GDT: Buffalo Sabres @ Toronto Maple Leaves 25 Oct 2025 5:00 pm ET TV: MSG-B, SN1, Radio: WGR 550

[sabresouth]

5 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

True to a point. Your defense will ruin good goaltending if it keeps giving up high danger chances. Watch any game last year's and tell me how many odd man rushes off turnovers you see. Then compare to now.

And as for who is or isn't a moron, finding good goaltending isn't like buying groceries. It's like complaining the Bills didn't just go out and get a Josh Allen earlier.

Agreed defense is important.

How long has ka been gm? I haven't been asking for a top 1-3 goaltender. Anywhere in the top 15 would have been nice.

I can't even count the number of games where our goalie would make a great save and the team would be flying and within five minutes let in a soft goal. Players loose faith in inconsistent goaltending. This has happened every year since Ullmark. That's on ka.

[LGR4GM]

23 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

True to a point. Your defense will ruin good goaltending if it keeps giving up high danger chances. Watch any game last year's and tell me how many odd man rushes off turnovers you see. Then compare to now.

And as for who is or isn't a moron, finding good goaltending isn't like buying groceries. It's like complaining the Bills didn't just go out and get a Josh Allen earlier.

Stop. Adams invested the minimum in gt right up until 2yrs ago. He traded for Levi and thought "problem solved" and some adult had to tell him no not really. That's why they drafted 4 goalies in 3 years and went after a top ufa. I'm just surprised Lyon didn't have better offers. 

They signed a lottery ticket and claimed a top ahl goalie off waivers this year. 

[LGR4GM]

Like everything else Adams does, he puts a patch on it until it blows up in his face and then panic throws all his assets at the problem. See RHD as another example. So yes, he's fixing the problem after years and years of thinking his pet projects would work out eventually. He's a reactive GM with no plan except what others give him. Ruff and Kekalainen clearly told him he needed more Doan in the lineup. 

[JohnC]

8 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Like everything else Adams does, he puts a patch on it until it blows up in his face and then panic throws all his assets at the problem. See RHD as another example. So yes, he's fixing the problem after years and years of thinking his pet projects would work out eventually. He's a reactive GM with no plan except what others give him. Ruff and Kekalainen clearly told him he needed more Doan in the lineup. 

You make an incisive point about KA and how he functions. He’s not much of a visionary as he is reactive. And even recognizing that,  he had to be pushed by others to rectify problems that he hasn’t satisfactorily addressed. He’s a checkers player in a chess match.

He’s basically a pedestrian tactician in a position that requires a stratisgist.

[Pimlach]

Ok, the team is playing better and confidence is building.  They have an opportunity to gain points on the dreaded Maple Leaves.  
 

Ellis should be starting again, he earned it.   UPL had the shortest conditioning assignment in the NHL.  Who gets the net?  
 

I would love to see the first line collect a bunch of goals and the Sabres run away with it.  Instead goaltending will probably decide tonight’s game.   

[zow2]

45 minutes ago, sabresouth said:

Agreed defense is important.

How long has ka been gm? I haven't been asking for a top 1-3 goaltender. Anywhere in the top 15 would have been nice.

I can't even count the number of games where our goalie would make a great save and the team would be flying and within five minutes let in a soft goal. Players loose faith in inconsistent goaltending. This has happened every year since Ullmark. That's on ka.

 

What i like is that he took swings at new goalies this season and eventually will luck his way into something really good. So now Lyon is playing at a high level (that save last night late and Tuch’s goal 10 seconds later is an example of what would not have happened last year). and Ellis coming from the Blues organization could be another goalie ready to break out at the NHL level. So maybe KA finally hit the winning goalie lottery

[Night Train]

[PromoTheRobot]

51 minutes ago, sabresouth said:

Agreed defense is important.

How long has ka been gm? I haven't been asking for a top 1-3 goaltender. Anywhere in the top 15 would have been nice.

I can't even count the number of games where our goalie would make a great save and the team would be flying and within five minutes let in a soft goal. Players loose faith in inconsistent goaltending. This has happened every year since Ullmark. That's on ka.

Well Kevy put together the team that's out there now. You can complain it took too long but it seems to be coming together. Maybe it's the Jarmo influence?

[LGR4GM]

Guess with the back to back, no morning skate. 

[PromoTheRobot]

20 minutes ago, JohnC said:

You make an incisive point about KA and how he functions. He’s not much of a visionary as he is reactive. And even recognizing that,  he had to be pushed by others to rectify problems that he hasn’t satisfactorily addressed. He’s a checkers player in a chess match.

He’s basically a pedestrian tactician in a position that requires a stratisgist.

No one talks about Jarmo Kekalainen much. How much of these moves are due to his influence?

[LGR4GM]

Just now, PromoTheRobot said:

No one talks about Jarmo Kekalainen much. How much of these moves are due to his influence?

That's a very good question. 

[triumph_communes]

Team has some identity but they are thin and these injuries are holding the back. They aren’t a strong unit yet so they struggle when one or two pieces are gone. 

the attack with the sticks and not going through the motions is making the difference in the mean time  

 

A few more injury returns and they’ll be hot 

Edited 5 hours ago by triumph_communes

[K012010]

14 minutes ago, zow2 said:

 

What i like is that he took swings at new goalies this season and eventually will luck his way into something really good. So now Lyon is playing at a high level (that save last night late and Tuch’s goal 10 seconds later is an example of what would not have happened last year). and Ellis coming from the Blues organization could be another goalie ready to break out at the NHL level. So maybe KA finally hit the winning goalie lottery

Which also allows us to just let Levi continue to develop at an appropriate pace in Rochester like we did with Miller so long ago. 

[JohnC]

15 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

No one talks about Jarmo Kekalainen much. How much of these moves are due to his influence?

I don’t know. I think that Ruff has been the most influential in encouraging the changes in reshaping the roster to being more physical and less finesse oriented. With respect to Jarmo, it is a good thing to have fresh eyes and different voices in the room. 

Edited 5 hours ago by JohnC

[steveoath]

Beers are in, TV is mine tonight. Go Sabres. 
 

Clan win 5-1 last night, hoping to go 3 for 3 this weekend!! 

[inkman]

39 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

That's a very good question. 

I’m sure he’s doing all he can from Pittsburgh

[Archie Lee]

34 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

No one talks about Jarmo Kekalainen much. How much of these moves are due to his influence?

We are in the same spot with Kekalainen as we were with Ruff a year ago. Every move seen as positive by the fanbase and every move that seems to be working out, is credited to the influence of Ruff, and now Kekalainen. That is, until it doesn’t work out, in which case it’s Adams (see: adding Malenstyn and Lafferty are clearly Ruff’s influence, quickly becoming Adams is a fool). I’m not defending Adams, but he is not batting .000 when it comes to roster moves. 

[Rasmus_]

Benson and Doan are head and shoulders above my other favorites right now.  Tuch is regaining his form nicely.  

[sabresouth]

48 minutes ago, zow2 said:

 

What i like is that he took swings at new goalies this season and eventually will luck his way into something really good. So now Lyon is playing at a high level (that save last night late and Tuch’s goal 10 seconds later is an example of what would not have happened last year). and Ellis coming from the Blues organization could be another goalie ready to break out at the NHL level. So maybe KA finally hit the winning goalie lottery

I also hope Lyon continues his high level of play, but...

Hopes and maybes are not a winning strategy 

[PonyBoy2]

3 hours ago, #freejame said:

Pretty reasonable today. We got a couple seats in the lower bowl for $70 before fees. I don’t remember seeing them this cheap in the past. The city is distracted by the Jays, nobody wants to see the wheels come off against the Sabres tonight. 

Canadian $ or US?

With the exchange rate you might get a refund 😀

[JohnC]

12 minutes ago, Archie Lee said:

We are in the same spot with Kekalainen as we were with Ruff a year ago. Every move seen as positive by the fanbase and every move that seems to be working out, is credited to the influence of Ruff, and now Kekalainen. That is, until it doesn’t work out, in which case it’s Adams (see: adding Malenstyn and Lafferty are clearly Ruff’s influence, quickly becoming Adams is a fool). I’m not defending Adams, but he is not batting .000 when it comes to roster moves. 

No GM, good or bad, gets everything right or wrong. That’s not how you evaluate a GM, an overseeing position. The fairest way to make an evaluation is assessing the body of work over an extended period of time. Based on that criteria, I’m comfortable in my critical view of him.

[bob_sauve28]

17 minutes ago, Rasmus_ said:

Benson and Doan are head and shoulders above my other favorites right now.  Tuch is regaining his form nicely.  

Quinn is turning into a force, too. 

[Pimlach]

14 minutes ago, Archie Lee said:

We are in the same spot with Kekalainen as we were with Ruff a year ago. Every move seen as positive by the fanbase and every move that seems to be working out, is credited to the influence of Ruff, and now Kekalainen. That is, until it doesn’t work out, in which case it’s Adams (see: adding Malenstyn and Lafferty are clearly Ruff’s influence, quickly becoming Adams is a fool). I’m not defending Adams, but he is not batting .000 when it comes to roster moves. 

He is pretty close to batting .000 but he hit on the Byram/Mitts trade.  

If Peterka didn't ask to be moved would the Sabres had pursued Kesselring or Doan in separate trades? 

That would be interesting to know, but our insight is limited so you have to look at whatever happens is now part of the collective of Adams + Ruff + Jarmo.   

Prior to that it was Adams with some inputs from Granato.  

[Taro T]

1 hour ago, PromoTheRobot said:

No one talks about Jarmo Kekalainen much. How much of these moves are due to his influence?

He did bring Bobrovsky from Filly.  So, he actually understands you need a top guy.

Of course, Bob wanted nothing to do with reupping.  But he did land him once.

[Crusader1969]

4 hours ago, Jorcus said:

I see 88 on vivid seats which is cheap for Toronto.

Sabres fans should invade the stadium!!
 

  Unfortunately, Sabres Mafia doesn't travel as well as Bills Mafia