GDT: Blues @ Sabres, 7:00pm Nov. 6, 2025, 🎙 📺 ESPN+/MSG

[bunomatic]

What the holy helll was Tage doing when he went into the boards backwards and collided with Quinn. That right there illustrates the lack of cohesion between players on this sad sack edition of how the world turns. I could not believe the disfunction.

[Jorcus]

5 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

The scoring drought is killing them now. 

At times last year and parts of this year it was the special teams. 

When it's neither of those, it's goaltending. 

When it's not goaltending, it's awful play of your defenseman. 

And if it's not that, it's injuries. 

A good sign of a bad team is when you poke one leak in the dam, another leak springs up someplace else. 

At some point, and I think most of us believe they are there, you need to build a brand new dam. And you need new engineers and workers to build it. 

I think most of us have a plan to make this team better. For me It starts with get rid of UPL, then bench or get rid of Quinn, And pray for no more injuries. 

You know what though? Maybe that allows them to be good enough to squeak into the playoffs. I see very little hope for this team sniffing a deep playoff run in the next... 3 to 5 years at least with the current roster and management?

Unless they catch fire, and I mean immediately run off a 4 to 6-game winning streak, they have to start over. 

And starting over means really starting over. Brand new hockey people. Those hockey people are given power to make decisions. A coach that can hire his entire staff. Sure. Pegula is the owner so you run things by him, but he doesn't make decisions, he's informed of the reason why the hockey people are making the decisions they are. 

Really, what are most of us holding out hope for? That they can squeak into the playoffs? That they're the number eight seed with 95 points? That's the aspiration? That's not good enough, and they're not even close to doing that.

 

I know like all of us that this is a post out of disappointment. The thing about off loading UPL is the question of do we have a replacement for him that is any better? It would be easy to say yes but we really don't know. We can't even win with Lyon in the net because we are not scoring enough to support him. Because of that fact I am still fixated on our offense issues. Quinn is part of that. I don't know who decided he should play point on the power play but it was Skinner flashbacks. Its time to put 2 d men on the power play full time. 

[Ctaeth]

Put tuch and tage back together. They have historically been great together regardless of who the third guy is. Get tage with a familiar partner and he will start to put numbers again. 

I don't know what the solution is for dahlin. Maybe partner him with timmins, since timmins has now made Samuelsson and power look decent?

[mjd1001]

4 minutes ago, Jorcus said:

I know like all of us that this is a post out of disappointment. The thing about off loading UPL is the question of do we have a replacement for him that is any better? It would be easy to say yes but we really don't know. We can't even win with Lyon in the net because we are not scoring enough to support him. Because of that fact I am still fixated on our offense issues. Quinn is part of that. I don't know who decided he should play point on the power play but it was Skinner flashbacks. Its time to put 2 d men on the power play full time. 

Actually it's not short-term frustration. I am just about done with UPL. 

And the reason is... And I'm repeating myself from the game day threads... It's something that I started noticing this time early last year. 

There are way, way too many times where he's allowing goals where he's not screened... He is set... He is facing the shooter... And shooters are beating him cleanly from 15 to 20 ft out. 

And I'm not talking all the time with 100 mph blasts, but sometimes with fluttering shots, sometimes A shot that looks like they're trying to gently pick a corner against a high school Goalie.

He didn't do that too much 2 years ago. Last year I started posting about it in October or November and some other posters said I was being hard on him. Well, it continued all last year and it's continuing this year. 

That's not a guy you can win with who was going to take you deep into the playoffs. If I know that... And I'm pretty sure I know that... It's just a waste of time keeping him here any longer.

[LGR4GM]

33 minutes ago, Jorcus said:

I know like all of us that this is a post out of disappointment. The thing about off loading UPL is the question of do we have a replacement for him that is any better? It would be easy to say yes but we really don't know. We can't even win with Lyon in the net because we are not scoring enough to support him. Because of that fact I am still fixated on our offense issues. Quinn is part of that. I don't know who decided he should play point on the power play but it was Skinner flashbacks. Its time to put 2 d men on the power play full time. 

Better than him? Are you ***** serious? Better than UPL? Any replacement goalie is better. 

[Thorny]

7 hours ago, Demoted said:

Well at least everything is right in the world again lol

Doesn't matter who the goalie was when they couldn't even score 1 point 

This especially 

[Thorny]

2 hours ago, Bangarang said:

Imagine having somewhat decent goaltending to start the year and then making the decision to insert UPL and flushing it down the toilet. 

Also, Tage looks terrible. He desperately needs a center that can drive play and create chances for him. 

A start would be not saddling him with rookies like Rosen and Östlund. Imo we should be loading up on one line - it’s better than having no lines

I don’t care if you have to run

McLeod - Thompson - Tuch

..that should be the first line if “balanced lines” isn’t achieving the required result. Then…

Doan - Kozak - …..Quinn?

Sheesh, the lack of F work from Adams over several years is frankly striking. Benson and Zucker are sorely missed but..it’s not like you ever have no injuries

- - - 

At least do:

Doan - Thompson - Tuch

Östlund/Rosen - McLeod - Quinn

..facilitating the performance of Tage should be the primary concern. If he isn’t going we don’t have anything going 

Edited 6 hours ago by Thorny

[Pimlach]

46 minutes ago, bunomatic said:

What the holy helll was Tage doing when he went into the boards backwards and collided with Quinn. That right there illustrates the lack of cohesion between players on this sad sack edition of how the world turns. I could not believe the disfunction.

To be fair the lines have been unsettled all year starting with the injury to Norris.   The one exception for a few games was when Tuch - McLoed - Doan were clicking, but injuries are a big part of the problem.   

The AHL guys show flashes but they are not ready for prime time. 

[Thorny]

2 hours ago, DarthEbriate said:

The final nail in the coffin.

 

The thread this morning reads like 12 days of xmas.

The Sabres got shut out / Blues were back-to-back / full morning practice / Kyrou healthy scratch / Baaaackup goallieeeeeee / 5 hit posts / 70% puck battles lost / all this was at home / a brand-new Sheevyn thread .... and while wearing the goat head uniforms!

The reaction differential between wins and losses remains comedy 

[Taro T]

7 hours ago, Demoted said:

Well at least everything is right in the world again lol

Doesn't matter who the goalie was when they couldn't even score 1 point 

Yes and no.

Yes, you aren't going to win any games when you don't score any goals.  BUT, how much of their offensive play (not the idiotic "plan" put together by Appert, but their actual play) was affected by knowing that UPL starting would almost definitely guarantee they'd need to score at least 4 goals to win the game?

They hit 4 posts; do they perhaps shoot a little closer to the goalie if they aren't gripping the sticks tight knowing they have to get to 4 to win?  Tuch is definitely gripping it tight.  HE's their shorty goal scorer and when he was in the slot with a teammate coming up the ice with him on a nearly 2-on-1 which forced the goalie to keep from coming out high on him decides to try to pass it to the guy that is NOT a goal scorer to keep from either shooting wide again or getting robbed again for IIRC what would've been the 6th time in just over 2 games.

If Lyon, or even Ellis, gets the start, does the team play a little looser expecting that a brain fart WON'T absolutely be in their net?

When you have no faith in your goalie, you play differently than you do when you expect a save.  And, right down, does ANYBODY here EXPECT UPL to make a big save?  If nobody here (or at a minimum nobody posting here that doesn't live in NH 😉 ) expects a big save, why would UPL's teammates EXPECT the big save?  (Especially after having seen the 1st 2 goals he gave up.)  They finally went for it in the 3rd when they had no time left to try to sit back but by then the Blues goalie was on his game and even when they could get one past him, they couldn't get it heading inside the iron.

[Pimlach]

49 minutes ago, Jorcus said:

I know like all of us that this is a post out of disappointment. The thing about off loading UPL is the question of do we have a replacement for him that is any better? It would be easy to say yes but we really don't know. We can't even win with Lyon in the net because we are not scoring enough to support him. Because of that fact I am still fixated on our offense issues. Quinn is part of that. I don't know who decided he should play point on the power play but it was Skinner flashbacks. Its time to put 2 d men on the power play full time. 

I think we know that Lyon is better.  And I think we know that Lyon is not the long tern answer if he is expected to play 50-55 games. 

Ellis played one game and was better than UPL.  He kept the team in the game.  They rallied around him.   He needs to play more. 

After that we just pray that Levi is an NHL goalie someday.  

As for Quinn, he had a few good games on wing but his two way game is still suspect.   People complained about Peterka's two way game, why does Quinn get a pass?    Quinn does not belong on the point on the PP.  He just cannot be trusted in that role. 

I would use Dahlin, Power, Byram, or Kesselring and keep it simple.  Get bodies to the net and fire away.  

[Pimlach]

4 hours ago, Thorny said:

The reaction differential between wins and losses remains comedy 

I was ok with the recent string of losses and/or OTLs but the events leading up to the Blues game should have got the Sabres attention that this game was going to be a battle.   

The performance from all of them tells us a lot.  It was not just a bad night. 

Unprepared.  Out coached. Out worked.  All of it.  

Edited 1 hour ago by Pimlach

[Taro T]

4 hours ago, inkman said:

Hey they are .500 according to people who don’t understand life and just want to look at the NHL’s point system and scream what a success the Sabres are.  

They ARE NHL 0.500.  But NHL 0.500 is where bad, though not horrible, teams find themselves.

They need to get to an NHL 0.600.  Finding some way to at minimum get themselves to an NHL 0.450 on the road (they really need to be NHL 0.500 on the road, but considering they're at NHL 0.250 on the road currently, baby steps) would go a long way towards being able to get there.  And they are NHL 0.500 in their (VERY small sample size) last 2 road games.  Win tomorrow night in Carolina and then worry about game 2 of the road trip.  

Shoot, the Blues are horrible and just won in the 2 time defending Campbell Conference champions' barn and shut out another team in 2 of their last 3 road games.  Find a friggin' way to get it done.  And if you can't, for the love of all that's Good and Holy, make some ####ing changes!!!

[Taro T]

19 minutes ago, Thorny said:

A start would be not saddling him with rookies like Rosen and Östlund. Imo we should be loading up on one line - it’s better than having no lines

I don’t care if you have to run

McLeod - Thompson - Tuch

..that should be the first line if “balanced lines” isn’t achieving the required result. Then…

Doan - Kozak - …..Quinn?

Sheesh, the lack of F work from Adams over several years is frankly striking. Benson and Zucker are sorely missed but..it’s not like you ever have no injuries

- - - 

At least do:

Doan - Thompson - Tuch

Östlund/Rosen - McLeod - Quinn

..facilitating the performance of Tage should be the primary concern. If he isn’t going we don’t have anything going 

Giving him Rosen and Östlund to start the game so the McLeod line could stay together wasn't the fail.  (Not at home when you have the last line change.)  The fail was watching the 1st 10 minutes of the game (2+ shifts of all the lines) and watching Thompson looking totally discombobulated and then not putting him out with McLeod and Tuch.  

Rosen has looked much better than expected in this stint and Östlund has played well the past couple of games.  IF you are trying to keep the 1 line that seems to be working together, when you have the last line change, there are much worse choices on paper to play with Tage.  But, it was NOT working, so it needs to change and the change needs to happen while there's still a lot of game left to make SOMETHING work.

The fail was also having the 4th line be the line you start every period with and having Krebs and not Kozak centering it.  If you're going to treat the 3rd line like the 4th line by ice time; then go with the younger guy who's shaping up to be pretty good in his own end while also bringing energy at the other end as the C for that line.

The fail was bumping Quinn onto the top PP unit rather than putting Byram or even Tuch onto that unit.  The ONLY times that unit has looked even competent is when there are at least 2 guys willing to go to the net; Doan is the only guy on that unit last night that will do that regularly.  Byram will give you another solid playmaker that doesn't mind going to the net; Tuch gives you a guy that will go to the net and can forecheck.  Quinn is redundant to Rosen and Thompson on that unit.

[LGR4GM]

Y'all ever consider Thompson looks bad because his game is solely predicated on him shooting with almost tunnel vision? That he's a guy who rarely elevates his teammates or passes to HD areas? He's a cannon. 

[Pimlach]

21 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Y'all ever consider Thompson looks bad because his game is solely predicated on him shooting with almost tunnel vision? That he's a guy who rarely elevates his teammates or passes to HD areas? He's a cannon. 

He is not a playmaker at all.  He is a finisher.  

He could be a 50+ goal player but he will never be the catalyst that consistently drives the play.  He is a piece of the puzzle but not the solution to the problem.  

 

[LGR4GM]

We would trade Thompson for Robertson. 

[thewookie1]

Just now, LGR4GM said:

We would trade Thompson for Robertson. 

I wouldn't but primarily due to the contract 

[...]

2 hours ago, bunomatic said:

What the holy helll was Tage doing when he went into the boards backwards and collided with Quinn. That right there illustrates the lack of cohesion between players on this sad sack edition of how the world turns. I could not believe the disfunction.

I can think of a reason why...

[msw2112]

4 hours ago, matter2003 said:

well there goes that theory on UPL

Well, the theory was that UPL got the start against St. Louis over Ellis because of his strong play against Washington.  That theory holds up.  If he starts again over Lyon and Ellis, then you are correct that the theory that he's starting because of strong play goes out the window.

I think of Ellis making two saves against good players on breakaways in the Detroit game, whereas with UPL, if it's a breakaway or 2 on 1, you know the puck will be in the back of the net.  I want to believe that UPL still has room to grow and improve, as many goalies don't peak until late 20's or even early 30's, or that he'll find the game he had for 2 months a couple of seasons ago, but the more I see, the more I doubt.

I understand the sentiment on this board that UPL letting in a soft goal, or failing to make a big save when needed, deflates the entire team, which makes progress and success much more difficult.  It didn't happen against Washington (playing hard and coming back to win after giving up 2 early goals), but seemed to happen against St. Louis last night.  UPL aside, missing open nets, hitting goal posts and crossbars, and helping a subpar goalie look great by shooting it into his glove or pad instead of over the pad or glove can also deflate a team.  Regardless of what caused it, the lack of wind in the Sabres sails last night was very apparent.  Maybe just too many injuries left an experienced and disjoined lineup?  All of the above?

Edited 3 hours ago by msw2112

[matter2003]

41 minutes ago, msw2112 said:

Well, the theory was that UPL got the start against St. Louis over Ellis because of his strong play against Washington.  That theory holds up.  If he starts again over Lyon and Ellis, then you are correct that the theory that he's starting because of strong play goes out the window.

I think of Ellis making two saves against good players on breakaways in the Detroit game, whereas with UPL, if it's a breakaway or 2 on 1, you know the puck will be in the back of the net.  I want to believe that UPL still has room to grow and improve, as many goalies don't peak until late 20's or even early 30's, or that he'll find the game he had for 2 months a couple of seasons ago, but the more I see, the more I doubt.

I understand the sentiment on this board that UPL letting in a soft goal, or failing to make a big save when needed, deflates the entire team, which makes progress and success much more difficult.  It didn't happen against Washington (playing hard and coming back to win after giving up 2 early goals), but seemed to happen against St. Louis last night.  UPL aside, missing open nets, hitting goal posts and crossbars, and helping a subpar goalie look great by shooting it into his glove or pad instead of over the pad or glove can also deflate a team.  Regardless of what caused it, the lack of wind in the Sabres sails last night was very apparent.  Maybe just too many injuries left an experienced and disjoined lineup?  All of the above?

The problem I have is that UPL is just not mentally focused or prepared properly on a day-to-day basis and he really never has been outside of when he had to fight to make the Sabres roster or fight to earn a new contract.  Things like that are far harder to change than improving skills. He would have to admit to himself that he is failing himself and most people's egos will never allow that to happen, they will blame someone or something else.

Edited 3 hours ago by matter2003

[Crusader1969]

4 hours ago, Thorny said:

The reaction differential between wins and losses remains comedy 

And they say women are too emotional to be president.   Whomever said that obviously hadn't read this board lol 

[LGR4GM]

3 hours ago, thewookie1 said:

I wouldn't but primarily due to the contract 

I wouldn't even blink doing it.