GDT: GAME 70 | Senators @ Sabres | The Prodigal Son Returns Edition | Tue Mar 25 2025, 7PM | TSN5, RDS2

[SensFactor]

Not that it makes too much of a difference losing to Buffalo last night, but Buffalo has beaten some good teams the last couple of weeks (Winnipeg, Vegas, Edmonton). They are playing stress-free hockey.

 

[Norris4Norris]

Not that it makes too much of a difference losing to Buffalo last night, but Buffalo has beaten some good teams the last couple of weeks (Winnipeg, Vegas, Edmonton). They are playing stress-free hockey.

Not that you are making excuses for the Sens but whenever we lose I hear three different arguments.

If we lose to a non-playoff team the narrative is that the team that beat us is playing loose, while we are high strung.

When we lose to a team in the playoff race the narrative is that we lost to a hungry team fighting for their playoff lives.

When we lose to a playoff team with a secure spot the narrative is that we lost to a better team and we were never going to win anyways.

 

[BondraTime]

Hamonic playing more at Even Strength in a must win game than a top 10 D in the league in Sanderson is hilarious.

 

[Micklebot]

Hamonic and (to a lesser degree but perhaps greater impact) Forsberg: addition by subtraction next season. Love em both, seem like wonderful dudes.

They can absolutely both GTFO.

I find Hamonic has played well when he's coming back from sitting, but the more he plays the worse he is.

 

[Wallet Inspector]

I'll bet dollars to donuts that Staois wants to send Hamonic down to the AHL to force Green not to dress him, but the NMC is preventing him from doing so.

 

[Hale The Villain]

I'll bet dollars to donuts that Staois wants to send Hamonic down to the AHL to force Green not to dress him, but the NMC is preventing him from doing so.

Staios was a hard-nosed defensive RD like Hamonic when he played. Might value his contributions more than others given that.

 

[frightenedinmatenum2]

I'll bet dollars to donuts that Staois wants to send Hamonic down to the AHL to force Green not to dress him, but the NMC is preventing him from doing so.

I think there might have been rumblings about a possible buyout. If I recall, he was injured during the buyout window. That would have been their only way out of it, and it would have been at best cap neutral this season with a small penalty next year.

He is fine as the 7th D playing 15 minutes a night. Most 6th-8th D are flawed. The issue is when he is plays 20+ minutes like it's still 2015.

 

[Hotsam Batcho]

Only a complete moron would give Hamonic a multi year deal with a NMC

 

[aragorn]

I'm grateful his injury concerns isn't our problem anymore.

I was wondering if this was a situation where the Sabres could place a formal complain with the NHL regarding trading an injured player? May be nothing.

 

[Burrowsaurus]

Can you name "A Snipper"?

A sniper? On our team? No I cannot

 

[Burrowsaurus]

A whole bunch of 20 goal guys lumped together? That's good enough to beat James Reimer on a hot night and take out the mighty Buffalo Sabres to further ensure a playoff spot for the first time in nearly a decade, but ok.

There’s a reason why we have so many games where the other goalie looks great Lol and then that same goalies gets corners picked on him the next game.

20 goal scorer isn’t exactly elite.

We aren’t scoring much if we don’t get extremely dirty around the crease

 

[Schmautz11]

Hamonic playing more at Even Strength in a must win game than a top 10 D in the league in Sanderson is hilarious.

I would agree however that was not the case.

Sanderson had 18:25 to Hamonic 16:08...

Time On Ice Report Away Team

What did happen is the Hamonic played more ES than Zub and Jensen. Still pretty funny .. but not in the ha-ha way.

 

[BondraTime]

I would agree however that was not the case.

Sanderson had 18:25 to Hamonic 16:08...

Time On Ice Report Away Team

What did happen is the Hamonic played more ES than Zub and Jensen. Still pretty funny .. but not in the ha-ha way.

That's true, sort of:

With 2:46 left in the 3rd the Time on Ice for each was:

Hamonic - 16:08 Even strength
Sanderson - 15:39 Even Strength

Sanderson played the last 2:46 of the game, 2:30 of which the Sens were a man up on a 6 on 5 with Forsberg pulled.

 

[BigRig4]

That's true, sort of:

With 2:46 left in the 3rd the Time on Ice for each was:

Hamonic - 16:08 Even strength
Sanderson - 15:39 Even Strength

Sanderson played the last 2:46 of the game, 2:30 of which the Sens were a man up on a 6 on 5 with Forsberg pulled.

This is genuinely insane

 

[Duncstar]

This is genuinely insane

I love our fanbase blaming every loss on hamonic

 

[Gil Gunderson]

I was wondering if this was a situation where the Sabres could place a formal complain with the NHL regarding trading an injured player? May be nothing.

“Sorry, we didn’t know this player that gets iniured every 10 games was going to have injury concerns once he got here. Please do something about it!”

 

[Golden_Jet]

Hamonic playing more at Even Strength in a must win game than a top 10 D in the league in Sanderson is hilarious.

Hammer didn’t play more at even strength.

 

[Hotsam Batcho]

I love our fanbase blaming every loss on hamonic

Hyperbole.

He just flat out f***ing sucks man. He should not be in the lineup on the regular whatsoever and when he is shouldn't be playing more than 10 minutes a night.

Same for Highmore.

 

[BigRig4]

I love our fanbase blaming every loss on hamonic

I never said this. I was commenting on the fact that Hamonic got more ice time through ~57 minutes than Sanderson, which is horrible deployment. That being said, Hamonic does absolutely suck. If you can’t see that, I don’t know what to say other than you don’t know puck and it’s genuinely not worth arguing with you over.

 

[Gil Gunderson]

Hamonic playing more at Even Strength in a must win game than a top 10 D in the league in Sanderson is hilarious.

It’s especially funny when you remember that this is on the road so the Sabres had 16 minutes to put out any lines they wanted to against literally the worst player in the NHL. Masterclass by the Greenster.

 

[BigRig4]

I was wondering if this was a situation where the Sabres could place a formal complain with the NHL regarding trading an injured player? May be nothing.

He played the first few games after getting traded so I’m not sure how much weight it would carry.

 

[Duncstar]

I never said this. I was commenting on the fact that Hamonic got more ice time through ~57 minutes than Sanderson, which is horrible deployment. That being said, Hamonic does absolutely suck. If you can’t see that, I don’t know what to say other than you don’t know puck and it’s genuinely not worth arguing with you over.

Well I just selected your post for reply because it was the last in a chain of x complaining about Hamonic, to the point of the team 1200 crew making fun of us fans blaming Hamonic for the loss or ice time etc etc. I mean I bitch about everything Hamonic does almost as a joke during the game so wtvr but he's been serviceable for us this year with injuries, really shouldn't complain for where we are right now. We sorta just suck against Buffalo and have all season. Some teams you just hate playing, Buffalo is one of them and Montreal is becoming one. I'd just like to see us play tighter defense for this last stretch.

 

[SpezDispenser]

There’s a reason why we have so many games where the other goalie looks great Lol and then that same goalies gets corners picked on him the next game.

20 goal scorer isn’t exactly elite.

We aren’t scoring much if we don’t get extremely dirty around the crease

There should be enough guys that get to the crease, I don't understand anymore. I guess Giroux's money goes to someone who can score, but acquiring/signing that is easier said than done.

 

[Back in Black]

I can't blame just one individual for this loss. And I'm more than confident the SENS will make the Playoffs, but games like last night have me worried we don't have what it takes in the Playoffs.

Baby steps, I guess....

 

[JackieDaytona]

Hamonic may not be The Reason when the team loses, but it’s plain to see that he is out of place and not up to task for the role and playing time he’s being assigned.

I was and remain happy that he signed here. Sandy praised his mentorship and it’s clear he’s well liked by teammates and coaches. But at this point he should be getting 7D assignments. He should be first out last in in terms of scratches when the d corps is healthy and available. It’s the opposite, and that is bad news.

It’s his deployment and the reliance on him that is the issue. He’s not up to task anymore. It’s not a problem that is unique to our coach. It’s easier to spot the further away you are unfortunately. I get it, good rapport, good in practice, leader, reliable in ever way except on ice play. But the coach won’t take away his spot on the team. So the gm needs to not bring him back.