Are the Sabres out of the running for the playoffs?

[Taro T]

1 hour ago, dudacek said:

Jeff Marek had an interesting observation on our goalies.

Starts since Comrie went down

• UPL: @was, @Bos, @Veg @Col, @Pit, @tor, Det, SJ, Cbs, Col, TB, Stl
• Anderson: @Det, @ari @Ott, @Mon, LA, Pit, NJ

Donnie has deployed Upie like a full-fledged #1: a majority of the games and virtually all the tough ones.

He absolutely has, and the big question becomes are they going to go to a 50/50 platoon between UPL & Comrie or will UPL still get the lion's share while he has the hot hand w/ Comrie getting the games Anderson has been getting?

Expecting it'll be 50/50 until the AS break & then they'll go to riding the hot hand.

Not expecting to see much of Anderson after Comrie is back.

[matter2003]

28 minutes ago, Taro T said:

He absolutely has, and the big question becomes are they going to go to a 50/50 platoon between UPL & Comrie or will UPL still get the lion's share while he has the hot hand w/ Comrie getting the games Anderson has been getting?

Expecting it'll be 50/50 until the AS break & then they'll go to riding the hot hand.

Not expecting to see much of Anderson after Comrie is back.

Why? Anderson has been better than either of them. 

I damn sure don't want to go back to seeing Comrie allowing 1-2 softies leading to 5+ goals allowed night in and night out again.

[Wyldnwoody44]

Man, how much easier this would seem if we didn't have an 8 game losing streak, or at least have had some OTL points in there. 

[dudacek]

27 minutes ago, Taro T said:

He absolutely has, and the big question becomes are they going to go to a 50/50 platoon between UPL & Comrie or will UPL still get the lion's share while he has the hot hand w/ Comrie getting the games Anderson has been getting?

Expecting it'll be 50/50 until the AS break & then they'll go to riding the hot hand.

Not expecting to see much of Anderson after Comrie is back.

The plan seems to have always been Anderson as a mentor and someone to hold the fort while we transition to next year’s Comrie/UPL battery.

Unless Comrie outplays UPL enough to grab 2/3s of the starts, meaning UPL goes down to get playing time, I suspect you’re right.

Remember, we’re only a few months from adding Levi into the picture.

Im sure Anderson signed being fully aware of the plan.

[dudacek]

4 minutes ago, matter2003 said:

Why? Anderson has been better than either of them. 

I damn sure don't want to go back to seeing Comrie allowing 1-2 softies leading to 5+ goals allowed night in and night out again.

Anderson has put up his numbers playing once a week against weaker teams.

He will get action if one of the others falters, but the plan was pretty clear and the future may have arrived.

[Taro T]

8 minutes ago, matter2003 said:

Why? Anderson has been better than either of them. 

I damn sure don't want to go back to seeing Comrie allowing 1-2 softies leading to 5+ goals allowed night in and night out again.

Why?

1 minute ago, dudacek said:

Anderson has put up his numbers playing once a week against weaker teams.

He will get action if one of the others falters, but the plan was pretty clear and the future may have arrived.

What he said.

 

[Sabres Fan in NS]

No.

[Taro T]

And though those that look at numbers without any context might expect Comrie to be an afterthought at this point, the Sabres don't see him that way.

The day Comrie was doing the butterfly in his limited practice, he was one of 2 Sabres (the other being Powrr) taking Q's at a STH Q&A.  That was only ~3 weeks ago.  You don't put somebody you're pushing to the side into that role.

[Stoner]

When Comrie gets back and only then will the Sabres get back on a push to the playoffs.

Get well soon!

[Mango]

3 hours ago, Doohickie said:

If only we had adequate goaltending.....

 

RIP Comrie who did not have a good night last night.*

(*I didn't watch. Purely box score)

[matter2003]

1 hour ago, dudacek said:

Anderson has put up his numbers playing once a week against weaker teams.

He will get action if one of the others falters, but the plan was pretty clear and the future may have arrived.

Comrie was allowing bad goals...not legit goals...goals you were like...huh?  Goals you'd be yelling at your goalie in a beer hockey league for letting go in, that shouldn't be a goal at the NHL level. Ever.

42 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

When Comrie gets back and only then will the Sabres get back on a push to the playoffs.

Get well soon!

So the Sabres are forced to score 6 goals a night every game if they want to have any hope of winning?  No thanks...I was big supporter for him coming here, but he can stay in Rochester or get waived for all I care right now.

Edited January 5, 2023 by matter2003

[PerreaultForever]

Hey, Pittsburgh seems to be in free fall so we're now only 6 points out with 4 games in hand (on the NYI) for the last wildcard. 

[North Buffalo]

4 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

Hey, Pittsburgh seems to be in free fall so we're now only 6 points out with 4 games in hand (on the NYI) for the last wildcard. 

Isle arent doing much better

[PerreaultForever]

8 hours ago, North Buffalo said:

Isle arent doing much better

They're kind of win one lose one but a little less streaky. It'll be fun to think that when we play them it'll actually be an important meaningful game. 

[bob_sauve28]

 

[dudacek]

Just keeping winning.

Someone will be the team that falls by the wayside. Make sure it's not us.

Speaking of that, New Jersey has basically fallen back to the pack, which I did not expect. They are right there with the Rangers and Caps.

Toronto, Boston, Carolina in, Flyer's Bluejackets, Habs out.

Nine teams still in the race. A few more likely to be in or out by the end of the month.

[LGR4GM]

Just win. 

[FrenchConnection44]

Seems like nonsense to favor Comrie and UPL over Anderson. 
 

Anderson is our best goalie. But he is 41 so he needs rest to stay fresh. I think we start to use him more down the stretch. And if we are in the playoffs. 
 

I think UPL is better than Comrie at this point - if we look at how he’s played of late and how Comrie played recently prior to his injury. UPL has more upside. 
 

Hopefully we can win these two home games. Really want to sink the Flyers. A) because I don’t like them; B) because we have their 2nd round pick and the further they fall the better that pick becomes. 
 

[mjd1001]

I like UPL. I have defended him on this board many times in the past.  However, I think the best combo giving the Sabres a chance to make the playoffs and do some damage would be a combo of Anderson and Comrie if they get things worked out.  UPL may be the best of the three going forward, but right now I want to see Comrie until the wheels totally come off (if they do).

[kas23]

This season’s goal was never to make the playoff, but to progress. So, I still want to keep to the Adams and Granato plan. Play the future. Since we are already at the point, let them feel the heat of trying to make the playoffs. They’ll either elevate their game or make their way off the team. Either way, the team will ultimately benefit. 

[dudacek]

People talk a lot about the Sabres goal differential and how it’s a factor of them running up scores late.

Another element of that though is the fact that they don’t tend to get blown out.

You have to go all the way back to mid-November and the 5-2 loss to Toronto at the tail end of the losing streak to find a game that we weren’t “in.”

In all 6 of our losses since then, we were within a goal with 2 1/2 minutes left.

18 “competitive” games in a row is a consistency unheard of around here in a decade.

[dudacek]

A quick look at the standings still shows the Sabres  struggling to get out of the bottom 10.

But games in hand makes that somewhat misleading.

In terms of points percentage, they are 17th overall. They basically need to win both their games in hand on the Penguins to move into a tie with them for the final playoff spot in the east. 

More pragmatically, to get in they need 6 more points in their final 46 games than the Islanders get in their final 41 and 5 more than the Penguins get in their final 44. 

Winning most of their 4 games in hand on the Rangers and 6 on the Caps pulls them into the picture with those teams as well.

The idea that they aren’t in the race right now is just bad math.

[dudacek]

Moved into 18th overall in points tonight, 15th in points percentage.

12/4/2 since Mule returned.

16/5/2 overall with 23 in the lineup. That’s a .739 win percentage, which would be good for #2 in the league.

[Doohicksie]

On 1/5/2023 at 11:12 AM, Wyldnwoody44 said:

Man, how much easier this would seem if we didn't have an 8 game losing streak, or at least have had some OTL points in there. 

On the other hand, I think having to fight back from early-season adversity is helping to shape the character of this team.  Having to struggle mightily to even make the playoffs may make them better in the playoffs than if they were just coasting along.  For instance I kind of relish the opportunity for the Sabres to play the Leafs in the first round.  I don't know that they would beat the Leafs, but the Leafs have been very good in the regular season but haven't really found that extra gear for the postseason.  I think with struggles the Sabres have had, the come-from-behind wins lately, etc., is forging the Sabres into a very resolute team that could surprise their playoff opponents, should they get that far.

[GASabresIUFAN]

Quick thoughts

Do Pitts & the NYI hear the Jaws music when they look up at the scoreboard to see how the Sabres are doing?

The Sabres are in striking distance of the final playoff spot.  They are now 2 pts behind Pitt with a game in hand and only 4 points behind the NYI with 4 games in hand.  Both Pitt and Buff have higher pt % than the NYI.