GDT: Buffalo Sabres vs Arizona Coyotes 8:30pm EST in Glendale Az.

[jsb]

After nothing short of a catastrophic Avalanche loss, the Buffalo Sabres take on the Arizona Coyotes tonight to complete their 2 game road trip against what appears to be a fellow sibling or weak sister of the league. It appears the NHL refs yesterday took to the occasion by allowing play to look like a rodeo event by allowing what appeared to be steer wrestling, calf roping and bull riding in the final minutes of play. There had to be a boycott called on interference calls yesterday also. The Sabres also blew a golden opportunity with losses by the Maple Loafs, Flyers, Devils and Islanders yesterday to move closer in the standings. 

 

Does that loss assure us of GMTM being a seller at the trade deadline??? Besides Jack, Samson, ROR, Okposo and Risto is everyone else up for grabs??? Has Gorges completed an up ice pass this entire year??? The first Avs goal was started by Samson all alone at the Red line and Gorges misses him by 6 yards which causes a counter attack and they immediately score. Was that the worst pass we've seen since Ryan Fitzpatrick left these parts??? Is my avatar about to change??? These are the serious questions being asked by the Sabres faithful. 

 

The Coyotes are celebrating their 20th anniversary in Arizona this season. Former Sabres Jamie McGinn is having an off season this year having scored just 14 points so far and recently having his minutes cut. He has scored just 2 goals in the past 27 games. OE-Larsson has 33 points but is in +/- hell with a -21 for the year. They appear to be a mess by having the 2nd fewest points in the league but they are 5-4-1 in their last 10 games. 

 

Does Lehner get the back to back again??? It didn't help yesterday for Risto-Kane-Jack and Samson to be a combined -13 in +/- yesterday led by Samson at a -4. Bailey took the team lead in +/- yesterday with a +1 and is now +6 for the year. Bogosian with approximately 20 minutes TOI also was a +1. Bailey to this eye has earned a spot on the team with his recent play. 

 

LETS GO BUFFALO

 

ESPN Preview:

 

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The Buffalo Sabres' two-game trip through Colorado and Arizona could decide whether they are buyers or sellers at the NHL's March 1 trade deadline. After Saturday's 5-3 loss to the Avalanche, the NHL's worst team, the Sabres are trending in the wrong direction.

Buffalo is the latest team to emerge from its five-day break with a loss, continuing an NHL trend that has seen teams go 6-13-4 in their first game after the break. The Sabres are six points off the Eastern Conference playoff pace, they trail five teams for that spot and they still must play Columbus three times and Pittsburgh twice in their last 20 games. Those teams boast the league's fifth- and third-best records, respectively.

"We only have 21 games left now," coach Dan Bylsma told NHL.com ahead of Sunday's game in Arizona. "We know we have to win 15 of them to get to a mark where we might be in the playoffs."

Center Jack Eichel missed 21 games to start the season with a high ankle sprain and the Sabres have been trying to make up ground ever since that 7-9-5 start. Since Eichel returned, Buffalo is 19-16-5 and the biggest difference is offense, with Eichel contributing 34 points in 40 games for a team-best 0.85 points per game.

In 18 of Buffalo's first 36 games (not counting shootout goals), they scored one or zero goals. Since the New Year, they have been held to one or fewer goals just three times in 25 games.

Bylsma knows the task at hand is still tall. Buffalo doesn't have any games in hand with the teams it is chasing.

"Any points (for other teams) are bad at this point in time," said Bylsma, whose team is in the midst of three games in four nights. "There were going to be teams that picked up points and that's the case. Now we have an opportunity.

"That's just the challenge for us coming off the break where we have to be on our best."

The Coyotes had been playing well until a disastrous road trip through Chicago and Dallas in which they allowed 11 goals in back-to-back losses. Overall, Arizona is 8-6-1 in its last 15 games, but it has dropped three of its last four.

"Too many turnovers," coach Dave Tippett said. "We just don't execute well enough to give ourselves a chance. That's the frustrating part for me."

 

Arizona goalie Mike Smith (illness) missed Friday's loss in Dallas but felt well enough on Saturday that the team re-assigned goalie Adin Hill to Tucson of the AHL. Hill had been recalled on an emergency basis on Friday. If Smith can't start, Louis Domingue will play his second straight game with Smith backing up. On the injury front, center Brad Richardson (broken right tibia and fibula) is on injured reserve.

Sabres center Zemgus Girgensons benefitted from the bye week. He probably would have missed a couple more games had the team continued playing last week, but he returned on Saturday from a mysterious injury suffered Feb. 6 at New Jersey that he and the team only identified as a "mid-body" ailment. Right winger Sam Reinhart also returned for the Sabres after missing two games with the flu.

Buffalo center Johan Larsson (wrist) is out for the season. Right winger William Carrier (knee) is day to day. The Sabres recalled right winger Justin Bailey and left winger Evan Rodrigues from Rochester of the AHL on Friday. The Sabres are likely to ride goalie Robin Lehner in back-to-back games this weekend, given their importance and the fact that he is well rested off the bye week.

 

[Randall Flagg]

????

[CallawaySabres]

4 points from a top 3 pick and other teams have games in hand.....If Lehner starts tonight, guaranteed loss. The team looks improved recently so just hoping for a better start next year.

Edited February 26, 2017 by CallawaySabres

[LTS]

Wearing my Coyotes sweater tonight.

 

Can't hurt right?

 

I didn't really see last nights game but given that most teams lose coming off their bye week it was no surprise.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

'Hair of the dog' time.

 

Just win, baby.

 

Take out your frustrations on these hounds from the desert.

 

9:30 PM game time ... on a Sunday ... oh, well.

 

GO SABRES!!

[bunomatic]

Too much going on in t.v. land tonight to waste a couple hours on this game. That and hometown hockey in the park down the street from my house with Ron Maclean willie Mitchell, Kirk Maclean and a few others plus fireworks ,zipline etc. To much to choose from that might bring happy thoughts as opposed to watching my team. Still hopin they win so GO SABRES but they'll have to take a backseat to life today. Enjoy the game peeps.

[Jsixspd]

Why does Bylsma keep incessantly playing Lehner, especially during that one game intensive stretch before the bye?  Shouldn't Nilsson start at least 1 out of 4 games to save Lehner for post season hopes?   Nilsson hasn't played in 3 weeks.  He has a .922 SVG% - it's not like they're starting a scrub like Patrick Lalime.  Shouldn't Lehner get some relief?  

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Why does Bylsma keep incessantly playing Lehner, especially during that one game intensive stretch before the bye?  Shouldn't Nilsson start at least 1 out of 4 games to save Lehner for post season hopes?   Nilsson hasn't played in 3 weeks.  He has a .922 SVG% - it's not like they're starting a scrub like Patrick Lalime.  Shouldn't Lehner get some relief?  

 

#blueprint

[Scottysabres]

Ok Tim, you know what to do......

[Randall Flagg]

Looks like Zona puts in Domingue, so we're probably going to win

I'm not sure how much longer I want to see the 90/21 pairing. They haven't shown me anything special recently. 4 combined points at even strength in the past 10 games.

 

We're gonna go through Jack's entire ELC without seeing him play with ROR at even strength for any meaningful/significant time.

[Taro T]

Looks like Zona puts in Domingue, so we're probably going to win

I'm not sure how much longer I want to see the 90/21 pairing. They haven't shown me anything special recently. 4 combined points at even strength in the past 10 games.

 

We're gonna go through Jack's entire ELC without seeing him play with ROR at even strength for any meaningful/significant time.

Only if Bylsma is the coach that whole time. :unsure:

 

Oh. :censored:

 

:lol: (Only 2 choices are laughing or crying. NS would be very displeased if we started kicking cats, which is the only other realustic option in our situation. ;))

[Sabres Fan in NS]

:w00t:

[I-90 W]

I really would have liked to have seen more of a passionate response from DB last night after that loss. Not necessarily a Tortorella blow up but a little bit of urgency would be nice.

[Brawndo]

Ullmark called up

[Mig22]

Ullmark called up

bye bye Nilsson.  And who else?  For what?  

[inkman]

bye bye Nilsson. And who else? For what?

Bag of pucks

[Brawndo]

Nilsson in net tonight.

 

Lehner out, took some head shots yesterday. Could he have lingering effects?

[PromoTheRobot]

Ok Tim, you know what to do......

 

Drive for 85.

[pi2000]

My source tells me Ullmark called up because Lehner is not able to go.

[inkman]

My source tells me Ullmark called up because Lehner is not able to go.

Remarkable insight

[Rasmus_]

I got a really good price on seats.  I'm heading down after work in Phoenix.  

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Remarkable insight

 

:w00t:

 

Oh, boy.  The natives are restless tonight.

[PromoTheRobot]

I got a really good price on seats.  I'm heading down after work in Phoenix.  

Sadly prices are even lower for the Yotes in Buffalo.

[woods-racer]

That jsb has got game!

 

Very nice intro for a GDT!

 

I expect some feisty-ness tonight. They got embarrassed last night.

Time to come out swinging.

No matter how many well mannered X's and complicated O's are some what sturnly, and with a slightly raised tone, their head coach might mumble their way.

[inkman]

That jsb has got game!

 

Very nice intro for a GDT!

 

I expect some feisty-ness tonight. They got embarrassed last night.

Time to come out swinging.

No matter how many well mannered X's and complicated O's are some what sturnly, and with a slightly raised tone, their head coach might mumble their way.

I expect an emotionless passive game in the mold of their coach