GDT: Sabres @ Washington Capitals 3/30/25 3:00 PM ET; MSG/MNMT, ESPN+

[dudacek]

7 hours ago, Thorner said:

I agree, if we trade power and slot in Bernard docker, I’m sure it’s addition by subtraction and we will be good. Forwards are set, just need to give away a few more players 

honestly doesn’t even matter Norris doesn’t play big thing is cozens is gone 

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

When you’re right, you’re right.

In the 12 games since Dylan Cozens was traded:

• Freed from the shackles of his wing, Jack Quinn has suddenly exploded for 10 points in 11 games.
• Moved up to the 3rd line, Peyton Krebs is suddenly more effective than Cozens was as the 2C, producing at a 20/20/40/+20 pace
• No longer weighed down by eating Cozens mistakes, Bowen Byram has led the team at +8 without being propped up by Dahlin
• It’s not really on point here, but it should be noted that the “other” new guy, JBD, has a 66% GF%
• And of course Cozens’ replacement at 2C Ryan McLeod leads the team with 14 points in 12 games.
• Without Cozens coughing up the puck, the PP has climbed to 25.7% good for 11th overall.
• Most importantly, the team has gone 7-5, good for 9th in the NHL over that stretch

You can’t make this ***** up!

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[Thorner]

The games literally don’t matter, but, having said that, let us completely ignore that and break down the stats, thoroughly

Edited Monday at 06:19 AM by Thorner

[Thorner]

18 minutes ago, dudacek said:

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

When you’re right, you’re right.

In the 12 games since Dylan Cozens was traded:

• Freed from the shackles of his wing, Jack Quinn has suddenly exploded for 10 points in 11 games.
• Moved up to the 3rd line, Peyton Krebs is suddenly more effective than Cozens was as the 2C, producing at a 20/20/40/+20 pace
• No longer weighed down by eating Cozens mistakes, Bowen Byram has led the team at +8 without being propped up by Dahlin
• It’s not really on point here, but it should be noted that the “other” new guy, JBD, has a 66% GF%
• And of course Cozens’ replacement at 2C Ryan McLeod leads the team with 14 points in 12 games.
• Without Cozens coughing up the puck, the PP has climbed to 25.7% good for 11th overall.
• Most importantly, the team has gone 7-5, good for 9th in the NHL over that stretch

You can’t make this ***** up!

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Ya Eric Comrie hasn’t played a lot of games, but..

sure Norris gets hurt a lot, but

Sure counting on replication of career highs across the board is an off the charts gamble, but

sure trading Eichel and Reinhart is a complete and colossal mistake, but

sure the plan is doomed from the start (and CALLED it, *at* the start) because we won’t win until we actively prioritize winning and we are willingly torpedoing the culture we seek to create, but 

To the bold, I mean, ya..

- - - 

sure these games mean diddly jack shite, but  

Edited Monday at 06:02 AM by Thorner
Samuelsson

[PerreaultForever]

but nothing. they don't mean a thing. 

[Thorner]

Anyways I’m trying to finish the Hobbit movies 

[Thorner]

The irony also is that the reason so much was expected of Quinn to start this season was because of stretches he put together, especially late, last year WITH cozens. Let’s not forget what those projections sounded like 

common denominator isn’t cozens or lack thereof, it’s the focus on ridiculous sample sizes 

[Wyldnwoody44]

Man 8 goals against the top team in the east and I feel like I'm in a kindergarten class with the bickering. 

Enjoy the one f*ING game they actually put on a show. 

Season has been dead for a while. At least it was entertaining. 

[matter2003]

1 hour ago, Wyldnwoody44 said:

Man 8 goals against the top team in the east and I feel like I'm in a kindergarten class with the bickering. 

Enjoy the one f*ING game they actually put on a show. 

Season has been dead for a while. At least it was entertaining. 

With yesterday's performance, the Sabres are now #1 in the NHL in the last 40 games in terms of goals/game at 3.41.  Unfortunately, they scored 141 goals over that time but allowed 145, along with having the 2nd worst save percentage in the NHL over that time period at .872.  Just abysmal goaltending, #1, and defense #2.

Edited Monday at 01:09 PM by matter2003

[phil_soisson]

15 hours ago, GoPuckYourself said:

Nobody wins more meaningless hockey games than this team.

They've fifteen years to accumulate meaningless W's.

[Doohickie]

16 hours ago, DarthEbriate said:

Great shift by Krebs, followed by a... Lafferty?

Krebs is rounding into a pretty decent player.  The mental gaffs seem to be diminishing and even though he's still not as strong on his pins as I'd like him to be, he pops back up pretty quickly and doesn't give up the play.  I've seen a few instances where he's broken up odd man rushes by just putting his head down and skating hard (something Owen Power should learn).

[Pimlach]

I missed the Washington game.  I missed it on purpose.  Just needed a break. 

 

Good to see they are scoring goals for now. Tuch continues to be a very solid forward and reaches 30+ goals again. 

Would like to see Tage get 40 and Zucker get 20.   

We scored 8 goals in a game were Dahlin had 0 points?  Hmmm  

[JohnC]

7 hours ago, dudacek said:

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

When you’re right, you’re right.

In the 12 games since Dylan Cozens was traded:

• Freed from the shackles of his wing, Jack Quinn has suddenly exploded for 10 points in 11 games.
• Moved up to the 3rd line, Peyton Krebs is suddenly more effective than Cozens was as the 2C, producing at a 20/20/40/+20 pace
• No longer weighed down by eating Cozens mistakes, Bowen Byram has led the team at +8 without being propped up by Dahlin
• It’s not really on point here, but it should be noted that the “other” new guy, JBD, has a 66% GF%
• And of course Cozens’ replacement at 2C Ryan McLeod leads the team with 14 points in 12 games.
• Without Cozens coughing up the puck, the PP has climbed to 25.7% good for 11th overall.
• Most importantly, the team has gone 7-5, good for 9th in the NHL over that stretch

You can’t make this ***** up!

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Quinn seems to be recently infused with confidence. His elevated play has been very encouraging. For a majority of the season, I considered him to be one of the most disappointing players on this team. However, his recent resurgent play has taken him off that disappointing list. Was it due to the liberating effect of the Cozens trade? I don't know.  

And as you point out, KA's McCleod deal is looking better and better. Can he make another similar deal or two this offseason? We'll see. 

[Weave]

58 minutes ago, matter2003 said:

With yesterday's performance, the Sabres are now #1 in the NHL in the last 40 games in terms of goals/game at 3.41.  Unfortunately, they scored 141 goals over that time but allowed 145, along with having the 2nd worst save percentage in the NHL over that time period at .872.  Just abysmal goaltending, #1, and defense #2.

Weren’t they more middle of the pack in goals for and had a positive goal differential just prior to the losing streak?

I wonder if Lindy went back to Donnie’s game plan?

[dudacek]

8 hours ago, Thorner said:

The games literally don’t matter, but, having said that, let us completely ignore that and break down the stats, thoroughly

I don't think you (or anyone really) took that post in the tone intended.

I'm highly skeptical of addition by subtraction and I definitely don't want the Sabres to run it back.

And I think it is ***** hilarious and utterly Sabres-y how clearly the early returns (don't) support my position and fuel the fears of what the Sabres will do this off-season.

Edited Monday at 02:19 PM by dudacek

[Pimlach]

3 hours ago, JohnC said:

Quinn seems to be recently infused with confidence. His elevated play has been very encouraging. For a majority of the season, I considered him to be one of the most disappointing players on this team. However, his recent resurgent play has taken him off that disappointing list. Was it due to the liberating effect of the Cozens trade? I don't know.  

And as you point out, KA's McCleod deal is looking better and better. Can he make another similar deal or two this offseason? We'll see. 

It would very Sabresy to see Quinn stay hot and get 20 goals this year, have Adams pencil him in in the top 6 again, and then see him struggle once the games actually matter. 

It is almost guaranteed to happen.  

[GoPuckYourself]

3 hours ago, Weave said:

Weren’t they more middle of the pack in goals for and had a positive goal differential just prior to the losing streak?

I wonder if Lindy went back to Donnie’s game plan?

If anyone used Granato’s game plan they shouldn’t be a head coach. 

Edited Monday at 05:50 PM by GoPuckYourself

[SwampD]

7 minutes ago, GoPuckYourself said:

If anyone used Granato’s game plan they shouldn’t be a head coach. 

Granato was not the problem.

[Archie Lee]

1 hour ago, Pimlach said:

It would very Sabresy to see Quinn stay hot and get 20 goals this year, have Adams pencil him in in the top 6 again, and then see him struggle once the games actually matter. 

It is almost guaranteed to happen.  

I see this as the flaw in having so many young players and not being willing to block them, or trade them until you know what you have (acknowledging they moved on from Savoie). The thing is, it is possible that Quinn will stay hot and becomes what we wanted/hoped/needed. We just can't rely on it.  And his value has likely shrunk.  

[GoPuckYourself]

49 minutes ago, SwampD said:

Granato was not the problem.

I totally disagree, he was the entire problem but definitely part of it.

[JohnC]

2 hours ago, Pimlach said:

It would very Sabresy to see Quinn stay hot and get 20 goals this year, have Adams pencil him in in the top 6 again, and then see him struggle once the games actually matter. 

It is almost guaranteed to happen.  

Whether he gets hot and goes on a scoring spree the mind-set for this backward franchise for all players is what you get is what you earn. No more of "not blocking" young fellows should direct how coaches assign playing time and roles. The word "entitled" should be stricken from the organization's vocabulary. Maybe that approach made sense when the rebuilding was in the first stage. But now the organization is entering the 6th year of the so-called "plan". 

I do believe that Quinn, JJP and Kulich are second-lines talents. But that doesn't mean that right now they are playing at second-line levels. I've said it, you've said it and many others have made the same point that the out of his depth GM needs to bring in a few veterans to be examples for the young fellows on how to play and prepare. 

[HumanSlinky39]

I think we may have something with the JJP/McLeod/Quinn line. Keep them together, don't split them up the moment they hit a rough patch. There's chemistry there and they're playing really well together. Ride it, long term.

 

Quinn has shown this potential before, then had a season disrupted by injury. Achilles injuries can take significant recovery time. Maybe/hopefully Quinn's struggles prior to getting hot recently were a function of that and he's worked past it. Stability w/JJP and MacLeod has probably helped, too.

Edited Monday at 07:38 PM by HumanSlinky39

[Pimlach]

2 hours ago, SwampD said:

Granato was not the problem.

Granato was one of the problems. 

[dudacek]

38 minutes ago, HumanSlinky39 said:

I think we may have something with the JJP/McLeod/Quinn line. Keep them together, don't split them up the moment they hit a rough patch. There's chemistry there and they're playing really well together. Ride it, long term.

 

Quinn has shown this potential before, then had a season disrupted by injury. Achilles injuries can take significant recovery time. Maybe/hopefully Quinn's struggles prior to getting hot recently were a function of that and he's worked past it. Stability w/JJP and MacLeod has probably helped, too.

It's incredible to me that with how excited I was about Quinn's rookie season and how terrible i have perceived this season that his production is going to end up virtually identical for each year.

Context.

[matter2003]

6 hours ago, Weave said:

Weren’t they more middle of the pack in goals for and had a positive goal differential just prior to the losing streak?

I wonder if Lindy went back to Donnie’s game plan?

Probably....Over the first 33 games, the Sabres averaged 2.96 goals per game(.45 goals less) and averaged allowing 3.51 goals per game(.13 less).  

On balance, the change has netted the Sabres a +.32 differential based on how they play now, which is likely why Ruff made the change...a lot more offense, not much worse defense/goaltending.