GDT:Chicago at Sabres. 11/21/25 7pm. MSG, WGR550

[JoeSchmoe]

Glad to see Malenstyn get a well deserved seat upstairs. He'll hit and block the odd shot, but is an offensive black hole. Kozak and Dunne can play the same role... Only better.

Krebs... Your next.

Greenway... You too.

I thought about including Quinn on this list but part of me feels he's on the brink of figuring out his game. There's definite glimpses. Kind of like when Thompson was younger, but hadn't quite put it all together yet.

[HumanSlinky39]

5 hours ago, Brawndo said:

UPL in the starters net

[PromoTheRobot]

45 minutes ago, JoeSchmoe said:

Glad to see Malenstyn get a well deserved seat upstairs. He'll hit and block the odd shot, but is an offensive black hole. Kozak and Dunne can play the same role... Only better.

Krebs... Your next.

Greenway... You too.

I thought about including Quinn on this list but part of me feels he's on the brink of figuring out his game. There's definite glimpses. Kind of like when Thompson was younger, but hadn't quite put it all together yet.

I don't get the Malenstyn disrespect. He's a monster on the forecheck. He often beats players to the puck on dump-ins.

[Sidc3000]

6 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

I don't get the Malenstyn disrespect. He's a monster on the forecheck. He often beats players to the puck on dump-ins.

Because if you don’t score and you’re not on the top line, dude don’t want them on the team

[DarthEbriate]

Did Malenstyn tweak something last game? I'm surprised with his speed that he's the first one sitting.

[Pimlach]

I will be watching.  Really need this to be a win.

The Bills game is hurting me, as did the hockey Flame Out on Wednesday.  

[Indabuff]

6 hours ago, #freejame said:

Sabres game after a Bills loss 

[Sidc3000]

8 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

I will be watching.  Really need this to be a win.

The Bills game is hurting me, as did the hockey Flame Out on Wednesday.  

It has been a rough couple days for sure

Edited 1 hour ago by Sidc3000

[Pimlach]

1 hour ago, JoeSchmoe said:

Glad to see Malenstyn get a well deserved seat upstairs. He'll hit and block the odd shot, but is an offensive black hole. Kozak and Dunne can play the same role... Only better.

Krebs... Your next.

Greenway... You too.

I thought about including Quinn on this list but part of me feels he's on the brink of figuring out his game. There's definite glimpses. Kind of like when Thompson was younger, but hadn't quite put it all together yet.

Fixing the fourth line will not move the needle toward the playoff goal.  The fourth line players are good enough for a wildcard team, and for most teams actually.    

The problem is the top 6 and it has been for a long time.  Improve the top 6, move some of the current 6 to the 3rd line. 

Everyone likes Doan.  I do too.  But he is not a first line player at this point in his career.  He would not be top 6 on top 8 team. 

Add better players, improve the first line and benefit from the trickle down. 

[Sidc3000]

What team do we get, Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde?

[JoeSchmoe]

41 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

I don't get the Malenstyn disrespect. He's a monster on the forecheck. He often beats players to the puck on dump-ins.

He does all that, but he inevitably loses the puck because he doesn't have the hockey IQ to know how to make a play.

Watching my kids grow up through minor hockey, you see these players all the time. Fantastic skaters, hard workers, but just can't put it all together. It baffles me how they can't see a window or two to get the front of the net, while kids with less skill can.

If Malenstyn could help put the odd one in while playing a strong defensive game, and get to maybe 45%GF he wouldn't bother me. But he's not close because his IQ is so bad.

[pastajoe]

I’ll take Malenstyn over Krebs any day. Krebs is smaller, slower, and repeatedly gets knocked over. I hope they throw him in a deal with UPL.

[mjd1001]

1 hour ago, PromoTheRobot said:

I don't get the Malenstyn disrespect. He's a monster on the forecheck. He often beats players to the puck on dump-ins.

I think Malenstyn was pretty bad early in the year, but the last week or two I think he has been one of the better forwards.

[North Buffalo]

3 hours ago, HILLsabre said:

Boy! I bet that "first line" of ours really puts the fear into our opponents! One frickin far cry from the "French Connection". Oh how far the benchmark of a scoring line has fallen for this franchise!!!😫

Thompson needs his soft ass dropped to 2nd line along with Tuck... 

[Carmel Corn]

7 hours ago, Brawndo said:

UPL in the starters net

What an F’d Up organization!!!  Did they forget a guy named Alex Lyon who played pretty well before they gave him a rest….incompetent decision making at a level never seen before in professional sports.

[mjd1001]

51 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Fixing the fourth line will not move the needle toward the playoff goal.  The fourth line players are good enough for a wildcard team, and for most teams actually.    

The problem is the top 6 and it has been for a long time.  Improve the top 6, move some of the current 6 to the 3rd line. 

Everyone likes Doan.  I do too.  But he is not a first line player at this point in his career.  He would not be top 6 on top 8 team. 

Add better players, improve the first line and benefit from the trickle down. 

You are probably correct in the long term regarding Doan, but often times its not how much talent you have, but rather how you compiment the players you are with.

I think most will agree that Tage Thompson is the most talented offensive forward on this team, so how does Doan impact him when they are playing together:

Tage with Doan: 1 goal every 16 minutes ES.  Tage with anyone other than Doan: 1 goal every 18.7 minutes

That is actual goals, how about how well they generate chances? (expected goals)

Tage with Doan: 1 expected goal every 17.8 minutes. Tage with anyone else: 1 goal every 22.5 minutes.

Small sample size, but in the 65 even strength minutes Doan has played with Tage, they produce, and generate chances better than Tage with anyone else other than Doan.

Just like last year with Kulich and Tage...maybe it won't last, maybe it will, but it deserves a bit more time to find out.