GDT: Game 51: Blackhawks @ Sabres - 2/1 7pm ET (MSG-B, WGR 550)

[Aladyyn]

Scratch Sobotka and force Sam to play center. Does he not want to play there anymore? There's probably no hope for him there anymore is there?

Botterill mentioned him as part of the team's center depth before the season. Gotta be the coach.

 

[oldgoalie]

Well that's brilliant. Ullmark holds the Stars to one but sure, let's keep with the rotation rather than letting the younger guy gain any momentum.

WTF. I would have given Ullmark tonight and next game and let Hutton have Carolina and Detroit. Hutton still seems shaky as hell, and I don't want Kane, showing off in his home town, anywhere near Hutton in net.

 

[debaser66]

Botterill mentioned him as part of the team's center depth before the season. Gotta be the coach.

What center depth? ;-)

 

[26CornerBlitz]

 

[GellMann]

And after all the talk about earning your spot. cool huh?

Well, Ullmark was given 3 games in a row/4 of 5 or 6 during a stretch of time to see if he can grab the job, like, 2 games ago, and allowed 14 goals in 11 periods in response.

I'd rather see Linus tonight too, but we should slow our rolls here - everything Phil does is not the new worst and most obvious thing not to do in existence

 

[Aladyyn]

What center depth? ;-)

It's theoretical center depth

 

[debaser66]

It's theoretical center depth

They measure it in quantity not quality

 

[HaNotsri]

Pilut on his off side with Scandella what could go wrong

Ullmark should have gotten the start

Phil always puts hos players in a position to succeed. Pilut with slightly damaged confidence and a rough game before being scratched along with the kamikaze passer and twig wiggler Scandella - how could that possibly fail?

 

[Aladyyn]

Phil always puts hos players in a position to succeed. Pilut with slightly damaged confidence and a rough game before being scratched along with the kamikaze passer and twig wiggler Scandella - how could that possibly fail?

For the first time in years we have an above average top 4 on defense and our coach refuses to use the lineup. It's hilarious.

 

[HaNotsri]

I'm happy Pilut is back in the lineup, but just hate that he'll be saddled with Scandella. He makes Risto so much better than he really is, which McCabe does not. McCabe is not a good Top 4 guy at this juncture.

Risto makes Pilut better as well. Posters are obviously entitled to their opinion but I wish some of us could appreciate what Risto brings a little bit more. Yes, he will turn into a buttered up elephant occasionally but he plays hard and the effort is (almost) always there. He’s an exciting player to watch.

When the team is winning he’ll be a great assett even if he lacks the capability to make us a winning team.

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

This line up is closer to what it should be, but the obvious answers are pretty obvious.

Pominville on the first line, he's well rested, give him another spin. Reinhart helps the second line.

Dahlin-Bogo
Pilut-Risto
Bel-McCabe

 

[26CornerBlitz]

 

[oldgoalie]

Why do I think Kane is going to eat Hutton alive?

 

[Zip15]

Well that's brilliant. Ullmark holds the Stars to one but sure, let's keep with the rotation rather than letting the younger guy gain any momentum.

The analysis probably began and ended with Phil thinking, "Hutton won his last start, and Ullmark lost."

 

[GellMann]

Why do I think Kane is going to eat Hutton alive?

I'd betcha it's Kane's 21 points in his last 9 games

 

[threeVo]

Pilut-Risto has been a good pair so why would we use it?

Scandella needs to be buried at ES and used on the PK where even there he isnt a difference maker despite Paul Hamilton beating that drum on the radio the other day. McCabe is just whatever, but atleast he can skate.

 

[ValJames]

The great Glenn Hall played 502, yes 502! straight games for the Blackhawks from October 6, 1955 thru November 7, 1962.

That one's for you @oldgoalie

 

[ek93]

I wanna bitch about Pilut being saddled with Scandella instead of the blatantly obvious choice to play him with Risto, but I guess I should just be happy he's in there at all.

No clue why Hutton gets the start.

Some of the decisions Housley makes hurt my brain.

 

[26CornerBlitz]

Here's tonight's projected lineup in its entirety:

53 Jeff Skinner - 9 Jack Eichel - 23 Sam Reinhart
72 Tage Thompson - 17 Vladimir Sobotka - 29 Jason Pominville
43 Conor Sheary - 37 Casey Mittelstadt - 71 Evan Rodrigues
28 Zemgus Girgensons - 22 Johan Larsson - 21 Kyle Okposo

19 Jake McCabe - 55 Rasmus Ristolainen
26 Rasmus Dahlin - 4 Zach Bogosian
6 Marco Scandella - 24 Lawrence Pilut

40 Carter Hutton
35 Linus Ullmark

 

[searoc]

Tage - Sobotka - Pommers is certainly a line.

 

[HaNotsri]

Tage - Sobotka - Pommers is certainly a line.

Change Tage for Kyle and it could be called ”the walking dead”

 

[Fearnot]

Time to make the Hawks feel some suffering, hope we see the swords do good again in-spite of their many deficiencies.

 

[Yatzhee]

Something tells me this 7 game home stand is going to be filled with a great deal of fight coming from the Sabres. I also believe either during, or immediately following this home stand, trades are made. I expect Botterill to show off any new toy he acquires in these home games. The playoffs are the goal, without giving up 1st rd picks, of that I have 0 doubt.
Buckle up Sabres fans, there may be a surprise or 2 coming your way if the team can play like the determined group they can be.

 

[Taro Tsujimoto]

 

[GellMann]

Something tells me this 7 game home stand is going to be filled with a great deal of fight coming from the Sabres. I also believe either during, or immediately following this home stand, trades are made. I expect Botterill to show off any new toy he acquires in these home games. The playoffs are the goal, without giving up 1st rd picks, of that I have 0 doubt.
Buckle up Sabres fans, there may be a surprise or 2 coming your way if the team can play like the determined group they can be.

Is this just thoughtful conjecture, or do have a little birdie from the organization whispering in your ear?