GDT: 2026 1st Round Game 3 -- Sabres at Bruins 4/23/2026, 7:00 pm ET, MSG-B, TNT/Tru, HBO Max, NESN

[NAF]

49 minutes ago, JoeSchmoe said:

I'd like them to put Greenway on the shelf for the rest of the playoffs. Other than mediocre penalty killing he gives us nothing.

Seeing a player that big, yet that indifferent must be a huge boost to Boston's confidence. 

Who are you replacing him with? 

[JoeSchmoe]

Just now, NAF said:

Who are you replacing him with? 

Pearson

[Mr. MVP]

Norris out?

Edited April 23 by Mr. MVP

[Taro T]

Just now, JoeSchmoe said:

Pearson

Pearson has NOT been good in the limited action he's gotten.  MHO.

Would absolutely have him behind Dunne, Kozak, and Greenway in the pecking order.  And am really looking forward to when Carrick is available again because then, at most, only one of those guys is in the lineup and if Östlund plays then none of them are in the lineup (presuming Norris recovers quickly).

[Drag0nDan]

5 minutes ago, quill said:

True. Cozens has turned out to be a real asset for the Sens and hasn't missed a game all season. Who knows, maybe the Sens coaches knew how to handle him better.

I was kinda done with him.  In 340 games with the team I saw a flawed player.  

• Still had a weak shot, he added 13 PP goals this year which is more than the 12 he scored in buffalo over his entire career.  
• Questionable effort at times skating in the neutral zone, didn't do much to disrupt this area of the ice
• A certain "panic" in his game, like his stick was fighting the puck.  He was making his linemates worse.  Very noticable when he would exit the zone.  
• Not as physical as his hit numbers show.  

[Apollo]

1 hour ago, TageMVP said:

Bruins 5-1 

Geekie has all 5 goals and they're all  scored from behind Bostons goal line

Lyon gets pulled for UPL, he gets pulled for Ellis, then Ellis gets pulled for Lyon 

Does Boston have a drum? If they do, is Vrabel going to do the banging?

[#freejame]

3 hours ago, Apollo said:

Does Boston have a drum? If they do, is Vrabel going to do the banging?

He’s going to platonically hold on the drumstick the same way you would with any of your friend’s…drumsticks

Edited April 23 by #freejame

[#freejame]

For some reason I can’t post the lineup the Sabres posted online (says the file is more than 500kb but reads as ~470kb). Here’s what’s posted:

Krebs-Thompson-Tuch

Zucker-McLeod-Quinn

Benson-Östlund-Doan

Greenway-Kozak-Malenstyn

 

Dahlin-Samuelsson 

Power-Byram

Stanley-Timmins

 

Lyon

Luukonen

[quill]

5 minutes ago, JoeSchmoe said:

Pearson

 

9 minutes ago, Drag0nDan said:

I was kinda done with him.  In 340 games with the team I saw a flawed player.  

• Still had a weak shot, he added 13 PP goals this year which is more than the 12 he scored in buffalo over his entire career.  
• Questionable effort at times skating in the neutral zone, didn't do much to disrupt this area of the ice
• A certain "panic" in his game, like his stick was fighting the puck.  He was making his linemates worse.  Very noticable when he would exit the zone.  
• Not as physical as his hit numbers show.  

Yeah, it's true that he didn't live up to expectations when he was here. Neither has Norris so far, so who knows, maybe it has something to do with the Sens coaching staff knowing how tweak the right strings to get better results from certain players like them?

[Weave]

14 minutes ago, Apollo said:

Does Boston have a drum? If they do, is Vrabel going to do the banging?

[John Tucker]

5 hours ago, #freejame said:

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7219051/2026/04/23/boston-bruins-buffalo-sabres-game-3-nhl-playoffs-2026/?source=user_shared_article&unlocked_article_code=1.dFA.lRgW.62Xx6yVivldW
 

Morning notes from Bruins beat writer. Link should be free too. 

I get a kick out of everyone outside of Buffalo talking about how "big" the Bruins are compared to us.  I would actually say that we are bigger on the back end and pretty even size wise up front.  

[nfreeman]

35 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Your dislike of Greenway is well documented.  

The Sabres would benefit much more if Dahlin came alive.  

Greenway has been good on the PK and in the 4th line role he is ok.   He is actually pulling his weight more than Doan, Zucker and Norris.   If just one of them can get on the scoresheet tonight that would help much more than whatever Greenway does or does not do.  

Yes -- Dahlin was fine in game 1 but not great and was pretty invisible in game 2.

 

23 minutes ago, Drag0nDan said:

I was kinda done with him.  In 340 games with the team I saw a flawed player.  

• Still had a weak shot, he added 13 PP goals this year which is more than the 12 he scored in buffalo over his entire career.  
• Questionable effort at times skating in the neutral zone, didn't do much to disrupt this area of the ice
• A certain "panic" in his game, like his stick was fighting the puck.  He was making his linemates worse.  Very noticable when he would exit the zone.  
• Not as physical as his hit numbers show.  

Yes, Cozens was flawed, but he had value around the NHL.  If KA was determined to trade him, he should've gotten a much better asset in return than an $8MM guy who is hurt all of the time.  The Sabres are going to need to pay someone this summer to take Norris' contract. 

That trade is looking like one of KA's all-time worst moves.

[Second Line Center]

 

[John Tucker]

As bad as Norris seems to be on faceoffs (53% first two games of the series), Östlund is only at 30% (regular season).  Unless he has significantly improved while he's been out, that line will likely be chasing all night.  Need to be significantly better in the faceoff circle tonight.

[TageMVP]

41 minutes ago, NAF said:

Who are you replacing him with? 

Robert Thomas 

[bunomatic]

Send that anklebiter Benson out to gnaw on Jeannot. Thats all I got🤷🏻‍♂️

[Second Line Center]

Can we call up Helenius?  
 

I hope that’s plan B after tonight.  

[Mustache of God]

MUST WIN tonight, specifically they gotta show up to play preferably in the first period.

[Hawerchuk]

Is Metsa a better partner for Stanley or stay with Timmons? Wonder if Ruff would entertain the idea or is it better to have Timmons, who is more of a heavyweight/experienced player, stay in the lineup vs Boston? What say you, Sabrespace board?

[Second Line Center]

5 minutes ago, Hawerchuk said:

Is Metsa a better partner for Stanley or stay with Timmons? Wonder if Ruff would entertain the idea or is it better to have Timmons, who is more of a heavyweight/experienced player, stay in the lineup vs Boston? What say you, Sabrespace board?

 

I think Timmons has been very solid on the PK and he’s blocking shots.  
 

Byram needs more ice time and maybe even to PP 1 I think he’s been our best player after Tage  so far.  
 

The guy that’s won a Cup - yes get him more ice time please.   

[#freejame]

4 minutes ago, Second Line Center said:

 

I think Timmons has been very solid on the PK and he’s blocking shots.  
 

Byram needs more ice time and maybe even to PP 1 I think he’s been our best player after Tage  so far.  
 

The guy that’s won a Cup - yes get him more ice time please.   

I don’t have the fancy stats to back it up but my eye test says Byram is one of the better players at breaking the zone on the PP as well. 

[LETSTUCHINGO]

57 minutes ago, Apollo said:

Does Boston have a drum? If they do, is Vrabel going to do the banging?

Might as well, he's been banging everything else!

[CallawaySabres]

So do we know if Norris is a healthy scratch or if he is injured?

[quill]

3 minutes ago, Hawerchuk said:

Is Metsa a better partner for Stanley or stay with Timmons? Wonder if Ruff would entertain the idea or is it better to have Timmons, who is more of a heavyweight/experienced player, stay in the lineup vs Boston? What say you, Sabrespace board?

 

13 minutes ago, #freejame said:

I don’t have the fancy stats to back it up but my eye test says Byram is one of the better players at breaking the zone on the PP as well. 

He's as good as anyone we have as far as getting the puck into the other end without having to dump it in. IMO, one of the main problems with the PP is that it usually takes way too long for the PP to get set up because all too often we either lose control of the puck as we enter the zone, or we end up dumping the puck in and then chasing after it. 

[quill]

3 minutes ago, CallawaySabres said:

So do we know if Norris is a healthy scratch or if he is injured?

I think Ruff said he's day to day with an injury, although in hockey language that could mean anything from he's got a hangnail to he's as healthy as a horse to he's in Chateau BowWow.