincent Trocheck. 

[LTS]

How many times is this thread going to be locked today? Gonna be hard to keep the politics talk outta this one.

 

 

ROCK'EM SABRES!!!!

 

It shouldn't be hard to keep the talk out of here.  People just need to have discipline and respect.

 

I'll hope to catch the tail end of this one.  It's school concert season so I get to listen to the youth of America squeak their way into our hearts... (truthfully it should be better tonight as these are older kids who have played for some time).

 

Be interesting to see live how the Panthers are handling all of the front office garbage... it can't be fun for the players right now.

[inkman]

How many times is this thread going to be locked today? Gonna be hard to keep the politics talk outta this one.

 

 

ROCK'EM SABRES!!!!

Why do posters want to derail GDT with that garbage?

[SwampD]

Why do posters want to derail GDT with that garbage?

Cuz today it's actually relevant.

[RonHextallsShoulderPads]

i say they're going to win comfortably. I was at the game in carolina on sat. it's not a reflection of their team at full strength. they looked tired from the back to back games. eichel seemed spent and as if he was on a pitch count with minutes. did a lot of gliding in the neutral zone waiting for a rush. 

[Sabres Fan in NS]

A great time for a Sabres team on the upswing to play a team that is ripped to shreds.

 

I hope for a good effort and a big win for the Sabres.  I have come to expect both.

 

JJ,

 

Do you ever go to Sabre games when they are down your way?

 

GO SABRES!!

Edited December 20, 2016 by Sabres Fan In NS

[Samson's Flow]

here's hoping that the Sabres come into this game fresh and have their legs back, and show some of that goal scoring from a few games back. That and the situation in Florida with their GM/coach should prove to be a distraction for them in the short term. Time to pounce on them.

 

Looking for a good game from the 3rd line now that Kane has been added there. me likey :) 

[inkman]

Cuz today it's actually relevant.

Not really

[Randall Flagg]

Win.

[That Aud Smell]

GIT SOME!

[WildCard]

GIT SOME!

git fetch

 

Ya welcome

[That Aud Smell]

git fetch

 

Ya welcome

 

(explain, please.)

[Mustache of God]

Sounds like the forward lines are shaping up to be:

 

Foligno - ROR - Samson

Moulson - Yeichel - Okposo

Kane - Larsson - Gionta

Carrier - Grant - Girgensons

 

scratches: D-Lo, Falk

[Randall Flagg]

Falk should be in for Gorges.

[Samson's Flow]

Sounds like the forward lines are shaping up to be:

 

Foligno - ROR - Samson

Moulson - Yeichel - Okposo

Kane - Larsson - Gionta

Carrier - Grant - Girgensons

 

scratches: D-Lo, Falk

Do those lines actually make sense for once? I don't believe it!

 

Only issue is long term we need to find a better RW for the ROR line than Foligno. I don't think he has it in him.

[WildCard]

(explain, please.)

git is an openend source project for sharing code. Any command for git starts with 'git ---'

 

git fetch essentially means retrieve all the most recent stuff available

 

So, you wanted to git some ;)

Edited December 20, 2016 by WildCard

[TheAud]

Do those lines actually make sense for once? I don't believe it!

 

Only issue is long term we need to find a better RW for the ROR line than Foligno. I don't think he has it in him.

Yeah, agree. I wish GMTM had gotten someone like Stempniak to run on that top line so Foligno could be with Eichel and Okposo, then bump Moulson down to 4th line next to Girgs and Carrier and we'd be cooking. He probably expected Ennis to be that guy however. 

[Mustache of God]

Do those lines actually make sense for once? I don't believe it!

 

Only issue is long term we need to find a better RW for the ROR line than Foligno. I don't think he has it in him.

 

Foligno is at least an upgrade over Carrier on that line. I haven't had the luxury of being able to watch most of the games this year (mostly listen on the WGR app) so I can't speak to Carrier's "jam", but he has 2 points in 20 games this year...how many of those have been on the top line? If you're playing top line minutes you should be putting up something on the score sheet.

 

In an ideal situation Ennis should be slotted in there but who knows if he'll ever return to form?

[That Aud Smell]

Do those lines actually make sense for once? I don't believe it!

 

Only issue is long term we need to find a better RW for the ROR line than Foligno. I don't think he has it in him.

 

sorry to be pedantic: but it's a LW that's needed there, yeah? speaking of needing LWs - moulson with eichel is certainly sub-optimal.

 

git is an openend source project for sharing code. Any command for git starts with 'git ---'

 

git fetch essentially means retrieve all the most recent stuff available

 

So, you wanted to git some ;)

 

copy that.

Foligno is at least an upgrade over Carrier on that line. I haven't had the luxury of being able to watch most of the games this year (mostly listen on the WGR app) so I can't speak to Carrier's "jam", but he has 2 points in 20 games this year...how many of those have been on the top line? If you're playing top line minutes you should be putting up something on the score sheet.

 

In an ideal situation Ennis should be slotted in there but who knows if he'll ever return to form?

 

I hold out hope for Carrier, but it's looking like he projects into the bottom 6, possibly a middle 6 role.

[LTS]

Cuz today it's actually relevant.

 

There's a relation based on the team but I wouldn't say it's relevant to the game.

 

Yeah, agree. I wish GMTM had gotten someone like Stempniak to run on that top line so Foligno could be with Eichel and Okposo, then bump Moulson down to 4th line next to Girgs and Carrier and we'd be cooking. He probably expected Ennis to be that guy however. 

 

Here's what I would hope to see... have Foligno be your primary forechecker so that ROR can be the 2F and use his incredible stick work to gain possession.  ROR is not a body banger, he's just hell on wheels when it comes to keeping the puck.

 

We'll obviously want Moulson to find the soft area for a Jack pass, assuming Jack doesn't shoot.,  Okposo provides the board play and is the guy who needs to gain possession once they are in the zone.  He's good at it. I don't think Eichel had that guy last year.  So either Eichel carries it in or Okposo retrieves.

 

I am definitely curious to see how this works out.

[Mustache of God]

sorry to be pedantic: but it's a LW that's needed there, yeah? speaking of needing LWs - moulson with eichel is certainly sub-optimal.

 

 

copy that.

 

I hold out hope for Carrier, but it's looking like he projects into the bottom 6, possibly a middle 6 role.

 

Carrier has only played 20 NHL games, he's still got a lot of development to get through and will have a place on this team. At this current time, it's been driving me nuts seeing him on the top line and with no pay-off on the score sheet.

[Samson's Flow]

sorry to be pedantic: but it's a LW that's needed there, yeah? speaking of needing LWs - moulson with eichel is certainly sub-optimal.

 

 

copy that.

 

I hold out hope for Carrier, but it's looking like he projects into the bottom 6, possibly a middle 6 role.

Looks like I will have to re-take Kindergarten after all :doh: