GDT: Game 43: Devils @ Sabres - 1/8 7pm ET (MSG-B, WGR 550)

[Royal Thunder]

There's no way Botterill doesn't see how talent starved the lineup is, as well as how head scratching Phil's lineup decisions have been recently. The question is whether or not he cares enough about this season to do something about it.

 

[Gordo21]

We need Sobotka to go Ape Shit tonight!

 

[Sabretooth]

Smith-Mitts-Girgs is an interesting 3rd line at least. The rest... WOOF

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

There's no way Botterill doesn't see how talent starved the lineup is, as well as how head scratching Phil's lineup decisions have been recently. The question is whether or not he cares enough about this season to do something about it.

Why is everyone desperate the lose a first round playoff matchup? They were not expected to finish with more than 80-85 points. The team has a ton of holes,

 

[Chainshot]

Smith-Mitts-Girgs is an interesting 3rd line at least. The rest... WOOF

I'm curious what 10-12 minutes will do for them tonight. If Mitts can have a little of the straight-ahead game of his wingers rub off on him, good.

 

[Beerz]

Why is everyone desperate the lose a first round playoff matchup? They were not expected to finish with more than 80-85 points. The team has a ton of holes,

A first round playoff exit would be huge for this group. Making the playoffs would give them a glimpse of light after years of being encased in a dingy dark tank.

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

A first round playoff exit would be huge for this group. Making the playoffs would give them a glimpse of light after years of being encased in a dingy dark tank.

Teams are bad until they're not. Winnipeg and Vegas went to the WCF without benefit of this recent 'must lose a round' meme.

 

[Jim Bob]

 

[Beerz]

I dont know what meme you speak of but I do know it doesnt really matter what Vegas or Winnipeg did...you cant tell me that a team that has been stuck in the cellar for the last half decade wouldn't benefit from getting a taste of making the playoffs both in terms of confidence of the players,organization, city and fans ..as well as the experienced gained by our young players.

 

[CrazyPsycho]

Sutton starts

 

[Jim Bob]

 

[oldgoalie]

Sutton starts

Carter-
no shit goals, tonight...please? I'm counting on ya to return to form.

 

[old kummelweck]

Why is everyone desperate the lose a first round playoff matchup? They were not expected to finish with more than 80-85 points. The team has a ton of holes,

The kids need to start competing in the post-season at this point in their development. Besides, there a good match-ups and bad match-ups in the playoffs. They legitimately have a chance to finish anywhere from 2nd to 8th, and I think they could match up well against half the teams in the playoff picture right now.

 

[26CornerBlitz]

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

The kids need to start competing in the post-season at this point in their development. Besides, there a good match-ups and bad match-ups in the playoffs. They legitimately have a chance to finish anywhere from 2nd to 8th, and I think they could match up well against half the teams in the playoff picture right now.

Which of Tampa, Toronto, Pittsburgh, Boston, and Washington do you think they match up well with?

I dont know what meme you speak of but I do know it doesnt really matter what Vegas or Winnipeg did...you cant tell me that a team that has been stuck in the cellar for the last half decade wouldn't benefit from getting a taste of making the playoffs both in terms of confidence of the players,organization, city and fans ..as well as the experienced gained by our young players.

There's not a requirement that team enter the playoffs and get bounced in the first round in order to succeed later. There's even less to suggest that they need to rent players to barely squeak into the playoffs to then lose the first round. I get it; people want to the see playoff hockey again. So do I, but I want to see them in the finals even more. This team doesn't have enough discretionary value that it can shed some and still get to the ultimate goal.

 

[GellMann]

So glad we went through all of the miserable tank years to be icing a forward lineup like that.

One tank consequence that never gets talked about is the fact that we destroyed our organizational depth to unfathomable levels in the urge to ice 2 4th lines and 2 AHL lines for 2 years. We've thought that we've fixed our depth about three different times since then...and it's still among the worst in the league, with the worst center depth in the league.

Eichel is great. But he isn't the only part of the roster that can be attributed to tossing seasons the way we did.

 

[BuffaloGooner]

I believe it may have been @Chainshot that mentioned the fact that a few people on the team have been sick lately leading to sluggish performances. I buy that. Hopefully Sam is good to go tonight. Even without Jack, I think we’re a better team than NJ.

 

[Sabreality]

I believe it may have been @Chainshot that mentioned the fact that a few people on the team have been sick lately leading to sluggish performances. I buy that. Hopefully Sam is good to go tonight. Even without Jack, I think we’re a better team than NJ.

I think Hall is still out too, so theres that at least

 

[GrierIsGod123]

So glad we went through all of the miserable tank years to be icing a forward lineup like that.

I just don't get not calling up one of the offensive forwards in Rochester. Playing Elie over any of them is a crime at this point, for as offensively-challenged as we are.

Elie might be the worst forward we've had in the last ten years.

 

[Icicle]

Look for the positives! That's Mittelstadt's best winger duo so far this season. His game to shine!

 

[sabremike]

Which of Tampa, Toronto, Pittsburgh, Boston, and Washington do you think they match up well with?



There's not a requirement that team enter the playoffs and get bounced in the first round in order to succeed later. There's even less to suggest that they need to rent players to barely squeak into the playoffs to then lose the first round. I get it; people want to the see playoff hockey again. So do I, but I want to see them in the finals even more. This team doesn't have enough discretionary value that it can shed some and still get to the ultimate goal.

You are aware if we miss the playoffs this season it will be because we were beat out by a team everyone had finishing bottom 5 that was considered a hopeless disaster and another team that was obliterated on July 1st in a manner that was literally without precedent in the history of the league and their GM responded by signing Leo Kromerov right? Missing the playoffs this year would be a disaster, there is no positive way to spin it.

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

You are aware if we miss the playoffs this season it will be because we were beat out by a team everyone had finishing bottom 5 that was considered a hopeless disaster and another team that was obliterated on July 1st in a manner that was literally without precedent in the history of the league and their GM responded by signing Leo Kromerov right? Missing the playoffs this year would be a disaster, there is no positive way to spin it.

Obviously anything less than the playoffs after finishing last in the league would be unthinkable.

JT leaving NYI isn't unprecedented. Chara left Ottawa for Boston. That was the biggest UFA move in the cap era.

Montreal lost Weber and Price last year. I don't understand your penchant for histrionics.

 

[sabremike]

Obviously anything less than the playoffs after finishing last in the league would be unthinkable.

After the way the season developed 100% absolutely.

 

[GellMann]

Obviously anything less than the playoffs after finishing last in the league would be unthinkable.

Given the context of a likely 40+ goal Skinner, 90+ point Jack, and 10 game win streak, yes, it would be unthinkable, as we'd be one of two teams to ever miss with a 10 game win streak IIRC. The other being Columbus who put it together in March after being like the worst team in the league besides the tank Sabres for the first 5 months of the season.

And it would cement the Sabres as the only team to finish in last in the last 5 seasons to not make the playoffs the next year, unable to do what other teams did THREE times in that span. While several other bottom-of-conference-but-not-quite-last-place-teams joined those other last place teams in making the playoffs, while we sit aside as the special-bad team that can't even make it with the above things going right, because of a hole they felt like making and not fixing.

It would be f***ing ridiculous to waste another year of Jack's prime with all of that going right, yes.

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

After the way the season developed 100% absolutely.

You know what would be a disaster? Blowing a 1st on a rental to appease the whiner line and getting bounced in the opening round. Because that would have long term implications. You know what would help timely contributions from Colin White on an ELC.