Taro T

An hour ago, they probably hadn't updated the standings to include their OTL so they would've been at 91.

Again, you're likely selling them short.

The Aisles end on Wednesday. But even if they win their game, as you say should the Sabres win tomorrow they can't be eliminated until they get to game 81 because the Cats can't knock them out until Thursday at the earliest.

Not only did he have Olofsson, but back when they were 2 parts of the team's second line (and that was the 2nd line until the Kid Line really got going and they swapped deployments just before Jost got waiver claimed), he was typically also teamed up with Asplund or Hinostroza (all 3 of which can't get into the lineup today), and they were the 2nd line which meant they also got the 3rd D pairing quite a bit. Talk about being put into a pretty much no win situation.

It could. But would rather see a regulation loss. Because if somehow the Pens manage to choke these last 2, then an Aisles regulation loss gives the Sabres the ability to get in with only 92 points. A point for the Aisles, with the Swamp Cats already being at 92 means the Sabres absolutely have to win all remaining 3 to have any chance.

Not necessarily with the Pens. They can tie the Pens in RW and ROW and would have the 3rd tie breaker W's over them. It is unlikely that happens as the Pens now need to be winning at least 1 in a SO, but it is possible. They cannot get the tiebreaker over either of the other two.

93. No. Sabres can't get the tiebreak over the Otters nor the Swamp Cats. It's unlikely they get the tiebreak now over the Pens either, but it is still an outside possibility.

You're underselling them.

No. He flat out refused to play for them. He backed up 1 only because the Sabres didn't have anyone else healthy to go.

Well, at an absolute minimum they get 80 meaningful games this year. Would like to see more like 98, but will take it.

Personally, would prefer they have a cap for the dressed lineup for the playoffs. If that were the regular season cap, it would still give teams leeway to exceed the regular season cap as only 20 players would be counting against the cap and not the normal 23. But this would reduce the benefit a team gets by keeping a $10MM player on the shelf until the playoffs as squeezing him back into the lineup will put a dent into the quality of the lower lines & pairing and also could leave a sieve as the backup.

If the Sabres don't sign Johnson, the compensation pick the Sabres get will be the 31st pick of the 2nd round in 2024. Aka the 63rd overall pick. Yes, the player picked there might become a stud, but it's more likely that if he makes the NHL he'll be 3rd pairing or bottom 6. Why wait 4 or so years for that, when they can have a 3rd pairing guy in Johnson either next year or the year after. Adams says he'll be an NHLer and wants to sign him. But it's up to Johnson. Hoping this delay is just that, merely a delay, like signing Levi was delayed a few days. Until we hear otherwise, will assume the delay is him deciding whether it makes more sense to sit in the pressbox in Buffalo buring an ELC year or playing in the playoffs in Ra-cha-cha and not getting to a non-ELC contract a year earlier. Neither path gets him to RFA/UFA status any sooner at this point. (Presuming he signs this spring; he could be a one time UFA this summer if he bails on the Sabres altogether.)

It'd be crazier for him to NOT be the starter.

Hopefully whether they win or lose matters through Friday and we see this lineup the next 4 games. With Thompson at less than 100% this gives them the best chance of winning.

Meaningful games in the final week of the season, to be more specific.

The Sabres have played the Rags well in their 2 previous meetings though they took 1 L out of the 2. Put Levi between the pipes, get the W, and worry about Joisey tomorrow. Lather, rinse, repeat 3 times and hope that they get the help they need.

If ALL the Sabres wins are in regulation and they end up tied with the Pens for the 8th seed (Aisles or Cats stay at 91 or only bump up to 92) they can tie the Pens at 92 or 93 and win the tie break. They have 29 RW wins to the Pens 31. 3 Sabres RW's and an OT loss put them at 92 points. A Pens RW and a RL put them at 92 points. Both would have 32 RW's. 2nd tiebreak is ROW. Sabres at 37, Pens at 39. They'd both have 40. 3rd tiebreak is W's. Sabres would have 42, Pens 41. Sabres win. At tied at 93 points, if all the Sabres victories are in regulation, the Sabres would have 33 and the Pens could only have 32 (their 3rd point would have to be an OT/SO L) so the Sabres would win. So, technically, the Sabres could still get the 7th seed and the winner of the Patrick, but that's even more unlikely than simply sneaking in as they'd need all 3 teams to collapse.

They COULD lose either or both of those games. But the way Lyon is playing right now, wouldn't have any money on it. The Aisles with their low event hockey probably are the best chance of falling on their faces. I'll take a minor miracle to keep the Pens from winning out. Maybe Toews comes back and wills the Hawks to a W and then C-bus decides it likes the idea of knocking nearest neighbor Pittsburgh out of the playoffs?

The Pens have the tiebreak for now. It would depend upon how the 2 teams got to 92 or 93 points to determine who would have it at that point. The Sabres could get it from them but that's not an absolute given. They likely would get the tie break from them, but if the Sabres had a SO win amongst their 3 wins to 92 or a couple of them to 93 and the Pens could still maintain the tie breaker.

2 things. 1 - didn't say the AHL wasn't beneficial for Frick and Frack. Said that the AHL playoffs were inconsequential and that the play in them didn't carry over to this season. 2 - you are talking to one of the very few that never called Mittelstadt a bust nor ever gave up on him. And, suppose a 3rd thing. You seem to be confusing my position with that of TW's.

Actually, if they win out and at least 2 of the teams they're chasing falter, they could pick as low as 32. ;)

Still say the games that killed their chances were the ones where their "best" goalie was given the start against bad teams making those game "guaranteed" wins and he gave up really bad goals right at the beginning of the game setting the tone or at the beginning of the 3rd giving one of the 3 worst teams in hockey life and a belief they could pull the game out. 1 out of 10 points in those games. All after the calendar flipped into 2023. Get 7 points out of those games instead of 1 and they're pretty much in. Even taking 5 points would've had them in the playoffs barring a collapse this week. Tack the Nashville debacle onto it, and there's a big part of missing should we not get a minor miracle this week. (Hey, tis the season.) And all the talk of not giving the team enough support or selling at a discount future pieces to help this year would be moot.

Peterka was great in the playoffs last year. Quinn was spent by the time they rolled around. If the playoffs truly carried over then shouldn't they have had more comparable seasons or even have had Peterka with the better season? And in the 2 game look sees the 2 got last year, Peterka looked better than Quinn also IMHO. They both developed last year and both were ready for the NHL this year. And both will be better next year for having had this season. Am not disparaging either. But, don't believe the AHL playoffs were what made or broke this season's play for either. Unless you want to argue that without the playoff run Peterka wouldn't have started in Buffalo this year. Doubt that's the case. It's cool they got to play in the playoffs, but it didn't make or break their seasons last year. UPL breaking right before the playoffs last year didn't torpedo his year this year nor would having been in them altered his track this year either IMHO.

Varlamov is a UFA this summer. Only costs money.

Why? Because he absolutely is the backup where he is and it isn't an absolute given that Levi will be the #1 as a rookie. And, he's had goal support in the the past. Maybe he misses it. He might relish playing for a team where a single mistake doesn't make getting to OT a necessity to get a W. That too.