GDT: 2026-27 SEASON OPENER — Sabres at Columbus, 10/1/26, 7:00 pm, MSG, ESPN+

[Brawndo]

 

[Indabuff]

9 hours ago, nfreeman said:

Here we go!

[Big Guava]

Kulich on the 4th line?? 😳

[JohnC]

37 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Me too.  Lasts years big winning streak is not something that teams easily repeat.   The FO may have tried for bigger moves, but they did the minimum by acquiring what they did.  

Counting on so many young players to step up seems so Adams-like. 

But on the other side they have a taste of winning and the Core is back.  

It shouldn't be forgotten that last season was a remarkable season. The Sabres were a 79 pt season in 2024-2025 and jumped up 30 pts with a 109 pt season in 2025-2026. It was an incredible improvement that included playoff participation. I doubt that the Sabres will match the 109 pt total from the previous year. But it should be more due to other teams being better and healthier than the previous year. 

After so much futility, the Sabres have reached the point where they should be considered a serious team. Are they a Cup contending team? In my estimation, not quite. But because we have so many rising young players (as you note) we are not too far away from being in that Cup competing realm. 

 

[nfreeman]

Yikes.

 

[DarthEbriate]

Nearly had 4 D on IR to begin the season (including Rathbone), so the Gilbert callup was a guarantee for gameday. But having Samuelsson available -- even if he's scratched after warmups -- is a very good sign.

[Pimlach]

3 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

Yikes.

 

Game one and they just called up D9.  

[Taro T]

12 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Game one and they just called up D9.  

Technically 8.  If Rathbone were healthy he wouldn't be a Sabre.  (Yeah, 9, forgot Grzlcyk.  And Rathbone did end up going down.  D'oh!)

Well, at least D 1&3 are fresh and D6 looked good when paired w/ D1.  Expecting D7, 8, & 9 to get about 10 minutes each with only about 2-4 minutes of that as a pair of some nature.

Edited Thursday at 02:25 PM by Taro T

[Doohickie]

35 minutes ago, Big Guava said:

Kulich on the 4th line?? 😳

I think it's Lindy's effort to start him back out with limited minutes.

[Taro T]

And hopefully Samuelsson can play and Gilbert's call up ends up an unnecessary emergency recall as Samuelsson gets reactivated.

[Pimlach]

Just now, Taro T said:

Technically 8.  If Rathbone were healthy he wouldn't be a Sabre.

Well, at least D 1-3 are fresh and D6 looked good when paired w/ D1.  Expecting D7 & 8 to get about 10 minutes each with only about 2 minutes of that as a pair.

I get 9.   Dahlin, Muel, Power, Timmons, Zelly, Crevier, Metsa, Grizlickski, and now Gilbert.   

 

[Taro T]

Just now, Pimlach said:

I get 9.   Dahlin, Muel, Power, Timmons, Zelly, Crevier, Metsa, Grizlickski, and now Gilbert.   

 

You responded to the unedited version of the post.  Had already admitted to having forgotten about Grzlcyk by the time you'd replied.  I 🍺

[Doohickie]

5 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Technically 8.  If Rathbone were healthy he wouldn't be a Sabre.  (Yeah, 9, forgot Grzlcyk.  And Rathbone did end up going down.  D'oh!)

Well, at least D 1&3 are fresh and D6 looked good when paired w/ D1.  Expecting D7, 8, & 9 to get about 10 minutes each with only about 2-4 minutes of that as a pair of some nature.

I'm tellin' ya, Crevier is not a third pair D.

[That Aud Smell]

Let's Go Buffalo!!

[Taro T]

Just now, Doohickie said:

I'm tellin' ya, Crevier is not a third pair D.

In Ruff's typical deployment, when all 6 are healthy, expect he is.  At best he's the 4 as he and Zellweger might flip pairings.

And if it turns out that they have 5 guys that at worst can be a poor man's 3, well, you're starting to get into Blackhawks SC era territory which is not a bad thing.  But, right now, when all are healthy he's the 6.  Hopefully he plays like a 2/3.  Would go a long way towards making this D better than last year's was.  And that was pretty darn good.

[That Aud Smell]

Just now, Taro T said:

Would go a long way towards making this D better than last year's was.  And that was pretty darn good.

Man, when they were humming last season, I truly don't think there was a better D corps in the league.

[mjd1001]

1 hour ago, #freejame said:

Don’t suck for the first two and a half months and the win streak isn’t needed. I think this team should be much more mentally prepared for what’s needed to make the playoffs and how necessary it is to win early so you don’t have to scramble. The old core thought multiple times it knew what it meant to be a playoff team and they fell on their face each time. Now everyone knows. 

With the extra games this year, 100 points should be the target to get to the playoffs.

1.2 points per game. 

Early in the season, don't be overly concerned what place you are in the standings at any given time, just stay on/above that pace.

14 games in October. Be at 17 points or more at the end of the month.

[Pimlach]

1 minute ago, Doohickie said:

I'm tellin' ya, Crevier is not a third pair D.

We really do want you to be right on this because Timmons is really not a 2nd pair defenseman.  He is 3rd pair with some key PK minutes.  

I need to see Crevier and Zelly play for awhile before I come to any conclusion on them.  

[Ghost of Ville Leino]

5 hours ago, #freejame said:

Hello out there we’re on the air it’s hockey night tonight

 

[Ghost of Ville Leino]

2 hours ago, #freejame said:

Ive been wanting to rewatch this but I feel like my wife would hate it. Lord knows I don’t get the time for a movie by myself. 

If you're looking for a movie that would maybe be more palatable for your wife, The Banshees of Inisherin also has Farrell and Gleeson and is directed/written by Martin McDonagh who did In Bruges.

[kas23]

35 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

Man, when humming, I truly don't think there was a better D.

I totally agree

[shrader]

1 hour ago, nfreeman said:

Yikes.

 

They were always going to call up a 7th. It's a good sign because they didn't call up two defensemen.

[Brawndo]

 

[RETURNTOGLORY]

Let's see how flat they come out tonight. 

[Mustache of God]

I really need this team to win today. If they come out flat against frikin Columbus it's gonna leave a bad taste in my mouth, like an old sandwich whose lettuce has started to wilt. 

Recent history has not been kind to the Sabres on opening night. Over the past three years the Sabres are 0-3 and have a combined total of ONE goal in those three games. 

Our last season opening win was in 2022 and we're 3-6-1 over the last 10 seasons.

Ruff better have these guys hungry and ready to go.