GDT: Penguins @ Sabres, 7:00pm Oct. 1, 2025, 🎙 📺 ESPN+/MSG

[RochesterExpat]

On one side you had a bunch of guys who played like they wanted to win and on the other you had the Buffalo Sabres.

Feels like November already.

[CallawaySabres]

This team is not only terrible, they are sooooo boring to watch. Can we at least ice a team with heart if they are going to suck for yet another year…ugh

[Turbo44]

7 minutes ago, Gatorman0519 said:

Not looking promising. 

Didn’t they go something like 6-1 in preseason last year? How did that translate to the regular season?

[GASabresIUFAN]

Good thing we have that elite D group to project the goaltending. 
 

Power, Kesselring, Samuelsson, and Byram all hurt already.  This franchise is truly cursed.  

Edited 10 hours ago by GASabresIUFAN

[Indabuff]

6 minutes ago, RochesterExpat said:

On one side you had a bunch of guys who played like they wanted to win and on the other you had the Buffalo Sabres.

Feels like November already.

"Twas the witch of November come stealing"

[PerreaultForever]

Well I finally got to see a preseason Sabres game. Not impressed overall. 

Norris is definitely better than Cozens was. If he stays healthy (which is the big IF) that's an upgrade and should lead to some goals for himself and Thompson. 

Mrtka is a real smooth skater and should develop into a good player but he's a running around rookie and if he is in the line up I doubt it goes well over this season. 

Tuch wants over 10 million (or at least people sat that)? He was a turnover machine. Let's just say he's getting the rust off and leave it at that. 

Dahlin had that impressive rush but we already know he's a star and nothing's changed there.

The bottom 6 (really the bottom nine) did not impress in any way at all. 

For all the rhetoric and talk it looks pretty much the same. Not tougher, not more physical, not winning board battles. Same open ice and perimeter play and most of the time it results in nothing. Same same same. Maybe they are still in preseason mode and it'll be better once the season starts. It'll have to be.

Rob Ray on the other hand was in full apology/excuse form. I guess that's the same too. 

[Taro T]

For those that are gluttons for punishment, Friday's rematch game will be on MSG local, so it should be on ESPN+ for the out of towners.

[clink]

Trying to stay optimistic 

It's not going too well 

GD WHY is THIS the team that I love???

[Brawndo]

 

[RochesterExpat]

7 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

Norris is definitely better than Cozens was. If he stays healthy (which is the big IF) that's an upgrade and should lead to some goals for himself and Thompson. 

Mrtka is a real smooth skater and should develop into a good player but he's a running around rookie and if he is in the line up I doubt it goes well over this season

Norris surprised me. He is as advertised. But, as you said, he needs to stay healthy.

I’m happy with Mrtka but he isn’t ready yet. Although, at the rate we are going, he might end up on the opening roster by virtue of being last man standing.

1 minute ago, Brawndo said:

 

How many pre-existing camp conditions can one team have?

[Two or less]

1 hour ago, CallawaySabres said:

This team is not only terrible, they are sooooo boring to watch. Can we at least ice a team with heart if they are going to suck for yet another year…ugh

It's preseason, lets relax. lol

[Dr. Who]

45 minutes ago, RochesterExpat said:

How many pre-existing camp conditions can one team have?

I think it's called being a Buffalo Sabre.

[Pimlach]

Glad I’ve missed the past few preseason games.  Sounds like they are rounding into mid season form.  
 

 

[Pimlach]

2 hours ago, Forecheck said:

Jerry Korab is still better than Bryson 

Jerry Korab, had he developed with today’s modern training, would be an excellent top pairing defenseman today.  Size, strength, great shot, offensive skills, defensive skills, and the ability to put fear into opponents and protect his teammates.  He would get PP and PK minutes.  Not to mention the great ‘stache and the fur coats. 
 

It’s actually insulting to mention him with Bryson.  

[Bangarang]

Can we talk about how useless Quinn is? 

[JoeSchmoe]

I couldn't watch the game due to a late work meeting and getting my daughter to hockey. From the stats, and a couple of grainy highlights, it looks like we could have won this with actual NHL goaltending.

Hopefully with UPL down, Lyon gets this job and keeps it.

[Pimlach]

25 minutes ago, Bangarang said:

Can we talk about how useless Quinn is? 

Peterka will continue to produce.  Quinn, I have major doubts about.  

[PerreaultForever]

58 minutes ago, Bangarang said:

Can we talk about how useless Quinn is? 

I'm waiting for the regular season for that but yes, so far he is near invisible much like last year. 

[PerreaultForever]

1 hour ago, Pimlach said:

Jerry Korab, had he developed with today’s modern training, would be an excellent top pairing defenseman today.  Size, strength, great shot, offensive skills, defensive skills, and the ability to put fear into opponents and protect his teammates.  He would get PP and PK minutes.  Not to mention the great ‘stache and the fur coats. 
 

It’s actually insulting to mention him with Bryson.  

Wasn't Korab playing as a forward when we got him from Chicago?  Big heavy player really came into his own as a Sabre. Mean too. 

In more recent times Dustin Byfuglien reminded me of King Kong Korab. And wasn't it Rick Dudley that wanted him back on defense for Winnipeg? I think so but I might be remembering it wrong. If it was, maybe he was thinking of Korab as well. 

We don't need a Bryson. We could really use a Korab. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

This game featured every fear I had for this team: bad goaltending, bad defense and bad special teams.  Not much looks to have changed in Sabreland.

[Forecheck]

3 hours ago, Pimlach said:

Jerry Korab, had he developed with today’s modern training, would be an excellent top pairing defenseman today.  Size, strength, great shot, offensive skills, defensive skills, and the ability to put fear into opponents and protect his teammates.  He would get PP and PK minutes.  Not to mention the great ‘stache and the fur coats. 
 

It’s actually insulting to mention him with Bryson.  

Yeah I’m saying Korab in his age 70s today is better than Bryson. Tongue in cheek yes, definitely went over some peoples heads. It’s actually the complete opposite of an insult to Korab. That’s why I mentioned it. 

[SABRES 0311]

6 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

Well I finally got to see a preseason Sabres game. Not impressed overall. 

Norris is definitely better than Cozens was. If he stays healthy (which is the big IF) that's an upgrade and should lead to some goals for himself and Thompson. 

Mrtka is a real smooth skater and should develop into a good player but he's a running around rookie and if he is in the line up I doubt it goes well over this season. 

Tuch wants over 10 million (or at least people sat that)? He was a turnover machine. Let's just say he's getting the rust off and leave it at that. 

Dahlin had that impressive rush but we already know he's a star and nothing's changed there.

The bottom 6 (really the bottom nine) did not impress in any way at all. 

For all the rhetoric and talk it looks pretty much the same. Not tougher, not more physical, not winning board battles. Same open ice and perimeter play and most of the time it results in nothing. Same same same. Maybe they are still in preseason mode and it'll be better once the season starts. It'll have to be.

Rob Ray on the other hand was in full apology/excuse form. I guess that's the same too. 

I didn’t think about the bold until i read this. You’re right, it’s disappointing.

[Brawndo]

To answer a question from upthread, yes Brian Duff has tattoos on his knuckles. They are names which could be his children 

[LGR4GM]

The players that I thought looked bad, were bad. Mrtka was dragged into the abyss by Bryson. Ryan Johnson is straight up better. I actually agree that Zucker McLeod Tuch looked like poo last night. Zucker turned a bunch of pucks over and they didn't seem to have legs as a line. Jack Quinn is catching fire up thread, he was mediocre but so was Kulich. Doan was the only one who had a few moments on that line. 

It was obvious that the AHL Pens wanted it more but it all game down to gt and special teams. Buffalo's were trash yet again. Passing around the perimeter on the pp so you can pass to Tage for a shot is stupid and rarely works. The PK looked like a disjointed mess but that's partially because most of the pk defense was gone. 

It's preseason, but warning signs are flashing. Bringing back the same coaches was stupid. Also Georgiev... not impressed. 

 

 

[JohnC]

The game was the first time I was able to watch the Sabres. You can’t take too much from a preseason game . However, what bothered me about it was a general flatness. I have been an advocate for Quinn for a while. What I found disturbing about his game last night was the lack of spark in his play. He’s one player that needs to play with desperation. He just seemed to be so pedestrian on the ice.

I’m also bothered by UPL’s lack of durability. I’m aware that in the preseason you have to be cautious with players who are nicked up. But his ability to be available is ridiculously low. 
 

Assuming that Norris stays healthy, the trade for him was a good deal.