GDT: Sabres @ Canadiens, March 3, 2025 - 7:00PM, MSG 📺, WGR550 📻 🎙

[Crusader1969]

3 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

He has played pretty well in every stint he had in Rochester, even the short ones before this season, hasn't he?

The issue is, every time he plays in Buffalo, he's just not at NHL level. Yeah, he's still young, but he has yet to show that he is a capable NHL goalie.

Maybe he just needs more experience at the pro level.  Hopefully that is it...and not he's a guy who is that AAAA guy who can dominate at the minor level but just can't be 'the guy' at the top level

I think he just needs to play starters minutes.  Time to push UPL for the staters net 

[Forecheck]

16 minutes ago, OverPowerYou said:

At this point, if the Sabres offered me season tickets and free gas and parking to the games I think I’d pass. 

I’ve felt that way the past four years and haven’t regretted the decision to give them up one bit. I’m amazed at how many others are still gluttons for punishment with their time and money for a franchise that could care less about giving them a good product to cheer for. 

[JohnC]

16 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

Well, they started out OT with Tuch AND Cozens on the ice? I'd question that.  You have 2 guys who are guys who want to go deep into the corner and chase the puck.  When you have 3-on-3, that is exactly NOT want you want to do. When you don't have the puck with that much open ice, you want to play zone defense, not aggressive man to man.  So how do you put BOTH of those guys out there at the same time?

I respectfully but strenuously disagree that you should play a more conservative rather than aggressive man to man in OT. If you consider that this team is bottom feeding, then what do you have to lose in being aggressive in going for the win. If you lose because of your aggressiveness, then so what? In a lost season where losing is inconsequential (as are the wins in this lowly status) just roll the dice and go for it. 

[SabresBillsFan]

3 minutes ago, Forecheck said:

I’ve felt that way the past four years and haven’t regretted the decision to give them up one bit. I’m amazed at how many others are still gluttons for punishment with their time and money for a franchise that could care less about giving them a good product to cheer for. 

Season tickets aren’t worth it, too many games and you can’t resell them without taking a loss in most games.

[HumanSlinky39]

This is the fifth losing streak of 3 or more this season, including the fatal 13 game slide. Strangely enough, they've also had five winning streaks of 3 or more this season, but just one reached 4 games. Whereas last season seemed like it was W-L-W-L-W-L right down the line, this year's team seems like one of streaks. Essentially they're a roughly .500 squad again that was sunk by a sustained spiral that wiped out their season pretty early on. No real signs of progress, just an extended malaise. A serious hockey organization would choose to move on from the GM responsible, but I do not think this is a serious hockey organization.

They'll likely play the "youngest team in hockey" card AGAIN this spring and run it back despite zero indication of forward progress. Youth isn't an excuse if the arrow is pointing upward. Wash, rinse, repeat.

Edited 22 hours ago by HumanSlinky39

[sabresouth]

I have one word for ka, GOALIE!!!!

[Carmel Corn]

8 minutes ago, sabresouth said:

I have one word for ka, GOALIE!!!!

I have my own ONE word for GMKA......RESIGN!!!!

[K012010]

8 minutes ago, sabresouth said:

I have one word for ka, GOALIE!!!!

You think goaltending is our biggest issue?

[PerreaultForever]

Oh goodie, they fought back and got a point. woo-hoo.

[7+6=13]

5 minutes ago, Carmel Corn said:

I have my own ONE word for GMKA......RESIGN!!!!

There's no way they're giving him an extension right now.

[Second Line Center]

31 minutes ago, K012010 said:

You think goaltending is our biggest issue?

 

UPL has a save % of .894

That’s atrocious.  I don’t care what some advanced stats may say.  
 

He’s a solid backup.  

[SabresBillsFan]

33 minutes ago, K012010 said:

You think goaltending is our biggest issue?

This team lacks a backbone, their defense needs help and they need some top line players.

[mjd1001]

1 hour ago, JohnC said:

I respectfully but strenuously disagree that you should play a more conservative rather than aggressive man to man in OT. If you consider that this team is bottom feeding, then what do you have to lose in being aggressive in going for the win. If you lose because of your aggressiveness, then so what? In a lost season where losing is inconsequential (as are the wins in this lowly status) just roll the dice and go for it. 

I'm not saying you play conservative. I'm saying you don't put 2 guys on the ice that are both guys that will go deep into the corner.

3 minutes ago, Second Line Center said:

 

UPL has a save % of .894

That’s atrocious.  I don’t care what some advanced stats may say.  
 

He’s a solid backup.  

Well, the advanced stats don't look all that good either.  His high danger save percentage is WAY lower than it was last year.

[dudacek]

Tonight was kinda the Sabres season in microcosm:

• They were the better team 5-on-5.
• The PK failed them when they needed it
• The PP failed them when they needed it
• Tuch, Thompson and Dahlin provided offence
• The rest of the team did not provide enough
• Dylan Cozens turned what should have been a routine play into a high-risk play that eventually ended up in our net
• Our goalie failed to make a save when he had to
• it was close but the Sabres found a way to lose

Not really related, but I'm so disappointed in Lindy; he's brought nothing to this team.

Edited 12 hours ago by dudacek

[Forecheck]

This team, as currently constructed, isn’t nearly good enough at goaltender, defense and forward. ALL three phases need improvement before this team is anywhere close to being a playoff team. 

[Forecheck]

2 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Tonight was kinda the Sabres season in microcosm:

• They were the better team 5-on-5.
• The PK failed them when they needed it
• The PP failed them when they needed it
• Tuch, Thompson and Dahlin provided offence
• The rest of the team did not provide enough
• Dylan Cozens turned what should have been a routine play into a high-risk play that eventually ended up in our net
• Our goalie failed to make a save when he had to
• it was close but the Sabres and found a way to lose

Not really related, but I'm so disappointed in Lindy; he's brought nothing to this team.

The past few seasons solely have been a failure of special teams and inconsistent goaltending. Obviously they need better talent through the forward and defensive group, but if you had to narrow it down to just a couple crucial areas, it’s special teams and the need for far above average goaltending. 

[PerreaultForever]

4 hours ago, SabresBillsFan said:

This team lacks a backbone, their defense needs help and they need some top line players.

and this is the same thing as every year for I've lost count of how many years now. Virtually nothing has changed. 

[Sidc3000]

8 hours ago, HumanSlinky39 said:

A serious hockey organization would choose to move on from the GM responsible

Who? Who would the put in as GM? Probably another dirt time GM. Then we will have to sit and wait for his vision to develop. It’s a vicious circle 

[Flashsabre]

Reimer has played pretty well for them this season. Tonight was on him though. They needed a couple saves there that he did not give them.

That goal by Tage, just wow. That shot is unstoppable when he gets it off like that.

Edited 13 hours ago by Flashsabre

[Thorner]

7 hours ago, Forecheck said:

The past few seasons solely have been a failure of special teams and inconsistent goaltending. Obviously they need better talent through the forward and defensive group, but if you had to narrow it down to just a couple crucial areas, it’s special teams and the need for far above average goaltending. 

Sabres are 19th in even strength goal differential this year 

5 V 5 is way too narrow and pidgeonholed to matter for much of anything on its own: as we can see borne out in the results 

Good even strength team is a myth, and using 5 V 5 is less relevant 

- - - 

people use a narrowed “5 V 5”, sometimes even just “5 V 5 gf” to claim the issues are purely special teams or even that the forwards are ok: it doesn’t work like that. There are more forms of even strength and there’s more to the game than offence 

even strength goal differential for Adams:

‘25: 19th

’24: 17th

‘23: 19th

‘22: below 25th (had to pay for more)

‘21: below 25th 

…this is supposed to be our calling card? We are 5 years in people. Below average even strength play. This is why we miss the playoffs: we pretend a stat that has us sitting around mid-pack once means enough to make large generalizations about what we need and willingly choose as narrow a focus as possible so as to paint a brighter picture 

Edited 12 hours ago by Thorner

[Gatorman0519]

10 hours ago, Mustache of God said:

Will this team hit 70 points this year?

No chance 

[JohnC]

9 hours ago, mjd1001 said:

I'm not saying you play conservative. I'm saying you don't put 2 guys on the ice that are both guys that will go deep into the corner.

 

Just because you have players on the ice who are adept at going into the corners doesn't mean that they will automatically use bad judgment when deciding to go after the puck or not. To state the obvious, getting the puck in OT when there is so much open ice is critical to success. There are a lot of things to be critical about regarding the players and in-game decisions. At least for me, this is not one of them for this irrelevant franchise in this meaningless game in another wasted season by an obtuse owner and staff.  After five years of going through an excruciating rebuild we have worked our way down to near the bottom. If the owner is not ashamed of what he has wrought, then he is shameless. It's embarrassing!

[Doohicksie]

8 hours ago, dudacek said:

I'm so disappointed in Lindy; he's brought nothing to this team.

I made a similar comment upthread during the game.  I was hoping for better from him but he just hasn't brought it.

[PromoTheRobot]

Once again I had to watch the game on delay. Ugh. Even when they tied I had a nagging feeling they were only going to lose.

[HumanSlinky39]

1 hour ago, Sidc3000 said:

Who? Who would the put in as GM? Probably another dirt time GM. Then we will have to sit and wait for his vision to develop. It’s a vicious circle 

I don't know, but somebody besides Kevyn Adams who is in year FIVE with a roster of his own creation showing zero forward progress. The law of averages says eventually they have to luck into someone semi-competent, right? Right??? I mean, even the Cleveland Clowns managed to make the playoffs a couple of times this decade and they were arguably the worst run franchise in professional sports for almost two decades with an owner just as bad, if not worse than Terry Pegula.

Edited 11 hours ago by HumanSlinky39