Mustache of God

Switch Baptiste and Pominville and I'd be more interested. These last 2 games should have the 4th line composed of players that need to be phased out, not our youth. Can't watch tonight b/c I have tickets to an underwater puppet show but will be interested so see how they do. GO SABRES. ICE THE LIGHTNING!

You'd think with all the practice they've had this year with the goalie pulled they'd manage to squeeze one in by now.

Appreciate this!

Really? Sad to hear. I stand corrected. Still a nice gesture i suppose.

Love seeing RJ with his mom in the booth. How many announcers can get away with that?

Okposo is either really ON or completely turned OFF...I remember when we signed him Islanders fans had the same comments. He looks amazing when he's hot but then he goes cold for streaks. The concussion and ensuing ICU visit has unfortunately made those cold streaks more frequent. Once Bogo/Pommer/Moulson are off the books KO's contract will be the Sabres albatross.

I'd be really happy with these lines if Okposo replaced Wilson on the 2nd Line and Baptiste slid up to the 3rd line and Wilson played on the 4th. Should be fun to watch the 3rd line tonight regardless.

A loss tonight will cement the Sabres in the annals of hockey history as the first team to ever finish 31st in the standings. This would give us a 50% shot at drafting 4th overall, or 50% drafting in the top 3. I think an ideal scenario tonight would be an OT Victory. That would mean we'd have to win our last two games (and OTT lose theirs) to not land in last place and there's no chance of that happening*. *knowing the Sabres they'd probably pull off a 3 game winning streak to lower their odds of Dahlin.

Is there a rhyme to reason why we've seen Girgensons stapled with Jack? Since Jack's return Girgensons has 0 goals and 3 points.Pominville only has 4 points in that span (all in the past 4 games). I can't for a second buy that this is the best pair of wingers to use with Eichel. I find it funny we've never seen him play with ERod as they were on a line in college and you'd think they'd have some chemistry. Rethinking potential lineups, here's a new idea. Have a 3rd line of all the young bucks. Tell them to go out and play and know you don't have a veteran to cover for your mistakes. Trial by fire. The 4th line is there to mostly keep the bench warm. Okposo- Eichel -Erod Wilson - ROR - Reinhart Nylander - Mittlestad - Baptiste Girgensons - Larsson - Pominville

I cna't imagine this is the case. The year is over...now is the time to play the youth to see how they work together on the roster at the NHL level. Nothing is gained having them up here to have plugs on expiring contracts playing over them.

Pouliot looked like an avalanche crashed onto a train that had crashed on the side of a mountain last night, so I'm guessing he's sitting. If I were Housley the lines I'd put forth are: Nylander - Eichel - Mittlestat Baptiste - ROR - Reinhart Okposo-Rodriguez - Girgensons Wilson - Larsson - Pomminstein Sit: Pouliot, Nolan, Porter I don't think the lines will look anything like this. My head might explode if Eichel is not playing with one of the youths.

I'm not even talking high-end free agents you throw money at. I'd like to see a depth acquisition not be a complete dumpster fire and actually out-perform what was expected. I know it doesn't happen often but the Sabres always seem to be on the other end of that.

I'd like the team to have an appointed Captain along with some consistency, aka, WINNING STREAKS. Has this team won more than 3 games in a row this year, have they even won 3 in a row? It'd also be nice to see a FA acquisition work out for us. I can't think of many (or any) players we've brought in from FA and have actually worked out and I've wanted to see on the team the following year (Pouliot, Balou, Anitpin, Nolan, Franson, Moulson, Carlo C., etc.) We're also due to start having the prospects Murray drafted start to break into the league. It'd be really nice if at least one of them can make the jump and impress. I cna't remember the last player that has come up from Rochester and stayed up for good. Perhaps Pegula can harness the energy coming off the perpetual motion of turnstile that has been spitting out players from Rochester to Buffalo and back again.

Was anyone sent down to accommodate bringing 2 players up from Roch? Also please don't play him with Nolan and Pouliot or Larsson or Okposo or Girgensons...pretty much what Brawndo said.

I want to see Casey on Jacks wing in the 3rd. At this point why not?

that is how you don't play defense.

I'd rather have Nelson but I think Nelson is going to test the market and sign elsewhere, would prefer to have him back but I don't see it happening. Falk and Antipin are different types of defenders and I think Falk will hang around if nothing much changes. Antipin has been a disappointment and if he doesn't resign/isn't tendered I won't really mind.

Guhle is being replaced with Tennyson tonight. Last minute change.

Have we seen the last of Victor Antipin in a Sabres uniform? Has the Antipin experiment been a failure, another Murray whiff (I know Jbot signed him but GMTM did the legwork)? I think yes. He only played 47 games and for someone billed as an offensive D-man I was hoping to see him put up more than 10 points (all assists, no goals). Those 10 points somehow have him 4th in defense scoring on the team, which is to say, woof. That's horrible output from the D, scoring is a problem with the whole team but maybe the lack of defensive offense is where the problem starts? I don't know. He's an RFA after this season so it will be interesting if Botteril keeps him around...I can't imagine he'd earn a pay raise so he'd be had at the cheap. I wonder if he wants to say in the NHL as a schlub or go back to the KHL where he was a star. Our defense next year projects as: Scandella - Risto McCabe - Bogo Baloo - Guhle Falk/Nelson - UFAs , Antipin - RFA, If I'm Nelson I'm testing the market to sign a 1-year deal with a playoff team, put himself around good players to make him look better and earn an longer term deal for more money the next year. Sabres are going to have to over-pay for him if they want him to stay and I'm not sure that's going to happen. I'm hoping trades are made during the off-season to bring in some more help on D so we don't have to resign Falk. That leaves Antipin as an RFA to potentially be our 7th D (more likely 6th as Bogo being injured is a sure bet). Does he resign? Does JBot want him? My guess is no. I think Botteril will target a mid-range Dman in FA that will replace the need for Antipin and get more consistent performance / hopefully some veteran presence (we have to replace that intangible for Georges, right?). This also depends on the Dahlin sweepstakes but I'm not holding my breath.

Id like to order another 5 A night from Eichel with a side of Casey goals and a Reinhart hattrick for dessert. Thank you.

I feel like jack has had 5 before but i have no evidence to back that up.

Casey is currently a ppg player, jack aint gonna let the new kid saunter in that easily.

Make that 5 points for eichel

Eichel with 4 points and counting.

I used to think that if the sabres are ever going to be competitive thered be no place for Rodriguez on the team. Im starting to rethink that. Guy has gumption.