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

[Pimlach]

58 minutes ago, DarthEbriate said:

It’s an optimistic way to look at it. The issue now is how is Luukkonen going to regain his form (as an .880 goalie) by splitting time with two other goalies. That’s the crux of the issue. If you’re going to get him his rehab, it’s in Rochester. Meanwhile, Ellis doesn’t get to build his game. And Lyon… gets rested, which is good, but we the expense of points in the standings. 

Exactly. Which is why UPL should not have been put on the Sabres roster until the maximum allowed days of his conditioning assignment were met.  They needed to give a few more games to Ellis. 

Now, in a year with playoffs as the focal point, the Sabres are conducting goalie tryouts during the regular season.  

Unfortunate circumstance and some of it is self-inflicted.  

[Taro T]

1 hour ago, Pimlach said:

Taro I was talking about the next game versus Columbus, not the Saturday Toronto game.  100% Lyon needed a rest. 

Ah, thanks.  And yeah, go Lyon, Ellis, Lyon (C-Bus, B's, Caps).

[EM88]

7 hours ago, Pimlach said:

NEWS FLASH.   The path to 95+ is directly linked to where your team sits in the standing.  

You are wrong, in the context of the post I responded to. We were stating that the teams around them in the division, in separate games, won. Those other games not involving the Sabres in no way has anything to do with the Sabres getting to a certain point total. 

If Montreal defeats Philadelphia, and Boston beats Columbus, that has zero tangible, immediate impact on the Sabres chase to 95 points.

Edited 1 hour ago by EM88

[mjd1001]

8 minutes ago, EM88 said:

You are wrong, in the context of the post I responded to. We were stating that the teams around them in the division, in separate games, won. Those other games not involving the Sabres in no way has anything to do with the Sabres getting to a certain point total. 

If Montreal defeats Philadelphia, and Boston beats Columbus, that has zero tangible, immediate impact on the Sabres chase to 95 points.

Yeah....I was confused by that comment. How does a game between 2 other teams not involving the Sabres, and where the Sabres are slotted in the standings on a single day in October, impact the point total they will get...which is based on the games they play?

I mean, you could possibly argue the players look at the standings in mid October and really REALLY care where they are slotted, and that makes them push or stress out in their next game and makes their game worse? But that is some multi-dirivitive thinking there.

[Taro T]

2 hours ago, Pimlach said:

Taro I was talking about the next game versus Columbus, not the Saturday Toronto game.  100% Lyon needed a rest. 

 

1 hour ago, Taro T said:

Ah, thanks.  And yeah, go Lyon, Ellis, Lyon (C-Bus, B's, Caps).

And see the source of this kid's confusion.  When I said if they believe in UPL they should've given him the starter's net in practice tomorrow and the game on Tuesday, meant in a world where Ellis got the start last night.  Not in a world where Georgiev or somebody else got that start.  So, when you said they should give the next one to Lyon, somehow read that as they should've given the next one to Lyon from the perspective of Saturday AM.  D'oh!!!

And while was leaning towards giving Ellis Tuesday's start and then Lyon Thursday and Saturday; would rather go Lyon, Ellis, Lyon (and if he gets little enough work on Tuesday, run Lyon, Lyon, Lyon).

[Taro T]

7 hours ago, PASabreFan said:

I could kiss you. We do this every year. Playoff position vs. playoff pace. The first 10 game segment has not turned into the disaster it looked like it could be, but the Sabres are below a playoff pace. Even with a win on Tuesday, they likely the rest of the way will need to pick up an extra point over the 12 point per 10 game pace that almost always puts a team into the postseason.

Glad to see you're on the 0.600 pace per a set of games segment team.

Personally like to look at it in 5 game segments; but poe-tay-toe pah-tah-toe.  Take 6 points every 5 games or 12 points every 10 games.  Get to 96 points through 80 games and expect you'll need 3 points out of the last 4 which puts you over that magical 0.600 NHL threshold; but you can probably get away with only 2 of those last 4 points.  (And there've been a lot of years that you can get by with less and MAYBE you'll be able to do so again; but shoot for 96 through 80 and 99 through 82 and you are almost guaranteed to be in the dance.)

Win Tuesday and then figure you have to go 3-1-1 over the next 5 to be able to just go 3-2-0 all the rest of them.

One other thing that's good about looking at 5 game segments rather than 10 is even if you've gotten ahead of the pace; look to win 3 of the next 5.  Always look to win 3 of your next 5 unless you're behind the pace you need in which case getting 6 of the next 10 points in the minimum acceptable outcome and know you've really got to do a bit better than that.  It's a doable mindset.

Getting to 6 of the next 10 points keeps an urgency (well, sure we just dropped 4 in a row, but all we need is a 6 game winning streak and we're back to good vs we just dropped 2 in a row; we need the next 3 and let's start with this one) without seeming too daunting.  Winning 6 of the next 10 might seem a slough; but just winning 3 out of 5, easy peazy.  (Even though in reality they're the exact same thing.)

Should they get the win Tuesday (and they SHOULD), they've got 14 5 game segments plus the 2 bonus games at the end to get that 1 point they're behind pace made up.  They've only got 7 10 game segments plus the 2 bonus games to make it up.

One other way to look at it which is a slightly tougher pace, but builds in some cushion to the 0.600 pace is win 2 of every 4 road games (or 5 of 10, or whatever segment you like) and win 3 of every 4 at home.  (You actually only need to go 3-1-1 every 5 (-7-3-0 every 10) at home if you're going 2-2-1 every 5 on the road (5-5-0 every 10); but 3 of 4 is easy to think of and work toward and you get 10 of those segments (plus 1 bonus game) to get there.