GDT: 1/11/24 Ottawa Senators @ Buffalo Sabres 7 pm MSGtv radio

[PromoTheRobot]

1 hour ago, oddoublee said:

I am with you on this - he brings a dynamic the rest of the roster lacks. He crashes the net hard - and when on a line with Krebs and Girgs - they all follow suit. It is a nice change of pace the opposing team has to deal with. VO is a fine press box piece. 

This goes beyond ER...Ryan Johnson needs to be in the lineup (which means moving Joker or sitting EJ). 

And Devon needs to go back to Rochester - he should have never been called back up. 

Best players need to be out there. Period. 

Robinson and Girginsons have been very effective together.

[JohnC]

Every time Ryan Johnson plays it becomes evident that he should be a regular on one of the pairings. There is a maturity to his game that belies his inexperience. He's not your typical rookie player who is feeling his way in the big league. He simply belongs. And it is evident that Clifton has steadied his game after his early season uneven play. He seems to have gotten comfortable with his teammates and his role. 

[inkman]

1 minute ago, JohnC said:

Every time Ryan Johnson plays it becomes evident that he should be a regular on one of the pairings. There is a maturity to his game that belies his inexperience. He's not your typical rookie player who is feeling his way in the big league. He simply belongs. And it is evident that Clifton has steadied his game after his early season uneven play. He seems to have gotten comfortable with his teammates and his role. 

I agree.  Hopefully they rotate Big Johnson & Joki dependent on opponent. 

[ska-T Chitown]

3 minutes ago, JohnC said:

Every time Ryan Johnson plays it becomes evident that he should be a regular on one of the pairings. There is a maturity to his game that belies his inexperience. He's not your typical rookie player who is feeling his way in the big league. He simply belongs. And it is evident that Clifton has steadied his game after his early season uneven play. He seems to have gotten comfortable with his teammates and his role. 

Ryan Johnson: July 24, 2001

Owen Power: November 22, 2002

He is older than Power and those four years of NCAA hockey sure seem to be paying off for Little J.

[bob_sauve28]

5 hours ago, Dreams Burn Down said:

What a slick mask!

And Bromley then played for Vancouver, our next opponent 

[Sabres Fan in NS]

22 hours ago, Spoonman said:

….. but my GDTs required much thought & effort, all out of love for my fellow Spacers…..nobody likes them… wasting my life……oh the anguish…

 

You're just a poor boy, nobody likes you ...

Not true atoll !!

Your GDT are the most awesome.  Someone just beat you to it is all.

That is why I said that it was time for you to cut and paste.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

I did not watch the game, the highlights (yet) nor read the 12 page (????? 12 pages ?????) GDT ...

Where they good or lucky .. both?

 

[inkman]

22 hours ago, Spoonman said:

….. but my GDTs required much thought & effort, all out of love for my fellow Spacers…..nobody likes them… wasting my life……oh the anguish…

 

Here is Sydney Sweeney to make you feel better

[inkman]

23 hours ago, inkman said:

 

 

I am blaming everyone who perpetuates this MW nonsense.  I’m looking for any juju we can get, let’s eliminate something we can control. 

Maybe Wrong 

[Getpucksdeep]

2 hours ago, JohnC said:

Every time Ryan Johnson plays it becomes evident that he should be a regular on one of the pairings. There is a maturity to his game that belies his inexperience. He's not your typical rookie player who is feeling his way in the big league. He simply belongs. And it is evident that Clifton has steadied his game after his early season uneven play. He seems to have gotten comfortable with his teammates and his role. 

Was at the game last night, Johnson was super noticeable, playing hard and with purpose. Like you say maturity, confidence, and maybe a chip on his shoulder "don't scratch me again".  Two thumbs up.  Looking forward to tomorrows game vs #1 offense in the league.  

[Demoted]

6 hours ago, thewookie1 said:

Find a way to get 6 more points

VAN L

SJS W

CHI W

TBL W

 

We'd then be at 46pts in 46 games

That makes the path rather simple, to make the playoffs you need to be about 14 pts over your games played. It wouldn't be easy by any means but a hot streak would literally put us right back into the thick of things.

That seems to require 3 wins in a row... 

[Stoner]

4 hours ago, spndnchz said:

Win 3 out of every 5 they’d be close. 

Close? I guess. 88 points. How many loser points are you thinking?

[Taro T]

12 hours ago, TageMVP said:

The coaching staff needs to keep this grittier lineup together. No more Oloffsson, no more rookies playing 3 minutes a night. 

Keep the balance. Then they might see some actual change in the win column 

 

 

12 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:

#GoatheadPower

3-3-1 this season in them.

Getting outscored 25-20.

Yep, feel the mf'n power.

🤨

[bob_sauve28]

 

[oddoublee]

5 hours ago, Pimlach said:

Sure, I like what Robinson brings, he helps and contributes, but remember that he could not crack the Columbus line up.  What he brings is improvement to our bottom 3, looking at him from a league wide perspective he may not be much though.  At least we get effort and a willingness to play end to end from him.  
 

Agree on Ryan, he should play.  So should Clifton.   The 6/7 guys are EJ and Joker. 

I actually agree with you regarding ER - he doesn't crack every lineup in the NHL. Probably does not crack 70%. Unfortunately - he cracks ours due to lack of bottom 6 depth - and the fact he does bring a different element to the team that is needed. Buffalo is stars aligned for him. But no illusions that he is a long-term answer.

[PerreaultForever]

7 hours ago, inkman said:

They don’t have many, if any, players like him.  I’m hoping there is another player or two like him to fill out the bottom of the roster.  

I think we need better than him. I get the idea, but he's a pretty mediocre version of what that player should be. 

He's no Marcus Foligno, let's put it like that for simplicity. 

[PerreaultForever]

6 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Oh I'm sorry. I expressed a positive opinion of a Sabres player. I'll take my 40 lashes with a wet noodle now.

and you should be sorry!

I would love for Robinson to be an impact player, but I just don't think he is. 

[TageMVP]

8 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

and you should be sorry!

I would love for Robinson to be an impact player, but I just don't think he is. 

 

2 hours ago, Taro T said:

 

3-3-1 this season in them.

Getting outscored 25-20.

Yep, feel the mf'n power.

🤨

3-3-1 is still better than 15-17-3 

[Thorner]

17 hours ago, Norcal said:

Hard to believe this team is 3 games out of a wild card berth. 

Because they aren’t 

[Thorner]

8 hours ago, inkman said:

They don’t have many, if any, players like him.  I’m hoping there is another player or two like him to fill out the bottom of the roster.  

Aim higher 

8 hours ago, PASabreFan said:

You've officially done more thinking about how to get the Sabres into the playoffs than KA has done. Congratulations.

Snap

7 hours ago, Pimlach said:

Sure, I like what Robinson brings, he helps and contributes, but remember that he could not crack the Columbus line up.  What he brings is improvement to our bottom 3, looking at him from a league wide perspective he may not be much though.  At least we get effort and a willingness to play end to end from him.  
 

Agree on Ryan, he should play.  So should Clifton.   The 6/7 guys are EJ and Joker. 

Well said 

[#freejame]

10 hours ago, thewookie1 said:

Find a way to get 6 more points

VAN L

SJS W

CHI W

TBL W

 

We'd then be at 46pts in 46 games

That makes the path rather simple, to make the playoffs you need to be about 14 pts over your games played. It wouldn't be easy by any means but a hot streak would literally put us right back into the thick of things.

Thanks for this 

[Thorner]

5 hours ago, Sabres Fan in NS said:

I did not watch the game, the highlights (yet) nor read the 12 page (????? 12 pages ?????) GDT ...

Where they good or lucky .. both?

 

Good is relative and we played Ottawa so. You do the math 

[Thorner]

4 hours ago, Demoted said:

That seems to require 3 wins in a row... 

…even after which we’d need to play at a 109 point pace over final 36 to hit 94 points.

It’s possible, don’t mean to be the bearer of (obvious, I’m sorry) bad news, but the math is a little more daunting than some are letting on.

Another thing to keep in mind is that even math isn’t free of unconscious bias: you have to remember that if you are penciling in a 3 game win streak, that means you aren’t pencilling in a 4 game win streak, meaning you have us losing that next game. Because we need to factor that in, we’d actually be at 46 points after 47 games: which actually would need us to play at a 112 point pace after that streak and the game that ends it 

Otherwise, if you want math better than that, for the final 35, we actually need a *4* game win streak (or at least to lose that 4th one in OT)

That the team needs to streak is only half of it, that’s the part that sometimes falls by the wayside. It’s the fact that even after you make up ground, the rest of your games have to statistically reflect the streak more so than the bulk: and that’s very mathematically unlikely.

Combined with the multitude of teams you need to leapfrog in the process, it’s why you get playoff odds calculated at like 6% when you are “seemingly only” 3/4 games “out”

Edited January 12 by Thorny

[Thorner]

3 hours ago, PASabreFan said:

Close? I guess. 88 points. How many loser points are you thinking?

8 loser points would get us to 96 points and a likely berth. There are 8 five-game segments left, so if we go 3-1-1 every group of 5 games we’d likely make the playoffs but not for sure. 3-1-1 per 5 the rest of the way is a 115 point pace 

And a .700 points %

Edited January 12 by Thorny

[mjd1001]

Ok, looking to see where the weak spots were on the goals allowed that could use some improvement last night:

1st goal allowed:  Johnson starts it on the far boards with a kinda-whiff on a clearing attempt (not sure it was a clearing attempt or a pass up to Thompson on the boards). Thompson loses the battle for the puck when it gets there but he was in the worse position. Credit to Thompson though, as soon a the puck goes across the ice, he IMMEDIATLY moves to the center of the ice...stays in the slot and doesn't vacate that area (Good play by Thompson without the puck, Cozens, please take notes!) Now a bad play by Tuch (positionally). All 3 Sabres forwards are on the far side where the puck WAS, no one is where the puck is GOING (Tuch needs to be closer to the near boards, its his side).  Because Tuch isn't there, the Ottawa winger easily picks up the puck and has a ton of time to look around.  Mitts eventually comes in and steals the puck, but follows it with a VERY weak clearing attempt right onto the stick of the goal scorer.  I want that save anyway, but he was heavily screened.

If anyone wants to be enraged I am attaching a screenshot. LOOK at the screen on UPL. The Ottawa guy is almost standing on top of him and the Sabres D let him there for almost a full 5 seconds before they even tried to engage him.  I personally put down the forward play in their own zone and give a BIG pass to the Sabres D-men, I think the D-men are better than we give credit to, but letting that guy stand there for at least 5 seconds (watch the replay, please do) has zero excuse.

2nd goal allowed: Some bad luck, puck pinballs around...I don't see anyone drastically out of place on this one.

3rd goal allowed: Samuelssons with a week clearing attempt, Cozens with a giveway in the slot in the D-zone. 2 bad plays by them, not much else here (Dahlin maybe a BIT too aggressive, but it wasn't reckless on his part)

Edited January 12 by mjd1001