GDT: Sabres @ Senators, April 1, 2025 - 7:00PM, MSG 📺, WGR550 📻 🎙

[LGR4GM]

Sabres take on the Senators tonight in a battle of teams that understand that Linus Ullmark was worth signing. Josh Norris will not play but Dylan Cozens should. Bernard-Docker also will be in the lineup and maybe is something? Tune in for the riveting conclusion of the Sabres Sens 2025 series. 

Edited April 1 by LGR4GM

[DarthEbriate]

No triumphant homecoming Norris hat trick in the cards tonight.

If the Sens win in regulation they'll get to 86 points and the maximum the Sabres could get to by winning out would be 84 points, mathematically eliminating the Sabres from the #7 seed. For the 8th seed, the Sabres will survive (mathematically) until at least this weekend.

[LGR4GM]

 

[JoeSchmoe]

8 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

 

Lafferty sucks!

[dudacek]

7 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

 

“If Kulich and Benson and Samuelsson and Power and UPL are as good as I think they are, this is a playoff lineup”

-overheard Adams to Pegula

[LGR4GM]

 

[Mustache of God]

This is the first season I haven't followed this team closely.

What's the deal with Norris? Is he on IR? What kind of injury does he have?

What's the deal with UPL? Is Reimer simply outplaying him?

[steveoath]

[Weave]

8 posts at 2:15pm for a game against a division rival.

Just ***** you, Terry.

[Doohickie]

21 minutes ago, JoeSchmoe said:

Lafferty sucks!

But he's got a wicked backhand.

[steveoath]

13 minutes ago, Mustache of God said:

This is the first season I haven't followed this team closely.

What's the deal with Norris? Is he on IR? What kind of injury does he have?

What's the deal with UPL? Is Reimer simply outplaying him?

Norris has “mid body injury” 

UPL is dreadful

[Palm Trees And Taxes]

Zero reason to play Norris. See you in September Josh.

UPL has been bad but in part this defensive group needs some changes. Talented, but too much of the same type of defenseman lead to these inconsistencies between the pipes.

 

[Palm Trees And Taxes]

30 minutes ago, Weave said:

8 posts at 2:15pm for a game against a division rival.

Just ***** you, Terry.

Sad but true.

I SO miss the Aprils when we were gearing up for a playoff series or even a playoff run. That was many years ago and way less gray hair ago as well.

The lack of urgency based on Adams's moves is what infuriates me the most. He says but does things differently.

If Pegula does not fire him, I have no hope for this team in 2025-2026.

T H E S O L U T I O N I S W I T H I N T H I S R O O M

 

[SABRES 0311]

I don’t know how to interpret our first three forward lines. It’s a little bit of everything in each one and debatable which is one, two, and three.

[CallawaySabres]

If Reimer is playing net, that's all I need to know. What are they still trying to get a playoff spot?! Can we at least find out if UPL is as bad as we all think so we can get rid of him over the summer...

[JoeSchmoe]

11 minutes ago, CallawaySabres said:

If Reimer is playing net, that's all I need to know. What are they still trying to get a playoff spot?! Can we at least find out if UPL is as bad as we all think so we can get rid of him over the summer...

There's no saving UPL's season. The book is written. He sucks.

But, by seeing how well 37yo Reimer does in the remaining games, we can get a true sense of how badly UPL sucked. With enough sample size, we can see how much a JAG goalie might improve this team.

[Mustache of God]

27 minutes ago, SABRES 0311 said:

I don’t know how to interpret our first three forward lines. It’s a little bit of everything in each one and debatable which is one, two, and three.

It's kind of like a swiss army knife in which it's fun to look at and think about the different things it can do but the closer you examine it the less fun it is to take in as you realize it won't do anything right.

51 minutes ago, Palm Trees And Taxes said:

Zero reason to play Norris. See you in September Josh.

UPL has been bad but in part this defensive group needs some changes. Talented, but too much of the same type of defenseman lead to these inconsistencies between the pipes.

 

The bolded has been the problem with this team since Adams took over 5 years ago. It's infuriating this is still the case and it's the main reason my head exploded when we preemptively signed Bryson to another contract. 

[HumanSlinky39]

So is Norris just done for the year, then? Great trade, Kev!

In fairness, JBD looks like he could be a serviceable Dman and the team is playing better without Cozens, but he couldn't have snagged a better return than a guy who can't even stay on the ice after 3 games and a possibly serviceable Dman? 

Edited April 1 by HumanSlinky39

[Flashsabre]

Must Win!!!!

[pi2000]

Jack Quinn anytime goal scorer 🎯

[Pimlach]

2 hours ago, dudacek said:

“If Kulich and Benson and Samuelsson and Power and UPL are as good as I think they are, this is a playoff lineup”

-overheard Adams to Pegula

Only five "ifs".   And just how good did he think they were?   

Classic Risk Management in the Pegula era.  

[Drag0nDan]

2 hours ago, Mustache of God said:

This is the first season I haven't followed this team closely.

What's the deal with Norris? Is he on IR? What kind of injury does he have?

What's the deal with UPL? Is Reimer simply outplaying him?

RE: Norris - supposedly not his shoulder but its an upper body injury they claim he picked up, but others claim he had when he was traded and was playing through.  Its hockey so, we'll probably never know.  I'd imagine since the season is completely lost that they're just being careful with an asset.  They just traded for him and I'm not sure he's locked in on this team for 2025-2026.  

RE: UPL - Yes, Reimer is playing better than him and deserves majority of starts here on out.  

UPL Last 5

[Drag0nDan]

27 minutes ago, HumanSlinky39 said:

So is Norris just done for the year, then? Great trade, Kev!

In fairness, JBD looks like he could be a serviceable Dman and the team is playing better without Cozens, but he couldn't have snagged a better return than a guy who can't even stay on the ice after 3 games and a possibly serviceable Dman? 

They never say in hockey, but i feel like they wouldn't have said it wasn't a shoulder if it was.  My guess is some type of core muscle type of thing that probably needs offseason surgery.  

[CallawaySabres]

5 minutes ago, Drag0nDan said:

RE: Norris - supposedly not his shoulder but its an upper body injury they claim he picked up, but others claim he had when he was traded and was playing through.  Its hockey so, we'll probably never know.  I'd imagine since the season is completely lost that they're just being careful with an asset.  They just traded for him and I'm not sure he's locked in on this team for 2025-2026.  

RE: UPL - Yes, Reimer is playing better than him and deserves majority of starts here on out.  

UPL Last 5

If he is not on this team next year, forget being fired, Adams should go straight to the electric chair.

[Doohickie]

1 hour ago, SABRES 0311 said:

I don’t know how to interpret our first three forward lines. It’s a little bit of everything in each one and debatable which is one, two, and three.

Benson-Kulich-Thompson
Peterka-McLeod-Quinn
Zucker-Krebs-Tuch

Kulich is an experiment but with Tage on the wing, who else do you put at 1C?  I don't think Kulich is a 1C at this point but you don't put him between JJP and Quinn; too much inexperience there.  Benson seems to be showing complementary chemistry with Tage.  Is that a first line?  Maybe not, but it's not a bad line.

JJP and Quinn need a center with some experience and defensive responsibility.  They're clicking with each other right now and McLeod is the glue that holds the line together.

Zucker-Krebs-Tuch isn't a defensive line per se, but they're all defensively responsible as a unit and with Krebs providing the spark they're a pretty good energy line.  Against another team's 3rd line I would expect Zucker's experience and Tuch's scoring touch to win the battle.

I like the makeup of these three lines to be honest, given the roster construction.