GDT: Sabres @ Kings 10:30 PM ET - TV:MSG Radio:WGR550 - California Dreaming (of a win)

[sabresfan129103]

Didn't get a chance to watch this one, but I just checked out the highlights on youtube. Did the Kings really only have 1 shot in last 5:40? Looks like they blocked a bunch of shots and the Kings missed the net a few times too.

 

[Mike McDermott]

Was not expecting to wake up to see a 1-0 final.

 

[MOGlLNY]

Sounds like I missed a hell of a performance from 6K. Luukkonen’s entire career has been made trying to spite the Sabres for favoriting Levi so much. I love it. Get the fuel where you can.

Let’s get Tage back and f***ing kill the Ducks and Sharks. (Gonna go 1-1)

 

[MarkusKetterer]

Dogs moon walk, hot chocolate, and bed
Good night all

How long did it take you to teach your dogs to moon walk?

 

[Dubi Doo]

Shoot this Kulich line into my veins.

That's good to read. I thought Kulich looked good his first stint this year. Really no reason to keep Quinn in over him when we heal up.

 

[Gabrielor]

Good. Glad the Sabres won vs. that garbage style of play.

 

[SharkInABoloTie]

So each team could think the game they lost in this series is one they should've won. This game is weird.

my thoughts exactly

 

[jc17]

Good. Glad the Sabres won vs. that garbage style of play.

Was almost expecting 1-0, but not in this direction.

I'm glad we can actually win a game like that. A quick look and I think 2017 was our last 1-0 regulation game. Sounds like we were a bit lucky too, but in the past few years it seemed like this type of game simply wouldn't be winnable

 

[Jacob582]

The LA fans seemed to get restless at times.

PP and 6x5 particularly.

 

[MOGlLNY]

The LA fans seemed to get restless at times.

PP and 6x5 particularly.

Sounds familiar to us in the third game of the season versus them

 

[joshjull]

Dogs moon walk, hot chocolate, and bed
Good night all

At first glance I thought you did the moonwalk before your hot chocolate. Quite an evening routine

 

[BFLO]

What a barn burner

 

[Dreakon13]

Watched YouTube highlights... might just be a biased 10 minute clip selection, but even when I knew they won I was still tense watching. Teams generate SO MUCH chaos in front of our goaltenders.

 

[Macbanan]

One of the few times in the last years where desparately holding down the fort actually worked for this team.

I miss Skinner but not having him, Olofsson and old man Okposo out there in the last frantic minutes helps.

Feels nice to have more well rounded players in Mcleod and Zucker

 

[GrierIsGod123]

Bryson looks decent in comparison. Kevyn needs to go and get that top 4 RD.

Dahlin - Byram is very solid.

Yup ... that and 2C are the biggest holes on the roster. The fact that Bryson looked better in the top 4 than Joki is alarming. Honestly, McLeod might be their answer for 2C moving forward. He's almost a Cirelli-level already and is young enough where his best years are coming. I can certainly see him break out with 50-60 points in his best years. Perhaps Kulich at 3C is coming sooner than we all thought.

I'd also argue they need a better top line winger-duo than Peterka/Tuch as well. It doesn't appear that anyone in the pipeline that is on a 1st line trajectory. I'd love to see these two as 2nd liners as they're great at what they do, just not elite all the way around. Tage when healthy is a top half of the league 1C, but could use some strong playmaking wingers around him. I'd have argued that Quinn would be just that coming into the year, but he is proof that development is certainly not linear.

 

[HOOats]

Yup ... that and 2C are the biggest holes on the roster. The fact that Bryson looked better in the top 4 than Joki is alarming. Honestly, McLeod might be their answer for 2C moving forward. He's almost a Cirelli-level already and is young enough where his best years are coming. I can certainly see him break out with 50-60 points in his best years. Perhaps Kulich at 3C is coming sooner than we all thought.

I'd also argue they need a better top line winger-duo than Peterka/Tuch as well. It doesn't appear that anyone in the pipeline that is on a 1st line trajectory. I'd love to see these two as 2nd liners as they're great at what they do, just not elite all the way around. Tage when healthy is a top half of the league 1C, but could use some strong playmaking wingers around him. I'd have argued that Quinn would be just that coming into the year, but he is proof that development is certainly not linear.

Agreed on Tuch. I think we may be seeing him begin to decline already - it happens earlier for some. His summer 2026 free agency is going to be interesting at age 30, hopefully a hometown discount if he stays.

However, Peterka is a bonafide 1W imo and still improving. His movement is elite, über skilled, and he's adding more "winning" plays into his game. I'm comfortable locking him up long-term.

 

[Fjordy]

Yup ... that and 2C are the biggest holes on the roster. The fact that Bryson looked better in the top 4 than Joki is alarming. Honestly, McLeod might be their answer for 2C moving forward. He's almost a Cirelli-level already and is young enough where his best years are coming. I can certainly see him break out with 50-60 points in his best years. Perhaps Kulich at 3C is coming sooner than we all thought.

I'd also argue they need a better top line winger-duo than Peterka/Tuch as well. It doesn't appear that anyone in the pipeline that is on a 1st line trajectory. I'd love to see these two as 2nd liners as they're great at what they do, just not elite all the way around. Tage when healthy is a top half of the league 1C, but could use some strong playmaking wingers around him. I'd have argued that Quinn would be just that coming into the year, but he is proof that development is certainly not linear.

I agree with @HOOats , Peterka looks like a first liner. Moreover, where are we going to get elite guys for the first line, Adams has not been able to add a top 4 RD or even a top 6 F for several years, these are unrealistic dreams.

 

[tsujimoto74]

Went to bed before the 3rd but not surprised to wake up and see it came down to who won special teams. LA got a boatload of PP chances in the 2nd and didn’t take advantage. Glad the Sabres broke through when they got their shot.

 

[Chainshot]

Agreed on Tuch. I think we may be seeing him begin to decline already - it happens earlier for some. His summer 2026 free agency is going to be interesting at age 30, hopefully a hometown discount if he stays.

However, Peterka is a bonafide 1W imo and still improving. His movement is elite, über skilled, and he's adding more "winning" plays into his game. I'm comfortable locking him up long-term.

It will be a question when he's UFA for sure. Does he still fit, would he be best as a mid-liner to ride out his final years and what is left of his shoulders?

At least in the immediate, after he started slowly, but he's certainly on a heater now with points in 7 of his last 8.

 

[GrierIsGod123]

Agreed on Tuch. I think we may be seeing him begin to decline already - it happens earlier for some. His summer 2026 free agency is going to be interesting at age 30, hopefully a hometown discount if he stays.

However, Peterka is a bonafide 1W imo and still improving. His movement is elite, über skilled, and he's adding more "winning" plays into his game. I'm comfortable locking him up long-term.

Fair enough ... I'm a fan of him for sure. I think his brain is still catching up to his physical abilities. He's a speedster with a decent amount of skill, hoping to see his playmaking continue to develop. I just want to be careful locking these guys up at full dollar for incomplete players. He's certainly a 30/30 capable guy, just not sure that's worth paying $7-8M per year yet.

 

[GrierIsGod123]

I agree with @HOOats , Peterka looks like a first liner. Moreover, where are we going to get elite guys for the first line, Adams has not been able to add a top 4 RD or even a top 6 F for several years, these are unrealistic dreams.

Agreed ... Adams is not a deal closer by an means. It's going to take the draft and finding a gem or two. He's drafted a ton of forwards of late but not many that project as true 1st line talents. I'm not writing off Ostlund, Rosen, Kulich, Helenius, etc. but any realistic fan can see these guys aren't elite level talents. Stranger things have happened, but these are likely middle six prospects at this juncture. Not to mention Savoie, who was only a good enough prospect to get us a Middle Six center. You'd like to see him find some first line-capable talent in the top 10 of the draft.

I still think Quinn is your best hope at developing into a first liner. Injuries have played a role this year, not to mention playing with a low IQ, struggling, overpaid 2C with no swagger or confidence. I'm intrigued to see Quinn get some separate ice time and see if he can pull himself out of this funk. The fact that we're .500 with he and Cozens playing at below-replacement level is astonishing. Thank the heavens for the McLeod trade and Zucker signings.

 

[Panthaz89]

Agreed ... Adams is not a deal closer by an means. It's going to take the draft and finding a gem or two. He's drafted a ton of forwards of late but not many that project as true 1st line talents. I'm not writing off Ostlund, Rosen, Kulich, Helenius, etc. but any realistic fan can see these guys aren't elite level talents. Stranger things have happened, but these are likely middle six prospects at this juncture. Not to mention Savoie, who was only a good enough prospect to get us a Middle Six center. You'd like to see him find some first line-capable talent in the top 10 of the draft.

I still think Quinn is your best hope at developing into a first liner. Injuries have played a role this year, not to mention playing with a low IQ, struggling, overpaid 2C with no swagger or confidence. I'm intrigued to see Quinn get some separate ice time and see if he can pull himself out of this funk. The fact that we're .500 with he and Cozens playing at below-replacement level is astonishing. Thank the heavens for the McLeod trade and Zucker signings.

bruh you really gotta hate on Cozens on every post even though Quinn has been the one hindering him if anything.

 

[Deep Blue Metallic]

Never want to see Joki play again, that was rough and a horrible tripping penalty.

Only watched the Sportsnet highlights, but he looked dreadful even during that brief action. 2 terrible pinches, on the wrong side of the play 2-on-2 behind our net, ineffectual defending in front of our net.

I keep hoping he figures it out, but he's 25 now, and appears to be a 3rd pairing option, at best. He's got to be feeling a lot of pressure, which doesn't help.

And his trade value, even as a coveted RHD, is probably rock-bottom.

 

[Ace]

Only watched the Sportsnet highlights, but he looked dreadful even during that brief action. 2 terrible pinches, on the wrong side of the play 2-on-2 behind our net, ineffectual defending in front of our net.

I keep hoping he figures it out, but he's 25 now, and appears to be a 3rd pairing option, at best. He's got to be feeling a lot of pressure, which doesn't help.

And his trade value, even as a coveted RHD, is probably rock-bottom.

I feel like a broken record but we don’t even know if he’s a third pairing option. No one ever tries him there. He’s either getting top four minutes he can’t handle outside of Dahlin dragging him to borderline passable…or he’s been given weeks off by Lindy.

The bottom line is the guy is going to be gone after this season at the latest…and he only hurts you on the ice. I don’t know what the point is of playing him anywhere but, maybe, a tryout on the third pair.

I understand not liking Bryson full time in the top 4. But he’s better than Joker. I also understand that Clifton and Joker is maybe the worst pairing you could draw up even on the third pair. And boy do I understand that he can’t play with Owen Power.

Hmm…sounds like someone should have added a top 4 D doesn’t it?

 

[Chainshot]

Just saw the post-game video and the team (McLeod) gave their player of the game award to Malenstyn for that shot block and then returning.