game discussion thread GDT: Buffalo @ Philadelphia, 7:30 PM ET, 10/25/2016, NBCSN

[WildCard]

Four days?!? FOUR DAYS?!?! Come on now, that's waaaayyyyy too long for you hooligans to wait for your one and only Buffalo Sabres to take the ice! The Sistine Chapel was painted, Rome, WWII, my 30 rack...hell even God (if'n you believe in such) created the world in 4 days

Full disclosure: all things listed above took longer than 4 days....mostly

So...what should you expect after four agonizing days of waiting? Well, for starters, we finally get to see a natural center play, well, center. Go figure. Sam Reinhart will take over the 2nd line center duties and be flanked by Ennis and Girgs as he looks to show everyone that yes, he indeed can play and yes, he will sure as ###### be fine; hair too. The only downside is, of course, that this will undoubtedly validate Disco Dan. If it means wins, so be it!

We all know the story with the Sabres right now. Coming off a 2-1 loss in Vancouver, the western road trip had its high and lows, and as such the Sabres hit 50% on points coming out of it. We all know they should have done better, and if you don't agree with me, well, I don't like you

The Flyers, one of Buffalo's top historic rivals and one of two ###### teams claiming the Pennsylvania as their own, are coming off a 3-1 loss in Montreal last night. By the way, Montreal is 5-0-1, and leads our division. Philly meanwhile sits at 2-3-1, and have a dumb logo.


Robin Lehner is out because he's sick with a case of reboundinidous. Nilsson will start for the Sabres

Game Preview

Monday Practice Report
 

Dmitry Kulikov and Jake McCabe swapped defensive partners on Monday, with Kulikov skating alongside Zach Bogosian and McCabe alongside Cody Franson. Bylsma said the move was made in an effort to increase the responsibilities for Kulikov, who also practiced on the power play.

Kulikov has seen his ice time increase in every game since missing the end of preseason and then the regular-season opener with a lower-body bruise. He skated 21:35 in the loss to Vancouver on Thursday.

"I want to get Kulikov on the ice in more situations and more opportunities," Bylsma said. "That paring of Josh Gorges and [Rasmus Ristolainen], while it's not together 100 percent of the time during the last four games, has been strong in the matchup pairings. Getting Dmitry more ice time, I think he needs it, deserves and we need him to have it."

Buffalo:

Forwards:
26 Matt Moulson - 90 Ryan O'Reilly - 21 Kyle Okposo

63 Tyler Ennis - 23 Sam Reinhart - 28 Zemgus Girgensons

82 Marcus Foligno - 22 Johan Larsson - 12 Brian Gionta

44 Nicolas Deslauriers - 27 Derek Grant - 52 Hudson Fasching


Defense:
4 Josh Gorges - 55 Rasmus Ristolainen

77 Dmitry Kulikov - 47 Zach Bogosian

29 Jake McCabe - 6 Cody Franson

34 Casey Nelson

Goalies:
31 Anders Nilsson

Linus Ullmark

[JJFIVEOH]

Dude, you hit the midnight deadline in the head!

Hopefully I have enough Internet speed to watch.

[Doohickie]

Swapping partners, eh?

 

 

....not that there's anything wrong with that...

[JJFIVEOH]

Don't touch my ass......

[SABRES 0311]

Excited to see Moulson and Okposo on a line together. Looks like our third line is set and if we can keep our fourth to minimum minutes we should be good.

[SabresBaltimore]

First we have to wait 4 days for another game after a mostly disappointing west coast trip, and now we have to put up with the idiots on NBCSN commentating. Boo! Hopefully the Sabres line changes have an impact.

[bob_sauve28]

Finally!! Go Sabres!

[North Buffalo]

Its on NBC cant stream so who cares... hope Sabres win but wont pay attention... screw bettman and comcast.

[Derrico]

Well done Wildcard :worthy:

 

With Reinhardt at C I finally like the look of our forward lines.  But Jake McCabe has been maybe our best dman thus far.  His reward?  Saddled down on the third pairing with Franson.  FML.

[inkman]

Well done Wildcard :worthy:

 

With Reinhardt at C I finally like the look of our forward lines. But Jake McCabe has been maybe our best dman thus far. His reward? Saddled down on the third pairing with Franson. FML.

Not enough Ds Edited October 25, 2016 by inkman

[That Aud Smell]

nice job, WC.

 

for as much as i hate the flyers, though, i can't hate on that logo. it's a classic.

also: there's nothing quite like beating the flyers to get the sabres rolling the right direction.

 

let's go, buffalo!

[LGR4GM]

Well done Wildcard :worthy:

 

With Reinhardt at C I finally like the look of our forward lines. But Jake McCabe has been maybe our best dman thus far. His reward? Saddled down on the third pairing with Franson. FML.

Exactly. How Gorges keeps his spot I don't know.

[dEnnis the Menace]

Exactly. How Gorges keeps his spot I don't know.

 

I hate that he's with Rasmus.  Hopefully we can get on a roll starting tonight.  Let's go Sabres! 

[LGR4GM]

Radkos Gudhas the head hunter will be back tonight... oh goody

[darksabre]

Radko Gudas

[CallawaySabres]

Really having a hard time looking at that lineup and finding wins that will keep this team at a 500 pace until Eichel and Kane come back

[bob_sauve28]

No Rob Ray tonight! Cool! 

[SwampD]

Exactly. How Gorges keeps his spot I don't know.

By shutting down the likes of McDavid.

[bob_sauve28]

By shutting down the likes of McDavid.

Yup, we are lucky to have Gorges 

[inkman]

No Rob Ray tonight! Cool!

Man I didn't seen that coming atall.

[TrueBlueGED]

By shutting down the likes of McDavid.

Someone here probably hit an eagle or two while golfing. Doesn't mean they belong on the PGA Tour. If it were a seven game series, I bet that one game would be the only one Gorges shut him down.

[Eleven]

Someone here probably hit an eagle or two while golfing. Doesn't mean they belong on the PGA Tour. If it were a seven game series, I bet that one game would be the only one Gorges shut him down.

 

He didn't just shut him down, though.  He frustrated the hell out of him.

[TrueBlueGED]

He didn't just shut him down, though. He frustrated the hell out of him.

For one game. I don't think roster decisions should be based on what is likely an outlying performance.

[Derrico]

Yup, we are lucky to have Gorges 

We are lucky to have Gorges.  We are not lucky to have Gorges on our top pairing.

[LGR4GM]

Oooo ahhhhh Gorges shut down McDavid on his third game in 4 nights for Connor. What an accomplishment!

Edited October 25, 2016 by LGR4GM