GDT: Sabres @ Sharks - Sat Jan 27, 2024, 4:00 pm ET MSG, ESPN+ NBCSCA 📺 WGR 📻

[Pimlach]

4 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

I really really dislike Cozens game in every way this year.  BUT, he is valuable when he puts the puck in the net. Empty net goals to me are just as good/important as regular goals.  If he can get going and start putting up some goals and points, I'll feel a lot better about him.  I'm beginning to get some hope.

He is going to be a good player in this league.  Growing pains.    Looks very good with stable linemates 22 and 77.  

[bob_sauve28]

We win!!

Hope Quinner is ok 

[mjd1001]

Ok, a huge break now between games. No one get injured on vacation. Tuch, Thompson, wrap yourself in bubble wrap over the next week. Any lingering injuries/issues, come back at full strength.

[Believer]

Another solid game by UPL… He calmed the team down in the first… 

[Spoonman]

1 minute ago, PromoTheRobot said:

The Sabres aren't starting slow, they are making games more interesting.

[Doohicksie]

 

[bunomatic]

Good win but unfortunate loss. Lets hope Quinn is o.k.

[PromoTheRobot]

Just now, bunomatic said:

Good win but unfortunate loss. Lets hope Quinn is o.k.

Let's hope it's just a sprain.

[Pimlach]

Quinn is key if we want a good finish.  He came and the play of Cozens and Peterka elevated, especially true for Cozens as JJP was scoring.  
 

UPL gave up a deflection off of 33, and was screened by Bryson, but he made a bunch of big saves when needed. 

[TageMVP]

Lots of good things about this win. 

Got down 2-0, scored 5 unanswered. Neither goal was UPL's fault, and he made countless critical saves. 

Tons of hitting and making the smart play. Greenway is earning his money along with Clifton. It's okay to take a penalty once in a while when standing up for yourself/teammates. 

Cozens line has been excellent, hope Quinn is okay. 

It is San Jose, which made things easier, but this is how they should ALWAYS play. Tough, nasty and with perservance. 

Now, if Granato could just get the big guys going. Hopefully he uses this long break wisely, along with the rest of the team. Come back and win 8 more in a row 

 

[Spoonman]

1 minute ago, Pimlach said:

He is going to be a good player in this league.  Growing pains.    Looks very good with stable linemates 22 and 77.  

Agree on 22/77 - overall this team has lacked confidence and Eff You attitude Cozzie opined on several months ago (?). 

[PromoTheRobot]

At the All Star break the Sabres have 48 points and are 7 points out of a wild card. They just went 7-4 in January. (.636) If they maintain that point% over the remaining 33 games, they get 90 points. Not enough but within striking distance.

[Slack_in_MA]

Good example of “Beat the teams you should beat”.

That said, the PP is still putrid and it’s holding them back.

Edited January 27 by Slack_in_MA

[JohnC]

Some quick thoughts on this game: 

The Sabres were simply the better team. So there isn't a meaningful takeaway from it. 

JJ is the first star. I really liked the line he played on. I hope Quinn isn't seriously hurt. After watching the replay, I'm worried about the severity of the injury. 

UPL was solid. 

I thought this was Greenway's best game. He's a big fellow who plays big and strong. 

The best sequence of play was the Greenway goal. Mitts battled on the wall, got the puck to Tuch, who was also battling, and then he made a nice pace to Greenway who converted down low. 

Clifton has stabilized his game. The Greenway and Clifton additions were solid additions that added an element of ruggedness to this roster. 

I like Tuch playing with Mitts. The conundrum is that without Tuch on the first line it isn't as effective. 

What I liked about this game and the LA game is that although the opposition led in the beginning, this team continued to play its game and get back to take the lead. 

As others have commented, the hope is that Quinn isn't seriously hurt. 

Although I continue to get bricks thrown, I encourage the discouraged members here to not give up on this year's playoff aspirations. There is still a glimmer of hope. 

[Second Line Center]

Have to go roughly 24-9 the last 33 games to have a shot.  
 

Not impossible.  

[DarthEbriate]

5 minutes ago, Second Line Center said:

Have to go roughly 24-9 the last 33 games to have a shot.  
 

Not impossible.  

It's not impossible. Teams used to bullseye womp...  

The issue is the number of teams in front of them and the teams remaining on their schedule. 

Every "reachable" team has games in hand compared to the Sabres except Philadelphia. There are 4 teams between them and the 2nd wild card (and Montreal is only 1 point back with a game in hand). The Sabres still have 14 games left against Western Conference teams, where wins have less of an impact in the standings.

They finish the year with 9 of 10 against the East and only one of those games is against a team like Florida which will be guaranteed a playoff spot. The Sabres will basically have to win all 9 of those games to close the distance.

(Now, if they do go on a tear to get within 4 points and only a couple to jump, and then jump said teams by going 8-2 in their final 10 games... so be it.)

[FrenchConnection44]

Greenway was excellent. He played the way I hoped he would end we traded for him and the way you expect a 6’6 225 lb player to play. Though all these 6’5 plus players should be going in the 230-240 range. 

But if he would play that way every game we’d be a much better team. 
 

As with others, hope Quinn is not serious. Definitely need him. That is a line for the future with 22/24/77. 
 

I like the 12/37/89 line as well. If we can find a good forward in free agency or trade this off season to go with Tage and Skinner that’s 3 good lines. 

Edited January 28 by FrenchConnection44

[Marvin]

Who do we have now who could play Greenway's role with Thompson and Skinner?  Okposo won't last long after the All Star Break.

[PromoTheRobot]

31 minutes ago, Second Line Center said:

Have to go roughly 24-9 the last 33 games to have a shot.  
 

Not impossible.  

.727 pt% gets you to 96. .700 gets you 94, .667. = 92, and .636 gets 90. Anything less is futile.

[sabresouth]

Good game. UPL settled in and played well.

It's sad that Bryson is back in the lineup. He was directly involved with both goals against. 

[Doohicksie]

1 hour ago, Spoonman said:

Agree on 22/77 - overall this team has lacked confidence and Eff You attitude Cozzie opined on several months ago (?). 

JJP has that EFF YOU attitude.  He's a punk.  A very, very, very good punk.

[Taro T]

Good game.  Hopefully Quinn's injury isn't serious.

Anybody else notice that for once they weren't sneaking out of their own zone 2 forwards as soon as they got the puck nor were they doing the stupid get the puck over the BL and then curl it back towards the BL looking for a teammate to pass it to?

Yes, the Snarks are horrible.  But they weren't playing this way against them 2 weeks ago.  If UPL hadn't pitched the SO in that last game they'd've been in BIG trouble.  This game, his D man set a perfect screen and then a different D man had a perfect tip against him and they were down 2-0 but never really missed a beat.

Play THIS system EVERY game.  They were coming through the neutral zone with speed and bodies.  It was most noticable with the Kid Line, but they all were doing it.  They were under more control in their own end, though they still had some scary moments back there.  But, more often than not, staying positionally sound in their own zone yields good things.

[Doohicksie]

1 hour ago, PromoTheRobot said:

At the All Star break the Sabres have 48 points and are 7 points out of a wild card. They just went 7-4 in January. (.636) If they maintain that point% over the remaining 33 games, they get 90 points. Not enough but within striking distance.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

1 hour ago, Spoonman said:

Hey everybody the Promo I know is back. 

Dude's talking about the PP situation, eh.

You hoser.  Take off, eh !!

[Doohicksie]

29 minutes ago, FrenchConnection44 said:

I like the 12/37/89 line as well. If we can find a good forward in free agency or trade this off season to go with Tage and Skinner that’s 3 good lines. 

The answer might already be in the system.  By next summer one of Kulich, Savoie, Rosen or Östlund, ever even Poltapov, might be ready to make the jump.