GDT: Colorado Avs @ Buffalo Sabres 12/3/24 --7 pm MSG

[bob_sauve28]

 

https://www.espn.com/nhl/preview?gameId=401687996

Colorado Avalanche (13-12, in the Central Division) vs. Buffalo Sabres (11-11-2, in the Atlantic Division)

Buffalo, New York; Tuesday, 7 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: The Buffalo Sabres play the Colorado Avalanche as losers of three games in a row.

Buffalo is 6-6-1 at home and 11-11-2 overall. The Sabres have a -2 scoring differential, with 71 total goals scored and 73 given up.

Colorado is 13-12 overall and 6-5-0 in road games. The Avalanche have a 6-1-0 record in one-goal games.

The teams meet Tuesday for the first time this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Rasmus Dahlin has six goals and 13 assists for the Sabres. Alex Tuch has four goals and six assists over the past 10 games.

Mikko Rantanen has 15 goals and 19 assists for the Avalanche. Valeri Nichushkin has scored three goals and added three assists over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Sabres: 5-4-1, averaging 2.4 goals, 3.6 assists, 4.2 penalties and 8.7 penalty minutes while giving up 2.6 goals per game.

Avalanche: 6-4-0, averaging 2.8 goals, 4.6 assists, 2.8 penalties and 5.6 penalty minutes while giving up 3.1 goals per game.

 

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Edited December 3 by bob_sauve28

[CallawaySabres]

Nope

[LETSTUCHINGO]

Go Sabres, about all I can muster up today.

[Mustache of God]

I'll be there tonight. Hoping for a win, or at least a show from Mckinnon & Makar. 

[#freejame]

15 minutes ago, Mustache of God said:

I'll be there tonight. Hoping for a win, or at least a show from Mckinnon & Makar. 

I’m going for the same reason. I figure I’ll have a good time either way. 

[Mustache of God]

5 minutes ago, #freejame said:

I’m going for the same reason. I figure I’ll have a good time either way. 

0-1 shootout loss incoming....

[WhenWillItEnd66]

21 minutes ago, Mustache of God said:

0-1 shootout loss incoming....

But it is still a point!!!!! 🤣

[#freejame]

25 minutes ago, Mustache of God said:

0-1 shootout loss incoming....

I’ve got a skate at 10, no shot I’m staying for a shutout shootout. The benefit of $20 tickets. 

[Getpucksdeep]

31 minutes ago, #freejame said:

I’m going for the same reason. I figure I’ll have a good time either way. 

Same. I will be keeping a Makar vs Dahlin scorecard.  

[Gatorman0519]

Surely we can’t lose 4 in a row can we? 

[LTS]

Well, I have no job, so I have no money. It's cold outside, so I don't want to be outside, especially when it's dark out.

So I guess I will turn the game on.  I hope they play well enough that I don't want to turn the game off.

That's as positive as I am going to get right now.

[Doohicksie]

AWAKE THE TAGE

Thompson with two goals, Sabres win 5-3.  Quinn with another empty netter.

[CallawaySabres]

They must know this is a massive game for the standings, as well as the support this team will get. Losing a 4th in a row and falling even further behind all the teams ahead of them would start to seem insurmountable. 

[SwampD]

2 hours ago, CallawaySabres said:

Nope

Yep.

[Indabuff]

4 minutes ago, SwampD said:

Yep.

Maybe

[Stads]

Methinks this could get ugly tonight. Certainly not hoping for it, but just have a feeling

38 minutes ago, Gatorman0519 said:

Surely we can’t lose 4 in a row can we? 

We could lose 4 in a row followed by a 5 game win streak, which then leads into a 6 game losing streak. I don't know what team is showing up each night

[LGR4GM]

Maybe we'll win

[WhenWillItEnd66]

I will watch until unwatchable. Thank god for Battlefield V

[Ctaeth]

It feels like the only time that they start to really play is when they have their backs up against the wall and are feeling the pressure from the fans/media.  Went on a 3 game streak after starting the season so poorly.  Went on another after they lost 3 straight.  Both streaks just as the tides were turning against the team and the pressure was ratcheting up.  Clearly we need to start criticizing them even more

[Wyldnwoody44]

Snagged some club seats for 40 bucks a piece... Perks of the team being crap 😂

 

As always, if anyone wants to meet up, I'm game! 

Edited December 3 by Wyldnwoody44

[dudacek]

The difference between a 3-game winning streak and a three-game losing streak is often negligible.

Game 1: a titanic defensive struggle where 2 teams gave up very little and the game could be decided with a coin flip. LA loses 1-0, Wild wins 1-0

Game 2: the Sabres roar back after an uneven start to send the game to OT. In Anaheim they win, against Vancouver they lose.

Game 3: 3rd game in 4 nights and you wonder about the team's legs. It shows, but against SJ they get big stops and timely goals and push through, against NYI they get neither and fade.

I don't think the Sabres played too differently over either stretch. Such is parity and life for most mediocre teams in the NHL's mushy middle.

[Pimlach]

3 minutes ago, dudacek said:

The difference between a 3-game winning streak and a three-game losing streak is often negligible.

Game 1: a titanic defensive struggle where 2 teams gave up very little and the game could be decided with a coin flip. LA loses 1-0, Wild wins 1-0

Game 2: the Sabres roar back after an uneven start to send the game to OT. In Anaheim they win, against Vancouver they lose.

Game 3: 3rd game in 4 nights and you wonder about the team's legs. It shows, but against SJ they get big stops and timely goals and push through, against NYI they get neither and fade.

I don't think the Sabres played too differently over either stretch. Such is parity and life for most mediocre teams in the NHL's mushy middle.

Yes indeed. 

But to stay in the mushy middle we have to get 2 points tonight.  They are home, they are rested, they have no excuses.   

Their best players need to start being their best players, like before Tage got hurt.  

[Thorner]

8 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Yes indeed. 

But to stay in the mushy middle we have to get 2 points tonight.  They are home, they are rested, they have no excuses.   

Their best players need to start being their best players, like before Tage got hurt.  

Tbh I feel like this “have to” talk in basically..probably every GDT this year (?) leads to every game being treated at least as importantly as your standard NFL game. Where after losses we go off the rails, and after wins we go off the rails the other way.

If we win today, do we HAVE to win next game? If the answer is no, then we don’t have to win today. Cause we could lose today and win the next game.

None of the have-tos have meant anything. We are a middling club. You know what we need to see to know the team has changed? Not a 3 game win streak, not a 7-2-1 ten game stretch, not even a half-season where we are “actually” one of the best teams…

we simply need an 82 game season where we finish above 17th

Edited December 3 by Thorner

[inkman]

1 hour ago, CallawaySabres said:

They must know this is a massive game for the standings, as well as the support this team will get. Losing a 4th in a row and falling even further behind all the teams ahead of them would start to seem insurmountable. 

They have lost almost every big game they’ve had the last 3 seasons unless the Golden Knights are in town.  Whatever the opposite of clutch is these guys have in droves.  Like serious Small D Energy.  

[Mustache of God]

43 minutes ago, Wyldnwoody44 said:

Snagged some club seats for 40 bucks a piece... Perks of the team being crap 😂

 

As always, if anyone wants to meet up, I'm game! 

I'm sitting club level as well. I'll be the guy wearing the Sabres jersey.