GDT Ottawa Senators vs Buffalo Sabres 7:30pm ET 11/1/18

[Andrew Amerk]

Sorry, @jsb but you’ve lost 2 in a row and I’m 1-0 this season. 

The two teams with the worst records in the NHL’s Eastern Conference last season will meet in a home-and-home series that starts Thursday night at Canadian Tire Centre.

One is showing signs of struggling again and the other is making a move toward respectability.

The Buffalo Sabres (6-4-2) will be coming off their best October in seven years when they visit the Ottawa Senators (4-5-2) in the first game of a back-to-back set that concludes Saturday afternoon in Buffalo.

The Sabres — who finished in the conference cellar, five points back of the Senators in 2017-18 — have gone five games without a regulation-time loss.

“I think if you asked me if we were 6-4-2 after the month of October, we’d be pretty happy with that and where we sit right now,” second-year coach Phil Housley told The Buffalo News after Wednesday’s practice. 

“In saying that, you always want more … but when you look over the body of work, I really like the way we played, maybe since the game in San Jose (Oct. 18, the last time they didn’t pick up at least a point).

“Even though it was a lopsided (5-1) loss, I liked the way we played five-on-five. If you’re asking me if I had to evaluate October, I think we’ve met our expectation moving forward, but we can’t rest on our laurels. We’re playing some tough teams coming up here.”

The Senators have not fallen into that category of late. They are coming off a three-game road trip to Colorado, Vegas and Arizona. They were outscored 15-7 and saw their losing streak extend to four games. 

Particularly irksome to coach Guy Boucher was the first period at Arizona on Tuesday. Goalie Mike Condon was the scapegoat, after giving up three goals on 11 shots that included a floater from the far blue line, and he was placed on waivers the next morning.

But Boucher made it clear he was not happy with the team as a whole.

“We (had not) seen that in the exhibition games, we (had not) seen that in the first 10 games,” Boucher told Postmedia. “I’m not a big fan of wasting a period.”

With Condon expected to clear waivers and get demoted to the minors, the Senators will be relying on 37-year-old goalie Craig Anderson, who has already played in eight straight games. Needed is someone capable to give him a break, with 15 games on Ottawa’s November schedule and seven back-to-backs before the end of December.

The Sabres also have 15 November games and, like the Senators, start the month with three in four days.

“I think we believe we have a pretty good team here,” winger Jeff Skinner, who leads the Sabres with six goals, told The Buffalo News. “We want to try to work towards getting points every night. That’s the goal. When you go to a game and you have a chance to win and get two points, for us, that’s what we focus on.”

 

Expected lines:

Skinner-Eichel-Pominville

Sheary-Sobotka-Okposo

Elie-Mittelstadt-Reinhart

Berglund-Larsson-Girgensons

McCabe-Ristolainen

Scandella-Bogosian

Dahlin-Nelson

 

Remember GDT rules:

1.  No acne jokes
2. No telling Mr. Flagg to STF..... you know the rest
3. Logo hate was grandfathered into the rules so that's ok
4. Please look for previous made GDT's before posting yours 
5. Must Win
6. Please do not quote an entire obnoxiously long post (such as this)
7. Please start a new thread if you want to cry some more about ROR trade
8. LETS GO BUFFALO

Edited November 1, 2018 by Andrew Amerk

[inkman]

Due to insomnia (shout out to 11), this is the first GDT OP I've actually completely read. 

[Huckleberry]

guess I'll watch this one, we moved to winter hour, have to take advantage while I still can.  

[SABRES 0311]

3 hours ago, inkman said:

Due to insomnia (shout out to 11), this is the first GDT OP I've actually completely read. 

Crazy, I read the whole thing too. Minus the article but I read it separately. Nice GDT.

[MODO Hockey]

 

[French Collection]

Let's Go!

[hsif]

I don't get it..... no ERod?

[SabresBaltimore]

While I'm never going to root for the Sabres to lose, I'm paranoid about streaks, especially for home and homes. So selfishly since I'm driving up to Buffalo tomorrow for the game Saturday..if the Sabres HAVE to lose one..let it be this one so they can win Saturday.

 

Really though, I hope they win both of course. But they need to put up some more offense than they did on Tuesday against Calgary. With Ottawa reeling from their road trip, hopefully they can take advantage.

We also need to get better at 3 on 3 in case we head to overtime again. We haven't looked good in overtime so far this season.

[TheAud]

1 hour ago, hsif said:

I don't get it..... no ERod?

It's inexplicable.

[jsb]

6 hours ago, inkman said:

Due to insomnia (shout out to 11), this is the first GDT OP I've actually completely read. 

Well isn't that special, that still won't stop me from researching my copyright infringement rights in this matter though.

[Hoss]

Ottawa has been better than most expected.

That said, 6-2 good guys.

[SABRES 0311]

Maybe they put Condon in so Girgs can score.

Edited November 1, 2018 by RambosKnife

[That Aud Smell]

I love that Pominville's in for his 1000th game at the site of his greatest moment as a pro -- also one of the franchise's greatest moments ever (and my personal favourite).

Let's Go, Buffalo!

[WildCard]

37 minutes ago, Hoss said:

Ottawa has been better than most expected.

That said, 6-2 good guys.

I think it ends up like the Montreal game. We out-chance and dominate but it's still close because of a couple of flukey goals from the back end

[WildCard]

Why is our logo introverted by the way?

[SwampD]

Just now, WildCard said:

Why is our logo introverted by the way?

Childhood trauma.

[LGR4GM]

It's the Buffalo Sabres vs. Ottawa Senators to be nitpicky. 

 

Also Pommer's 1000th game against Ottawa is kinda fun. 

 

[darksabre]

36 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

I love that Pominville's in for his 1000th game at the site of his greatest moment as a pro -- also one of the franchise's greatest moments ever (and my personal favourite).

Let's Go, Buffalo!

Ordinarily this is the kind of game where I would expect us to get trounced. Ottawa has lost 4 straight and we're the team that teams love to bust slumps against.

That said, I think Pommers 1000th game makes this special. And I think the guys respect and like Jason, and will come to play for him tonight. 

[Doohicksie]

3 hours ago, hsif said:

I don't get it..... no ERod?

See the Halloween lines thread.  We don't get it either, other than my theory is ERod has a VOTE MCMURRAY sticker on his car.

[Doohicksie]

Sabres-Otters games are always good games to watch.  I think we're gonna hit the gas and not let up.  I think 6-2 mentioned above is about right.

[LTS]

2 hours ago, Sakman said:

It's inexplicable.

Or it just hasn't been explained...

It will be good to see Pominville play in his 1,000th game.  I love when players reach milestones like this. 

I'll be in Kingston over the weekend for a tournament so not sure I'll get to see the game on Saturday... at least i get to see this one.

[Wyldnwoody44]

I know it's the wrong thread, but I wanna go Saturday for that Ottawa game, is it worth it to go looking for scalpers, or buy stub hub, or anyone here have a good deal on seats. It's not a steal like years past online because we don't suck as bad. 

 

Also I always want to beat Ottawa, like Toronto, let's crush these F**ks

[North Buffalo]

Let’s Go Buffalo!

[Sabres Fan in NS]

MUST WIN!!

And I think they will.

Will it be The Hutter, or Ullie??????

GO SABRES!!

 

[SABRES 0311]

1 hour ago, WildCard said:

Why is our logo introverted by the way?

I think  you mean inverted where as introverted is a personality type. Unless the logo is afraid of interacting with humans.