GDT - January 28th, 2020 - Senators @ Sabres, 7 PM ET (WGR/MSG/NHL Network)

[WildCard]

The one bright spot about this offseason is the amount of turnover we should have. So many players are headed to FA

[LGR4GM]

#Sabres general manager Jason Botterill joins

@TheInstigators

right now on @WGR550

Brayton J. Wilson

@BJWilsonWGR 51m

Botterill - Mittelstadt certainly can play in the NHL. We have high expectations for him, and he has high expectations in himself. Chris Taylor knows exactly what he needs to see him Mittelstadt in Rochester, and we’ve been happy with his development down in Rochester. #Sabres

 

Botterill - Our mission tonight will be to win against Ottawa. That’s our mindset. Our team focus is what’s the next game up. They’ve kept things small, and Ralph Krueger has done a great job with the group with that. #Sabres

 

Botterill - We’re continuing to have dialogue around the league. We’re happy with what Michael Frolik has brought to the lineup, and we’re looking forward to getting Jeff Skinner back tonight as well. #Sabres

 

Botterill - Lawrence Pilut has accomplished what we wanted him to accomplish in the AHL, and that’s a huge reason why he’s up here right now. #Sabres

 

Botterill on Sam Reinhart - He’s represented by Newport Sports, we have a few clients of players who are represented by Newport. The dialogue with Newport will always continue, but we believe that we want him to continue to have a strong year and focus on his play. #Sabres

 

Botterill - Right now with some of the players that we have on LTIR, we have the ability to go above the cap and stay compliant. (1/2) #Sabres

 

Botterill - We have players that are eligible for performance bonuses, which could come out of the cap next year. We want to have as much flexibility with the cap as possible moving forward. (2/2) #Sabres

Edited January 28, 2020 by LGR4GM

[CallawaySabres]

They might lose every game after tonight but there in no way, and I mean NO WAY Buffalo loses tonight. This is going to be a win by a margin of at least 3 goals.

[WildCard]

Botterill saying a whole bunch of nothing per usual

[Brawndo]

Ullmark in net

Bogo and ERod are out per Krueger 

 

[dudacek]

Crossroads Sabrefans. 49 games in and still uncertain where we are heading.

I need the next 33 games to be like 2004, when they finished 18-13-2 on their way to an 85-point season.

All I realistically wanted from this year was something to show us that this team is on the way up.

Heroic run to 9th given where we're coming from? Sign me up.

5 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

Ullmark in net

Bogo and ERod are out per Krueger 

 

Good. Go with the guys that want to be here.

[GASabresIUFAN]

5 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Crossroads Sabrefans. 49 games in and still uncertain where we are heading.

I need the next 33 games to be like 2004, when they finished 18-13-2 on their way to an 85-point season.

All I realistically wanted from this year was something to show us that this team is on the way up.

Heroic run to 9th given where we're coming from? Sign me up.

Good. Go with the guys that want to be here.

Or we could pull a 2010-11 and go 20-8-5 get to 96 pts and make the playoffs!  We’ll need an upgrade in backup goaltending (Enroth went 7-0-1 down the stretch) and a 2C, but it is possible.

Baring injury, do Bogo and Erod ever play for us again?

Edited January 28, 2020 by GASabresIUFAN

[That Aud Smell]

Let's go, Buffalo.

Do I rightly recall that Ottawa was playing much better during the run-up to the All-Star break?

[Randall Flagg]

11 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Crossroads Sabrefans. 49 games in and still uncertain where we are heading.

I need the next 33 games to be like 2004, when they finished 18-13-2 on their way to an 85-point season.

All I realistically wanted from this year was something to show us that this team is on the way up.

Heroic run to 9th given where we're coming from? Sign me up.

Good. Go with the guys that want to be here.

Who also coincidentally aren't the guys having their worst seasons as Sabres 

1 minute ago, That Aud Smell said:

Let's go, Buffalo.

Do I rightly recall that Ottawa was playing much better during the run-up to the All-Star break?

You do not. 

They are 1-6-5 since beating us the game before Christmas.

[WildCard]

Bogosian's been through something like 4-5 coaches and he's been the same player every time. Dude just stinks

[Zamboni]

Optimistic time ...

 

4 - 2 Sabres.

Skinner, Reinhart, or Joker with a goal

[DarthEbriate]

I think Eichel is getting used to his annual All-Star appearances and will look solid if not spectacular tonight (but not tired or unrested). Skinner plays well and gets 2 points.

[Brawndo]

59 minutes ago, darksabre said:

I'd certainly like Kase but I think if I'm Anaheim and I'm looking at a rebuild, Kase is a contract I'd rather have than not have.

We have Insiders saying that the Kase for Faulk Deal was done if Faulk was willing to go Anaheim.

Faulk would have been a rental as he was in the was scheduled to be an UFA. 

Risto might have improved to the point where with three years left on his deal Anaheim might be interested. 
 

Or does another D Man, a prospect (Asplund or  Davidson perhaps) and a pick get it done?

[woods-racer]

43 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

Who also coincidentally aren't the guys having their worst seasons as Sabres 

You do not. 

They are 1-6-5 since beating us the game before Christmas.

Their record is not a reflection of the *better*.

They where playing a much gritter heavy game and look good in those games.

If the Sabers don't jump on them early and squash their hopes it will be a long night.

[Randall Flagg]

10 minutes ago, woods-racer said:

Their record is not a reflection of the *better*.

They where playing a much gritter heavy game and look good in those games.

If the Sabers don't jump on them early and squash their hopes it will be a long night.

No disrespect but I'm a little skeptical you/any Sabres fan watched a meaningful amount of those games, which include a bunch of losses in which they allowed 5-6 goals to every good team they played, while losing the narrow games to trash heaps like Detroit and NJ(twice) 

So I don't really trust the claim that they looked good in those games 

Which is different from saying that Ottawa can beat us tonight if we don't play well, which I certainly agree with
 

[Taro T]

The Otters have been hot death on the road and are coming off an OT game last night at home.

The Sabres have been meh at best after long breaks.

Something has to give.  Sabres start slow, but Ullmark keeps it together.  They end up running away with it.  5-2 Sabres.

[jad1]

1 hour ago, Brawndo said:

 

Another Sabres coach taking that 'kick at the can' of putting Girgensons on the top line.  It's freakin' exhausting.

[Randall Flagg]

Just now, jad1 said:

Another Sabres coach taking that 'kick at the can' of putting Girgensons on the top line.  It's freakin' exhausting.

He's just doing that because he identified the important parts of his roster skeleton (a second line with at least two decent-to-good offensive players on it) that he wants to keep intact even through injuries. It's not about giving Zemgus a chance at the top line, it's about keeping two lines that can produce together, and honestly Zemgus is a much safer choice for that spot than most of our other forwards while we wait for Olofsson to get better. And Eichel is historically fine offensively with Zemgus as his LW, so as a stopgap it's not a bad thing. Though I'd keep alternating Vesey in there every once in a while
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I confess to not paying as close attention to games as I used to, but I still get confused about Colin Miller's treatment just based on what I see when he plays. Like, if I was running a franchise on NHL 20 and watching these games, he'd have been healthy scratched zero times this year, along with Dahlin, Risto, Joki, and Montour (and Scandella before he got traded). I haven't seen any stretches of hockey from Colin significantly worse than the bad stretches these guys and any other decent NHL defensemen go through. But Ralph is now the second coach to have him as a healthy scratch, and Ralph does it pretty often. I'm deferring to Ralph on this one because he has generally earned my trust to this point, I'm just wondering what I'm missing about Colin Miller's game. Sometimes he takes ill-advised shots while passing up a better passing decision but again you can find tics like that for any player 

[Doohicksie]

2 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

#Sabres general manager Jason Botterill joins

@TheInstigators

right now on @WGR550

Brayton J. Wilson

@BJWilsonWGR 51m

Botterill - Mittelstadt certainly can play in the NHL. We have high expectations for him, and he has high expectations in himself. Chris Taylor knows exactly what he needs to see him Mittelstadt in Rochester, and we’ve been happy with his development down in Rochester. #Sabres

 

Botterill - Our mission tonight will be to win against Ottawa. That’s our mindset. Our team focus is what’s the next game up. They’ve kept things small, and Ralph Krueger has done a great job with the group with that. #Sabres

 

Botterill - We’re continuing to have dialogue around the league. We’re happy with what Michael Frolik has brought to the lineup, and we’re looking forward to getting Jeff Skinner back tonight as well. #Sabres

 

Botterill - Lawrence Pilut has accomplished what we wanted him to accomplish in the AHL, and that’s a huge reason why he’s up here right now. #Sabres

 

Botterill on Sam Reinhart - He’s represented by Newport Sports, we have a few clients of players who are represented by Newport. The dialogue with Newport will always continue, but we believe that we want him to continue to have a strong year and focus on his play. #Sabres

 

Botterill - Right now with some of the players that we have on LTIR, we have the ability to go above the cap and stay compliant. (1/2) #Sabres

 

Botterill - We have players that are eligible for performance bonuses, which could come out of the cap next year. We want to have as much flexibility with the cap as possible moving forward. (2/2) #Sabres

Thus spake the Minister of Information.

[Doohicksie]

1 hour ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Baring injury, do Bogo and Erod ever play for us again?

[Stoner]

2 hours ago, WildCard said:

The one bright spot about this offseason is the amount of turnover we should have. So many players are headed to FA

Didn't Jason turn over half the roster his first two offseasons, and then do more roster surgery this past summer? And here we are.

2 hours ago, WildCard said:

Botterill saying a whole bunch of nothing per usual

And saying it so very well!

1 hour ago, That Aud Smell said:

Let's go, Buffalo.

Do I rightly recall that Ottawa was playing much better during the run-up to the All-Star break?

Of course they were. As has every team they're about to play. They're all good. I fight mightily against this idea the Sabres should win most of these games. These other teams are in playoff fights, fights for the future and so on. And the Sabres aren't very good either, ya know. Nine games? You're not a Sabres fan if you don't know in your heart of hearts 4-3-2 is on the way.

[Randall Flagg]

23 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

Didn't Jason turn over half the roster his first two offseasons, and then do more roster surgery this past summer? And here we are.

And saying it so very well!

Of course they were. As has every team they're about to play. They're all good. I fight mightily against this idea the Sabres should win most of these games. These other teams are in playoff fights, fights for the future and so on. And the Sabres aren't very good either, ya know. Nine games? You're not a Sabres fan if you don't know in your heart of hearts 4-3-2 is on the way.

I would be pleasantly surprised if we went 4-3-2. This would represent a slight uptick in our points percentage relative to our first 50 games, which ultimately determines the final standings. 

 Agreed with the first point, though an astounding fact to consider is that all but one skater that was with us for our stunning collapse last season was still in the organization up to the Scandella trade. 

[dudacek]

1 hour ago, Randall Flagg said:

He's just doing that because he identified the important parts of his roster skeleton (a second line with at least two decent-to-good offensive players on it) that he wants to keep intact even through injuries. It's not about giving Zemgus a chance at the top line, it's about keeping two lines that can produce together, and honestly Zemgus is a much safer choice for that spot than most of our other forwards while we wait for Olofsson to get better. And Eichel is historically fine offensively with Zemgus as his LW, so as a stopgap it's not a bad thing. Though I'd keep alternating Vesey in there every once in a while
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I confess to not paying as close attention to games as I used to, but I still get confused about Colin Miller's treatment just based on what I see when he plays. Like, if I was running a franchise on NHL 20 and watching these games, he'd have been healthy scratched zero times this year, along with Dahlin, Risto, Joki, and Montour (and Scandella before he got traded). I haven't seen any stretches of hockey from Colin significantly worse than the bad stretches these guys and any other decent NHL defensemen go through. But Ralph is now the second coach to have him as a healthy scratch, and Ralph does it pretty often. I'm deferring to Ralph on this one because he has generally earned my trust to this point, I'm just wondering what I'm missing about Colin Miller's game. Sometimes he takes ill-advised shots while passing up a better passing decision but again you can find tics like that for any player 

I pin the Colin Miller situation primarily to a collision between Jason Botterill's roster construction and Ralph Krueger's lineup philosophy.

Miller is very good in the Jason Woolley role, meaning an offensively oriented 4/5 who gets his minutes on the PP and in offensive situations and against weaker opposition. Unfortunately for him, Rasmus Dahlin is even better in that role and is the one getting the call in those situations.

Montour can do everything Miller can, and is a better all-around player. Jokiharju isn't as good offensively but is also a better all-round player. And Risto brings as much offence, plus size and snarl. That effectively rounds out the top four. And then there's Pilut, whose skillset mirrors Miller's.

Krueger subscribes to the theory of using the bottom slots in his roster for situational players. And when he looks at the above six and asks himself what is missing, it isn't the offence and skating Miller provides, it's leadership, sandpaper and penalty killing. And that's why he likes to include McCabe and/or Bogosian in the mix over Colin.

It's not that Miller isn't a decent player, or that he's playing horribly, it's just that essentially, in Krueger's view of a balanced defence, he is often redundant.

Now personally, I think Bogosian's play and whining outweighs the above, but I can understand where Krueger is coming from.

Edited January 28, 2020 by dudacek

[Stoner]

20 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

I would be pleasantly surprised if we went 4-3-2. This would represent a slight uptick in our points percentage relative to our first 50 games, which ultimately determines the final standings. 

 Agreed with the first point, though an astounding fact to consider is that all but one skater that was with us for our stunning collapse last season was still in the organization up to the Scandella trade. 

But 4-3-2 would all but officially eliminate them from the playoffs. They'd have to run up 35 points in the final 24 games to get to the magical (and fictional) 96-point requirement to make the playoffs. That's a 119-point regular season pace. (I know that I'm ignoring a road game that breaks up the homestand.)

[Randall Flagg]

2 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

But 4-3-2 would all but officially eliminate them from the playoffs. They'd have to run up 35 points in the final 24 games to get to the magical (and fictional) 96-point requirement to make the playoffs. That's a 119-point regular season pace. (I know that I'm ignoring a road game that breaks up the homestand.)

I can see this symbolically, I guess my feelings on our playoff chances just haven't been moved by this team even an inch since August