GDT: Detroit Red Wings @ Buffalo Sabres, 22 Oct 2025, 7:30 pm ET, TV: TNT, HBO Max, FDSNDETX, Radio: WGR 550

[bob_sauve28]

 

[bob_sauve28]

 

 

[That Aud Smell]

50 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Make Tage & Ras watch this 100X!!!!

 

that's good analysis. hockey is in many ways a game of mistakes - and of minimizing your mistakes. the sabres need both dahlin and thompson to round into form - neither are quite there right now.

 

 

Edited 3 hours ago by That Aud Smell

[Ctaeth]

are we headed towards 3 goalies on the roster again?

[That Aud Smell]

1 minute ago, Ctaeth said:

are we headed towards 3 goalies on the roster again?

sorta feels that way, unfortunately.

i can't imagine that they'll waive Ellis without knowing that UPL is in good form.

[PromoTheRobot]

5 minutes ago, Ctaeth said:

are we headed towards 3 goalies on the roster again?

 

3 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

sorta feels that way, unfortunately.

i can't imagine that they'll waive Ellis without knowing that UPL is in good form.

 

It's not an issue for a few more weeks.

56 minutes ago, bob_sauve28 said:

 

So do we play Ellis at home Friday and Lyon in Toronto?

[That Aud Smell]

10 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

It's not an issue for a few more weeks.

So do we play Ellis at home Friday and Lyon in Toronto?

Will UPL's conditioning stint take that long?

Also ... man, I think that's probably what they need to do. Maybe his family can just stick around through the weekend and catch both games.

I just learned that the young man's not just from Nova Scotia, he's from Cape Breton. So great.

[Weave]

11 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

 

 

It's not an issue for a few more weeks.

So do we play Ellis at home Friday and Lyon in Toronto?

I thought conditioning stints were CBA limited to 2 weeks or a small number of games?  Is that a mistaken assumption?

[Porous Five Hole]

9 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

 

 

It's not an issue for a few more weeks.

Just fyi, a conditioning stint cannot last more than two weeks.
Also, in Kevin O’s story from last night, “Luukkonen said he accomplished what was necessary, though he said he wasn’t sure if he will rejoin the Sabres or play again for the Amerks on Friday.”

Sounds like a decision is coming by the end of the weekend.

 

[triumph_communes]

Bensen is such a difference maker out there. Can’t wait to see both him and Norris together 

[Jorcus]

52 minutes ago, Ctaeth said:

are we headed towards 3 goalies on the roster again?

I doubt it. Once UPL is back Ellis is gone unless there is a roster space open. Before we think Ellis is the second coming of Ryan Miller try to remember back to Devon Levi's first stint in Buffalo. All good until it wasn't good enough. Ellis did not have the likes of Clifton, Bryson, and Johnson, playing in front of him. UPL has had some bad games in Buffalo but he has had plenty of good ones. If the team plays like it did last night in front of him he will be better than he was last year for certain.  

[rickshaw]

1 hour ago, That Aud Smell said:

that's good analysis. hockey is in many ways a game of mistakes - and of minimizing your mistakes. the sabres need both dahlin and thompson to round into form - neither are quite there right now.

 

 

Dahlin could have a difficult year with all that’s going on with his girl. 
Tage? He needs to get going and fast. Talked prior to season about feeling great and taking his game further. Didn’t think he meant further, back.

[rickshaw]

If they waive Ellis, surely he will get picked up by another team. I’d keep three goalies. If UPL looks poor, sit him. Try and move him. Difficult.

[SwampD]

13 hours ago, ... said:

Dangles needs to do something because his schtick is old and moldy at this point.

He’s a selfish player. I hate his game.

13 hours ago, Spoonman said:

BOTH

12 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:

In arena.

Yep. The ice mics pick it up for the broadcast.

12 hours ago, mjd1001 said:

2 games in a row vs the leafs.

Other teams win both games of a back to back right? Other teams go on a 3 game winning streak, right?

If the Sabres can do it just this time...not only are they now back in the middle of the standings, but they put the Leafs in pretty big trouble.

 

Man, that would be awesome.

12 hours ago, Mustache of God said:

Just what the hell were the first three games?

The first three games.

12 hours ago, Ross Rhea said:

What if this group of guys makes the playoffs this year, do we have to give GMKA credit?

I really hope we have the opportunity to.

12 hours ago, Broken Ankles said:

Lyon and Ellis >> UPL and Levi 

Kozak/Östlund >> Krebs/Dunne

Quinn can play. Why does he go multiple games looking like the invisible man? 

If Kozak and Östlund remain, where does Greenway slot in?  Fill in for Zucker if he is injured? 

He looked better than usual tonight because Detroit doesn’t play a heavy game.

11 hours ago, DarthEbriate said:

Tuch is always going for corners, so missing the net comes with the territory. He could shoot into the goalie's crest each time.

But -- that he's always missing the net is a fallacy. He simply alternates good and poor shooting percentages by season. This season is his down year.

S% by year: 8.8 | 11.1 | 8.2 | 12.7 | 8.6 | 16.5 | 11.5 | 18.4 | 5.9 coming into tonight's game.

 

The good news is the high percentage years keep increasing. Next year, he'll shoot 20%+ (for some team) and be a 45+ goal scorer.

Not sure that is true. In fact, someone had a stat last year showing that it is not a fallacy. What skews those S% numbers is that shots that miss the net are not counted as shots.

Edited 2 hours ago by SwampD

[Porous Five Hole]

3 minutes ago, rickshaw said:

If they waive Ellis, surely he will get picked up by another team. I’d keep three goalies. If UPL looks poor, sit him. Try and move him. Difficult.

Vegas would definitely put a claim in. Adin Hill is week to week so the only guy they have is Schmid and his numbers aren’t great in the NHL or the AHL.  A real GM might be working on a trade…

[SabresBaltimore]

I'd rather carry 3 goalies and waive Geersten. I don't think he's adding anything of value. Hopefully Greenway is back soon, then you send Östlund back to Rochester (or whoever they call up to play for Zucker, because I hope to god Geersten doesn't return to the lineup)

 

If we can trade Ellis for something, great. But I'd rather keep him a bit longer until we're sure UPL is going to be good.

[Ross Rhea]

18 minutes ago, SabresBaltimore said:

I'd rather carry 3 goalies and waive Geersten. I don't think he's adding anything of value. Hopefully Greenway is back soon, then you send Östlund back to Rochester (or whoever they call up to play for Zucker, because I hope to god Geersten doesn't return to the lineup)

 

If we can trade Ellis for something, great. But I'd rather keep him a bit longer until we're sure UPL is going to be good.

No

[PromoTheRobot]

1 hour ago, That Aud Smell said:

Will UPL's conditioning stint take that long?

An extra week or two won't hurt him, other than a bruised ego. It buys the Sabres time to assess Ellis and Lyon further. 

1 hour ago, Jorcus said:

I doubt it. Once UPL is back Ellis is gone unless there is a roster space open. Before we think Ellis is the second coming of Ryan Miller try to remember back to Devon Levi's first stint in Buffalo. All good until it wasn't good enough. Ellis did not have the likes of Clifton, Bryson, and Johnson, playing in front of him. UPL has had some bad games in Buffalo but he has had plenty of good ones. If the team plays like it did last night in front of him he will be better than he was last year for certain.  

Ellis is not gone, at least not for nothing.

[shrader]

7 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

An extra week or two won't hurt him, other than a bruised ego. It buys the Sabres time to assess Ellis and Lyon further.

He played part of one game before getting hurt. Whether or not he like it, UPL needs more than just one rehab game before he’s ready to go. 

[That Aud Smell]

11 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

An extra week or two won't hurt him, other than a bruised ego. It buys the Sabres time to assess Ellis and Lyon further. 

Others said upthread that conditioning stints have fixed timelines. I don't think there's as much flexibility as you imply.

I don't think the Sabres want or need to further evaluate Lyon - he's a known commodity at this point.

[Doohickie]

11 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

Lyon - he's a known commodity at this point.

He's the starter, until he isn't.  The burden is on UPL to play his way back to the starter role I think.

Edited 43 minutes ago by Doohickie

[Doohickie]

12 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

Others said upthread that conditioning stints have fixed timelines. I don't think there's as much flexibility as you imply.

Unless.... UPL has a "setback".....

[That Aud Smell]

10 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

He's the starter, until he isn't.  The burden is on UPL to play his way back to the starter role I think.

Sure. My point being: Lyon is and will remain on the team's NHL roster. It's an open question whether he's the team's 1, 1A/1B, or 2. So there's no further need to evaluate him in connection with (making a roster spot for) UPL's return.

It's Ellis that may create a roster conundrum if he repeats the performance he had last night.

Just now, Doohickie said:

Unless.... UPL has a "setback".....

Shenanigans are always possible, I suppose.

Anyone know what the league's rules say about this sort of thing?

[That Aud Smell]

Fwiw, this blog seems to imply that, having assigned UPL to Roch for conditioning, the Sabres are already carrying 3 goalies on their roster?

https://www.pensionplanpuppets.com/understanding-conditioning-stints-toronto-maple-leafs-roster-loopholes-that-arent/

Conditioning Loan

The standard form of the loan lasts for 14 consecutive days. The player is sent to the AHL, plays in whatever games he’s assigned and then returns to the NHL at the end. His salary is paid as if he’s in the NHL, and the player counts against the salary cap and the 23-man roster limit. A team has to have the kind of cap situation that allows for enough players as extras to make this possible.

The Commissioner has the right to investigate the circumstances of any loan, so teams cannot use the loan to evade waivers or the salary cap.

Players must consent to conditioning loans as well.

[That Aud Smell]

2 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

Fwiw, this blog seems to imply that, having assigned UPL to Roch for conditioning, the Sabres are already carrying 3 goalies on their roster?

This is a good site for assessing NHL teams' 23-man rosters.

https://puckpedia.com/lineups/buffalo-sabres

If my math is mathing, UPL on a conditioning loan to Roch would give the Sabres 23 players on their NHL roster.