GDT: Sabres @ Islanders - Mar. 7, 2023, 7:30pm, ESPN+/Hulu WGR

[steveoath]

Misty weather makes winning more worthy. My will might wane, maybe, while maddening wits. Must win.

[French Collection]

If I was coach I would go with Comrie in net. He has played well enough to win a few in a row and he may be the guy that heats up at the right time.

You can’t ride Anderson more than once a week so one of Comrie/UPL needs to take the net.

[Pimlach]

We lost last night and thankfully so did the Sens and the Caps. 

We just used up our game in hand on Pittsburgh, so we are solidly 3 points behind them - we can make it up but the schedule is in their favor.  

Games against other playoff contenders, especially the Aisles, are double must wins.  We have 3 games in hand on them and we can cut their lead to 2 points. 

This is a huge game.  I sure hope that Jost, Muel, and Stillman are all playing.  

 

[CallawaySabres]

Wow, is this a massive game or what? I am definitely staying out of this thread once the game starts for the sake of everyone's safety. Good Luck, God Bless & Go Sabes! Please win

 

[nfreeman]

2 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Bring us a win and wear your Rico #7.  

I'll do what I can. 

And I need to get a Rico jersey.  Tonight I'm wearing a white Tyler Myers jersey (a questionable choice, I know, but it was a birthday gift from my family, my son is wearing my Ryan Miller jersey, I can't seem to find my Pominville jersey and my only other one is an alternate red Stu Barnes jersey, which I really like, but I wanted to wear one of the current colors).

[OverPowerYou]

It’s a road game 24 hours after a home loss, expect the unlikely, zemgus girgensons shorthanded spinorama goal in overtime 

Edited March 7, 2023 by OverPowerYou

[Taro T]

43 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Hard to blame 1 guy in a team sport.  The record you show says something, so does his -20 +/-, and I am sure the fancy stats track the +/- rating. 

I think the goaltending is still suspect.  Some very good performances have been sprinkled in with a lot more mediocre play.  Team defense has been talked about at length - a few better defensive players, more defensive depth, and the forwards working harder - it all has to happen.  

But, we have what we have.  Adams did what he did and DG has gone on record as supporting the plan.   

This late in the season it becomes a battle of attrition.  Now it is up to DG to put them in position to succeed and the players to respond with big plays.  

 

And the $64k question is will he actually do that or will he give them additional learning opportunities down the stretch like letting Krebs center Peterka and Olofsson with Bryson as support against the McDavid line coming off a TV timeout.

My expectation is that it will be the latter.  And it might make for a better team next year, but that is very debatable at this point, but it will not likely help with this playoff push.

But with that said, this is the type of game that this team has been winning and am cautiously optimistic that they will do just that.

[bob_sauve28]

23 minutes ago, OverPowerYou said:

It’s a road game 24 hours after a home loss, expect the unlikely, zemgus girgensons shorthanded spinorama goal in overtime 

No OT! Win in regulation!! 

[NAF]

2 hours ago, FrenchConnection44 said:

Gotta go with Comrie. Huge game with playoff ramifications. 

Good to see Jost is coming back. Would be great to get Tillman, and Samuelson back. At least one to get Bryson off.  The lineup I’d like to see ASAP (while Tuch is out):

Skinner-Thompson-Quinn

Mitts-Cozens-Hinostroza

Greenway-Krebs-Peterka/VO

Girgs-Jost-Okposo

Dahlin-Samuelsson

Power-Joki

Tillman-Lyubushkin

I don’t have a lot of confidence in VO. Too much of a liability defensively. But perhaps he could be better if Greenway and Krebs were both out there? 

The worst thing that happened last night was having Bryson and Olafsson on ice at the same time. They are the only two double digit negatives in plus/minus on the team. And -21, -20 at that! Have to avoid that if possible. 

But when one considers that Peterka has 21 points with a -9 +/-, Olafsson has 32 points and a -21, the sieve-like defense of Olafsson is even more apparent. 

This is the correct lineup. I agree, Peterka over VO, but Donny seems to love Victor.

[Ruff Around The Edges]

Win tonight in regulation and even if we lose to Dallas on Thursday it is ok.

Don't want to say tonight IS the season, but in some way it kind of is.

[Pimlach]

32 minutes ago, Taro T said:

And the $64k question is will he actually do that or will he give them additional learning opportunities down the stretch like letting Krebs center Peterka and Olofsson with Bryson as support against the McDavid line coming off a TV timeout.

My expectation is that it will be the latter.  And it might make for a better team next year, but that is very debatable at this point, but it will not likely help with this playoff push.

But with that said, this is the type of game that this team has been winning and am cautiously optimistic that they will do just that.

Well, it goes back to depth and someone had to center Peterka and Olofsson.   He let Zemgus center Peterka and Olofsson, with Bryson and Power, and they gave up the 2nd goal. 

We really missed Jost yesterday. I want to see 28-17-21 back together tonight.  We need the stability.  

[Mb278]

my math might be a little off but Olofsson is about -14 since his last goal which was on January 26th. That isnt great. 

[Indabuff]

MUST F'N WIN!!!

LET'S GOOOOO!

[Derrico]

3 hours ago, Crusader1969 said:

Since Jan 28th, with Bryson playing, the Sabres are 2-7. Over the same time they are  4-1 without him in the lineup. 
coincidence?

When we look back at this season, if they miss the playoffs - I think Bryson will be main culprit.  Or Adams for not adding 1 more depth Dman.
 

Disagree.  It’s goaltending.  It’s always been goaltending. 

[Taro T]

26 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Well, it goes back to depth and someone had to center Peterka and Olofsson.   He let Zemgus center Peterka and Olofsson, with Bryson and Power, and they gave up the 2nd goal. 

We really missed Jost yesterday. I want to see 28-17-21 back together tonight.  We need the stability.  

Yes, somebody had to center Peterka and Olofsson.  But you don't make that player also go against the McDavid line and provide additional support to that line in the form of Bryson.

Yes, Cozens went against McDavid pretty much all game in Buffalo last year.  He didn't get gifted the weakest 2 defensive wingers on the team while drawing that assignment.  Cozens was given a difficult assignment but was set up for success.  Krebs was given a difficult assignment and was set up for failure.

And, that 2nd goal was against the Eulers 4th line, not the friggin' McDavid line.  Don't have an issue with the deployment on that 2nd goal.  As you said, those guys had to play against somebody.  But that 1st goal was durn near criminal.

And actually, as shown early in the 2nd, nobody HAD to center both Olofsson AND Peterka at the same time. Put 1 on 1 line and the other on another.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[LTS]

I am ready for this one. 

I think it's Peterka who sits. Olofsson is needed for the power play (so is Peterka but he's unit 2 and Greenway could replace him)

I haven't gone through last night's GDT but the team has the capability of winning this game.. they have to rise up and play it like it's the last game they need to win to get into the playoffs.. if they don't then I think they'll demonstrate they are not ready for that next level.

I have faith. I think Greenway and Czikas go at it pretty early.

[Contempt]

1 hour ago, French Collection said:

If I was coach I would go with Comrie in net. He has played well enough to win a few in a row and he may be the guy that heats up at the right time.

You can’t ride Anderson more than once a week so one of Comrie/UPL needs to take the net.

Which is why I'd have started Comrie last night but whatever

[Pimlach]

5 minutes ago, LTS said:

I am ready for this one. 

I think it's Peterka who sits. Olofsson is needed for the power play (so is Peterka but he's unit 2 and Greenway could replace him)

I haven't gone through last night's GDT but the team has the capability of winning this game.. they have to rise up and play it like it's the last game they need to win to get into the playoffs.. if they don't then I think they'll demonstrate they are not ready for that next level.

I have faith. I think Greenway and Czikas go at it pretty early.

Greenway and Martin might have a dance.  

[RochesterExpat]

VO's TOI has been trending down the last few games and JJ's has been trending up which suggests it's VO who sits.

So that means it'll be JJ.

[LTS]

3 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Greenway and Martin might have a dance.  

Good point.  Also likely.  It'll be one of them.  I expect a physical game that's for sure.

[Pimlach]

24 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Yes, somebody had to center Peterka and Olofsson.  But you don't make that player also go against the McDavid line and provide additional support to that line in the form of Bryson.

Yes, Cozens went against McDavid pretty much all game in Buffalo last year.  He didn't get gifted the weakest 2 defensive wingers on the team while drawing that assignment.  Cozens was given a difficult assignment but was set up for success.  Krebs was given a difficult assignment and was set up for failure.

And, that 2nd goal was against the Eulers 4th line, not the friggin' McDavid line.  Don't have an issue with the deployment on that 2nd goal.  As you said, those guys had to play against somebody.  But that 1st goal was durn near criminal.

And actually, as shown early in the 2nd, nobody HAD to center both Olofsson AND Peterka at the same time. Put 1 on 1 line and the other on another.

 

What we are saying is that the was no place to hide a line with both JJP and VO on it, and no place to hide Bryson at all.   They are common denominators in the goals against last night, no matter if they played against McDavid's line or the 4th line.   It only gets harder as we get further into the race.   The weaknesses will get more apparent.   

Adams and DG need to be honest about some of these guys in the off season.  It is time to take a step and fine tune the roster.  

 

[pi2000]

Must win.

[Pimlach]

10 minutes ago, RochesterExpat said:

VO's TOI has been trending down the last few games and JJ's has been trending up which suggests it's VO who sits.

So that means it'll be JJ.

That probably does not mean much but I can say I vote for both VO ( -21) and Bryson (-20) to sit and watch.    

We are playing a close checking hard working team, that has a +11 goal diff, and has very good goaltending.  We need to be very solid in our defensive zone.  

Put 28-17-21 back together.

Put JJP with Krebs and Greenway and tell him to stop thinking and just let it flow over 200 feet of ice.  

[Doohicksie]

57 minutes ago, Taro T said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You still have me waiting for the conclusive statement at the end of your pregnant pauses.

[steveoath]

How refreshing to be discussing playoff race and meaningful hockey in March though?!?